Cycle New Zealand – Ryan Anderson Online

An End Has A Start

Posted on January 9, 2013June 22, 2024 by Ryan

It was gloomy and chilly for the ride out of Dunedin. We passed through the university end of town which neither of us had chance to visit during our stay. There was a strong headwind and hills ahead, it was all very Scottish. Eal, still feeling weak having been ill for the past few days, passed up the chance to attempt riding the world’s steepest street. So did I, without such excuses. I’m sure J C Meyer would debate its official steepness having given me the tour of Pittsburgh’s ‘dirty dozen’.

By lunch the rain had came making for a miserable stop off underneath the tiniest shelter. As always we made light of the situation joking about old school pals, talking about who the daftest dog is and mocking one another incessantly. By the time we reached Moeraki I was ready to sit in a warm pub with a stout. I pitched up the tent, showered, ate (rice and soup, standard) and was heading down to the nearest place just as Eal was arriving. He met me later on where I had been joined at my table by a couple, Sal and Hugh. We talked the night away, telling tales from the road. Before the evening was out they had offered us a place to stay at our destination in two days time!

Waking to pitter patter on my tent usually means more sleep. I heard no rustling form Eal so I pulled my sleeping bag hood up and snoozed some more. It hadn’t let up by the time I woke again. We eventually packed up and had some breakfast, sitting under a small porchway besides the camp kitchen. Trying to wait out New Zealand rain is a fools game so we hit the road. Eal made an observation on the birds. UK birds don’t seem to like rain much, they choose to stay dry in the trees and don’t mess about at night. NZ birds love the rain, constantly splashing about in puddles with wet feathers and always larking around after sundown. I took heart from the birdies.

We stopped at Moeraki boulders as recommended to us by John and Jessi in SF in what was the only fleeting dry spell of the day. From then on it poured, much to the birds delight. My shoes now held the contents of a small lake, hands shrivelled again. We reached the town of Oamaru without any accommodation options lined up. No camping around, it was always going to be a backpacker night. We find the only place in town with a spare room. Slightly over-priced, super small but DRY. Short of doing laundry and using a tumble dryer, which we only have time for on rest days, there is nothing that can be done for the cycling gear worn on days like this. You have to write them off, tie them up into a plastic bag and throw them to the bottom of a pannier. Heavy rain means no camera action, so just the one picture chaps!

An extended breakfast was had, ploughing through some early job applications with one eye now firmly on Australia. I set out a while after Eal with a mega tailwind, it was flat and I was cranking. The first 40 miles were devoured in just over 2 hours. I was even riding in my converse due to my waterlogged bike shoes. I find Eal snacking by a picnic bench where i stopped to chow down some pastries picked up in Oamaru.

We rode together for the rest of the ride to Temuka, stopping briefly in Timaru for some library action. Temuka was home to Sal and Hugh who had offered to put us up in Hugh’s currently vacant rental place for the evening. We had bought them a couple of 18th Amendments (my favourite New Zealand brew) to thank them. Thank you guys!

The end was certainly tangible now. Just two more days of riding. Head down crank out, get ’em done. My head has been at sixes and sevens about wishing the riding to be over with. I love bicycle touring and have loved every single second of this trip which is why I feel a little conflicted and uncomfortable wishing away these care free days. Its a tricky one, so I try not over-think it. I just need something new in my daily routine outside of mile counting and pedal turning.

One last camp on the eve of my 26th birthday, we ate inside the camp kitchen as usual where we were joined by few elderly Australian couples who quizzed us over our trip and impending arrival to their shores. I hit the hay for a final kip on my trusty airmat. As I closed my heavy lids I glimpsed in a split second a street, face, town, dinner, mountain, river from every single day of riding. We lived it.

u5T8p — What are you waiting for? Live it! (After you have finished reading.)

26, I am 26! Happy birthday to me. Still sounds incredibly young. Woop. I roll away airmat, sleeping bag, pack panniers with super efficiency. This routine has had some practice now. Oh trusty vango tent, you have been wonderful, good job. Eal bought me breakfast at the lovely cafe next to the campground. The sun was out, birds singing, the area was buzzing for the big horse racing weekend in Canterbury. Even Prince Charles was in town, he shares the same birthday as me, what a coincidence!

With much gusto I span into the day happy and free. Me and Eal had agreed on a meeting spot before entering Christchurch so we could ride in together. I waited at the turn for a good hour with no sign so assumed he had taken an earlier road. I continued on and soon reached the outskirts of town where traffic picked up but thankfully so did the bike paths. Heading past the Christchurch town sign on a bridge over a street named ‘Anderson’ I shed a few tears, overwhelmed by spending a birthday away from friends and family and the culmination of a 6 month bike ride. A powerful and rare moment, sure can be emotional this adventuring jazz, I felt 10 feet tall though.

We pedalled down Europe all the way to Lisbon, through the Ardennes, over the Alps, winding past Vineyards and conquering the Pyrenees. From Boston to San Francisco zig-zagging the Appalachians, beating the heat in the midwest, huffed over the rockies and down the pacific coast. Pushed around middle earth New Zealand’s north and south islands over thermal hotbeds, up glaciers and across rugged landscapes. My mind, heart and soul grown exponentially.

