tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79442952248730756952024-03-14T22:36:49.090+13:00A Backpack and a Fistful of CashKalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.comBlogger154125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-4017593239889227922020-02-13T20:52:00.001+13:002020-02-13T20:52:41.876+13:00Smelling penguin poo and hearing bag pipes in the Antarctic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Achievement Unlocked! We have been to all 7 Continents now. As we got to experience a little of Antarctica here recently. This was a pretty big undertaking with the logistics involved, but I really didn't do that much other than answering a few questions for Beth. She looked at the options and had to coordinate with her parents as they also joined in on the trip. Who knew there would be so many options? I knew there would be a fair amount, but there were more than I thought possible.<br />
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How many days do you want to go? Where do you sail from? Do you have to fly in and Zodiac out to the ship? Or will you walk on to a docked ship? What kind of room do you want? Do you want a shared bathroom? What type of excursions are offered? Will you pay more for different experiences? What are the policies revolving around cancellations? All these questions help you figure out which company you book with. Regardless it will be a lot of money in order to do this, so we wanted to get the best experience for our money.<br />
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Spinning plates: our 12 day becomes a 10 day.<br />
We booked a 12 day trip, with additional kayak package, leaving from King George Island, which meant we would be flying across the Drake Passage from Punta Arenas on a charter flight prior to hopping on a Zodiac, which would take us to the waiting ship. We would be then sailing back across the Drake Passage into Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands and then flying a commercial flight back to Punta Arenas. Days before the orientation, Bill and Betsy flew into Santiago from WI and I had just returned back from volunteering at an English Code Camp in Concepcion. So the weekend we left for Punta Arenas we had to move out of our apartment as well as welcome Bill and Betsy. Beth also quit her job.<br />
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We all flew down to Punta Arenas, which was a fairly long flight. We took a cab to our lodging and then walked around the waterfront and found the hotel where our orientation meeting would be held the next evening. We didn't do much in terms of exploring as we were planning on some time in Punta Arenas before heading up to Torres Del Paine after the time on the ship. We looked at the outside of the casino and at some sculptures along the waterfront.<br />
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So the orientation meeting starts with a long story of how the ship we are scheduled to be on is late. The room explodes with a lot of angry people. We are told it will be 2 days late and that they have a plan. Why? Last season the ship was ran aground in the Arctic. Repairs had to be done in Quebec with the tour company acting as middleman between the Canadians doing the work and the Russian ship owners. One guy remarked that none of us would have made it on Shackleton's boat. There is discussion of reimbursement of the 2 lost days. Nothing is decided, but the home office was supposed to communicate it within the next 48 hrs.<br />
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The plan involves us wandering around Punta Arenas until 13:30 and then getting a good feed at the orientation hotel, no indication what they would be serving, and then busing up to Puerto Natales, where we will be in 1 of 3 hotels they managed to book. We would then do a group dinner before getting some sleep as tomorrow is going to be dozy. The next day would be a bus tour of the Torres del Paine National Park with a brief stop a cave and lunch during the tour. They planned on 11 hours. We would then have a group dinner before going to bed. The next day the charter plane is to leave Punta Arenas to pick us up in Puerto Natales before flying South to King George Island. So this plan isn't very appealing to anyone. Several people have just come from Torres del Paine or like us, going there after. Let's see how this plan plays out.<br />
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Riding the bus of hell:<br />
We check out of the hotel we were staying at, but we get to leave some luggage that we don't need on the trip there as we have a night booked upon our return. We walk down to the main hotel and drop off our bags we will need for the trip. IF you were at one of the 2 suggested hotels they offered a shuttle service. We had breakfast at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wakeupcafepuq/">Wake Up Cafe</a> and got a receipt as it was going to be reimbursed. Once we saw staff we tried to give the receipt, but we were told to turn it in on the ship and that they would take care of it. We subsequently misplaced the receipt and never got to reclaim the money we spent. Any way back to the story. We then met at the designated time for lunch at the hotel. I thought they would be doing some buffet style dishes because in the forms they asked about food preferences and Beth is a picky eater. Nope. Its a 3 course plated menu. I don't recall what it was, but Beth wasn't having any of it. I think it was fish as a woman from Australia has bad allergies and they had to do something different for her. This was going to be an on going issue. Lots of plated dishes and no regards for the food preferences you submitted earlier or the ones we kept giving the people in charge. Also vegetarian doesn't mean vegan.<br />
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So we are now loaded on buses and taken to Puerto Natales without a good feed. I would have rather just been given some money and had some local food that I choose. There were 3 buses for close to 90 people. There were 76 passengers and the rest employees. I won't lie. I slept a good portion of the drive and didn't see the landscape. I know that we stopped a couple times. Once for photos of flamingos and another time for a toilet break. We see a very rustic looking sign for our hotel and any expectations you had were instantly dashed. It was mismatched wood and a sloppily painted name. We have to go up a steep hill right off the highway to the parking lot. Upon cresting the hill, we are greeted with the sparkling <a href="https://www.remotahotel.com/en-gb">Remota</a> complex. They should update their sign below as the 2 do not match. I guess that is how they were able to get this many rooms last minute. We are given 20 minutes to check in, drop off bags, and get back to the bus. We then are bused to dinner in town with the other passengers. I don't recall the meal, but we are given the agenda for tomorrow and its going to be either sit on the bus and do a little walking while stopping at lookouts or fend for yourself in the small town. If we wanted to do anything it would be out of pocket. So we signed up to be uncomfortable in the bus.<br />
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The next morning we ate a buffet breakfast before loading up in the bus for our 11 hour tour of the park. We drove past the Devil's Chair on our way to the <a href="https://www.cascada.travel/en/News/Chilean-Patagonia-Tours-Inside-Mylodons-Cave">Mylodon's Cave</a>. You can read about both on the provide link. We spent longer than necessary at the attraction. This is going to be an on-going occurrence that has ramifications later. We then make our way to the park entrance. We have to get out and get tickets and go to the rest room as its going to be a long day. Our guide was really good and she told stories about the attractions that we were seeing as well as answering a bunch of questions. We stopped at several points on the way to lunch. These were at lakes and falls with the stunning Towers as a backdrop. We got to do one longer walk out to see Grey Glacier, but other than that we did very little all day. We showed up over an hour late to <a href="http://www.hosteriapehoe.cl/restaurant/">Hosteria Pehoe</a>, a restaurant on an island, for lunch. It wasn't remarkable food, but it was good to get out of the bus. As we were running late the last stop they had planned we had to cancel. Good thing as the road was under construction and we had to sit for a long time and by the time we got back to the hotel our 11 hour tour became 13 hours. Beth was in a lot of pain by this point. We then had to pick up a few people that didn't come on the bus ride from hell for dinner. We went to <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Restaurant_Review-g297400-d1217672-Reviews-Parrilla_Don_Jorge-Puerto_Natales_Magallanes_Region.html">Parrilla Don Jorge</a> where they specialize in lamb. I believe each table got 3 of their braziers filled with lamb. I think I ate the bulk of one by myself. It was a little over done to my liking, but still really tasty. Beth ended up getting a stuffed zucchini for dinner and a bowl of fruit for dessert. My dessert of tiramisu, blah. I ended up eating her fruit. They decided all vegetarians are vegan and just make the most restrictive, shitty food they can.<br />
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After dinner more bad news was delivered. It has been a theme. Aaron told us that we'll be busing back to Punta Arenas early in the morning as the pilots only have a small window to fly in and that the extra time to fly to pick us up in this different city might cause them issues if there were any hiccups and then delay our arrival to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_George_Island_(South_Shetland_Islands)">King George Island</a>. This was met with a bunch of WTF looks and further question why we went with this company. This guy needs to learn how to deliver bad news and to apologize to customers. So more anger and more time stuck in a bus. We are told that we have to be at the airport way earlier than the proposed flight time as its a charter and they might get a good flight window early. I don't think so. I think they didn't want to plan anything else for us. So we start even earlier than the previous hellacious day. We stop once on the way back to Punta Arenas, where we were just at a few days prior. This stop goes to hell as everyone needs to use the rest room and there is 1 outside that is free and 1 inside that cost 300 CLP. Both have large queues and takes way longer than the departure time they gave when we stopped. We got directly to the airport and upon walking in Bill and Betsy are shouting for us to go up to the front of the queue. They were on a different bus, but as we booked together we have to check in together for the flight. We quickly toss our bags to the gate agent without taking any additional cold weather gear out of them. Did I mention that we land on a gravel runway and have to stand outside until both planes have deplaned then walk back down the runway for 30 minutes to the waiting Zodiacs? Well we do. Prior to getting off the plane you are supposed to change into warm clothes. Most of ours are in our suitcases as we were rushed at the airport. Not that we needed them as the weather wasn't the problem. It was the lack of being able to pee that was the problem. We were in the first plane and had to stand outside for just under an hour waiting for the other plane. Then they had to deplane and we had to get clearance to walk down the runway. We pushed a good pace to be on the first Zodiac. We were told to hold up as a bunch of muppets were stopping to take selfies and other photos of the base we were walking through. Don't they know that bladders are about to explode?<br />
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Learning how to get in a kayak from a zodiac and having a blast paddling around ice bergs and a variety of marine life. We saw 5 types of penguins as well as different variety of seals and whales. There were a lot of birds as well. Our guides were top notch. Thanks Jordan and Michelle.<br />
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This has been sitting in edit mode forever. I'll post what I have. Maybe I'll finish the tale one day...<br />
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<br />Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-41577733568880089212019-02-21T10:05:00.000+13:002019-02-21T20:32:11.131+13:00Santiago: How I barely got to know thee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our time in Santiago is over now and we are back in New Zealand. So I'm reflecting on this last 3 month long adventure. What can I say? We had an apartment located just south of the Santa Lucia Metro Station on San Isidro. It was a 1 bedroom on the 11th floor that during the day was filled with the noise of the construction crew next door or at night the sounds of a barking dog. It however was a pretty good home with wonky floor boards. I coincidentally reconnected with a high school classmate whom I've not seen in 20 years, but happened to live less than a 10 minute walk away, via Instagram because of a common friend. Go Instagram for your algorithms. Less than a block a way, we had a circus class. So we could continue our training in an interesting gym. We found an amazing place called Lola's a short walk away to indulge in my ice cream habit. There was a very welcoming running group, <a href="https://www.greentrailclub.com/">Green Trail Club</a>, at Parque Metropolitano that I got along well with. It was a paid membership group, but they had a nice coach to help you get to where you wanted to be fitness wise. I met some gnarly mtb riders and did a few rides with them. This only scratches the surface though. We did a lot of things over the couple months we were based in Santiago.<br />
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I didn't use Meetup as heavily as I do in New Zealand as there weren't a lot of postings and the ones that were posted weren't that interesting. I did attend a photography group where we wandered around the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attraction_Review-g294305-d2342630-Reviews-La_Vega_Central-Santiago_Santiago_Metropolitan_Region.html">La Vega Market</a> for a morning taking and discussing photography. I tend to take a lot of photos, but felt like I could make them look a little better. I tend to document what I see and do rather than artistic type of photos. So I had a play at some more artistic types of photos on this adventure though. Here is a <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/vWhUFA9xAxSjNTnaA" target="_blank">photo album</a> from our time in Chile, not just Santiago.<br />
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<b>Food</b>:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLn16LAA87K18QEAGxR-y5getr6_fXEDLUQNMoslv9XWPHIPcIVPqAkKpZfWIpH3S8ys-Q12X-REwmNa8f-jgoMwvChbIzxxRj-sgARQCr8RZGJjW0DHo1DRFSIF0onc0JJ6Ve2JWAu4/s1600/IMG_20190217_164552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="1600" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLn16LAA87K18QEAGxR-y5getr6_fXEDLUQNMoslv9XWPHIPcIVPqAkKpZfWIpH3S8ys-Q12X-REwmNa8f-jgoMwvChbIzxxRj-sgARQCr8RZGJjW0DHo1DRFSIF0onc0JJ6Ve2JWAu4/s320/IMG_20190217_164552.jpg" width="320" /></a>27. 27, the number of empanadas I consumed in the last 3 months. The standouts include a <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Restaurant_Review-g316040-d2709437-Reviews-Empanadas_Tia_Berta-Easter_Island.html">joint</a> in Rapa Nui, aka Easter Island, and a place called <a href="http://www.aquipepe.cl/">Aqui Pepe Empanadas</a> in Santiago. I've tried a variety of flavors. I didn't just stick with the quintessential flavor: <a href="https://www.thespruceeats.com/chilean-style-beef-empanadas-3029728">Pino</a>. I started working my way through the <a href="http://finde.latercera.com/comer/ranking-mejores-empanadas-2018/">Top 5 Empanadas for 2018</a> list. I tried 2 out of 5. I had them from street vendors to restaurants. Each having their unique take on a simple dish. Some were decent, others were awful. Only a few were worth going back for another. We also took an afternoon and learned how to make our own pino empanadas. So these will be added to my yearly list of things to make. Much like pasties as they are labor intensive. So have to set aside time just to make them. I wonder how well they freeze.<br />
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I judged the empanadas similarly to how I judge a pie.<br />
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<ol>
<li>The crust has to hold up to being maneuverable. If it breaks apart, it is crap. Its a hand held food.</li>
<li>The crust has to have substance, texture, and flavor. There are different style of crust. Some go for crispy, thin pizza like crust while others favor the other extreme of doughy, pan pizza like crust. Or somewhere in the middle. I prefer them crispy, but they have to have flavor by themselves as the folded edges don't have any filling and must taste good on their own.</li>
<li>I typically eat baked empanadas over fried, but not always. If fried they can't hold the oil flavor.</li>
<li>Filling must have a depth of flavor. The pino has a combination of meat, onion, cumin, olive, egg, and raisin among other things. Nothing should over power the other, but you should be able to taste the distinct elements as you eat.</li>
<li>Filling must fill the entire cavity. Nothing worse than taking that first bite and seeing that the filling fills less than half of the pocket. That is a lot of real estate taken up by air. It also weakens the crust and is more likely to fall apart.</li>
<li>Cost. They have to be cheap. That being said, the empanada in Rapa Nui was the most expensive one we purchased and it was damn good. </li>
</ol>
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Our neighborhood had a lot of Venezuelan places to try. We tried several of them and found out that we enjoyed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cachapa">cachapas</a>, a corn pancake filled with meat and cheese, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ_aBKgPlL0">patacones</a>, smashed double fried plantain cakes used instead of bread, sandwiches. I've already looked at how to make these when we get the craving for them again. These can be done much simpler than empanadas so could possibly have more frequently.<br />
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I've got a thing about eating from food trucks, stalls, and markets. More times than not I've found some of my best meals there. They also tend to be cheap with lots of diverse options. Steph and I went to what I thought was a pretty obscure food truck event hidden in a parking lot on Cerro San Cristobal. The event was not well publicized or sign posted. Instead you already had to know it was going on and walk until you found it located in a back parking lot. Most people aren't going to stumble upon this location or event. Even though the number of trucks was pretty small, we were pleasantly surprised by the food that we ate. With the amount of people that go up Cerro San Cristobal located in the <a href="http://www.parquemet.gob.cl/">Parque Metropolitano</a>, you should be able to have a bigger number of visitors and increased vendor participation. So up your game food trucks of Santiago!<br />
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Restaurant wise, a big standout for me was <a href="http://www.insertcoin.cl/">Insert Coin Bar</a>. The decor is straight up awesome and the food above average. You'll find the Super Mario Question Block being used as lamp shades as well as many iconic video game characters adorning the walls. There are video game inspired food and drinks. Including glasses that resemble health potions or Donkey Kong's barrels. But the real highlight is that you are sat at tables where you either get access to play a console or board games. You are supposed to have a 90 minute limit, but I don't think its strongly enforced. There are even some pinball machines around. If that is your jam. There are 2 different locations, but be warned there can be long wait at night.<b> Bring your ID. </b>This is needed to secure the controllers.<br />
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Music:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62o4j9uCj7fB_Qt76gevf6czfo7JtVJMXS8tOTvr4e18syMk8h8U_zPEiPs81AEMJBTcu_yFsWkhG4Wg4C5tGdilF4gHwOqfm84PJlVHngeIuUV_W_EFSINeMMMl9XeyHa7WzEmut-Sg/s1600/IMG-20181208-WA0000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="962" data-original-width="1280" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62o4j9uCj7fB_Qt76gevf6czfo7JtVJMXS8tOTvr4e18syMk8h8U_zPEiPs81AEMJBTcu_yFsWkhG4Wg4C5tGdilF4gHwOqfm84PJlVHngeIuUV_W_EFSINeMMMl9XeyHa7WzEmut-Sg/s200/IMG-20181208-WA0000.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
We went to an outdoor cumbia festival called <a href="http://disfrutasantiago.cl/eventos/festival-chelero-pirque/">Festival Chelero</a>, which had a lot of food trucks and craft beer. Later I went to an arena cumbia show. These were something else. One of the big bands at the moment is this young band called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-bejeBwGWA">Santaferia</a>. Give them a listen. These bands each have a specific type of fan,but they all have immense energy. One band could have a young crowd while the next would have an aging population that is older than our friend Raf. They all enjoyed the music and then ecstatically wave their band's flag when their favorite took the stage. Eh Eh Eh.<br />
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Biking:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuSmlLsHvcLZtihBlZ4H0pq5P5Bhch0XWwF2M6RkLxLkNaenoL1Ks4YkG_GmQIRTUou4DgzrWIVBal9q_P0gLJkU8XK5uq26ENWcdq4vF15UPdYHKLxgC9ll0YDqp-7WRnmqwkt_6us8/s1600/IMG-20181220-WA0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuSmlLsHvcLZtihBlZ4H0pq5P5Bhch0XWwF2M6RkLxLkNaenoL1Ks4YkG_GmQIRTUou4DgzrWIVBal9q_P0gLJkU8XK5uq26ENWcdq4vF15UPdYHKLxgC9ll0YDqp-7WRnmqwkt_6us8/s320/IMG-20181220-WA0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I got out to ride trails 3 times over the past 3 months. I first rode with Paticio from <a href="https://www.huasotours.com/es/mountain-bike-tours-santiago-de-chile/mtb-cerro-san-cristobal/">Huaso Tours</a> on the trails around Cerro San Cristobal. These trails would be impossible to figure out without a guide. There are no signs or maps. We would ride down a fire road then dip off around a fence to find a track or ride across some brush around a corner only to find a trail. On our ride, we had to push up a steep hill to get to a gentle track next to the waterway that feeds Parque Metropolitano. The other rides were with Jean Claude of <a href="http://www.biketur.cl/">biketur</a>. We tackled trails at <a href="https://montenbaik.com/tag/bike-park-el-durazno/">Durazno Park</a> in search of the Andes Secret Spot. On this ride you dip under the fence out of the park and into some sweet rocky chutes. The trails are dusty and loose. I washed out on some descending corners when the trail acted like a Thanos snap victim and faded away. On a sharp pinch up, I ended up snapping a chain and I had a long bike push back to the house. The next ride was a Thursday Night Shop Ride with some of Jean Claude's mates up Manquehue. This involved a long climb with some great views of the city behind us. It was cool to see the city lit up from high up. The descents were tricky as they were stupid steep and rocky and I couldn't pick out a line because the dust from the previous rider was blocking my vision. This ride ended at midnight and I didn't get home until almost 1 am as I cycled back to the apartment from the shop. Not an issue because Santiago hardly sleeps!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XS54np0Rc9U-p7K8C9YhlcDuNnYV2E4JUZffr7EoJ1JCJrWypheLLpJ48pPLfZ8qe3VqVDTaLZgBUkx-8LTFWXEmgRuz0vulVpiePCG-Ti2IGffSfBWnPwAYGNWt-LsVXTgtG86ck0Q/s1600/IMG_20181128_160415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="1600" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1XS54np0Rc9U-p7K8C9YhlcDuNnYV2E4JUZffr7EoJ1JCJrWypheLLpJ48pPLfZ8qe3VqVDTaLZgBUkx-8LTFWXEmgRuz0vulVpiePCG-Ti2IGffSfBWnPwAYGNWt-LsVXTgtG86ck0Q/s320/IMG_20181128_160415.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I did a lot of road riding to explore the city. Good thing as I brought over my pink cross check in order to do this. Many weekends I would join a bunch of muppets in riding the C<a href="http://www.ciclorecreovia.cl/">icloRecreoVia</a>. This shuts down lots of streets and brings a lot of people out. This includes bikes, walkers, runners, roller skaters and roller bladders, dogs, as well as fitness classes being taught alongside the road or in the parking spaces. I used my bike as a way to see and get to the know city. I didn't use it as a means of commuting as I didn't work. I only recall locking it up a handful of times. Mainly I would ride around for hours just exploring. Sometimes using the cycle lanes or other times playing leap frog with buses and taxis as they pulled over to allow passengers on or off.<br />
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A note about cycling in Santiago. There needs to be a map and app of the cycle lanes that you can map a safe route to your destinations The lanes themselves need a lot of work. There were no rhyme or reason to how they were thrown down. They were sometimes one directional on the road with traffic. Other times they were one directional on the road against traffic. Then again they could be found on the sidewalk. Or they could be separated from traffic with both one- or bi-directional lanes on either side of the road and these could switch over intersections. It took a little getting used to but I also just took the lane and did not ride in the cycle lane all the time.<br />
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Meetup:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6w0bOHKzNF9jXC8GWbEEV_f6-snJAGjItHqPfnfLLNxftE78nJ1D_8YxzdkWxm5pHTyjJ_DFbO7C4Miepg1QmyBcNB6TVfYfO6OPrUzjkVTnhgBZE3aaZhoN41kjpbIhU-DVy8fsJs7A/s1600/DSC_0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6w0bOHKzNF9jXC8GWbEEV_f6-snJAGjItHqPfnfLLNxftE78nJ1D_8YxzdkWxm5pHTyjJ_DFbO7C4Miepg1QmyBcNB6TVfYfO6OPrUzjkVTnhgBZE3aaZhoN41kjpbIhU-DVy8fsJs7A/s320/DSC_0050.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
They aren't that many options to choose from, but I did attend a photography group. We met up at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Vega_Central_Market">La Vega</a> and shot for the morning. We then had lunch over at Tienda La Molina. The group leader then proceeded to jet off home to Canada for a few weeks. I had hopes to attend the sunset meetup, but I ended up working as volunteer at an English Coding Camp in a different city. Then we went out to Banos Morales and I missed the last meetup that I could have possibly attended.<br />
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Circus:<br />
We had found a few places on line, but when I reached out to them nobody got back. It was on one of my early walks that I saw a place called <a href="https://es-la.facebook.com/pages/category/Sports---Recreation/Polecross-1463026803748691/">Polecross</a> just down the street from us. The building is crazy as there are several tenants. Up front was a dairy and a Venezuelan place. After walking through that you get to the gym. The gym comprised of a crossfit section, a place for circus stuff, and pole fitness in the way back behind 2 big sliding doors. They would be blasting AC/DC and might have a fan blowing, but the room was super hot. We practiced lyra while we were there from Consuela. She spoke very little English so we typically just watched her do it and then we mimicked her. During the later classes we understood a little more of what she was saying so a demonstration wasn't needed. As a few other students started coming as they were off of holiday. These were pretty intense 2 hour sessions. The warm up involved lines, abs, conditioning, tumbling skills, and handstands. Then we would get on one of the 3 lyras. We worked on a variety of different skills. It is something different from the static trapeze I've been doing in Wellington and required me to work differently. Lyra is Beth's apparatus though. So she continued to work on her many skills on it.<br />
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Random Activities:<br />
We went to an Outdoor Expo where there was a small climbing wall, a slack line, an archery target, a tent about bike packing, and a tent with running gear. We bought some fun buffs. I got a Darth Vader and Beth got a fun unicorn one. There were also presentations on the main stage, but they were in Spanish so we didn't pay much attention to them. We ended up doing a couple Instagram Story Videos for a couple of tents.<br />
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While out walking one day we came across a sign for Fantasy and Fiction Convention. We came back to find a small gathering of local comic artists selling their work. A few sculptures and make-up artists as well. Once you paid the entry you gained access to the cultural building. Outside there was a Scout Walker and a speeder bike. There were then Lego versions of Yoda and Darth Vader along with some other Lego characters. Inside there were rooms filled with private collections. These could be tributes to Marvel or Adam West's Batman. There were a few sponsored rooms that included The Lego 2 Movie and Aquaman. My favorite room was of course Star Wars. This included a 1-to-1 Scale Millennium Falcon cockpit. When we were leaving a girl dressed as Rey was posing in the cockpit for photos.<br />
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We checked out both the <a href="https://www.museoacieloabiertoensanmiguel.cl/">Museo Cielo Abierto</a>, which consists of murals on buildings, and <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/Attraction_Review-g294305-d2056190-Reviews-Parque_De_Las_Esculturas-Santiago_Santiago_Metropolitan_Region.html">Parque De Las Esculturas</a>, which consists of sculptures next to the river. The first is in a small community South of CBD. We biked over, but it might be possible to bus as well. We wondered around admiring the street art. These could be up to 3 stories tall and pretty intricate. The latter involved a lot of different types of sculptures that laid strewn about the side of the Mapocho River.<br />
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Quirks:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Saying hello and goodbye to people in the elevator</li>
<li>No set standing etiquette in elevators</li>
<ul>
<li>People may get in and face any direction and stand super close to you even when there is only a few passengers</li>
</ul>
<li>Having to bag and tag your own produce and bakery bread prior to checkout</li>
<ul>
<li>If you don't you don't get to buy it. They will just pile it up at the front of the checkout lane</li>
</ul>
<li>Tipping the bag boy/girl at grocery stores (well back when they used plastic bags and physically bagged your goods) as they are students and work for tips.</li>
<ul>
<li>You still might tip if you have several reusable bags that they pack for you. As we only had a single bag, we packed it up ourselves. Sorry kids no tips from us.</li>
</ul>
<li>Tipping of 10% may be a line item on your bill and you can added it if you choose</li>
<li>There is no discernible sidewalk etiquette. They seem to walk right at you at all times of the day. They don't follow road rules on the sidewalk and walk on the right side. They walk on any side. Sometimes even 5 abreast. You don't give way. You show no signs of weakness when coming head to head with someone else. You don't look up from your phone unless you are walking around with your phone in front of your face while talking on speaker phone.</li>
<li>You are supposed to register your phone on longer stays. Never found out how that worked</li>
