# Meandering around Te Ika-a-Māui, New Zealand's North Island in early 2020



## IaninSheffield (18 Apr 2020)

*** _It's now a month while since I got back from this tour and I've eventually made the time to begin putting together this journal. Bear with me; it might take a while!_ ***​
*Prologue*
Unlike those brave, adventurous souls (I’m looking at you @HobbesOnTour!) who spend months or even years on the road, my ambitions are somewhat more modest. Until now, my longest tour was the seventeen days during which a buddy and I cycled Lands End to John O’ Groats to mark my fiftieth year.






Start of LEJOG, 2008​
A decade later, and having reached (and passed) another milestone, I’m seeking a new challenge. Retirement, or at least the privilege of being able to choose when or if to work, has now opened up new possibilities, but where to go? Nudging me in one direction is the UK winter. Although we don’t have the extremes that friends around the world experience, for me, it’s a combination of it being too cold to enjoy extended time in the saddle, the increased risk of coming a cropper on icy roads, and depressingly short daylight hours. Then it struck me that whilst we’re enduring several months of misery, our cousins in the southern hemisphere are enjoying the delights of summer.

Another factor is how far I’m prepared to push myself beyond my comfort zone and the hardship I’m prepared to endure. Whilst I’m keen to be away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, the remoteness of Mongolia or Patagonia, beautiful and inspiring though they might be, would be a step too far for me. With little more than a mere smattering of French, German and Dutch, language limitations are another consideration. For some, these are not difficulties, but simply add to the interest; I’m not quite there yet.

Working within those boundaries, but also inspired by the accounts of others, I settled on New Zealand during February and March. International touring treads new ground for me (unless you count the tour across Belgium and down the Rhine valley I did as a seventeen year old). So many choices to make during planning, each one setting me on a particular path, some of which demanded a little backtracking. Initially, for example, I wondered about hiring a bike out there, rather than suffer the hassle of an airflight with a bike. Hiring a bike for five weeks is an expensive undertaking, and who knows whether its geometry will suit my riding. I elected instead to go with the touring bike I’ve had for over ten years now and with which I’m more than happy and on which ticking off the miles is (usually!) a pleasure. Of course that decision then meant finding the best (least worst?) way to transport the bike. Just one of the many decisions I faced; I’ll cover some of the others later. I know some folks are happy to ‘just do it,’ but that’s not me; I actually find planning an exciting part of the experience.


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## IaninSheffield (18 Apr 2020)

*Where to go*
It took a while to decide on a route, and even then it was always a work in progress. Visiting the usual tourist hotspots were of lesser importance to me than the suggestions from other cycle tourers, although if they overlapped, then all well and good. Plenty of web searching, reading cycle touring blogs and other accounts helped me gradually pull together the following notional route, although I expected local knowledge gained on tour would influence the detail. It did!




I knew I wanted to visit the Coromandel, Forgotten World Highway, East Cape, whilst picking up some of Nga Haerenga (The New Zealand Cycle Trail) where it fits along the way. I later heard about Gentle Annie and wanted to squeeze that in, but couldn’t find a way to shoehorn The Old Motu Road *and* do the East Cape, let alone the South Island! Ah well, maybe next time?

I’d given myself six weeks which I’d decided would include a couple of days bookending the start and finish with stopovers in Singapore. I also wanted a couple of days at the start in New Zealand to get set up and acclimatised, and also at the finish to prepare for the flight home. That left just under five weeks to complete the 1500 or so miles. With a few rest days that came to 50 - 60 miles a day which should have been well within my compass, right?


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## IaninSheffield (18 Apr 2020)

*Stage 1: Getting there*
Aotearoa is pretty much as far as it’s possible to go from Blighty, so the journey was never going to be straightforward. The first day began shortly before the alarms I had set for 5.30. Although I slept surprisingly well, given how nervous I had become over the preceding days, I beat the alarms and was definitely ready and raring to go. A text at 6.00 informed me the taxi was on its way and half an hour later we promptly departed on a relatively warm but decidedly wet and dreary day.

With my first worry out of the way I could turn my attention to the next - how big a problem it might be checking in a large bike box? I needn't have been concerned and the person checking me in at Singapore Airlines barely batted an eyelid. The box, two panniers and bar bag were within the baggage allowance and size restrictions so perhaps I shouldn't have been concerned, and yet other tourers' reports do sometimes mention problems with some baggage clerks and some airlines. Having successfully passed through security I could now relax, grab a coffee and wait for my flight to be called.





Raining in Manchester? Nah, surely not.​
The flight was almost twelve hours, largely uneventful, but offered little opportunity for a snooze. A family of five plus a toddler occupied the five other seats in the bank of six in which I was berthed. They weren't at all unpleasant, but (some?) toddlers do tend to squeal rather loudly which I struggle to cope with. The food and service were good though; I got to catch up on a couple of rollicking movies and remind myself how good ‘The West Wing’ was and still is.

Having touched down promptly at Changi in Singapore just after 07:00 local time, I was in no rush to get to the hotel. The passage though immigration was relaxed, although I did spot that arrivals were being scanned for body temperature by joint medical and military personnel, doubtless an understandable precaution in the light of the coronavirus outbreak [_This was still early February and the widespread and devastating effect had yet to fully unfold_]. I wondered at the time whether changing conditions might have an even bigger impact on my homeward journey? Onwards to baggage collection to see whether my bike box had survived the first leg of the journey. Another worry passed as the box emerged from the oversize baggage ramp almost completely intact and with no more than a smallish tear where a handler had tugged one of the precut holes a little too roughly. Then it was off to baggage storage to save me having to lug the bike around the city. At S$54 for three days it wasn't cheap, but perhaps no more expensive than having to get a taxi capable of carrying a large box to and from the hotel.




Still too early to head straight to my accommodation, I chose instead to take a longer ride on the MRT (mass rapid transit) and get to see a little more of the city. The 'East-West' line was helpful here, it's elevated position offering good views of your surroundings, even though much of that was high-rise blocks. In the spirit of adventure I thought that swapping to the Circle line might take me to pastures new; it did. All underground! I was obviously beginning to suffer from lack of sleep, so I headed to the hotel to see if they would let me check in early. Bingo! Although a shower freshened me up, I still needed a nap before I'd feel up to the evening tour I'd booked.

When I left the hotel at 5pm, the temperature had soared to well over 30°C. Friends who had been to Singapore recently said how oppressive the heat and humidity could be. They weren't wrong! Opening the door from the hotel onto the street produced a blast of hot air similar to that when opening an oven door. Returning to the MRT provided some welcome air-conditioned relief for the trip across town to meet my guide and fellow group members for 'Feast like a local', a walking and eating tour around local hawker markets. After introducing ourselves, Melody, the guide, Joanna, Ksenia and I then were led into the local market and to our first tasting. There are rows and rows of small food outlets, each offering a particular dish or dishes. In front of these are tables at which the hungry can seat themselves - a more 'artisanal' version of the food courts to be found in shopping malls.




Although I wouldn't go so far as to call it an assault on the senses, there was a noticeable intermingling of pungent and spicy aromas, the majority of which I struggled to recognise. At each of the locations we visited, Melody would bring us several dishes to try from the nearest vendors. Each stallholder specialised in one or two dishes only. It was nothing like a cafe back home where you might get a range of options, including drinks. Here you went to the stall which prepared the food you were seeking. Over nearly four hours we took a table at each of four locations and during that time tried popiah, Xiao long nap, laksa, nasi lemak, satay, BBQ chicken wings, rojak and several others.




Good food and good conversation is a great way to spend an evening. I lucked out on both counts. It was such a lovely, eclectic bunch of people with whom to share a meal, folks I doubtless would never otherwise have come across. Each of us on our own adventure, but briefly coming together over food. If you're in Singapore, want some lively, wide-ranging conversation, interesting food and to learn a little about Singaporean culture then I'd wholeheartedly recommend Melody's tour; you can find it on AirBnB.

I made my way back across town, ready for a longer sleep. As I walked between locations, it struck me how warm it still was, even at 11pm. We'd spent the whole evening sitting out whilst we ate and at no point did I notice the inevitable post-sunset chill descending that we invariably suffer from back home. This I could get used to!

My second day picked up from the previous night - more food, but with a twist. This is a cycling forum after all. I needed to be at 'Nicholl Highway' MRT station by 9am to meet a new tour guide and pick up my bike. Well, not my bike exactly, but one that came on loan as part of the 'Bikes and Bites' tour. Already there when I arrived, Holden my tour guide introduced himself and explained I was to be the one and only participant on today's tour.





The Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam​
The bikes were 20" wheeled folding bikes with eight gears and disc brakes - not too shabby at all. No helmets though and mine was still at the airport with my bike. Not to worry, although generally I always do wear a helmet, I don't fret too much when obliged by circumstances to do otherwise. And most of the route would be off road at a very leisurely pace. Similarly to last night, we would be visiting different eateries and sampling different dishes, but since travel was by bike, it was possible to cover more ground. It was also possible to learn a little more about Singapore from the different locations we visited.

From the meeting place by the Bay, we first headed inland to enjoy a traditional Singaporean breakfast at a quiet little cafe on the edge of the Central Business District. This was coffee, soft-boiled eggs (read very runny!) and kaya toast (sandwiched slices of toast spread with butter and kaya, a spread consisting of sugar, coconut milk and pandan). The coffee was excellent, complimented perfectly by the toast.

Singapore's population draws on a diverse and rich cultural heritage, its peoples tracing their heritage back to China, Malaya, India and the Middle East. It was during colonial times that the Island was developed from an agrarian subsistence to a centre of trade and commerce and as new settlers arrived, they tended to cluster together with others from their homelands. So in turn we visited these different districts and sampled cuisine which reflected the local ethnicities. Kampong Glam with the Sultan's mosque drew on Muslim heritage, but over the morning we also visited Little India and Little China. The streets we cycled along mostly served the tourist trade, but Holden helped peel back those layers to reveal the underlying history, something I would have missed had I wandered these areas on my own.





ArtScience Museum to the left of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and shopping complex.​
As I found last night and was reminded today, the image of Singapore as an expensive place may be appropriate in some respects, but visit the right places and choose carefully and you can eat like a king on the purse of a pauper. The tour came to a close taking in the sights of the reclaimed land on which the Marina Bay Sands hotel and Gardens by the Bay now stand. Such impressive, amazing architecture alongside landscaped horticultural wonders. Equally or perhaps even more impressive at night, after expressing my gratitude to Holden, I made my way back to the hotel to freshen up before returning in the evening.




Most visitors to Singapore wax lyrical when describing Gardens by the Bay and the Singapore skyline at night. Now I understand why. I arrived in plenty of time for a stroll round the illuminated gardens before the Supertree light and music show. As you walk around, background music softly plays and contributes to the sense of peace and wonder you enjoy from the displays. I will definitely need to return during the day to doubtless get a different sense of the place. The light show was indeed spectacularly impressive, as was the fountains, light and music show out in the Bay I enjoyed later. Once more I was reminded of the pleasure and delight of being able to sit outside at night, whilst enjoying free entertainment.

My flight to New Zealand was in the evening of the following day, so I had time to spend putting my new found culinary knowledge to the test. I wandered out early for breakfast, before the heat began to assert its authority. At the Keng Wah Sung kopitiam (coffee house) I ordered my kaya toast and kopi kosong. Oops! The toast was delicious, but the coffee was black - I'd been given to believe that adding an 'o' (kopi o kosong) made it black. Apparently not, but no matter, the coffee really was very good and made without the fuss and palaver of the coffee machines that spit out often questionable quality coffee back home. And in total it came to the princely sum of S$2.70 or around £1.50.

I spent the remainder of the day using the MRT to provide occasional air-conditioned relief as it whisked me from place to place. I revisited the Gardens by the Bay in daylight, had a longer, more leisurely wander around Little China and took in the huge ‘People’s Place’ hawker centre - a bit like being in a Poundland the size of Meadowhall! After retrieving my panniers from the hotel, I hopped once more on the MRT, arriving at the airport around five hours before my flight was due which left plenty of time to collect my bike from storage and check it in with my baggage.




There’s plenty to keep you entertained at Changi airport, including the Jewel Centre which amused and fed me until it was time to head to Departures.





'Rain Vortex', at five storeys the world's tallest indoor waterfall​


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## IaninSheffield (19 Apr 2020)

*Stage 2: Kia Ora!*





"Don't look now, but this guy over here taking the photo ... he looks like a wrong un"​
Despite getting caught by one of the biosecurity pooches (Not much gets past their noses - I’d simply had an apple in one of the panniers a day earlier) and having my tent taken away and thoroughly checked by the biosecurity personnel, I was soon through Arrivals and could set about reassembling the bike. Auckland Airport is most helpful here in providing a couple of wall mounted frame holders just outside the main entrance. As I began to pull away the various parts I had taped in place, all seemed to be present, correct and in good order. Saddle and seatpost, handlebars, pedals, front wheel, kickstand, all reassembled.





Reassembling the steed​
A quick run up the road suggested all was in order, so before loading up the tent, panniers and bar bag, I dug out and fired up the Garmin. It was as I did this I thought I'd also check my location and route on the elderly (like its owner!) Samsung Mini I’d brought as a backup navigation device. Ah! It wasn't in the bar bag where I usually kept it, nor did it appear to be anywhere else. Whilst emptying and repacking all the bags, I racked my brains. I was pretty sure I hadn't taken it out after leaving the plane, so I decided to focus my attention there. The airport information desk suggested the baggage handling team and pointed me to their facilities. No joy, but they said things don't always come straight through so to call back in a couple of days … by which time I’d of course be on my way. Oh well.

Off I set and after successfully finding my way through the airport access roads and away from the terminal I was now on my way in New Zealand. The frustration of losing the phone had sadly robbed me of that little thrill however. I was somewhat surprised, but nonetheless delighted how quiet the roads seemed to be at around four thirty - it was only later I discovered it was Waitangi Day, a public holiday and folks would mostly be taking it easy. I guess my baptism of kiwi driving would have to wait. The run to the AirBnB was straightforward and hassle free so allowed me to gently clock up my first half dozen kiwi miles.





Auckland suburbia. Wide roads seem to be a thing here.​
After a fantastic night's sleep I awoke feeling refreshed and keen to complete preparations for the tour's official start the next day. With the sun in full force and the morning temperature heading upwards, I wandered into Manukau, the local suburb, seeking a gas canister and some food to get me on the road. Having whiled away the morning I returned to the homestay, got some washing done then fettled the bike: oiled the chain, located and resolved the rubbing noise I spotted yesterday, and nipped up the steering head which I'd failed to tighten properly on reassembly. I then took a shake down spin to see if all was in order with the bike, to check the Garmin could still do its job here on the other side of the world, to experience NZ roads on a normal day rather than public holiday, and to make sure my legs still worked! Eighteen miles later and following an unintended climb up one of Auckland’s many extinct volcanoes, I was confident(ish) I was ready.


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## IaninSheffield (19 Apr 2020)

*Day 1: Auckland - Miranda (51 miles, 1913 feet of ascent)*

With no particular rush to get away I repacked the panniers having emptied them on arrival in the vain hope the missing smartphone might materialise. It didn't of course, but at least the repack meant I could shift things around for the tour, rather than arranged for Singapore, as they had been so far. I also had to squeeze in the food I'd bought yesterday. Fortunately a space was found for all. After faffing around, filling up the three water bottles with two and a half litres of water, setting up the Garmin, and chatting to the Swiss couple who arrived the previous evening, it was nearly 9:30 by the time wheels were rolling.




Similarly to yesterday it was hot and sunny, so I'd slathered on the sun cream hoping to fend off any burning. What it couldn't help with was the heat I generated climbing back up the same volcano I'd crested yesterday. Good to get legs, lungs and heart into the swing of things early I guess. Just over the summit my route took me into Totara park, a vast area of tracks and trails equally suited to a Saturday morning amble or to some hard-core mountain biking. The car park at the entrance was full of cars, many with bike racks; this was rightly a popular place with Aucklanders. Being off road was great; up and down on loose gravel in a touring bike less so.




The first real settlement I went through was Clevedon and seeing a sign for snacks and coffee at the Co-op, despite it being early, I followed my new rule that if refreshments present themselves, snap them up. The staff were friendly, the coffee was fine and the cheese pastry thing was large! There was also a free to use water fountain(?) so I took the chance to replenish my water bottle. Conscious that my arms seemed to be taking some punishment from the sun, I decided to put on the pair of arm warmers I'd brought. I hoped they might offer more options (and be lighter) than a long-sleeved shirt. They could provide long sleeves if it was chilly, or cover my arms if the sun was a problem. It proved to be an inspired choice and despite adding a layer, actually made my arms feel cooler. Result!




A couple of gentle climbs later and I got my first view of the sea descending into Kawakawa Bay. The run along the shoreline was unfortunately short-lived and the route turned inland towards the main climb of the day. It wasn't particularly fierce but it did go on for a while, the kind of climb my cycling buddy back home would relish (and I dislike!). Despite much of it being thankfully shaded, I still struggled and must confess to taking the comfort break I'd needed for a while, although really just to get a moment's respite. Whilst performing the necessary, it became abundantly clear I'd not been taking anything like enough fluids [too much information?]. The litre of water and large coffee consumed in the first twenty or so miles weren't enough and I needed to step up.

As I rejoined the coast the road gently undulated for the next few miles until joining the salt marshes that provide habitat for wading and other birds. Of course that means flat roads and I was somewhat minded of the Lincolnshire Fens back in the UK. Since arriving in New Zealand, it seems the wind springs up in the afternoon, which it had today. Right in my face! The combination of long, straight sections coupled with a headwind became sapping, so when The Pink Shop in Kaiuau appeared, it was more than welcome. My first New Zealand pie was OK and I backed it up with a generously filled breadroll. The Shop also serves ice cream, so I decided pudding was in order. 'One or two scoops sir?' Yeah, that decision didn't take long, but it became a learning opportunity. Ice cream portion sizes over here are … ample! For NZ$4 (£2) you get enough ice cream to last around 20 minutes, or so it seemed. Well I needed the rest!




The remaining few miles, still into the wind, brought me to the Miranda Holiday Park and my resting place for the night. The welcome was friendly, the cost reasonable (NZ$28), and my pitch fairly quiet and out of the way. The site had plenty of activities that suit families, including a warm outdoor pool. A shower was more to my taste, after which I could get some laundry done and take advantage of the breeze to hopefully get things dry. As I'd learned before coming, even the less basic New Zealand campgrounds also have good cooking facilities - hobs, ovens, microwaves, barbeques, and somewhere to sit and eat. This should make life easier and save me some gas into the bargain.

As I hung out my washing, another biking Brit arrived. Also a retiree, Steve was on a much more extensive tour than I, having already done Australia, Tasmania, and after New Zealand is off to South Africa. He's on a much lighter, bike packing set up, though his MTB looks distinctly robust, rather than lightweight.

Today proved tougher than I'd expected, which was worrying, given what I had in store tomorrow, but perhaps more significantly, the day after. Perhaps it was just the heat, or that I was coming from the winter period when my mileages tended to fall, or that I was consuming too little water? I hoped things would improve as my fitness levels picked up.


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## IaninSheffield (20 Apr 2020)

*Day 2: Miranda - Coromandel (54 miles, 2005 feet of ascent)*

Today was the day I got handed my rear end. On a silver platter, drizzled with a little olive oil & balsamic, sprinkled with lightly toasted sesame seeds. More of that later.

The dawn chorus sings to a different tune here. To my untutored ear it sounded tropical; similar to the sounds I commonly hear on wildlife documentaries. Having been serenaded into wakefulness, I was up and at 'em at 6:30 for a leisurely breakfast in the mostly deserted kitchen. My company was the seemingly ever-present sparrows. Wherever there's food around - like the cafe stops yesterday - these precocious little avians make an appearance and hop around your feet and on perches nearby.

Once more it took a while to get going. The tent had collected some condensation and needed drying, but as soon as the sun crept above the tree line, matters proceeded apace. The cloudless sky hinted at another blistering day, and so it proved. Today I applied sunscreen to the bits of my feet that the sandal straps leave bare; a mistake I made yesterday and was not keen to repeat. With my 'house' packed away I set wheels rolling and though I was setting off before Steve, if he was half the cyclist he seemed to be he'd soon come flying past.

The flat, straight roads on which I finished yesterday's ride opened today's. Not unpleasant but neither particularly exciting. The ‘Hauraki Trail’ begins out here and runs alongside the road during this stretch. I popped on it for a couple of hundred yards and though firm, the top layer of chippings was a little loose. Since the road traffic was light I rejoined the highway to make better time. One other hand, if you were with young children less comfortable on the road, the Trail would be a perfectly adequate alternative. At the junction where the Auckland traffic joined us, the road became a little busier, however I once more declined heading out on the Trail. There was a shoulder for the most part and I never felt hassled.

With only ten or so miles completed I couldn't justify stopping at this interestingly named cafe. Kiwis do seem to have a more … relaxed approach to this kind of humour; I'm noticing it quite regularly.




As the road heads eastwards, the hills that had been visible since yesterday drew closer. Imagine the Lake District fells rising up out of the Lincolnshire Fens and you'll get a sense of how dramatic the landscape was. After crossing the Thames river and with only a few miles to Thames (the town) and second breakfast, I at last took to the Trail, and it proved surprisingly delightful. I was particularly impressed with the provision of toilet facilities; what thoughtful planning.









Once in Thames I stopped at a cafe and with my coffee I went for a beef salad croissant (new one on me!) and a cinnamon muffin. What I wasn't expecting was that I could have the muffin warmed and with butter. Intrigued, I had to give it a shot and I'm here to say it works! As I was finishing off, Steve arrived. We nattered for a while, but knowing my steadier pace, trying for a head start seemed appropriate.

After Thames all traffic towards Coromandel is funnelled onto the coast road which became busier as a consequence, but not worryingly so. I barely noticed, distracted as I was by the wonderful views which unfolded around each successive bend. The road is obliged to wind a narrow path, trapped between the hills and the surf. Steve soon surged past me at a clip, making a pace I couldn't possibly live with. Nor did I have the desire to try as I delighted in the vistas and paused for photos.