The evening was spent in ‘Jailhouse accommodation’, a converted jail now backpacker hostel. We scored dinner, dessert and beers to celebrate meine geburtstag. Christchurch certainly surprised. Much media coverage was made of the earthquake here several years ago but to be honest I barely heard a jot since. Due to political wrangling amongst other complications and debates on rebuilding most of the clean up and development has stalled. The ENTIRE downtown area is still completely closed off by mesh fences, with crumbling buildings and overgrown weeds making it appear to be a post apocalyptic film set

The next couple of days were spent preparing for Australia whilst hopping to a new hostel each night. The town was super busy with the horse racing event coinciding with Canterbury’s public holiday weekend. Thankfully each place was wonderful and the weather beautiful. We boxed the bikes up and set early alarms for our Brisbane flight, Australia here come!

Almost Dunedin

Posted on December 16, 2012June 22, 2024 by Ryan

Waking to freshly powdered mountain tops surrounding Queenstown I was eager to get out and explore. First things first, laundry, restocking inventory etc. I met a couple of other bike tourers from Germany finishing up breakfast. They had spent a rest day here yesterday but were hitting the road once again. Chores done, me, Eal and our hostel roomie, Adrian from Adelaide decided to hike up Ben Lomond lookout. We quizzed Adrian with Australia questions during the steep 1 hour hike as adrenalin fuelled mountain bikers rattled fearlessly downhill past us. The view of QT and The Remarkables mountain range was stunning. Grey clouds began to sprinkle us with light snow, just after I had been exclaiming how my upcoming birthday would be the first spent in warm climes. These mountains don’t respect my seasons, but I forgive them as they are majestic as they are immovable.

Eal finally had a shave, the first since Boston I think, but left the ‘tash for the night out we were going to have with a bunch of people we friended over pool in the hostel. Entering a bar/club packed to the rafters with music blaring felt very alien, I wasn’t digging the people or their elbow bashing. I’m not anti-social, far from, it was just a situation that I didn’t feel comfortable in somehow. Spending so long out on the road seemed to make the whole situation all the harder to engage with. Me and eal had two drinks before retiring to a quieter place in search of gown, slipper and pipes. A place we had agreed to visit as our old technical directors brother was the bar manager. He treat us to a free nightcap, fun conversation and the first half of the Man Utd – Arsenal game, lunchtime KOs are midnight in NZ.

The second Queenstown rest day, Eal wasn’t feeling to great, possibly coming down with man-flu, so I wandered the town and lake generally feeling a little aimless. With the trip drawing to a close there is so much to organize and prepare for the Australia chapter that I was slightly overwhelmed by it all. Wanting to do everything but failing to do anything I just stared at the mountains and watched the ducks whilst thinking about jobs, locations, accommodation, bank accounts, visas. Today was the first day I shifted from thinking about upcoming riding to accepting it was coming to an end with the reality of pressure I’d submerged myself in, by leaving my comfortable UK life, weighed heavy on my mind. Pick-me-up and or hug needed. Knowing that I have people wishing positive thoughts for me around the world always helps me believe in myself.

Leaving QT we had some backtracking the same way we had came into town before diverting east towards Alexandra. Eal was still feeling pretty lousy with slight fever and general fatigue. We made hard work of a relatively short flat days ride but thankfully had delightful warmshowers hosts waiting at the end of the day for us. Our first in NZ and their first guests of what becomes a busy season with their house situated bang on the central Otago rail trail.

There would be steep climbing to follow that morning, with short, sharp hills reminiscent of riding in the Pennines, tough work. I knew immediately Eal had now gone from feeling under the weather to being down right sick. After the first flurry of climbs I paused to wait for him, he was really struggling and in need of a bed, sleep and lemsip. Unfortunately we didn’t have many options other than Lawrence. The mileage wasn’t too bad but at current speed would take considerable time. He simply had no energy and had to ride in low chain-rings throughout.

Given Eal’s sickness, sleeping bag thermal range and the cold night forecast, camping was off the cards. I scored a small cabin room which is offered at almost every NZ campground. Basic but warm, with beds. Eal pretty much collapsed and tucked himself in the sheets. I rode out to find us food, fish and chips! The smell alone picked Eals spirits up and he managed to eat a fair bit before going to sleep. It was still early, around 8pm but I rolled over and went to sleep myself, exhausted. Both having accepted we are ready to be over with riding and living out of panniers, 6 months is a long time to be without the consistency of house keys, familiar walls, regular showers and a reliably stocked fridge. As with all aspects of bicycle touring, its easily as much mentally demanding as it is physical, which cannot be underestimated.