<li>Data on my phone never worked that well. Some apps worked fine, but there was definitely no browsing</li>
</ul>
Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-33533795007747623482018-11-28T02:37:00.000+13:002019-02-14T09:29:56.800+13:00Santiago Chile<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFBHZEoP22LhBn7A0tX6c3i1wmmfXxxk2AsAC67dj4cwRW-PDVYsGKvRHsz_Cs6q_uGT-UYQWVp5GNd5v2SgjZPPicGMemn11wbJyMEgfH7NliG1rBTg6_mOYd8gqnCcmykcQC9MISVo/s1600/IMG_20181123_202514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="1600" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFBHZEoP22LhBn7A0tX6c3i1wmmfXxxk2AsAC67dj4cwRW-PDVYsGKvRHsz_Cs6q_uGT-UYQWVp5GNd5v2SgjZPPicGMemn11wbJyMEgfH7NliG1rBTg6_mOYd8gqnCcmykcQC9MISVo/s320/IMG_20181123_202514.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So we've pulled up stakes from Wellington last week and darted off to Chile for the summer. We'll be based in Santiago for the first 2 months then a trip to Antarctica and then travel around the southern part for the remainder of the time. Then it's back to Wellington to start the next leg of life.<br />
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I'll try to write more in this journey as it's something new and different from our daily life in NZ.Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-59183570522148852662018-10-12T12:05:00.000+13:002018-10-12T12:15:13.924+13:00It's Official...Kiwis<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsCwl5FXVocDaU4_Tz2A9FXW0Ave_4wynByJbRUNTtEksAIvxj-uInZUDw31fc921dz-qG0QwzrVDrrERSUf4ry78s6idBtVOd05en14-quYA0s6Z6iR3lbK9k8IUjqmEFbzrqaLM_ns/s1600/IMG_20181011_180130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1186" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwsCwl5FXVocDaU4_Tz2A9FXW0Ave_4wynByJbRUNTtEksAIvxj-uInZUDw31fc921dz-qG0QwzrVDrrERSUf4ry78s6idBtVOd05en14-quYA0s6Z6iR3lbK9k8IUjqmEFbzrqaLM_ns/s320/IMG_20181011_180130.jpg" width="237" /></a></div>
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Sorry I've not written up what we've been up to for some time. We've had some adventures. Did Old Ghost Road, scuba dived in Tahiti, visited the US twice, and did a shortshort tour with my brother and father.<br />
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Last night we were sworn in as Kiwis. We are now citizens of New Zealand! Just in time for our summer away. We're moving to Santiago, Chile for most of the summer with a short trip to Antarctica as well. I found a high school friend had been living down there for a while so I'll know one person. Which is a little different then when we moved to NZ over 6 years ago.Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-67430542291703527592018-04-20T20:01:00.002+12:002018-04-20T20:01:56.400+12:00Pie Ride StatsPie Count: 35<br />
Caramel Slices: 20<br />
km ridden: 3809.4<br />
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Best Pies:<br />
Lignite Cafe<br />
Murchison Tea House<br />
Food for Thought<br />
Waitiki Visitor Centre<br />
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Best Caramel Slices:<br />
Real Meat Pies<br />
Eruption Cafe<br />
Sweet Cakes<br />
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Best Sausage Roll:<br />
Inangahua<br />
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Best Looking Campsite:<br />
Slab Hut outside of Reefton<br />
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Best Sunset:<br />
Lake IantheKalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-67806176232685505742018-04-20T19:57:00.002+12:002018-04-20T19:57:26.571+12:00Pie Ride: North Island Diary EntriesSorry that this has taken almost a year to type up. I was recently talking to people about my trip and realized that I hadn't typed up the North Island events.<br />
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9-10/04/2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: 1<br />
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It was a well earned rest period. I worked on the bike, my body, and did an interview of sorts. We hosted Constantine for an evening and managed to see the Batman movie as well.<br />
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11/04/2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 2<br />
Flats: 1<br />
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Woke up early, but as I was home it was hard to leave. I ate, packed, loaded the bike, and headed out around 8:30. I took the Hutt River Trail to Upper Hutt and joined up with the Rimutaka Trail. There was a short section damaged with the recent flooding. I had to push my bike across that section. The trail wasn't very technical, but was very scenic. I would like to see what the coasat has to offer. You had a decent climb, but not as bad as the road as there are numerous tunnels you go through. Happy to have my light attached! There was a dicey section where they advise you to walk your bike. I originally scoffed at the idea. Glad I reconsidered as that was nuts. Maybe on my MTB, but fully loaded rigid bike no thanks. You then had to manage a stream with a very uneven riverbed. Then it was all downhill! I got to a junction and flatted. I was 2km from the road.<br />
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Oh well, it was bound to happen at some point. I fixed my flat and hit the road. It was a quick 10km to Featherston where I had a Salty Dog drink and a good burger at Everest. The burger would have been better if the bottom of the bun wasn't soggy. The town seemed to be happening. Lots of cars and people. Well then I rode off to Martinborough. This is where I originally planned on staying but swapped for Carterton based on price. I ran into 2 cyclists (1 from Australia and the other France). We chatted for a bit and I may see them tomorrow as we both plan on route 52 for the bulk of the day. From there I rode to Carteron via Stonehedge Aotearoa, they would have been closing as I rolled in so I snapped photos of Alpacas and called it a day. I got to Carterton and set up the tent. Had Turkish for dinner and read about the hot air balloon festival happening in town this week.<br />
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Tomorrow I'm riding to Ashhurst via Route 52 with a stop in Masterton. Beth booked a room as its supposed to be pissing out tomorrow starting at 3pm. Matter of fact it just started here. Wrapping up the journal, brush teeth, and scamper to the tent.<br />
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12/04/2017<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
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Woke up before 6 to be on the road as soon as possible to try to beat the rain in Ashhurst. I ran into a cycle commuter this morning and chatted a bit. This made me miss the recommended bakery. Oh well! I grabbed a pie in Masterton, which was decent. Not enough filling to fill the pie. Then grabbed a cookie and slice at 10 o'clock cookie break. Slice was good. Would eat again. I then found my way to Route 52 for back road fun. Lots of farms and some logging. Then stopped in Pahiatua for lunch at Wooden Spoon Cafe and to warm up from some of the rain that had fallen. The gorge was scary to ride. There was no shoulder and fast traffic. I'm glad there was construction to limit the vehicles behind me. With my arrival to Ashhurt the rain started. Glad my 130km is over with minimal cold rain. Tomorrow is a different story. Heading down Manawatu Scenic Route to Mangaweka 95km and 20 more to Taihape. Of course the weather could go to custard and I may have to re-evaluate. My pen has died.<br />
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13/04/2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourist: 0<br />
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The weather is supposed to take a turn for the worse so I left Ashhurst early to make it to Taihape before it really hits. I had a quick breakfast of oats and tea. Then it was time to ride the Manawatu Scenic Drive. This comprised of 95km of very little phone coverage and no place to restock. I thought I read something about Apiti, but as I turned down the road I got a text from Beth saying no cafe until Mangaweka. So I turned back around.<br />
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The ride was pretty brutal as it was steep climbs followed by steep descents with maybe a gentle gradient climb in between. Repeat this for the duration of the ride. I recall saying seriously as the road turned the bend to reveal a steep gradient and a long climb. Well at least it didn't rain that much until I hit Mangaweka. I proceeded to smash a ginger beer, 3 glasses of water, a hot chocolate, a creamy mushroom soup with 2 pieces of toast, and a lamb burger. This is because I ate only 2 GUs, a handful of mangos, and a handful of trail mix for the entire ride. I managed to converse a couple swallows of my last water bottle before hitting town. With it being poor weather and a holiday weekend, I bought snacks for my bags and a couple other items for breakfast and dinner.<br />
<br />
The stretch from Mangaweka to Taihape is crazy. Up the big hill there is a passing lane, but most people just buzzed me on the narrow shoulder. I yelled a few times 'Are you serious? There is a passing lane.' The 20km seemed longer because of this and the rain. Is there any other route I could have taken? I want to minimize my time on SH1. Beth booked me at Rusty Nail Backpackers. Go figure its on a big hill. At least I get a descent when I leave.<br />
<br />
I'm in an 8 person dorm with 1 other guy who I've not met yet. I walked into town to get some groceries. It was about a 10 minute walk along side SH1. I stopped by Brown Sugar Cafe and there was a peanut butter slice. The storm finally started hitting around 4. Then there was a Hope Walk for suicide going on around town. Tomorrow I think I'm heading to Ohakune, but the Timber Trail is probably going to be crap with all the rain we've been getting. So I may flag that and just go around the West side of the Lake. Beth and I may do a walk if timing is an issue. Jake won't be in until Wed and can't get the bike until Thursday.<br />
<br />
14-04-2017<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
I rode from Taihape to Ohakune via the OTT Trail, it says grade 4 but onlyt because its remote. I saw 16 cars, an atv, and 1 horse rider all day on the back roads. It was a fair amount of climbing, all day up and down with a lot of up. Oh yes one of the hostel guys made me self-conscious as he said 'you got some pretty big legs on you, don't you?' My quads definitely seem to be perma-pumped on the trip. I had a dad's pie at Ohakune after the ride as I was hungry. It was an Angus Beef Chili and Cheese. Surprisingly very good. My last dad's pie was just ok. Beth booked us a room at the quiet end of town. Which really meant more climbing. We had a nice meal at Osteria and she managed to retrieve my jacket I left at the Rusty Nail backpackers earlier. Managed to sit in a hot tub for a good spell and relax the muscles.<br />
<br />
15-04-2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
Flats: 1<br />
<br />
Short ride from Ohakune to National Park. Luckily as I had a flat, my pump broke, and early morning rain which lasted into early afternoon. Beth and I had a couple meals then she went to National Park, but we also went to Ruapehu and did a waterfall track and my phone's camera lens got condensation in it. I rode the Old Coach Road up to Horopito. The track is a combination of grass, mud, gravel, single track, and cobblestones. Lots of fun, but had to watch out for the people going downhill. I ended up getting very muddy and wet as the rain started up again. I caught up to a another drop bar brother on the track. It was the same guy who earlier been riding down Ruapehu. He was on a cross bike and was from Kapiti Coast. Chatted with him for a bit and spun throuth Horopito junk yard before he headed back to Ohakune and me to National Park. This hostel also had a hot tub. I made use of it right away as I was soaked from the ride. Beth and I cooked dinner and then went to bed. Both of us exhausted from the previous day, me riding and her driving.<br />
<br />
16-04-2017<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
Beth went to do a track while I was riding. I googled bike directions from National Park to Tihoi to Kinloch to Taupo, it was 140km. I had 30km between National Park to Tihoi on back roads. Little did I know that last 13km was going to be on private land. I did call the numbers provided to get access, but no answer on Easter Sunday. So I hopped the fence as I thought it was going to be a few km until the next road. Nope, 13km of private roads. I ran into a group walking and got asked where I was going and that I was on private land. I apologized several times, and explained the situation. Finally, I got back onto the highway. I started up to Tihoi and Beth came up behind me. We went to a lookout and talked about our morning adventures. She then went up to Tihoi Tavern where we planned to eat a late lunch. After a short amount time, Beth came back and told me the tavern is for sale and closed. So I had her go to Kinloch for the next meet up. Shortly befor Orakau Track the skies opened and I managed to get my rain gear on shortly after all ready getting a bit wet. I texted Beth saying the weather turned shit. It was super windy, thundering, down pouring, and what felt like hail. I made it to the shelter at the track start and I couldn't stop shivering.<br />
<br />
Beth came to pick me up. I ended up riding to Otake Road as Jake and I will ride from Taupo to there on our journey north. We are parting ways tomorrow with Beth going home to Wellington and I to Sam's place for a couple nights. So I'll not be tour riding in the next couple days but mtb might be happening.<br />
<br />
17-04-2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
It was Easter Monday so Beth dropped me off at my mate Sam's place, where I'll be for the next few nights. I'm waiting for my brother to arrive and rest up. Well not really rest as we went mtb riding yesterday; Graeme, Sam, and I. We ran into JB on the tracks. So it was pretty funny when he pulled up next to me. No expecting to see me on the tracks. Nice ride even though it was wet and muddy. Tomorrow I plan on getting a massage and getting my bike cleaned up a bit. Clothes are already clean so maybe a blog post as well. Night.<br />
<br />
18-04-2017<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
Got a massage and caught up with Dee. Played with the kids and wandered around town. Tomorrow Jake arrives.<br />
<br />
19-04-2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
Jake has arrived. Another rest day. Just caught up with MTB crew. Played and raced the kids. We worked on cart wheels, planks, and flexibility. We also spent a long time with legos.<br />
<br />
20-04-2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: 2<br />
Flats: 1<br />
Wrecked tires: 1<br />
<br />
Woke up early at Sam's. Played with kids and packed up. Went to Top Gear to get Jake's bike. Talked to Mark a bit. Jake struggled with panniers on the rack. We messed with it for a good while then just switched panniers to the bikes. So we're partially carrying each others gear. We go on the road about noon. We cycled out to Kinloch and around the old neighborhood. Then down to the beach for a brief moment to call the US. Then back on to Whangamata Stream Track then out to Mangakino to a campsite next to the lake. On the way, I ended up slicing my tire open. Ugh. Luke was just talking about carrying an extra tire because of damage. Ended up on the side of the road outside of Whakamaru with some duct tape. Little paranoid as we are going on the Waikato River Trail tomorrow and won't be around towns for a bit. Beth called Pack and Pedal. Nigel had a 700x42 cross king in stock. Graeme said he could bring it out to me in Mangakino. Deserves a medal, or at least some extra $, when we pay him for the tire and tube. So I'll be installing a new tire/tube in the morning. The campsite is nice with a good view across the lake. Another camper warned us about locking our bikes as someone tried to steal theirs off their camper the previous night. So ours are locked up and bags removed.<br />
<br />
Its a bit chilly with the breeze coming off the lake though. Tomorrow will be a challenge on the waikato river trail to around June's Landing or Arapuni. The caramel slice from Eruption Cafe was pretty good. Chocolate fudge topping, a brownie bottom, and a weak caramel filling. It was the only lacking bit. Jake rode well but the initial climb was a bit of a struggle.<br />
<br />
21-04-2017<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
Broken Chain: 1<br />
BCS Calls: 1<br />
<br />
Woke up to a brisk morning on Lake Maraetai. Tore down camp after fitting new tire and tube from the legend Graeme, the previous night's delivery service. Then into town for a bit of breakfast. Then we rode to Waipapa Dam, as I missed the turn to Maraetai Dam, on the road. We then proceeded to ride an interesting track of stairs, steep climbs, loose descents, and flowing track while looking at bush and lake/river. Was definitely a hike a bike. Doing it loaded was a mission. I flatted again at lunch time. Just a pinch flat as its hard to manually pump up to good inflation levels, but we were also off road so a little give is nice. We had some pb on tortillas for lunch. We then proceeded up a big hill, 250m climb or so. I ended up breaking a chain link. Glad I have a few master links. Fixed it and got a hold of Beth. She booked us at Arapuni Backpackers. Well notified them that we may come. Good thing to as the campsite I found was on the otherside of the river South of town. Didn't appear that way on the map originally. It would have been 19km more to get there. Tomorrow the plan is to finish Waikato River Trail after breakfast at Rhubarb Cafe in town then onto Matamata, drop bags at holiday park then up to Wairere Falls. Then decide on Hobbiton the following day before heading up to Te Aroha.<br />
<br />
22-04-2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: 1<br />
<br />
We woke in our dorm and assembled our gear. We had planned on hitting the Arapuni Swing Bridge before breakfast at Rhubarb Cafe. Had a tasty Eggs Bennie, melting moment, citrius bar, and half of a caramel oaty slice. It was like oat crumble on top of a slice. Very tasty! Had an interesting conversation with the cook. He asked which direction we came from. I said South. He asked if we saw an American yesterday. I replied 'yeah, two. Us!' He replied 'That was better than expected. He must have taken my advice. He was on a road bike with those skinny tires.' I chuckled and said that wouldn't have made it. We spent a portion of yesterday pushing our bikes. After breakfast, it was time to get to Matamata. We had a bit of a hill after the Waikato River Trail that is where we saw the other tourist, who barely waved. The section on SH29 had a wide shoulder but the side road had little. We ended up on the side road to avoid traffic but it still found us. We got into town and had turkish, where some dude was giving the girls a hard time. I only want meat and BBQ sauce. I want the salad on the side now. Any way wankers. We then went to the holiday park and set up the tent and came back into town to schedule a Hobbiton trip. They were all booked for today. So we booked for tomorrow morning. Instead we wandered town and got a reservation for Osteria this evening. We went back to campsite and jumped in the hot pools. We ended up talking to a woman from Samoa. Said it was being developed by the Chinese and that their PM was being controlled by them. We then cycled back into town for dinner and back at night. I got to test out Beth's new lights. Very bright! Tomorrow is another night here with Hobbiton and Wairere Falls on the agenda. Monday night is Te Aroha at a holidy park for $33.<br />
<br />
23-04-2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Tourist Count: 0<br />
<br />
Another pseudo rest day. I woke up a bit before sunrise, but not Jake. We could have a late start as the Hobbiton tour didn't leave until 9:30. We ate in town and I had a good slice. The layers were proportionate and flavors worked well. The tour was different then the last time. Not so much detail of the history of the town or how things were constructed and how the property is now maintained. We were given ample time to take photos though. I want to compare thsi tour to my previous via the pictures I have. Afterwards, we cycled back to the holiday park and then out to Wairere Falls. We did both lookouts and a bit of the track along the top. Bit different from last time, no smokers on top only 4 runners who couldn't stop laughing. Tomorrow is another short ride, but looking at the Te Aroha summit track for 6 hour return. So it will be a long day. Then back to a good cycle after leaving the Te Aroha Holiday Park. We are doing Te Aroha to Paeroa and Paeroa to Waikino and back before doing Paeroa to Matatoki to stay with Kat and Garth. We'll have a decide if we are staying in Thames with Jason or at a holiday park futher up the coast. Even if we want the Thur 15:00 ferry, we should be able to cycle the 50+ km in the morning.<br />
<br />
24-04-2017<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
We left Matamata fairly early in order to get to Te Aroha to do the summit without light issues. We arrived at the holiday park just before 10. We set up the tent and ditched the bags then over to town. Had a really good pie at Kevin's bakery then proceeded up to the summit. The last time I was there was before Lake Waikaremoana with the troop. The track up was pretty and it was slick. The views up top were good. We took a couple breaks on the way up, but we were sweaty and thirsty. Only one was huffing and puffing. We have booked tickets for the ferry on Thursday. So we need to be to Coromandel a little before then. We are going out to eat with Maria tonight and staying with Jason in Thames or up the coast. We'll decide that tonight as well. As far as Auckland is concerned it may be a combination of places. Once Jake leaves it will be time to kick the tires and light the fires on this ride. It should be a quick trip up Northland and back down to either Auckland or Wellington. No real plans after Cape Reinga other then O-Rock at the end of May. We are talking about a trip back to the States in June. If that is the case, I need to get on getting my bike powder coated. Then assembled.<br />
<br />
25-04-2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
Flat count: 1 each<br />
<br />
We went from Te Aroha to Matatoki via the Hauraki Rail Trail with a trip out to Waikino to see the battery and gorge. I got a flat just outside of the return trip to Paeroa. Jake flatted outside of Matatoki. We talked to a guy, Karl, from Te Aroha, who has done the TA in 2016 and plans on 2018. He is shooting for 10 days as last time was 13.5 with a couple day mechanical. We stayed with Kat and Garth, where we had a big meal and we chatted about the Pie Ride and their adventures. They are off to Germany with Duffy and Shane for Challenge Roth and an ultra. Then next year is a swim race in Vermont.<br />
<br />
26-04-2017<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: 1<br />
<br />
Garth loaned us his ute, so we drove around the East Side of the Coromandel. We stopped in Tiarua in the morning. I had a pie and a slice. Meh. Then up to Cathederal Cove. Prety cool. It was my first time there. Then over to Whitianga. Then back to Matatoki for our long ride to Thames. We stayed with Jason. We talked about his lack of riding, hunting, and future plans. Looking at Old Ghost Road, 42nd Traverse, and other rides. We saw a lady on a folding bike loaded up at dusk heading South out of Thames. Where to? I don't know.<br />
<br />
27-04-2017<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 2<br />
<br />
We rode up the coast from Thames to Coromandel Town. We had a 3pm ferry. We saw a crashed ute on one of the sharp banks. We passed Die Hard Stream. I had a lamb curry pie from Food for Thought (an old council stomping ground) on the recommendation of Garth. Super good. There were several slips still being cleaned up, so it made it easier to cycle up the coast as we only had wavers of cars sporadically passing us. We ran into a bike packer on the top of the 1st hill out of Thames. He had an interesting setup to say the least. 2 dry sacks draped over the stem, a seat bag that went super high on his back, and bull horn bars. It was the bike's maiden voyage. He was already talking about changes. Go figure. He couldn't stand up on climbs and had to ride with hands next to stem for his brakes. No room for lights on the bar. Looked like a city bike without the touring gear.<br />
<br />
We rode into Coromandel just before 2 and ordered some pizza. We had to dash as I found out the ferry was 10km back down the road. We made it with 15 minutes to spare. There was a French touring guy on it as well. The ferry was pretty smooth, but some annoying kids. We then rode to the hotel in Auckland CBD. It was pretty flash. We wandered CBD and ate some food from a street vendor and Acho's up in an arcade that drops out to Myers Park.<br />
<br />
28-04-2017<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
We rode to the ferry and to Banu's place. We then bussed back into CBD to go sailing with Peter.<br />
<br />
29/30-04-2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
Played tour guide. Rode to Devonport and Takapuna. Then walked to Milford Park.<br />
<br />
01-05-2017<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
Did the Coast to Coast walk and Rachel's Birthday dinner. No riding!<br />
<br />
02-05-2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
Jake left today. I fixed all my punctured tubes. Did some laundry. Wandered the North Shore. BCS is contracting me to do some training tomorrow. Then back on the road Thursday. I've started my route planning from here to Pararoa. Pararoa to Renewa. Renewa to 90 Mile Beach Holiday Park. These will be bigger days and then riding back to Wellington. Have to decide my route back.<br />
<br />
03-05-2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
Contracted back to BCS to give the new BI dev something I never got, a conversation with the predessesor as to where things are and how things are done. Waste of time really as they could have looked at the documentation and asked questions to Koos and Jimmy where most files are. Things not covered like cubes aren't really being used.<br />
<br />
04-05-2017<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
Left Banu's a little later as I wanted the rain to clear up. I picked Paparoa as my ending point a few days ago. However, I started to feel like shit lsat night. I rode out on Albany Highway to Dairy Flat and then over to SH16 before joining SH1 in Wellsford. I know 130km would be long but I felt drained. Hard up hills, my head throbbed, and I was constantly blowing out snot. Ugh. The hills and snot were unrelenting today. The fever and chills came as well. I was looking for a place to crash before Paparoa, but they looked sketchy. So I resolved myself to a long, painful day in the saddle. I asked if there was a cabin, but I was out of luck. So I camped last night. It was warm out, but my fever/chills really caused me grief. Wrapped in my bag then off then back on. Sleep lasted until almost 8am. Food at Paparoa Hotel was ok. Supposed to be Southern American. It wasn't.<br />
<br />
05-05-2017<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
Rode 6km and it hurt. The little hill made my head hurt. My snot hasn't stopped. It is a short day as I need rest. I ate at the Cafe in Matakohe before heading to the holiday park. I scored a sweet cabin for $50 and promptly passed out until 14:00. I read a bit, but should have struggled up the hill earlier as the cafes were closed by 16:00. So I'm having couscous, peas, and tuna tonight. Then back to bed. I aslo suspected I had a slow leak in my rear tire. Suspicions confirmed. Small whole only leaked under a lot of pressure. Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel better and can do some riding. Bad weather is on the horizon for next week. 3rd cyclone of the season. So if I feel good Dargaville or beyond. Otherwise, may stick around or limp to the next town some 15km away. Being sick sucks.<br />
<br />
06-05-2017<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
Still very sick. No riding. No energy. Fever/Chills/Body aches.<br />
<br />
Nice ladies at holiday park gave me veggie soup, bread, eggs, and a 'witches brew', lemon & honey. Spent the day sleeping and reading. The room smells awful. Like sickness. Have windows open to air it out. Going to ride to Dargaville tomorrow. More options for food and more throat meds.<br />
<br />
07-05-2017<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
Felt like crap. Better than yesterday, but body didn't want to move like I wanted it to. Spent a good portion of the morning at Kauri Museum. It was pretty big. Lots of massive wood chunks and machines to harvest and cut the mighty trees.<br />
<br />
The road to Dargaville had no shoulder per se and the white line was a rumble strip. So I took the lane. I passed Tokatoka that looked like a cool place to visit. In Dargaville I got some meds and saw 'Going In Style' which is a fn little heist movie. Planning for tomorrow Waipoua Visitor Centre & Campground. Have to get more water as there is none there. Then up to Rawene for the ferry.<br />
<br />
08-05-2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
Good sleep last night. Woke up before 7. Started to get all my gear sorted. Then off to find an open cafe. No such luck. Bought some groceries and back to hostel. Whipped up PB & toast, yogurt, apple, and OJ. I used the hostel's bike pump to get my tires back up to 80 psi. Front was 60 and rear was 50. It made a huge difference today in how it handled and speed. Riding lower definitely feels better but the speed was welcomed. The road out of Dargaville was pretty foggy so I didn't leave right away. As I only planned a few hour ride I could afford to wait around. There were a couple long climbs and a flowly descent into Waipoua Forest that I took easy. The campsite is right by the river, but the cafe at the visitor centre is closed. The sole worker had to go to Auckland. Should be back this afternoon. I need some change for the campsite fee.<br />
<br />
Glad I brought plenty of provisions. I'll have to do lunch, dinner, and breakfast for sure. Should be a quite night as the place looks empty with only a single camper in the parking lot so far. Looking at the visitor centre most of the short walks are closed. I can only imagine the slips they must have gotten with all the rain. Tomorrow its back out to the road, it was gravel back to campsite, and up a big hill to see Tane Mahuta, about 10 kms away. Then riding to Rawene to either hunker down for the night or to catch the ferry across so it will be easier to ride to Ahipara/90 Mile Beach holiday park the following day. I'm almost 2/3 the way complete of the adventure. Then its all downhill back home to Lower Hutt.<br />
<br />
09-05-2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
Woke up early this morning to leave Waipoua Forest in order to make it all the way to Ahipara with daylight. Ran into a British couple last night that commented on my campsite. I was right off the river. We got to talking about which direction I was heading. I replied North. The lady warned me of the bad road ahead of me. No shoulder, long hills. I said I've ridden from Bluff so I know about NZ roads. He commented that it shouldn't be a problem if you've done that. Anyway I was on the road just after 7. It was a long hill, but not steep so manageable. I stopped off to see the Four Sisters and Tane Mahuta before pulling over at a scenic outlook. Low and behold who shows up? That's right the British couple. They guessed I started at 6 in order to ride the hill and see the kauri (I was told it was pronounced like cody). Nope just after 7. They wished me a safe ride. I then ate in Waimamaku where I ordered an eggs bennie, hot chocolate, tea, and carrot cake. The woman asked where I was riding to. I said I want to make Rawene before noon and then onto Ahipara. She responded 'What the...shit that's far.' Had a good chuckle about that response. I then was able to turn over the legs and sustain over 30 kph. There was plenty of vert today and it was warm. Went through 4 bottles and several refill stops. Jersey was crusty with salt tonight.<br />
