Day 6 - Get the flock out of here

Today’s 420km took us on tarmac and trail through the rainforests of the Te Urewara National Park, and past large livestock farms. More than 80km was on unsurfaced regularity-timed sections: on the first one Mario and Rita  had a teensy oversteered “off”, leaving a spotlamp lens in a gulley, then had to hustle to make up the 15 seconds lost in getting the car back on the track. Other competitors suffered delays of an ovine character - by a 1,000-beast flock it was claimed - and entered special pleading (or was it bleating?) for a time penalties review. The day ended with two laps of the Bruce McLaren race circuit in Taupo; suffice to say, our c-word for today was Cones. The Rally NZ circus wearily checked into the hotel and kicked down a gear - tomorrow is a rest day. But over dinner Penelope and Rita still summoned the energy for a protracted and impassioned, Sauvignon fuelled, tutorial with the current table-leading crew, over regularity precision timing methods.