A glorious spring morning reminded me to cherish this last week in New Zealand. I flew out of the traps to the first town half way through the ride. I sat out an ate food picked up from the market waiting for Eal who was still taking it easy. By the time he caught up he had taken a turn for the worse, throwing up by the roadside and in no fit state to pedal another stroke. We had to get to Dunedin today, it was only another 20 miles but there was little to no public transport. At the information centre the old volunteer lady, Nancy called the only operating bus company that passes through. The one and only service for the day had just passed through but they agreed to turn around and pick us up! I sprinted down to the park bench Eal was resting by to tell him and get to the stop ready. We arrived in Dunedin, located the hostel we had booked and tucked Eal up straight in bed with some medication.

Eal felt better the following day, albeit still pretty weak having not eaten properly for several days. I went for a ride out to the peninsula in hope of seeing a yellow-eyed penguin that our Alexandra warmshowers host informed us about. It was tough riding even with the unloaded bike, followed by a long hike across the sand, sidestepping sleeping sea lions (worth the sweat alone) to reach the wooden hideout situated by nesting areas. Having been warned to be patient I waited for around an hour as I began to lose hope of seeing a penguin.

Finally a little pingu slid ashore to my delight and waddled its way towards the rocks, hopping 2 feet at a time between gaps, very agile! So happy with the experience I had a smile wider than Stockton high street for the rest of the evening. Special little pengbird, thanks. Dunedin is a very scottish town, bagpipes can be heard all round the city. NZ’s architectural captial, it felt very much like a typical British city. This would be the final rest time until we finish for good in Christchurch on my birthday in a few days time!

You Can Only Get Wet Once

Posted on November 11, 2012June 22, 2024 by Ryan

Most hostels have a free food shelf in the fridges for items people are leaving behind. Last night I had eyed up 4 eggs in a carton that I was going to have for breakfast this morning. I went through at 6am to boil some dippies only to find they had been eaten already! Dang nabbit’.

I set out into a drizzly morning with just 15 miles of riding to catch up Eal in Franz Josef. This would still include 3 reasonably steep but short passes that got me warmed up nicely. I arrived by 9am to find Eal having cofffee, he had spent the past few days thinking I was ahead of him rather than behind. So had been racing ahead each day trying to catch me up. We would be spending the afternoon on a guided hike up Fox Glacier. Preparing for the hike we added a few more bicycle layers, the company provides trousers, jacket, boots, cramp-ons. It was a clear, sunny day though so the gear stayed in my pack the entire time.

We had a short 15 minute walk through the valley to get to the terminus of the Glacier. It was an incredible experience stepping onto the ice pack, we hiked up further checking out all its glorious features up close. The few hours we spent whizzed by, I didn’t want to leave. Phenomenal place.

Leaving Fox Glacier the next day conditions were still bright but it wouldn’t last. When the rain came it was cold, heavy and relentless. There is nothing nada, zilch for the 75 mile ride between Fox and Haast. Snack stops were made stood in the pouring rain, water trickling from the front of my helmet. The only restbite from the torrential rain came in a small shelter on a lookout. I spent a few minutes reading the information boards on local sea birds and ate the rest of my cookie pack. Not a good idea to hang around too long whilst cold and wet. I got going sharpish to keep my body temp up.

I kept my body as rigid as possible so not to feel my wet crinkly coat and sopping lyrca pants against my skin more than I had to. On downhills the rain felt like I was staring at a cold shower jet, with no way of dry wiping my face, I just blinked endlessly. Finally making it to Haast at our accommodation for the evening which is best described as a converted community centre. Good stock of fire wood though, all socks, shoes and cyclewear laid out to dry. I was just relieved the 8 hours riding in rain was over. Definitely taken to a new place mentally today, I wouldn’t call it real adversity but I know I can cope spending all day in those conditions. Although we aren’t even attempting to camp with the current condition of our tents and clothes. Good job New Zealand is geared towards backpackers.

Apparently the weather hadn’t read my script for this morning. The rain from yesterday was still coming down, puddles were now lakes. Determined to keep dry feet today I employed a shopping bag technique over my socks. It was quite funny knowing we had spent all evening dry out our things only for them to get soaking wet within seconds of riding again.

There would be absolutely nothing again today between start and end point. The initial riding was traversing up river but nothing too taxing. There was one small shelter before we crossed the river at the scarily named ‘Gates of Haast’ where I ducked out the rain for a few seconds to devour a few bananas. From here the climbing began, it was super steep and winding. Rarely on this trip have I had to stand up for entire climbs. Thankfully it levelled out nicely towards the top of the pass and in total wasn’t too long. I stopped briefly to talk with some trampers about bicycle touring. Wary of the fact I was wet and cold with a downhill to follow I got going again.

The rain had finally stopped for the last 10 miles to Makarora which consists of a few farms and a small holiday village where we would be staying. The buildings were all triangular and quirky. I scored a bed in one of the dorms and was already showered, sat sipping Earl Grey by the time Eal turned up looking as I had, shivering, bewildered, spent. We got the fire going without any kindling, score! Lucky for us there would be nobody else arriving that evening so we had the dorm block to ourself. Bazinga!

The cycling gods finally showed mercy on us for the ride to Queenstown. Clear skies and strong, gusty tailwinds. The first 40 miles to Wanaka were probably the easiest I have experienced as the winds urged us over hills and across straights at speed. Wanaka was a beautiful outdoors type town right on the lake. Eal caught up with me whilst I was having lunch then we set out into the afternoon, heading over the crown range as the temperature soared.

