Here comes the Summer

11/27/2010

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BIke is a man's best friend
Well well, more inactivity on my website. However, it'll all be worth it when you hear what I've been up to! Oh yes - as soon as time and fast internet access come together in the greatest of combinations, I'll have 3 brand new blog posts up for you to enjoy. Until then, here's what you can look forward to:

The South Island Begins - Marlborough, Nelson and Westwards
WestSide - Westport to Haast, and across the pass

Mountain Time - Wanaka, Queenstown and the highest road in NZ

There's also 'Bottom of the World - Invercargill, Stewart Island and Dunedin,' but that one isn't written yet, and I'm still in Dunedin, so a few photos are perhaps a little premature.

Anyway, keep yours eyes on the site, expect content soon!
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'The Coolest Little Capital'

11/12/2010

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The famous Bucket Fountain
To see all the photos from this section, and the trip so far, go to the Photography section under the media tab along the top.

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 Around 3pm I reached the Waterfront – a stunning, pedestrianised path stretching the length of ground where Wellington City meet the Bay. Positively Wellington Tourism had kindly arranged with the YHA to give me 4 nights complimentary accommodation, and so this was to be my first destination. On a trip such as this, those long, cold nights in a tent on a hillside are what make me feel alive in so many ways, but the need for a warm bed and some comfortable sheets once in a while cannot be underestimated. My private room was a little slice of perfection and after unloading my belongings I went to see about getting my video camera fixed. Unfortunately the news was not good – it may have to back to Sony. But this is a story for another time; the bottom line is I can still make my documentary, so all is not lost at all.
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Rotorua

11/06/2010

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 Rotorua started with good news and bad. Beginning with the bad, Lola (my trusty bike) started to complain. This happens so infrequently that I know to listen when it does. The chain slipped on the middle chain ring – first once, then again, and again. All the way from Tirau to Rotorua it occurred at irregular intervals and I feared for the worst. I worried that I knew what was wrong, but took it into KiwiBikes in Rotorua hoping for an unlikely positive assessment. Unfortunately, that was not forthcoming – my middle chain ring had some serious shark’s teeth. This means the metal teeth, which catch the links in the chain, had worn away so it became loose and liable to slip. Unfortunately changing this meant also getting a new chain, which stretches to fit the ring, and a rear cluster to boot. Damage estimate – NZ$220, about £100. A financial hit I really couldn’t afford to take, but I had no option, so on Saturday morning I checked my bike in.

But luckily there was good news to balance it out. On Friday Jane Hope from Destination Rotorua contacted me. We’d been in touch virtually about my journey, and she rang to say they had organized for me to meet with Shaloh Mitchell, managing director and resident of the Maori village of Ohinemutu. A book launch was taking place in the village honouring one Haane Manahi – a Maori soldier who had been nominated for the Victoria Cross only to be denied it for unknown, but highly questionable, reasoning. Jane also sorted out great accommodation for me, and I was all set for an experience quite unlike any other.

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Waikato

11/04/2010

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Leaving Auckland behind
My journey out of the North Shore did not go quite as planned. An extended breakfast led to me rolling out of Murray’s bay at 9am, which although not horrendous is later than I like to hit the road. It’s happened before and it’ll happen again so it wasn’t a big deal; a much more serious problem was when I got a flat tire. Lola doesn’t get punctures! I refused to believe this ludicrous situation, but within half a mile it became quite clear that I was going to have to. It was a slow leak, but I swapped the tube anyway and headed for Devonport to catch the ferry across to the city. By 12pm I was just disembarking and had covered a measly 8 miles – I normally like to have at least 30 done by midday. If my mood was a little low, it was certainly lifted by getting recognized not once but twice on Queen Street! I’d met with Tourism NZ a few days earlier, and it seemed they had been very efficient in getting the word out about my journey. Feeling a little like a rock star, I finally found my rhythm and pedaled through the suburbs of the city. It seemed to take an age to leave the remnants of the city behind, but by the time I arrived in Bombay I was able to see fields and mountains again. At Te Kauwhata I felt I’d covered enough ground to call it a day, and camped outside the Catholic Church as a guest of Father Keenan. I often take the diversity of my camping spots for granted, but this time I was very thankful for the offer of a spot to pitch my tent. Looking for spots to camp wild can be one of the highlights of my journey, and undoubtedly the remote places I’ve slept are among the most special, but at times it can really be an energy drain. So to the Catholic Church at Te Kauwhata, thank you!

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Seeing it out

10/17/2010

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To see all the photos from this section, and the trip so far, go to the Photography section under the media tab along the top.