<br />
Pulled into Ahipara Holiday Park just after 15:00. Set up tent and started communicating with Beth about tomorrow's plan. Low tide around 14:30, so riding around 10:30. Up the beach to Cape Reinga then back tracking down SH1 to backpackers. Looking at doing Eastern Side of the N. Island to Auckland. Then up in the air on what way home. West Coast, East Coast, or even the train. Options.<br />
<br />
10-05-2017<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
Replaced Brake Pads: 1<br />
<br />
Woke up like normal, around 6am, and had some pb on a tortilla. The fellow camper came over and talked to me. He was a 70 yr old dairy farmer from Ruawei, who plans on section walking the TA over the next 10 years. He did the section over 90 Mile Beach over 7 days and his pack weighed 16kg, 9kg being food and water. He said I should have no problem with high tide and stick to the car tracks.<br />
<br />
Nope, I started about 20 minutes over high tide. It was brutal hike a bike through occasional surge of surf. Chubby is going to need a thorough clean when this is over. The decision was to wait closer to low tide to move on as I've only gone a few kms in over an hour. I could ride a couple hundred meters at a time. I'll probably never ride the beach again going North. It was a strong wind out of the NE all day with a slight rain but for 5 minutes.<br />
<br />
I saw a few cars, buses, a single ATV, and a group of Asians looking for a lake today. I pulled up my map and there was a lake to the NE of where they parked but they were heading to the West to the Ocean. This happened while I was hike a biking up the stream. I made the decision to flag the final stop at Cape Reinga this evening. The rear brake was making a noise that indicated brake pad needed to be replaced. I wanted some real food. Trail mix, mango slices, and oat & fruit biscuits didn't cut it today. I also had only about 500ml of water left. So I went to Waitiki for accommodation and food at the take away. I had wedges, steak & egg burger, 2 sausages, donuts, 2 scoops of ice cream, and a ginger beer. I then took a shower prior to starting bike maintenance. I poured fresh water over the bike to get rid of the sand and replaced the rear brake pad. The cassette and chain rings are showing a lot of wear. The chain as well isn't looking too flash. So tomorrow I'm doing the 20ish km to Cape Reinga then come back here to pick up my gear and ride South until I get reception and find a place to stay after about 100km. So 90 Mile Beach is monotonous and very exposed stretch. It could workout if the wind and tide are favorable. Fighting tide and wind all day isn't fun.<br />
<br />
11-05-2017<br />
Pie Count: 2<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
Flats: 1<br />
<br />
Woke up just after 6 and got my stinky kit together. Actually it was the first time wearing the jersey and rain jacket. The bibs have a couple long days of use. The socks even more. The wet shoes stank a lot. The gloves a bit. I think I permeate a cloud of funk right now. Well not now as I've done all my laundry. The shoes can't be helped other then trying to dry them out with the heater tonight. The ride to Cape Reinga was a hilly one. I'm glad I didn't attempt with only my front brake with the return to Waitiki being after dark. My legs feel fried today and I kept cursing the hills as they were unrelenting this morning. Must have been clost to 800m of climb in 40km. Got back to Waitiki and gorged on 2 <u>very good</u> chicken & vege pies. They are up there for best pie of the trip for sure. The backpackers not so much. I think I impressed them with my appetite as I got 2 pies, 2 peach teas, a ginger beer, and a cadbury caramel chocolate bar. Everything other than the cadbury was consumed quickly. I typically keep a bar in my food bag as a reward for climbing hills, 2 squares at a time. I chatted to the ladies for a bit to get some feel for the road south of where I was. A couple hills and a gentle incline. Wasn't that bad other than the wind. Once again a day of driving wind to make it difficult. I finally got reception and a flurry of texts. I was looking to crash at Pukenui but things were full or closed, but Beth managed to book a cabin at Wagner Holiday Park. I just had to ride another 30km to get there.<br />
<br />
Along the way, I got flat #7 and changed it on the side of the road. Then got into Pukenui and demolished a "big" pizza. The shop girl said we have boxes to put any you don't finish in as they are 30cm pizzas. I left there still feeling hungry. The trail hunger is real. Instead I cycled out to the Holiday Park another 6km and took a shower and did laundry. Now route planning for tomorrow. Either Manganui or Kerikeri but it depends on this rain. One is 60+ km the other 120+ km. I've run out of land to the North so I'm turning around and coming back on the East Side of the North Island to Auckland.<br />
<br />
12-05-2017<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
Flats: 1<br />
<br />
Woke up from the crazy rain last night to a clear morning. The weather wasn't supposed to be flash so opted for a shorter day. Beth booked me at Kahoe Farmstay. I helped an older couple from Palmy to load their chest freezer of snapper into their car. They gave me a couple frozen bags to compensate me. I then also helped them with a stuck knob and hoisting the motor off their boat. Glad I look strong I guess. I then rolled out from the Holiday Park heading South into the wind. This would be a grind most of the day. I stopped at a butcher/dairy and got a few things and ate 2 cans of chicken on tortillas for breakfast on top of the fruit I ate earlier. I kept riding and avoiding the buses, live stock trucks, tourists, and animals. I ate again at Awanui in a cool Kauri shop/cafe. The pie sucked. The slice wasn't good. The cheese stick was greasy and nasty. I instantly felt ill consuming a fraction of it. I ended up being a vomit machine for several intervals. I also flatted between vomit sessions. I stopped by Doubtless Bay on the recommendation of the farmstay. Great view up there even with the not great weather. Rolled into Kahoe Farmstay and had a good conversation with Lyndsey. Asked if I needed/wanted to workout. Asked if a I play football (yes soccer) as Stefano is playing tomorrow in Whangarei. I had to explain that I used to play, but no more. Even more torture they have a small field in front of the house. They host a New Year's Eve tournament for a long ass time as well. Once again she remarked that I must have played rugby. Nope. Cycling, soccer, martial arts, etc. Found out their garage is decked out for working out as their daughter (who is living abroad) is a PT. Stefano is a football nut and continues to play even driving a good distance for a 7's game.<br />
<br />
13-05-2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
Flats: 1<br />
<br />
Stefano made a big brekkie for me. It was super tasty. Rosemary in the sauted mushrooms. As I was gearing up, Stefano said that he is short a center defender for today's game. I asked if he kenw which position I played? No, just that I used to play. I said center defender. I was tempted to go play for the first time in a long time, almost 7.5 years. But I said I appreciate being able to walk and do other things with low risk of injury. Had a short ride to Kerikeri, where I flatted again. I need a bigger pump! Got to Kerikeri before noon. Had a quick shower, ate some Japanese and Mexican. Talked to Skog for a bit. Then tried to find a bike store. Oh its not really at 70 Kerikeri Road. Its on that block, but behind Repco and accessed from a side street. Wasn't open. So ended up at the Falls, a historic site, and trying to find out about the Circus Tents.<br />
<br />
I'd never stay at this hostel again. The first room in the place is the smoking lounge. Yuck. My room wasn't attached to the main facility which gets locked at 21:00. Place was pretty dirtbagish. I probably smell like them, but would rather tent it.<br />
<br />
14-05-2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 1<br />
Flats: 2<br />
Broken Spoke: 1<br />
Side Wall Damage: 1<br />
<br />
Woke up early and planned to hit farmers market at 8:30 and get on the road. Nope. I had a flat right away. Looks like the patch rolled back upon inflation and just leaked slowly. So off the wheel comes, what is this? A broken spoke as well! Great way to spend your morning. I put my last good (non-patched) tube in and tape the spoke to the next spoke. Head to farmers market, a guy from Chicago (Wingless Angel BBQ) selling BBQ. Had the pulled pork with slaw, decent, but mine is better. Cornbread with butter, very tasty, and a beef cheek, egg breakfast sandwich. This thing was awesome. Also had a savoury crepe with ham, cheese, and spinach from another stall. Lots of produce but no real way to carry it. Looked at bike store, but not open.<br />
<br />
So I limped out of town. Man do I hate SH1! Procession of cars, no shoulders, the white line is on an angle. I felt my rear tire roll down one of these embankments. Then the tire got squishy. Yup another flat. Also damage to the sidewall. Put a boot patch and electrical tape in tire and a large patch on tire as the tube had several abrasion holes. Back on the road, but looking for a way off of SH1. Stopped in Kawakawa to use the fancy art bathroom and tried to find a bike pump. More convinced that fixit stations need to be in every town with a trail to get people back into the thick of it.<br />
<br />
Listened to Google Maps, a bit after turning off into Kauri up Vinegar Hill and ended back on SH1. Added a few extra km to my ride today but oh well! Going to stop first thing in the morning: tire, brake pads, pump, patch kit, socks, and spoke replacement installed. Depending on when that wraps up heading to Mangawhai Heads or to Wellsford for Monday Evening. Putting me in Auckland with friends on Tuesday. Hostel in CBD on Wed and then train home on Thursday. Its been an adventure.<br />
<br />
15-05-2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
Had a mission in Whangarei of hitting the bike store: replace tire, replace spoke, get patch kit, & tire levers. Rolled into the Avanti store right at open and was sorted out quick. This gave me time to ride to Wellsford instead of just Mangawhai Heads. SH1 was not fun. The large shoulder would disappear and the bridges were narrow. I had to be cautious when crossing them as I didn't want to be pancaked. Once I turned off to Waipu the traffic died down. The hills appeared and I was treated to some cool views and a few good looking beaches. I ran into a grandpa pushing his grandchild in a pram while I was eating a slice snack. He asked where I was headed and that he understands my pain with cars as he rides a mtb in Auckland. Told him sections are bad, but the backroads are typically fine. Got to Wellsford after about 20 minutes of rain. The dinner at the restaurant was crazy. 3 massive pieces of pork belly. The hotel was good with a cool stone pebble floor shower. Tomorrow will be at Mike's and then a hostel by the train.<br />
<br />
16-05-2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
Woke up early to go grab a bite to eat and some biltong, as I found a really good South African place in Wellsford. They even courier. I had a really good lamb samosa but wanted a pie. They had none though. So an omlete it was. The ride out of Wellsford on SH16 was hilly and windy, but less traffic than SH1 and more kms. I stopped for a while at Omeru Scenic Reserve and walked around for a bit and had a snack of biltong. I stopped on Kaukapakapa for lunch. There was a KKK burger on the menu. Say what? A bogan, dad/son, combo commented on the epic chops. Hey those are pretty unique? Something you don't see everyday. Hey how are the dickheads on the road? You partied all across the country? You cycle how far each day? How long did it take you?<br />
<br />
Dropped my stuff off at Mike's and headed into Whangaparoa for a massage. Worked the neck and shoulders well and the lower back ok. Totally spent himself and didn't do much to the legs. Another massage will be had back in Wellington. Tomorrow is a short ride across Auckland to CBD.<br />
<br />
17-05-2017<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
Woke up to pissing rain. Since I didn't need to be anywhere I waited until it was done raining then I left after noon. I mainly took East Coast Road back into town. Man that is hilly and I don't recall that from my previous rides on it. Must be the extra weight I'm carrying that makes it difficult. Got to the ferry point and had to wait 30 minutes for it to appear. Then I had to flag it down as I was at North Cote Point and not Birkenhead. Went next to the hostel. Not very nice, lift was broken and I was on the top floor, but it was close to the train station. I went and had some ramen and later yakitori. Got my gear sorted for tomorrow's train ride. I'll be home for the first time in a while. My clothes smell funky, chubby needs work, and my gear needs to be thoroughly cleaned. When and where will be the next adventure?<br />
<br />
<br />Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-41445749352578638022017-05-03T17:36:00.002+12:002017-05-03T17:36:27.371+12:00More Photos<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9XwEg_t90Vg/WPoPuaE2L_I/AAAAAAAArM4/hws_qbtYGNMSWgjFd1ij6-YaaXwBZPV1ACPcB/s1600/IMG_20170414_124702_002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9XwEg_t90Vg/WPoPuaE2L_I/AAAAAAAArM4/hws_qbtYGNMSWgjFd1ij6-YaaXwBZPV1ACPcB/s320/IMG_20170414_124702_002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My adventure didn't start here, but it did go through it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Sorry for the lack of updating. Its been a hectic couple of weeks. I've been riding with my brother and neglecting my journal. We have managed to get to Auckland and get him safely on a flight back home. I've managed to put in a few hours of work as well. Now time to get back on the road and reach Cape Reinga and return to Wellington before the end of the month.<br />
<br />
It has been brought to my attention that I've not posted photos lately. I've been busy posting some to Instagram, but here are links to the unedited albums.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://goo.gl/photos/3b9SNUDb9fUyapM86" target="_blank">North Island Fun</a><br />
<a href="https://goo.gl/photos/cmdF7raMpSGWtBA37" target="_blank">South Island Part 2</a>Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-61987735752114330962017-04-12T20:06:00.001+12:002017-04-12T20:06:11.733+12:00Pie Ride: Rest of the South Island30-03-17<br />
*Rest Day*<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: 2 (technically I saw them last night, but after journal was done as they rolled in well past sunset)<br />
<br />
Plans for today:<br />
Breakfast: I ate at Big Fig. It was very good. I had a Gozleme, a little flat bread with spiced lamb, pine nuts, and spinach<br />
Massage: 1 hour of body work to loosen my tight muscles<br />
Bike Store: brighter red flasher<br />
Laundry: wash and dry my stinky clothes<br />
Grocery: Get some supplies for the next few days<br />
Exercise: Walk around the lake front - didn't happen<br />
Blog: posted blog post and images<br />
Bike Maintenance: cleaned drive train and inspected bolts and tires<br />
<br />
It was good to rest, but the body wanted to ride!<br />
<br />
31-03-17<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 4<br />
<br />
Left Wanaka early knowing I had a big day out. 140km and a big hill. The early kms ticked by as my legs felt great. While heading around Lake Hawea a headwind came out. This made it a little difficult on some of the climbs. Being mainly tourist drivers I was given a wide berth by most. I had a shouting conversation with the 1st cycle tourist I saw over the road for 10 minutes. He had been riding for 19 days for the 1st time in 15 years. He was also wearing a huge tramping bag. Lake Wanaka was nice from the other end and I pulled into Makarora to determine if I was going to continue riding or stopping for the day. As it was not yet noon, I determined to press on. I ate lunch, talked to an American Tour group, and their bus driver. He warned me about the Haast Pass descent and the hill between Fox and Franz Joseph Glaciers. He also recommended I tell other riders not to dress like ninjas and to get a mirror. The change from Otago to West Coast couldn't be more striking. Went from a grassland to a land of lush dense green vegetation. Haast Pass wasn't that bad and the summit was a car park for a lookout, some 30 minutes away. The initial descent was fine and I passed 2 German cycle tourists coming up. The later descent is terrifying. Super steep and brakes got a good workout. I could smell them as I fluttered the pressure. I ran into another cycle tourist, Adam, on the road to Haast. I rode beside him for a bit. We chatted about riding and living in New Zealand. He has been here for 4 weeks and has ridden most of the South Island. He only has a 6 month tourist visa so he is making the most of it. I then dropped him and put it back in the big ring. Time to hammer the last 30km to Haast. Strange little town with no mobile coverage. So I didn't know exactly where Beth booked me. SO I went into the 1st backpackers I saw and asked if they had a booking for me. My assumption was correct. I bought some data and could communicate via email and instant messenger with Beth about tomorrow's plan. Which is Fox Glacier, 120km away. There is about 900m of climb over the day, but it doesn't look that bad. The weather is supposed to turn later in the day so an early start is warranted.<br />
<br />
1-4-17<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 2<br />
Hitch Hikers: 2<br />
<br />
Haast is a lazy town, but it has some cool things going for it. Lots of tracks and its on the edge of Aspiring National Park. The ride was a wet one. There was headwinds most of the day. Some mist. Some showers. All overcast. Ran into some Americans at Knight Point. I guessed Texas by accent, but from Alabama. The woman in the group called me fit as I'm cycling. I said or 'Insane'. The day was blotted with misty mountains and the occasional view of the coast. There were lots of tourists driving around and one wanker didn't yield when I was on the one lane bridge. After that I pulled into a cafe (60km) for lunch as my oatmeal has been burned off by then. They specialized in hot smoked salmon. It was very tasty. As I was leaving, there were 2 cyclists coming in. As it was pouring, I wanted to keep moving to get warm and they probably wanted some shelter and food. The road proceeded to gently climb for the remainder of the day I think. I stopped off at Lake Parangia and saw 7 Land Cruisers filled with camera happy Asians. Who then ran about taking photos. I don't know how they all fit in there. I ended up doing over 120km today and Beth booked a hostel for me as it is still raining. I'm going to look at the weather for tomorrow and may leave later if it helps. Otherwise, I was trying for Ross (130km) to start the West Coast Wilderness Trail.<br />
<br />
-------------------<br />
I don't know the guy, but I'm aware of him (Mike Hall). He was killed during a cycle race across Australia yesterday. Just made me think about close calls with vehicles here. Man vs Car, the car wins. I've been tentative around logging trucks but today I ended up riding off the shoulder a few times to give more room. Or just pulled over all together. My feeds were filled with the news and I couldn't help but thinking of him all day. He was instrumental in endurance cycling and can be see in 'Inspired to Ride'.<br />
<br />
2-4-17<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: 8<br />
Hitch Hikers: 2<br />
<br />
The hostel was funny as there are dirt bags who hitch hike and won't contribute to fuel, but asked me about skydiving and bungee jumping. The gall of some people. The eggs benedict @hobnail was especially good. The caramel slice was lacking a good slice/crust bit. The ride out of Fox was ugly. There was 3 climbs, that I was working hard to get to the top. Then I was scared on the descents as the roads were wet, curvy, and there was sun glare off the roads. It took 1:30 to reach the first sign for Franz Joseph then 1:40 to reach the town. The bus driver, from the day before, said it takes him an hour. I ran into 2 cyclists from Holland and he happened to break his brake pad on the last descent. He probably can't get a replacement until Greymouth. Which means, he'll have to be careful on Mt. Hercules, which was just brutal after my previous couple days. My legs can hammer the flats, but for the climbs my legs just feel dead. I passed through Wharatoa which seemed interesting, but Hari Hari had a cool tile showcase and a unique craft store. I'm camping at Lake Ianthe with the sand flies. The sunset was amazing. Tomorrow its onto Ross and then part of the West Coast Wilderness Trail before finally ending up in Greymouth then onto Barrytown, to make a knife. The campsite has 2 other cyclists and a couple camper vans at it. More cyclists showed up at twilight. It is time to stretch and get ready for sleep. Tomorrow I should get up early and head out as bad weather is on the horizon (3 days away).<br />
Dad's Pie from 4 Square was ok.<br />
<br />
3-4-17<br />
Pie Count: 2<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: 2<br />
Hitch Hikers: 0<br />
<br />
Packed up early from Lake Ianthe and started me way to Ross. Few little hills to wake the legs up a long with some mist to start the morning. Got into Ross and searched for food. Had a pastie and a peppercorn steak pie. Meh. Not enough filling and the crust was hard. Stopped by Roddy Cafe and Museum afterwards for a 2nd pie, steak and cheese. Didn't taste any cheese and the filling reminded me of spag. sauce. Not a winner. Wondered the museum for a few. It was mainly Harley Davidson stuff. Then onto the West Coast Wilderness Trail. Just have to look out for the orange signs. From Ross to Hokitika, it was a combination of paved and gravel roads with some trails and a boardwalk. Not all that enjoyable. Grabbed a photo on the beach with the Hokitika sign then got fluids at New World, where I ran into 2 Brits heading out on the trail. Never saw them again. The trail from Hokitika to Kumara (where I'm staying in the Undertakers backpackers, it was the residence of the town's undertakers) was more gravel than paved roads with some trail. It was a warm affair. The sun was out and you were pretty exposed. This was more fun as there was some flow to the track and would be fun at speed on an unloaded bike. I'm sure the mtb riders, I saw thoguht I was nuts rolling past Cowboy Paradise loaded up as they were eating and drinking. I got bad news that the knife making in Barrytown wasn't going to happen, but there is another place in Wakefield that we are contacting for a Friday Session. If all goes to plan, I will be in Wellington by Sunday. Just seems like I just started riding down here, I guess it will be over 2 weeks of riding with a couple days off. Tomorrow I head to Reefton. No longer going to Westport as the knife making isn't going to happen.<br />
<br />
4-4-17<br />
Pie Count: 2<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
Left Kumara after some oats and a good sleep. A German mom and daughter showed up late, but I ended up chatting for a bit in the morning over breakfast. The trail to Greymouth wasn't all that fun. Just wandering through industrial parts and the wind was awful. It was a crosswind coming from the East, which would later become a headwind once I turned toward Reefton. The beach looked drab as well. Greymouth had a decent pie even though the girl didn't recommend the Nacho Pie, when I ordered it. Stop in to Do Duck in Bakery. The Nacho Pie reminded me of the mad mex pie from One Tree Bakery in Mt Maunganui. I wandered around town for a bit then left, but not before I bought some new brake pads, as I knew it would be a struggle today. High winds out of the East, no shoulder, and lots of trucks. I slagged through it. I did manage to stop at a few places, an old mill site, a rest area with a train engine, and the most amazing campsite, Slab Hut. It had a wood fire oven and 2 wood BBQ. Right next to a stream which you can gold panning at. Beth stalked me when I diverted to the campsite to go to the bathroom. I was already booked at the Old Bakery Hostel. This place is ran by a busy fellow who also likes to chat. He was running around all day as he's a reporter. He recommended the bar down the street for food. I got a good feed for $52: soup, garlic bread, T-bone steak with fries & salad, a ginger beer, and a cream freeze sundae. I got a few weird looks as I was ordering. After that I came back and swapped out the front brake pad. It was worn down and glazed pretty bad. Tomorrow I'm off to Murchison then Glenhope then Nelson. Hopefully the rain will come late. Just going to eat in the morning and get back on the road.<br />
<br />
5-4-17<br />
Pie Count: 2<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
<br />
The stay at the Old Bakery Hostel was good. Only 1 other guest and she was being sponsored by the Council as her Council flat needed fixing. I had a 3 person room to myself and free wi-fi for $25. So I ended up watching/listening to youtube most of the night instead of my mp3 player. The fire kept the building surprisingly warm all night even with the backdoor open all night. I rode into the main street and had a pie for breakfast. It was ok. Then it was on to the 85km ride to Murchison. The road started with a little hill then a long downhill section. No so many trucks out this morning. It was just a bit cool so leggings were on and after not too long so were the sleeves. The scenery was a blend of hills and farming. I stopped for a long time in Inangahua at the General Store and Cafe. I had a slice which was ok and a tea. I got to talking to the owners about pies and pie ride and they said that there is a place in Havelock known for their mussel pies. So I've got to find it. They then said theirs are World Famous as well. I had to admit that their sausage roll threw me for a cinnamon roll when I first walked in. So I went back up to the counter for another tea, a steak and cheese pie, and a sausage roll. The pie was very good. The filling was flavorful and the pasty held up and was still flaky. I would have liked the pasty to have been cooked a little more as it was a little doughy. However, the sausage roll shaped like a cinnamon roll, and not like a log, with BBQ sauce is a winner. I'm not typically a fan as its ration of meat to pastry is off in my opinion. This felt right. I could have eaten a dozen. The owner said that truckers will call ahead to have them save rolls in the back for them as they sell out. After leaving there I passed Lyell cemetery, which over looks the gorge. Very nice final place. Then Chubby had to tease me by posing with the Old Ghost Road trail sign. I would have loved to ridden it right now, Greta and Thomas from Taupo are riding it tomorrow, but better suited for a lighter loaded and a different bike. The ride through the gorge was pretty bad. Lots of trucks and no shoulders. Almost had an incident with a truck on a descent. He had given me room, but then an oncoming van made him reclaim the lane. I hit the brakes at 60kph and put it in the grass shoulder. I was a bit shaken but had to continue to Murchinson. This is the type of ride that ages you. The gorge being beautiful but probably ride when fewer cars are expected. The turn off to Murchison picked up more traffic and I spent a lot of time pulled over to let people pass. Then there was construction so long queues. The Lazy Cow is a quaint little hostel on the edge of town had a homey feel. I made use of the jacuzzi tub to massage my weary muscles. The dorm has 2 Germans and 2 yanks. Ben is from Oregon and finished the TA recently having taken over 4 months. The pizzas there are pretty good. I would recommend them. Tomorrow is a shortish day to Glenhope about 40km. I have to bring all my food as there is nothing out there but it is a mecca for bike packers. Then its 80+ km to Nelson. The weather held out today, but was a little chilly.<br />
<br />
6-4-17<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 0<br />
Hitch Hikers: 1<br />
<br />
Talked to 2 guys this morning. Both live in Texas, but one was born and raised in Blenheim. They are scouting out spots for their scout troops. So they asked for track recommendations. I said Great Walks for beginners and then start looking at Hollyford or Copeland for more experienced groups. Then the Dusty (doubtful sounds area) for advanced. We then talked BBQ for a long time. So Bri got accepted to Grad School. The American guy, Ben, mentioned he got in as well. So I was giving him the pros/cons of MN.<br />
I ate at the local Tea House in Murchison and the pie was awesome. Big chunks of meat, flaky yet portable crust. It ticked all the boxes. The stack of blueberry pancakes were pretty awesome as well. It fueled my short distance, but lengthy ride. I ended up pulling over for traffic a lot and I stopped at all look outs to see what was there. The Hu Ha Farmstay is pretty cool. Big open floor with a couple rooms with various bunk configurations. There is a friendly dog and wandering chickens. It being a farm, there are other animals, but they are fenced in. At the moment, I'm the only person booked in. Tomorrow I got 84+ km ride to Nelson then on to Picton. Lets hope the weather and traffic cooperate.<br />
<br />
Chatting with Martin as he is doing the TA2018 and asked about my setup. I typed up an email about the bike. I'll be able to give a better review at the end of the next month as I'll have done a lot of the course in reverse. So far the bike is handling everything I've thrown at it without a problem. If I were to do the TA I would opt for a frame bag and maybe a seat post bag to centralize the weight and minimize the width bulk. Doing this would also limit the amount of stuff you could carry. So you can't just bring it just because. The bike setup is not that good for single track as its too wide.<br />
<br />
7-4-17<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourist: 0<br />
<br />
Woke up on a cool farm stay, where I ended up the only person there. I listened to several of their records the night before and stretched in front of the fire. I heard them adding a log to the fire this morning at roughly 6am. This let me get going early on the chilly morning. It was probably 9 degrees in the shade and probably 5 more degrees in the sun. My legs felt great right out the gate. It was a combination of short distances and then stretching and massage. The first test was a 200+ meter climb to Hope Saddle. I seemed to fly up it and then I was able to hammer at a much more road pace then my previous days. The kms just flew by, but I slowed down as the area started to smell like autumn. The road became the Great Taste Trail right before a big hill and I got to rip gravel again and go through the 5th longest tunnel. You need to have a light as its 1300+ m long. After that the trail bounces back and forth across the road and even disappears all together. I think I would opt to ride the road if I did this again. I stopped in Wakefield for a pie and a slice. The pie was stuffed, but it fell apart after the first bite. The slice was bad. No blend of flavors, just a thick slice. I talked to Jake for a while about his trip in a couple weeks. He is going to have the bike sent to Taupo for pick-up rather than trying to bus with it. We are still talking about some logistics, but I'll be back in Wellington this weekend and we'll hammer them out. Nelson has some cool cycle ways around town, but just picking one I ended up having to Google directions as signage wasn't always thaty great. I'm sure if I rode them more, they would make sense. That being said, there are a ton of bikers here. Anything from commuters, roadies, mtb, kids, recumbent, and just errand runners. I ate at Catalina's Cantina and it was tasty. I would definitely go there again. Tomorrow's plan is to ride to Havelock and then decide whether or not I'm going to push on through to Picton that afternoon. The ride should be just over 110km with about 1300m of elevation. Today I sat in a 'hot' tub and massaged my legs for a good while. Hopefully tomorrow they will feel like they did today!<br />