The landscape, heat and narrow road up the crown range reminded me of riding along the Columbia river gorge. The view distance at the top stretched out for miles, you could see Queenstown low in the valley by the lake. The descent was made terrifying by the low guard rails on the cliff side. The immense winds and narrow hairpin turns meant I was constantly gravitating towards the edge.

6 miles from Queenstown we jumped on an off road bike path that would take us into town, it was rideable and gave us a break from the cars of highway 6. This place is the main south island destination for backpackers, hikers, thrill seekers, pub crawlers etc. Everybody we have met talks about going to or having been to Queenstown. Its suited in the middle of several epic mountain ranges, we have a few days schedule to see what all the hype is about.

The Simple Life

Posted on October 31, 2012June 22, 2024 by Ryan

There was supposed to be some heavy rain heading our way during the morning so when I woke to dry conditions outside I thought it best to pack away quickly and hit the road. It started to pour just a few miles in, my rain coat is not so waterproof these days after accidentally putting it on a warm colours wash, messing up the material. I was soon sopping wet head to socks with no option but to continue riding. My hands were cold and cramping from clutching my wet bars. I found Eal paused in the road by a stop sign, the heavy rain had dislodged some big rocks causing a landslide which embedded them in the road. The cleanup was underway with a helicopter scooping water up from the river and dropping it down on the slide to push down any more loose sections, mud, rain, wind and traffic jams along highway 6.

After making it through we continued towards the NZ west coast. Towns weren’t forthcoming so another roadside picnic with P+J sangas had to suffice. By now the rain had pushed over and the sun was shining bright, when I arrived at the town of Charleston there was no sign of a store or Eal. I took to the recreation area on the beach to dry out my layers in the sudden heat.

The ride along the ocean reminded me of the US pacific coast, the roads hair-pinned inland over bluffs in the same manner as they did on highway 1, the rock stacks stood off in the sea, my brain was continually telling me to go on the right side of the road. Slightly confusing but hearing some kiwi accents re-calibrated my geo-location.

The local attraction in punakaiki where we spent the night is the ‘pancake rocks and blow holes’ I only managed one picture of the rocks before my camera battery died so see the following youtube video. Pretty incredible and unlike anything I’ve seen before!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja1mIXP4rSY

From there it was a short 30 mile day to Greymouth where we intended on taking the Monteiths brewery tour on the afternoon. In town we located the Neptunes Backpackers, another super friendly family run place like in Turangi. We met Ben from Vancouver again who was staying there for 5 days as they offer free accommodation if you work a while, he has a few weeks to get to Queenstown so its perfect for him. We restocked on road supplies from the supermarket then enjoyed some wonderful sipping time at Monteiths. Wasting their time with the seasonal Apricot Wheat though, when asked what beer they like, each person on the tour responded ‘strong ipa’ Monteiths don’t do one, maybe they will take note.

When I strolled down to the kitchen for the free guest breakfast the next morning I could see the weather outside looked atrocious. I checked the forecast and it was scheduled to be heavy rain all day with winds of 25mph. Eal had arranged yesterday to have some tyres delivered to a bike shop in town. We couldn’t be sure they would arrive before 12 noon anyway so made the decision to remain at Neptunes another day.

I switched the tyres around on my bike, did some laundry and we played on the free pool table in the afternoon. Eal had destroyed me 7-1 in Wellington so I was happy to restore some pride this time with a 3-1 best of 5 win. The sideways rain didn’t let up once the entire time as I repeated over and over ‘So glad I’m not riding in this!’. Its not so much the getting wet its the riding with a burrowed head and squinting eyes. You miss all the scenery and on the narrow NZ roads it can be incredibly dangerous as the spray kicked up from the trucks when they pass prevents the drivers behind from even seeing you hugging the white line.

We said our goodbyes to the Neptunes owner and hit the coast road again on another beautiful spring day. I stopped to talk with a couple of German tourers heading north, we have started seeing a few more cyclists recently as the finer weather approaches, I guess the South island is possibly a more popular destination too. Halfway through the day I stopped for lunch in Hotikika. Me and Eal had agreed on a primitive camp area for the night just a few km south of Ross so I decided to spend a few hours chilling out so not to arrive to early.

Heading out again at 4pm with the intention of arriving at 6pm I met a local cyclist, he had a very unique prosthetic left leg with cleat mechanism for his road bike. He informed me that the camp area I was shooting for was much further south than I thought (based on what google maps had told me), Eal had the map so I couldn’t verify where it was marked on the paper copy which I never actually saw for myself this morning. Lake Ianthe would actually be another 25km past Ross. I saw the cyclist again in town. Without me saying a word he said “I can’t offer you a place to stay because I’ve had to many people thieving off me over the years.” Gee-thanks! I verified how far Ianthe was with the store owner. If I set off now I would arrive in darkness, that’s assuming the terrain wasn’t too bad and I didn’t get a flat or worse. I resolved to make up the mileage in the morning and located an odd cabin deal to sleep in for the night.