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Leaving San Francisco meant I less than two weeks of pedalling left in the USA. After 9 days of rest and very little exercise I was desperate to get going, if also a little apprehensive regarding my tempermental left knee. Luckily, any worries were soon swept aside by the time I reached Half Moon Bay for my first night back on the saddle. And what a night - this was the spot. A relaxing short day of riding brought me onto a delightful cycle path along the ocean, which in turn fed me straight into the campsite. The Hiker/Biker spot was a patch of earth literally feet from the beach. As the first person there, I set up under a gnarled tree and walked the few steps onto sand. A few more brought me over the slight crest and onto a perfect location for watching the ocean (or napping.) I set up camp, and rode my unloaded bike the half mile to the gas station on the highway. This evening required a cold beer to be complete. Returning to my tent, I took the beverage and a book and lay in the sun, feeling incredibly thankful for such a wonderful evening - for the sun, the sand, the sea and the beer. For an evening alone by the shore, I couldn't ask for any more.
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Californication

10/16/2010

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California came on a bit strong, to be honest. As soon as I'd crossed the state border I was faced with a huge climb into the belly of the Redwoods. Luckily, it was beautiful and I admit falling in love almost instantly. It was unfortunate that my infatuation caused me to get distracted from the task at hand, and I was to be punished for ignoring my warm ups and warm downs. Constant pedalling up steep grades was taking it toll on my body, and while I felt fine about it, my left knee decided it wasn't quite so happy. It began with a slight ache, but each hill and subsequent day without rest inevitably aggravated the problem.

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Oregon's state nut is the hazelnut - fact.

09/21/2010

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'In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks'

So says John Muir, and he's not wrong - my last few weeks have been spent in cahoots with the delights of the wilds and I cannot say I am unaffected.

I left Portland on a dreary Sunday morning, feeling like I'd had too much beer and not enough sleep. I actually didn't have very much beer at all, but because I indulge so rarely in anything with alcoholic content these days it hits my cycling-specific system a little harder than perhaps it should. And three hours sleep never did anyone any good. But I'd had a blast in Portland and experimented with a regular lifestyle for a day or two, so the trade off was fair.
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Powder Pass

09/04/2010

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At the top of Powder pass, rocking the flannel
An extract from my journal from some of the areas I wasn't able to blog about at the time. Today - The ride up the Big Horn Mountains

"Matt, Andy, Morgan and I slept longer and better than usual, and upon waking took our time over breakfast. This was not a day to be underfed or sleep deprived. We'd been warned about the ride over Powder Pass in the Big Horn mountains ever since we entered the state of Wyoming, and now as we camped at the base we finally began to believe the hype. The road wound north west through the low tree cover and disappeared into the folds of the mountain. The earth looked deformed; rising so suddenly and dramatically that the trees grew at bizzare right angles out of the side. Never before have I had such an imposing backdrop to my egg sandwiches and oatmeal! We'd made the decision to eat as much as we possibly could without bursting  in order to power us up the climb, and it was a task we all took very seriously. Consumption took well over an hour, and digestion the same again. Sometimes eating is my favourite thing.
 
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STP

09/04/2010

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Rainier, OR, looking back at Washington
I did it! I finally made it out of Seattle, and escaped the grip of having a cosy house and warm bed to stay in. After the unplanned extra days off, I was punished by one of the worst weather fronts of my entire trip. It rained hard, and it rained long. All day I pedalled through a heavy, thick downpour. To begin with I was a little perturbed, but within minutes I was so wet that I literally couldn't get any more so without becoming a liquid myself, so I just got used to it. And once you're past that stage it's all good. I began to enjoy cycling alongside Lake Union, watching the rain bounce off the surface and gradually add to the water level until it climbed dangerously close to the road.
 
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Up, and down

08/31/2010

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Early morning Vancouver
This time last week I was preparing to leave Seattle. Right now, I'm doing exactly the same thing. My little jaunt to Vancouver was very much a loop that has left me in the same place where I started. Having come across the country by a extremely circuitous route and always up for a detour to view something exciting, I was happy to take a week out to head north. I guess this is why I found myself surprised at just how reluctant I was once I got going.

It's strange battling with yourself - there's no-one else to blame anything on. The only person to benefit or suffer from the decisions is....well, me. I knew I would regret it if I left the Pacific Northwest without visiting British Columbia, but it felt counter-intuitive to be heading north when my next 'destination' was south. Nevertheless I persevered and, surprise surprise, was very glad I did. Riding out of Seattle was miserable - I covered 40 miles before I started to see greenery and open spaces. There's nothing to kill motivation quite like slow inner-city riding, and my spirits lifted considerably north of Everett. The sun began to shine, the traffic thinned and I remembered why I love this life. The wheels started spinning more easily, the saddle became more comfortable and the wind rushed by whispering secrets of the road ahead. It was beautiful.


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