RobiNZ Personal Blog

Last ride to Whangarei, huh? ~ Northland Sojourn 2012 Day 10

Yet again weather, the wind, dictated a change in plan for the last day. The route map had us heading south from Mangawhai Heads towards Wellsford, down Highway 16, and our Auckland destination. From Wellsford the road follows the Kaipara Harbour coast and climbs to some exposed ridges. This is a secondary highway but there was concern the strong south easterly crosswind would be pushing cyclists into the traffic flow.

That wasn’t the only reason everyone agreed a Whangarei finish — and drive straight back to Auckland — would be best but I’ll get to that later.

So we headed north from Mangawhai Heads but, in my case at least, not far. It’s been ages since I last had a puncture on the road and never with Adventure South. After eight trips — at a guess 4,000km? — it was my turn. I found a chunk of glass in the tyre and fixed it (with the tyre change timed by “B”!) before the chase bus appeared. However I didn’t do a very thorough job as a few kilometres down the road another small splinter, still stuck in the tyre, made it puncture number two!

Once I got going the riding was great. I have driven this road several times but never seen the sort of seas whipped up by the past week’s easterly gales. Once beyond Langs Beach & Waipu Cove we had a fast, tailwind assisted, ride into Waipu township where the bus was waiting. It was to shuttle us over the Brenderwyn Hills for a short reprise of the first few kilometres of the Day One ride.

We rode as far as Paparoa before turning off the main highway north towards Maungakaramea and Whangarei. The last time I travelled this road was in the 2 Litre Ferrari chasing WRC Rally New Zealand 2010.

It passes the finish of the legendary, in NZ rally circles at least, Swamp Road stage. It has railway over-bridge guaranteed to give a good view of rally cars in flight (right) and they run a spectator train from Auckland to take advantage of the location.

One benefit of a lousy summer was seeing Northland lovely and green. We were relatively lucky with the weather, especially the first few days, as just a week before major flooding had closed many highways. Although there were a few wet days, even more windy ones, it was still reasonably warm (for the time of year) so even when drenched the riding was ok. We could have done without the wind but flexible ride planning — aka the Guides nightmare — made the best of that. A gale isn’t so bad when it is a tailwind!

I don’t know if it was the end of trip factor, or the climbs and headwind on the ridges but I found this ride the hardest of the trip. I stopped & took a photo on the last hill (right) kind of hoping the bus would go past so I could catch a ride!

That didn’t happen but it was only a few kilometres, including a good downhill, to the final pick up point. I didn’t have a bike computer and only found out the end of the day that the two parts of the ride totalled something like 120km.

As mentioned we had two Whangarei locals on the tour and it made for a very special finale. We bussed to their home, up steep driveway we thankfully didn’t have to ride, for a shower and had the last dinner, Hell Pizza, there. It was very generous to be hosted and great way to finish the ride.

The evening drive back to Auckland was pretty swift with light traffic unlike going other direction. It appeared most of Auckland was heading North for Easter and following school holiday break. Adventure South trip eight was fun, if a little different for me. It was the first where I was really familiar with the area and had ridden a fair bit of the route. It was great to revisit it with a great bunch of people. Unless they dream up another NZ trip, I suspect my next Adventure South journey may have a Japanese flavour.

Whangarei to Mangawhai Heads, in an odd way ~ Northland Sojourn 2012 Day 9

It was another day when weather changed the plans. Having a Whangarei local on the trip helped scope out a ride almost opposite to the route map which looped south towards Managawhai Heads. It would have been a bash into the still strong South Easterly wind. Instead we shuttled East out to Whangarei Heads and rode North up the coast and back into town.

The surf at Ocean Beach was pretty impressive, for the East Coast, with the easterly providing a nice tailwind for the first part of the ride!

The road inland passes two striking volcanic peaks then follows the harbour shoreline climbing over bluffs between bays.

It was great riding and I made good time with the combination of downhill and tailwind. It is over a decade since I have been in this area and, although not too developed, there are some lovely new houses dotted on coastal ‘Lifestyle blocks’. One had a rather unusual mailbox (below)!

We rode back towards the Pacific coast to Pataua Beach, an ocean beach with large estuary/lagoon. I remember a family holiday there in 1974 when the ‘British Commonwealth Games’ were held in Christchurch, NZ because we took a TV.

That was rare in those days when holiday homes were typically simple buildings with cast off/second hand furniture, rather than today’s mansions by the sea.

Pataua has changed a but not beyond recognition. I remember we stayed near a grass reserve on the inlet but couldn’t pick the actual bach. Suspect it may have been replaced by more a modern house (below).

f

I was amazed to find one thing hadn’t changed. I remembered a long dilapidated footbridge connecting Pataua North & South. It seemed old when I was eight and is still there (below) today, if only just judging by the scaffold props, and now quite a bit older! Without a boat, or swimming, this link is the only alternative to a 49 km drive. That was once a rough gravel road but we zipped across the footbridge and I was pleased it has been sealed.

The ride toward Whangarei was pretty. It initially follows an inlet before climbing to farmland with patches of bush and, eventually, the outer suburbs of Whangarei. I had a short excursion to Whangarei Falls before discovering the rendezvous was back at the harbour basin. By this time is was raining again but a post ride change of clothes made the bus trip to our evening accommodation at Mangawhai Heads more comfortable. We stayed at some lovely holiday chalets and had a great meal to finish the day.

Russell to Russell, and “a moment” ~ Northland Sojourn 2012 Day 8

One of the things I like about Adventure South is the flexibility of their plans. Obviously some aspects like accommodation must be pre-booked and you get a detailed itinerary, along with daily ride sheets with profiles, but it might change.

Today was one of those days as we were supposed to ride from Russell along the coast road to Whakapara. It was still blowing a, literal, gale from the East/South East (yellow arrows). After consultation we were driven to Whakapara down the inland main highway (blue arrow), with a short diversion to see the toilets in Kawakawa, and rode the coastal road back to our start point in Russell (red arrow).

That toilet diversion might sound an odd thing to do but they are a unique organic style mosaic finished building designed by Austrian born, later Kiwi citizen, Artist/Architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser and have become a bit of a tourist destination. I knew of his work as we had one of his prints (sadly not an original) when I was a kid. He spent quite a bit of time in New Zealand at his farm, near Kawakawa, and on his death in 2000 was buried there. The town has adopted the Hundertwasser theme and several main street buildings, artworks are done in his unique style.

We rode from Whakapara and the initial part was a little bit sheltered as the road runs up a valley. Until fairly recently this was a very rough corrugated gravel road, so bad it was banned for rental cars. I remember the Helena Bay Hill was legendary for boiling cooling systems, on the way up, and brakes, on the way down, as holiday makers carted everything including the kitchen sink ‘up North’.

The road is sealed now but still a challenging ride and the weather, constant rain and gusty wind, made the downhill as taxing as the uphill. We stopped at a lovely café/gallery near Helena Bay, a hot coffee and tasty treats were welcome. The road continues with more twisty climbs and descents as the bays roll past and even the occasional help from a tailwind when the road twisted inland.