Very basic and dusty but it will suffice. The rustic setting pushed me towards pen and paper to finish some postcards I had still failed to send 2 weeks after picking them up, better late than never! This would be the first night since May 27th me and Eal had not spent in the same place.

The early alarm I had set to catch Eal up didn’t wake me up for some reason. My cabin was a little chilly during the night. When I did eventually wake at 7am I got trucking quick sharp, amazing early morning light, super still and quiet. The day began with glorious scenery, views of Mount Cook in the distance, pristine lakes, snow capped ranges.

The views continued to wow me into early afternoon, at this point I was debating in my head whether this could possibly be the best bike ride of my life. I concluded it was simply special and precious in its own way just like many other days riding this trip. A couple from Brisbane, where I’m heading to in Oz, were stood on the bend of a river taking pictures and offered to take mine in return for me snapping one of them. Afterwards I managed to stab my right calf on the big chainring turning my bike around. I looked for a way down to cleanse it in the water but it was inaccessible so my bottled water had to suffice, nothing could spoil my mood today though. So happy with life, I felt euphoric. The couple beeped and waved as they passed, if ever I feel like a smile on the road I will throw a wave out towards an oncoming driver. Which is almost always returned, helps to feel less alone some days out on the road and reminds me that there are real people inside those metal boxes zipping by me.

Arriving in Franz Josef I still needed to locate Eal, I checked in at each campground and backpackers with no luck. I had arrived in good time so he must have been here much earlier. It crossed my mind he may have continued to Fox Glacier. Either way we both knew we would be in Fox Glacier tomorrow afternoon after both deciding our one ‘kiwi’ experience splash-out would be a glacier hike. I checked rates at backpackers and found a great deal at the YHA for cyclists as part of there carbon footprint scheme. I failed to mention my 2 long haul flights getting to this point.

I shared a big dorm room with just one other guy from Hong Kong. We had some communication issues but he was so enthusiastic and friendly, continuing to try asking questions and understand my responses. He had just been on the ice breaker ship down to Antarctica for $3000 and had other touring cyclists on board with him! After telling him about my ride he nicknamed me ‘Ironman’. Doesn’t quite work somehow when I’m curled up on my bed like a chesire cat under the quilt with woolly socks on to stay toasty. Meow.

First Impressions Of South Island

Posted on October 27, 2012June 22, 2024 by Ryan

Getting on the Ferry at Wellington in the afternoon we were joined by about 20 guys all riding super nice road bikes on a charity tour and one other fellow loaded tourer from Vancouver. The journey took just over 2 hours, Eal didn’t bring his sea legs with him and felt a little nauseous, it did get quite choppy. Still, up on top deck the view of the Marlbrough sounds made for a staggeringly beautiful entrance to the south island and our destination for the evening, Picton. We located a campground just 2 miles from the terminal, our tents had been packed away wet the whole time in Wellington so now they smelt like a damp football sock. Breathe through your mouth time. Excited for the south island. Our second ferry ride of the trip done, just one more plane to catch now from Christchurch to Brisbane.

The next morning was a public holiday in NZ, labor day. We had been advised to checkout Renwick and the surrounding wineries that are linked with trails especially for bikes, it was also home to the MOA beer brewery. Only 25 miles from Picton but seemed too good to miss so we covered the ground early and stopped for lunch at the 3 bears cafe to line our stomachs. Watson’s Backpackers in town hooked us up with a sweet deal to camp in the garden and use all the kitchen, shower facilities. Bags unloaded we swiftly headed back out towards the cellar doors that we had passed coming into town on what was a perfect sunny spring afternoon.

We stopped by a few tasting rooms, a couple of regular culture vultures decked in lycra. Hmmm. This is white wine and bubbles territory, mostly delightful and unique. Mid-way through vineyard hopping we hit the MOA brewery, 3/5 were good drops including one that I couldn’t resist buying a bottle of for the road tomorrow. The last vineyard was right in town, Gibson Bridge. It was the smallest in the area, a family ran place. Julie gave us by far the most entertaining and engaging chat over the tasting. Her husband, Howard, came out to talk with us about our trip for a while past closing time then pulled out some free wine for us to take away, thanks guys!

After failing to find a suitable ATM in Picton or Renwick we were both low on cash, unfortunately towns for the next few days looked like being few and far apart with extremely limited services. Stocking up at the supermarket before riding I made sure I had enough meals and snacks for three days. I find this difficult on a bike, its hard to resist tomorrow’s chocolate bar when you have already devoured today’s ration by 10am. Gone are the days I could rely on Flavia for a swedish fish treat in the afternoons and Eal eats all 3 days worth before he’s even started riding! ‘When they’re gone they’re gone’ as my mum used to say with the sweets.