<br />
8-4-17<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 4<br />
Hitch Hikers: 2<br />
<br />
Woke up early in Nelson and was rewarded with re-breaking my toe. I originally did this dodging a Banu hug before Northern Circuit. I did it this morning by kicking the kitchen bench while making breakfast. Ouch. I felt sorry for an English girl this morning. There was some sleazy dude, who called himself 'monsieur chocolat' or Mister Chocolate and put on a British accent. He even told her it was fake and that it was a bit rude to do so. He asked for her name so he could Google here. When he finally left, I said that was a bit creepy. I then talked to a Belgian kid who is traveling around named Witze. He'll soon be following my adventures via Strava. He is a triathlete and is contemplating cycle touring here for a bit. After my 8 slices of toast I hit the road just after 7 am. The first few kms felt really good then the big climb sprung up. I just kept spinning and spinning. If I stood up my toe throbbed. Body was sweating hard and my clothes were soaked by the time I got to the top. Now they were damp and cold and the descent was awful. I had to switch to a wool top and ride glove-less. The views were of mainly pine trees but also of logging and construction. I stopped off in Rai Valley for a quick bite to eat and then continued up the climbs. Having pulled into Havelock, I looked for the mussel pie, but didn't find it so I opted for a burger. The waiter was from Indiana and asked about the Surly. I made the decision to push on to Picton as it was roughly noon. The ferry was scheduled to leave at 6:45. Plenty of time to hit the Queen Charlotte Scenic Route. The 2nd time hitting the road was so much better. No car sickness. Of course, I wasn't being whipped around turns by Lance (from the dive trip). I hit a lot of look out points to snap pics. At one, I talked to an older lady, who happened to live on Whites Line East before getting married. Her son still lives in the area though. Then 2 French cyclists popped up. They were heading to Havelock so I gave them some info. Oh that reminds me I met 5 people from Colorado doing the TA Northbound. I talked to them for a bit and they wanted to know more about the trucker as they want to give cycle touring a go next. I received a message from Constantine about 'saving' a bed for me at a hostel in Picton, but broke the news that I would be sleeping at home tonight. I've offered our couch to him tomorrow night though. While waiting for the ferry I had a chin wag with the workers loading the rail freight. On the ferry, a girl, Holly, and her mom, Laurie, asked to sit across from me. We talked the entire ride about life and travel. They are/were from Michigan. Holly having just worked in Melbourne. I recommended a few things to do and gave me contact details in case they had questions. I've got a 15km ride home. Where a shower, shave, Beth, and a bed await. The next couple of days are filled with tuning up the bike, job interview, eating, repacking, laundry, and resting up the body. The next leg will be solo up to Taupo where Beth might take me gear and travel with me over Easter weekend. Then it will be 2 weeks with my brother, Jake.Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-35218415852380979272017-04-01T20:13:00.001+13:002017-04-01T20:13:04.748+13:00Photos are comingI'm adding photos that aren't on Instagram to the link in the upper right, but to whet your whistle:<br />
<a href="https://goo.gl/photos/eqbZ39VaFhtGTrjp8" target="_blank">NZ South Island Pie Ride Part 1</a> I've got more images than can go into an album and I've got to modify the backup folders as I've gotten duplicates with items that have been posted to Instagram.Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-16071398532756812372017-03-30T15:20:00.001+13:002017-03-30T15:20:52.441+13:00Pie Ride Week 1 Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Pie Ride 2017! Recap<br />
15-03-17<br />
Riding from Bluff to Cape Reinga. How hard can it be? Its only roughly 3,000 km across 2 islands that are nothing alike. There will be paved & gravel roads as well as off road trails that will transport me across plains, mountains, National Parks, beaches, and a couple ferry rides just for good measure.<br />
Excitement is definitely creeping into my last few days of work. People seem shocked that I don't have a job lined up and that I'll be setting out next week to cycle the country. It has been funny to tell people and watch their reactions when I tell them I'll be cycling the length of NZ when they ask me what I'll be doing next. You have to do these things when you have the means either physical, mental, or financial. As you never know when the opportunity will come again. Who knows maybe I'll start organizing, ok Beth would organize, and leading back road tours around this amazing country filled with quite back roads and stunning views.<br />
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23-03-17<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: 4<br />
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The flight from Auckland to Invercargill was fine even though I had to rearrange my bags and bike box. Too much weight in one. Should have been a sign. I've been thinking of naming the disc trucker "Chubby Side Action." She has a wide backside and takes a lot to get up the hills. Nothing close to any of my other bikes. Putting the bike together was straight forward, as I only removed seat post, pedals, handlebars, and front wheel. Getting the bags weighted and set up too longer. I ended up riding around town getting supplies: food, gas, money, and used a pump from local bike shop. Then set out on a harrowing 30km filled with poor visibility, cold rain, and a ton of logging trucks that didn't want to give you any space. I got to Bluff a little shaken. I think that this was the worst section of road I've ever ridden.<br />
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I cruised down to the campground. It looked fairly meh. Wide open space on a slant and a not any tents on site. I continued past to Sterling Point and talked to 2 kids from the US on a working holiday visa. I then found a backpackers for the same cost as camping. So I had a roof over my head instead of nylon. Met some interesting fellows: 1 from Germany, who just completed the Te Araroa, and 2 guys from Canada, but 1 is a dual citizen. The other being Kiwi. They are doing a farewell circuit as he is moving to Brisbane to work and be close to his boy.<br />
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This morning I was up around 6 and expected some sun to pop up around 7. Nope, it was 8. So I packed the bike and headed back to Sterling Point. I then stopped for pancakes before leaving town. Highway 1 wasn't bad and only about 10 trucks passed me. Then I turned off and the GPS told me to take some gravel roads that ended with fences. All in all I think I rode 30km of gravel today. Thankfully my tires have a little squish to them. Good old Chubby Side Action! The road meanders through several farms and the animals typically answered my calls. (As Beth can attest to, I talk to all sorts of animals) There were definitely some cool locations like Lignite Pit Cafe. They had a walking garden that looked cool, but it would take hours and cost money. So I opted for their Steak, Onion, and Guiness Pie. Which was very tasty and a particularly flaky crust. However the cow puff pastry put it over the top. The roasted potatoes were very good as well.<br />
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Slope Point is lots of gravel and some climbing. The backpackers is nice and the dorm slept 4, but is located off the kitchen and lounge. I may ride some of the day with an 18 year old German kid, Constantine, tomorrow. I have passed him twice already. Slope Point is scenic and today was very cold as there was a windchill. However, sitting at the table the sun is now out in earnest, something I've not seen in days. Tomorrow's plan is to head toward Balclutha, but may pull up short to do some exploring in the Catlins if we see some accessible trails.<br />
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FYI: if you stay at the backpackers, which is changing its type of accommodation in April, don't pet the cat unless you like getting swatted once you stop. The cat thinks it owns you afterwards. You've been warned.<br />
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24-03-17<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourist: 0<br />
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Constantine and I left Slope Point around 8:30 after a pretty good sleep. The French guy in the dorm was fascinated with the TV Series Arrow and watched it into the night. He left well after us as he was just getting up when we hit the gravel. We worked our way back up the gravel hill to be passed by a tourist bus. We then went to Curio Baywhere we caught our first glimpse of the sun. It wouldn't make an appearance again until the cycle day was basically over. We stopped at Niagra Cafe and had a warm drink to take the chill off but the sweat got cold. The blueberry muffin was awesome though. The frosting was just like Toaster Strudles. We continued on the windy scenic road and were treated with some steep climbs and blind corner descents. The highlight of the day would have to be seeing 2 ladies at 4 Square, a supermarket chain, who said they passed us 3 times today and they kept wondering how we were keeping ahead of them. Simple we didn't go to every lookout point. The SPOT Tracker is fun because Beth keeps texting when I stop or if there is a big hill we are working on. Tomorrow I'm heading to Lawrence in order to break up the travel to Middlemarch. I've reached out to 2 Warmshowers hosts. One for tomorrow and one for 4 days from now at the end of the Otago Rail Trail. How does Sofiane travel so light? I know I could dump the computer, cook set, possibly a layer or 2. Then there is the tent and sleeping gear. Maybe travel in warmer times of year. Autumn in New Zealand is chilly. Wind all day and maybe cracking 12 degrees by 4pm. Then it drops right off at dusk. Will be interesting camping tonight.<br />
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25-03-17<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourist: 0<br />
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We left the camp ground fairly early and made our way to Kaka Point. The sun was peeking out and the coast looked pretty spectacular. We opted for this route as it was a little less climbing, but a couple of km longer. Constatine was making a solid push to Dunedin. My plans changed as well as adding 30km to the ride to Middlemarch would have been crazy, since a good portion is steep, steep gravel. So I went to Lawrence instead and was treated to 40km of gravel grinding. The views from up top were pretty but you get to see how the land is used. Lots of farming and logging. I ran into a lady by Greenfield who asked if I needed help. I was just taking a picture of a random monument. I said nope. I'm heading to Lawrence down this way. She said I must be pretty keen then as its all gravel. I said I knew. I saw a few cars on the gravel, but it reminded me of the gravel ride Bri and I did a few years back. I almost got stung by a bee too! I made sure to zip up my jersey all the way after that. I made a stupid mistake and didn't fill my water bottles when I had the chance. I rationed my last bottle until 30 minutes before I was back in a town. Wouldn't have been an issue, bu the sun came out this afternoon and I was sweating pretty good. However, the wind still cut through your layers. So I kept my vest on and would open it up during the many climbs and zip up for descents and flats.<br />
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I'm at a little holiday park in Lawrence for $14 a night. I grabbed a hot shower and hand washed my bibs. Hopefully they are dry in the morning. If I wanted to piss people off there is a fire going in the kitchen that would possibly dry them right quick (I ended up drying them over the fireplace). There is a Warmshowers host in town, but was unable to host on short notice. I did contact another at the other end of the ORT, but still haven't heard back. The plan for tomorrow is to wake up early and do some gravel grinding. The nice lady at the i-site (on my 2nd visit) told me to watch out on the gravel road during the week because of logging trucks. Tomorrow being Sunday I should be golden. Then I grab the highway and meander into Middlemarch. Then I decide 1 or 2 days on the ORT. It depends a bit on the host really. Otherwise, there is a campsite just outside Clyde, where Constantine used to live. He recommends the seared beef at Paulina's, where he used to work. We'll see how that goes.<br />
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Oh the GoPro mount broke this morning and the lens on the case got scratched pretty good.<br />
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26-03-17<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: 3 (albiet in Middlemarch)<br />
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Talked to an interesting guy last night at the holiday park. It is leaps and bounds better than Middlemarch's Holiday Park. He and his wife bring their caravan over for 6 months out of the year. They are thinking of relocating to Lawrence from Gore. It is a little town with lots of quirks. Statues of people all over the place that look like Fisher Price toys. He happens to do interiors. So he has worked on almost all the buildings in town. I would have to say that the amount of hills, tramping, and other things in the area it would be a cool place to visit for longer. Had a nice little breakfast at the only open cafe. I opted for banana french toast with bacon and a mince pie. Constantine had asked about the pie ride and how I rate pies. It comes down to portability: does your crust handle well, i.e. not break apart. The taste of the pastry and is it flaky, but will sufficient body to hold the contents. Does the top stay on? Filling: No gaps between filling and crust. Tasty as? Thinking of a 5 pie rating that will be flushed out over the coming weeks. Something similar for caramel slices.<br />
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Today's ride was bound to be wet. The weather forecast didn't look pretty and it didn't disappoint. It started hard about 6km into the 80km ride and didn't let up. Just so happened to rain when my Garmin ran out of juice and I ran out of sealed road. Thankfully it was Sunday and no logging trucks were zipping around. I think you could put a point to point gravel grinder and it would go gang busters as its a challenging area. The area was a blend of forestry, farming, and a big lake. I was rather excited to ride over the lake as I saw it from the plane the other day. Then once I got back to paved road, I was able to ride a little faster, but I did end up pushing my bike up another steep hill. The texts from Beth said things like character building, but I was not amused at the time with the weather and steep roads. A total of 4 times I had to push my bike. It was slow going while riding around Lake Mahinerangi. I did manage to spot a small fishing village that hired out lodges. Perfect for Peter. I went from Clutha to Dunedin Region and the colors on the trees changed to Autumn. I stopped at Clark's Junction for a bite to eat. I had been in the saddle for 6 hours and chilled to the bone. I had managed to drink only 1 bottle, nibble 2 squares of chocolate, and 2 mouthfuls of scroggin. So I was hungry and cold. I ended up sitting next to the fire and placing my rain gear next to it to dry out as well. I had a massive steak sandwich, hot chocolate, and a ginger beer. After that it was 30m to Middlemarch. Only 597m of descent and 273m of climbing left for the day. Would be fun not fully loaded and on dry roads. However, the scenery changed once again and I was busy pulling over snapping photos. The landscape is dotted with rock formations and the clouds were low while I was descending into Otago. Beth saved the day by booking me accommodation as I didn't want to tent in the rain when I've been wet all day. The place is what they describe as rustic. That is an understatement to say the least. Room doesn't have a heater, but I had 4 blankets and it was dry. I'm washing and drying my clothes so they'll be fresh for the next couple days. Tomorrow I'm staying in Lauder (108km) in an old school. They have a spa which will feel nice. Then on Tuesday, I'm actually using Warmshowers as a guest. Then its on to Wanaka where I have to look at VodaFone in getting my number back. Well that is about it. Body is feeling a little sore, but I've been stretching at night and massaging my legs. Most kms I've done in awhile but enjoying all of it as its just part of the experience. You know riding New Zealand by bike, back roads, and I'm challenging myself. As Beth said "Character Building. The tough days just make you stronger."<br />
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27-03-17<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 0<br />
Cycle Tourists: Too many. It being an awesome time of year.<br />
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Woke up last night to my motion detector light and noises outside. Does someone want my clean clothes? Well have fun getting over my bike which is in front of the door. I'm pretty sure some animal ran past the sensor and then the horses next door were making noises. Either way I was up for 30 minutes listening to nothing happening. The holiday park was dry, but the 'cabin' slept 4 which would be pushing it unless you were really close. There wasn't a heater, but with 4 blankets I didn't get cold. Beth booked this on my ride and the owner had to run to Dunedin. So I never saw anyone or paid. Beth just did a bank transfer to them, which works for me. I was out early as I knew I had a longer day in the saddle ahead of me. It the winds played up a really long day. I ate at Kissing Gate Cafe again, the last time being in January, and had a large breakfast. Most days I'm only really eating twice. Something small on the ride, but haven't been that hungry. Too cold typically to stop.<br />
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The morning started out with some mist and a slight breeze. I thought to myself to snap some photos to ask Irish Rachel if this reminds her of home. The km's flew by and I passed a couple who were eating at the cafe when I arrived. He commented 'I wondered when you would pass.' It was maybe an hour into the ride. Starting in February, there has been an Arts on the Rail Trail happening. This means that it wasn't the exact same ride as January. Which was nice! There is a new permanent sculpture of the planetary system along the trail. Before half way the sun came out and I got to remove my layers. Yeah for warm sun! I pulled into Waipiata for a quick snack of Ginger Beer and 2 lamb kebab skewers while refilling my bottles. I really only wanted fluids but thought I should have some food as well. Beth and I texted at the stop. She told me only 28km then down hill. Sometimes it is nice to have someone relaying logistics to you. I'm typically a play it by ear kind of guy. Like the last 2 days I was pretty sure there were gravel roads as Google didn't list them for car directions. It all worked out. Even at the Lauder School B&B, which is awesome by the way, the host was amazed that I went over the hill from Lawrence. Time to capitalize on back road riding!<br />
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There were too many groups of cyclists today to count, but it is proof that the seasons don't stop people from riding the trail. I actually preferred this time. Not very hot. Leaves changing colors. Autumn smells and apples in the trees/on the ground. I also got to the high point of the trail without much effort. I had just passed the lodge that I recalled being by the high point. Then I cam across 2 Aussies snapping photos at the marker. I snapped a few for them and proceeded to bomb down the hill. I stopped in a cafe in Lauder for a drink and a quick snack while asking for directions to tonight's accommodations. Turns out the Warmshowers host is a teacher who taught Esme's kids years ago. Small world New Zealand strikes again.<br />
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My room is the play hut. It sleeps 2 and the spa is right around the corner. It was a welcomed treat after the beating I've been giving my body. The plan for tomorrow is to ride to Alexandra and to stay with Kevin and Jenny from Warmshowrers. It will be my first time staying with a host. Esme said that Jenny is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to cycling. I may want to ride further on a different trail if their schedule doesn't work out and I need to show up later. Then it is on to Wanaka to sort out VodaFone and possibly some body work over the 2 nights I plan on staying before heading over to the West Coast.<br />
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I'm debating sending some stuff back home as I've not used it yet. I figured if I've not used it next week, it is either getting sent back or removed when I go through Wellington. I know for sure I can remove the 3rd water bottle mount unless I start carrying stubby bottles. My adventure tires rub the bottle top. The bike is handling better but I've had to repack the bags more evenly. In the left, I have books, cook gear and food, and warm/rain gear. In the right I have my clothes, toiletries, and electronics. Then sleeping gear minus the bag in a dry sack across the top of the rack. The sleeping bag and daily essentials are on the handlebars. I've taken to stashing 2 filled water bottles on the top of the panniers as I ran out the other day. Then for emergencies, I have 2 liters in the tent dry bag.<br />
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The key to riding daily is nightly stretching and adjusting body position throughout the day. Today I even stopped for 10 minutes to stretch out my hamstrings, hip flexors, back, and glutes. At night I put my legs up in the air for a spell and do rotational stretches as well as calf and quad stretches.<br />
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So Kiwi: A bloke opens the door to the pub and states "So there are 20-30 sheep on the main road." The owner grabs the phone book, "we'll get it sorted". He mutters to himself "who lives down there? His name is Steven? James? What is his surname? Oh Ross." The cook calls the number as the owner manages the bar. She explains the situation about the sheep on the loose and ends the call with "If they aren't yours can you call further down the road?"<br />
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28-03-17<br />
Pie Count: 0<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: Too many<br />
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Woke up and talked to Bruce, the other half of the Lauder School B&B. Talked more about the area and what to expect for the day's ride. The ride to Alexandra was fairly quick. Views were a little different than January and Bruce said that April/May is the best time to ride and stop by vineyards for Autumn colors. I did a little shopping in Alexandra before heading out on the 1st 3rd of the Roxburgh Gorge Trail. It follows the Clutha River and has massive steep walls almost as soon as you leave town. The 2nd 3rd is a boat ride down the river to the last section that then joins the Clutha Gold Trail to Lawrence. It would be fun to come do these as a circuit of trail rides. My legs were ready for more tomorrow, but my bum has finally started getting sore. So it will be good to take a day off in Wanaka. I'll get a massage, sort my phone, and do some laundry. I also road parts of the River Trail, which is a different path from Alexandra to Clyde, which is more technical than the flat rail trail.<br />
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29-03-17<br />
Pie Count: 1<br />
Caramel Slice: 1<br />
Cycle Tourists: 1 (@ camp ground none on the road)<br />
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Woke up early at Jenny and Kevin's as they were going to be out the door by 8. However, their plans changed and they kept feeding me more food. Its not often that I turn down food, but I was stuffed at dinner and at breakfast. This wasn't as bad as Ravi, but was more than I was comfortable with. They snapped a quick photo for their guest book and I was off. Speaking of their guest book, they ask for recommendations from their guests. Something I'll add to ours. I took the back roads to Clyde and went past a cemetery, which looked cool in the fog. So I took a couple pictures. The road to Cromwell was really foggy. I say visibility was about 10m, so I opted to stay off the highway for a bit. I stopped at a cafe and had a forgettable slice, but their carrot cake muffin was tasty. The road to Cromwell cleared up so I left. The road travels past the dam and Lake Dunestan and gently climbs before arriving at Cromwell. It was rather picturesque today with the fall colors, remaining mist, and still lake. A professional photographer was going up and down the road taking photos even.<br />
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I asked in Cromwell at the i-site which was the best route to Wanaka. Google said that 8a was a little longer, but less elevation. She said 6 as the shoulder and road were very nice and didn't have confusing turns. So I went down 6 and I was able to stop in Luggate for a late lunch. It was a small pub only about 15km away from Wanaka. The views from Cromwell to Wanaka were a mix of orchards, vineyards, and mountains. It was easy to get distracted. Luckily there was very little traffic. The pictures I grabbed don't do it justice. Wanaka still makes me angry though. Upon entering the Holiday Park, I heard an out of tune ukelele right where I'm supposed to pitch my tent. Don't push your crappy music on us bro. It didn't help that I spent most of the afternoon getting my phone sorted. I still wasn't authorized to take my number back even though the SIM card I gave them as now active with my number. A quick email got them to call support, which only put it in the notes field. I then had to sign up to a plan, only to cancel it, to go to prepay. Ugh. I hate phones. However, it been a good week of riding, but its time to push a bit, not that I'm on the road.<br />
<br />Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-90950803495601592052017-03-25T15:42:00.002+13:002017-03-25T15:42:44.571+13:00Update from the pie rideI'm in Lawrence which wasn't planned nor was riding with Constantine, a German guy, I passed twice. So on day 2 and the morning of 3 we rode together. Meant my pace was slower and his faster. It also meant I didn't get to Balclutha until this morning. Then the long ride to middlemarch didn't seem feasible on new touring legs. So I went for a stunning gravel ride to Lawrence leaving me about 80km to Middlemarch. Then onto the Otago Rail Trail.Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-55195223616548241942017-03-22T07:58:00.001+13:002017-03-22T07:58:43.317+13:00Destination UnknownI'm sitting in the Christchurch airport waiting for my connecting flight. Then it's time to assemble the bike and head through town getting the last few supplies and then off to Bluff. <br />
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Then it's time to get comfortable with the unknown and embrace the adventure as it unfolds. Hope those following will get a little sense of the adventure as I am able to share it.Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-37646274145286567222017-03-03T20:55:00.001+13:002017-03-14T05:27:13.653+13:00Logistics of Pie Ride 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The logistics of Pie Ride 2017 are coming along with just a few final details to iron out over the next week. How am I doing this? Well, I've been pouring over books (Pedallers' Paradise, Classic New Zealand Cycle trails, and Lonely Planet Cycling New Zealand) and maps, researching trails, and making sure to include places that I've wanted to ride. So I'll be heading from South to North and I've now mapped out the majority of my course. Why? Well this will allow me to chase the fleeting Autumn weather instead of running face first into Winter on the South Island. This will also allow me to meet up with my brother in Taupo and ride through 3 of the places that we've lived in so far. This being Kinloch, Thames, and Auckland. We'll be missing Mt Maunganui and Wellington. However, he'll get to experience some great places that have a lot to offer. We'll be able to tackle things at a little slower pace and I'll play tour guide for an area that I know pretty well. We are planning on doing some hiking, sailing, bonding, and of course lots of cycling. As one of my of cycling friends said 'You are mad and should be locked up'. So lots of cycling is to be had. Not to mention pies!<br />
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I'll be adding the planned route on the bottom of the post. Just so you know I've not added up the distances of the planned course as it is based off the road distances and I'll be on some trails that deviate from the road and will cause the total distance to be longer. The journey should take roughly 2 months, but I do have to be back in Auckland for an obstacle race at the end of May. Who knows, maybe I'll ride back from Cape Reinga to Wellington instead of hopping a flight or ride. This won't be strictly riding every day. There will be days off the bike to explore the amazing countryside. As well as my eldest brother coming over to join in on some of the adventure. It will be his first time over to New Zealand and I'm sure he won't soon forget the experience. Hopefully, we'll get to see some sheep roaming the road or possibly a sunset over Lake Taupo.<br />
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Even though I'm spending a lot of time route planning, I've also been busy getting my bike and gear ready while trying to get through my last few weeks at work. That in itself is a mission. My bike is at the shop getting a tune-up. It had to make a 2nd trip as not everything was completed the first time around. I wonder how often this type of thing occurs. I've got all my planned gear strewn about my office floor. It is almost all there. I've got a couple things in the the mail. I've got a custom cycling cap from <a href="http://www.no16cyclecaps.com/">No 16 Cycle Caps</a> out of Australia and a Chrome book. I've got to pick up some front bags from <a href="https://www.stealthbikebags.com/">Stealth Bags</a>, a local Wellingtonian bag maker, that I'm having made. If you are interested in what I plan on carrying let me know and I can post it up. I'll definitely not be clean everyday, but I plan on doing some laundry along the way. Or at least hand washing things at campsites or hostels.<br />
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So I'm setting off from Auckland, on the 22nd, flying to Invercargill right after my last day at work. From there I'll be assembling my bike at the airport and then riding to Bluff after getting some supplies. In Bluff, I'll camp out overnight and then officially start the ride at Stirling Point on the 23rd of March. Then the craziness of the adventure takes over. The following will be a loose template of the adventure.<br />