‘The moment’ happened on the descent into Taupiri Bay. I had a fall before the trip and a sprained right thumb meant I had much less than the usual grip strength for braking. I’m usually a bit gung ho on downhills but with the wet and reduced braking was taking it easy. Unfortunately this hill was quite steep and even with all the brake I could muster, full rear & part front, arrived at one corner a bit too fast. It was a hairpin that went on, and on, and on with little more, on the outside, than a small grass verge before dropping to rocks & sea. I got to the point where I was running out of road, unclipped from the pedals and thinking of ditching the bike. Was even considering how to explain to Adventure South that their nice Trek road bike had disappeared into the ocean. Luckily there was just enough grip to get around the curve without losing the front wheel from under me or running out of road!

The rest of the ride was uneventful, cycling wise, but the coastal views were spectacular with huge surf crashing on the rocks and beaches (rare on this East Coast). Unfortunately it was too wet to carry a camera and capture the scene. Even the iPhone photo (below) taken on an inland section, while sheltered behind a tree, risked getting it wet from humidity, damp fingers and rain. It survived but spent the rest of the ride in a waterproof carry case..

We rode through to Russell and, after a change of clothes, got back on the bus to retrace our path to the overnight accommodation in Whangarei. It was a backwards but very memorable ride, both in spite of and because of the conditions.

 

Russell, a day of rest ~ Northland Sojourn 2012 Day 7

Monday was a rest day and after something like four hundred, at times challenging, kilometres in the previous few days it was welcome. It’s also intended for the overseas visitors to get out into  Bay of Islands on the many boat (classic & modern), jet boat, helicopter and seaplane tours available. Although Paihia, Russell & Waitangi are nice you have to get on the water to really appreciate the area.

We stayed at The Duke which is an old (again by NZ std’s) Hotel which has, to quote their website, “been Refreshing Rascals and Reprobates since 1827 and holds New Zealand’s first liquor licence”. Over the past decade or so various owners have developed it from a pub into a quality hotel. They have added modern facilities, like ensuite bathrooms, without compromising its classic character. One bonus is they offer fast free wireless to guests which is why I could upload some posts written earlier in the trip. I can recommend The Duke, it’s a nice place to rest!

I’ve been to the Bay of  Islands plenty of times so wasn’t really interested in the formal tours on offer. I had thought about borrowing a bike to explore the area around Russell but rain & windy weather deterred me. Turns out gale force winds meant most of the regular tours were not running anyway. A few ventured out but soon scurried back to port.

Although not part of the itinerary Adventure South took those who were interested out to a local vineyard for a wine tasting. It was a very acceptable way to spend the afternoon, with nice views over the Te Wahapu Inlet.

Taipa to Paihia, Russell ~ Northland Sojourn 2012 Day 6

From Taipa I was riding into very familiar territory. When I was a kid quite a few of our family Summer Holidays were on the East coast between Taipa & Whangarei. We stayed in a resort hotel in Taipa which was nice but different to most accommodation in the North. It was a single row of suite size rooms off a central corridor the length of those you see in Las Vegas Mega hotels. Quite bizarre in a NZ context but a nice place on a lovely beach.

Riding over the hill you get to Cable Bay which has changed a little since the holidays of old. A little strip of baches has expanded into a suburb (below left) but the beach (below right) is as lovely as ever.

Over the hill from Cable Bay is Mill Bay (below left). A calm sheltered anchorage for boats from around NZ & the world. It had also developed a bit but is still a charming place, especially when the tide is in. Some of us stopped in Mangonui, location of last nights Fush n Chups, for a coffee. It’s an old quaint, well as old & quaint as NZ gets, town with some sensitive development to improve the foreshore.

It was great to see the old General Store, perched over the harbour on stilts, is still trading despite the new supermarket just up the road at Coopers Beach. I remember many trips there to restock holiday consumables like fishing line, hooks, papers & milk!

The ride goes inland and battling a blustery headwind was made somewhat easier by watching a mobile motor-show heading North. At first I thought the passing parade was a classic British car club as MG, Riley, Austin Healy and (I think) Morris cars went past but then came a mix of modern & classic Aston Martin, Ferrari and Mercedes. We left the main highway to follow the coast around Whangaroa Harbour (below left) and avoided the wind! After an, at times, challenging series of climbs a long downhill took us to lunch on by the beach at Taiaue Bay (below right).

From lunch, at sea level don’t forget, a steep climb was rewarded by the amazing view over Matauri Bay (below left). It was still blowing a gale but mostly now a side, sometimes tail, wind as the road headed inland towards Waipapa. A secondary road led back out to Kerikeri where I took a short diversion to the Stone Store as thought that was a meeting place. There was no sign of anybody so I headed back up the hill and met the bus at the top heading down to the store. Some had already continued on towards Paihia, a short ferry ride from our overnight stop at Russell, so I did too.

The ride out of Kerikeri was good until you got to road works. Where they were actually working wasn’t too bad but the new seal they, is it transit or council on the main highways?, are laying these days is an awful uneven application of a very coarse chip. In addition to the chip grain it feels like the base coat is rough and vibration on a road bike with high pressure tyres is awful. It really is a relief to get back on the worn finer chip old seal!

I expected a headwind as we headed out towards Paihia but a couple of hills nearer the coast and the evening calm must have been enough to subdue it. The ride map showed a loop around to Opua to catch the vehicle ferry, the route the bus had to take, but those of us still riding got the passenger ferry from Paihia, just.

It sails regularly but they held one for us that was about to depart which saved about 30 minutes waiting. The hotel in Russell was a welcome sight and it’s location near the wharf brilliant after a long day in the saddle. Stagger along the wharf, across the road, into the room and a hot shower. Tomorrows rest day will be spent resting!

Ahipara to Cape Reinga, Taipa Bay ~ Northland Sojourn 2012 Day 5

It was raining as we set off from Ahipara. After a short shuttle to Kaitaia it was on the bike for two of us headed for the Cape. The rest got shuttled a bit further, starting their ride after a morning coffee. The initial drizzle slowly abated as we headed North with a strong easterly wind providing some assistance, but not always favourable.

We both skipped morning coffee but the extra distance meant we met the rest of the group as they started riding from near Houhora Reserve. I stopped for some fuel at Pukenui, Picnic Bar & Energy Chocolate, and the rain started again going from drizzle to heavy rain.

There was a further fuel stop at Te Kao — amazing how good dispensing machine coffee can be in the right circumstances — and by then torrential rain & gusty strong wind required a change of plan. The picnic lunch was abandoned in favour of Waitiki Landing Café. The sensible stopped riding and got back in the warm dry bus for this section.

I didn’t and arrived there drenched. Soon after sitting down I was amazed to be approached by a couple of work colleagues who were showing some visitors the Cape.