I knew there was a substantial climb before Coromandel, so I switched the Garmin screen to topo view. Oh dear! Not one but two climbs! How had I missed that? So long as I know what's coming, I feel able to prepare mentally; surprises like that deliver a body blow. When the road began to head skywards, the enormity of what was to come struck home. It wasn't especially steep, compared with say Derbyshire climbs, and yet it went on and on, perhaps more like an Alpine climb. Try as I might I wasn't going to crest this one without a break, something that rarely happens to me. I can usually muster enough determination and effort. After not one, but two rest breaks where I took on water, regained my breath and allowed my heart rate to subside, I eventually crested the summit to be rewarded with stunning views.









Couldn't enjoy them too long, not with another, albeit slightly smaller climb to come. Fewer metres to gain perhaps, but this one did for me. Four, yes four rest breaks were needed this time. What's happened to me?! In casting around for reasons, as I mentioned yesterday, maybe I'm more out of shape than I thought. Maybe the heat is more detrimental to my performance than I'd given it credit for. Of course I am carrying more on the bike than I perhaps have before, including almost three litres of water (at least at the start of the day). Or maybe I'm just getting old. Hell, there's no maybe about that!




I rolled into Coromandel around four o'clock and was immediately impressed. Even more so than Thames, there is an almost frontier town vibe, but in a good way, and certainly in the architecture. After paying for a pitch on the ‘Top 10’ site (a reasonable NZ$22), whacking up the tent, I ambled into town to replace depleted energy reserves. From several options I settled on a Thai from an unassuming place, part restaurant, part takeaway. The food was more takeaway standard rather than restaurant, but there was plenty of it and it was relatively healthy. Remember the cheeky sparrows over here? With the restaurant windows wide open, one brazen little beast poked its beak in, saw there was only me around, then flew in and had a mooch around the floor searching for crumbs before flying back out. They've certainly got more attitude than their British counterparts.

My day came to a close back at the campground with a chat to one of the site managers - a Scot originally from Muckie. Small world.


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## IaninSheffield (21 Apr 2020)

*Day 3: Coromandel - Whitianga (28 miles, 2687 feet of ascent)*

Chickened out?
Bottled it?
If you wish, but I prefer to see it as discretion being the better part of valour. Having found yesterday's climbs so tough and with my intended route taking on several more (some of which would be on gravel roads), it made sense to seek an alternative. Rather than first doing a loop of the Coromandel peninsula then crossing over to Matarangi on the east coast, I reluctantly decided to miss the loop and some of the sights. There were six significant climbs, two of which were decidedly higher than either of yesterday's. By missing the loop, I'd just have a single, though tough climb. 'A man's got to know his limitations' - H Callahan, 1973.

Another tardy departure after 10:00 gave the sun plenty of chance to climb higher in the sky. My slow starts are caused by wanting to allow the dew/condensation dampened tent to dry out. Maybe I should just get underway and let the tent dry out when I pitch it later?





Coromandel memorial site.




Main street through Coromandel​
After briefly retracing my steps through Coromandel, I rejoined SH25 and almost immediately began the ascent. This was going to be a hot, long and demanding climb. Despite having fresh legs, it wasn't too long before I took the first of several breaks. At least I was rewarded with amazing views back over the town. By the time I reached the summit, I must have taken seven or eight breaks in all and was completely played out. I don't think I've ever taken so long to cycle a couple of miles! I'm going to blame my fatigue-addled brain for leaving my sunglasses somewhere on one of those breaks. I had no idea at which one they'd dropped off the bike or I’d set them down, but I sure wasn't going back to find out!





Looking back over Coromandel



What goes up of course …

Strangely, the descent didn't last as long as the ascent, but it also got the heart pounding albeit in a different way when my braking to take adequate advance note of some of the hairpins. On approaching Matarangi I'd pretty much decided to press on rather than stopping at the Kuaotunu campground as I'd originally planned. Despite the climb from Coromandel, I'd only done twenty miles. However, it was now after midday and time for lunch; I was starting to flag and needed a top up.





Looking back across Matarangi beach​
The 'road' out of Matarangi heads out along the cliff side and is little more than a track. It does however afford stunning views back along the bay. A short while later Kuaotunu opened before me and I started looking for 'Luke's Kitchen's', a cafe/restaurant I'd seen a sign for a few miles back. It wasn't hard to find and had a prime spot overlooking the beach. I treated myself to a grilled halloumi salad, chips with aioli and a refreshing glass of ginger beer. Sitting outside (in the shade) overlooking the beach whilst enjoying good food - priceless! Well, actually rather more than I’d normally budget for lunch at just over NZ$30.





I don't do the chips thing often, but when they're served with aioli. C'mon!​
Having elected to make my way to Whitianga, I knew I'd added in an extra climb, but this time I'd be on a full battery and was starting to get into my stride. It was slightly less demanding than the earlier one today, so I set my mind to reaching the summit without taking a time out. With only a couple of hundred (horizontal) metres to go, and confident I could make it, I rounded a bend to be confronted by roadworks. The single open lane was controlled by a stop-go sign … and it was currently against me. Darn! My first break-free summit snatched from my grasp.

Not far to Whitianga now and my target was The Whitianga Campground which is easily found along the seafront, although is more of a yomp rather than a brief stroll into town. At NZ$20, this was the cheapest site so far, but also a little tired and in need of a makeover. No matter. So long as I had a flat, quiet pitch and could get a shower, my needs would be met. It's also a small site so all the facilities were within easy reach of my pitch. After erecting the tent I headed into town to pick up some grub for the evening, but since it was too early to eat I called in the Four Square supermarket and gathered some makings. Whitianga's quite a place and noticeably larger than the two places I've stayed at so far. It seems tightly linked with the sea, whether through the stunning location which must draw holidaymakers and their cash, or those who moor their boats in the rather expensive looking Marina, or through those plying their trade on the water. One might even go so far as to see some similarities with Mediterranean resorts. Or maybe it was just the sun?





Whitianga estuary and ferry crossing points​
Back on site and having eaten, I once again found myself sitting outside in a comfy chair typing up my journal. So much better than being hunched over in a tent with the rain battering down. Inside the lounge a small group of what seem to be permanent residents were watching ‘The Chase’ with Bradley Walsh, whilst in the kitchen, an elderly Dutch couple were rattling pots and pans … and not in a rock and roll way! Actually it seemed a really peaceful, laid back site with an almost hippyish atmosphere.




I was struck that the hills got the better of me and my route the last couple of days, but a Kiwi with whom I'd corresponded before travelling warned me I might be biting off more than I could chew. He was right. I'm here to enjoy the trip, the country and my cycling, and though I'm up for a challenge or two, that stops short of self-flagellation. Steady is the watchword!


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## IaninSheffield (22 Apr 2020)

*Day 4: Whitianga - Wentworth (47 miles, 2605 feet of ascent)*

A day of ups and downs in more senses than one. I woke early as usual and rather than doze, decided to shake a leg and make first breakfast. Since the tent was much drier than on previous days I could strike camp earlier. OK, it was still almost 9:30 by the time wheels were rolling, but that's an improvement.




​I metaphorically waved goodbyes to my hippy chums and headed back into Whitianga. Today involved a short ferry journey across the estuary. Don't know why these excite me so, but I love ferry rides. This cost NZ$6.50 for me and the bike (I paid his fare), lasted only a few short minutes, but cut off a good dozen or so miles by the inland route.




No more than a mile or so after disembarking I hit one of those one direction at a time roadworks and had to wait. After about five minutes the chap in the car in front got out and warned me it was likely to be an hour before things got moving. He suggested I could go back and catch the ferry (err, don't like ferries *that* much, nor did I fancy the extra mileage, especially without knowing the topography), or maybe the stop-go attendant might let me through. Tried the second option but on this occasion it was a 'no'; a power line was down and it was deemed unsafe. So I found some shade, took out my mp3 player and whacked ona podcast. This was beginning to look like a long day … but no! After a quarter of an hour we were on our way.

A lovely run along the back roads eventually returned me to SH25, which in all fairness was relatively quiet - not too much traffic and what there was was respectful. Blissful cycling in fact until of course the first climb of the day rose up out the valley floor. This didn't have quite the bite of previous climbs and offered a relatively gentle gradient. Had I been on an unloaded steed, I'm sure I'd have sailed up it. As it was, I did need a short break, simply to take a glug or two of water. I struggle to drink on a climb since I need both hands on the bars, so over the length of time these ascents take, a drink becomes vital. It's becoming clear that it's not so much the gradient that's punishing me, but the relentlessness - on and on and on.




With one of two climbs today in the bag, I dropped into Tairua, a stunning coastal settlement with housing (Permanent? Holiday Bach's?) appearing to cater for the well-heeled. Rather than a sit down meal, I grabbed a sandwich and some fruit from the supermarket and chose my own location. Not too shabby!





Tairua Beach​
There seem to be a multitude of coves, inlets and beaches to explore along this stretch of coast. In a car I guess it's easy; on a bike a compromise has to be made. Do you try to cover more ground or explore an area in more detail. I opted for the former. GIven that I've traveled across the world to enjoy this amazing country I'd like to see as much as possible, BUT without rushing about in a frenzy.





Mount Paku, Tairua​
After refueling it was of course once more upwards, although I hadn't spotted this was a double hill where it climbs, drops back halfway, then regains once more the height you lost. Aargh! At least you (sometimes) get the views at the top. As I descended once more I was struck by the surrounding landscape and how angular many of the hills and peaks are. I wouldn't have thought they were volcanoes, given how small many of them are; surely they'd have eroded away over time? Or maybe they're former volcanic plugs from which the overburden has eroded? More geology homework needed!

I passed swiftly through Whangamata, the final town before tonight's campground. This was to be my first DoC (Dept. of Conservation) site; these are more basic than those I've stayed in so far. Getting from the main road to the campground provided my initiation to gravel roads. Oh dear! Looks like further adjustments to my forthcoming routes will be needed! This particular road seemed to have a combination of a central ridge (down which my tyres kept sliding if I wasn't careful) or washboard which threatened to dislodge either my panniers or my vertebrae! It was only a couple of miles but provided enough information to provoke my route rethink.





Wentworth Campground reception​
For a DoC site, it was reasonably well- equipped with toilets (long-drop), hot showers (although rudimentary of course) and simple pot washing facilities. It also supplied its own population of sandflies, so gave me the chance to become acquainted. They don't seem to be as infuriating as Scottish midges, nor do they appear to leave an irritating lump [_I subsequently found that the red spot they leave behind does tend to persist though_]. Slightly less painful than their counterparts across the globe, they do nevertheless draw blood. Taking a couple of cues from their appetite, I made a simple meal of noodles and tuna and retreated to my tent to write this.





Seemed to be just me and one other tent on the whole campground​
The taps had notices warning that the water should be boiled before drinking. I had a stove so could do that, but didn't really want to be boiling up litres for tomorrow's ride. It looked like I might have to break out the 'Sawyer Mini' filtration device I brought, or possibly last on the litre of fresh water I had left until the next town, a dozen or so miles down the road. A decision that could wait until tomorrow.


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## IaninSheffield (23 Apr 2020)

*Day 5: Wentworth -Te Aroha (51 miles, 2001 feet of ascent)*

Despite (or perhaps because of) the sandflies and long-drop loos, Wentworth Campground was incredibly tranquil with only the local fauna occasionally interrupting the peace. Perhaps as a consequence I was able to muster a fairly early start, with wheels rolling along the dusty, gravel road and back onto SH25. As before, traffic was light and the road gently rolled until reaching Whiritoa where I temporarily left my route in search of fresh water. I knew I'd be needing it with the climbing to come. As a beach and surf facing town, it had toilets, showers and fortunately a water tap, so I was able to fully replenish my dwindling supply.




From Whiritoa it was upwards, though at a sufficiently gentle rate that I was able to keep going almost to the top, stopping only briefly at a viewing station which actually afforded a less than spectacular panorama - I must have been spoiled by the Coromandel. A brief drop then back up (I do so hate those twin peaks - the hills, not the TV series) followed by a long steady descent into Waihi. This former mining town has made a feature of it's past, however, judging by some of the ‘No fracking’ signs up on some locals' properties, it looks like the mining companies are after another shot. I called at my first ever kiwi ‘bakery’ looking for a coffee and sandwich and was not disappointed. A 'filled roll' over here is definitely well filled! The Eccles cake on the other hand was a little disappointing - poor choice on my part.









From Waihi I picked up an arm of the Hauraki Trail which swings through the Karangahake Gorge. Oh my, this was special! All off road, this section of the Trail might not be suited to road bikes, but boy is it worth doing, as the numerous leisure cyclists I passed seemed to confirm. Following the river through the gorge, you are treated to spectacular scenery, historical remnants of the industrial past, a variety of different bridges spanning the river and a tunnel cut through the mountainside. On entering the tunnel (it's gently lit so you don't need lights) I could hear singing echoing in the distance but couldn't make out what it was. As I travelled deeper the music got louder and louder until eventually I spotted ahead the source, a group of young men singing what might have been local folk music; it sounded like a Welsh male voice choir. It was well sung, very powerful and very moving.












Leaving the gorge, the Trail emerges onto the Hauraki plains and sadly then became, for me, something of a disappointment. The surface is loose gravel, the trail is largely a series of long straights interrupted regularly by agricultural crossing points. It's hard, dusty work, as my formerly black now grey bike will attest. I considered joining SH26 which runs parallel, but it catered for much faster, busier traffic without the good grace of it's more northerly sister.




Eventually the Trail spat me out in Te Aroha where I went in search of a supermarket to pick up comestibles for the evening's meal. A couple miles beyond town was the Te Aroha Holiday Park where I signed in for the night.

Thinking about the Hauraki Trail, the planners got some things right; the occasional toilet blocks could be a helpful facility for some people. If you have young family or are a less confident cyclist, then being off road may be an absolute boon. On the other hand, where the Trail passes near to a town, like Te Aroha, then some signage indicating what's available and how to get there would be good for both trail users and locals.


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## IaninSheffield (24 Apr 2020)

*Day 6: Te Aroha - Ngongotaha (62 miles, 2910 feet of ascent)*

Right! Just so it's clear! NO MORE GRAVEL!

A fairly efficient start saw me out of the Holiday Park gate just after nine. Today was to be my longest day yet, with a big climb in the second half. Since I wasn't sure what food replenishment options were on the route I'd planned, I decided on rerouting through Matamata where I was fairly sure of picking something up.




Just over a mile down the road and I hit the first set of roadworks; I do seem to be attracting their attention! I wonder if it's the same gang somehow checking on where I'm staying, then setting their roadblock ready to delay my progress. Fortunately only a short wait this time and off I went, settling into the steady rhythm that flat, straight roads such as these allow.

Missing any thrills, I decided to approach Matamata using SH27 which proved somewhat busier than roads I'd travelled so far. It was far from worrying though and there was usually an adequate shoulder to allow me to keep out of the way. On arriving in Matamata, perhaps the first (and most photographed?) sight is the i-site office, doing its best to remind visitors of one of the local attractions. Actually I preferred the name of the cafe a little further back up the road - "Griddle Earth."





Matamata i-site office​
With around twenty miles under the belt, second breakfast was justified and I dropped on a real classic - 'Ronnie's Cafe.' It offered a fantastic range of different sandwiches, filled rolls and sweet alternatives. I settled on a chicken salad roll which was as generously filled as the one I'd had a couple of days earlier. I needlessly followed this up with a banana filled pancake. Either on its own would have been adequate, but I felt justified knowing that the second half of my ride was to be more remote and more demanding.

The next twenty or so miles were spent on state highways and though better than the long, straight roads of the Hauraki Plain, it became necessary to keep one eye on the narrow shoulder and another watching the mirror for big trucks approaching from behind. Not fun.

Rather than pick up the busy SH5 all the way to Ngongotaha on Lake Rotorua where my overnight stop was to be, during planning I'd found a much quieter alternative, the 'Leslie Road.' The first few miles were fine, delightful even as the quiet country lane wound its way through rolling farmland pasture. Even when the climb started, it was quite gentle and undemanding ... other than heading inexorably upwards! The problems started when the tarmac ran out and the gravel began.




This clearly was not a maintained road and perhaps even closed to cyclists? I'm afraid I'd come too far to head back so pressed on. I was definitely trapped between the proverbial. The gravel was so loose and the surface so rutted that progress proceeded glacially slowly. Often even the slightest inclines required me to dismount and walk-push to the top. Stopping every mile or so for a breather and quick drink started to concern me slightly that the two and a half litres I began the climb with might not be enough. One of the contributory factors was the number of times that the track often dropped twenty or so metres, something that's not visible when route planning at a larger scale.

Eventually I came to a t-juntion in the forest track, just before what I thought was to be the final leg to the summit. The route clearly should have been ahead, but it was no more than a path through the woods rather than a track. Beaten into submission I looked to alternatives and saw that a few miles along the track to the north I could pick up SH5. Not ideal, but better to be safe I figured. Sure enough, shortly later I was comfortable knowing I was heading in the right direction. In fact I was pretty sure that the last few miles ought to be downhill given how far I'd climbed and the elevation of the Lake. I was right; I didn't turn a pedal for over four miles. I can't imagine how unrelenting this journey would have been in the opposite direction.





Campground along the banks of Lake Rotorua​
Finally, after a little hunting around I found the Willowhaven Holiday Park, where I booked a pitch for the princely sum of NZ$17, or the same as I’d paid at the rather rudimentary DoC site which had far fewer facilities. I hoped the couple who pulled up in the side-door campervan would be somewhat more considerate than the two last night who parked less than six feet from my tent with the sliding door facing me. Open. Close. Open. Close. I became a little … tense! Rather than a quick slam, opening one of those doors is a long drawn out event. Sheesh!


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## IaninSheffield (25 Apr 2020)

*Day 7: Ngongotaha - Whakatane (63 miles, 1995 feet of ascent)*

Another relatively early start, nudged by the distant, muted roar of the traffic along SH5. Breakfast done and wheels rolling before nine today. With a longer distance to cover, it needed to be. After navigating the admittedly localised town environs, it was onto the minor road which skirts the north coast of Lake Rotorua.





Looking out over Lake Rotorua.​
Having decided to avoid gravel where possible, a route amendment was needed for today. Rather than take a back country track to the north of Rotorua's smaller sister lakes, I opted instead for SH30 which runs to the south. It proved to be an inspired choice, albeit more reliant on luck rather than good judgement. The road was quiet, generously proportioned and traced a stunning route alongside the lakesides in a way the earlier section alongside Lake Rotorua often failed to achieve. Leaving Rotorua also brought the additional benefit of leaving behind the slight, but persistent sulphurous odour. I imagine it would be far more intense near the mud pools, but ever since leaving town there was a whiff of something in the air … and before anyone asks, no it wasn't me!





Lake Rotoma​
Another reason for taking this alternate route was the slightly higher chance of finding some nourishment on the road; the northern, more remote route offered almost no chance whatsoever. Just at the time my appetite was rising and energy levels plummeting, a roadside shop/cafe hove into view. One hot pork filled roll, a brownie and a decent cuppa later and I was ready to press on.





Jetties along the bankside of Lake Rotoiti​
As I cycled between lakes, alongside the road at one point was a isolated tree with an information board. I stopped to read and uncover the story of ‘Hinehopu’, named after a Maori chieftainess. As I read, several cars which passed honked their horns, leaving me clueless as to why. Was I being disrespectful in some way, or were they just offering encouragement, a kiwi version of ‘Chapeau’?





Hinehopu's tree​
Eventually the road briefly headed upwards away from the lakes, however, I was only too aware of how high this area was, so readied myself for a descent. Once more, I wasn't disappointed and like yesterday my tired legs were rewarded with a lengthy break. The hills over in this area allow a more relaxed downhill swoop than those further north, where I invariably found myself clutching the brake levers for dear life.

When eventually I came out of the hills, rejoined the original route and set out across the plains, I'd pretty much resigned myself that I was nearly in Whakatane. Err, no. There was still a good twenty miles to complete and it was once more back to the long, straight roads. With the sun beating down, when I rolled into the little settlement of Edgecombe, I was relieved to find a little shop where an ice cream and litre of chilled fruit juice saw me though the final dozen miles.

Whakatane is a larger town than those I've stayed in since Auckland, so it took a while to find the campground. The Garmin however, performed its job admirably. I'd decided during planning that this would be my first rest day so I booked two nights. Again, only NZ$17 per night for a good quality campground, and one on the riverside.





Whakatane Gardens​
After pitching the home and taking a much needed shower, I followed directions into town through a beautiful park and gardens. When I came across a rather plush Indian restaurant, that made up my mind. Tickling my taste buds was a mushroom and pea masala, naan and a green salad. Oh and plain rice which, unlike in the UK, was an integral part of the order. No matter, my appetite was up to it. Including a bottle of pear cider brought the order total to NZ$38, which I thought was reasonable.

Having ambled back through the lovely park, I retired to the comfy seats in the TV lounge to write my journal. A young couple came in to watch the TV (it is a TV lounge after all), but oh dear. New Zealand, your popular TV programmes do you no favours. Programmes, presenters, adverts - all loud, all fast. Then again, I suspect anyone dropping on certain UK channels might also be unimpressed. And yes, I realise only too well I'm an old f*rt!


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## IaninSheffield (26 Apr 2020)

*Day 8: Whakatane - Rest Day*

The legs were more than ready for a breather today and Whakatane turned out to be a good place to allow them that. I was also able to take advantage of the site washing machines to give my gear a proper going over. Unfortunately the site had no single-load sachets of washing powder so I had to buy some from the local supermarket. The smallest box was 500g so should see me through the rest of the trip and avoid having to use soap to do the daily wash. It also meant of course that I'd have an extra pound or so to haul up the hills!

As I mentioned earlier my black bike was currently grey from the dust picked up during the time grinding across gravel. With a day out of the saddle, I could give the steed the wash it needed.





Looking out along the Whakatane River estuary





Kiwi sculpture on Whakatane promenade​
Jobs done, I turned my mind to the forthcoming route. The next few days around the East Cape to Gisborne were fine, but then I was due to head inland across to Taupo spending a couple of days largely on gravel. I didn't fancy that, so needed a rethink; this is where New Zealand becomes a challenge. There's no direct public transport between Gisborne and Taupo; to get there by bus, you have to first travel to Napier then catch another bus (the following day!) to Taupo … but the first leg (supposedly) involves a bus that can't carry bikes! To get across to the 'Forgotten World Highway' (which I'd still like a shot at, despite a shortish gravel stretch), I do need to get to Taupo first. So my current plan is to cycle from Gisborne to Napier over a couple of days - this will involve spending some on SH2, but based on the short stretch I did on the way to Whakatane which I found manageable, I'm prepared to give it a shot. But I'll see when I get to Gisborne.





i-site office in Whakatane​
After rustling up a tentative plan, I headed off for a wander around the town, once more enjoying the walk through the park. The town really has done a good job there. After visiting the i-site to check that my research regarding the buses was correct (the Scot on the desk confirmed it was), I cast around for somewhere I might get lunch. On another sunny day, a salad appealed, but when I spotted 'Ginger Slice', not knowing what it was I had to give it a try. Yeah, its pretty much a ginger fudge with crystallised ginger chunks. Probably ought to have been a cycling day when I indulged in that … but it was good! It also struck me for the first time that I was sitting comfortably outside - in February - enjoying good food whilst watching the world go by. Ah, the life!




