Smelling penguin poo and hearing bag pipes in the Antarctic

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.

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.




Spinning plates: our 12 day becomes a 10 day.
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.

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.

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.

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.

Riding the bus of hell:
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 Wake Up Cafe 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.

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 Remota 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.

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 Mylodon's Cave. 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 Hosteria Pehoe, 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 Parrilla Don Jorge 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.

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 King George Island. 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?

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.

This has been sitting in edit mode forever. I'll post what I have. Maybe I'll finish the tale one day...

Santiago: How I barely got to know thee

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, Green Trail Club, 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.

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 La Vega Market 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 photo album from our time in Chile, not just Santiago.

Food:
27. 27, the number of empanadas I consumed in the last 3 months. The standouts include a joint in Rapa Nui, aka Easter Island, and a place called Aqui Pepe Empanadas in Santiago. I've tried a variety of flavors. I didn't just stick with the quintessential flavor: Pino. I started working my way through the Top 5 Empanadas for 2018 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.

I judged the empanadas similarly to how I judge a pie.

1. The crust has to hold up to being maneuverable. If it breaks apart, it is crap. Its a hand held food.
2. 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.
3. I typically eat baked empanadas over fried, but not always. If fried they can't hold the oil flavor.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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. 

Our neighborhood had a lot of Venezuelan places to try. We tried several of them and found out that we enjoyed cachapas, a corn pancake filled with meat and cheese, and patacones, 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.

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 Parque Metropolitano, you should be able to have a bigger number of visitors and increased vendor participation. So up your game food trucks of Santiago!

Restaurant wise, a big standout for me was Insert Coin Bar. 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. Bring your ID. This is needed to secure the controllers.

Music:

We went to an outdoor cumbia festival called Festival Chelero, 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 Santaferia. 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.

Biking:

I got out to ride trails 3 times over the past 3 months. I first rode with Paticio from Huaso Tours 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 biketur. We tackled trails at Durazno Park 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!

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 CicloRecreoVia. 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.

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.

Meetup:

They aren't that many options to choose from, but I did attend a photography group. We met up at La Vega 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.










Circus:
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 Polecross 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.

Random Activities:
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.

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.

We checked out both the Museo Cielo Abierto, which consists of murals on buildings, and Parque De Las Esculturas, 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.









Quirks:

• Saying hello and goodbye to people in the elevator
• No set standing etiquette in elevators
• People may get in and face any direction and stand super close to you even when there is only a few passengers
• Having to bag and tag your own produce and bakery bread prior to checkout
• If you don't you don't get to buy it. They will just pile it up at the front of the checkout lane
• 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.
• 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.
• Tipping of 10% may be a line item on your bill and you can added it if you choose
• 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.
• You are supposed to register your phone on longer stays. Never found out how that worked
• Data on my phone never worked that well. Some apps worked fine, but there was definitely no browsing

Santiago Chile

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.

I'll try to write more in this journey as it's something new and different from our daily life in NZ.

It's Official...Kiwis

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.

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.

Pie Ride Stats

Pie Count: 35
Caramel Slices: 20
km ridden: 3809.4

Best Pies:
Lignite Cafe
Murchison Tea House
Food for Thought
Waitiki Visitor Centre

Best Caramel Slices:
Real Meat Pies
Eruption Cafe
Sweet Cakes

Best Sausage Roll:
Inangahua

Best Looking Campsite:
Slab Hut outside of Reefton

Best Sunset:
Lake Ianthe

Pie Ride: North Island Diary Entries

Sorry 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.

9-10/04/2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 1
Cycle Tourists: 1

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.

11/04/2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 2
Flats: 1

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.

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.

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.

12/04/2017
Pie Count: 1
Caramel Slice: 1
Cycle Tourists: 0

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.

13/04/2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourist: 0

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.

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.

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.

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.

14-04-2017
Pie Count: 1
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0

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.

15-04-2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0
Flats: 1

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.

16-04-2017
Pie Count: 1
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0

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.

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.

17-04-2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0

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.

18-04-2017
Pie Count: 1
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0

Got a massage and caught up with Dee. Played with the kids and wandered around town. Tomorrow Jake arrives.

19-04-2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0

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.

20-04-2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 1
Cycle Tourists: 2
Flats: 1
Wrecked tires: 1

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.

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.

21-04-2017
Pie Count: 1
Caramel Slice: 1
Cycle Tourists: 0
Broken Chain: 1
BCS Calls: 1

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.

22-04-2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 1
Cycle Tourists: 1

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.

23-04-2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 1
Tourist Count: 0

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.

24-04-2017
Pie Count: 1
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0

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.

25-04-2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 1
Cycle Tourists: 0
Flat count: 1 each

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.

26-04-2017
Pie Count: 1
Caramel Slice: 1
Cycle Tourists: 1

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.

27-04-2017
Pie Count: 1
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 2

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.

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.

28-04-2017
Pie Count: 1
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0

We rode to the ferry and to Banu's place. We then bussed back into CBD to go sailing with Peter.

29/30-04-2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0

Played tour guide. Rode to Devonport and Takapuna. Then walked to Milford Park.

01-05-2017
Pie Count: 1
Caramel Slice: 1
Cycle Tourists: 0

Did the Coast to Coast walk and Rachel's Birthday dinner. No riding!

02-05-2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0

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.

03-05-2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0

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.

04-05-2017
Pie Count: 1
Caramel Slice: 1
Cycle Tourists: 0

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.

05-05-2017
Pie Count: 1
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0

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.

06-05-2017
Pie Count: 1
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0

Still very sick. No riding. No energy. Fever/Chills/Body aches.

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.

07-05-2017
Pie Count: 1
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0

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.

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.

08-05-2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0

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.

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.

09-05-2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0

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.

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.

10-05-2017
Pie Count: 1
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0
Replaced Brake Pads: 1

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.

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.

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.

11-05-2017
Pie Count: 2
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0
Flats: 1

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 very good 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.

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.

12-05-2017
Pie Count: 1
Caramel Slice: 1
Cycle Tourists: 0
Flats: 1

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.

13-05-2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0
Flats: 1

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.

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.

14-05-2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 1
Flats: 2
Broken Spoke: 1
Side Wall Damage: 1

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.

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.

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.

15-05-2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 1
Cycle Tourists: 0

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.

16-05-2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0

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?

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.

17-05-2017
Pie Count: 0
Caramel Slice: 0
Cycle Tourists: 0

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?

More Photos

My adventure didn't start here, but it did go through it.

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.

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.

North Island Fun
South Island Part 2