I was feeling good after lunch and chose to carry on cycling, the only one stupid enough to do so! The last 20km had quite a few climbs, about 200m high, made tougher by the blustery wind. One bonus was the rain abated as I approached the Cape and some parts of the road sheltered by cuttings were bone dry.

It was great to get to Cape Reinga, both the relief to have made it and spectacular scenery. There is a new path and I couldn’t resist riding down to do a loop around the lighthouse itself even though it meant one more hill. There were no photos for me today as it was too wet to carry a camera, didn’t even have my iPhone for most of the day. Hope to get some off the others on the trip when time allows.

Although the weather was challenging I found the riding good. A bit of side/tailwind at times took the sting out of the distance — about 110km — and the last hilly section was fairly sheltered until you climbed to the exposed ridges.

It was also nice to have a bus ride back to our accommodation at Taipa Bay, hot shower and dinner at the "World Famous Mangonui Fish n Chip Shop". Their Fisherman's Basket refilled the fuel tank ready for another big ride tomorrow. I knew some of the roads we were heading towards would require it.

Opononi to Ahipara ~ Northland Sojourn 2012 Day 4

We bussed straight to Rawene to avoid some serious road works and to get an awesome breakfast at the Boatshed Café. I had seen this featured on TV and it lived up to its reputation for fine food, coffee and a lovely location.

This also meant we made an earlier ferry crossing giving some more free time at our next destination: Ahipara Beach.

The ride, road, from Kohukohu was new to me. On the previous cycle trip, and several car road trips, I have taken the inland route over the Mangamuka Ranges. We avoided them, and a big climb, by taking a road which follows a drovers route. It goes through lovely rolling countryside with a mix of native, pine and exotic trees. Adventure South laid on one of their awesome roadside lunches beside the river in Broadwood.

There were a couple of reasonably challenging climbs before a fast downhill into Ahipara. It was the first time I've visited this part of 90 Mile Beach and it is lovely.

Dinner was at the motel and their superb rare tender carpetbag steak more than made up for the disappointing one at Opononi. It turned out I would need all those calories the next day…

Baylys Beach to Opononi ~ Northland Sojourn 2012 Day 3

After breakfast at "Funky Fish" we rode North on the West Coast. The day started in rolling farm country before climbing into the Waipoua Forest.

There were a few challenging hills, ~400m high, but again fine weather and a tailwind made for perfect riding. I had driven this road long ago when it was still gravel. It is now sealed and on a bike you have time to appreciate the wonderful views of native bush dotted with Kauri.

After a picnic lunch by the river the ride continued with a gentle climb on a stunning quiet forest road. Some of it reminded me of the Waitakere Ranges Scenic Drive near my home but with much more impressive bush, a far better road and almost no traffic!

A short walk, 2 minutes of the road, takes you to New Zealand’s oldest (known) and largest remaining Kauri Tree. Tane Mahuta is thought to be about 2000 years old. It is about 51m high, 14m girth and is an impressive sight.

From the forest you descend, via an awesome winding downhill graded to not need brakes, into a farmland valley and rush hour traffic (below). The Herekino 4 Square Postshop lady was very friendly, sorting postage for the motel key which had come with me from Baylys. I thought had left it in the room but somehow had bundled, wrapped up in my rain shell, into my bike bag. I only discovered it after lunch when searching for an allen key to adjust my seat!

After about 15km a short steep, but not as steep as warned, climb crests the ridge presenting one of the most wonderful views in the North. The Hokianga Harbour with its golden sand dune North Head is an impressive sight.

Unfortunately the Opononi Hotel served up a nice tasting steak meal & great ensuite bathroom shower but ruined things by making sure both were luke-warm at best. A pity considering their location, metres from the harbour, is superb.

Auckland to Baylys Beach ~ Northland Sojourn 2012 Day 2

Wednesday dawned fine and clear. I know this because, unusually for me, I was up. Although not leaving till 8:00 I decided to go into town early to avoid traffic hassles. It was good as just beat the Auckland rush, arriving in town about 7:15. After dumping my luggage in the bus trailer I had time to wander down to Rosehip Café for a nice coffee to start the day.

We drove out of Auckland to the base of the Brynderwyn Hills. The first ride turned away from them, thankfully, heading across country to Matakohe.

The first time I cycled this, about 30 years ago, we stopped & camped overnight at Pahi, in the upper Kaipara Harbour. I stopped to take a photo of it (below right) and shot this photo (left) of a truck obviously didn't think the "share the road" (with cyclists) signs applied. In the photo the cyclist is not even on the road, riding a minute verge to the left of the solid side line. Several of the group, all experienced international cycle tourists, commented that this truck had been aggressive. It was disappointing as the vast majority of traffic, I notice Fonterra milk tankers especially, are good at leaving a gap.

We had lunch at the Matakohe Kauri Museum. It has been a few years since I last visited this and it has expanded immensely. It covers the history of the Kauri industry with displays of the lifestyle, machinery and products and is well worth a visit.

From there we rode to Dargaville across the river plains. Last time I did this was after a damp sleepless night in a tent at Pahi, we set out into a howling westerly headwind on a cold, wet December day. Although we were supposed to be camping that night the ride was so hard and miserable we found a motel with spa pool and blew our modest travel budget!

In total contrast Adventure South had arranged perfect conditions with sunny skies and a strong (mostly) tailwind for the 50km haul across the flat to Dargaville. It was such a pleasure to be zipping along at 20-30km/h on a nice light bike that in spite of — it must be said — rather dull scenery it was a lovely ride. The road follows the Wairoa River until crossing a rather large bridge into Dargaville.

We rode through the town on to Baylys Beach. Some of the visitors were surprised a ride to the coast could end with an up hill section! Baylys beach is accessed via a rather steep cutting which opens out to kilometres of pristine West Coast surf beach.

The Sunset View Lodge view over the Tasman lived up to it's name but cloud on the horizon muted the sunset. We dined at local restaurant, "Funky Fish", and I had superb fish (John Dory) & chips.

Auckland Prelims ~ Northland Sojourn 2012 Day 1

It was a strange start for me. It is my eighth trip with Adventure South but the first time my holiday hadn't started with a pack and dash to the airport. All the South Island trips began with a flight to Christchurch, one to Ho Chi Minh City! 

I met the rest of the group at their Auckland City accommodation with just the bike bits I was taking — seat, pedals & helmet. Seemed odd not having all my luggage but today’s agenda was just a short ride around Tamaki Drive. That is very familiar territory for me, part of our Sunday weekly ride, but a good chance to get used to the bike and sort any adjustments.

I had chosen a supplied bike, rather than my own, as it is easier for the guides and meant any mechanical problems would be covered. Although my bike isn't exotic, actually not as good as the Adventure South Trek road bikes, you can bet it would some impossible to replace part which failed, if any.

Although familiar the view from Achilles Point, past St Heliers at the end of Tamaki Drive, is worth the ride. I didn’t have a real camera but these iPhone photos auto-stitched into a panoramic shot by Windows Live Photo Gallery came out alright. Just overlap the photos when you take them, dump into Photo Gallery, click “Create Panorama” and it’s done.