A restful afternoon and evening followed, with only a brief journal account called for. Back on the road tomorrow to see what the remote East Cape has to offer.


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## IaninSheffield (27 Apr 2020)

*Day 9: Whakatane - Te Kaha (73 miles, 3789 feet of ascent)*

Best day so far? Possibly.

Wheels rolling just after nine and what better way to kick off than with a climb. The cliffside that provides the backdrop for Whakatane actually has a road running up it. I now know this because with less than half a mile's warm up, off we went.





Dropping down into Ohope​
The climb and the vistas it afforded set the tone for the remainder of the day. The road returned to sea level and traced it's way around inlets and salt marshes where an abundance of wading birds dipped for lunch. There were few I recognised, though I was rarely close enough to note any details, and had I been, I'm not sure my birding nouse is of an adequate level to pick out more than the common species.

Ohope was the first settlement after the mud flats. Passing through, and from the properties I saw, it seemed to be a location along the shore for the well-heeled. There was even a gated community under development; is that needed in New Zealand? Onwards from Ohope the route continued around bays and inlets, revealing new views with each turn. This is the kind of cycling I particularly enjoy. On one descent I passed by a sign that said 'Springwater for free,' and there was an elderly couple topping up various containers. I stopped and although I had barely used half of my first bidon, quickly returned to the spring. It was interesting chatting with the couple about the water source and the importance it had for them, even though they have piped municipal water at their home. I filled my bottle and left a small donation as requested.






Maori marae entrance




​Second breakfast today was taken in Opitike, the last (or first) town as you travel 'The Coast' as folks call it. I'm now getting the hang of spotting bakeries which tend to serve the range of filled rolls, hot pies and delicious pastries that fill the mid-morning/lunch energy requirements. NZ$10 bought me a large filled roll, apple slices and pot of tea. It had to be substantial; as I head further along the Cape, the remainder of the day was unlikely to present much in the way of locations offering sustenance. What it did have though was view after view after view. Sure they had to be hard won, but boy were they worth it. Coast roads rarely give up their riches without a fight and so too it was with this one.





Impressive bridge out of Opotike, particularly given that it serves the needs of walkers and cyclists, not motor vehicles.​
That it was becoming more remote was evident by the increasingly sparse settlements and the blissfully rare cars; perhaps only one every five minutes on average? Whether there's a link between the increasing remoteness and that the Cape appears to retain a strong Māori heritage, I'm not in a position to say. Might one follow the other, and if it does, in which direction?



















As the seventieth mile rolled over, I was becoming increasingly tired. Another tough day of climbing coupled with the extra distance was taking its toll. Signs indicating Te Kaha couldn't have been more welcome, especially the one which stated it was the Motor Lodge and Camp. And outside calling me over was another cycle tourer, a Frenchman called Matt. We nattered for a while as tourers do, then we both stumped up the reasonable sum of NZ$14 for a pitch for the night. As we pitched tents, made and ate our meals, we chatted further about our tours. Matt had been travelling much longer than I and had further plans which included Vietnam and Nepal. Interestingly, he spent some of his time 'Woofing.' Apparently it was invented in the UK and involves giving labour in exchange for bed and board. You learn something new every day.


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## IaninSheffield (28 Apr 2020)

*Day 10: Te Kaha - Te Araroa (60 miles, 3678 feet of ascent)*

After a rather unsettled night's sleep brought on by a surprising increase in humidity, the day began slightly earlier than normal. Matt was already well under way packing, but we took our breakfasts together before wishing one another well and parting to head in opposite directions. He had another 'woofing' appointment in Opotike, where I'd passed through the day before.

Wheels rolling before nine then into what promised to be a humid and sweaty day. The theme for the day's cycling picked up where yesterday's left off - hugging the coast, crossing estuaries where rivers flowed out to sea, and rolling up and down in tune with how the landscape obliged the road designers to perform their art. Once more the views were stunningly beautiful, especially in the afternoon when the sun burned off the cloud cover.





Te Rangiharu Bay





Christ Church, Raukokore





Hicks Bay​
As I was traversing one lengthy curved bay, I could see another touring cyclist in the distance heading my way. When our paths eventually met, we both took the excuse for a breather and a chat. Roger was a Brit, although resident in Norway, who by virtue of retirement was also able to take longer tours and was clearly more experienced than I. He had recently struck out solo after having a couple of weeks cycling with his daughter on the South Island. As we chewed the fat over the next thirty or so minutes, he became a mine of useful information to help me with my future plans. Not least about tonight and giving the Te Araroa Motor Camp a miss; Roger had not been impressed, but thanks to a suggestion from Matt I had an alternative option, a backpackers hostel with camping. Two tourers in two days, and after not seeing another soul since Miranda!





Looking down the bay towards Te Araroa​
I swept past my intended stop and headed further on to seek the backpackers, spotting its sign a few miles further on and adding the bonus of shortening tomorrow's ride a little. The hostel had a very hippy, bohemian feel; very welcoming, very relaxed. So I once more found myself sitting outside on a veranda typing my journal, the only thing missing perhaps, a glass of chilled wine or beer. Given I've still another two days lugging the bike and myself up and down the hills around the coast, maybe it would be smarter if the alcohol waited.





Te Araroa Backpackers​


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## IaninSheffield (29 Apr 2020)

*Day 11: Te Araroa - Tokomaru Bay (49 miles, 4035 feet of ascent)*

Another humid night begat another humid day, but on the bright side provoked another early start. A last use of the well-equipped backpacker's kitchen (porridge followed by peanut butter on tortilla as usual) then wheels rolling by 8:30.




Straight out of the site and onto the first hill. Had I stayed in the Motor Park where I'd originally planned, I’d have benefited from a few miles to warm up first; instead it was up and at 'em quite literally then! Today's route continued to follow SH35 which now struck out inland rather than hugging the coast. After a couple of climbs, the road dropped into then followed a wide valley (possibly glacial, but don't put my geological knowledge to the test!) for a dozen or so miles. The terrain remained similar throughout, though began to climb steadily after Tikitiki. No refreshment point here, nor in fact for almost all today's ride, and certainly nowhere near the halfway point. A snack at the roadside repeated breakfast (minus the porridge, but supplemented by a banana) and was all that was on offer.





Tikitiki Church








​
The roadworks crew that seem to have been plaguing my progress were once more up to their tricks near the summit of the long, protracted climb, but I was always grateful for a rest and slurp.

Not far ahead at Te Puia Springs, the welcome sight of a cafe and shop came into view as I rounded a bend. With only a few miles remaining, I still took the opportunity to reward myself with a coffee and an ice cream. A perfect antidote to the afternoon's rising temperature. Then after cresting the summit, a long and delicious descent into Tokomaru Bay. The campground was cheap at NZ$8 (+ $2 for the shower), but the facilities were rather rustic; at least it meant I had the site almost to myself. A notice pointed out that all water had to be boiled before drinking, which once more had implications for topping up my bidons tomorrow. However, there was a supermarket just up the road where I could buy a bottle before setting off in the morning. It did give me pause for thought about the communities that live out in such remote areas; turning on a tap to get instant, potable water is something many of us perhaps take for granted.

Although the views were often awe-inspiring, there was also a degree of sameness to them today. There was less a sense of excitement at what might be round the next headland or over the next ridge as there had been in the previous couple of days. Let's see what tomorrow brings.


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## IaninSheffield (30 Apr 2020)

*Day 12: Tokomaru Bay - Gisborne (58 miles, 3041 feet of ascent)*

And back on the coast of 'The Coast' … at least for the closing few miles. But the day didn't start so we'll. During the night, and for the first time since I've been on the Island, it rained. I was lucky to wake just as it began, having left the tent door open to improve flow through of air on these humid nights. Nothing too wet then, except the rain then continued through to the morning and definitely left the tent well dampened!

I arose and went to make breakfast in slight drizzle, although that too eased and I decided to pack, ready for the off. With a wet tent, I dropped the inner first and packed that separately to keep it dry. After completing packing and then loading the bike, I fired up the Garmin to load today's route. 'No courses' it said. That suggested one thing, a missing SD card. Yep, after uploading yesterday's track, I failed to return the card to the Garmin. However, I didn't need it for today's route, given it's just a matter of following SH35 to Gisborne. However, also on the card is the NZ base map and without that I had no supplementary information, such as topography. After a brief search, I thought I'd better get under way. It was after ten by the time I'd faffed around and finally got wheels rolling … straight into a climb of course and towards the clouds which were shrouding the local hills. In the wet and still warm conditions, the humidity went through the roof making the climb exhausting, but I got there in one. Today’s initial stage of about twenty miles was once more inland until dropping eventually towards Tolago Bay. On the way down I met and chatted for a while with a Kiwi cyclist, Kevin, who was heading up to the East Cape to begin a Cape to Cape challenge event. His gravel bike and bike-packing setup were definitely better suited to the rough stuff than mine. He also suggested which of the Tolago Bay cafes was the best for my second breakfast. On arrival in Tolago I followed his suggestion; today's fare was a hot pie followed by banana cake and a cuppa. Not the greatest, but it topped up the batteries.





It also gave me the chance to have a good rummage and yippee, I found the missing SD card and returned it to the Garmin. That now meant I once more had the topographical information I wanted to allow me to monitor progress on those long climbs.




Onwards the route wove through a sequence of valleys, before once more heading skyward for another double climb - one of those where, having reached one summit, you immediately drop back to the valley floor to begin another. Joy! Eventually however, one descent dropped me back onto the coast which I then followed for the final fifteen miles to Gisborne. Naturally there were a couple of headlands to swing up and around, just to remind the lungs and legs why they were on this trip.










Looking across Tatapouri Bay towards Makarori headland​
Navigating to the campsite with the Garmin back in action was easy; without it I would have struggled. Given its location near the city centre and almost on the beach, it came as no surprise that this was the most expensive site yet at NZ$28 per night. I slipped in a rest day here to have a look around Gisborne and recover from The Coast. A quick walk into town led me to a Thai restaurant where I had a mixed starter, chicken and pineapple fried rice, and a roti on the side. With a bottle of cider to wash it down, the bill came to just over NZ$36 (or around £18) which I thought was a bargain. If I don't find anything else when I go for a wander tomorrow, I just might pop back again.





Clock tower, Gisborne




Delicious Thai mixed starter​


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## IaninSheffield (2 May 2020)

*Day 13: Gisborne rest day (11 miles)*

After a very warm night under canvas (well, sil nylon, but you get the picture) I was up earlier than I needed. With laundry to do, I guess I could nab a machine before most other folks stirred, and it meant being able to use a few more grams of that washing powder I was lugging around!. While the suds did their thing, I got on with breakfast and by the time I'd done, the washing machine and I had coordinated our activities sufficiently well that I could hang out the fresh smelling results.

A walk to the nearby i-site allowed me to scan through, in air-conditioned comfort, the available leaflets and brochures of the places I might yet visit. More importantly, I enquired about the possibility of a bus down to Napier, this time with slightly more reassuring news than in Whakatane. It was a single-decker bus and could take the bike, subject to the driver's discretion - not exactly ideal, but better news than I'd had before. So a space was provisionally booked and I didn't have to part with (and possibly forfeit) any cash until I had the driver's permission. I then had an amble around town. Gisborne is not a large place, but does have the (dubious?) distinction of being where Captain Cook first set foot on (what later became) New Zealand soil, subsequently establishing less than amicable relationships with the local Māori.





Statue of 'Little Nick,' Cook's seaman who spotted this very land on the horizon





Cook Monument​
After a coffee and a bite to eat, I collected some chilled fixings for an evening meal I could later enjoy al fresco, then popped back to the site to retrieve my now dry washing. What a life I lead! I picked up the bike and went out for a short bimble (yes I know it was meant to be a rest day!) along Marine Drive, which follows the coast of Poverty Bay (so named by Cook) for a few miles. Flat and largely unexciting, but the onshore sea breeze kept the heat at bay for a while.





 The confluence of the Taruheru and Waimata Rivers had been little more than muddy flats when the tide was out a few hours earlier





Looking back towards Gisborne from out along Poverty Bay.​
On returning to base I passed a pitch further down the site from mine on which three gravel bikers were temporarily stabled. I stopped for a natter and it transpired they're on the same 'Cape to Cape' event I saw Kevin heading up to the Cape for yesterday. They had a transfer tomorrow, ready for the start on Sunday. It sounded like an interesting but challenging route mixing road and gravel.

I took my evening meal sitting in the shade on a bench looking out to sea across Poverty Bay. A more healthy offering than last night's: fresh bread rolls, hummus, Greek salad, followed by a fresh fruit salad which (surprisingly, but deliciously) included fresh coconut, and all washed down with another Kombucha. Think I might be getting a taste for this.

Back in my tent I hoped the temperature would drop sufficiently to allow me to pack ready for an early start in the morning. Fingers crossed for a kindly bus driver.


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## IaninSheffield (5 May 2020)

*Day 14: Gisborne - Napier the easy **(cheaters?)** way! Only 10 cycling miles.*

This was the first time I set an alarm since leaving home; I didn't want to miss a shot at the daily service from Gisborne to Napier. The assistant in the i-site suggested arriving early to allow time to get permission for the bike from the driver, then buy a ticket. I arrived at the i-site an hour early, but at least it gave me the chance to grab a coffee from the local bakery ... then rush back to the campground to pick up the butties I'd left in the fridge! The bus arrived around forty minutes before it was due to leave and thankfully the driver was only too obliging with the bike. Ticket bought at the last minute price of NZ$46 (you can get cheaper tickets if you're able to buy in advance), but for a three hour journey I thought that wasn't too bad.

Off we set on time and I then got to see the roads from a driver's rather than a cyclist's perspective. Once away from the environs of Gisborne, I became even more grateful I'd taken the bus. SH2 had little if any shoulder for most of the way and had several demanding climbs. If I hadn't been able to catch the bus, there was a back road as far as Wairoa, but then (having decided not to head inland and pick up a gravel route) SH2 would have been my only option. Lucky to have dodged that bullet.

On arriving in Napier I set off to find the i-site to book my next leg to Taupo. It quickly became clear there was some sort of festival celebrating Napier's swinging, art deco past. People were dressed in period costume, there were a handful of street performances, and several classic cars were cruising the streets. A good time to be here ... or maybe not, if you needed accommodation. I booked my bus ticket for the following day, worrying that if I took the rest day I had intended, I might not be able to get two, let alone one night's accommodation.





Twenties(?) dance group performing in Napier​
My target was well out of town. The Westshore Motel and Campground had been suggested as a good place by Richard, the cyclist I met back on the East Cape. Luckily the bus had passed it on the way in so I knew how to get back. Although it was early afternoon, I thought I better check in as soon as possible to stand the best possible chance of securing a pitch. In fact that's all they did have, cabins and motel rooms all having gone. I'm not sure whether the fee of NZ$30, the most expensive yet, reflected a price hike for the festival, but it's sure not because the site was better than yesterday's! The place was OK, just not of the same standard as some of the cheaper sites I've stayed at. Any port in a storm I guess.

I then had to cycle back into town to pick up something to eat, then fight my way back against the headwind once more whilst returning to the site. There were a few people on pitches near me who, given their dress, were also here for the festival. One has even brought a second world war jeep! My bus wasn't until after midday tomorrow so I had plenty of time to wander around town and explore the Festival.

_[If you would like to leave a comment, make an observation or ask a question, please feel free to do so … on any post]_​


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## Ming the Merciless (5 May 2020)

Lucky to get your tour in when you did. New Zealand and Australia plan to keep borders closed for some time. It’s 19 years since I was in New Zealand, beautiful place.


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## IaninSheffield (5 May 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> Lucky to get your tour in when you did. New Zealand and Australia plan to keep borders closed for some time. It’s 19 years since I was in New Zealand, beautiful place.


Indeed. Got back in Blighty just a week before the shutters came down.


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## jay clock (6 May 2020)

I am loving it. I did pretty much the same route in 2009 https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=2sf&doc_id=3226&v=Ha . The hill out of Cormandel was murderous and I still mention it now.. My blog said 

"I then had the steepest hill of my laden touring life - 3.7km from sea level to 370m, but the first 1km was flat so that makes the rest about 14%. I resorted to 250m then a stop and a rest. At least it was tarmac-ed! It was only done a couple of years back. UPDATE: I just did an analysis of it and it peaks at 19%!! see here https://ridewithgps.com/routes/26496955"​​You then did what I did and got buses to Napier and it looks like Taupo...

Keep it coming


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## IaninSheffield (6 May 2020)

Ooo, how did I miss your journal?! That's now going to provide me with a few hours of enjoyment comparing notes.
Much appreciated. Thanks J


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## IaninSheffield (7 May 2020)

*Day 15: Napier to Taupo (Another cheat; only 7 miles)*

Today the gods, both big and small, smiled down on me. Nay, they positively beamed!

Up early once more, but with no targets to meet until the bus at 13:20, I was able to enjoy a leisurely potter around making breakfast. Even had half an hour reading a book available in the site book exchange. As I was striking the tent, my neighbours who arrived late last night struck up a chat. Kiwis both, the husband was a retired engineer who took up as a school caretaker in later life and was absolutely loving it. The pair had come down for the Art Deco Festival, something I now had the chance to wander around.





Folks enjoying the Jazz/Blues band playing on the street corner in Napier.​
I made my way back to Napier taking a cycle route along the seashore and quayside. Heading into town I met wave after wave of cyclists dressed in period costume for the event, some even on appropriate bikes. They seemed to be taking delight in their experience, from the youngest littlies to the more mature crinklies. The weather was certainly being generous for the moment, but last night's forecast had been less than promising. Before reaching town I came across my camping neighbours from last night who were just unhitching their bikes ready for a ride along the seafront to enjoy the festivities.










The Old Custom House​
Having ridden a way down the esplanade, I returned to town and walked the bike through some of the thronged streets. Every so often I'd stop and enjoy a few minutes of jazz or swing from the street bands, like many of the events, there to enjoy for free. Several of the streets were closed to traffic to enable parades to troop past the crowds.









In addition to the classic cars I mentioned yesterday, there was also a display of classic motorbikes and a smaller, but no less impressive gathering of steam traction engines. Around lunchtime, the Festival even took to the skies with aeronautical displays, singly and in formation. All very impressive and doubtless contributing to the chilled atmosphere and sense of joy which suffused the day. It really was an absolute pleasure to be there.




After a coffee and bite of lunch I headed to the small bus station to find that the surrounding streets were the holding locations for the mass classic car parade.. Although I would be gone before it rolled through town, I nevertheless was treated to a good glimpse of the wide variety of cars being pampered and preened. From the humblest Austin to the most ostentatious Bentley, cars from around the globe fired up their engines. Well, most of them did; one or two coughed and spluttered obstinately for a while.

When the coach arrived I was glad to find the driver expecting a bike and even give it its own compartment, although this time I did need to remove a front wheel to get the bike on. Nor did this driver want to accept then NZ$10 fee the Intercity website suggests should be paid. It looks like bikes on buses, when not a double-decker and where services are quieter, isn't too much hassle after all. As the journey unfolded I was so glad that the leg I'd considered cycling - the reverse of this journey - never got further than the drawing board. Taupo is at altitude and the climbs were brutally long. Even in the direction I'd considered, from Taupo to Napier, there were several significantly difficult climbs, added to which there was only one stopping point on the whole seventy plus miles. I'd have really struggled and the majestic scenery would have been poor compensation, especially given the busy road and rare shoulders.

My first port of call after arriving in Taupo was the i-site and ask if they could check local campgrounds to see if any had small cabins free. The roads had been wet on much of the way up and the forecast was for showers for most of the afternoon. I figured that a roof over my head might be a smart move tonight. Furthermore, most of my devices, including battery banks, were running low on charge. The assistant in the i-site unfortunately reported all cabins appeared to be booked. I thought about a backpacker's hostel, there are a handful in town, but then headed for the nearest campsite, another Top 10 like the ones I'd stayed in previously. When I arrived I asked if they had any 'basic' cabins left; these have nothing more than four bunks in them, but they do have power. Result! Got the last one! A splurge at NZ$58, but I figured worth it on this occasion.

With gathering clouds I quickly headed back into town to pick up some grub from the supermarket and get back before the weather closed in. I made it with minutes to spare. From my little cabin there was a covered walkway to the toilets and showers ten yards away, and another covered walkway to the kitchen which was even closer. And they were needed!




After a shower I headed to the kitchen to enjoy my ciabatta, hummus and three bean, bulgur wheat salad. Sounded good, but the salad dressing was far too sweet, and the hummus … well, this is the third I've tried now and despite them purportedly having very different ingredients, they all taste the same - a slightly curried flavour. The bread was good though and I accompanied it with another Kombucha. Around nine o’clock the site started to quieten down as young ones were ushered to bed (I'd have been in bed hours ago at their age!). I reacquainted myself with a mattress for the first time in a couple of weeks. It looked like we were going to get along.

_[If you would like to leave a comment, make an observation or ask a question, please feel free to do so … on any post]_​


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## IaninSheffield (8 May 2020)

*Day 16: Taupo - Turangi (35 miles, 928 feet of ascent)*

Back on the bike today, but fortunately only a short bimble to Turangi given that I suffered a rather poor night's sleep. I don't know whether it was being indoors for the first time in a while, or that the mattress sagged alarmingly in the middle. However, since I had three other bunks to choose from or could have taken to the floor on my air mattress, I have only myself to blame.

What was most noticeable upon emerging in the morning was how chilly it was in comparison with previous days. At first I thought it might have been because I had been indoors, but no, the temperature had dropped to something perhaps more normal. The humidity had also lifted so the wet front that blasted through yesterday must have dragged behind it some fresher weather.

