Bottom of the world

12/21/2010

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Sunset at the Bottom of the World
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Southland Brand
My arrival into Invercargill coincided with a slight change of fortune weather wise. The rain clouds withdrew enough for me to see some blue sky, and I pedaled happily along the flat road into the city. Pleasant fields and livestock flanked me, until eventually suburbs grew out of the agricultural land and this in turn became dense enough to call urban. My first appointment was with Gerry Ford, Southland Spirit of the Nation Brand Manager. Southland of course is the region of which Invercargill is the major hub, and has quite a reputation among Kiwi’s. Southlanders are often the butt of jokes in the same way that many rural areas get stick, but they are also famed for their unique slant on the New Zealand accent and their dry sense of humour. Gerry was a true Southlander, and it was fantastic interviewing him. Passion for the region was apparent in every word from his mouth and movement of body. He loved the place and was at no loss to tell me why. One thing I really picked up on was the warmth of the people – how helpful they are. As Gerry described how a Southlander would go out of their way to help a stranger, I could immediately empathise, having already experienced such kindness. In return for the interview, I happily agreed to get my photo taken while riding my bicycle and waving the Southland flag. I was on my way to initiation!

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Mountain Time

12/16/2010

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Hanging out on the Lake in my one fancy shirt
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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Calm Lake Wanaka
Whether reality or a trick of the mind it certainly appeared that the closer I got to Wanaka, the better the weather became. And so it was that despite arriving close to 7pm, the evening sun beat down on my neck heralding me into a town which grows out of the shore of the inimitable Lake Wanaka. I was to be hosted at a hostel called ‘Matterhorn South’ by owners Peter and Donna. Events conspired to mean I'd arrived a day early, and I was preparing to find somewhere to pitch my tent in the meantime. No such thing was going to happen under their watch – I was ushered into my room and given a welcome so warm it even included beers in the fridge. The couple had turned what could have been a pretty standard hostel into the most homely atmosphere I’ve ever experienced in such a setting. They encourage the mingling of guests, and spend a lot of time themselves getting to know those passing through. I spent the evening talking to fellow travelers who all agreed it was a home away from home.  Being dry and warm was enough after my previous few nights in the tent; the comfort and vibe was a pleasurable bonus.
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West Side

12/13/2010

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Westport loomed like the gold at the end of the rainbow. This was, for me, the beginning of the promised land of New Zealand’s West Coast – where mountains meet ocean and ruggedness is standard fare. The township of Westport is a relatively small affair, situated about 70 miles north of it’s bigger city neighbour Greymouth. Arriving mid afternoon, I checked into the Westport Motor Hotel who were graciously hosting me. Another comfortable bed from which to rest and drink coffee, eat biscuits and revel in inactivity. I might stayed there all day, but luckily I had pressing engagements to drag me from my sedentary. Mid-afternoon found me waiting in the Department of Conservation offices for Penny McIntosh, who had a treat in store for me. The Department of Conservation, or DOC as the are commonly known, operate nation wide taking care of natural areas and issues. 20 miles north of Westport lies the old mining town of Denniston, located on a 600 metre plateau. In it’s heyday there were over 1000 residents up there, almost completely detached from the world below. It now sits abandoned, the old equipments resting heavily on the site like a ghost of times past. DOC are planning a foray into the world of tourism by converting the whole area into the Denniston Experience. The idea is you buy a ticket, in the form of a ‘worker’s card’ for the mine, and are transported up there, taken on a ride into the shaft and toured through the history of the place.
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The South Island begins

12/13/2010

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Riding around the Queen Charlotte Sound
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The view from the Interislander
Taking a cruise in the middle of my cycling adventure was never something I’d planned on, but one could be forgiven for thinking they were on a luxury sightseeing voyage though the Queen Charlotte Sound. In actual fact the boat trip was the crossing between the islands of New Zealand, from North to South on the Interislander. Essentially a practical journey, it must rank as one of the most stunning three hour ferry crossings anywhere in the world. Pulling out of Wellington gave panoramic views of the capital nestled snugly in between the surrounding hills, and within a short time the open water turned into the extensive sounds that protrude from the Marlborough region. The huge Interislander vessel negotiates it’s way through some relatively tight turns as it makes it’s way to the harbour. On either side of the boat one can enjoy breathtaking scenery – native bush, steep and untouched mountainsides, and all in the knowledge that most of this land remains largely unaffected by man’s destructive hand. There is evidence of flora that was introduced by the settlers, but efforts are being made to restore it to it’s natural state.
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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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© Leon McCarron