After the ride I shot home to finish packing and came back into town for the first tour dinner at Portofino, in the Viaduct. I had nice tender Calamari and Auckland turned on a still, calm relatively warm (almost summer) evening. After than it was home for the night ready for the serious cycling to begin on Wednesday morning.

Golf Hotel Whiskey visits Boeing, Seattle

Events at home foiled my plan to visit Seattle on the way home from Autodesk University last year. I got to see the airport but only during a 3 hour stop over. A visit to Boeing is still on my to do list, maybe next time?

Delivery flight for new British Airways 777 - Golf Hotel Whiskey

I love visiting aircraft factories and this is why, when British Airways invited me to fly to Seattle and witness the delivery of a new 777-300ER airliner, I jumped at the chance. I fly a lot, both as a pilot and a passenger, and I really wanted to see how Boeing built them and what a new plane actually felt like...

Preservation Hall, Kiva and memories

Charlotte’s post from the Kiva Fellows Blog reminded me of a great evening spent at Preservation Hall (back in 2007). It was also a great excuse to use my favourite, even though out of focus & blurry, photo which best captured the atmosphere.

Preservation Hall - fellowsblog.kiva.org

A few nights ago I saw the Survivors Brass Band at Preservation Hall with Kiva CEO, Matt Flannery and Jonas Miller from Good Work Network…

(Charlotte is a Kiva Fellow in KF-16, the 16th Kiva Fellows Class, with ASI Federal Credit Union and is now living in New Orleans. Charlotte has lived in India, Japan, and has built houses with Habitat For Humanity in Ethiopia, Zambia and India.)

For more information about Kiva, click here. To read about ASI Federal Credit Union, click here. You can also follow Kiva New Orleans on Facebook, join the Kiva New Orleans lending team.

The West Coast Penguin Mystery?

Back in 2006 I took a photo of this rather unique road sign on the South Island’s West Coast.

This year (in somewhat better weather) I couldn’t resist taking the same photo again. It wasn’t until I got home that I noticed “next 10km” of penguin in 2006 had reduced to 5km in 2011.

However a few kilometres up the road there was another “Next 5km” of penguin so maybe they have just moved along the coast a bit?

Coast To Coast 2011 - Let the great photo upload begin!

Away ten days, only six hundred & forty photos...

UPDATE 2011-04-02: The 2011 Coast to Coast photoset, now only 609 photos after a bit of culling, is here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/robinzblog/sets/72157626180813911/

Coast to Coast 10 - Kaikoura to Christchurch

I had a lazy start to the day while some of the others were up before dawn to swim with dolphins.

I heard "Team Canada" set out early as they were going to ride more of the last day ride than most of us. I thought about doing the same but decided a cruise'y wind down was a better idea for the last day.

After a sleep-in I wandered across the road to the beach to take in the view and deal with my very ignored home email inbox. After "processing" (OK mostly deleting) 97 emails it was time for a coffee.

The dolphin swimmers returned and I had a leisurely breakfast with them. We were bussed the first part of the ride (which I have done on a previous trip) to leave an easy 30km to lunch.

The day was awesome (again) and I had lots of photo stops. The inland road is longer than Hwy 1 but is a worthy diversion (nice drive by car) if you want a change. It had little traffic and few trucks as they all take the flatter, quicker coast road.

There are spectacular views (on a clear day like we had) of the Alps as you drive through rolling farms. Occasionally the road plunges down to cross a river then climbs back to the plateau.

I noticed a couple of motorbikes (one a lovely sounding Ducati) did several "laps" of the road as we rode, obviously enjoying the day at somewhat higher velocities! Some Alpaca took an interest in us as we passed, except for the one at the back who never gave up guarding his hill.

Self portrait, from the saddle

The last lunch break.

At the lunch stop "Team Canada" came in a few minutes after us having done the full 85km. The last ride was a 20km run down a valley to meet Hwy 1. A nice way to end to a great trip, spectacular scenery, great company and wonderful views if you remembered to look up from the road!

Coast to Coast 9 - Picton to Kaikoura

A really nice Cafe Gusto breakfast (fruit muesli and two flat whites for me) filled the fuel tank for the morning ride. Clear blue skies and sun signalled another promising day.

We caught a water taxi across a mirror flat sound to begin our ride near Portage. After climbing "a bit of a saddle" the road ran alongside Kenepuru Sound heading back towards Havelock, ultimately to Picton.

The sounds looked stunning with sun speckled turquoise waters and green bush. The terrain was great for cycling with short ascents & descents around the bluffs between bays. At the head of the sound a stiff climb took us over a ridge to join the Queen Charlotte Sound road.

I've ridden, and driven, this before but it was no hardship to repeat such a nice ride. The wind had got up a little but once in the bays it wasn't an issue. After skirting the coast the road gradually rises around a bluff. This made the last part of the ride a twisty speedy downhill towards Picton.

Another awesome ride in perfect weather. Then it was on the bus to a late afternoon winery lunch, near Blenheim, and a drive to Kaikoura.

PS: A couple of days later my flight home gave a wonderful view of this ride from 10,000m above. We went from Picton (top centre) by boat across to the peninsular on the West (top left), rode down it’s West coast, over the saddle to the green farm area (lower right) then back around Queen Charlotte Sound to Picton.

Next Coast to Coast 10 - Kaikoura to Christchurch

Coast to Coast 7 - Motueka to Tophouse (St Arnaud)

By the time our leisurely cafe breakfast, yummy "Mango Fruslie" & a Latte for me, was over the forecast rain was just very light drizzle.

We rode from the motel down the Motueka Valley. Last time I went down this road it was in "the one litre Ferrari" but that was way back in 2005. Didn't realise I would see another "Ferrari" on this trip. Although overcast the weather was dry soon after leaving Motueka, not quite golden weather but good for riding.

We stopped for lunch at Tapawera (According to Wikipedia: The geographic centre of New Zealand is located close to Tapawera, in the nearby Spooner Hills) and met a real cycle tourist from Perth. She had done most the South Island on a touring bike towing a 1 wheel trailer.

The afternoon ride was towards Nelson Lakes through pine forests. It was a nice ride in almost perfectly calm air which made one hill climb hot work. I had to stop for a photo of “My Road”, a gravel forest access track. Bas met us at the turnoff for our accommodation which saved a kilometre or so of walking the road bike up a rough gravel road.

We are spending the night in an old Hotel, by NZ standards, built in late 1887. After 96km on the bike it was lovely to get a hot shower, then sit in the sun with a cold Weka Beer in anticipation of tonight's wild Venison dinner.

Next Coast to Coast 8 - Tophouse to Picton

Coast to Coast 6 - In The Abel Tasman

Zero Kilometres on the bike today as it was all walking & kayaking in the Abel Tasman National Park. It is my second visit but this time will be doing more walking & less kayaking than the last trip. It was a cool and cloudy start to the day but as we got on the water taxi a glimpse of sun gave some hope it would improve. Red Sky in the morning was pretty but not a good sign.