Breakfast consisted of porridge of course (although a different brand, not in sachets and more like ‘proper’ porridge), and toasting the ciabatta left from yesterday's evening meal. With no tent to strike and a short day ahead, I was in no rush, so lay on the bed reading for half an hour - what luxury! When I eventually got wheels rolling I had once more put on my arm warmers, but this time not to keep the sun off, but the chill. It wasn't merely sunny today; there was a crispness to the light as well as the air.





Reid's Carving, a waharoa or gateway to Lake Taupo​
I chose to wander back through Taupo rather than head straight out, but was just a little early for the pop-up market setting up on one of the greens. I suppose I could have hung around a while, but I was conscious that although only a ride of some thirty miles, today would be almost entirely on SH1, reputedly the country's busiest road. However, it was a Sunday so maybe traffic would be lighter and there would be fewer trucks? I have to say that although there was slightly more traffic than on most of the roads I've travelled so far, it still wasn't too bad … and I was passed by only a couple of trucks. For most of the ride the shoulder was more than ample, except after the descent from the plateau where the road had to be carved from the mountainside, clinging tightly to it. Only the middle section spent up on the plateau left the lakeside for any length of time, so it really was a wonderful ride. Had I taken the quieter (longer and hillier) more northerly route I would hardly have seen the lake at all. This shorter, though busier, route had the mesmerising backdrop of Lake Taupo to keep you entertained, especially in the crisp sunshine.





State Highway 1 heading down to Lake Taupo. Not too busy at this time.​
I stopped for second breakfast at the Licorice Cafe just six or so miles short of Turangi. I could have carried on, but the prospect of a coffee in a nice cafe was too good to ride by. As I took my time over coffee and cake, a chap came across and looked over the bike - a common conversation opener. Wayne was born a Kiwi, but now a Canadian and thinking of doing a coast to coast across his own beautiful land. Naturally we chatted for a while about the merits of different setups. I suspect the hills of New Zealand have taught me that those of Canada might be more than I could take … or perhaps the plains would break me? Nevertheless I wished Wayne well in his planning.




In only a few short miles Turangi metaphorically opened its doors, although not so much the site where I planned to stay. The office didn't open for another hour, which was as good an excuse as I know to head off for another coffee and a bite of lunch. I also dropped in to the i-site to see if they had any materials relating to my next few days. Turns out 'The Forgotten World Highway' has its own leaflet, although it gave me little more information than I already had. I'm hoping to camp in Whangamomona, but can find nothing more online than the campground's Facebook page. Maybe the i-site in Taumarunui might know a little more? I'll find out tomorrow I guess.





i-site in Turangi​
After returning to the site I managed to get checked in, although there would be no cabin tonight … not that I needed one. All cabins on site, and there were a lot, were booked out to a massive school group. Fortunately I was allocated a tent pitch on the other side of the camp and when the hordes arrived, I could barely hear them. This empty part of camp started to fill a little including a Finnish touring cyclist on his fifth trip of New Zealand. After a long chat into the evening we seem to be similar ages, had shared similar careers, but he was certainly far better travelled than me. Still I suppose there's time yet.





Until a few others arrived, this part of campground was almost deserted ... just my little tent up the end there.

_[If you would like to leave a comment, make an observation or ask a question, please feel free to do so … on any post] _​


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## IaninSheffield (9 May 2020)

*Day 17: Turangi - Taumaranui (44 miles, 2959 feet of ascent)*

It was a decidedly chilly night last night! I was within a hair's breadth of digging out a pair of socks for my cold little toes. It probably wasn't helped by me having to make three ablutions trips during the night. Wrestling oneself from a sleeping bag and liner, pulling on clothes, then exiting a tent is not a simple process in the pitch black, only to then have to reverse it shortly later. On the plus side, this seems to be a 'dark sky' area and last night's clear skies rendered amazing views of a night sky I'm not familiar with; an inverted Orion for example. Rarely too have I enjoyed such a clear view of the Milky Way. With a little more forethought I should perhaps have dug out the camera for a night shot or two.

I stirred late in the morning; it was after eight by the time I was preparing breakfast. Yesterday, with a fridge at the site, I bought some fresh milk with which to liven up the day's porridge. Delicious! Good too to have some milk for my coffee. Must try that again. My Finnish friend was ready for the off before I'd started breakfast, but we exchanged good wishes before he rolled out the gate. He has an interesting set up with two front panniers and none at the rear. It was almost ten by the time I had wheels rolling and began the day heading north up the westward side of Lake Taupo.





Hydroelectricity generation at Tokaanu





Looking back towards Lake Taupo for the last time.​
I couldn't figure out what was wrong with the profile screen of the Garmin which showed two little blips then just a single continuous climb and descent for the remainder of the forty mile route. Maybe the altitude data hadn't exported into the gpx file fully? Darn! That meant I wouldn't be able to follow my progress up climbs properly, as was my wont. It transpired that the profile was indeed correct and there was one main climb which went on and on with barely a handful of breaks. Fortunately the gradient wasn't too steep so I'm pleased to say I made the five(?) hundred metres without a break. The views across to the volcanic peaks was stunning. Ruapehu, at almost 3000m was still snow capped, but by the time I reached my little summit to stop and catch a photo, it hid behind its own personal cloud mask.





Looking across to Tongariro (left) and Mount Ruahepu (cloud-covered)​
I checked the odometer before starting down and by the time I'd reached the bottom I'd done almost nine miles of uninterrupted descent … somewhat more quickly than I'd ascended the other side I should add. The final almost flat miles brought me to the Taramanui Holiday Park on the banks of the Whanganui. It's a small, quiet picturesque little site, and good value at NZ$17, but if you need to shop, as I did, be warned that it's a 4km ride/walk into town.

I found a bakery for both a bite to eat and a coffee before popping across to the i-site to check on the campground for tomorrow night. If all goes to plan I should be halfway along the Forgotten World Highway at Whangamamona, but their online presence consists of a Facebook page rather than a website, which worries me a little. The assistant in the i-site tried ringing them but only got the answer machine which said 'If you're looking to camp, just come along; it'll be fine.' Guess I'll give it a shot and see, having few other options out in the back of beyond. The i-site is in the railway station buildings which look sadly little used; I can't recall whether the Northern Explorer stops here. This image is not helped by the forlorn look of the rolling stop left to decay in the sidings. Untapped or rejected potential perhaps?




I returned to site and completed the routine of shower, laundry and evening meal, although this time had the company of the site chickens which unsurprisingly appear to thrive in the presence of campers. It's a relaxed atmosphere here; the site appears to currently be under half capacity. I briefly had a chat with a South African chap who's doing the North to South, Te Araroa Challenge with his wife. They're on a 26 day deadline but are looking more to enjoy themselves than push to finish. A healthy attitude I'd say. I wonder if I'll come across any of the West to Easters in the next day or two?






_[If you would like to leave a comment, make an observation or ask a question, please feel free to do so … on any post] _​


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## HobbesOnTour (9 May 2020)

Really enjoying this! In fact it's my weekend treat

I'm teased by all the food descriptions 

Can't understand your reluctance to take "photographic opportunities" on the climbs and your insistence in calling them "breaks" as if they're bad 

You seem to have been very lucky in your timing! 

Keep up the fantastic work!


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## IaninSheffield (10 May 2020)

HobbesOnTour said:


> Really enjoying this! In fact it's my weekend treat
> 
> I'm teased by all the food descriptions
> 
> ...


_Grasshopper_: So hill climbing breaks are photographic opportunities? Master, I am puzzled.
_Master Po Hobbes_: But Grasshopper, that is the beginning of wisdom.


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## IaninSheffield (10 May 2020)

*Day 18: Taumarunui - Whangamamona (58 miles, 4219 feet of ascent)*

Another chilly night but this one concluded with a tent very damp with condensation and dew; it would definitely need drying. But the sun was rising and offering plenty of promise, so that shouldn't take too long. Had another chat with the South Africans over breakfast. It's interesting to see how our countries and cultures compare; the cost of living, politics, transport, employment. Different things frustrate, delight or worry us, but my own sense of 'the grass is greener' has mellowed since coming to New Zealand and especially since nattering with folks from other countries.

It was well after ten thirty by the time the tent was dry and I was ready to roll. Much later than I'd have preferred given that I faced nearly sixty miles distance with a side order of climbing. Taumarunui, just a couple of miles down the road, was far too early for second breakfast. Knowing there were no other options, I had made up a couple of butties and had an apple and a banana to see me through. That didn't quite go according to plan!





Canoeists on the Wanganui River




​
The first dozen or so miles of the ‘Forgotten World Highway’ followed the Whanganui River and yielded impressive views over the gorge it had cut. There were folks down below on a canoeing trip, taking it relatively easy and paddling with the flow. They soon disappeared from view as the road rolled up and down, until the first of five climbs took me away from the river and up into the hills. It was nowhere near as long a climb as yesterday, but proved a sterner test by presenting a stiffer gradient. Nothing too severe, but plenty enough to wake up the heart and lungs. From the descent onwards there was rarely a flat mile; gentle undulations, stiff little testers and four more significant 100m ish climbs to come. At the top of climbs one and two, I took sustenance as well as water, thinking the energy would metabolise by the time I needed it on the next climb.





Ruapehu in the distance​
The landscape changed with each turn and over each climb. I couldn't figure the geology which brought into being the dense clustering of so many conical peaks. The underlying rock seemed to be sedimentary, a mix of soft mudstone and shales, as evidenced by the numerous rock slides where the road cut closely to the gorge sides. Despite the volcanic history of the region, I couldn't resolve this multitude of mini peaks as having those origins.










Not sure who was scared of whom, but at least it provided (more than!) a few moments respite.




​
It was not long after the descent into the Tangarakau Gorge that the 12km gravel stretch I knew was to come began. It served to remind me why I'd taken the decision to avoid gravel roads, apart from this unavoidable stretch. The washboard surface was brutally uncomfortable and made for extremely slow going. I was just grateful that most of the stretch was downhill; I often even had to pedal to make way whilst descending. Nor was it any fun continually trying to pick the best path, rather than being able to take in the almost tropical surroundings.




Drawing near to where I thought the end should be, as I rounded a bend there was another touring cyclist taking a photo. Matt and I chatted for a while and since we were both headed for the same destination, we continued together. A much more experienced tourist than me, Matt proved to be good company and although I suspect he was in much better shape than me we rode alongside one another, which I found a welcome distraction from the demands of the subsequent climbs. Unfortunately, that proved a problem.

Towards the summit of the next climb we encountered the Motu Tunnel, or 'Hobbit Hole,' making more from the LoTR theme than it perhaps merits. At this point I should have taken on a fuel topup as well as water, but we were distracted by chatting with a Kiwi couple in their camper.




It was on the next climb that things went awry. Matt wisely climbed at his own pace, slightly faster than mine. I made no attempt to keep up, but worried that he would be waiting for me at the summit, I pushed on rather than taking the break I needed. I was well beat by the time I reached Matt and began to feel light-headed. The next thing I knew Matt was helping extricate me from the prone bike and get me seated. I'd keeled over, doubtless from an energy deficiency. Despite the butties I'd had earlier, a testing day like this would have been eased by a cafe stop or two, but there's nothing like that on this road. Its remoteness is part of its allure. After a banana, some Gummy Bears and a drink, I picked up and was feeling much better. Fortunately the remaining miles were generally down hill and when the sign for Whangamamona hove into view I was more than relieved.





Behind the sign you might just make out a railway line in the valley. No trains, but you can take railcart tours which cross all the way from Taramunui to Stratford.




Perhaps partly due to its remoteness from other centres of civilisation, or the independence of the resident community, but following regional border changes in 1989 it declared itself an independent republic. Should you wish, the local pub will stamp your passport ... for a small fee which contributes to local community ventures. Matt and I found our way to the rather rustic campsite, followed the instructions to pitch our tents and to expect the site manager, Richard, to drop by later. Run by and on behalf of the local community, the site is certainly … distinct! Its buildings have all been repurposed from what used to serve as the village school. The shower room was perhaps once a barn, the dining hall and kitchen previously the school hall. But the site was flat, green and mostly quiet.

Although Matt didn't fancy it, I headed off to the pub/hotel for a meal. Whangaburger and chips were adequate and filled a corner, but I perhaps chose badly from the limited menu. The Whanga Pale Ale was cold and expensive, but nevertheless hit the spot; the first beer I've had in NZ. I walked back to the site in the dark, hit the sack and despite my travails, had loved the variety of scenery and landscapes experienced on my first day on the FWH.

[If you would like to leave a comment, make an observation or ask a question, please feel free to do so … on any post] ​


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## IaninSheffield (11 May 2020)

*Day 19: Whangamamona - Stratford (40 miles, 2789 feet of ascent)*

During my night time comfort amble, it was clear there would be a heavy dew, although how heavy was not apparent at this stage. A few hours later, peeling back the tent door - after the site cockerel refused to let me lie in - revealed a heavy fog … and of course a very wet tent!

I rose, made breakfast and took my time packing while Matt gathered himself and chattels. We decided to continue together, route options being limited, at least as far as Stratford, some 40 miles distant. I had in mind to review my state, see how I felt, and stay in Stratford rather than continue to Hawera as per my plans. With another 2500 feet of ascent in that 38 miles, that's indeed how it panned out. By the time we rolled out the campsite, the sun had finally broken through, although too late to have had any effect on a soaked tent.




The first climb of the day came almost immediately, but was gentle, traversed numerous hairpins, and continually took you in and out of most welcome shade. The foliage was lush and green, more like a jungle than one might expect based on the recent extended spate of dry weather. It was actually perhaps the most enjoyable climb I’ve had so far; the pedals turned fairly easily and just kept on turning.





You might just make out a tiny sliver of road in the centre of the image




Pohukura saddle




Not sure what this helicopter was doing out in the boondocks​
There may have been fewer long, extended climbs today, but there was still an abundance of testers. Each one seemed to offer new views, but the best was reserved for my first sighting in the distance of Mount Taranaki, a classic cone-shaped volcano which dominates the surroundings for miles. Each new summit seemed to offer better views, but their cumulative effect was beginning to take its toll. By the time we were within a few miles of Stratford my mind was made up; I'd be stopping there.




Our first stop in Stratford was a supermarket. Matt needed provisions for his onward journey - he was aiming for New Plymouth on the coast by the end of the day. I just needed something to eat! Matt joined me as far as the local campground before our ways parted and he headed off northwards with Auckland as his final destination, whereas my route lay in the opposite direction. We shared similar outlooks and opinions, more than a laugh or two and (at least on my part) enjoyed one another's company. On another level I found it tough trying to work to someone else's pace, as I'm sure Matt did to mine. Perhaps these brief relationships are best when they are just that - brief.

After Matt departed, my routine returned. Pitch tent, revisit supermarket for evening meal, shower, launder, enjoy meal, write journal … and catch up on last night's; there had been no connectivity of any form. In the morning I would need to visit the i-site to find out what camping options there are between here and Whanganui.

_[If you would like to leave a comment, make an observation or ask a question, please feel free to do so … on any post] _​


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## jay clock (12 May 2020)

Ian, I'm loving it. But just put up with the wet tent if the weather is nice for the rest of the day. You can always dry at lunch, if not, it will dry in seconds in the evening!


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## IaninSheffield (13 May 2020)

*Day 20: Stratford - Patea (47 miles, 840 feet of ascent)*

I shall call this the day of Two Towers.





Stratford Glockenspiel Clock Tower





Hawera Water Tower​It began similarly to yesterday: misty, overcast, and a wet tent. So once again I squished the wet tent (@jay clock would be proud of me) into its bag having first dropped and packed the inner, then got wheels rolling about ten thirty. With perhaps only fortyish miles to complete, I was in no rush.

My first port of call was the i-site in Stratford to establish where tonight's resting place would be. Hawera was just down the road at around twenty miles; a little too close. I was looking for something at around halfway to Whanganui; the assistant in the i-site came up trumps. There was a motor camp at Patea, just about the perfect distance and the little town even had a small supermarket. She also warned me that although the run down to Hawera was fairly easy, it got a bit lumpy from then on. Oh well, situation normal I suppose.

As I set off northwards, then fortunately immediately realised I should be heading south, the sky was still grey and low enough to be cloaking Mount Taranaki almost completely. I'm not sure why, but even though all my journey was on SH3, I found the trip down to Hawera an absolute joy. The twenty miles flew by, perhaps because the general profile was downhill towards the coast. I arrived in Hawera ready for a second breakfast/lunch, a treat I'd not been able to enjoy the past few days.





Chicken, brie, cranberry and avo roll, with an apple crumble pie to follow.​Another food photo (Hope @HobbesOnTour doesn't find this too distressing), but perhaps trying to illustrate a point. This little lot came to NZ$11, around £5.50 which I thought was a bargain. Maybe not haute cuisine, but delicious food, good coffee, and sufficiently filling. So after a long relaxed lunch, onwards to the ups and downs the i-site assistant had warned me about. The sun was now back to its normal self, but moderated by a gentle coastal breeze. Although I only caught occasional glimpses of the ocean, they at least gave me the satisfaction of knowing I'd cycled the whole way across the country.





Aotea Memorial Waka in Pātea






Pātea war memorial - always moved by memorials such as this, even across the other side of the world. Hard to conceive how many lives the Wars must have touched.​
Before I knew it I'd arrived in Pātea and made my way out of town to the estuary where the site was signposted. Another quirky little site with a notice on the rustic reception door saying 'Make yourself comfortable and we'll see you later.' So I did. There was another cyclist already set up so we briefly shared experiences. Andy was on a much longer tour having started in Invercargill back in January and was heading for Cape Reinga in the north - bottom to top.





Fortunately the trains (goods trains only here) are far from frequent in NZ. Was only woken twice during the night.​
I typed this having eaten and relaxed outside with a cuppa, still feeling warm as the evening drew in. I'm not sure why this day was such a pleasure. I could have taken a few quiet side roads but instead chose to stick with SH3, its generous shoulder and gentle rollercoaster climbs making for sweet, easy cycling. Maybe the softer rolling landscape, rather than the severe, remote mountainous region I'd recently experienced, reminded me of home. Maybe it's that I had (I thought) another fairly relaxed day to come, with a rest day after that. Who knows, but I liked it!

_[If you would like to leave a comment, make an observation or ask a question, please feel free to do so … on any post] _​


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## IaninSheffield (14 May 2020)

*Day 21: Pātea - Whanganui (41 miles, 2133 feet of ascent)*

Another quiet, gentle, steady day … and there's nothing wrong with that.

Across the estuary from Pātea Beach Motorhome Camp was the railway line you might have spotted in yesterday’s closing photo. In all the time I was there, three trains passed; all freight. I cycled alongside the line at numerous times during the day and saw not one single train. I assume the track runs from Wellington up to New Plymouth and couldn't help feeling what an underused network it seems to be here, reserved almost entirely for freight. I felt that a case for passenger services could surely be made, but in a later discussion with a Kiwi learned that after the passenger network had been run down following privatisation, there were a number of interwoven reasons it was no longer viable - demand, cost, topography, dominance of freight. Pity.

After breakfast and with only some forty miles to do, I could once more take it easy, so I read for half an hour while the tent dried. It was well after 10:30 by the time I said my cheerios to Andy and got rolling, even then feeling no compulsion to press on. It was so relaxed just pootling along under a beneficent sun, with little breeze, and facing another largely undemanding day. I had got the Garmin (mostly) up and running once more, remembering that I'd dropped it the night before. The impact must have loosened a connection with the screen. A couple of sharp taps seemed to do the trick, but for how long I've no idea.

A dozen or so miles later I passed through the little town of Waverley and since it had a cafe, grabbed the opportunity for second breakfast. The cafe had friendly, talkative staff and a steady throughput of what seemed to be regular clientele - nice to see small businesses thriving. A pot of tea and ginger slice set me up for the remainder of the journey.After Waverley, the road played out much like yesterday - rolling hills, pasture land, occasional glimpses of the sea, and a mostly wide and generous shoulder. Turn the pedals and enjoy the ride whilst the inter city traffic sped past at a safe distance.





So that's where parkrun started!​
With fewer than ten miles to go, I almost missed a sign for a Berry farm and cafe. With time to spare, and a downhill run to Whanganui, I thought an ice cream might touch the spot. The farm did their own ice creams using a vanilla base which they then infused with crushed berries of your choosing. I can recommend the Boysenberry, though I'm sure the others would have been delicious too.




When I approached the outskirts of Whanganui, it soon became clear this was a bigger town than I'd originally thought. So much the better; I've decided on a rest day tomorrow so I can have the chance to look around, do some laundry and think about the route for my run down to Wellington.





Virginia Park, Whanganui​
My campground for the night, the Aramoho Outback Camp, was a little further than a short stroll into town (or back to the nearest supermarket), so I treated myself to a meal at the eatery near the campground entrance - 'Caroline's Boatshed.' I had breads and dips for starters (I think it was a sharing platter for two, but they were polite enough not to say), and lamb rump for the main course. When in New Zealand, do as the Kiwis do. The lamb was succulent, tender and cooked perfectly and it was good to get some fresh veg, but the sauces were not quite to my taste. It might be me of course, but most foods here seem to have the sweetness turned up a notch or two. Anyway, the two courses and a handle (sub-pint) of Tui beer came to NZ$54. The site fees are NZ$15 per night, so I was offsetting some of those savings with a more extravagant meal … because I'm worth it!





Looking downstream on the Whanganui River towards Durie Hill and Tower
_
[If you would like to leave a comment, make an observation or ask a question, please feel free to do so … on any post]_​


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## IaninSheffield (16 May 2020)

*Day 22: Whanganui rest day (8 miles)*

Peering out from the tent flap at 7:30 visited on me a foreboding sky, the like of which I'd prefer not to sally forth under. Fortunately this was to be a rest day so a start of any kind, neither early nor late, was not on the agenda. I checked the weather forecast; showers during the morning, brightening up in the afternoon. Laundry would have to be delayed a while. Needing to ablute anyway, I arose, made breakfast then returned to my tent, shortly after which the rains commenced.

When I awoke from monitoring the inside of my eyelids, the pattering on the tent was no more than the tree under which I was pitched shedding it's accumulated droplets. Now ready to launder, a search for the washing powder I'd been lugging round for two weeks yielded naught; I must have left it in Stratford. Not keen on returning 70 miles for a few hundred grams of washing powder, I fashioned some soap flakes from a half block I had with me. It would do. When the machine had performed its job for the reasonable sum of NZ$2, I draped the washing over the line. The gusting breeze required me to hang around to keep returning items blown off the line back to their precarious positions. No matter, I was enjoying a relaxed read. A kindly lady from one of the motorhomes nearby spotted my predicament and popped across with a 'kiwi gift' of a handful of pegs. So kind and much appreciated.