There was literally nothing leaving Renwick except for stunning scenery. Rest stops were made by the roadside sitting on grass. At one point Eal caught up with me as I was perched by a fence having lunch in the sun. By the time we got to riding again it started to sleet! The icey showers coming straight off the surrounding mountains. The dramatic change in weather and temperature had us pulling on all kinds of layers to stay warm. We were both attacked by the most aggressive magpie yet, this one had swooped at eal from the front and clattered his helmet from behind! Strong headwinds blasted us from the west, the only positive being that it pushed all the nasty weather over our heads and the blue skies prevailed once again.

A steep climb took us past ski field signs to St Arnaud that brought us out at the base of the stunning Lake Rotoiti, in amongst the mountains. It would be a fairly primitive camp, with bench and small shelter for us to sit out the cold, despite one side being open to the elements. A frosty night ahead had Eal concerned. My sleeping bag is rated extreme for -11C his is down to 1C. Ducks joined in with dinner which was then washed down with the superb MOA Five Hops I had carried with me from yesterday.

I woke up cold several times in the night with my nose, the only exposed body part, freezing cold. I was happy to get a response from Eal to my shout at 8am in the morning to know he hadn’t frozen solid. Our feet were like ice blocks, there was a tiny gas station in St Arnaud and that was it, we stopped in there to thaw out for half an hour before heading out. It remained chilly throughout the day, I sported my extra layer of fleece gloves most the time.

Destination for the evening was another primitive campspot called Lyell just off highway 6, down deep in the Buller river gorge which we would be riding all day. So we were thankful to find the town of Murchison, the first real settlement since Renwick, at least had a small supermarket to restock with some treats before continuing towards the NZ outback. Two days without shower and tomorrow I will add some more sweat to that just for good measure. The cold makes it tricky to layer correctly. The last thing you want to do in these temps is start sweating under layers because then if you stop and the wind picks up you will get the worst of chills. Thankfully it was milder than last night, so I was able to save my hoody from coming into contact with my rancid bike attire.

Feeling Wellington

Posted on October 22, 2012June 22, 2024 by Ryan

Ian didn’t make it easy for us to leave the backpackers lodge in Turangi, offering us a drive up the mountain and back. We had to hit the road though and get some mileage under our belt if we were going to make our intended campspot for the evening. Things didn’t start well, I noticed my rear wheel could do with some air so started pumping only to rip the handle out, slicing my finger in the process. Quite the gusher, I seem to always give myself these little nicks, lucky Eal has plasters.

The road we stuck to all day would take us through Tongariro national park, where there had been snow fall as recently as yesterday. The aptly named Desert Road was baron, in stark contrast to our recent riding through lush green farmland. Clouds were menacing, the mountains which flanked us intimidating, therefore it was all the more fitting when we learned the area played backdrop to most of the Mordor scenes from Lord of the rings, just without the fire and lava, although this range does contain two active volcanoes!

Reaching the top of the Desert Road pass and breezing down the opposite side, the evening ended amongst the familar and safe green hills where we located camping. The campgrounds of New Zealand must be commended for their facilities. I am already taking for granted that every place has a full kitchen, tv lounge, laundry and showers. If you remember from earlier in the blog how basic European campgrounds were in comparison and the only improvement in the US was the guarantee of a picnic bench and fire pit.

Being a passionate Newcastle United fan, I have enjoyed the sight of the Australian Magpie in New Zealand. That was until I discovered they can be incredibly aggressive towards cyclists during breeding season! Again we spent the morning being swooped on from above by the wise guys who clearly thought I was some sort of competition in my black and white bike jersey. They must attack the odd car too because many lie dead by the roadside, chill out lads!

Instead of sticking to highway 1 which was possibly flatter, if a little longer in distance, we came off it to take the quiet 57. It would involve some super steep hills but the lookout points over the surrounding shires were worth it. As we descended towards the town of Feilding a women pulled over in an old white 3 door and offered us a place to stay for the evening. It was a nice offer, she had cycle toured many moons ago in the south island, but it would make for an early stop on what was already a short day. We thanked her anyway, if we hadn’t just taken the time off in Turangi we may have taken the offer. You make decisions like this daily on tour, today we just felt like riding further.

Arriving in the town of Waikanakakia-something-beach, the road signs pointed towards camping, our maps had camping icons indicated but such a place that offered us a place to pitch was not forthcoming. After asking a few locals, the only place in town appeared to be called El Rancho. On arrival the office was unattended, the intercom put us in touch with somebody who told us we couldn’t tent camp despite the fact they had an empty motorcamp patch. After spending a good hour cycling around the towns near by we still had no joy finding accommodation.

It was getting late now but we trucked onto towards Parapurapapa-something-beach (sorry I can’t remember the full town names exactly without maps to hand, they are incredibly long and unpronounceable for a Teessider.) with light fading and rain and wind getting stronger (like gale force sideways rain stronger) we started to panic a little thinking this could be the first night all trip we had to unintentionally wild camp. A guy walking his dog ended up pointing us in the direction of the main street in town that had a YHA backpackers lodge, poyfect! Smarting from our luck we enjoyed a cosy night in the warmth as the elements battered the building situated right on the beach front.