We landed at The Anchorage and walked the headland to Pitt Point. The route back passed through Te Pukatea Bay which was our lunch stop on the previous kayak.

Then it was over a ridge from The Anchorage to Watering Cove, where the explorer, D'Urville, replenished his water supply in 1827.

As we walked the cloud burnt off to leave a lovely sunny day with calm seas and favourable light winds for our kayak home. Kayaking guide Josh was already waiting with lunch and four double kayaks (plus his own single).

We headed across to Adele Island and, in a few kilometres of coast, saw seals & blue penguins basking & swimming along with the usual shags, gannets & terns. The island is a predator free sanctuary and the (land) bird song added a lovely soundtrack as we glided down the coast.

After meandering around Adele & Fisherman Islands it was back to Marahau to finish an awesome (yes, I know I have used that word a lot in these posts but it was!) day on the water.

It appears this may be the end of the golden weather as it is pouring with rain as I write. The forecast tomorrow is for rain so a late'ish start and cafe breakfast is on the agenda then whatever the weather decides.

Next Coast to Coast 7 - Motueka to Tophouse (St Arnaud)

Coast to Coast 3 - Punakaiki to Westport

It was a mixed day which combined inland bush & coastal walks with some cycling in between.

The morning started with a short walk up one river, a climb up to a ridge and descent to another river running through a lovely limestone gorge. Lush bush & spectacular rocks & cliffs were enhanced by the continued perfect weather.

We returned to Punakaiki for a look at the infamous pancake rocks which were a bit flat compared to my last visit in a storm. Most amazing was the clear air which allowed a view of the Southern Alps far to the south. After that it was time to grab a bite to eat and a welcome coffee. I escaped the cafe just as a tour arrived, one of those "real" ones with 40+ stuffed in a coach...

Then it was on the bike for a re-run, for me, of the Punakaiki to Charleston ride. Last time I did it a blustery, but warm, overcast day turned into torrential rain while we rode. I remember us arriving at the Charleston Pub ringing wet but it appeared they were quite used to that!

Today it was clear blue skies and a mild south westerly (tailwind). This ride mostly hugs the coast and the views are spectacular. I re-shot lots of the photos I took last time as the coast looked completely different. Instead of big surf under grey skies it was relatively calm sparkling white waves against a blue sea & sky.

I remembered some of the ride, including a hill with several false summits, but parts of it must have been erased from the grey cells as I couldn't remember them at all!

It was rather different arriving in Charleston hot & sweaty, but still dripping! I shot down to see the bay & its hard to believe this tiny inlet was used as a harbour (in the gold rush days).

One street name in Charleston (and there aren’t many!) caught my eye. Seems more appropriate for Auckland plaster board townhouses from the late 90s!

Today's ride was only 30km (max 65km/h) but a couple of climbs, combined with walks, which totalled about 3 hours, seemed enough.

From there it was a short bus trip to the Cape Foulwind walk. I've done this before, in the storm, but the calm fine weather showed a different aspect of it.

Now it's time for dinner at a beachside restaurant south of Westport.

Next Coast to Coast 4 - Westport to Karamea

Coast to coast 2 - Arthurs Pass to Punakaiki

After a bit of uphill from Arthurs Pass to the ridge it was, at last, my chance to tackle the amazing Otira Viaduct descent. I had been denied this on two previous trips due to miserable weather but today was rewarded with perfect conditions.

It's a steep grade (16%) that goes on and on down a stunning Southern Alps gorge. I got to 85km/h on the straight part before deciding it was prudent to brake for the "recommended" 45km/h corner rapidly approaching. Even with several photo stops maintaining a high average speed was no problem. As it flattened out a little, but still downhill, another Easterly tailwind made it easy to maintain 30-45km/h for the next 30km.

I saw this amazing Weta on sale in Otira, wonder if my Dad would like it for his birthday…

After a coffee stop we headed around Lake Brunner, on quiet rolling roads, to Moana for a lunch stop. By this time we had done about 65km but the gradient and tailwind meant it felt like less!

After lunch I struggled a bit, feeling a bit "tight" in the legs, but think this was in part due to adapting to a different bike. It's a lovely 21 speed Trek road bike and some adjustments helped as the afternoon went on. The 20km Moana - Stillwater ride was a bit dull compared to the spectacular scenery earlier in the day.

It wasn't helped by some long straights, which I don't like, and a bit of headwind as the sea breeze came up the valley. I seriously doubted making the whole 140km to Punakaiki but after Stillwater the road got a bit more twisty and interesting my legs seemed to come back.

After hitting the coast a mix of stunning scenery, fine weather and no headwind made the last 30km to Punakaiki a pleasure. By the time I arrived at our, beautiful, accommodation the odometer showed 142km, max speed 85km/h.

Dinner, whitebait fritters entree & hapuka main, as the sun set over a clam (for the West Coast) was a lovely finish to the best ride I've had, ever!

Next Coast to Coast 3 - Punakaiki to Westport

Coast to Coast 1 - Springfield to Arthurs Pass

We left Christchurch to avoid drizzle and headed to Springfield. This avoided the dull cycle across the Canterbury Plains and meant we escaped the rain.

It was an easy start until things got serious with the ascent of Porters Pass. Mostly steep, apart from the bits which were steeper!, it was quite a climb. Something like 800m in a few kilometres (must check Google Earth when I get home).

The pay back came with an awesome descent which I got up to 75km/h. From there we headed to Arthurs Pass along part of a route I've ridden before. In addition to lovely scenery there was a constant stream of Vintage cars heading East to admire. The riding was eased by a , rare, easterly tailwind.

I didn't make it all the way to Arthurs Pass, some did, as time ran out. The last ten km is a bit narrow, gloomy bush overhung and I have ridden it the other way before so it was not great loss. Besides 74 km, with that climb, was enough for day one.

Spent the night at Arthurs Pass which meant tomorrows highlight, the Otira Viaduct was just a few km away over the hill. Christchurch, where we were initially going to be tonight, had quite a big 5.something aftershock. We didn’t feel anything at Arthurs Pass (which is on the Alpine Fault), not aware it happened until I got a text from my sister in Christchurch.

Next Coast to Coast 2 - Arthurs Pass to Punakaiki

Heading South

Seemed a little bit busy, and slightly unorganized, at Auckland airport. In the time it took to drop a bag & waltz thru security (yes officer that is a bicycle seat in my cabin bag) they changed the gate. It was to be a no air-bridge one so lined up only to find that plane was heading to Wellington!
Seems we had an aircraft change & gate change but this 737 seems to be going fine. It was a nice sunny, Simpsons clouds , day in Auckland but seems to be clouding over as we head further south.
This was written over W(h)anganui and I couldn't see Mt Taranaki, then realized we were on top of it! Love the perfect circle bush line where the mountain meets the farms.
A little sobering to glide effortlessly over hills that, next time I see them, will be tackled by bicycle.
It was a bit grey & noticeably cooler when we touched down. Might be needing that wet weather gear I have lugged but rarely used on my previous Adventure South trips.