With washing now fixed in place and the sky brightening up, I could head off for a mosey around Whanganui. Sadly most of the Saturday craft market was now cleared away, so I headed to the i-site to see what I could pick up. With it being a Saturday and me late out of the traps, most of the galleries and museums were shortly due to close, so I just enjoyed a cycle around some of the sites.





Whanganui Opera House - last Victorian theatre in NZ





Cooks Gardens Bell Tower





Sarjeant Gallery and Memorial Museum





Whanganui Velodrome, with the Durie Tower in the background​
One place I did want to visit was the 'Durie Elevator' a tunnel and lift built to create an easy link between the newly formed residential area on Durie Hill and the city in the early 20th century. A fascinating solution and, for NZ$2, a short but sweet ride, the culmination of which offered magnificent views of Whanganui.





Entrance to Durie Tunnel and Elevator​
The evening's meal was courtesy of a supermarket visit which provided a 'Hawaian slice,' egg and celery salad, tabouleh, and a date scone, all for about half the cost of last night's starter. More importantly, sitting back on the veranda on site in the setting sun, equally as enjoyable.





Steam-powered paddle steamer heading up the Whanganui River​
With its historic, artistic and cultural sensibility, coupled with a similar but different relaxed feel to Napier, I liked Whanganui.

_[If you would like to leave a comment, make an observation or ask a question, please feel free to do so … on any post] _​


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## IaninSheffield (17 May 2020)

*Day 23: Whanganui - Palmerston North (60 miles, 2014 feet of ascent)*

I suppose the proximity to the Whanganui River is what drew in the fog, but that's what greeted me as I emerged from the tent this morning. Coupled with that was of course a wet tent once more, so an earlier start for this somewhat longer day wasn't going to be on the cards.

The car park of the bar with which the site is associated is clearly the gathering place for the Sunday classic and custom car meetup. One after another after another rolled - and in some instances, roared ' - into the car park. This apparent fetish with all things auto seems quite common out here. Maybe back home too, but I just don't come across it.

Despite taking time to dry the tent, I was still under way just after ten and retraced my steps from yesterday back into a quiet Whanganui. Over the River I then picked up my familiar friend in SH3, at least for a dozen miles or so. Although I could have stayed with it for longer, the option to take some back roads drew me and I headed off for Martin in the hope of second breakfast. After another dozen miles my wish was granted and I stopped at the first cafe I came to in town. A classy little place with prices to match, but both the butter chicken pie and chocolate fudge to follow stoked up the fire. I enjoyed both, but why do even decent places put a pie in the microwave to warm it through, thereby inevitably rendering the pastry soggy? Shame.




The next section across to Feilding was perhaps the most English of all with lots of little ups and downs, twists and turns. A lovely stretch, brought to a close by another (un)healthy portion of ice cream from a dairy as I passed through Feilding. The final dozen miles to Palmerston North consisted of a series of dead straight sections connected by regular ninety degree turns.





Too many roads like this during the final section​
Rather uninspiring. Much like my route planning to bring me to the site which for the first time failed. A local was able to point me in the general direction, from where my nose did the rest. At NZ$28 this was one of the more expensive sites, but where that level of contribution went was a bit of a mystery. It sure wasn't on the warmth of the welcome, nor on the kitchen set up which, despite having cookers, microwaves and kettles, lacked the little extras that similarly expensive sites had such as washing up liquid and tea towels. Pity, because the location alongside the river is quite lovely.

A goodly walk into town found me a supermarket from which the makings of an evening meal could be assembled, then back to camp to enjoy it. Almost. Two cyclists doing the Tour Aotearoa had arrived and set up on the adjacent pitch. Nothing wrong with that until one conducted a phone call with family back home … on speaker phone. I could hear everything his wife and baby son said! Why do folks do that? Apologies. I have a lower than usual tolerance for such things. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.
_
[If you would like to leave a comment, make an observation or ask a question, please feel free to do so … on any post] _​


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## HobbesOnTour (18 May 2020)

I'm with you on the subject of wet tents. I fully get the logic that they will dry quickly when pitched, but there's a primitive instinct that my "home" should be dry when I need it.
Besides..... There's the extra weight of all that water 

Your faint experience after the climb is interesting for all and emphasises the importance of listening to our bodies - mine is always telling me to slow down.... And eat! 

On ice cream I've tried (and fallen for!) Avocado ice cream! 

I find myself a little excited by the apparent informality of some of the campgrounds. I love the idea of "make yourself at home, we'll be around later". 

Finally, keep the food descriptions coming!


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## IaninSheffield (18 May 2020)

HobbesOnTour said:


> I'm with you on the subject of wet tents. I fully get the logic that they will dry quickly when pitched, but there's a primitive instinct that my "home" should be dry when I need it.
> Besides..... There's the extra weight of all that water
> 
> Your faint experience after the climb is interesting for all and emphasises the importance of listening to our bodies - mine is always telling me to slow down.... And eat!
> ...


Thanks for those comments F.

Avocado ice cream? Suprised I didn't come across it in NZ. The Kiwis (like the Mexicans?) are big on their "avos" and you can often buy them from roadside stalls that have honesty boxes.

Came across several 'informal' campgrounds, but could never shake the guilt of not paying up front before pitching.


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## IaninSheffield (18 May 2020)

*Day 24: Palmerston North - Patiahua (27 miles, 1913 feet of ascent)*

I'm grateful to my TA cyclist neighbours for the early morning call which awoke me from my slumbers. I'm not quite sure how someone who uses a tent themselves, fails to appreciate that voices used at normal levels penetrate thin fabric, especially in the stillness of the morning. At least it afforded me the chance to slowly come round and appreciate that the night's breeze had left me with a dry tent. The day itself was overcast, warm and humid; just what I wanted on the day I returned to the hills. Still, having decided that my Wellington-bound route will consist of only brief days where possible, today's short jaunt over the range shouldn't be too demanding.

I slowly gathered myself at breakfast and enjoyed a brief chat with a couple of Germans also on the TA; much friendlier and more considerate types, but also clearly on a mission. The thought of having to bang out the miles from dawn to dusk leaves me reeling, but I can also see the attraction completing the whole thing in 'n' days must have for some.





The digital displays on the sign alongside this new bridge displayed in real time the number of pedestrains and cyclists that passed over the bridge




Victoria Park was a relaxing place with plenty of things to see and do.





Now that's how you do integrated public transport.




The Hopwood Clock Tower, also known as Kerei Te Panau​With few miles ahead of me, I had the luxury of time to potter around Palmerston North and I have to say I'm impressed. This seems to be the first place I've visited making a concerted effort to be cycle-friendly. There are on- and off-road bike paths, clearly marked and highly visible. There are plenty of cycle stands and cycle stations with pumps and tools. Even the local buses have cycle carriers on the front. No doubt Palmerston being flat with roads arranged in a grid helps here, as must its status as a university town. Nevertheless, well done Palmerston North!





Looking back towards Palmerston North​
The main route across the range would have been via the Manawatu Gorge, but a landslip closed the main highway a few years ago and the highways authority are having to work hard to reinstate it. Meanwhile there are two alternative routes across, of which I chose the southerly. The climb itself wasn't particularly steep, though as is usual did make its presence felt for some while. It was on this climb that I had my nearest close pass of the tour so far. I could hear the truck labouring up the climb behind me for quite a while; it seemed to be struggling more than I was. Because I was out of the saddle, I couldn't see it in my mirror so it was only as it drew alongside that it became clear just how close the driver had decided to pass. It must have been less than two feet and I can't think why so close; there was road to spare and time to come past, even at the snail's pace we were both managing. No harm done on this occasion, but if I'd wobbled …




The run down the other side was a delight, steeper at first then gently over the remaining few miles into Patiahua. It made a welcome change to be looking out over greener fields rather than the parched brown landscape with which I'd become familiar. I guess that's indicative of greater rainfall, so I might have to pay a toll for enjoying more verdant surroundings.





This central walkway between the two carriageways in Patiahua runs down what was originally planned to the rail line through the town. That never happened.​
My campground for the evening, just on the edge of Patiahua, was small, almost empty and blissfully quiet. I had a wonderful evening talking with Douglas, another TA cyclist who's of a similar age and political leaning to me. Really enjoyed getting a view on a Kiwi's life from someone with a similar background.

_[If you would like to leave a comment, make an observation or ask a question, please feel free to do so … on any post] _​


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## IaninSheffield (19 May 2020)

*Day 25: Patiahua - Eketahuna (25 miles, 1342 feet of ascent)*

Sleep did not come easily to me last night, nor has it for a couple of nights now. Not sure what's causing it; perhaps I'm not working hard enough during the day, or maybe I'm in bed too early? When I did drop off, I slept well, so I assume my sleep system is not at fault. Since I suffer no I'll effects the following day, it matters not.

After another leisurely breakfast and slow departure, followed by nearly an hour's read with a coffee in Patiahua, I eventually hit the road for Eketahuna proper around eleven. Another short day so another relaxed journey. For a brief moment I considered simply heading down SH2, but wisely came to my senses and headed instead for the backroads; a little further but doubtless more pleasant. And so it proved.









Once over the ridge which bounded the eastern flank of the town, the road quickly dropped into and subsequently followed the Mangaone valley for most of the journey. It had the same feel, same scale and same sense of proportion as a ride in Derbyshire back home. Barely a car passed all day; in fact I saw more TA riders than I saw vehicles. Since I was heading south like them, and because I'd dropped the speed to half-bimble, they all came past me. Unlike the inconsiderate individual who passed me on the climb yesterday, all these acknowledged and returned my greetings. Turning the pedals slowly and methodically, rather than intently and in earnest brought a different kind of joy, one I shall likely repeat tomorrow.









Before long it was time to climb back out of the valley towards Eketahuna and a simple site that had been recommended to me by the cyclist I met out on the Cape. Rolling down into the town I passed their rugby club, which appears to have a long history having been founded in the same year as my home town football club, Sheffield United. That's a good age for a club in such a small town, perhaps pointing back to more prosperous times?










The giant kiwi in Ekatahuna that the TA riders all seem to stop at. A checkpoint possibly?​
Before heading to the site I took second breakfast and watched life (and more TA riders) passing by for an hour or so. It looks like I'll be sharing the route into Wellington with them over the next few days. Like Patiahua last night, the site itself is small, quiet, but well appointed. It has the simple things - like dishcloths and washing up liquid - that the bigger more expensive sites often lack. There's no reception building, but someone on the site said just to set myself up and someone would be along later to collect fees. I'm really impressed with the sites in these little towns along SH2; they're reasonably priced and well appointed. Here for example, it's only NZ$8 for a non-powered pitch; the same price as (but much better quality than) the rather ramshackle site up at Tokamaru Bay.

_[If you would like to leave a comment, make an observation or ask a question, please feel free to do so … on any post] _​


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## IaninSheffield (20 May 2020)

*Day 26: Eketahuna (rain stopped play)*

Although I had no plans for a rest day today, the patter of rain drops on the tent fabric during the night hinted at that possibility. The morning came and the rain persisted. Since my new schedule came with no imperative to press on swiftly to Wellington, I could afford to sit this one out and hope for better weather tomorrow.

The temperature also plummeted, making sitting in shorts and t-shirt rather uncomfortable. Had I been on the bike, I'm pretty sure the cold, wet conditions would have adversely affected my enjoyment. Instead, I remained relatively comfortable in my tent where reading and listening to podcasts provided pleasure in themselves.

When I took breakfast on the site veranda, other campers who had heard a forecast suggested it would clear up in the afternoon. If it did, with my next stop only thirty miles down the road, I could decide to set off quite late should I have so chosen. But the forecasters (or those relaying their message to me) didn't do such a great job and it rained lightly on and off for most of the day. I was happy relaxing and even got the chance to book accommodation for my last two nights in Wellington. As it would be an early start from Welly, I wanted to have an easy run to the station to catch my train and sidestep the possibility of having to strike camp in poor weather.

I spotted today that in resetting the Garmin, I'd neglected to program it to save to SD card which meant that although my tracks would have been saved, I would be struggling to upload them. Even once home I'd have problems because the Garmin had begun refusing to show up in Windows Explorer when connected to the ‘puter, so I'd still be unable to browse to the saved files. Searching the Interwebs has yet to unearth a solution.

With nowhere to go, other than to pop into town to pick up provisions during a gap in the weather, I had the chance to have a good natter with a couple of older folks who were travelling solo in their respective motorhomes. One in particular knew the UK well, her son having studied at Uni in Manchester. I can’t remember which of the tourers I’d met earlier who’d mentioned it, but he remarked how friendly, bijou, inviting, well-equipped and reasonably priced most of the municipal or community sites were in the small towns strung out along this stretch of State Highway 2. That certainly was my experience too.

Despite the pleasantness of the site, the friendliness of the residents and the restfulness I’d enjoyed, fingers crossed I’ll be back on the bike tomorrow.

_[If you would like to leave a comment, make an observation or ask a question, please feel free to do so … on any post] _​


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## IaninSheffield (22 May 2020)

*Day 27: Eketahuna - Masterton (29 miles, 839 feet of ascent)*

A cold night followed yesterday's cold day, which of course led to a rather wet tent. The morning breeze and intermittent sunshine helped here, as did another day in which the miles were to be few. After paying the site supervisor for a second night, I was ready to roll, but sorry to leave this friendly, charming, cheap and well-equipped little site. If you're cycling through the area and need a stop, Eketahuna Campground should definitely be on your shortlist.

Having originally intended to go straight through to Martinborough from here, I had no route to Masterton, my revised destination for the day. Yesterday I received a notification text from Spark, my NZ telecoms provider that I had used 80% of my data allowance. Since I've had several days without WiFi, I wasn't surprised, but now need to ration my remaining bytes. With only a week and a bit to go, with most of my remaining accommodation providing free WiFi, there seems little point in buying a data extension. All of which means I'd rather not plan new routes online. So off I set today, confident that the route to Masterton I'd planned in OSMAnd would be OK. All the roads went where I'd expected them to, but I’d mistakenly selected a couple of miles of gravel road. Oh well.










Surprised to come across a railway bridge this far out in the boondocks​
The scenery was similar to the day before yesterday's, with the hills and valleys once more providing reminders of home. In fact, similarly to before, most of the route wove along various valley floors with only the minimum of climbing. I could get used to this. The quietness of the road often made you feel miles away from anywhere, yet round each corner a farm or property of some kind regularly appeared. The sense of complete isolation I often felt whilst out on the Cape was missing … probably reassuringly.

Another short day meant I arrived in Masterton mid-afternoon, so before heading to the site, I sought out a bakery for second breakfast. A pot of tea, chicken club sandwich and a portion of apple strudel came to less than NZ$10. I really am taken with New Zealand bakeries as a source of food and drink for the road.





Mini art galleries all in shipping containers





This annual competition is a big thing. A really big thing!​
I backtracked to the campground and booked in for NZ$22, not cheap, but a reasonable site. After pitching the tent I then headed for the supermarket, only a ten minute walk away. In addition to some food for the evening, I also needed to replace the washing powder I'd left behind in Taupo(?) so I was no longer reduced to using soap. Back at the site I followed Matt's advice and took out from the box of powder just enough to see me through my remaining days. Thanks for that tip Matt; someone will hopefully make the best of the remainder I left in the site laundry.

There seemed to be several groups of blokes booked into the cabins here on site. Perhaps they're competitors in the 'Golden Shears' contest here in the town over the next few days. As my beard's beginning to become a little unruly, I wonder if they might give it a trim? Don't think I'd take to the rough handling though; rather prefer being pampered in a barber's chair over being wrassled to the ground by a burly Kiwi!

_[If you would like to leave a comment, make an observation or ask a question, please feel free to do so … on any post] _​


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## HobbesOnTour (23 May 2020)

Love this


> Turning the pedals slowly and methodically, rather than intently and in earnest brought a different kind of joy,



Perhaps you've already solved your Garmin connection issues but I have found that sometimes cables get damaged and do not transfer data or indeed "connect" as data cables. Sometimes a new or different cable helps.


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## IaninSheffield (23 May 2020)

Thank you kindly; that's appreciated.

Ah sadly no on the Garmin front. The cable was my first thought too - I'm now on my third one, so no joy on that front unfortunately. I suspect it's a driver issue following a Windows update at some point. Some other USB (storage) devices continue to connect successfully (mp3 player), whilst others have stopped working (camera). If I were still at work with (admin) access to other computers, I'd try the garmin out there. One small advantage of being at work I suppose, but I'll stick with (semi) retirement thanks all the same. Under the current circumstances of course, I can't even try it out on a buddy's computer. Faff though it is, at least I can still transfer files using the micro SD card.


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## IaninSheffield (24 May 2020)

*Day 28: Masterton - Martinborough (33 miles, 826 feet of ascent)*

The day did not start well. After rising and taking a leisurely breakfast once more, whilst striking the tent a pole snapped. I was merely detaching part of the inner as I had so many times previously when a sudden 'crack', left me with a snapped pole poking through the fabric sleeve. Fortunately Vango provide a temporary fix in the repair kit in the form of a metal sleeve splint to slip over the broken section. This would be a repair first for me, but one that would need to wait until I next erected the tent. It could of course have been worse and have happened much earlier in the tour. But come on Vango, the pole's barely been used forty times in all and it's not been misused. I suspect we'll be having words upon my return.





Passed queen Elizabeth Park on the way through Masterton. Have been impressed with the town parks I've seen.




First of several of these I saw around these parts. Most motorists manage to follow that suggestion.​
Leaving Masterton and the Golden Shears' competition behind, with another relatively short day ahead, I once more headed out into the country. As before the route mostly meandered along tranquil, quiet valleys, passing plenty of farmsteads, but encountering very little traffic. Such pleasure. For the first time in the tour I felt the need to add an extra layer in the form of a gilet. Although last night hadn't been especially cold, the temperature had barely risen during the morning; a single t-shirt would have been slightly uncomfortable, so the gilet and arm-warmers helped out. Now it really did feel like cycling in the UK!





Crossing the Ruamahanga River




Another memorial, way out in the rural south




Rather lonely, but distinctly beautiful Gladstone church​
The miles really flew by today and before long I was passing amongst the vineyards for which this region is so well known. I'd considered taking a vineyard tour whilst here, but the three or four I passed all displayed 'Closed' signs. When I reached Martinborough, it seemed to be rather more of a touristy (read 'expensive'!) thing to do, rather than as an interesting learning experience. The town was rather chic and played its tourist credentials card quite forcefully. The fare offered in its cafes was far from that I'd been enjoying in town bakeries recently. No bakery at all in Martinborough that I could find. When I checked the location of the campground with the assistant in the i-site, she said the camp was full. Uh, oh. However, from previous experience that seems to refer mainly to cabins, so undeterred, off I set to find the campground.





Martinborough vineyards​
In fact the site was _almost _fully booked as there were a range of different activities and events taking place in the area over the weekend. Fortunately the site manager had set aside a single pitch for TA riders, a group into which he placed me after I'd parted with the NZ$22 fees. Depending on how many riders roll in tonight, it might be a little snug. It might also be rather noisy with the site being so busy; the manager did say one group of people would be setting off in the early hours. Maybe it'll be fine, or maybe around six in the morning I'll be regretting not pushing on to Featherstone?

_[If you would like to leave a comment, make an observation or ask a question, please feel free to do so … on any post] _​


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## HobbesOnTour (24 May 2020)

IaninSheffield said:


> This would be a repair first for me, but one that would need to wait until I next erected.
> ​


​
Unfair!!!! 

For some reason a tent damaged beyond repair is my greatest fear when far away from home. You've just raised my anxiety level!


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## IaninSheffield (25 May 2020)

HobbesOnTour said:


> Unfair!!!!
> 
> For some reason a tent damaged beyond repair is my greatest fear when far away from home. You've just raised my anxiety level!


It hadn't worried me until you wrote that!

As with all these things, I guess it boils down to risk management. What's the likelihood of a tent becoming damaged beyond repair, and what mitigation could you then bring to bear? On my little trip, my tent was unlikely to cause me an unsurmountable problem if it became wrecked; I was never more than a day or two from somewhere I was likely to be able to get a replacement. In the boondocks of Mexico I guess that could be more of a problem for you?
What it did bring home though was that tunnel tents like mine might not be best suited to storm-like conditions. If a pole snapped from such an innocuous minimal stress, how would it fare from being buffeted by force 6 or higher winds for several hours? But I suppose if I knew a storm front was approaching (I try to keep an eye on the forecasts), I'd probably have sought more robust shelter. What I might do in future though is to carry a spare length of pole that can easily be swapped in if needed. I haven't yet replaced the broken section; under current circumstances, there's hardly a rush! When I do, I'll have a better idea about how easy/difficult a job it is and how easy/difficult it would be to do on tour. But I think I'll also be looking for a replacement tent.


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## HobbesOnTour (25 May 2020)

IaninSheffield said:


> It hadn't worried me until you wrote that!




I'm sorry ! Absolutely not my intention! 
My fear is irrational, yet it's my most sensitive "anxiety" point. I think it reflects my general attitude to my tent - it is my castle and I still bemuse myself at how safe I feel when inside, despite the fact that the "protection" is so minimal. 😊 Losing that is a big deal (for me!)



IaninSheffield said:


> What it did bring home though was that tunnel tents like mine might not be best suited to storm-like conditions. If a pole snapped from such an innocuous minimal stress, how would it fare from being buffeted by force 6 or higher winds for several hours?


My inexpert understanding is that tunnel tents are among the best designs for extreme winds - so long as pitched properly and (very important!) the wind not changing direction.
Certainly my old Coleman tunnel tent withstood some serious winds and that was with fibreglass poles.

The more I learn about tents the more I realize how much of the sales spiel is based on almost laboratory conditions.



IaninSheffield said:


> I haven't yet replaced the broken section; under current circumstances, there's hardly a rush! When I do, I'll have a better idea about how easy/difficult a job it is and how easy/difficult it would be to do on tour. But I think I'll also be looking for a replacement tent.


I for one would enjoy reading about the process.