After the storm had passed over during the night we were presented with a glorious bright morning outside the hostel. Breakfast in town over maps made it clear getting to Wellington, the New Zealand capital, would be tricky by bicycle as it becomes a tad inaccessible once the roads bottle neck around the bay. Yesterday evening I had noticed the passenger train-line begin, with small stations at each town. So we decided to save ourself a headache, avoiding several hours of stop start riding and map checking, we would ride down to a station then take the train for the last stretch into the urban area, hopping off conveniently at Wellington central. Jobs a good ‘un.

The first evening spent in Wellington, we quickly decided to book another night on top of the day we had planned to take here anyway. Head and shoulders above Auckland, its a great city. Steeped in creativity, character and scenery, also classed as New Zealand’s Craft Brew centre it was a hugely enjoyable few days. We took in the Te Papa Museum, botanical gardens, watched live music, drank incredi-brews and just generally appreciated the gentle, unique, happy vibe Wellington was giving us. From here we will be taking the Ferry across the Cook Strait (Whoop James Cook!) to the south island. The north has been a great kiwi introduction but as anybody who has researched or done a trip to NZ will know, everybody spends their time in the south island, so greatly anticipating what else is waiting for us. P.s Thanks to Laura Jaime Hanson for the North Island visitor guide!

Thermal Hotbed Shelter Riders

Posted on October 14, 2012June 22, 2024 by Ryan

The morning riding to Rotorua Eal had an empty stomach, I was trucking on P+J sarnies again but still welcomed the unexpected cafe along the narrow highway which we were riding along with some morning traffic. I managed to briefly speak to my dad over a bad line to wish him happy birthday, 10am New Zealand time is 10pm back home so I caught him just before bed.

We hit some back roads for the second half of the ride through blueberry wine country, which I passed up trying. A great downhill through dense forest brought us out on the edge of Lake Rotorua, nice and flat to the town centre where we located the backpackers in town we had reserved. The town is situated on a thermal hotbed, strong sulphur smells waft through the air which takes some adjustment.

We spent an extra day in Rotorua to take in some of the local walking trails the town had to offer around the lake and local thermal activity. We also visited a Maori village, unfortunately we missed one of the daily shows, however walking round the village was still interesting enough. Away from the town centre Rotorua is transformed into a colourful blooming wonderland, a really beautiful place. At the backpackers in town we had been cooking big meals in the large kitchen area and had a great talk with a Scottish dentist currently travelling who had lots of tips for the south island.

The lodge handed out a coupon for each guest to get a $1 wine at a local bar. Me an Eal visited later that evening, it was a great place with live band on. We asked for the house red BEFORE brandishing our coupons, I doubt we would have received such a generous glass full otherwise. Rotorua was a good choice, pronounced Ro-taw-ua, unlike elsewhere in the country for some reason they roll the second ‘r’. Additionally I learned that in New Zealand ‘wh’ is spoken as an ‘f’, for example Whangarei is pronounced Fangarei, odd.

Leaving town we were unexpectedly treated to a bike path which would keep us off the main highway for around 10 miles. The scenery was so spectacular I was having a hard time getting any miles done stopping every quarter mile to marvel and take pictures of the hills and fields surrounding me. Bang on route was the ‘Thermal Wonderland’ Wai O Tapu. A leaflet I picked up in Rotorua depicted yellowstone-esque pools that seemed to good to miss. They charge $30 at the entrance . It seemed very excessive, natural wonders should be free, or at least a very small fee to support maintenance if it will enhance the experience. It was a decent 3km walking loop, comparing it to Yellowstone is probably the difference between Flamingo Land and Disney land though.

Afterward we rode on to Reporoa where I scored a dairy fix with some great ice cream, so good I immediately returned to the store for seconds, the lady gave me extra big scoops to satisfy me. We finished the ride in Taupo, the town by Lake Taupo, camping at a holiday park. A sunny Friday evening it filled up quickly with families and many BBQ’s going strong. I felt like a grandad getting in my tent at 9pm as kids were still running riot full of beans. Sleepyhead.

Waking to rain pattering on my tent I wasn’t sure I was ready to get up. We have hardly had a morning since May we have had to wake and pack in rain. It didn’t stop and was only getting heavier. After loading up quickly we hit town for breakfast and managed to put off hitting the road as long as possible. Soaked within seconds of riding I could feel the squelch in my shoes everytime I pushed down on.

To paint a mental imagine of us riding on highway 1, if you have ever seen a huge lorry plough through a puddle creating a wave of water that drenches a pedestrian, we were that pedestrian been sprayed over and over again. At a cafe about 30 miles in I was already thinking Turangi, just halfway through our intended mileage, would be a good option for the day. Eal obliged and we pulled into the town 13 km later to find the information centre which pointed us in the direction of the A Plus Samurai lodge backpackers.

What an awesome little place it was! Tucked away in the back streets of the small town, the complex was comprised of several small buildings each of which had unique and quirky artwork on the inside and the outside. It was a family owned place and Ian the owner was very funny. I spent that night in the lounge area by the fire with all the other guests, super warm and comfortable in a big old armchair.