I’m on my, well really someone else’s, bike coast to coast style!

Later this week I’m heading South to join a bunch of friends, some old & new, on another Adventure South returning clients trip. It starts & finishes in Christchurch but most of the time is spent on the West Coast & Northern South Island.

I have cycled some of this route before, the pictures below are from my previous trip, but as you can see there is no great hardship revisiting this lovely country. I’m hoping the weather cooperates, especially on the second day! Two previous attempts to cycle up/down the Otira hill — an insane Southern Alps descent — have been foiled by cold winds & torrential rain on that side of the mountains. This time it has to be good!

This trip is a mix of cycling, walking, kayaking and (as is usual with Adventure South) a healthy dose of eating, merriment & memorable moments. As usual I plan to take lots of photos to look back on.

It’s going to be fun but the web will probably be hard to find so blogging & twittering may be sparse, if at all until I get back.

The Plan (Subject to weather & other natural phenomenon…)

Day 1  — It’s off to Banks Peninsula for an exciting ride on the spectacular Banks Peninsula Summit Road, a picnic lunch with a view and some time in “French” Akaroa.

Day 2 — Early in the morning we’ll leave with our bus and trailer for a drive to Arthur’s Pass. From the township of Arthur’s Pass you ride to the summit and then it’s a fast and furious ride to Otira, then pretty well all the way down hill to Jacksons where we stop at the pub for lunch. Here, we’ll leave the main road, to cycle along quiet roads to Punakaiki.

Day 3 — There’ll be plenty of time in the morning to explore the area. We’ll take you for a walk along the spectacular Pororari River. After lunch we’ll cycle to Westport via Charleston and Cape Foulwind.

Day 4 — Today we’ll cycle north to tiny and remote Karamea. We start off real easy along quiet and flat coastal roads and pass settlements but then we’re heading inland up and over the Karamea Bluffs, which are challenging and offer spectacular riding with great vista’s from the top, to end up in Karamea

Day 5 — After an early breakfast we’ll take you to some impressive limestone formations and is surrounded by truly magnificent bush. We’ll find a good spot to enjoy our lunch and then we’re off to the airstrip for our scenic 35min flight over the Kahurangi National Park. Our day is by no means over because this afternoon we’ll take on the mighty Takaka Hill. From sea level we’ll steadily climb to 800 m, from the top, the views are great and the downhill to bustling Motueka truly exhilarating!

Day 6  — Motueka is the gateway to the Abel Tasman National Park. Today we drive the short distance to Marahau in the National park and hop on a boat that will take us to the marine reserve around Tonga Island for a beautiful sea kayaking tour in the reserve and to the nearby seal colony.

Day 7 — Back on our bikes today and again we’ve got a great cycle ride for you which will take us through the scenic Motueka Valley. We follow the Motueka River towards St. Arnaud  where we spend the night

Day 8 — Today we are hoping for strong westerlies, which will help us to cycle east to Picton. Today’s lunch will be at a renowned winery in the middle of the famous Malborough Wine district. The Queen Charlotte Scenic Drive awaits us and that is a ride not to be missed! Tonight, we’ll stay in Picton, Malborough Sounds.

Day 9 — We start our day with a walk along the Queen Charlotte Sound. We gradually climb higher onto the peninsula and the views are spectacular. At the end of the walk, the bikes await us and from here we cycle via Waikawa to the east coast and Port Underwood.

Day 10 — Probably one of the best things to do in Kaikoura might be the swimming with the dolphins, although Kaikoura is best known for its whale watching activities. After a late breakfast we’ll take the scenic and quiet inland road to Waiau and cycle the best sections, before returning to Christchurch for our last dinner together.

#TAMOz and #AU2010 , the countdown begins!

It seems a long time since the idea of attending both The Amaz!ng Meeting Australia and Autodesk University occurred to me. It’s now only a few days before I set out and the to do list seems rather full.

All the important boxes are ticked; Flights, Accommodation and Travel Documents and the rest you can make up as you travel. I have a pretty full agenda at both events and, literally, just a flight recover between them so my only real concern is keeping awake. At least I have six years of blogging insomnia as training!

I placed a tune, On the Planet Of New Orleans!

This came on the playlist while I was walking the dog today, remembering my few days in New Orleans. It’s just a corner of two streets but I remember snapping the photos thinking “it’s really here”!

Standin’ on the corner
Of toulouse and dauphine
Waitin’ on marie-ondine
I’m tryin’ to place a tune
Under a louisiana moonbeam
On the planet of new orleans

Planet Of New Orleans lyrics from “On Every Street” by Dire Straits are the property of the respective authors, artists and labels

Coming in 2011 - Auckland to Houston in a 787

What it says to me is there must be a lot of oil people commuting from Taranaki, Southland and, soon, the East Cape!

What Houston to Auckland says about the 787 - FlightBlogger - Aviation News, Commentary and Analysis

If ever there was a route that the 787 was designed for, this is it.

Nearly a decade after Boeing and Airbus diverged on their respective point-to-point or hub-to-hub strategies, the first route announced for the new composite jetliner is the embodiment of the 787's business case for the new jetliner.

Continental Airlines announced on May 26 that it will launch service with its first 787 (Airplane 49) from its Houston hub to Auckland, New Zealand 7,400 (statute) miles away in November 2011…

The Amazing Meeting Australia, then Autodesk University?

Looks like I will have to go to Autodesk University via Sydney (if at all) this year. The Amazing Meeting runs from November 26-28, 2010 followed by Autodesk University November 30 – 2 December, 2010.

Australian Skeptics are proud and excited to announce TAM! Australia in 2010.

November 26-28, 2010 will be the very first TAM! Australia in Sydney. In the first round of guest announcements made last night at the Brisbane annual convention, are international sceptical singer George Hrab, The team from the Skeptics Guide to the Universe, The Amazing Randi, Brian Dunning from Skeptoid, and local acts Dr Krissy Wilson and Dr Karl.

The venue is the Sydney Masonic Centre right in the heart of Sydney.

The latest line-up and ticketing details are now on the Australian Skeptics website and will updated as news comes to hand.

Australian Skeptics - http://www.skeptics.com.au/ 

Autodesk University  - http://au.autodesk.com/

A New Orleans Apocalypse?

A wet night in New Orleans, originally uploaded by RobiNZ.

Imagine waking up, jet lagged after a long flight, and flicking on the TV to see Glen Beck (who I had never seen before) running a panel "rant" about the "Apocalypse" and "The Rapture". It was probably the first time I'd seen Fox, and Glen Beck, so wondered what this "News" channel was reporting?

Then I opened the curtains to see this!

It was just a wet night in New Orleans and, even jet lagged, didn't take too long to figure out how crazy Beck can be...

“Route 66 in a Fiat”, a blog of Multipla travels

Route 66 in a Fiat isn’t new but I haven’t blogged about it before, think I did Tweet at the time. It is here for my future reference as I’d love to do a road trip in the US one day.