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Official start from Stirling Point to Slope Point (lowest point of South Island) 91km<br />
Slope Point to Balclutha 121km<br />
Balclutha to Middlemarch 121km<br />
Middlemarch to Waipiata 53km<br />
Waipiata to Champagne Gully 108km<br />
Champagne Gully to Makaroa Tourist Center 120km<br />
Makaroa to Haast (78km) or Paringa 131km<br />
Paringa to Otto/McDonald's camping area 103km<br />
Otto to Empire Hotel 116km<br />
Empire Hotel to Ikamatua 95km via West Coast Wilderness Trail and Pioneer Heritage Trail<br />
Ikamatua to Spring Junction (??) to St Arnaud 170km<br />
St Arnaud to Picton 128km (NZTA recommends that non-motorized traffic take the route North through Nelson, but when we were down in St Arnaud the traffic from the earthquake wasn't bad).<br />
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Take Ferry to Wellington and spend some time at home. Do laundry. Change out any gear that I need to. Check over bike and take to shop if necessary.<br />
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Wellington to Martinborough 77km</div>
Martinborough via Alfredton to Ashhurt 106km</div>
Ashhurt to Mangaweka 100km</div>
Mangaweka via Taihape to Ohakune 117km</div>
Ohakune to Ongarue 102km</div>
Ongarue to Pureora (Timber Trail) 85km</div>
Pureora to Taupo 58km</div>
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<strike>Taupo via Atiamuri Dam to Whakamaru Dam 68km or</strike> Taupo via Kinloch to Whakamaru Dam 59km (go past our old place and maybe say hi to the neighbors and friends)</div>
Whakamaru Dam to Jones Landing/Arapuni 67km</div>
Arapuni
via Piarere to Matamata 35km. There is the Hobbiton set nearby that we can bus out to. I saw it several years ago, but may interest my brother.</div>
Matamata to Te Aroha: 44km, Wairere Falls (on the way is worth a visit on a good day) and hot pools at Te Aroha to soak weary bodies.</div>
Te Aroha to Thames 55km: See where we used to live and meet some friends. Hike the Pinnacles Track and possibly take a ride on the MTB that I helped build. </div>
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Depending on the day:</div>
Thames to Coromandel 54km then a 2 hr ferry to Auckland but leaves at 4:30 on Sat/Sun as far as I can tell this far out</div>
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Thames to Orere Point 66km</div>
Orere Point to Flat Bush 48km (Going to contact Shiv about staying with him as he lives out there)</div>
Once in Auckland, contact my friends to see we can't go sailing with them or charter a boat.<br />
Out of Auckland, the path will follow the <a href="http://www.kennett.co.nz/maps/tour-aotearoa/">Tour Aotearoa path</a> for the portion through the rest of the North Island.</div>
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Then depending on time, energy, and Beth's patience, I may ride the course in reverse back to Auckland for <a href="http://www.orock.co.nz/">O Rock </a>and possibly Wellington.</div>
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How can you follow along? Well this blog of course. As it will be updated from the road. <a href="https://www.strava.com/athletes/kaleb_krause">Strava</a> will have my ride information uploaded when I have internet. Quick photos will be on Instagram, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/viewswhileriding/">@viewswhileriding</a>, and photo album(s) will be found by following the link on the upper right. The SPOT tracker will be on for the trip, while I have batteries, and the link can be found on the upper right to watch real-time progress. Well that about sums up what I've been doing for the last couple weeks as this has been getting planned out. Hopefully I'll get to put a few more miles in my legs and ride the trucker loaded before I set off.</div>
Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-50135571653176099812017-02-25T18:14:00.001+13:002017-02-25T18:14:32.138+13:00Up Next: Pie Ride 2017!What is this? Well we sold our house. I quit my job. I got a (temporary) sugar mamma. I've got my bike ride to do. I'll be riding from Bluff to Cape Reinga. This is the opposite direction of what is typically done. There are 2 reasons for this. 1: winter is a factor and I want to get over the Southern Alps with less chance of snow and cold weather. 2: my brother is going to join me for a segment of the ride. I've got just under a month until I kick off the ride. I'm busy trying to wind down work while getting my gear and route sorted. So here is what I've dubbed Pie Ride 2017. I plan on fueling the ride with pies the occasional slice while trying to find the best of both. Well maybe not too many pies. I am after all taking my tramping cook kit and a vegetarian on this adventure. Do they even make vegetarian pies? I don't know as I generally go for a nice Steak and Cheese or a choice Pork and Kumara.<br />
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First, I've brushed off the old touring post and started to review what I was planning to do several years ago. My tentative path has changed quite a bit. As I'm not leaving from Tauranga. Rather I'll be flying to Invercargill from Auckland and then riding to Bluff to officially start the journey at Stirling Point. From there I'll be biking back up toward Invercargill before turning off on the <a href="http://www.southernscenicroute.co.nz/">Southern Scenic Route</a> through the Catlins with a stop at Slope Point (Southern most point of South Island) then up to Middlemarch. From there, I'll be riding most of the <a href="http://www.otagocentralrailtrail.co.nz/">Otago Rail Trail</a> before turning off towards Wanaka. Then I'll be riding down the West Coast. There are some tracks to get me off the highway, but I'll be on Hw 6 for long stretches. I'm still debating adding in <a href="http://www.oldghostroad.org.nz/">Old Ghost Road</a>, but I'll see how I feel and how my bike is handling the trails around that point. Otherwise its on to St Arnaud and then to Picton either via Nelson or Blenheim. I'm researching the pros and cons of each. There is an adventurous trail for mountain bikes from Picton that I was thinking of taking, but the reviews make it look hard as. Then you have to deal with crazy traffic with several one lane bridges. Then take the ferry back to Wellington. Stop in at the house and regroup and possibly swap our gear as needed.<br />
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I'll type up the North Island in the next post as that is a little more fluid once I'm past Auckland and prior to Taupo. This is because I don't know how long my brother is now coming over for and I want to show him some stuff off the bike as well. However, I do have to be back in Auckland the weekend of the 27th of May as we are running an obstacle course called O-Rock that weekend. <br />
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What am I riding? Well my disc trucker that I got from my friend Bri of course. I'll be rocking some new <a href="https://www.burkescycles.co.nz/collections/wheels_tyres-tyres/products/soma-cazadero">Soma Cazadero</a> tires with 2 rear panniers. As well as the recently purchased handlebar bags from, a local Wellingtonian bag maker, <a href="https://www.stealthbikebags.com/">Stealth Bike Bags</a>. I have already picked up a top tube bag of his off of TradeMe prior to our cycle trip over the holidays and it worked pretty slick. I kept my wallet, phone, light, and snacks in it. Right now I'm revising my gear list and I've sent my brother several maps from Google with the course as best as I can determine. Then we have to finalize when he is going to arrive so I can make sure to meet up with him in Taupo. Then it will be back through my old stomping grounds.<br />
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<br />Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-89007345548711057422017-02-24T20:12:00.002+13:002017-02-24T20:12:38.441+13:00Is it really almost March?So a lot has happened since the last post. We went to the South Island for about a month. Bill unfortunately broke his leg the day before leaving. He didn't go to the doctor right away and instead was seen in Hawaii. So we had to rush around and make alternate plans for him. It being the busy season here, we were lucky to secure him lodging while we were busy in the bush.<br />
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Beth and I started our journey a little early. We had to look for a place to move to in the Wellington area. Beth's work was looking for her to transition from Kinloch to the area sooner than later. So we looked at a few places and they were pretty bad. We found a little place on the end of the street. Next to a cricket field and a multi-use track, that has just been completed. Almost every place we've lived in New Zealand so far has been at the end of the road. A few of them have been at the base or top of a big climb. However, now its a choice to ride to the top of the hill. Not a necessity to get home.<br />
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<br />We boarded the ferry and tried to grab some sleep on the deck chairs. Not the most fun or the most sleep I've ever gotten. Our friend Gina can't keep her days straight and was on our ferry to the South Island. She had told us she would be on the next day's ferry. She had a couple friends from the UK over and they were road tripping it down to Queenstown. We didn't drive straight to Queenstown, but it was a pretty quick trip down as we had to pick up Beth's folks at the airport. We had one night at Fox Glacier, where we walked out as far as we could to see it. We then had one day in Queenstown to grab some supplies for the tramp and grab our hut passes and get a refund for Bill's.<br />
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We grabbed a ferry out of Te Anau Downs to the beginning of the Milford Track. Where we would spend the next 4 days covering roughly 53kms. The ferry ride is about an hour long with little detours and educational insights of the area. I was too busy trying to ignore the guided walkers, who pay a crap ton, talking about they should be fine because they run the occasional 5km. Their last day was 21km. The walk is luckily segregated based guided or self-guided with the huts being far apart from each other. The numbers allowed on the track are closely monitored and only some many people can be on the track at any given time. So we were with the same 40 people for the next 3 nights.<br />
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The first day was a short walk of just over an hour. We scurried to find a bunk and were able to get 2 tops and a bottom bunk that were close to each other. This being Christmas Day, a group actually brought in roast pork, pavlova, salad greens, and a can of whip cream. We played our new tramping card game 'Quick Wits' which I funded on KickStarter. The game is a lot of fun and we even introduced a couple families from Christchurch to the game. There are however some adult cards that should be removed before playing with younglings. Also there are cards directly related to the older generation as the kids didn't know who Chevy Chase was. The 2nd day we walked up a valley and towards the end had to walk over some large rock slides. There was a very refreshing lake at this hut. Beth and I almost got all the way in. It was colder than any polar bear dip I've ever done. There were sharp pin pain shooting into my feet and legs right upon entering. That night we started to get the rain that was predicted earlier in the week. We woke up later thinking that the rain might break in the morning. It didn't we left in the rain, but being in the bush the rain wasn't coming through the canopy as much as it could have been. This ended up causing lots of waterfalls to spring up along the valley walls and to have some water rushing across the track. By the time we got to the tree line, the rain had ceased and we were treated to views of the clouds receding and the waterfalls gushing down the valley walls. We had a little further to go before we started our decent to our last hut. However, we made a stop at the most scenic toilet in New Zealand and ate a quick lunch at the shelter it was next to. The final hut was about 18km from the end, where we would have to grab another ferry back into civilization. Then it was a couple hour bus ride back to Te Anau.<br />
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Back in Te Anau, we joined back up with Bill and we made our way to Bluff, where we would be boarded yet another ferry to take us to Stewart Island. Once off the ferry, we were picked up by the AirBnB host that was renting to Bill and she drove us to DOC to get our hut passes and to the trail head. We were warned of the knee deep mud by the DOC staff, but found out by a guy just exiting the track to expect only ankle deep mud. The first day passed quickly with a smattering of bridges over little outlets that dropped you on to a beach. It reminded me a little of Abel Tasman in that regard. The first hut on the Rakiura Track that we stayed at was Port Williams Hut. We were told that there were Kiwi around the area, but I only saw possums. If you were in dire need, there just so happened to be one spot that got mobile service. We happened to see the same woman going over there numerous times. I for one was glad to be disconnected for most of the trip. The track to North Arm Hut was a bit trickier to navigate than the previous day. We got some rain and the track was muddy in a lot of sections. I had opted not to wear my boots this tramp and instead wore my trail running shoes. I'm always running through puddles and mud in them so I know that I can just rinse them in the ocean to get them looking clean. My socks didn't end up making it through the tramp though. Some grit got stuck between my heel and the sock and wore a whole in my shoe padding and my socks. Needless to say I'm not very happy as those were basically new shoes. This evening was raining and the toilet was up a long hill. We just played games in the hut as the sand flies and rain kept us inside. There was an Irish couple that looked like the most ill prepared trampers ever. They were wearing jeans, stylish jumpers, and hand carrying a bunch of crap. Their back packs looked like it might fit a couple books, but not enough gear for 3 days out in the bush. They ended up having a full sized game of Monopoly. A special Cork Edition none the less. They also contributed the best quote of the trip<span style="font-size: small;">: While staring at the bottle of wine she utters "Its a shame we have to drink this out of plastic glasses." Who brings 2 glass bottles of wine on a 2 night tramp? The Irish! They also carried a handled grocery bag with a whole roast chicken, but didn't eat it until the 2nd night. T</span>he next day was still muddy. Betsy's knee was really bothering her. We came across only a couple people walking into the track as we were exiting. The last bit of the tramp is easy going, but its not over yet. You have to walk back into town along the side of the road for a couple kilometers. Once back in town, we went right to the ocean to get the mud off of us. We also ran into Bill who had previously checked to see if the rooms were available. They weren't when he first went in, but now they were. We were starving so we went to a French Cafe down the street, where they wanted $50 per pizza to dine in, but only $20 for take away. So we ate back in our room.<br />
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Now back on the ferry heading to Bluff, we had a date with Middlemarch and tackling the Otago Rail Trail.We had a quick pie and then picked up Betsy's bike and then started our journey. We had about 60km of gravel trail to ride to get to <a href="http://www.petersfarm.co.nz/">Peter's Farm Lodge</a>, located just outside of Waipiata. This ride was fairly flat, but we looked at the different little shelters and trail signs. These are things that the Hauraki Rail Trail could take a lesson from. There was also some little metal sculptures on the side of the trail. It makes it more of a destination rather than just come ride our trail. Upon riding up to his lodge, we encountered the wild sheep of New Zealand. Ok. Maybe that is an exaggeration as Peter's brother runs a farm next door and the sheep graze where ever. Including all around the lodge. <br />
Unfortunately we didn't confirm the BBQ that Peter puts on and we cooked our own food. This did separate us from the other groups at the lodge as they shared sirloin steaks, salad, roasted potatoes, salted caramel ice cream, and apple cobbler. Granted Beth wouldn't have eaten much of it. Right after we ate, I ended up starting to get a fever and chills for the rest of the night. I woke up the next morning feeling awesome. Betsy not so much. She decided to spend the day with Bill. I put her bike on the roof rack and Beth and I set out to Lauder. This was going to be a trying day. We were bashed by a steady, cold head wind all day. While going up hill and occasionally getting hit with rain. By the time we pulled into a town for lunch, we were wearing all the clothes we had brought in the pannier. We even grabbed more clothes once Beth's parents showed up at the cafe. We continued on and got to go through a tunnel and over a really long bridge. It ended up taking us like 8 hours to go 64kms that day. Once again, shortly after getting off the bike I was hit with fever and chills. I ate dinner and then went to bed. The next morning I felt great again. So we set off for the last little bit of the trail. It was a quick ride, as we were treated with a sunny, windless day while mainly going downhill or remaining flat.<br />
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We proceeded to drop off Betsy's bike in a depot and then drove back to Queenstown. We had one last night with her folks. Then we had a few more things to tick off the list. After dropping them off at the airport, I decided with my recent bout of feeling like crap I wouldn't be running the Routeburn. Rather I would rest up for our 2 day Kepler adventure. Instead I ended up reading a lot of books. We drove back out to Te Anau prior to our 2 day trek around Kepler. We decided to go clockwise with the weather forecast as our first day had gale winds and rain along the ridge. Instead we took to the dense bush for the first day and saved a sharp climb and a long exposed ridge for the 2nd day. The sand flies were particularly bad here. We passed the first hut on the track while a few day trippers turned around here. We pressed on for another several hours to the Iris Burn Hut. This hut was set up in a weird way and we had to jockey for table space as they had seats but no tables for everyone. The next morning it was a 3 hour switchback fest to get out of the bush. Then we had another 40 minutes to the first shelter. Then the rest of the day was basically spent on the ridge. We were treated to amazing views the entire day and I was glad not to be up there in high winds and rain. It did mean that we had a long day with lots of elevation. The final 5km we were doing the death march. We saw the campground and thought it was about over, but no. I ended up getting some wicked blisters on my little toes. I ended up switching to my hut shoes, a pair of slip on sandals. This made the rest of the walk more enjoyable. Beth unfortunately went really lite for the overnight and didn't take a pair of hut shoes. We were both hurting at the end of the walk, but we were also starving. So back in to Te Anau to grab something to eat before starting to head back up to Kinloch. We did this over several days where we had planned on camping, but it was unseasonably cold and wet.<br />
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The following week Beth started our shift to Waiwhetu, Lower Hutt. This transition would take us 3 weeks. For one weekend, Waitangi Weekend, our group did the Northern Circuit. Then it was the final push to Lower Hutt, but before we left we hosted a couple different sets of friends over for dinner and the MTB club did one last ride and said our see you laters.<br />
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Now we are in Lower Hutt. <br />
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<br />Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-59316152828958301532016-12-19T20:47:00.004+13:002016-12-19T20:47:45.291+13:00Happy Holidays<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It’s that time of year again, where our birthplaces are covered in ice and snow and we’re going into summer break. It’s been a great and busy year, starting with an end to our trip with my parents, Betsy and Bill, and a beginning of our trip to Fiji with friends Helen and James. In Fiji we spent a few days diving, went kayaking, and drove around the island. One of the great highlights was seeing a police foot chase right in front of our car. Guy ran out of the police station, which we were parking in front of as it seemed like a safe spot, with 2 policemen close behind. The criminal gave us a cheeky grin as he ran right in front of our car. Kaleb later spotted him in police custody again. Guess his escape plan was foiled despite the obvious lack of conditioning of the police. Despite diving with sharks, we came back alive from Fiji.<br />
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At the end of January, we were lucky enough to go diving at Whakaari/White Island, an active volcanic island. This was some of the best diving ever! We once again ran in to our friend Paul on this dive. He gets around to different dive sites as well. We swum through kelp forests, dove on shallow reefs with volcanic bubbles bubbling from the bottom, and did a night dive with countless eagle rays. The dive company wasn’t great and the boat was barely seaworthy, but there was great diving.<br />
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<br />
February, we went to India to see our friend Shiv (now a Kiwi) get married to Ravneet. Kaleb worked with Shiv back at the council in Thames. We flew into Delhi and headed to Karnal, our first stop for wedding festivities. After a great deal of food and celebration, we headed to Chandigarh for more festivities. Shiv’s sister and sister-in-law were nice enough to take me shopping so I had appropriate wedding wear. There was so much tasty food, we were never hungry. Shiv’s family was awesome and so hospitable. Kaleb even got to go see a wheel of death with a motorcycle rider and a car at the local fair. I’m not sure we can ever attend another wedding, as everything will pale in comparison to the 5-day Indian wedding. After the wedding festivities were over, we visited the sights of the Golden Triangle, including the Taj Mahal in Agra and Jaipur. We also survived a death defying bike rickshaw ride through Delhi with Dave and Sarah, before leaving for the now-seemingly excellent driver filled roads of New Zealand.<br />
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<br />
We started March by volunteering for Ironman New Zealand, held right here in Taupo. We were kayak marshals and herded the swimmers along the correct course. As we were on the water, my friend from Minneapolis, Angi, was landing in Auckland and coming to Taupo via bus. After she recovered from the flight for a bit in Taupo, we headed to the South Island, driving from Christchurch to the West Coast, down to Queenstown, and back up via the Eastern route. We stopped whenever we saw an interesting hike and had a great deal of fun.<br />
<br />
In March, we joined the ninjas for a 4-day canoe trip on the Whanganui River for just over 100 kms. Kaleb and I paddled our kayaks, while the other 6 ninjas took up paddles in canoes. The water was higher than normal, as it had rained a lot in the previous weeks, and most of the nights we were on the river, though luckily it generally started after the tents were up. It was great fun and we managed to only have one canoe swamping, on the very last rapid. I think next time, we will look for better canoe parking spots so we don’t have to carry our gear barrels up cliffs.<br />
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Easter weekend, we hiked the Abel Tasman Great Walk (55 km). This time it was just the two of us, camping, rather than utilizing the huts, along the way. It was a beautiful walk, though a slow one as I was recovering from a hip injury and Kaleb an ankle injury. We made friends with a curious weka (native NZ bird), who hung out with us at our private campsite. We even had the beach to ourselves for a wonderful sunrise. <br />
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Over the winter months (summer for you Northern hemisphere dwellers), I did a lot of trail running and Kaleb did a lot of mountain biking. I ran a race in pouring sleet and decided to skip any future races where hypothermia is a guarantee. We did a few weekends away over the winter, but nothing major. One of the weekends away included a night trail run down in the bush of Wellington. We also did 2 fun relay races with the ninja team and even squeezed 15 ninjas in one house. A few of us joined forces again to run in the annual Lactic Turkey P6 Adventure Race.<br />
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On Thanksgiving we went to Hawaii to visit my sister and her family. My mom was also there, overlapping with our trip for a few days. We spent some time on Oahu and then traveled over to the big island of Hawaii. We were able to see some of the volcano, a green beach, and a black beach. We also went diving and saw some octopus and sea turtles. We even manage to sneak in a quick run on Ali'i Drive. <br />
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<br />
In March I left my job at Datamine seeking anything else. I worked on getting clients for my own business, 3 Sheep Analytics, and lifeguarded on call for the Taupo pools for 6 months. In October, I accepted a position as Chief Data Scientist for Quotable Value, headquartered in Wellington. I’ve traveled to Wellington and Auckland for work a few times, but will not expected to be in the Wellington office full time until February or March of the new year. Kaleb is still working for BCS doing BI development.<br />
<br />
This month, we are heading to the South Island once again to meet up with my parents and do a whole lot of physical activity. The plan is to first do the Milford Great Walk (53 km), a 4 day hike through mountains and rain forest. After a day of rest and travel, we will start the Raikura Great Walk (32 km) on Stewart Island. After that, we head a bit north again to do a 3 day bike ride on the Otago Rail Trail (150 km). My parents will then head back to the states, no doubt needing a vacation from their vacation, and Kaleb and I will continue our insanity. Kaleb plans on running the Routeburn Great Walk (32 km), which he missed out on last year due to injury. We will then both do 2 days on the Kepler Great Walk (60 km). After this trip, we will have 8 of the 9 New Zealand Great Walks done. The last one on the list is Heaphy, which is a logistical nightmare because the end points are not connected by road. It is also a dual purpose trail outside of the summer season so Kaleb wants to ride it.<br />
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We’re loving life here in New Zealand and have only 540 days until we are eligible for citizenship. We welcome any visitors to our house and will show you around as much as we can. Hope everyone is having a safe and happy holiday season and will have a happy New Year!<br />
<br />Beth Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17744281625912906827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-9899461941553048202016-11-09T11:44:00.002+13:002016-11-09T11:44:46.393+13:00P6 Adventure Race RecapIts been awhile since I did a post, but we have been busy. Beth has taken a role as Chief Data Scientist with a company out of Wellington. That does mean we'll be moving from Lake Taupo in the future. We are trying to delay it until after summer though. Any way, not to bore you with pointless logistics of our daily lives.<br />
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<div>
Race Recap:</div>
<div>
A wet morning greeted us while
waking up in Auckland. We grabbed our few things and got on the road to
Waitama Regional Park at 7am. The park is located about 45 minutes from
South Auckland. The drive out was uneventful, but taking the curvy back
roads just means slow drivers. We pulled into the park and there were a
lot of cars already there. The Lactic Turkey RV was stationed by the
registration tent and Shaun was running around with last minute prep.
Some of the young kids were riding their bikes through the cars without
their helmets while others were busy unloading gear. We parked our car
and started to unload our gear. Mike and Paula arrived shortly after we
did and pulled up right behind us. Beth and Paula went and got our
registration stuff, which consisted mainly of advertisements and a
chocolate bar apiece. The Ninja Tortoises would be #205 for this race.
The day was broken down into the following segments: </div>
<div>
<strong> </strong></div>
<div>
<strong>Initial Puzzle:</strong></div>
<div>
She
said a phrase starting with 'This is the cup game' while tapping the
cup to her hand and table to a pattern. You had to be able to repeat it
in order to get our score card.</div>
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</strong></div>
<div>
<strong>Stage 1: Pedal</strong></div>
<div>
I
believe this was by far the most challenging section for us. We quickly
realized that the scale of the map was super small. We felt like we
hardly went any where, but we blew past our predetermined course that we
were aiming for. So we had to make some on the fly adjustments,
which meant riding some of the track backwards and throwing our bikes
over a few fences after riding through a paddock. Also I may have been a
little short with Beth, but she was a champ with me yelling at her for
check point descriptions while trying to hold a map, check point
descriptions, attempting to shift, and riding a mtb. I believe it was
her 4th time on a mtb. Also it was too big for her so it made getting
back on it while on a hill impossible. When we do another, we'll invest
in a map clip board that attaches to your bar in order to keep your
hands free, but still be able to have the data at your finger tips. </div>
<div>
On
this stage we had a series of mandatory check points to keep the flow
of riders in the same direction as there are actual mtb trails at the
park with other users. These trails looked like fun and I wouldn't mind
giving them a crack at some point in the future. However, there was one
track I would be scared as hell to ride down. Super steep, very bumpy,
switch back corners with no berms, and comprised mainly of clay. We
spent about an hour getting the mandatory check points and a couple
others before ditching the bikes. Beth also ended up taking a pedal to
the shin during this stage. Giving her a bloody shin.</div>
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<div>
<strong>Stage 2: Plod</strong></div>
<div>
We
dropped the bikes off at the cars, stopped for a bathroom break, and
then got our new check point descriptions. We set out to a part of the
course we hadn't been to yet, the beach. On our way down, we had a
couple take a picture of us laying down in the shape of P6 to text to
Shaun for some mystery points. This was comical as the woman didn't
really understand English, but she managed to snap pictures with Paula's
camera as Beth's camera app stopped working at that moment. So here you
have 4 people laying down on the ground trying to contort their bodies
into the shape of a P and a 6. The woman wanted to give us a good
background, but just went with our craziness and snapped the photos. At
the beach, we quickly performed the get the ball out of the pipe game.