My Exped tent actually has 5 "splints" built into the design (3 "boots" for poles, 2 "stiffeners" for vents).
In a push, I could cannibalise my clickstand for (temporary) support. (In fact, I'm using a tent splint to cover a snapped section of my clickstand).

The most versatile tent I've tried is the Hexpeak pyramid tent. One adjustable pole inside (or walking pole) as well as a loop at the top to tie off against something like a tree. With a silnylon fly the tension can be adjusted from the inside by adjusting the pole (silnylon sags when cold or wet). In high winds you can always physically hold on to the pole .[/QUOTE]


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## IaninSheffield (26 May 2020)

HobbesOnTour said:


> My inexpert understanding is that tunnel tents are among the best designs for extreme winds - so long as pitched properly and (very important!) the wind not changing direction.


I thought that too and I'm sure the data are there to back it up.
Unfortunately however, we don't always have the luxury of knowing from which direction the wind will come, particularly when pitching near to other structures (trees, buildings) which will likely cause the wind to swirl i.e. far from lab conditions. I feel that repeated, ongoing side-swipes from a swirling wind might have an undesirable effect on a tunnel tent. I really wouldn't have worried about this until I experienced how easily a supposedly capable pole (Yunan SD70) snapped. Maybe I was simply unlucky and it was a faulty component, but it certainly gave me pause for thought.


HobbesOnTour said:


> The most versatile tent I've tried is the Hexpeak pyramid tent.


I must confess I too find these attractive and keep revisiting them. Despite having seen a few YT vids, I'd be keen to get inside one to see whether it might work for me. My main worry concerns the loss of usable space around the tent perimeter caused by the shallow sloping walls.


HobbesOnTour said:


> With a silnylon fly the tension can be adjusted from the inside by adjusting the pole...


That's a really attractive feature!


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## HobbesOnTour (26 May 2020)

IaninSheffield said:


> I must confess I too find these attractive and keep revisiting them. Despite having seen a few YT vids, I'd be keen to get inside one to see whether it might work for me. My main worry concerns the loss of usable space around the tent perimeter caused by the shallow sloping walls.


 
I've read of this but it wasn't really an issue for me. To an extent it depends on your height and gear. I'd be more concerned about only one door. 

The single inner is tight, but leaves half the floor space free. The pole in the middle does take getting used to. 
I got it as a test for a camp-in-all-environments tent with as little dependence on poles etc and it is really good for that - even a suitable length of stick will work as a pole.

However, I found the inner too small to be comfortable for a long tour (by long I'm talking months, not weeks). A couple of rainy days and I'd be loopy.
Also, it really needs to be pegged out (minimum 6 or 8?) and that's not always possible. I improvised without pegs, but a passing butterfly could blow it over unless I'd used at least 4 pegs. 

I really wanted to bring it on this trip as it is so versatile and robust but the size and necessity for pegging out made it unsuitable for where I'd be taking it and the length of time. 
Great tent for campground camping, though. 


IaninSheffield said:


> That's a really attractive feature!


It really is. I'd never buy a silnylon tent again.


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## IaninSheffield (26 May 2020)

I can see the pegging out issue could be a worrying problem, and even on a shorter tour I too like having the space to swing a cat (_not that I have either the feline or 'instrument of punishment' variants!_)


HobbesOnTour said:


> I'd be more concerned about only one door.
> The single inner is tight, but leaves half the floor space free.


You probably know that the hexapeak has a sibling, the Minipeak, which addresses the door problem. The two Minipeak sizes are compared in the following video. Bob also helpfully demonstrates how a bike could be sheltered within the tent. Nice idea, but given my propensity for needing to get up at least once in the night, I'd be a little concerned about the tangled flesh, cogs, chains and cables that would undoubtedly result.  But I can see the potential.

View: https://youtu.be/Go-uUsjOlGA


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## HobbesOnTour (27 May 2020)

That's a new video for me - thanks!

I was aware of the mini-peak and dithered about making a choice, finally opting for the larger Hexpeak 4A. The mini had two doors and only 4 essential pegs (from memory).
Now, I'd probably go for the mini-peak XL.

I've never understood the urge to place a bike in a tent! But I do have sympathy for clambering around in the dark😊.
It's mentioned in the video but it should not be underestimated how easy it is to drop the inner for extra space. In practice, I'd pitch the tent, put in my sleeping pad, bag & night clothes then drop the inner to maximize my space for cooking etc. 
It's also possible to place the inner in three separate locations/directions according to needs (for example using the second door). 
I can do similar in my current tent and sometimes do in inclement weather, but it's a lot more work.

The flexibility of the design is great. Even down to being able to decide day by day how close you want the fly to the ground.

However, a footprint is essential and rain or boggy ground can cause issues, especially if dropping the inner is a regular occurrence. I used tyvek cut to size. 

Sorry for prattling on. I really miss camping 😢


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## IaninSheffield (27 May 2020)

HobbesOnTour said:


> That's a new video for me - thanks!
> 
> I was aware of the mini-peak and dithered about making a choice, finally opting for the larger Hexpeak 4A. The mini had two doors and only 4 essential pegs (from memory).
> Now, I'd probably go for the mini-peak XL.
> ...


I'm getting closer and closer to being tempted. Two doors for ease of access and ventilation when hot. Flexibility of tent inner position and ease of temporarily dropping.
I'd not heard of tyvek; thanks for that. I'd probably have gone for a cheap, lightweight tarp as a footprint, but yes, wouldn't want to be without one.

Prattling on about camping? Maybe, but at least it gives us something to look forward to until we once more can enjoy the real thing.


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## HobbesOnTour (27 May 2020)

If you're not already aware....

View: https://youtu.be/WTGDaimUwlM


The Luxe channel have a lot of vids

My last post on the issue

Oh.......I'm still waiting for the next post on the repair


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## IaninSheffield (27 May 2020)

HobbesOnTour said:


> If you're not already aware....
> 
> View: https://youtu.be/WTGDaimUwlM
> 
> ...



Ooo, that's a helpful comparison thanks.👍 And I'll check out the channel.

You've sparked me into action on the repair front. Just made a quick update vid this afternoon on how I'd found the tent, to follow on from the original review I did. Will post to YT shortly. That then clears my deck to get the repair sorted. I'll probably not do a vid for that; I don't have the patience (nor all the kit) that the 'Tubers have for doing these kinds of things, but I will take some photos as I go along and post a written account somewhere when 'tis done.


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## HobbesOnTour (28 May 2020)

I wasn't aware of a YouTube channel - more goodies! 

I was referring to day 29 - wasn't expecting a write up on the repair 

Check out some backpacking / hiking / ultralite hiking fora too for more pyramid tent info. There's a lot of options out there and alternative inners from China.

This guy has a good channel too.

View: https://youtu.be/tXJ70rZMYOw


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## IaninSheffield (28 May 2020)

*Day 29: Martinborough - Petone (58 miles, 2222 feet of ascent)*

As predicted, it was quite noisy on site last night. Not because there were eight expedition tents and their occupants squeezed onto one pitch (at least not until the snoring started - yes, probably guilty as charged!), but because of a group nattering on after the 10:00 curfew. And also because the access road is laid as pebbles which crunched loudly when vehicles passed or from footfall. But eventually I got some sleep, until the TA cyclists began to rise at the early hour needed so they can spend long hours grinding out the miles. I took the cue and was up enjoying breakfast from before eight.

Although the tent was blissfully dry, the broken and temporarily mended pole made dropping it a bit of a faff. It was more a matter of making sure I didn't make things worse by breaking another section or the connective elastic. Succeeded in the end and got away before ten. Just as well with today's mileage being back over fifty, including a high proportion of off-road on the Remutaka Trail. It's supposed to be a real treat and another of the touring cyclists’ ‘must sees’, so my hopes were set high.






Looking out across Lake Wairarapa​
Leaving the site it soon became clear that one of the events the site manager mentioned was launching in Martinborough today. Cars were parking on the allocated field and rapidly filling the roadside verges. I never learned what the event was at the time, but with the little town thronged with these masses I wasn't keen enough to find out. (Found out later it was the Martinborough Fair) As I headed for Featherston on SH53, the traffic headed for Martinborough in the opposite direction continued in one long, unending stream. Very glad to be going the other way.

When I arrived in Featherston I picked out the first 'baker's' sign I saw and stopped for second breakfast, knowing there'd be nothing on the Trail. I didn't get my normal feed up, as I'd lucked out to find an artisan baker's. The sandwich on a sourdough bap and the hazelnut danish were absolutely delicious, so much so I was sorely tempted to grab a couple more for the road. Even got a complimentary coffee.





Remutaka Trailhead information board









Next it was off down the Lake Road to find the turn onto the Remutaka Trail. At the trailhead there's an information board which summarises the railway history of the Trail, including that you're about to set off up the 7km incline. Eek! The first 2km were up a narrow windy, rocky wooded trail which would have been a cinch on a mountain bike. As you might expect, a little more effort and care were needed on a loaded tourer. After that introduction, the trail widened out as the incline proper began. It was thankfully a gentle enough incline, but yes, it never relented for one metre of those 5km and was a far from smooth surface. But it really was an experience not to be missed. The trail wound its way up and around the contours, with information posts strategically positioned to bring out the relevant history.




Rounding one particular bend brought a distant suspension bridge into view, one which I'd soon be crossing. On arrival and after taking a couple of still shots, I thought I'd run the little action cam as I cycled across. I was so unsettled by the height, I couldn't adequately steel myself to cycle one-handed while holding a camera. Proper gave me the wobbles!









After the bridge it was straight into the first (or was it the second?) of several tunnels. Even though they're relatively short, cycling from bright sunlight into pitch black takes some getting used to. Didn't crash, but did scrape my pannier along a wall once. Reaching the summit was a real treat. There were one or two artefacts left alongside the trail, but there were also plenty of people ... well at least a dozen. Most appeared to have ascended from the other side, a direction which would now provide me with several km of descent.




It was all quite gentle and the surface was much smoother than it had been on the way up. This allowed me to spend at least some of the time appreciating the valleys, streams and gorges off to the sides. The views were quite breathtaking and just seemed to go on and on. Eventually however, the trail joins a narrow road for a while, first passing a shooting range then a karting circuit. I could have stayed and watched the tiny vehicles for ages, flying around the circuit at what, to me, seemed impossible speeds. But I still had some way to go. As the final section of trail shook hands with civilization, a dairy and the potential for an ice cream offered itself up. Yes I know I said before that a single was a plenty big enough portion, but once more I failed to heed my own advice. Don’t judge me!




The route now followed the Hutt Valley Cycleway, keeping the Hutt River company for the dozen or so miles towards Petone. The path varied considerably between narrow, winding tracks and broad, open tarmac, but was mostly well signposted with route information boards at bridges and intersections. Having not adjusted my Garmin route to the new choice of site, I turned to OSMAnd on the phone to successfully guide me for the remaining few miles. I booked two nights for the exorbitant sum of NZ$80, including credit card fees, so I imagined this Top Ten site would be quite something. Err, no. Yes the site had extra facilities beyond what many do, but not in the simple basics - no cutlery, no plates etc. I know it's handy for the nation's capital, but even so. It's not particularly handy for other facilities however; the return trip to the supermarket added just over three miles to the day's total.

For cyclists in the area, the Remutaka Trail comes highly recommended. Although I’d only done about half the complete circuit, I’ll add my unequivocal recommendation to that. The section I did which follows the old mineral line to the summit is quite challenging, but is well worth the effort if you ever get the chance. The scenery and landscape are quite stunning, and the points of interest are plentiful.


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## IaninSheffield (28 May 2020)

HobbesOnTour said:


> I wasn't aware of a YouTube channel - more goodies!
> 
> I was referring to day 29 - wasn't expecting a write up on the repair
> 
> ...



Day 29 now added.
Repair now effected. Video to follow.

That *is* a good channel. Plenty of lockdown viewing to keep me amused there 👍


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## IaninSheffield (31 May 2020)

*Day 30: Wellington Wanders 1 (26 miles, 1073 feet of ascent)*

A delightfully different day. No rush. No fuss. No need to get anywhere. I decided to head into Wellington and get a feel for the place so I can make the most of my short time here ... after I took the chance to do a load of laundry that is.

What a pleasant but slightly unsettling experience it was setting off on a ride with nothing more than the bar bag and a single water bottle. The Schwalbe tyres I've been riding have given good and reliable service, so I risked not taking a repair kit. Wellington was after all, only six or so miles away; I could walk back if I had to. The route inwards was almost entirely cyclepath following the railway, so the heavy traffic on the single approach road formed from the merged SHs 1 and 2 - even on a Sunday - was not a problem. Entering this way almost inevitably feeds you onto a quayside, and that suited me just fine.





The Boatshed, Wellington Wharf​
My first stop was at the railway station to try to adjust my train ticket to take me right into the heart of Auckland, rather than to the penultimate stop of Papakura. I made this error when having to change my online booking because there were no bike spaces on the Friday train and I had to change to Wednesday. Changing to Wednesday obliged me to find additional digs for two more days … in Auckland, rather than at the digs I’d booked for preparing to leave NZ. Unfortunately I hadn't spotted that I failed to change my destination on the online booking page. Anyway, I received no help at all from the assistant on the counter in Wellington who said because I made the booking online I'd have to phone through my change request. I suspect he's wrong and I'll give it another shot tomorrow. The station building is quite impressive, built in the heyday of rail, perhaps now rather grand for the less significant transport role it plays, mainly serving the needs of local commuters.





Grand facade of Wellington Railway Station​
From there I wandered through the restored waterfront which, like so many port cities has been repurposed and redeveloped to serve different needs. Art galleries and coffee bars vie for space in buildings which were once warehouses and transhipment facilities. They've done a good job and a sunny Sunday morning brought out Wellingtonians aplenty. There were street entertainers, a schools rowing competition and more than enough food carts to keep people amused and fed.

Working my way around eventually brought me to the architecturally impressive Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, dedicated to telling the story of New Zealand from a Māori perspective. It really is a well organised and an impressive cultural resource, with a wide range of themed exhibits set over several floors. Art, culture and history of the Pacific and European settlers are presented both separately and interwoven together, giving some small sense of the turbulence and conflict which were created and still endure.





Part of the Treaty of Waitangi display




One of the large (2.5x) sculptures telling the stories of some of those involved at Gallipoli​
After seeking and finding a backstreet cafe rather than pay the inflated quayside prices, I enjoyed an excellent vegetarian rice salad and coffee. Suitably refuelled, I was now better placed to head up to the spectacular Victoria Mount viewpoint. I knew it would be a tough climb up. It was, but worth every joule of energy spent. The views in all directions were absolutely amazing, providing a much better sense of Wellington's varied topography and of the different districts and regions. On such a clear day I could have spent hours absorbing myself in the variety of vistas. Instead, but after some while, I went instead in search of ice cream. I found it back at a seafront dairy where I finally learned that one scoop is plenty whilst sitting enjoying the sea view and air.





Evans Bay and Wellington Airport




Looking across towards Petone from the Victoria and Wellington lookout




Looking down to the Central Business District and Lambton Harbour​
With more to see and do another day, I first swung by the Parliament buildings to check on visiting times, then headed back to Petone the way I'd come. Unfortunately I was now on the eastbound side of the dual carriageway road, constrained to all too narrow bike lane rather than a separate bike path. Let's just say I was glad it was fourish on a Sunday and not fiveish on a Monday with commuters keen to get home. A supermarket sweep provided my evening's comestibles; something to munch whilst I typed up my journal. My evening's enjoyment was also enhanced by chatting with my neighbours, a retired German couple in their final year of a worldwide cycle tour by tandem. They've certainly travelled some countries (including along the Pamir Highway) but sadly reserved their disdain for Kiwis amongst all the drivers they’d encountered. Fair to say they were singularly unimpressed. I guess I must have been lucky.


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## HobbesOnTour (31 May 2020)

I haven't done a lot of reading about bike touring in NZ, but a common theme of what I did read was of nasty traffic and drivers.
I found it interesting that you haven't had a problem yet and doubly so that other experienced travelers had the opposite experience! 

Oh, vegetarian food? You'll have to work harder than that to make me jealous! 😄

Really enjoying this! And that bridge on day 29 - Wow!!


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## IaninSheffield (2 Jun 2020)

HobbesOnTour said:


> I haven't done a lot of reading about bike touring in NZ, but a common theme of what I did read was of nasty traffic and drivers.
> I found it interesting that you haven't had a problem yet and doubly so that other experienced travelers had the opposite experience!
> 
> Oh, vegetarian food? You'll have to work harder than that to make me jealous! 😄
> ...


Nasty traffic? I suppose folks have different tolerance margins and I have little experience from exotic locations with which to compare NZ. My reference point is the pre-retirement 26 mile round-trip commute to and from Sheffield I used to suffer. There were few days you weren't 'bullied' at least once.

Although I'm reducing meat intake, I'm not (yet?) a vegetarian. I often choose the vegetarian option on menus simply because it's something I've not tried before. I guess it's a bit like the enjoyment I get on the bike from pursuing the 'way less trod', or rather less trod for me that is. The 'way less chomped' perhaps?

That bridge was something else. The Timber Trail - another of NZ's 'Great Rides', but being a 2-day off-road route, one which I bottled - has two or three similarly impressive bridges. I love crossing these bridges, but think I need a little more exposure before I'd feel confident enough to cycle across. It's a matter of balancing the wonderful experience and superb views with the wobbly legs and heart in mouth!




The Siberia Suspension Bridge on the Remutaka Trail, viewed from the trail as you approach it from the east.
The bridge is relatively new; previously you had a steep drop down into the gulley where you see the orange plastic fencing.​
My stomach churns just watching this, let alone doing it.

View: https://youtu.be/a1b4k2p-MXI​


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## IaninSheffield (3 Jun 2020)

*Day 31: Petone - Wellington (12 miles, 318 feet of ascent)*

On the final day you'll spend under 'canvas' before an extended journey home, the last thing you want is rainfall. After a month of almost unbroken sunshine, of course that's precisely what I got this morning. To be fair, it was showery rather than a deluge and the accompanying breeze kept the tent relatively dry, dry enough to pack away if I didn't get the chance to air it before flying home.

I headed back to Wellington under clearing skies and was soon able and glad to remove my waterproof. There was distinctly more traffic about today, but as I was westbound, I enjoyed the relative peace of the cycleway. As yesterday, the first port of call was the station to sort out my ticketing mishap, however, regrettably with the same unresolved outcome as before. The bookings clerk explained a little more clearly than the one yesterday that I had to phone through to a help desk to have the change made that I needed. At this point I could make some facetious comment about interconnected computer systems, but I suspect it's more likely to be a result of different companies dealing with different aspects of the travel service. A quick call did in fact quickly resolve matters to my satisfaction, especially given that no additional fee was required.

With a fully loaded bike I wasn't keen on leaving it, panniers and all, whilst I visited different places … with one exception. The New Zealand Parliament buildings provides free tours and I figured if I couldn't leave my bike parked safely outside there, there'd be nowhere safe. So I chained the bike and panniers in one of the designated areas and booked myself on the next tour. I was both fascinated and moved by the parliament tours I've done in London and Edinburgh, so was keen to compare those with a building which has evolved to facilitate a slightly different democratic system, one which too has evolved.





Two of the three New Zealand Parliament Buildings​
It might not be for everyone, but I have to say I found the tour delivered by our guide Tim fascinating; the history, the architecture, the evolution to meet new needs, or perhaps move on from the old ones. It built on what had gone before, yet adapted to changing circumstances. I am often critical of the political process and (some of) the individuals in whom we entrust our futures, yet when I find myself immersed in the buildings within which this all comes together, I never fail to be humbled at how challenging a role it must be. After the tour, I took the chance to have a coffee in the 'canteen', though I'm pretty sure they don't call it that. No pictures I'm afraid; all electronic devices have to be temporarily handed in before the tour, for obvious reasons I guess.





Stature commemorating the All Blacks winning the 2011 Rugby World Cup ​
I spent the remainder of my time pottering round on foot, finding some of the places to which I'll return tomorrow when I don't have a full complement of kit with me on the bike. As I headed over to my AirBnB, a couple of miles from the city centre, the rains returned, though thankfully once more, not too heavily. Having passed the turn off to the suburb a couple of times now, I knew it would be uphill; I just hadn't figured exactly how steep! This reminded me of the often testing landscape and stiff, demanding climbs around my home town of Sheffield back in the UK. Perhaps it was that reminder that spurred me on to reach my night’s accommodation without needing to walk. It was so steep, I think I’d have struggled pushing a loaded bike up such a gradient anyway.

My hosts were most accommodating and their home (and my bedroom) offered spectacular views across the Bay from the precarious hillside position. They reassured me we were thankfully in no danger should an earthquake occur, the fault line being located about a mile away.


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## IaninSheffield (5 Jun 2020)

*Day 32: Wellington Wanders 2 (4 miles)*






Interislander Ferry heading off for the South Island​Starting your day with a view from your window like this one is pretty special; it must be amazing to enjoy it every day like my hosts Hamish and Tricia can. Before heading outI enjoyed a good long chat with Hamish about life and careers. That's perhaps (for some) an advantage of staying in someone's home as part of an AirBnB or Warm Showers - getting a little better acquainted with the people and culture of the place you're visiting. Then it was off downhill, gripping the brakes for dear life as I made my way towards the city-bound cycleways. My first stop was parking my bike, where I took advantage of a two-tier, undercover bike station close to the Cable Car where I would be adding another form of transport to my New Zealand experiences. NZ$5 buys you a single to the top of the hill where several tourist features offer some distraction. I opted for a look around the small but informative cable car museum which brings together the history of the cable car in Wellington with a brief look at more general tramway development in the city.










Looking out over Wellington as a cable car reaches the top station





One of the elderly, retired Wellington cable cars (_I know how it feels!_)​
This vantage point provided views across the city and bay which almost rivalled those from Victoria's Mount the other day. Today I seemed to be sharing the views with passengers from the cruise ship which had docked in the harbour last night. Leaving that multinational contingent behind, I strolled gingerly back down to the city using the network of paths through the Botanical Gardens and headed for my second target, the Wellington Museum. This is another of the docklands buildings, the Bond House, repurposed to serve its new function of portraying the history of Wellington. It's well laid out, doesn't hide the building's origins and provides context from both Māori and paheka (incomers) histories.




A short stroll around the seafront then took me to the City Gallery (the one with the big hand atop it's roof) where they had a contemporary art exhibition, mostly produced by Kiwi artists. I've always struggled to appreciate contemporary art, but keep exposing myself to it wherever I get the chance in the hope that one day it might begin to speak to me. That day wasn't today.