We got the Multipla in New Zealand so I’m pretty familiar with it’s, you must admit, strange appearance. The Multipla uses the same generation platform as my Bravo. The style is a result of form and function as this six seat (3 wide x 2 row) people mover is shorter than my three door (5 seat) hatch!

Brett, Blake & Larry had the original “porpoise nose” Multipla for their trip, not the “normalised” (and I think ruined) Mk2 pictured here. It’s a unique vehicle anywhere but I can imagine the reception they got:

We enjoyed the stares from other drivers the most. A young woman with Ohio plates was the funniest - we thought her head was going to spin around completely as she strained to figure out what it was she was witnessing

I enjoyed reading their trip blogs. I doubt I’ll ever do Route 66 in a Fiat unless the Chrysler deal makes them common enough to become part of a rental fleet. If anyone at Fiat America is reading I’d be happy to take the 500 for a spin around the USA and blog about it!

Route 66 in a Fiat

Three friends, Brett Melancon (and son Blake) and Larry Smith, embark on the ultimate
road trip – a 10 day, 2,500-mile trek from Chicago to Los Angeles on historic Route 66, the legendary “Mother Road,” following the 85% of the original path still intact. Every effort will be made to seek out unusual roadside attractions and engage with the local populace. The chosen means of transportation for this epic journey is a 1999 Fiat Multipla (Ugly Duck), imported to the U.S. from Ireland by friend, Jim Magill.  This unusual car will return east and end up at the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, TN.  There are no spare parts for this car in the United States so this makes for a very interesting journey.

Help (via Forest & Bird) save our national parks from mining

As sent via the on-line submittal form at Forest & Bird’s site:

To: j.key@ministers.govt.nz, g.brownlee@ministers.govt.nz, k.wilkinson@ministers.govt.nz, n.smith@ministers.govt.nz

Our national parks are too precious to mine

Dear Prime Minister,

I was annoyed to hear your "well they would be opposed wouldn’t they" comment on Radio Live this morning (2010-03-15) regarding this Forest & Bird campaign. It is possible to be supportive of economic development (including tourism) and regard mining in conservation areas to be a stupid move.

These special parts of New Zealand will create far more long-term wealth through tourism than they will ever do from traces of minerals. Low-impact mining is generally impossible in New Zealand because very large amounts of rock must be excavated to find tiny amounts of minerals.

A previous National government in 1997 decided to protect national parks and other core conservation areas from mining because they contain New Zealand's most significant landscapes, endangered plants and animals. I want to see them protected for future generations. Please make a commitment to continued protection of our national parks and core conservation areas.

Regards…

Have your say here

Bing’s world’s craziest drives includes The Milford Sound Road

Below are two photos of the Milford Sound Rd heading from Homer Tunnel to Milford Sound. The first was taken just before a thrilling 800m to 0m (sea level) 8km mountain bike descent, part of the Adventure South Milford Wilderness trip. I have also done this in the car (fun in the mighty 1.0 litre Uno) and by helicopter. On a scenic flight we landed by the road near the tunnel to drop someone off then swooped down the valley following the road. It’s one of the roads featured in the Bing Travels “The world’s craziest drives” and deserves to be there!

  

Bing - The world’s craziest drives - Travel Blog - Bing Community

Full tank of gas? Check. Map and directions? Check. Sense of adventure and drama? Most definitely check.

Here at Bing Travel, we love winding highways that ribbon themselves enticingly around the hills, up the coast, down the river, or through the side of a mountain. The best and most interesting roadways command the driver’s attention as they wend their way through serpentine switchbacks and up steep slopes, offering views of spectacular natural beauty.

A new Bing Travel slide show  presents a photo gallery of 12 of these delicious roads across the globe, all of which come with a nerve-tingling hint of danger…

Some other views from the Te Anau – Milford Road

 

Data Roaming Rates: What doe$ it all mean?

I was rather careful with using roaming data at Autodesk University, thanks for the free wireless Autodesk, but some recent stories have featured Kiwi’s caught out by high rates. To be fair you are warned but it’s in techo terms that many don’t really grasp. Simon turns the rather meaningless cents/KB (or sometimes $/MB) quoted by providers into realistic terms. Can you think of a 3 minute YouTube you’d pay $190 to watch?

Simon's Journal: Data Roaming Rates: What does it all mean?

The fancy new Phones, and now tablet PCs, offer 3G internet to your hand. All of which is very pretty until you need to travel, where you can expect your data costs to go from "very high" to "crippling"…

Travel Agent promoting crap science

I got great service from the agent who handled my Autodesk University Trip, work appointed, but was disappointed when the travel documents arrived. There was all the usual stuff – ticket, itinerary etc – and even a prefilled departure card but lurking amongst that was…

The Homeopathic Jet Lag Remedy leaflet!

Here are some, there were lots, of the claims;

• 94% long distance travellers suffer jet lag and 45% consider it bothersome ~ OK!
• A survey of flight attendants revealed 96% suffered jet lag,
  • 90% tiredness after arrival,
  • 73% dehydration,
  • 94% lack of energy & motivation,
  • 93% broken sleep after arrival.

Again, OK, perhaps the energy & motivation bit explains some of the service!

• What causes jet lag? There followed a paragraph that basically said: Flying, altitude, pressure, lack of humidity, alcohol and sleep.

Again Ok! but now the trouble starts

• Take ##-##-### and feel fresh
  • A survey of flight attendants revealed 74% said ##-##-### was good or very good ~ i.e. Marvellous result but proves nothing. Was it  a double blind test compared with neutral group?
  • Contains ONLY homeopathic remedies ~ i.e. Nothing but water?
  • Small dilutions avoid chance of side effects ~ i.e. Nothing but water?
  • Does not counter Alcohol ~ i.e. Either does water.
• Users include Olympic Athletes, All Blacks, Kiwi Cricket Team, recommended by some team doctors ~ So the standard appeal to celebrity pitch and recommended (or maybe not resisted) because, well it’s water.
• Passed Olympic Standards free from traces of banned drugs ~ i.e. like water.
• Listed safe for over the counter sales by FDA ~ i.e. like water.
• Does not conflict with existing medicine ~ i.e. like water.

For a summary of why Homeopathy is garbage I recommend this from James Randi, oh and the remedy above claims 30C dilution on it’s website which I will not link to as hate to promote it…

I’d rather they included a luggage tag.

Toyota's Historic California Plant Closure

When I read this:

Toyota's Historic California Plant Closure

I remembered this fine example of “The Toyota Way” meeting “The American Way” seen in San Francisco earlier this year.

No, the car has not been in a collision and there were no other mounting holes in the bumper. The plate had been fixed with apparent precision, but not a level!

Thinking of NOLA, and Ernie The Attorney

Three years ago I read Ernie's blog* as he faced, endured and survived Katrina. Now it's happening again, he's there (again), he's blogging and Twittering and I'm reading; 

Ernie The Attorney - http://www.ernietheattorney.net

Twitter - twitter.com/ernieattorney

In 2007 I had a brief visit to New Orleans and saw why he loves it. All the best Ernie and all the people of NOLA. I just hope it's not a repeat of the past, or worse.