Then we proceeded up a big hill past a bunch of tourists that were
probably jealous of us and wanted to play the game with us. The
hills would give Beth's hamstring a fair amount of grief. She has been
nursing an injury since our night time trail run in Wellington back in
August. This section of the race probably wasn't her favourite, but we
had some great views from the top of a couple different look outs. This
stage had lots of up and down as we worked hard to get points and be
back to the staging area for a quick Stage 3. Another mystery activity
we did was riding the all-terrain Segways around a slalom course. Fast
time got a 100pts but we got some for trying.</div>
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</strong></div>
<div>
<strong>Stage 3: Plod</strong></div>
<div>
This
involved us wondering a small section near the staging area looking for
20 small wooden spoons with a 2 character code written on them. All of
them were found, but there were some tricky ones even though they were
all located next to or on something. During this stage, we completed
another mystery event: match the country outline to the country name. We
grabbed a quick bite to eat and then head back out to do the coastal
challenge. We also dig a physical challenge of walking with a 50cent
piece between your knees for a short distance, but we lost points as
someone kept looking at their knees and losing the coin just at that
moment. </div>
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<div>
<strong>Stage 4: Plod (along the coast)</strong></div>
<div>
The
coastal challenge was an out and back as the original way down to the
start was closed off to protect some farming. So we had to descend a
long hill that was pock marked with hoof-made holes. I'm glad I didn't
see anyone twist an ankle during this section, but it was more than
probable given the terrain. We made our way to the water and had to
traverse the coast while other teams were coming back. This was made
more dangerous with the narrow slick rock we were traversing really only
allowed 1 person at a time in some places. All the while you were
looking for letters along the course. We managed to find 5/6 of the
letters so we were unable to decipher the scrambled word. </div>
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</div>
<div>
<strong>Stage 5: Plod</strong></div>
<div>
We
probably ate some more food at this point and hit the bathroom up again
before setting out on the last plod of the day. Prior to leaving Paula
grabbed us some points by completing the mystery activity of cup
stacking. She got us over 30 points just for doing the activity in under
15 seconds. We then started off following the same course we took for
Stage 1. Down the main road to the first check point then jumping some
fences to pick up a couple more check points and a mystery activity
before getting back on the road. For the mystery activity, we were able
to solve 2/3 match stick logic puzzles and could have figured out the
3rd if she hadn't pointed us in the wrong direction for the last one. I
could tell that soreness and pain were creeping in at this point and our
pace slowed down quite a bit. We did manage to get better at judging
the distances and looking at other key identifiers on the map later in
the day. So we could get a pretty good approximate location by a glance.
We started back to the staging with 45 minutes left thinking we would
get the easy points from Stage 6, but with our slow pace we would have
gotten back after the 6 hour cut-off and lost 30 points per minute.
Instead we took a little round about way back and got 220 points, which
appears to be 20 more points than people were getting for Stage 6.</div>
<div>
<strong> </strong></div>
<div>
<strong>Stage 6: Splash</strong></div>
<div>
So
once again we didn't manage to get into the water. We bought these
4 inner tubes 2 years ago and they have been transported, blown up, and
deflated multiple times, but never used for the purpose of a floatation
device. Instead they manage to gather lint in our garage.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Looking
at the results we tumbled from our inaugural Ninja outing of 1st to 7th
(last), but we had fun with the event once again. We got lots of
compliments on our costumes and managed to get our photos on the event
FaceBook page right way. Beth and I tried to wait for the awards, but
the event started late and awards were pushed back past 4. As we had
over a 3 hour ride back and had to stop off for some food along the way
we decided to leave early. So Mike and Paula were able to claim the one
spot prize that the team won, a glow in the dark drink bottle. </div>
</div>
Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-69341391354479635552016-06-15T17:17:00.000+12:002016-06-15T17:17:10.845+12:00Timber Trail recapSo I went out with the Taupo MTB Club and rode the Timber Trail, an 85km ride or tramp. For the recap you can read about it <a href="http://www.kiwitrails.co.nz/2016/06/timber-trail.html">here</a>. This is a new site that Beth has started dedicated to exploring the New Zealand Trails.Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-43227265966891291952016-05-12T22:22:00.000+12:002016-05-12T22:22:16.314+12:00New Venuture: 3 Sheep Analytics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What is this new venture? Well its not exactly new as it was formed back in 2013, but Beth is focusing her efforts on expanding the business of <a href="http://www.3sheepanalytics.com/" target="_blank">3 Sheep Analytics</a>. This includes working on the branding, creating a web presence, and procuring all necessary software. As well as networking with the Not-For-Profit arena here in New Zealand. In addition to all that, she is also creating presentations to take to some of the local fundraising conferences. These will focus on the need for analytics and data insight for small and Not-For-Profit companies that currently aren't being catered to. 3 Sheep will provide anything from post campaign analysis to a reoccurring monthly full solution. </div>
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Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-87623956117743726662016-05-07T21:53:00.002+12:002016-05-07T22:00:09.566+12:00Abel Tasman: 4 out of 9<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Over the last year, I've managed to complete 4, Beth has done 5, out of the 9 Great Walks. These are the Northern Circuit, Lake Waikaremoana, Whanganui River Journey, and now Abel Tasman. I should have had 5 completed, but my little mishap climbing in December prevented me from doing Routeburn last Christmas. However, its looking like I might run it this Summer if my ankle is co-operating by then. We have already booked for Milford and Raikura for this summer with Beth's parents. We may even do the Otago Rail Trail while we are down there. Any way I digress from the story I was meant to be telling: Our tramp across the <a href="http://www.doc.govt.nz/abeltasmantrack" target="_blank">Abel Tasman</a>.<br />
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It starts with us heading to Auckland on Wednesday evening and staying with our friend Shiv and his wife Ravneet. I worked from his house, while Beth got us Mexican food for lunch and went to Martha's. We then flew to Nelson on Thursday evening, where I worked from a hotel room on Friday. While I was busy coding, Beth walked into town and purchased our last few supplies. For the most part we had flown with our tramping bags ready to go, but we had to top off our gear with a fuel canister for the stove, some lunch snacks, and to fill our water. While checking our packs they were already weighing in between 12-14 kilos without a couple liters of water. They were a little heavier than we usually go out with, but we were carrying our tent and sleeping pads which would usually not accompany us as New Zealand has a robust hut system, but it being a holiday weekend the huts go fast. Like I said, we've already booked for Christmas on the first day that the huts became available and things were already filling up.<br />
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We were picked up by a crappy shuttle service and were charged a price that was more than we were expecting. It should be noted that there were a series of emails going back and forth and we were under the impression that since more passengers were coming in the shuttle that the fares would be reduced for each of us as per the emails were always talking about per person, but they only discounted our grand total by $35. A lot of arguing back and forth occurred over the phone and we simply said to charge to our credit card as the shuttle can only accept cash. If we were to stop along the way to get cash we would get charged. If we use the credit card, we get an extra charge. Lets just say there was a bitter taste in our mouth right away and we weren't even out on the trail yet. Love people's mentality, you're a tourist I can probably milk you for more money. We've seen it all over the place, but it still grinds my gears.<br />
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We were dropped off at the Southern start in Marahau and walked North to Bark Bay. We covered 23.9+ km the first day including a few side trips. One was to Cleopatra's Pool, I think it would be fun to ride the rapid slide, and the other was to a scenic overlook. We were amazed by the number of day walkers heading South with little or no gear. I'm talking about just basics like food and water. They also just seemed to flounder across the trail making it difficult to continue without stopping to let them past. The tramp wasn't difficult, but with my ankle injury back in December this was the first real test. After about 15km any downhill became excruciating. I was able to soldier on to the campsite, but needed some ibuprofen. We set up our tent right off the beach. Beth organized the sleeping gear while I went and prepared our dinner. We had either canned chicken or tuna with cheesy mashed potatoes with Fritos. This campsite was pretty booked and there were a few bigger groups that liked their alcohol. For one group, I counted no fewer than 8 bottles of wine and a couple of 2lt bottles of cider. This didn't include what they had at their campfire. We just managed to get into the tent after dinner prior to it starting to rain. Having had looked at metservice prior to leaving in the morning we were expecting some severe weather for Saturday Night. However, it was only a short light shower.<br />
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The next morning, we broke down the tent and had some breakfast, oats with fruit for me and a pop tart for Beth, prior to heading off to Anapai Bay. We left early knowing that we would have to wait at <a href="http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/nelson-tasman/places/abel-tasman-national-park/things-to-do/huts/awaroa-hut/" target="_blank">Awaroa Hut</a> for low tide to cross and it would be a prime spot for lunch. My ankle didn't bother me during the morning section as I stretched it pretty good at breakfast. I did several sets of the alphabet with both ankles to get them ready for the trail. Once the again the actual trail itself wasn't difficult. They are wide, well graded, several sites that provide filtered water, have ample stocked flushing toilets, and for the most part devoid of any mud. This is a departure from the other Great Walks we have done where they are a little more rugged. I definitely wasn't expecting this, but it was welcomed departure from tramping grade tracks given my ankle issues. However, it means that people don't go in being prepared for when things aren't handed to them on other trails. <br />
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Prior to the hut, was the first time we actually ran into other people heading North. Mainly we were seeing people doing day walks after being shuttled around by a water taxi and heading South. The weather was phenomenal unlike the last year when we did Northern Circuit where we had frosts and a hard cold rain. We walked up and down ridges, across beaches, and across a few bridges. We had a good lunch, pulled out some wet gear to dry in the sun, and chatted with some other trampers heading North. We waited until about an hour and a half before low tide to trudge through the knee height water. However, we had a good laugh at a couple we decided to brave the deeper water to get to our side of the bay. They had to put their packs on their head in order to keep them dry. When they got to our side I could see what a water line high on their chests. Guess they were in a hurry to get to their final destination. After our crossing, we joked with the DOC ranger about forgetting something back at the hut. As he followed us over in order replenish the toilet paper in the flushing toilet opposite the crossing from the hut. We proceeded to make our way to Totaranui the last place to get filtered water prior to our campsite at Anapai Bay. In heading into Totaranui the track had a detour, because of landslide, which seemed to go straight up which wasn't very fun. The downhill section really hurt. I think I just shuffled as best I could as to limit the movement in my ankle. Still it was like an electric fence shock each step I took.<br />
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As I was limping into Totaranui, we saw a sign saying that Anapai Bay was over 4km away. We were expecting it to be around 2km, so seeing that sign took the wind out of our sails as it would mean we would be walking with our head torches for a long time. We saw our first cars as we walked through the campsite in order to top off our water and use the toilets. As we walked along the road to get back on the track, we passed another sign just outside of the campground that said 2.2km to the campsite. I like that DOC gives you signs, but when they are conflicting or inaccurate they really piss you off. Am I right Rachel? For the previous distances, we had a map with known points. However, Anapai Bay doesn't have a distance from a major point, so Beth estimated based on the known distances and referencing the map. We soldiered on from Totaranui and after about 20 minutes we were back in the bush and had to turn on our torches as it was past sunset. We walked in the dark with only our torches to guide us. After a long time, we started to hear the ocean, which to me represented the campsite, as all the campsites are next to the ocean. We were slightly concerned when we came to a beach after a long time and there was no sign for the campsite. After walking down another 100m we saw the sign for Anapai Bay campsite. Distance wise, we ended up doing just a little less than day before, but with a long lunch break in the middle.<br />
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We walked up the trail to the see who else we would be sharing the campsite with, but we found that we had the campsite to ourselves! This was drastically different from the night before or even the Totaranui campsite we passed hours before. We pitched the tent close to the beach and while making dinner we were treating to a large blood red moon coming over the ridge and illuminating the bay. I tried to take some pictures, but they didn't turn out. We did have a guest weka that night and next morning. We called him matmit after his cousin we saw earlier in the day while talking about timtams. So while discussing timtams a weka popped up around the corner and said "What's up Cuz?" This is part of the backstory for timtam, the weka, I created. He thought we were calling for him, as his name was timtam, not to be confused with the delicious Australian treats that come in a variety of flavors. Yours are on the way Bri. That story continued to evolve the next morning when matmit, you know like the Crimson Twins from G.I. Joe, was checking out our tramping gear. Anyway, Beth and I created a pretty good story about the cousins going by the time we reached Whariwharangi Bay. If only I had recorded this conversation, it could have lead to an epic cartoon series.<br />
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While eating breakfast and drinking my morning tea, I set up the camera to record the amazing sunrise that you can see at the beginning of the video. You might notice, that I keep learning more about filming and editing. I might end up investing in a gimbal so the camera isn't so shaky as I basically just shoot while holding on to the gorilla pod. Anyway, I hope to improve at editing the videos and pictures we take into something that is enjoyable for you to watch. Who ever you might be.<br />
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So the final day, we had roughly 13km to the trail head in Wainui. Our shuttle was scheduled for pick-up at 1:30 so we figured we would get out around noon and have some lunch as it isn't a short drive back to Nelson. We made our way down the beach with a short stop to marvel at some rock formations that looked awesome for bouldering. After about an hour we had our first South Bound travelers. We deduced that they left from Mutton Cove as when we got there we could see a fresh set of tracks with poles coming from the campground. There was a fair amount of movement at the camp for 8am. There were even a few kayaks, which if you read DOC's brochure you shouldn't go further North than Onetahuti Bay because of remote and exposed coastline. We decided to cut inland toward the final hut, Whariwharangi, instead of walking the coastline to separation point. That detour of about 1km was supposed to add an additional hour to our tramping time and wasn't accounted for in our 13km for the day. We arrived at the hut about mid-morning and had a snack. We also ran into one of the other passengers in the shuttle. She had just started her trip South Bound. We talked about her itinerary for NZ in general and found it to be very weird. She was zigzagging all over the place, but after she said she was flying to some of the locations it made a bit more sense and that she wasn't going to rent a car. That just put her at the mercy of whatever company was doing the activity she wanted to do. Like after doing Tongariro Crossing, she was heading to Auckland to catch a shuttle that takes people to Waitomo Glow Worm Caves and Hobbiton. Both of which are hours South of Auckland and hours North of Taupo. So she would have to pass them just to come back to them. All because she thought she couldn't rent a car here. You can if your driver's license is in English. It's just that you drive on the left side of the road and the steering wheel is on the right. Then again, I didn't drive for the first 4-5 months we lived here.<br />
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Leaving the hut, we got a big kick in the teeth, the dreaded hill that the hotel owner warned us about. It is 3km up and 3km back down. By this time, Beth had some pretty wicked blister on top of blister action that we drained and tried to apply moleskin to. It didn't help. So her paced slowed drastically. My downhill pace was even worse than hers. My ankle basically felt stuck and every rocking step down was a jolt of pain. I had minimal flexion and absolutely no rotation at this point. We kept making our way down. We were passed by a few runners heading out on the trail. What I would give not to be wearing a pack right now and running up the hill with a good ankle. It reminded me a lot of the track up The Mount, a fire road that is over-grown and a points just single track. We finally arrive at the trail head around 11:30. We take off our shoes and have a bite to eat and are eaten alive. We must have sweated off our sand fly spray as both our legs were savaged. Even after applying it, they would still land on you and your previous bites start to burn. Not much fun there kids. I proceeded to give our can of fuel to the first tourists that come by. They just happen to be from North America. I would say the US, but they also had a Canadian in their mix. The shuttle driver, the actual owner, arrived around 12:30 and we departed early. This worked in our favor as he had a bunch of stops to make on the way back to Nelson. The guy kept antagonizing Beth, who pretended to be asleep. The guy was/is a tool. We worked our way back to Marahau to pick up a couple families and even a couple of randoms who just needed to catch a bus less than 10 minutes down the road. They just so happened to be the remaining passengers on our way out. He charged them $25 a piece. We still had about 80 minutes before getting back to Nelson and we were surrounded by kids singing about doing cocaine, smoking weed, drinking vodka, and hitting people with the car. The parents didn't say a word. One of the kids started to feel car sick, so they said sit next to this stranger, Beth. We thought that at least on of the parents would have switched seats with their kid, but no. The shuttle dropped a family off on the side of the road about 30 minutes outside of Nelson and then dropped the other family off at the airport. I can't imagine the stench they brought on to the plane with them. Take an extra couple of hours or even a night to bathe before flying on a plane. No passenger should be subjected to trail hygiene or lack thereof. We were the last to be dropped off. A warm shower, a biscuit, and a hot cuppa tea greeted me at the hotel. Unfortunately we didn't plan well and had to walk to dinner that evening. Our feet weren't happy with us. I'm just glad there was a place less than 1.5km away that offered shuttle rides. We got them to drive us back as their driver didn't start until 6, but we were starving and were there by 5:30 as hobbled as we were.<br />
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So in review, we did 3 days of tramping for about 19hrs in total covering from Marahau to Wainui. We camped at Bark Bay and Anapai Bay. I highly recommend Anapai Bay as it was the highlight of our trip. It is just a very nice beach and the campsite has only a few spots. If you happen to be walking through or lucky enough to spend the night please say hi to matmit, but don't feed him. Unfortunately I have to say that so far that this is my least favorite of the Great Walks. There is a lack of variety in the scenery, noise from boats and water taxis, this includes the PA Systems, and the day walkers who don't follow any sort of trail etiquette. However, I would like to go back and see it from a kayak at some point. <br />
<br />Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-9412619018598047772016-04-08T14:01:00.000+12:002016-04-08T14:01:01.724+12:00NZ Bucket List: Revisited<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So its been 4 years since we moved over here and we've done a lot, but looking back at my list. Here is what we've done that I set out to do. Granted my list has grown and maybe I'll spend some time revising this after today.<br />
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These are things I think I have to do and the list can grow. They are in no specific order. <br />
<strike>Find some sort of job (This list may be a full time job!) </strike>Working for BCS now for over 2 years.<br />
<strike>Find a place to live (besides out of my backpack) </strike>We are lucky enough to call Kinloch home. Granted we've moved around a bit.<br />
<strike>Find a bike </strike>My bike stable looks pretty good.<br />
<strike>Eat lamb</strike> I eat a fair amount of lamb.<br />
Learn to surf (Still haven't learned to Surf)<br />
<strike>Swim in Sea of Tasmania</strike><br />
<strike>Swim in Pacific Ocean</strike><br />
Explore the South Island: There is more to explore, but have been there several times.<br />
<strike>Visit Australia</strike> Been there a few times for work and another for a vacation. Still have more to explore.<br />
<strike>Go snowboarding </strike>I've hit up Ruapehu, but need to get to the South Island at some point.<br />
<strike>Find BBQ or make my own </strike>I've got a Weber, but during the Summer I'm having to get a fire permit every 2 weeks and there are some periods where there is a complete fire bans.<br />
Finish my coding project: I've got several that I'm working on, but never finish up.<br />
<strike>Go tramping on one of the multi-day walks </strike>We have done several of the Great Walks and have plans to do several more this year.<br />
<br />
Bike the Otago Trail: We are talking about doing this ride over Christmas this year.<br />
<strike>Black-water rafting</strike> We did this awhile ago and I liked the walking tour more.<br />
<br />
I've got a whole heap of things that I want to do and maybe I'll add it to this list as it looks pretty bare now that I've actually crossed things off.Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-76657399904349857732016-03-29T21:35:00.000+13:002016-03-31T07:48:02.493+13:00Ninjas assemble: Whanganui River Journey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/4zeHnOhUbOd1mzFa5JMrhVG9SMoag80utuxCE_FB-rqBSgUggUTZHYaS8G270Hx0EUdwabTVBGvLgX0O4Vxljs2jmkVOkFd07PRn2k5uODz1s2vrVuWkj7PfxI73FAeRHf2Jx3IS9ryPObQdhxKbeEM1inpM2mVkBc7J-TlcMNq6jOIyFcIdvsF8YiinoH5IhZY1OpKeD9BCFWZv2UPgqGI54SFjJD_WDYYxpji0mZuYym2gXRUk29wIzXanqqVzZdK6YPDEbYD4AuJUIfiQBMHOlfYej3IVNnnz5akuzWZN5sFhAcoiFdkWG8jx37btP_-X12IaFu101iZMAnXFAq_vFSuSdY9u1e3oEsIjqXCfjET1OFDxs5not5b0TVQ6kA5PqMQiBkSGOTdlJON8O42jw_7VrYY7uhn19X0RTf74XNLcI_C6nANH1fDTAO_Z58F7ynYe3v6UXFLxeLqiO0xYUjhyHjD2M0OJK-uD-s5CJTj6LRD1lG1wx7DZqzRVBQyJk9kYwEqmUq-OJy40mW1Pz_w2AIE5yNwuyGSIwy6w7OwNZphDmdqV_iFlXhj2RoL7=w1049-h629-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/4zeHnOhUbOd1mzFa5JMrhVG9SMoag80utuxCE_FB-rqBSgUggUTZHYaS8G270Hx0EUdwabTVBGvLgX0O4Vxljs2jmkVOkFd07PRn2k5uODz1s2vrVuWkj7PfxI73FAeRHf2Jx3IS9ryPObQdhxKbeEM1inpM2mVkBc7J-TlcMNq6jOIyFcIdvsF8YiinoH5IhZY1OpKeD9BCFWZv2UPgqGI54SFjJD_WDYYxpji0mZuYym2gXRUk29wIzXanqqVzZdK6YPDEbYD4AuJUIfiQBMHOlfYej3IVNnnz5akuzWZN5sFhAcoiFdkWG8jx37btP_-X12IaFu101iZMAnXFAq_vFSuSdY9u1e3oEsIjqXCfjET1OFDxs5not5b0TVQ6kA5PqMQiBkSGOTdlJON8O42jw_7VrYY7uhn19X0RTf74XNLcI_C6nANH1fDTAO_Z58F7ynYe3v6UXFLxeLqiO0xYUjhyHjD2M0OJK-uD-s5CJTj6LRD1lG1wx7DZqzRVBQyJk9kYwEqmUq-OJy40mW1Pz_w2AIE5yNwuyGSIwy6w7OwNZphDmdqV_iFlXhj2RoL7=w1049-h629-no" width="320" /></a></div>
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After our last Great Walk excursion, <a href="http://www.doc.govt.nz/waikaremoana" target="_blank">Lake Waikaremoana</a>, we started planning the <a href="http://www.doc.govt.nz/whanganuijourney" target="_blank">Whanganui River Journey</a>. It is a 145km paddle down from Taumarunui to Pīpīriki with a few sections of class 2 rapids and a lot of flat sections. As we have been planning this since last October, we have a lot of logistics to figure out. How many people were going? How many nights? Were there huts available? Or do we camp? What gear did people need? Which company to rent gear from? Would they transport our kayaks? So we started another legendary email thread.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/ZhdmpDydVPZFCyB83x_twyBYVtgV-rLQIOWKIPn1Q3zR11OdPayktsVypbywldEx8PUmgXJIZB8u3RTShrPoXF_f1SIf5XH-1LIGOWbkNJ0cpubIsdIXDDwkuXsk5ZEntWZ4_t7ukthrJ4XiVWH7haOgc0fSJl0IHxpMos-zdk4mw4DXYRyzAp09zBrtYNevpv3bggeIFDg_6Z_NSa4sWy0P2dwjWHs5UiinLATe3fxPJWZHK7GGqqZNp4KE77wGZva7FDkVOuNIRkTkRwOQD1-84ijBTQshQ3g-XyJ9gY2-eauzjLJ-uoLTvUbqWCtgyOumBozHkCFlwXmq48PVDddoasebhTFEfHYYGtFCA4yPlMyiQQ6aqcw3cZ3a5v1s_f6wm_NfpU0kdCkc8RWrIY-5mYSHM52d9rhhmEcGZuJspMEV7SO9iNgSx_4nrcQs-VzKBWR0Yb9Ug2LxKkYhfuXATRqvRSaAbVgh27wRhOQb1IPO1UkF8AFOYuJwoMv2iMxt4urpQ6eVrcF69qE9rRGiNdaw_nSmZ-a_ecguOTXi43hDHUFpMkir5sK6AIxDaxjv=w472-h629-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/ZhdmpDydVPZFCyB83x_twyBYVtgV-rLQIOWKIPn1Q3zR11OdPayktsVypbywldEx8PUmgXJIZB8u3RTShrPoXF_f1SIf5XH-1LIGOWbkNJ0cpubIsdIXDDwkuXsk5ZEntWZ4_t7ukthrJ4XiVWH7haOgc0fSJl0IHxpMos-zdk4mw4DXYRyzAp09zBrtYNevpv3bggeIFDg_6Z_NSa4sWy0P2dwjWHs5UiinLATe3fxPJWZHK7GGqqZNp4KE77wGZva7FDkVOuNIRkTkRwOQD1-84ijBTQshQ3g-XyJ9gY2-eauzjLJ-uoLTvUbqWCtgyOumBozHkCFlwXmq48PVDddoasebhTFEfHYYGtFCA4yPlMyiQQ6aqcw3cZ3a5v1s_f6wm_NfpU0kdCkc8RWrIY-5mYSHM52d9rhhmEcGZuJspMEV7SO9iNgSx_4nrcQs-VzKBWR0Yb9Ug2LxKkYhfuXATRqvRSaAbVgh27wRhOQb1IPO1UkF8AFOYuJwoMv2iMxt4urpQ6eVrcF69qE9rRGiNdaw_nSmZ-a_ecguOTXi43hDHUFpMkir5sK6AIxDaxjv=w472-h629-no" width="240" /></a></div>