Drone video footage taken during the New Year's Eve fireworks display was playing on these screens. It was supposed to help you feel immersed in the event. ?!​
I then had a mosey round town, but with the temperature noticeably dropping and the skies looking increasingly ominous, I decided to beat a retreat. A supermarket on the return journey afforded the opportunity to grab some comestibles suitable for an evening meal and which might stretch to something for tomorrow's train journey. After that it was another ascent of the lungbuster up to my lodgings, not that it felt much easier with the bike unloaded. I wonder what it must be like facing that at the end of every commute/ride?

Over my meal, and as Hamish prepared his and Tricia's, we chatted once more about a whole range of topics of mutual interest, some provoked by that evening's news report. The coronavirus outbreak seemed to have escalated drastically since those early days when I was just setting out. Apparently, not only had the number of tragic deaths in countries other than China increased markedly, but stock markets had taken a dramatic plunge. I began to wonder whether the joke I shared with Matt a couple of weeks ago about becoming marooned in New Zealand was becoming more likely?


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## IaninSheffield (7 Jun 2020)

*Day 33: Wellington - Auckland (5 miles)*

Somehow I hadn't processed that when my alarm sounded, it would be early enough to still be dark. Fortunately I had lights for the bike, so long as they had held their charge over the past few weeks. Perhaps I should have checked last night? There was just the slightest hint of rain in the air as I descended from Hamish and Tricia's amazing property, but thankfully it never developed fully as I made my way into the centre amongst the numerous commuters, both in cars and on bikes. I think I've seen more cyclists in the past few days than in all the preceding weeks of my tour.

Arriving at the railway station at seven meant I was in good time to check in for my Northern Explorer train. Getting my tickets proved to be a painless process, although they surprisingly came with luggage labels. Having attached said labels, I then took the bike and panniers up to the luggage car to be stowed. I noticed three other bikes already there, so with mine that made four, twice the number that the website said could be carried. No matter, so long as my bike ended up at the same place as me. I first grabbed a coffee and bite to eat, then took my allocated seat in the car just in front of the observation deck; that would be handy. These trains have an open observation car where you can stand, admire and photograph the passing scenery. By the time we pulled away from the station, no-one had occupied the adjacent seat so I had the luxury of extra space. In fact the car I was in was only just over half full. The carriages are an interesting mix of modern and classic with seating similar to that found on UK Intercity services, but with extensive wood paneling and large panoramic windows for excellent viewing.




Similar to an airflight, passengers are given information booklets in the seat backs, together with headphones which can be plugged in for a commentary at significant points of the journey. This was a nice touch and although a little formal, certainly added to my interest and enjoyment. Amongst the many aspects of New Zealand's history and geography, I also learned what the difference between a swamp and a bog is!




I have to say what a peaceful travelling experience it was, similar to that in a 'Quiet' coach in the UK: fellow passengers are not on here to spend their time rabbiting on their mobile phones. They're here, like me, to enjoy their journey. It's a slow, gentle experience for the most part as the train bumbles it's way through the countryside rather than sprinting at a lick. You have more chance to take things in. This is especially true on the long climb up to the central plateau and through the settlements which capitalise on winter sports. This is tough terrain through which to build a railway and those early engineers took to chasing contours around hillsides and bluffs, rather than cutting numerous expensive tunnels. It's this slow contouring which makes the middle part of the journey take the longest, but that only allows longer to linger on the spectacular scenery.










This is looking back at the line along which we've just passed. This section of track includes the Raurimu Spiral, an ingenious way of avoiding steep inclines.




The northern third is relatively flat and the train made faster progress towards Auckland, until the last thirty kilometres when I guess it became tangled with commuter rail traffic. Even so, we arrived in Auckland around half an hour early; this gave me a better chance of getting to the hostel before reception closed. They have a key drop system, but I was keen to be introduced properly, this being my first time in a hostel since youth. I suspect things may have changed a little!

Having plugged the Oakland Lodge's location into the Garmin, it kindly obliged to provide directions and I soon found myself puffing up the lower slopes of Mount Eden. On reaching the hostel, the atmosphere seemed orderly but relaxed and the greeting from Ian the owner was warm and friendly. Thinking I’d get a better night’s sleep in a room for fewer people, I’d paid a little more and booked a bed in a three bed dorm. What I hadn't anticipated was that it was unisex, so on opening the room door I was greeted by a young Chinese woman who didn't seem in the slightest bit surprised to see a bloke walking in the door. I think I was far more uncomfortable than she. We chatted briefly before I showered (in the shower room!) then headed out for a bite to eat with my head spinning about the potential ramifications of sharing a bedroom with people I don't know … of the opposite sex … if that isn't a somewhat inappropriate phrase in this day and age. Maybe I was overthinking it. Maybe that's common practice in backpackers hostels. As a distraction I turned my mind to food; this seems a rather trendy area so there was plenty of choice. I settled on an asian-themed bar eatery where I ordered a local pale ale to accompany a seared-tuna noodle dish. Both beer and food were delicious, if not inevitably expensive. I'll do better tomorrow.

[Should anyone want to learn a bit more about this journey, there's a Channel 5 (UK) documentary following the Northern Explorer on tomorrow (08/06/2020) from 7pm to 8pm.]


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## IaninSheffield (10 Jun 2020)

*Day 34: Abroad in Auckland 1 (12 miles, 661 feet of ascent)*

Well I got past worrying about sleeping with in the same room as two female strangers, and enjoyed a good night's sleep. Not sure how my snoring affected my roommates though. I did have a long chat with the Canadian with whom I didn't get the chance to speak last night. We're of different generations, from different countries, have different skin colours, yet reassuringly we shared many of the same concerns.




I had a number of options for today which revolved around either sorting the things I need to resolve before my flight home, or doing the touristy things and getting acquainted with Auckland. My worrying self got the upper hand, so after breakfast my priority was to bookmark the bike shops within a reasonable cycling distance to see if I could blag a bike box. I first made for the one I passed on my way to the hostel last night - about a mile back down the road. I was ecstatic to succeed on the first attempt and as they sold ebikes, I managed to get a box of generous proportions … whilst also worrying whether the airline might deem it too large. Next I had to cycle back to the hostel to leave the bike, walk back to the bike shop to get the box, then haul it back to the hostel. The following day I had to get it, the bike, my panniers and me across to my other accommodation, which is about a dozen miles away.





View of the Sky Tower and the Central Business District from Mount Eden​On my way to the bike shop I took in the views after cycling to the summit of Mount Eden, one of the several long extinct volcanoes scattered around the Auckland area. The views really were stunning so I decided to take in another viewpoint, Maungakiekie, One Tree Hill. I could call here on my way out to the airport to see if I could retrieve my mobile phone from lost property. I soon ditched the latter idea when I realised the round trip would be over thirty miles, however I still made it up One Tree Hill and once more became completely besotted with the panorama. Although far from sympathetic to the hill’s Māori heritage, if there'd been a cafe or ice cream vendor at the top, I might have stayed the rest of the afternoon.





Maungakiekie, One Tree Hill





View back to Mount Eden from One Tree Hill





You can just about make out the Coromandel hills in the far distance. If I'd had this view before I set off ...!​
Back in the present (or as I wrote this, the past!) I had other jobs to do, including arranging a shuttle to get me and the bike to the airport on the Monday. The Backpackers Shuttle as advertised on the notice board in the hostel came through at much less than other airport taxi shuttle services. So I booked that and could now start worrying about whether he'd turn up on time!

Next it was a supermarket shop to pick up the evening's meal - quiche, rice salad, green salad, bread and a pastry, all for little more than the beer cost last night. Back at the hostel other (young) folks were busying themselves preparing their evening meals and being much more extravagant than I chose to be. Kudos to them. The kitchen really was well appointed, much better than many of the campgrounds I stayed at. It was a little more expensive to stay at the hostel than at some, but I deliberately chose a low-occupancy room and the facilities (which included bedding) were great. The two nights came to NZ$78, which was much more reasonable than the cost of the night I had in a campground cabin in Taupo.

So I now needed to sort my logistics for tomorrow. I suspected buses wouldn't allow me on with a box so big. I didn't even have the right change to pay the fare, and there was no saving to be made (and only more logistics to resolve) from procuring an Auckland Transport payment card like the one I got in Singapore. So that settled me on the train where I would be able to purchase a ticket from a machine. Time to hit the timetables then.


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## IaninSheffield (12 Jun 2020)

*Day 35: Mount Eden - Papatoetoe (15 miles, 306 feet of ascent)*





View from my Oakland's Lodge bedroom window up to Mount Eden.​
Today began after a restless night's sleep. Not sure what the cause was; perhaps worrying about successfully 'getting things done' so I can travel home. It's the little things like having enough, but not too much cash, getting some duct tape so I can box the bike, and continuing to fret whether the airport shuttle will turn up. Breakfast first. That's something I could deal with. Yes, it was porridge, tortillas, banana, peanut butter and coffee; even after all these days I still look forward to it. My stay at a backpackers has been more relaxing than I would originally have thought, but I suspect it's this particular hostel that's well run and attracts reasonably sensible hostellers. They've been a bit loud at times, but rarely, and I suspect that's more likely due to my low tolerance threshold rather than it being louder than one might reasonably expect. But they certainly weren't responsible for my unsettled night.





So the train does take bike boxes. Just a pity the lines don't stretch to the airport.





Found the touchscreen of the ticketing machine somewhat problematic. I certainly haven't gained any offspring on the trip!​
First job then, get the bike box across to my next lodgings. This entailed a 2.3km walk, a train ride, then another 1.7km on foot. The box wasn't particularly heavy, but it was unwieldy and made walking sufficiently awkward that by the time I was done, I was very nearly completely done! Then I had to do the reverse trip without the box. On the outward journey I'd spotted a bakery near to Papatoetoe station so I called in for lunch on my way back. Lunch and not second breakfast, since I wasn't riding. A sign outside said 'Philipino breads' and that caught my eye; I’m always on the lookout for intriguing foodstuffs I’ve not tried before. The range of baked goods was much narrower than in other kiwi bakeries I'd visited, but I took this as a good sign. Since each item was smaller than usual and only a dollar or so each, I took a selection. Apart from the churio-like thing, nothing else looked nor tasted like anything I'd had before. All very different and all very unusual - like the almost black bread roll with a blue base, filled with a sort of processed cheese. Far more delicious than I've made it sound. As the shop is not too far away, I may drop by tomorrow and try the remaining fare.


On returning to the hostel, I first handed in the room key I'd absent-mindedly walked away with in the morning. Thankfully I'd not caused havoc by doing so. Then I asked Garmin to find me a route to the airport once more, still hoping to pick up the missing phone. The first few miles made sense, but the distance didn't seem right; I'd done just over five miles, but still had thirteen to do. Having renewed my friendship with the little device over the last month, I was beginning to lose confidence somewhat. With a downloaded route I have no worries, but when I ask the Garmin to plot the route itself I'm never quite so comfortable. It's mainly because the tiny screen doesn't allow me to easily review the route it's chosen and partly because I'm not at all sure what criteria it's using to decide on the best pathways between A and B. Anyway I ended up on some very much less than cycle-friendly roads and at times didn't seem to be heading in the right direction. I knew it would get me there, but was less confident I'd enjoy the journey. With ten miles still to do to reach the airport, I once again bailed, asking it to reroute to the homestay, which it dutifully did. What I should have done was first check the cycle routes suggested on the Auckland cycling sites; there is an extensive network, much of it downloadable as PDFs.





Looking across one of the many Auckland lagoons to one of the many (hopefully) extinct volcanoes.​
After popping to the supermarket for my evening eats - German rye bread, brie, pate and tomatoes with a Greek fruit yogurt for pud, all accompanied with a glass of wine - I once more found myself tapping my journal notes on the homestay veranda in Papatoetoe. I rarely had a drink in the evening, but since I would be there for a couple of days and with things drawing to a close, I decided to treat myself to a bottle. As I said before, it was so relaxing sitting comfortably in shorts and t-shirt on the veranda as night began to draw in but the temperature doesn't plummet … ah, the life.

It didn't seem like two minutes since I last sat on the homestay veranda in Papatoetoe enjoying my first meal in New Zealand; a couple more days and I'll be consuming my last.


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## IaninSheffield (14 Jun 2020)

*Day 36: Papatoetoe (14 miles, 215 feet of ascent)*

Today was a day for fettling, for getting everything ready for flying home. It would have been nice to have the bike for another day's exploring, but, ever the worrier, I wanted to make sure that if I hit any snags I had a buffer to sort them.

After a disturbed night's sleep (a large group of young French folks had an early flight and were noisily departing at three in the morning) I was up in good time to head to the airport, hoping for third time lucky. I knew the route from here having done it in reverse when I arrived so after breakfast I scooted off just before nine. On arrival, as I expected, I got bounced around a bit before finding the right office. This wouldn't have been great if I'd left it till the last thing, but 'Be prepared' was (is?) the scout motto, so here I was. In the end I didn't get my phone back; the girl who should have been able to help wasn't working today. Well, it is a Saturday so I guess I should have made a better effort yesterday. Now they know I'm leaving first thing on Monday, hopefully they'll be ready to sort things then.

My next job was to procure some tape I could use to seal the bike box and some cardboard to pack in some of the disassembled bits. I retraced my steps and headed down to the shopping complex near Manukau. KMart wasn't the right store, but I scored a hit at Bunnings, the equivalent of B&Q in the UK. I got both the tape and some cardboard, so picked up a few eatables at the supermarket then headed back. This morning hadn't been the easiest cycle journey, what with the out-of-town road system, but having now been here for over a month, I was less concerned than I might have been a few weeks ago.

After lunch I set about boxing the bike, which took almost as long as it did on the way out. I suppose I could just have banged the bike in the box and hoped for the best, but I wanted spend a little time making sure things weren't going to rattle, be squashed, or fall out of a hole should one appear. After a couple of hours I'd given it my best shot, leaving the bike's future in the hands of the baggage handling gods. With this reconstituted worry now added to my list, I regret not having the capacity to completely sideline stuff like this. Ah well, nothing I can do now.

Shortly after sitting down to my evening meal on the veranda (with a glass of wine!), one of the other current guests started to chat. The youngish Malaysian lad, whose English was far from perfect, nevertheless took a shot with a stranger, something I'd struggle to have the nerve to do. This brought in his elderly father, then his clearly well travelled sister. Having brought a takeaway meal they asked if they could join me and if I would like to share their meal with them. What an absolutely lovely sentiment, another thing I'm embarrassed to say I'd struggle to do. Is it being English, or am I reaching for that as an excuse? Anyway together we enjoyed our respective meals and chatted at length about so many things; they really were such a welcoming family, great company and had a wicked sense of humour. These chance conversations with people I'd never otherwise meet have been one of the highlights of this trip for me. I've read other journals from solo travellers who remark how easily they are drawn into conversations in a way that perhaps couples or larger groups might not. Whilst I can't comment on how things are for couples or groups, I can definitely say I've really been grateful to those other travellers who've been kind enough to share some of their time with me.


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## HobbesOnTour (18 Jun 2020)

It's a pity that your last days seem to be under a cloud of worry. I have what I call my "touring head", just a very different outlook from my normal day to day life. At first, it was weird not to be watching the clock and busy doing my daily mental checklists, a bit frightening, actually, but I learned to embrace it. One of the great things of being in an unfamiliar place is that we can give the new environment "the benefit of the doubt" and allow ourselves to choose positive reactions rather than negative. It's much harder to do "at home" when we know so much more about our environment. 

As for the social encounters, I think the top thing in any packing list should be a smile - it opens up so many doors that would otherwise be harder to open. Not every moment on a tour is smile worthy but I've learned that when I don't feel like smiling to stop for a while and get my head together. It really helps!
Again, a different mindset helps enormously - we're not at home so we can be more free! 
Personally speaking, the people I've met & the connections made are as important as some of the special places I've been to. 

Now, I don't think it's a big thing to hop on a bike and go for a ride, but not that long ago it seemed like a Herculean task. And for most people it's very, very interesting! Given half a chance they'd love to talk to us about our hobby! Who doesn't dream of packing up and heading off for an adventure? 

I've really enjoyed this travelogue, so thank you & sorry for prattling on 😊


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## IaninSheffield (19 Jun 2020)

HobbesOnTour said:


> It's a pity that your last days seem to be under a cloud of worry. I have what I call my "touring head", just a very different outlook from my normal day to day life. At first, it was weird not to be watching the clock and busy doing my daily mental checklists, a bit frightening, actually, but I learned to embrace it. One of the great things of being in an unfamiliar place is that we can give the new environment "the benefit of the doubt" and allow ourselves to choose positive reactions rather than negative. It's much harder to do "at home" when we know so much more about our environment.
> 
> As for the social encounters, I think the top thing in any packing list should be a smile - it opens up so many doors that would otherwise be harder to open. Not every moment on a tour is smile worthy but I've learned that when I don't feel like smiling to stop for a while and get my head together. It really helps!
> Again, a different mindset helps enormously - we're not at home so we can be more free!
> ...


Thank you, and 'prattling on' is much appreciated. Always good to hear how others approach their tours and deal with happenings, both small and large.

Your observations regarding time are well made. For the most part, the clock becomes redundant. Get up when it's light, go to bed when it's dark; cycle towards the next sleeping place, rather than to be back in time for ...
It's midday when the sun is highest, you eat when hungry (or before if you can), and the day of the week become irrelevant... unless you need a shop to be open for foodstuffs. I suppose that's why the transition back into 'normal' life generates worry - to ensure I don't miss the train or plane, I once more have to attend to time and place.

Only a few more days left to report, before returning to a very different world from the one I left just a few short weeks earlier.


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## HobbesOnTour (20 Jun 2020)

Sorry….some more prattling! 

I always had a bit of a downer once I was over the half way point on tours and could feel a low level anxiety gnawing away at me leading to difficulty in maintaining my "touring head". (In fact, it was that low level anxiety that pointed me in the direction of making some bigger changes, but that's another story!)

I seem to have cured it, by accident, by attempting to recreate the touring experience at home! 

I'd regularly ride to Belgium (I used to live close by the border - not as exotic as it sounds!) and have some Belgian chips. Or pack a picnic and ride to a nice place for some food and maybe read a book.

When I changed job and started biking to work I'd stop regularly on the way (both ways!) as I have a tendency to do when touring. 

The big breakthrough came when I started to bring my trangia & coffee gear to work…...to enjoy a freshly brewed coffee on my way home! It felt a bit weird, at first, but I think what I was actually doing was learning how to don my "touring head" at short notice. It became easier to get into the touring frame of mind and subsequently to keep it on the return legs of my actual trips. 

I did quite a few one or maybe two night trips too, checking out gear etc. and I think these little trips also taught me to get into the best mental position. There were only a few exit routes from where I lived and after a while I had subconsciously marked off the point where the tour actually began. If I was coming to that point in the wrong frame of mind, I'd often stop, get my head together and then proceed.

I take your point about airplanes - I've never brought my bike on one - but I have used trains, although normally at the start, rarely the end. My haphazard way of planning has often left me stuck, yet usually they are some of the most memorable moments and things invariably work out. 

The best example I can think off was at the end of a trip in Austria & Italy. I had to make it back to Salzburg for Saturday night to pick up my car & drive back for work on Monday. As it turned out, I fecked up my route and had a very, very long day on small roads with lots and lots of hills. It was 1 am when I finally reached the campground but it was a fantastic day! One little village was having a beer & sausage festival - I had to stop! I rode through a big forest above Salzburg in the pitch darkness and loved it! I'd stop and hear animals scurrying every which way! 

In a different state of mind, that day would have been horrible. The pressure! The anxiety of not knowing if I'd be able to get into the campground. My own tendency to beat myself up for silly mistakes. But with my "touring head" on, those thoughts never had a chance to surface. 

Sorry for the prattling but I'm firmly convinced it's the journey that's important, not the destination, and the most important things for that are our heads and hearts. When they're right everything else will work out.


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## IaninSheffield (22 Jun 2020)

*Day 37: Abroad in Auckland 2*

With everything I could sort sorted, I could now give Auckland my full attention. After another good night's sleep and the usual breakfast, (and with no bike!) I walked the mile or so to Papatoetoe station. For NZ$7.50 (less than £4) I could get a single to Britomart station, Auckland's passenger rail network hub, such as it is. Modern, yes, but underground and rather gloomy, as these places invariably are. The 20km journey took about half an hour so was quite good value, but I wonder why you can't buy return tickets, just singles?





Regular service, cheap and efficient suburban network​
Britomart is certainly handy for the waterfront though, but once again my enjoyment was short-lived; there is a massive development programme across much of the quayside - roads up, pavements narrowed and hemmed in, obligatory controlled crossing points making progress along the waterfront an absolute chore. On top of that, for me, the harbourfront lacks character, partly because much of it is a working, commercial port and partly because what development and renewal has already occurred appears to have been to satisfy corporate or property investors rather than regenerate a cultural heartbeat.





The department for rural affairs?​
I wandered across to 'Silo Park', an Auckland 'must see' apparently, passing immense superyachts in the enormous marina on the way. Unfortunately Silo Park was no more than a large patch of grass, named after the adjacent, redundant concrete silos. It's more of an event location, and unfortunately there was nothing billed for today.

I hadn't settled on either a harbour trip or an ascent of the Sky Tower, but the good weather won out. I booked an afternoon harbour tour with Fuller's, one of the main ferry operators. The NZ$55, one and a half hour trip included complimentary refreshments - I think that's what really swung it for me, but I had time for a quick lunch first.





Skyline from the harbour





And yet another form of transport





Auckland's only remaining wooden lighthouse​The tour was quite good, visiting and providing a very different view of many of the notable sights and islands in the wider Auckland harbour/Hauraki Gulf. Just pootling along the water listening to occasional interesting commentary, soaking in the scenery across the bays and watching the varied waterborne activity was definitely a satisfying and relaxing way to gain a better sense of what Auckland has to offer. If I had a few more days (or even one), I'd definitely be looking to take a ride along the many kilometres of the esplanade which snakes in and out of the many bays. But my bike is now plane-prepped and, like me, resolved to starting the journey home. Back at the homestay, two families with tiny, whiny children arrived, suggesting it's probably a good time for me to be moving on.