The following morning the forecast looked grim again, ‘The Big Wet’ as New Zealand news is reporting it with more gale force winds coming. I had asked Ian the previous night if people had trouble leaving the place and now I was. I quickly decided to stay another day and Eal was keen on the idea of cooking up a Sunday dinner. The lodge makes for great people watching, the current crop consisted of Germans, Slovenians, Israelis and Indians.

On the evening I found myself flanked by Ian’s 2 kids Jackson and Sarah. We laughed and joked around all night. I looked around the rest of the filled room and wondered why they had picked me out for fun. I had a happy realisation that all the years growing up with younger brothers, they were similar age to Will, had given me a special ability to connect and entertain with them effortlessly which they were extremely receptive to. I was happy to make them laugh given it was a Sunday which marked the end of the long NZ school holidays, first day back for them tomorrow!

Trans-Hemispheric

Posted on October 13, 2012June 22, 2024 by Ryan

The flight from SFO to AKL was only 12 hours, it always surprises me how quickly you can reach a completely different part of the world. Arriving 5:30am New Zealand time, it was still dark and wet outside. Riding bikes from Auckland airport to hostel was out of the question, so we squared some transportation. Waking up in San Fran 6am one morning not really sleeping on the plane and now it was 6am again, we were tasked with staying awake another full day too avoid a bad sleep pattern. It was tough work and we both flaked out around 8pm.

We spent a few quiet days around Auckland and particularly one of the inner city suburbs, Ponsonby, getting over jet lag. After so many months in the USA it almost felt like a return to home. The streets, cars, buildings looked similar and people are just generally a little British in nature. One thing we immediately miss however is our American IPA’s, NZ beer selection leaves a lot to be desired, however this is countered by the return of all my favourite cadbury’s chocolate bars and use of the term “cheers mate” is again acceptable to use without somebody giving me a look of bewilderment. Not to forget sarcasm can be used mid-conversation without acknowledgement or explanation, just like home. 🙂

One thing I love about being on a loaded bike is that EVERYBODY talks to you. Having spent a few days back as plain clothed Ryan it felt good to be lycra clad and hitting the road again. Nobody was all that talkative in the hostel until I was stood in reception bags,bike and all ready to leave, then I chatted with each passing backpacker. I was particularly pleased to have one girl ask excitedly if I was from Newcastle, close enough and happy in the knowledge my accent is intact. I left pumping tyres until outside the Hostel only to find my rear was somehow punctured, start time delayed 30 minutes.

Navigating away from Auckland was simple, hit the bay and follow the bike path for 10 miles. The towns gradually became smaller and more rural until we were out in the sticks, again with a decidedly British feel and smell! Cows, sheep and manure mmmm. However, just as you think the landscape looks familiar I have quickly learned New Zealand will throw you a curveball. Sheep grazing on a field one corner will turn into a temperate rainforest scene the next and then to a thermal pool or geyser. It makes for fascinating riding, the variety has me excited to see what else is out there.

After camping at Orere point we set out early along the coastline, what struck me is that along a bay which would normally be built up with million dollar homes, there were fields of cattle grazing, lucky meepers. It was a short fairly uneventful ride to the town of Paeroa where the camping option listed on our map was difficult to find. At the information centre the only camping they knew of was an overnight parking area on the edge of the public domain. Not strictly for tents we pitched up regardless. Some local kids, up past their bedtime, came over inquisitively and threw questions at me like “Do you have grass in England?” and “What rugby team do you support?”. Funny lads, who enjoyed the pictures of USA on my camera and insisted on striking aggressive poses for their commemorative snap.

From one Pacific coast to another…

Apparently it rained in the night, being at the base of a small hill the water had ran down underneath our tents. It managed to seep through my bottom sheet and create a small puddle INSIDE my humble abode. Wet tents are nasty to roll and heavy to carry, yuck. We devoured breakfast in town then hit the road on a super fresh, ever-brightening morning, its springtime in New Zealand at the moment, by switching hemispheres we have skipped Autumn and Winter, not sure how I feel about that yet. Is it possible to miss scraping the ice of my car on those dark frosty mornings, driving with one hand under my shirt until the heating kicks in…?

The roads are fairly narrow in NZ (and yes for a certain somebody they use ZED here not ZEE ;-)…) with limited to no shoulder, but a country the size of the UK, with only around 4.5 million people, traffic is always light. We took a pitstop in Te Aroha by the public domain, their name for town parks. It was a great recreation area, very well kept, with spa pools harnessing the local geothermal activity, bbq areas and a short walk trail up into the hillside which we spent some time on.

Continuing on mainly back roads and treated to some spectacular waterfalls as we rode alongside a small mountain range, we arrived at Okorie Hot Springs Hotel which was part of a golf course complex but most importantly had a small camping area. The kiwi running the place informed us of a $5 roast on offer in the lounge area from 6pm. Too good to miss, we joined all the other locals in what was a popular spot. It had the feeling of a working mens club back home, only rugby on the TV, great people watching. Next to the camp field there was a river flowing down toward the hot pool area which was closed for the evening but the walking track beside it took you into a magical forest area where I plodded around for a good hour, amazing and free!