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There ended up being 8 of us on the trip as Banu had to pull out late because her parents decided to visit. So there was a large contingent of Americans with Raf, Laura, Beth, Peter, and I. Followed up with the 2 Kiwis, Mike and Paula. Rounding out our group was Rachel representing Ireland. Little did we know that Irish would be descending upon the river in force. We encountered no less than 4 large groups of her people. Good thing they didn't her all the grief we gave her over the long weekend. Our itinerary involved us camping each night and paddling from Ohinepane to Whakahoro on Day 1. Day 2 was Whakahoro to Mangawaiiti. Day 3 was Mangawiiti to Ngaporo. With the final day being Ngaporo to Pipiriki. So it would be roughly 123km with a short 5.4km return walk to the Bridge to Nowhere. The journey down the river was an awesome experience even with the weather not being the greatest. We were treated to some pretty epic views on the journey: early in the morning there was the mist rising revealing the fern and pine trees. All day long we were treated to ducks and birds flying around, but not a fish to be seen. With all the rain, the waterfalls were in full display. <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/3oyWNarwLc0stDCuPB_FfJXGbyZOppDqsTmZI0mTP9IGaRJXOJyKLD2zcfihRIF-F11gbC82op_2MGoFucHgZwJNzrOaAV2ejoUgyetivwjAht6iACdu-TpJl81gPcgZ1Zng3ZB1raYZuBMlfbwlLAtz26V2wYzoTWoef_XVT7tl0lblQ913f0M2Tictjj94WmfjOt1H1djdrREH-3A1_9HrBovNwadVAhkHvXSBzVTA4rSn2VZBmqAtthJ1L_ijq8yBctwA65BVyoPWtAityYk1EwUcsHMiaJEJgJfkGjDOpMyLO75Tyzb-gmgU8_zlEIATItHBEUidnAbgTqEDIxmc8qgWd0AKHF_YQ5BMKjC7FF8OPhdWJ-m6fitUTKG5ZdL2IVM1aZgNP5MsuYuzLy7EgLQ-GzbDbAjYm9Rl-xUHt8lF9fKDvnxWoAHIFFzmuTMUknijyWjAZgGF45uhtfupTikKIfllsVCPcOUlGcpkWds75zc2zaAdTc5MxrpHu0UFzpoezKkF2CLLrptabQ2dLmcC2tGELAbCo5ruLeqPmjwjKFyFGuEAqnu-_Y5AEiKn=w1234-h629-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/3oyWNarwLc0stDCuPB_FfJXGbyZOppDqsTmZI0mTP9IGaRJXOJyKLD2zcfihRIF-F11gbC82op_2MGoFucHgZwJNzrOaAV2ejoUgyetivwjAht6iACdu-TpJl81gPcgZ1Zng3ZB1raYZuBMlfbwlLAtz26V2wYzoTWoef_XVT7tl0lblQ913f0M2Tictjj94WmfjOt1H1djdrREH-3A1_9HrBovNwadVAhkHvXSBzVTA4rSn2VZBmqAtthJ1L_ijq8yBctwA65BVyoPWtAityYk1EwUcsHMiaJEJgJfkGjDOpMyLO75Tyzb-gmgU8_zlEIATItHBEUidnAbgTqEDIxmc8qgWd0AKHF_YQ5BMKjC7FF8OPhdWJ-m6fitUTKG5ZdL2IVM1aZgNP5MsuYuzLy7EgLQ-GzbDbAjYm9Rl-xUHt8lF9fKDvnxWoAHIFFzmuTMUknijyWjAZgGF45uhtfupTikKIfllsVCPcOUlGcpkWds75zc2zaAdTc5MxrpHu0UFzpoezKkF2CLLrptabQ2dLmcC2tGELAbCo5ruLeqPmjwjKFyFGuEAqnu-_Y5AEiKn=w1234-h629-no" width="320" /></a></div>
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We finalized our plans the week before Easter with hiring 3 canoes and booking transport for our 2 bigger kayaks. We met up with the rest of the Ninjas at <a href="http://www.taumarunuicanoehire.co.nz/" target="_blank">Taumarunui Canoe Hire</a> late Thursday Evening. We ate at a little take away spot in town with Mike and Paula, that had some pretty decent onion rings and a fried chicken and homemade stuffing. We had to wait for Rachel and her crew to arrive as there was some paperwork to be done, but while we waited we got to play with 2.5 week old kittens. Matter of fact one of the boys working there just picked one up and put it in Beth's hand without uttering a word. All I heard was the little mewing escaping it open maw and I saw Beth as she looked around partially dumbfounded at the kid's back while starting to pet the kitten and shrugging her shoulders.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/9xszmBPsTBqKZDkhjA2rHTZMySAN8R8tY7mtfgddqJ4cAfRcgL6PmfwhAgPgWGJ_rwwdwZCc6ryS4ByF0t-nfq07NtuJs_7KFvq5wuT5CSQD3vqQY7RyyKLpfpxgrkcLGDG6tVkZDiTThhtXlDdkNsDGZUI080Gmy3nfp7cwRcUmvtu5V3iT3BtPx7SLUwERVNONyCQw142C7Tcey7RRCJlrM6v0Ge9Or14q4O9GPaXnso_Eco7G9lG3mEKOcZ-GcbXVPEwZIZKJP4UM0Xh_EQXhV-qExsZ75qbZQZLPmFVbGCQ_nfUP3bREqrxyO-tn0ORsZUqUsbmqIPquapH8S4GcpJ8woG8CtEIeMRYcueeX5X2KflZJKQd0Ob60Zb--BytVd3I7vRB9SqIo2Qw4hrMMK0_pgxPKoZ9VFtiqBvgz3NSCmVFJImTiYT3eIRz1Kz3zG_T8lMklqzaqPScTk-AvW4sE6qL1RQRDsFfdOSxggl09KO0iuatRsvw9cufBuCeZUCfbVgdNDMXjhJPBo3HOZHaaDiVP_nmXC7p9sjl3ZfOxFgU9I8KsLJ4PMu0sBRyv=w839-h629-no" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/9xszmBPsTBqKZDkhjA2rHTZMySAN8R8tY7mtfgddqJ4cAfRcgL6PmfwhAgPgWGJ_rwwdwZCc6ryS4ByF0t-nfq07NtuJs_7KFvq5wuT5CSQD3vqQY7RyyKLpfpxgrkcLGDG6tVkZDiTThhtXlDdkNsDGZUI080Gmy3nfp7cwRcUmvtu5V3iT3BtPx7SLUwERVNONyCQw142C7Tcey7RRCJlrM6v0Ge9Or14q4O9GPaXnso_Eco7G9lG3mEKOcZ-GcbXVPEwZIZKJP4UM0Xh_EQXhV-qExsZ75qbZQZLPmFVbGCQ_nfUP3bREqrxyO-tn0ORsZUqUsbmqIPquapH8S4GcpJ8woG8CtEIeMRYcueeX5X2KflZJKQd0Ob60Zb--BytVd3I7vRB9SqIo2Qw4hrMMK0_pgxPKoZ9VFtiqBvgz3NSCmVFJImTiYT3eIRz1Kz3zG_T8lMklqzaqPScTk-AvW4sE6qL1RQRDsFfdOSxggl09KO0iuatRsvw9cufBuCeZUCfbVgdNDMXjhJPBo3HOZHaaDiVP_nmXC7p9sjl3ZfOxFgU9I8KsLJ4PMu0sBRyv=w839-h629-no" width="320" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/ZiGk4M_FBwFyQA0-FJJKapMZBbc0rUqfnBjdlAX37t01heYqjEdjmcU74SwBTROz4L_GEH68UQKSaMhGdYYFuUhIUElEWZZTmdqzwckfaBgth-akvBKDrP38lXk8IcYwLxeVNSgClD0qYH3br1bt-Di7pw8cab2ddlqUfFiWJpmrPPXbZq0qwlx9hke33IC6ZfaTF5YEMoQ3K10FImLM_a2DzURtv_4E-yQDt_g4jNTD8ISeAMG_OhA00wDVNxaXEHMCt93snt5MWIKw9YlNegGtpEYOIk8HKf1l5ecfezXMkAQ7cxXbSM3AlShXFfaen1eUJPw_ZJWNgfIwMHD115XvkcEKH7l-aEaSma0i241cFCkbdbzOK62H6otZWXga302E8IFfXz9EGZy5tdgqX2YsV4P1EUAOzEsBDVA8LHw0WtZv7JwVbwbap5vM-WlTetY5_ZOKAwN7j-zZmLa2pnt1poKqZislOSKOtVuuV05_1H93JF5V_DPoXYDl9NeKEDzXlXewpFKXfljWdiYNIKvCof1LbeYTq5RaVJzZOlJNAky03DdRd2cTZB1TJ_f8TJwn=w505-h629-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/ZiGk4M_FBwFyQA0-FJJKapMZBbc0rUqfnBjdlAX37t01heYqjEdjmcU74SwBTROz4L_GEH68UQKSaMhGdYYFuUhIUElEWZZTmdqzwckfaBgth-akvBKDrP38lXk8IcYwLxeVNSgClD0qYH3br1bt-Di7pw8cab2ddlqUfFiWJpmrPPXbZq0qwlx9hke33IC6ZfaTF5YEMoQ3K10FImLM_a2DzURtv_4E-yQDt_g4jNTD8ISeAMG_OhA00wDVNxaXEHMCt93snt5MWIKw9YlNegGtpEYOIk8HKf1l5ecfezXMkAQ7cxXbSM3AlShXFfaen1eUJPw_ZJWNgfIwMHD115XvkcEKH7l-aEaSma0i241cFCkbdbzOK62H6otZWXga302E8IFfXz9EGZy5tdgqX2YsV4P1EUAOzEsBDVA8LHw0WtZv7JwVbwbap5vM-WlTetY5_ZOKAwN7j-zZmLa2pnt1poKqZislOSKOtVuuV05_1H93JF5V_DPoXYDl9NeKEDzXlXewpFKXfljWdiYNIKvCof1LbeYTq5RaVJzZOlJNAky03DdRd2cTZB1TJ_f8TJwn=w505-h629-no" width="256" /></a></div>
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That evening, we camped at Taumarunui. The next morning we were driven to Ohinepane after given a very lengthy briefing. Beth and I had used this company back in December when we did day 1 with her parents and our briefing was significantly shorter. We didn't get on the water until close to Noon and we had 37km to paddle. Beth and I paddled our kayaks and the others were paired off as couples, except for Rachel and Peter. After getting the gear loaded and the 'Ok' from the staff that they could paddle the canoe effectively enough we went through our first section of swift water. We paddled for about a couple hours and then pulled over at Poukaria for lunch. This campsite is right after the remains of a car in the river. Beth ended up getting stung in the arm while we were eating lunch. It was low enough that it didn't rub on her life jacket while paddling. We pulled into Whakahoro after about 5:30 hrs and we had to navigate a very steep, muddy, and precariously placed landing spot to unload our gear before walking another 400m to the campsite. This crazy landing experience would be the start of a trend for the remaining nights. This campsite happened to have horses roaming around the site which were not too impressed with us. If it wasn't the first night, we might have ventured next door for some cafe food and a $4 shower. Instead we made the food we brought with to lessen our load. Which Peter and Rachel needed to do a fair bit as they brought a lot of fresh produce to eat.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/pwZyBxL44CrdQ78eux4Tn9-DoXS2NdPyUVTyfwxt_h8wYc0Q39F7FCvl7BmdhtBEjM3nX3bCqzU9oaMPRgaMwbHkRrhvSq_hKmP3nomyNa0raNrc4T-IY4QKO81G6uXB0_93S2fjGpG_w4zAmUke3VC6tCw4_UzVbeGsnFPBq0Y1jO60GqLRaJ64h-FBN21x_00Ei2JmOIv3xCgEK_iGJEqxZpeTQO-1iUdqNTpPktAqXN8lJYrn342q5kDhDN5nRqem2cSFlhSEQjcht1Kv3kXKxx85wQGwC27Z0yfcXFrbjOceAgJmCWFuobQ6IgEQcgMom1EHhfvTWDppmO-ge162HdBs5M7b2Rt0oKcLF8--eca7POXkJNb2vRrBUyUzNsSgFegicXF0iA1FAgYnzE-GCZG6qzEFFPLcWuq2RtZ7nyOZCenuMnOIzbA60ONomAT1hK73poTlV5dR9MBqehPGmhF_pxv20JHDrlCfv4K__azP1MnhzQf11ZejoRD6yR4zHyLF2pG0qS8pjUVtkIVvxC28Z496wtSPBQ_X94Xnt5J8Ab-s2LAuhgCyYMwN3oPx=w839-h629-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/pwZyBxL44CrdQ78eux4Tn9-DoXS2NdPyUVTyfwxt_h8wYc0Q39F7FCvl7BmdhtBEjM3nX3bCqzU9oaMPRgaMwbHkRrhvSq_hKmP3nomyNa0raNrc4T-IY4QKO81G6uXB0_93S2fjGpG_w4zAmUke3VC6tCw4_UzVbeGsnFPBq0Y1jO60GqLRaJ64h-FBN21x_00Ei2JmOIv3xCgEK_iGJEqxZpeTQO-1iUdqNTpPktAqXN8lJYrn342q5kDhDN5nRqem2cSFlhSEQjcht1Kv3kXKxx85wQGwC27Z0yfcXFrbjOceAgJmCWFuobQ6IgEQcgMom1EHhfvTWDppmO-ge162HdBs5M7b2Rt0oKcLF8--eca7POXkJNb2vRrBUyUzNsSgFegicXF0iA1FAgYnzE-GCZG6qzEFFPLcWuq2RtZ7nyOZCenuMnOIzbA60ONomAT1hK73poTlV5dR9MBqehPGmhF_pxv20JHDrlCfv4K__azP1MnhzQf11ZejoRD6yR4zHyLF2pG0qS8pjUVtkIVvxC28Z496wtSPBQ_X94Xnt5J8Ab-s2LAuhgCyYMwN3oPx=w839-h629-no" width="320" /></a></div>
Leaving Whakahoro was probably more difficult than unloading as we had a little bit of rain overnight and the landing seemed even muddier. We ended up paddling 47km which was the longest section we would be doing this trip. Raf had to bandage his hand as he had gotten a blister on his thumb. It ended up ripping open so Laura would do medical each night. A few others had sore hands, but I don't think anyone else had as much issues as Raf. The landing at Mangawaiiti was pretty gnarly. It was pretty packed when we showed up and it was a slick, muddy mess with a 5 minute walk up to the top of the cliff. We ended up bringing each canoe into a small section that allowed for the easiest place to unload which was still difficult. Then we moved them out of the way. While we were doing this, we were told by another camper that the water in the tanks was very low and that we should use only what was necessary. We set up our tents where there was available space, which meant we were spread out as the camp seemed pretty full. While eating dinner, the rain started to bucket down and a bunch of people showed up. There was a group of 4 Irish guys and a group of 10 from Auckland. Some of which thought they could wait out the rain before setting up their tents, but that wasn't to be. It rained late into the evening.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/4K2_hlWGXUdfb8xUZATQFZAQlmbHTzJfdD1bYfs2JHh23ix9CIsYlr3bx8DoxtRYpTB7xHqBkerHfBTsVsR6FXW6Wrh5VCtlfo02XgEpOldx1li1pwo9tlTBKf1sk_3cj2PhPql4HyGeitg-AI9y_BWwGSSTI0vRQrrArSz_ksnL_TjzZ2XnBSP_9-fm9hKWcXiluiHYR4D3Tf5zHdMoYK5dFGNp8NawLl8n1TR1xPnMjVP1vLNZrl_3RW1ntDGIv0j0szt-X83enDO-ElmYk5uYLauNzUScbYpOe0Xyfjkmb7T8ywROqPjWbHG4OYXvUfhZvPzaA6jNxcYYn7WKhmRPNQtHSUFKN-GzMtLrjKtgtzQx2Q1I16SANDc69BL_OU8UE8S4ko0j6otEYpylDvR0_Kh6g3w_4no5KTZQxUW4AMwmc8SBhQ3zdojeFyGuGYm9TllCiL1Cw14KRBKyX3g6PTt1OyeXkwHZDs6NCcFNhpRWFBRouEkQucXqhJuWooQkXHcHaNLvZfsJ4dUSVD6p8khg-_ua_gloeFRJ_sdyK9Z8sVPxi-cpyf-JnxNVDKBh=w839-h629-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/4K2_hlWGXUdfb8xUZATQFZAQlmbHTzJfdD1bYfs2JHh23ix9CIsYlr3bx8DoxtRYpTB7xHqBkerHfBTsVsR6FXW6Wrh5VCtlfo02XgEpOldx1li1pwo9tlTBKf1sk_3cj2PhPql4HyGeitg-AI9y_BWwGSSTI0vRQrrArSz_ksnL_TjzZ2XnBSP_9-fm9hKWcXiluiHYR4D3Tf5zHdMoYK5dFGNp8NawLl8n1TR1xPnMjVP1vLNZrl_3RW1ntDGIv0j0szt-X83enDO-ElmYk5uYLauNzUScbYpOe0Xyfjkmb7T8ywROqPjWbHG4OYXvUfhZvPzaA6jNxcYYn7WKhmRPNQtHSUFKN-GzMtLrjKtgtzQx2Q1I16SANDc69BL_OU8UE8S4ko0j6otEYpylDvR0_Kh6g3w_4no5KTZQxUW4AMwmc8SBhQ3zdojeFyGuGYm9TllCiL1Cw14KRBKyX3g6PTt1OyeXkwHZDs6NCcFNhpRWFBRouEkQucXqhJuWooQkXHcHaNLvZfsJ4dUSVD6p8khg-_ua_gloeFRJ_sdyK9Z8sVPxi-cpyf-JnxNVDKBh=w839-h629-no" width="320" /></a></div>
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We left Mangawaiiti early to beat the crowds at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_to_Nowhere_%28New_Zealand%29" target="_blank">Bridge To Nowhere</a>, which surprisingly also had a crappy landing. We had very little room to try to tie up and it was very muddy. For being a tourist destination with lots of jet boats the landing was very rustic. We walked the 2.7 km to the Bridge To Nowhere, where Rachel was stung in the leg. We took in the view and read about the history of the bridge before turning around and starting to see a bunch of people being dropped off by jet boat and a dozen of canoes showing up. We left the cluster that was the loading area and went down to <a href="http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/manawatu-whanganui/places/whanganui-national-park/things-to-do/huts/tieke-kainga/">Tīeke Kāinga</a> to eat lunch. There is a marae here that we chose not to visit. Instead we rather get to our camp site at Ngaporo earlier and try to get some stuff dried out. While we were leaving, the jet boat operators played the game 'Can I knock the paddlers off their boat?', but they didn't win. On our way to Ngaporo we saw a bunch of bikers being picked up from the end of the Bridge To Nowhere. The part we walked didn't seem to be a great trail as it was wet clay and a steep drop off on the side.<br />
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Arriving at Ngaporo appeared significantly different from the previous other landings. In the place of the mud and steep terrain there was a loose jumble of various sized loose rocks. The comments about it were how many twisted ankles we were going to sustain. I told everyone who said that to shut up. Beth forbid me from walking on the rocks more than necessary. So I was in charge of setting up the tent and making food. The camp site was the best of the bunch. We had a spectacular view and there were very few other people there. Rachel, Paula, Mike, and Peter went for a dip in the brown river, it was up a meter with all the rain we had received the week before. We had a relaxing night and a lazy morning as we only had 9km to Pipiriki, where our pickup was scheduled at 13:30. On the way down, we encountered several jet boats. They were banking on someone going over during the rapid sections, but we didn't give them the pleasure. Instead of waving back, they would raise their tablet in front of their face and either take photos or video. We (Mike and Paula) fell over out of sight from everyone except for our group. They lost only 1 water shoe in the ordeal. So the 50/50 rapid only claimed 1 out of 5, but Peter and Rachel took on a lot of water as well. Mike and Paula modeled the latest in low profile canoes until we were able to get them to the nearest beach and get rid of all the water they took on board.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/mrFufnDPjXn9AMutl65STa6CKyCRFH4mbR1c3FV_xGgm54xyWurSULwcJ5vTiwieSD3-Gi4GHloUcNLyxYk5WDZyL7Jw6iQwqWD2q-mRq7enYRZ1Sqx8lInrMiWEQVhNJRk8RNxiAaZopO0gL3Y3iDy-unpbtk7olB9t_y3Ah7tXwW-D9u565h05X-htCYn1ZJ3eOmt9ekOi7yxwD1seZZVW1X1XFwujI430XlHvuO1UFJ33dseBJb3jnSgQ_nT2MV9UImFkE9InK3l1grjpGoMGVwvWW-ez46uEFd2ollNKCBCoBDYv54WssRIchsfz6kfINDk9yauYSDN9yIo7TBxe8WpLNeA85rZufv9vr_Ce3VA3Glfw91AKmT-ZGMVC713scLJlY0na-oyC3E7O4mS1SigYgicIktJ6exwsHkYLOdvHzX5wgChAbglVSlQSyGWkG4H_ntaCJ1piMyHTKMp6sH5YUbx3tVoGvRAlnnKruUfs3TjcgeVsyHiJuzNOhFBvCVQKByNI8r9bMxTrKCul02gx4YFOPrr2IVEi44rloA73pT7NIrbpbMmxAAJUT98G=w839-h629-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/mrFufnDPjXn9AMutl65STa6CKyCRFH4mbR1c3FV_xGgm54xyWurSULwcJ5vTiwieSD3-Gi4GHloUcNLyxYk5WDZyL7Jw6iQwqWD2q-mRq7enYRZ1Sqx8lInrMiWEQVhNJRk8RNxiAaZopO0gL3Y3iDy-unpbtk7olB9t_y3Ah7tXwW-D9u565h05X-htCYn1ZJ3eOmt9ekOi7yxwD1seZZVW1X1XFwujI430XlHvuO1UFJ33dseBJb3jnSgQ_nT2MV9UImFkE9InK3l1grjpGoMGVwvWW-ez46uEFd2ollNKCBCoBDYv54WssRIchsfz6kfINDk9yauYSDN9yIo7TBxe8WpLNeA85rZufv9vr_Ce3VA3Glfw91AKmT-ZGMVC713scLJlY0na-oyC3E7O4mS1SigYgicIktJ6exwsHkYLOdvHzX5wgChAbglVSlQSyGWkG4H_ntaCJ1piMyHTKMp6sH5YUbx3tVoGvRAlnnKruUfs3TjcgeVsyHiJuzNOhFBvCVQKByNI8r9bMxTrKCul02gx4YFOPrr2IVEi44rloA73pT7NIrbpbMmxAAJUT98G=w839-h629-no" width="320" /></a></div>
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Arriving at Pipiriki we were surrounded by some of the 92 other people that Taumarunui Canoe Hire sent out over Easter weekend as well as all the other outfitters. Trucks pulling trailers started to come down the boat ramp and load up gear, but they were slow to pull out and we our loading didn't start until about 2. We didn't leave until 3ish and we had 2 hrs back to Taumarunu, but we got to watch the movie 2012 while eating banana muffins with chocolate icing and chips while drinking orange juice or water. Once we got back to Taumarunui it was a mad rush to find our gear and boats and get them loaded. After that we met up with the Ninjas for a bite to eat at the same take away place. We then played host to Peter, Paula, and Mike for the evening as they took a detour on their drive back to Auckland. Rachel, Raf, and Laura headed straight back as Rachel had to work like me on Tuesday morning.<br />
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Now we are planning our next adventure: The Nugget. This is a multi-sport race that we participated in last year. While on the trip we hashed out who would be doing which event.<br />
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There will be some pictures and possibly a video posted so we can remember and share this trip soon.Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-55347777115139172132016-03-22T20:28:00.001+13:002016-03-23T09:35:30.509+13:00Indian Adventure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beth, Shiv, Sarah, and David</td></tr>
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Back in December, we were invited to our friend Shiv's wedding. Well at first he told me he got engaged while he was recently back in India. Only after checking our calendar and saying we could make it up to Auckland for the event, we were informed it was going to be held in India. So there was only one option for us. That left us a few things to do: apply for visas, buy tickets, and sit on a plane for a long time. Our travel time from Auckland to Delhi was 18 hours including a couple hour layover in Sydney, otherwise it was about 15 hours on a plane. We were greeted by the hotel driver who navigated the streets of Delhi for us and dropped us off at The Met.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wedding outfit</td></tr>
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Driving in India was an experience by itself. First the painted lane lines are ignored. When you see 3 lanes along the pavement, there is somehow 7 lanes of cars, carts, bikes, trucks, tuk tuks, and animals executing the most intricate dance performance ever. All the while you have people playing the most intense game of Frogger. Where if you fail, you will most likely be going to the hospital. Second, you hear what I would expect to be the national anthem, the disjointed chorus of competing car horns. You may hear a single beep, a double tap, a long beep, or a melodic tune (novelty horns) to alert of you or others that there is a vehicle wanting to come past. At night this is replaced with flashing the high-beams from point blank as the following distance is more like cuddling than the recommend safe distance. However, we only saw 2 accidents while we were there. We were glad that we did not have to attempt to drive here as we had a driver, Jassi, to deliver us safely to each of our destinations. I could probably write more about just the driving behavior, but I'll leave you with this. On our first night, we saw a driver not on 1 but 2 phones while navigating what they call Office Hour, aka Rush Hour, Traffic. I'm a firm believer of wearing my seat belt regardless of the law.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance into the house</td></tr>
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Shiv booked us the driver and the hotels for the duration of the wedding. We stayed in a lot of places and all of them were concerned with security. We had to pass through gates, but prior to being allowed to pass we were examined by security. This included a mirror to examine the undercarriage of the car, opening the hood to examine the engine, and some times opening the trunk. Once past the gate, we would have to have our bags x-rays while we went through a metal detector, just like the airport. Then we were allowed to enter the hotel. The first hotel was the Met in Delhi. The 2nd hotel was the Noor Mahal in Karnal. The 3rd hotel was the Regent in Chandigarh. The 4th hotel was the Taj in Chandigarh. Then we stayed at his family's house. After that, we stayed in the hotels that Beth booked for our trip to Agra, Jaipur, and Delhi before heading back to New Zealand.<br />
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The wedding was amazing. It was quite the experience. It was several ceremonies over several days in 2 different cities. We started our journey in Delhi along with Dave and Sarah, another Kiwi connection. We were driven to Karnal by Jassi. Karnal is where Shiv's family lives. We were shown around the house and school, which his family runs. All the while there were lots of people running around. Some from the school, some from government, and some setting up for the festivities. Shiv's sister, Taran, and sister-in-law, Bani, took Beth and Sarah out shopping for wedding outfits. They came back with 5 outfits and Beth was even offered to get her ears pierced while on the shopping excursion. I ended up getting a pair of dress shoes during this time at a different shopping area.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wedding Reception and Wedding</td></tr>
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The first ceremony that we attended was the Bride's family and friends came down from Chandigarh to mingle with the Groom's close friends and family. They also brought down gifts. During this period of time there was food and drinks being paraded around by servers. All of it was tasty and they were only to happy to come by us. There was live music during this time as well. This went on for hours, before we adjourned to the food tent through the gate. We were now treated to a large buffet of salads, breads, curries, drinks, and desserts. We weren't even hungry, but we had to try it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henna party</td></tr>
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The next ceremony that we attended was just for the Groom's close friends and family. It was a dance party that went from 7pm until 3am. We retired at midnight as we were still dealing with the time difference. The live music from earlier was back for the start of the evening and was replaced by a DJ later on. There was a series of formal dances that the musicians called for. I could only equate this to a mom's dance, a siblings' dance, a friends' dance, and then an open dance. It was during this time, that someone got her faced licked by someone's mother and it wasn't me. All the while, we are being served food and drinks while being blasted by the large amplifiers sitting close by.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for hands to dry</td></tr>
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The 3rd ceremony was for the ladies. The guys got to lounge around, eat, and drink wearing comfortable clothes. While the ladies got dressed up and had henna applied to their hands and some got it applied to their feet and back. It was a hot morning and while Beth waited for her hands to dry I got to carry her new bangles. She got gold and silver bangles from the Bangle Man. Once again the musicians were playing while food was being served. Lunch was served shortly after all the girls had their henna applied.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christ Church</td></tr>
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We had a day off from ceremonies and we took a ride up into the hills to Kasauli. The road was under construction as the government is widening the road from 2 lanes to 4 lanes. This made for some very tight areas to weasel vehicles through. We went to the local market where we witnessed a monkey attack after being there for about 10 seconds. Beth picked up a few scarves to accompany her outfits. We also saw Christ Church and tried to see Monkey Point but it was closed. Upon returning to Chandigarh we went to the Rose Festival, which was across the street from our hotel. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monkey, my nemesis</td></tr>
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The next day was the actual wedding ceremony, which we attended the after party. Shiv was escorted in by his family while he held up a sword to keep aloft a square of fabric. The newly weds sat in swanky chairs on a stage while photographers snapped photos of the couple. It was during this time that friends and family could sit next to the couple or stand behind them for a photo that will go into their wedding album. We were also treated to another large lavish lunch. We got to say a few words to Shiv and Ravneet. People commented a lot that they make a good match. I have to agree.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another temporary structure</td></tr>
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The next night was the wedding reception and the final ceremony. We walked through a series of rug covered hallways, past dressers with flowers, chandeliers hanging from the "ceiling", and a band welcoming the guests. The main reception area was a lavish arena separated into a few different areas. There was dinner tables set up, the stage for the couple, a DJ booth and dance floor, a bar area, a buffet, and several couches for lounging. All the wedding structures were temporary. They were metal scaffolding with colorful fabrics wrapped and draped over it. Then rugs were laid down, lighting ran, and even windows hung so the feeling of a permanent structure could be perceived. The night ended with only a partial first dance by the newly weds. I guess Shiv was wore out from the dancing a couple nights earlier.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtyard at our hotel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wheel of Death</td></tr>
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The next day we traveled back to Karnal where we stayed at Shiv's house. Prior to leaving we hit up Rock Garden. The guy who started this had way too much time on his hands. There were tons of sculptures, buildings, and waterfalls created all with rocks. We must have spent a couple hours wandering around it. We then drove back to Karnal where we were put up in the guest quarters on the first floor. That evening we had a lovely meal with his family where we ate a variety of treats inspired by local street foods. Shiv's mom kept placing bowls of these dumplings in front of me. It was a hollow hard shell of bread that was cracked with a spoon then filled with a mixture containing lime and other things that escape my memory. Then there was a pancake type thing with yogurt and a green sauce. I must have ate for an hour. It was so tasty and hearing the stories of the family it was easy to just keep snacking away. After we finished, we went into the lounge and started talking. Randomly we were asked if we had ever seen a car drive perpendicular to the ground. We said no. Ravi, Shiv's brother, said he was going to find his keys and take us. Beth stayed back as she was really tired and was going to bed early. So Dave, Sarah, and I got in the car with Shiv's brothers. Ravi drives like a race car driver. I am in the habit of buckling my seat belt as soon as I get in a car, but Sarah and Dave hadn't been wearing theirs in India. But after about a minute, they both clicked in. We raced through the streets of Karnal to a temporary carnival/market. We walk in and Ravi is quickly greeted by a policeman. We are then escorted to what I call the Wheel of Death. Basically a hampster wheel set perpendicular to the ground. While we listened to the guys rev the motorcycle engine we witnessed a car on the Ferris Wheel break. We had a little chuckle as there were people about 5 cars away. In walks a guy wearing jeans and a blue flannel shirt and hops on a motorcycle. He starts it up and starts to rev the engine. After about a minute, he takes off riding around the circumference of the Wheel of Death. He then gets off the bike and leans what looks like a pallet across the door. He gets back on the bike and within 2 rotations he is at the top of the contraption. He is joined by another guy where they both ride no handed, hold hands, force the bike to wobble, and chase after each other. The guy in the blue shirt loses his muffler while descending to the bottom. He puts the bike away and gets in a small car. He guns it and starts to ascend to the top again. He opens the door and holds it open. After a couple rotations the door closes and he pops out the window. He must be driving with his knee as he is waving while sitting on the door. The motorcycle creeps up and he holds on to the opposite window. We can't believe what we have just seen. No safety equipment like a helmet and it was performed on a rickety structure that we questioned its ability to hold 2 of us at a time. Afterwards, it was another break neck race through the streets of Karnal. Once we got back, we were asked if we wanted dinner now. Dave bowed out as his belly wasn't feeling that good. Sarah and I took one for the team and went upstairs to eat with some of the family. We had buttered rotti, a slow roasted mutton curry, and a vegetable dish.<br />