I was left feeling somewhat ambivalent towards Auckland; I’d perhaps neither seen nor experienced enough. It didn’t seem to have the buzz that Wellington had, yielding a more commercial feel than the cultural vibe that I felt from Welly. I wish I’d had the chance to stay much longer in both of those cities, become familiar with their nooks and crannies, their foibles and their charms. As a visitor, and a very fleeting one at that, you simply don’t get the exposure needed to comment with authority and consequently are left, as I was, offering no more than an impression.





If only I'd seen these before two failed trips to the airport!​


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## IaninSheffield (26 Jun 2020)

*Day 38: Auckland - Singapore*

A text from the airport shuttle driver woke me before my alarms I’d set sounded, which at least confirmed he was on his way. I was pretty much ready to roll and only had to quietly lug the bike and panniers outside and wait until he arrived. It was still dark after the twenty minute trip to the airport, but I was more than awake. I always find these transitions stressful; you are obliged to relinquish so much control of your destiny to others.

Being at the airport three and a half hours before the departure time proved useful. After a very long queueing session, at baggage check in it transpired I was 2.5kg over my allowance. I of course had no scales to check weights at the homestay and I guess the e-bike box I'd blagged was somewhat heavier than the one I had in the outward journey. Initially the assistant said the excess fee would be NZ$250, but on checking found it was NZ$32 per kilo. To pay this I had to haul my stuff to the ticketing desk where I then had a rather tedious 35 minute wait to get served. Finally, an hour and a half after I'd arrived, my baggage was into the system and I could relax with some breakfast.

My next mission (_and I chose to accept it_) was to retrieve the phone I’d misplaced on arrival in Auckland which was still being held at the Singapore Airlines office. Unfortunately it didn't open until 10:00 and my flight was at 11:05. Would I be able to grab my phone, make it through security, and get to the gate in time for boarding? I asked someone on the help desk, who advised strongly against it, suggesting I contact the office later and ask them to forward it on. So I wandered along to security, spotted the display stating the processing time was currently five minutes and decided to twist, rather than stick. At ten precisely I called at the Singapore airlines office and five minutes later my phone and I were reunited. I then swiftly made my way back to security, where there was no queue to speak of. As my carry-on pannier passed through the x-ray scanner it got diverted into the lane for a more detailed inspection. Eek! What had I missed? As the security officer opened my bag, she was clearly looking for something specific and immediately found it. My toolkit. With multitool. Including knife. Aargh! Ready to have the tool confiscated, the gods appeared to give me a pass as the security officer checked the blade length; it was within the limit and my multitool was returned. I now remember shifting the toolkit from one pannier (the check-in one) to the other to try to equalise the weight. Another lesson learned.





An empty snorkel where there should have been a plane




Then forty five minutes late, it appeared.​
It was still only 10:15 and the information boards showed my plane wasn't boarding for another ten minutes. I made it to the departure gate easily, only to find no plane waiting at the end of the snorkel. Following a number of apologetic announcements and another 45 minutes, a plane was eventually towed over to us, provisioned and boarded. Take off was delayed by nearly an hour, leaving me relieved that when planning, I'd decided on an extended stopover in Singapore. Just from the passports which were on display during boarding, there were a number of EU/British folks on board who might well have been fretting whether they would make their connections. Glad I wasn't one of them.





More people wearing masks than on my outbound journey​
We were travelling on a flight share, this one provided by Air New Zealand so I wondered whether it would be up to the same standard as Singapore Airlines. In fact the flight was largely uneventful: the food was fine and plentiful; the wine flowed and was tolerable; there were spare seats and I had one between me and my neighbour. The film list was slightly different from my last flight - I caught Tom Hanks as ‘Mr Rogers’, ‘Ford versus Ferrari’, and at last got to see ‘Wonder Woman’. I think Singapore Airlines might just have had the edge, but I guess I'll be better placed to comment after my next flight.





The Desert Island Discs playlist on the plane struggled for gender diversity




Bike appeared to have successfully navigated the first leg, but I'd not know until opening the box at home.​After landing at Changi I sailed through immigration, collected my bag which thankfully was one of the first off. It didn't beat the bike however, which preceded it down the adjacent outsized baggage ramp. No hiccups through customs then straight to the Baggage store to leave the bike; I even remembered where everything was. With only a little over thirty hours here this time, I didn't bother with a Tourist Travel Card and just got a single MRT ticket - $2.60 for the twenty minute journey to Aljuneid, the same MRT stop as last time since I was staying at the same hotel. From pulling alongside the snorkel to taking a shower in my hotel room took a little over an hour and a half, which was good given the amount of walking twixt places.

I could probably have managed without a meal, having been well fed on the plane, but having walked past several Hawker stalls on the way to the hotel, I wanted to give it a try, this time without the help of a guide. About 100m from the hotel was a small group of four stalls so I headed there, not wishing to haul myself too far now I was back being exposed to the Singaporean version of heat. I may have been sitting on a plastic stool and it wouldn't win any prizes for decor, but what a bargain and delicious meal I had! The portion of chicken and cashew nuts with rice was smaller than one might get from a takeaway in the UK perhaps, but it was just the quantity I wanted and oh so delicious. That came to $6 or just over £3 and I accompanied it with a large bottle of Tiger Beer for another $7. A steal, and it was so good sitting there as darkness fell, watching folks (well mostly men) apparently dropping in for quick bite on their way home from work.


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## IaninSheffield (3 Jul 2020)

*Day 39: Sauntering in Singapore (29 miles)*

I was grateful to enjoy an excellent night's sleep in a comfortable air conditioned room, but then yesterday was an inordinately long day. Made a quick coffee in the room, then set off to catch the MRT to Raffles Place, the nearest stop to the bike hire place I'd picked out. Leaving the station however, takes you through a network of shops and food outlets, so a kopi and kaya toast had to be enjoyed. I have to say I prefer the brewed Singaporean coffee to the barista stuff at most other places. It's strong, full flavoured, slightly but pleasantly bitter, and it is served immediately rather than having you stand around for ages waiting for the barista to do his/her job.





The Asian History Museum




Clarke's Quay​
From the station it was a five minute walk past the Asian History Museum and Parliament, with Clarke Quay across the Singapore River. At the hire place I had the choice of a variety of bikes, but I just went for the cheapest - a simple city bike for which I paid the princely sum of $25 for a full day. Seven gears, kick stand, rear rack and front basket.





My trusty steed for the day​
Off I set back along the river and Downtown to the Sands Expo centre, then past the Gardens by the Bay to the Barrage. My pace was intentionally far from blistering; I wanted to enjoy the ride and hopefully avoid heat exhaustion.





Cavenagh Suspension Bridge leading to The Fullerton




Singapore skyline across the Bay




Ribs of the Flower Dome​
After crossing the Barrage, I picked up the cycleway through the East Coast Park. Mile after mile of flat, tree-lined, traffic free cycling. There were lots of folks out on their bikes, including young uns, which I didn't quite understand - why weren't they in school? Or maybe they finish after midday? The park is well served with pavilions, toilets and drinking fountains to top up your bottle. There are also a few food courts along the way and I felt obliged to stop for a sugar cane juice - delicious, though not quite so good as the one on my previous visit.




As I reached the end of the Park near Changi airport and with thirteen miles covered, my bum was telling me it had had enough. The saddle was a bit too big and soft, and was set too low - I couldn't raise it far enough because the seatpost was too short. You get what you pay for I guess. Retracing my steps I once more was captivated by the number of merchant vessels at anchor in the offshore channel. In one direction you simply could not see through the shipping to the other side. And we claim the English Channel as a busy shipping lane!





Looking back towards town along the beach​
Back in the Bay I swept around its northern shore and past the National Stadium, then along the Kalang River for a while before returning to Downtown past the Formula One Street Circuit pits. After dropping the bike off after a wonderful day of traffic free cycling I headed back to the hotel to cool down for a while.





National Stadium​
Somewhat refreshed, I headed for the local food court once more and this time had a couple of dishes, including finger-sized spring rolls, basil chicken (with rice and fried egg), and a mango salad which, though delicious, had a notable lack of said mangoes. Total cost $14, or about £8, with a 660ml Tiger Beer to reduce the effect of the fresh chillies. After returning to my room, showering, completing packing and final fettling, just as I was almost ready to leave for the airport, the hotel fire alarm went off. I was impressed that it was almost immediately silenced and replaced by a repeated recorded verbal warning to remain calm whilst the situation was checked, then to await further instructions. Just glad it was in English! As I'd already almost melted from the afternoon heat, then combusted from my evening meal, I was pretty sure a hotel fire would bring little further suffering. It appeared to be a false alarm, so I was free to check out a short while later.

Buying an MRT ticket used up my remaining change and I figured a meal (I probably didn't need) at the airport might use up most of my notes. After collecting my bike from the baggage store, it only took a few minutes to reach check-in, then wave it goodbye for a few hours (hopefully!). Much much faster than at Auckland and more importantly, without the excess baggage charges the Kiwis demanded. I'd managed to shed a few grams by throwing some stuff away I either didn't need (soap, deodorant) or could replace for less than an excess charge might be. However, I could see from the scales I was definitely 1.5kg over so had only managed to ditch a kilo. Maybe Singaporeans are just a little more relaxed about that kind of thing, but I'll remember it when booking air travel in the future.





Water display in Jewel at Changi airport​
After trudging off to Jewel for a meal as I did on the outward journey, I struck out. All the food outlets were closed. Hardly surprising I suppose, given it was well after ten. I made my way instead to Departures where, in addition to a couple of chain food outlets, there was a food court more akin to the Hawker places I'd been frequenting. I got a chicken noodle 'set', which in this case was a bowl of chicken curry noodles plus a kopi for $6.60 - this failed to make a big enough dent into my notes and also increased my coin collection once more. On the bright side I took it as a good sign that at least one flight crew chose to eat from the same outlet I'd chosen.

With an hour or so to go I yomped along the long walkway to the departure gate to await boarding and found a comfy armchair in front of a screen showing CNN on which the US President was giving forth on how 'great' a job the country was doing in response to the pandemic. I suspect my return to normal life will be, well, far from normal.


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## IaninSheffield (5 Jul 2020)

*Day 40: Homeward Bound*

Unlike when leaving Auckland, boarding on this occasion was punctual, as was departure. Unfortunately not the same luck with seating though, positioned as I was in the middle of three and adjacent to a cupboard that the flight attendants would open then bang shut on a regular basis. It was handy for the loo however, which became important when I heard the announcement from the captain that this was a fifteen hour flight. My heart sank. Knowing I'd not be able to get a minute's sleep, I resigned myself to over half a day of continuous movies … which, apart from a couple of in-flight meals briefly breaking up the monotony, is pretty much how the flight unfolded. Whilst my two seating companions seemed to enjoy a few hours sleep, I worked my way through Jumanji 2, Zombieland 2, a couple I couldn't finish and the first half dozen episodes of Titans … and then we were descending into Manchester. In the moment, time seemed to flow interminably, but curiously in retrospect flew past at a lick.

Manchester was wet and cold, but granted me swift passage through customs, immigration and baggage collection, after which I was most grateful to be greeted by my buddy who had hauled himself over the Pennines in the rush hour traffic to pick me up. This obviated the need for me to reassemble the bike then catch three trains home, for which I was incredibly grateful. I got home more quickly, less stressed and better informed about the unfolding crisis than I would otherwise have been. And that was that; my first longer, first international tour complete. There's much more to reflect on, more photos to add, but my initial needs were unpack, clean up, get a beard trim, reacclimatise … then begin to worry how Covid 19 would strike home. [_Clearly written in more innocent times!_]


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## HobbesOnTour (5 Jul 2020)

Great write up! Enjoyed it immensely, many thanks.

So..... where's next?


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## IaninSheffield (6 Jul 2020)

HobbesOnTour said:


> Great write up! Enjoyed it immensely, many thanks.
> 
> So..... where's next?


Thank you sir, although I think I have one more reflective post in me, one in which I'll attempt to address your question. However, I fear my response now, after 4 months, might be rather different than it would have been at the time.


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## IaninSheffield (18 Jul 2020)

*Epilogue*

When the seeds of this tour first began to germinate, I had three loose aims:


To visit a country which friends and cycle tourists have described with awe and enthusiasm.
To escape the worst of the UK winter.
To learn how I would cope on, what was for me, an extended tour.

Oh, and to enjoy myself. Four aims darnit!

I guess my first longer tour was always going to be Aotearoa. As I outlined in an earlier post on this thread, I was keen not to push myself so far outside my comfort zone that the degree of challenge became overwhelming. Seeking somewhere in the southern hemisphere to satisfy aim 2 meant ruling out South America and Africa on the grounds that coping with language barriers, terrain, infrastructure etc would make my tour much tougher than I wanted. Australia was just too vast to cover much of it in the time available, and how would I narrow my choice to one region? New Zealand on the other hand, especially when coupled with the praise others had heaped on it, struck me as ideal. Did it live up to expectations? Yes, and in some aspects exceeded them, although in others not so much.




There were times during the tour when my breath was completely taken away with the scenery and I mused that there was nothing back home that could compare. The coastal road out to Coromandel, the views from the climb out of town or the many beaches and bays on the north coast of the peninsula. The remote cliffs, beaches and estuaries of the East Cape. The fractured landscape of hills, peaks and gorges along the Forgotten World Highway, often blanketed in sub-tropical vegetation. And of course volcanoes; I’d never seen one before, let alone several from a single viewpoint.









There were times though when I found myself thinking, yes but the UK also has its own treasures. Then I'd round another headland or crest another summit and realise that in New Zealand everything seems to be 'turned up to eleven.' I'm pretty sure that the amazing run of excellent weather contributed to my delight in the landscape, and of course my enjoyment of the trip more generally. Would I have been so mellow if the weather gods had been less kind, rendering instead the vistas drab and dreary and the cycling merely something to be endured? I'm really not sure how I'd have coped on some of those long, tough climbs out in the boondocks if I was also suffering under torrential rains, buffeting winds or both! With cafe stops so few and far between, and simple shelter often absent, I could imagine life could quickly become less than pleasant. I guess I was lucky. What I am sure of is that the superb weather - not forgetting the heat in Singapore - certainly helped fulfil aim 2. On returning to the UK where spring was beginning to blossom, I had no memory of the usual miserable winter where rides or runs demand multiple layers, hats and gloves, and you still come back chilled. Whatever it may involve, escaping for a month or two at this time of the year is likely to remain high on my list of priorities.




*Unexpected delights*
Traffic. Having read so many accounts of scary roads, aggressive drivers and immense, inconsiderate logging trucks, it was with some trepidation that I began turning my wheels on kiwi tarmac. Yet I hardly suffered those problems at all. Perhaps I was just lucky? Apart from literally a handful of minor incidents I found drivers largely respectful. Yes, many do drive at a fair lick, especially out in the country, and yes many are not keen on being held up, so will come through when it might be wiser to hold back a little, but I rarely felt threatened or even ill at ease.

Bakeries. If you’ve struggled through the journal you’ll have noted my joy in finding these snacking nirvanas. I much prefer to find somewhere to sit off the bike and enjoy a coffee and a bite to eat, than sitting by the roadside with my water bottle and a snack from my bar bag. The kiwi bakery offers a much wider choice than the ones back home, often at more reasonable prices and you’ll come across one or more in most small towns.

Campgrounds. Once more New Zealand campgrounds left ours back home wanting, although here I’m writing as a cyclist with a tent, so can’t comment what it’s like for those with more luxurious and self-contained motorised accommodation. Simply having access to a kitchen, even if it was only the kettle and microwave that I needed, was incredibly helpful and made life easier. Mostly I thought the campgrounds were reasonably priced, although I appreciate that other cycle tourers might prefer the even more reasonable, and often free, DoC sites. I was in the privileged position of being able to afford to pay for the additional home comforts that commercial sites often had.

Ice creams. I’ve read and heard that New Zealand can be quite expensive; I suppose that depends on the financial reserves you have at your disposal. Some foodstuffs were indeed quite expensive compared with back home - I never could understand why dairy produce, meat and salads(!) cost so much here (perhaps ours are too cheap?). Ice cream though, now that was excellent value and hard to resist!

Chance encounters. I met, chatted and shared time with some wonderful people as I travelled around, some Kiwis and others from around the world. I’m not quite sure why I hadn’t anticipated this - other folks have written or spoken of such encounters in their accounts. Perhaps I hadn’t expected getting past my shyness? But consequently I’m incredibly grateful to all those who took the time to talk with me.




*Unanticipated disappointments*
Public transport. Although I’d done my research and knew what was available, I hadn’t anticipated how hard it might be to get around when you needed to change plans, particularly when you have a bike. Urban transport such as that in Wellington or Auckland was fine, but if you need to get between centres of population, life becomes much more difficult. In the end, Intercity buses worked out OK for me, but if I’d needed transport on one of the routes served by ‘double-decker’ buses, say from Whakatane to elsewhere, I’d have been stymied.

Parched landscape. Prior to travelling, my expectations of New Zealand were formed from a vivid green and pleasant land. With the dry summer and dearth of rainfall, what I mostly experienced was a brown, parched landscape. Would I have traded that for damper days and more verdant views? That’s a toughie.

Automobiles. Given what I’ve said about public transport, it’s hardly surprising to find that the car is king. What I found harder to forgive though was the proportion of souped-up, V8 muscle cars and pickups. I had this rose-tinted impression of Kiwis as environmentally aware and proactive, and doubtless many of them are, but it wasn’t their engines that invariably roared and screamed in almost every city, town and tiny settlement through which I passed.

Fences. Another false impression I had shattered was of remote, vast, wide-open landscapes, free from human interference. Sure I saw plenty of that, typified by the splendours of the East Cape. Yet even here almost all land was divided up, fenced off or demarcated in some way. With ‘Private. Keep out’ signs in abundance, there seemed to be little that was public and accessible … or perhaps I was just in the wrong places.

Gravel roads. I’ve discussed this in previous posts so won’t rehash it here. It wasn’t the roads themselves, just that I was poorly equipped to deal with them. I guess I was more disappointed that I hadn’t thought this through beforehand and prepared myself mentally for what I’d be likely to encounter. But then even with a bike and setup more suited to those conditions, I’m not sure hour after hour on washboard would hold much pleasure, at least for me.




*In conclusion*
There’s probably a quick way to express this; would I do it again? I’d love to be able to save your time and say an unequivocal ‘Yes’ … but things are of course rarely so cut and dried. I’m fairly sure I do want to do another extended tour, though am equally convinced that for me, a month or two is probably about the right duration. I’d had long enough to get a feel for the place, yet was ready to come home. As it transpired, had I stayed a week longer, travelling home might have become much more problematic. I was lucky. What this trip confirmed was that the multi-month/year tours on which some cycle tourists embark hold little attraction for me … yet.

Lots of folks, especially those doing the TA, have said how much more stunning the South Island is and that I should return for a shot at that. I have no doubt that’s true, but I’m pretty sure I’ll not be heading back, at least in the short term. Firstly and most importantly, there are other places around the world I’m keen to see, and secondly there are some aspects to touring in New Zealand which align less closely with what my preferences. As I’ve already stated, there are some (albethey simple) comforts I’d rather not forgo; navigating the remoteness down south might make that harder to fulfill. Another thing I found in the north and which is magnified in the south, is that the road network is understandably limited, which curtails route choice. I guess I’ve been spoiled by the intricate network of roads and lanes from which we can choose here in the UK. A sixty mile journey here might be undertaken in hundreds of different ways; in NZ often you have just the one option.

What I gained most from my first tour abroad was the chance to rethink what my priorities are, what I unwittingly take for granted (and shouldn’t) and what gives me most pleasure. That’s enough with which to move forward.

I captured a few brief video sequences which I've strung together here. I’m no ‘TubeMeister', but at least they might provide a different flavour of my experiences:

View: https://youtu.be/hFvCXOEbZwM​

Thanks for reading, and if you have any questions ...


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## IaninSheffield (2 Feb 2021)

Just back from an enjoyable run in the snow where here, to the southwest of Sheffield, we’ve had 8 - 10cm. If the same weather had been prevailing at this time last year, deciding the best running shoes for the conditions would not have been a priority … or even a possibility. As tap on my keyboard, at precisely this time last year, my view was rather different:






… as I began this adventure, touring New Zealand’s North Island.

At this time of year if you need to travel across the Pennines to Manchester, thereby negotiating either the Snake or Woodhead pass, it’s always wise to have a Plan B. If the forecast then had been similar to that which we’ve had for the past few days, I planned to travel across the night before and stop in a hotel. I was lucky, didn’t need to resort to the backup and my big adventure got underway with the minimum of fuss.

I think I’m going to return to this journal over the next few weeks, perhaps reading each post on the same dates as they occurred last year. It’s not like I’ve much else to do! It was just after returning from that tour that everything closed down, and like most other fellow CCers, all my touring plans were put on hold where they’ve remained since. Hopefully this time next year I’ll be able to pull them out, give them a good dusting down, and head out once more, snow or not. 🤞


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## jay clock (6 Feb 2021)

THANKS Iain, just finished reading it fully and you did a lot of what I did 12 years ago. you got it in just in time for lockdown.

Tentwise those pyramid tents seem to have loads of weaknesses. Half sized inner, heavy, need full pegging out. I have an MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 person which is worth a look - see here https://www.msrgear.com/ie/tents/ba...hubba-nx-2-person-backpacking-tent/06204.html and the blog where I first used it here https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=2sf&doc_id=20340&v=tI


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## IaninSheffield (6 Feb 2021)

jay clock said:


> THANKS Iain, just finished reading it fully and you did a lot of what I did 12 years ago. you got it in just in time for lockdown.
> 
> Tentwise those pyramid tents seem to have loads of weaknesses. Half sized inner, heavy, need full pegging out. I have an MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 person which is worth a look - see here https://www.msrgear.com/ie/tents/ba...hubba-nx-2-person-backpacking-tent/06204.html and the blog where I first used it here https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=2sf&doc_id=20340&v=tI


Yep, definitely lucky with timing, Julian.
I hear and share your concerns about the pyramid-style tents, although they're not all heavy - example. That said, the Hubba is definitely on my radar; being free-standing offers more options I think. And thanks for the pointer to your trans-am. That'll keep me entertained for a while 👍

[Edit for update]
Oo, and just revisited your NZ journal. I remember reading it when looking for tips whilst planning my own tour. Good to revisit some of your experiences in the light of my own. We seem to have taken a few photos from pretty much the same viewpoints.


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