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We then went back to Delhi before venturing to Agra and Jaipur. Dave and Sarah took us to the underground market. If you feel like being hassled and yelled at to come into a store this place is for you. You can even get a tattoo in a sketchy stall. I was hit with a scam while leaving. Someone flung crap on the top of my shoe and a shoe cleaner appeared out of nowhere. I was in the process of trying to wipe if off in what little grass I could find when a stand appeared and a guy was already starting to clean it. He ended up asking for $15. We gave him $4 and walked off. I was already tossing the shoes at the end of the trip as I had a new pair arriving with Angi a couple days after we returned. We then ventured over to Old Delhi and took a bicycle tour through the area. We got to see Spice Alley and a variety of other things. After that we drove to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. Then we went to Jaipur and happened to stumble across the local Sunday market. It stretched on and on. You could buy produce, clothes, cooked food, and even some electronics.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock Garden</td></tr>
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Prior to leaving, we stayed in hotel close to the airport. We just so happened to drive past the Ameriprise, my former employer, Indian Headquarters. It is located maybe 40 minutes from the airport and we just happened across it. I wonder if I have interacted with another of the people on the street as we drove past. It was almost exactly 4 years ago that I quite and moved to New Zealand.<br />
<br />Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-50892258118574009322016-01-24T21:12:00.002+13:002016-01-24T21:12:20.981+13:00Summertime blues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So my ankle still hasn't come around. I've had a 2nd set of x-rays done and nothing new was found. They saw swelling, possible soft tissue damage, and all the old stuff I've racked up. So I've been scheduled for an ultrasound right before we go to India next month. I hope it starts feeling better soon, but I'm not very optimistic. I really don't feel like having more surgeries. I've still got a very painful spot to touch, it gets painful after walking for a short time, and my physio exercises definitely aggravates it. However, I'm doing my exercises until I'm told otherwise. So what does that mean? Well I'm not biking as the range of motion and going up any incline hurts. I'm not running as walking bothers it. I've been belaying Beth at the climbing wall and I've done 2 routes, but that killed my ankle. Ian says I should focus on the finger board and just get stronger. I may take him up on that. I was doing pull-ups last time we were in. Swimming is a pain and I've tried doing just pulling sets, but doing 800m or more of pulling is asking for my shoulders to hate me. I've been doing some kettle bell workouts, but lifting in the summer heat is not that fun. So we've taken the kayaks out for several jaunts on the lake. Here is some information on that.<br />
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Today, we drove over to Acacia Bay and dropped in our kayaks for a paddle out to Mine Bay and the Maori Rock Carvings that are out there. It was about a 10km round trip paddle. We saw a couple of large groups coming back from the carvings. One of which was the Bay of Plenty Paddling Club. The others we were guessing were paying customers. It was a fairly uneventful paddle out, except for when I deemed it necessary to produce ramming speed. Beth was not happy about that. If you watch the video of the paddle out you may see her do her best Tusken Raider impression. The carvings themselves were very cool. We didn't get out of the kayaks to inspect closer, but from what I could see from the water they were impressive.<br />
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Besides, my lack of activity we've hosted a couple Americans and a French cycle tourer this past week. I've been a part of a website called <a href="https://www.warmshowers.org/" target="_blank">Warm Showers</a> for awhile now. I joined years ago when I was preparing to cycle back to the States. Instead of doing that we stayed in New Zealand. I still have the plan of doing the ride when its time to pack up from here. Anyway, I was contacted last weekend if we would be able to host. This is awfully tricky for us as we aren't always home. I've had to turn a lot of people away as we were out enjoying life. So my first ever guest was Sofiane. He came to the house just after 5pm. It had been a pretty miserable day with high winds and driving rain. I wasn't too envious of him to be riding in that weather. Knowing he was to arrive around 5pm, I timed it so I was pulling chocolate chip zucchini bread muffins from the oven shortly before he got here. I also made pesto with basil from my garden. I then roasted a chicken, steamed zucchini, and made some pasta for dinner. We talked about his previous tours and where he was heading next while cleaning his drive train. I told him about the <a href="http://www.japanese-odyssey.com/" target="_blank">Japanese Odyssey</a>, which I would love to ride as well as the Great Divide. He did the Great Divide in 2014 and thinks he'll be back this summer to race it. Who knows we may see each other at one of these long events in the near future.<br />
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The next night we had Alexander and Katie from NC staying with us. The night that Sofiane stayed with us, they were at another Warm Shower host down the road. So they spent the day in Taupo. We agreed to meet in town and give them a ride back to the house, with a quick stop over at their previous host to pick up their gear. While in town, we took them to Pauly's Diner. Katie being a vegetarian, had their vegetarian option and gave it her seal of approval. That makes 2 vegetarians who gave it their approval. I'll stick with my beef burger or fried chicken though. Once we got back to the house, we let them settle in for a bit before talking about where they were heading next. They were heading to the Timber Trail, about 55km away, to tackle the 85km trail over a couple days while camping out. After that they were heading to Tongariro National Park to do the Northern Circuit Great Walk.<br />
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These 2 sets of guests setups couldn't have been more different. Sofiane's was a sleek, fast setup with just a handlebar bag and a large seat post bag. While Alexander and Katie's were fully laden beasts of the road. However, their purposes are also different. Sofiane has 8 weeks to blitz the islands, while the others are going to do things off the bike as well like tramping. I know that my setup that I was planning on using is in the middle. I've got a rear rack and was looking for a handlebar bag. Who knows, I may invest in a frame bag and start going places on my mountain bike like Old Ghost Road or the Heaphy Track.Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7944295224873075695.post-2552057131941185252016-01-15T22:10:00.001+13:002016-01-15T22:10:26.247+13:00Christmas Break TravelsOur break this year was from Dec 18 to Jan 8th. What did we get up to? I believe we maximized our time away from work with a trip to the South Island with Beth's parents, who came over for their 3rd visit, and a trip to Fiji with our friends Helen and James for scuba diving. Within this period we had a couple nights in Auckland where we met up with some friends.<br />
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South Island Adventure:<br />
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The plan was to fly into Queenstown and spend a couple days there prior to heading up to do the Routeburn Track. With my recent ankle injury, I had to pull out of the tramp, which was good as I could only walk for about 20 minutes on uneven flat ground before my ankle was in a lot of pain. So I dropped Beth and her parents off at the trail head and drove to Te Anau to spend Christmas in a hostel. I was in a room with a German couple for one night and then we added a French guy the 2nd evening. I spent most of my time reading books punctuated with short walks around town. I then drove up to the trail head to pick up Beth and her parents on the 27th, but thought I would try to meet them on the trail. So I left early, as I was to meet them around 2pm at the trail head. I was there shortly after 9 and I put on my ankle brace and proceeded to walk 1km in about 20 minutes before turning around. I could go up fine but coming down the tricky loose rock wasn't going to be fun. Especially as my ankle got sore and tired. I proceeded to sit in the car for a couple hours reading. They made it to the end at about noon. They were happy that I was early as they didn't feel sitting around for a couple hours for me to show up for the original meet up time. I then drove back to Manapouri, about 20 minutes from Te Anau, where Beth had secured a Bach for us. A Bach is a cabin or holiday home that people will often rent out. It was a quaint little place that had beds for 7 or so people.<br />
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We headed back into Te Anau for groceries and to eat out. We also watched a local film about the Milford Sounds at the 1 movie theater. I tried to see Star Wars again on Christmas night, but they had the 2 worst seats available. Either corner in the front row. I opted to finish yet another book. I finished 7 and I'm 84% through my current book. We did a boat tour out to Doubtful Sound where we were treated to some fine weather. They hadn't had rain in 6 days, so many of the waterfalls were not flowing. In this region, the rainfall is measured in meters. Typically it rains 2 out of 3 days, so they were experiencing a bit of a drought.<br />
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On New Year's Eve, we woke up early to drive to Queenstown to catch our flight back to Auckland via Christchurch. We were met/picked up by Peter, who was trying to get the most visits to an airport without being a taxi in the span of a week. I believe his tally was going to be 6. Of course that has to take into account that his parents were flying in a couple days later. Then spending a few days utilizing our place before heading down to the South Island. Even doing the same boat trip out to Doubtful Sounds as us.<br />
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Our plans for New Year's was to meet up with some friends for dinner, chin wagging, drinks, and possibly fireworks. This was changed when some of our friends decided to eat dinner with family. Then we said to another friend go ahead and hit the BBQ with your mates. We'll meet up later. Well later happened to be after 10 when we got the text. We were already snuggled in bed. We were boarding a plane to go to Fiji for 9 days.<br />
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Prior to leaving on our trip, we dropped Bill and Betsy off at the museum in the Domain. This would be their 2nd visit to the museum, but it was a good way to spend a very rainy day. The next day the were starting their return trip to WI with another short stop of in HI to see Mike, Sara (Beth's sister), and the grand kids. They packed a lot of travel in their short time here, but its not very often that they visit.<br />
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As we were loaning our car to Peter, while we away he dropped us off at the airport again. Little did we know that on the first day of this trip, the battery would die. He replaced it for us, but we'll be taking him out to dinner after his parents go back to the States as a form of repayment. <br />
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Fiji Bound:<br />
We met up with Helen and James in the check-in line. I had to look around to see if our cameraman Karl was anywhere around. Why do you ask? It was very similar to the dive trip that Beth won the previous year, where we had Karl documenting the entire thing. We flew into Nadi, with the worst child in the history of the world in front of Beth. I think the only person more furious than us was the person sitting in front of the little Beelzebub. This thing was probably 2-3 years old. It only knew how to use high pitch squeal, violent kicks, taunting/movie pausing finger jabs, and waiving a tea cup around as what could be constituted as communication. The parents put cotton in their ears and watched movies while ignoring the beast as it went nuts. It stood on the seat, reached around the headrest and frequently paused Beth's movie. The hands would then proceed to linger there until Beth shooed them away. All the while the squeal would be emanating from its maw. When its butt could find the seat, it was unleashing Chun Li's Lightening Kick to the seat back in front. Otherwise, that passenger had the sweaty hands of death itself draped over his headrest with the shrill sound 'eeeeee' in his ear. We were treated with the look of utter dismay, but the flight attendant when the child presented its cup for hot tea all the while doing what looked to be the pee-pee dance. The father tried to hold the cup still and nodded his head for the drink to be poured. I guess he has hoping to be severely burned by the hot beverage so he could spend some time away from the ball of destruction he created.<br />
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Upon arrival in Nadi, Beth went to get our rental car while I got accosted several times by cabbies looking to take me somewhere. Helen and James were slow to meet us as they had to get all their gear. We were finally united and walked out to our rental, a Nissan Note. What was noteworthy about the vehicle? The fact that it survived the week. We all felt that the car was less than roadworthy, but then again the road conditions were pretty island like as well. While driving to Pacific Harbor, every little village we drove through had a series of high speed bumps that I can only assume took huge chunks out of the bottom of the car.<br />
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We got to the resort about 9pm just in time for the kitchen to be closing. We had a quick meal before heading up to our lodgings for the week. We were on the 3rd floor with a 2 bedroom apartment with a pretty nice view. The sunrise above is from the deck. The resort is next door to a very fancy resort, the Pearl, that we were able to utilize as well as ours. We had lunch over there a couple times throughout the week after diving as we were too spent to make lunch.<br />
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Everyone, but Beth, did 3 days of diving while she did 2. The dive shop is located in a decrepit resort on the back of a golf course, but their shop is in good order. The first day we did an organized shark dive, but it was in jeopardy because of Cyclone Ula. We wouldn't know until the morning of if the dive was happening. We showed up to the dive shop and were giving the thumbs up. We walked out back and grabbed our rental gear from the shed. I was given a 5.5mm suit, which was very warm. The water temp ended up being 27C. The following dives, I was able to get a 3mm suit which was still too warm.<br />
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The 2 dives that took place at the Shark Reserve consisted of taking a 15-20 minute boat ride from the Pearl, but 30 minutes from the shop as we had to go down a river at 5km/h. The shark dives consisted of a very structured dive experience. We descended to 30m for the viewings of the Bull Sharks. Here they hand feed the sharks and as well as dangled a wheelie bin full of fish heads that would drop occasionally. Here the sharks would get within a meter of you and the only protection you had was a guy standing behind you with a metal pole. As I knelled on the ground filming, I would see the pole appear over my shoulder right as a shark was getting close. From there we ascended to about 15-18m and saw a few more species of sharks. Here we were gathered on a rope while the feeder dug food out of a wheelie bin. We also go to see a Moray Eel.<br />
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We had about an hour long surface interval where we had a very sugary and milky tea and cookies. Our dive plan for the 2nd dive was taking us to about 20m where we would be laying on the floor while the sharks were feed above us. This is where I felt the most scared. I remember seeing their eyes darting back and forth looking for food and then with a quick flick of the tail snatch it out of the water right in front of me. I was trying to turtle my head back into my BCD to get away from the edge. Not that a few inches would have mattered if they wanted a larger meal.<br />
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The morning of the 2nd dive, we drove into Suva to get some groceries as the local market wasn't all that big. The drive was about an hour through small villages. We stopped on the side of the road so Helen could get her coconut. She also proceeded to tell us about her dream of Beth and I get her bags back from a thief not once but twice. As we pulled into Suva, we were looking for a parking spot. We were driving around aimlessly when we spotted a parking sign. Then we noticed some free spots in front of the police station. As we were about to park, a guy comes running out of the station. Beth not knowing exactly what to do just stops in the middle of the road as the guy flashes a smile as he runs past. He is followed by 2 out of shape and out of breath officers. They were already probably 20m behind the guy and losing ground fast. We parked the car in front of the police station and were amazed by our first impression of the city. The officers had by now jumped into trucks and were canvassing the neighborhood. We think they got their man as they were pulling up as we about to leave. <br />
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We spent some time wandering around Suva, but not too much as my ankle can only take so much walking. We went to the waterfront and a couple parks as well as walking past their government building. We then proceeded to drive through town to the grocery store, where we picked up our supplies for the week. Its interesting to see what people eat for breakfast. I was doing eggs and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, Beth did nutella on bread, and Helen and James often did beans on toast. We ended up making most of our meals, which was nice as there wasn't too many places to eat nearby. I also did a lot of eating out on the South Island when a kitchen wasn't always available.<br />
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For the 2nd dive day, we went exploring the coral around the same reserve. This was an afternoon dive, that left very late as we had to wait on 2 Russians who dove in the morning then left on a long lunch. We were told 5 minutes, but it was like the 5 minute conversation in Snatch. It turned out to be about an hour. We went to the same dive site, as a German guy lost his GoPro there that morning. Why don't people tether their expensive camera to their BCD? I have a carabiner that I use, but I'll be switching to a locking carabiner in the future. These 2 dives were very organized as well with no venturing off as we were still around sharks. I had about 20 seconds of panic as I felt very lite all of the sudden and felt like I was ascending rapidly. I was breathing heavy, until Beth signaled to let air out of the BCD. I thought it was empty, but evidently there was enough so I was ascending. I dumped the air and descended back down. This caused me to hit the air limit while on the dive so I ended up swimming next to our guide and used his secondary regulator for the next few minutes. On the 2nd dive, Beth and I were supposed to stay near the other dive guide in case I used my tank up again, but with Beth's recognition skills and trying to communicate underwater this didn't work out too well. The air wasn't a problem the 2nd dive as I sorted the equipment out during that first dive. Got to see 2 sea turtles during this dive. What shocked me, was that there was a Swiss girl doing her Open Water certification there and she is doing these drills with sharks around her. <br />
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Beth was in a fair amount of pain after diving and decided not to do a 3rd day of it. The 3 of us however were keen as they were going to take us out further into a big reef. The diagram during the dive briefing showed a lot of coral reefs that could be explored as well as a wreck. We ended up diving with a brother/sister or married couple from Australia again. I just called them the Lannisters. They were on the shark dive with us earlier in the week. They weren't very talkative, but the guy had left his GoPro handle at the resort as the dive charter handed them out the first day. They hadn't brought any this time. I thought I was being nice and gave him mine, but said just don't lose it. I figured I would just get photos and videos from Helen and James. The first dive of the morning was down to 30m to swim around and above it. During this dive, I ended up seeing a lot of cool things as I wasn't preoccupied about holding my camera. I just enjoyed looking at marine life and diving. We all grouped up for our safety stop before heading back to the boat. On the boat, the guy noticed he lost his camera and my handle. He is apologetic and visibly distract. He jumps back in with his mask and snorkel to see if he can see it. The Swiss girl during our surface interval had to do her 10 minute tread water and her 200-300m swim. The guy ends up putting a $50 (Fijian) bounty on his camera. We descend again to about 20m and work our way around some different reefs. I see a couple sharks, as well as a couple giant clams. There were a couple scorpion fish, aka camo-rock fish. There were 2 massive cray fish hiding under a ledge. You could tell the guides know the area really well as they knew where things were going to be. I'm first back on the boat and the captain has a big smile as he is dunking a camera in the freshwater. I recognize the carabiner on the handle. I asked where it was found. Jonny, the dive instructor for the Swiss girl's cert, said he found it right by the mooring line on the bottom of the ocean. The guy was super ecstatic to get it back. It had all his vacation videos and pictures on it and its also expensive. It was the newer model with an LCD screen and extended battery pack. I wonder how many cameras have been lost. I'm thinking of making a tether to the case just in case it comes off the handle. Which happened to a girl we dove with at Goat Island.<br />
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The remainder of the trip we, ended up renting kayaks as the jet ski place didn't actually take our reservations. We had booked a self-drive tour around the near island with a snorkel and lunch on the beach before returning. It was to be about a 60km ride over 4-5hrs. It looked like a lot of fun as we saw them shoot past the day before while heading back in after the morning dive. Instead we ended up doing 3km up river and then 3km against the incoming tide. We started in a downpour, which felt great because soon as it stopped rain it was like wearing a wet flannel blanket in 36c degree heat. Helen drew the short paddle, as she and James were in the tandem, but we had a paddle that was missing half of its blade. Our journey down the river took us past the local golf course and past some pretty flash houses. Our final night in Pacific Harbor, we made our way over to Uprising Resort to eat. I had the lovo, which is the traditional form of cooking, an underground bbq. While I believe the others had pizza and burgers. I got to sample fish, chicken, pork, as well as interesting salads and tubers, similar to cassava, but different. Thursday night, is not only lovo night, but they put on a traditional dance and fire show. It reminded me a lot of a luau, but it was still fun to experience.<br />
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Our last full day was spent driving back to Nadi, where we stayed in a pretty run down hostel. James and Helen had a private cottage, which in hindsight we probably should have slept in. They had AC, while we stayed in a private room with a shared bathroom. Our cottage only had a fan. We spent part of the afternoon walking through <a href="http://www.gsgfiji.com/" target="_blank">The Garden of The Sleeping Giant </a>where we admired a ton of flowers and were bothered by mosquitoes. We then had dinner in Denarau, a gated community, which felt like we were sitting back in Auckland. We were surrounded by boats, tourists, and kids with braids. We were all glad that our entire trip wasn't spent there. I think just having dinner there was enough.<br />
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The next morning, our flight departed at 9. We were a little delayed leaving, but we were eager to get back home. We said bye to Helen and James at the airport, but said we would be in touch soon. Our car was waiting for us over in the domestic terminal as Peter, who was borrowing our car, had gone to the South Island with his parents the day before. We weren't able to go home just yet. We had originally booked our hotel room through a special, but then ended up going to Fiji, so we had another night in Auckland. We made the most of it and met up with Mike, who recently broke his hand and had surgery, Paula, and Irish Rachel over in Takapuna for dinner. Most of us ate at El Humero, which is Colombian BBQ. It is similar to El Sizzling Chorizo, which is Argentinean. While the vegetarian of the group had a VPN pizza from Dante's. After dinner, we wandered over and had an ice cream. The next morning we were up early and drove back to Kinloch.<br />
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Our lawn and garden was crazy. The cilantro had flowered, the spinach had dried up, the zucchinis were massive, and the peas were plentiful. I spent some time tidying up the garden and mowing the lawn. I'm glad it was really dry while we were gone or our weed lawn would have been even more ridiculous. Now we are getting settled back in with work and routine. My ankle is still bothering me and I may have an ultrasound scheduled if it hasn't come right in the next 2 weeks. This puts me in a little bind as we got things planned. I was supposed to be doing the 85km Timber Trail on the 16/01, but have already bailed on that. We are diving White Island at the end of the month, but that shouldn't prove problematic. The following we were doing a 4 day MTB trip to Hawke's Bay with the Auckland crew. At the moment, I don't know if I have the range of motion to ride. I'm going to test it out tomorrow with some flat pedals on the road. Then in February, we head to India for Shiv's wedding. Beth is also busy planning our next Great Walk adventure. We haven't even finished doing the Whanganui River yet, but we are already booked in for Abel Tasman at the end of April. I hope my ankle comes right soon as I've been feeling lazy with no biking or running.<br />
Kalebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08098543370125975393noreply@blogger.com0