* Which I found via his friend Buzz

Tags: New+Orleans, NOLA, Ernie+The+Attorney

Aussie Grand Prix to stay in Melbourne until 2015

Brilliant! I’ve been a few times and loved it. Melbourne at Grand Prix time is awesome. Hope to get back for some more now it’s going to be around for a while.

 

Grand Prix to stay until 2015 | theage.com.au
MELBOURNE will host formula one racing until 2015 after the Brumby Government stared down race organisers over their demand for a night Grand Prix

Robin, the Rail Trail and NZ Today

For years I’ve subscribed to all three magazines published by Straight 8 Publishing:

• Driver Magazine - The latest and greatest from the new car world
• NZ Today - Travel, social comment and much, much more
• Classic Driver - An in depth look at our motoring heritage

NZ Today issues tend to focus on an area. It began when Allan Dick, Publisher/Editor, wanted to write and photograph topics beyond Drivers automotive scope. Often they’ll be related: Driver may feature a road test drive in an area while NZ Today will have the local history, characters and stories discovered on the trip.

Last week I got NZ Today Issue #25 which includes features on Central Otago and Manawatu. It was a little strange to get a new magazine, only to find I’d already read part of it. That’s because they published a short piece I wrote about cycling the Otago Rail Trail. Thanks Allan!

Kiwi Readers should find it in their magazine stores for the next couple of months, or direct from Straight 8 here

www.drivermagazine.co.nz

Vietnam Cycle Tour 2008 with Adventure South

Since 2003, about this time of year, I’ve headed south to join a cycle tour with Adventure South. This meant meeting up with a group of cyclists, most not Kiwis, for a leisurely ride between sumptuous meals . Since 2005 they’ve been “Returning Clients Trips” which meant meeting some friends from previous trips or other returning clients for the first time. Last year we got to the end of the Otago Rail Trail After and realised we’d basically run out of South Island!

That’s why from mid-April onwards I’ll be on a bike, plane, junk or boat somewhere between these places in Vietnam! It’s another Adventure South Returning Clients Trip with people coming from Australia, America, Japan & New Zealand. The plan follows, details in the extended post.

Mekong Delta Bicycle Tour & Northern Excursion 2008

Caution, light blogging ahead

I’m currently on a trip to Autodesk University, the Autodesk CAD User Conference in Las Vegas, so all my blogging efforts will be seen on my CAD blog.

One Way New Zealand & HelpX!

On the Adventure South cycle trips I’m often the only, or one of few, locals. It’s strange as you are travelling, and treated, as a tourist in your own land until people figure out you’re a local. Part of the fun of this is seeing the others “discover” New Zealand and re-discovering it yourself through their eyes.

The One Way New Zealand blog is being written as “The Rays” explore New Zealand (currently with help from Rob) with the possibility it may become home. In a recent post a photo (below) was titled “Stunning rolling hills down to the sea”. I see “just another farm” but that’s part of the fun of reading their site. If you live here you’ll learn to appreciate through their eyes what many Kiwis take for granted, if you don’t you see what you’re missing!

They currently have a good guide to show them New Zealand even if he isn’t a Kiwi. I worked with Rob a few years ago and it was good to catch up with him on his recent return from the UK. Since I saw him last he’s had a big prang paragliding in Africa (ouch!) and also set up his own web based business. If you’re looking for accomodation check out HelpX.

Happy travels One Way New Zealand! 

One Way New Zealand - Travel, Experience, Information, Immigration, Emigration
So what's all this about then?
Hello, we are the Rays, Craig, Rachel and Myles our son. In September 2007 we are starting out on a trip / holiday of discovery to travel through New Zealand in order to find out more about the country, the people and its culture. After spending all our lives in the UK we are looking for a new place to call home and to raise our family. Could New Zealand be the right place for us to emigrate to? Let's find out…

Help Exchange – HelpX
 Help Exchange is an online listing of host organic farms, non-organic farms, farmstays, homestays, ranches, lodges, B&B, inns, backpackers hostels and even sailing boats who invite volunteer helpers to stay with them short-term in exchange for food and accommodation (board and lodging).
This scheme is primarily provided as a cultural exchange for working holiday makers who wish to have the opportunity during their travels abroad, of staying with local people and gaining some practical experience

Benmore and Otematata, today and yesterday - TVNZ ondemand connects two generations

Part of a recent cycle tour involved an overnight stay at Otematata and lap of Lake Aviemore (over Benmore Dam). Most on the trip, even me the “token Kiwi”,  were puzzled why there’s a 60 room hotel and little else at Otematata. Then it clicked that this was the project town for the Benmore Dam construction. Today apart from the impressive dams, lakes and that hotel there is little evidence that about 40 years ago over 4,500, including some of my relatives*, lived and worked there. As you can see from the photos what remains is beautiful.

On returning home I was looking at the recently launched TVNZ ondemand. This is TVNZ’s Internet based channel with shows for download. Some require subscription but there is lots of free content including content from the NZBC/TVNZ archives. The site is nicely done and with a reasonable broadband connection you get good quality video.

In the “Classic” section I spied a feature about Benmore from the series “These New Zealanders” . It was filmed in 1964 and shows Otematata in the middle of the construction period. Having just been there I was interested to see the footage of the valley before construction, the work that was done and how Otematata looked in very different times. Even without the local interest it’s worth a look to see how much both New Zealand and TV has changed;

• Selwyn “It’s in the bag” Toogood speaking best “BBC Kiw’english”. –  Wasn’t till probably the 70’s until you heard the natural Kiwi accent on TV.
• A construction worker rolls & smokes a cigarette while being interviewed, probably in his “smoko” break. – In todays smokefree world it’s strange to see.
• The Voxpop question responses which probably weren’t those they expected, but still didn’t get cut. – Asking the local: “Is Otematata a good place to bring up children?”, “No”
• They show quite small children boxing!  –  While we were there all the news was about the “Anti-Smacking Bill”.

View “These New Zealanders” Benmore at TVNZ ondemand (* look for a brief appearance by “Mrs Muirhead” at about 08:30)

UPDATE 27–03–2007: Only after reading the fine print did I find that these videos will only work within New Zealand. Pity as know many OE Kiwi’s who’d like to see them including “Mrs Muirhead”!

Back from "the Maniototo"

RobiNZ CAD Blog: Shutdown Week ends, back from "the Maniototo"
Shutdown week is over. It was a brilliant week of cycling in the South Island, mainly an area known as “the Maniototo". It’s a remote part of Central Otago which is hardly crowded itself…

View all my Otago Traverse Cycle Tour Photos

The time has come to shutdown...

 RobiNZ CAD Blog: The time has come to shutdown...
I’m not going to participate in the March 24th Shutdown Day as I’m going further and having a Shutdown Week!
I will be cycling in the South Island with Adventure South. The blue dashed line on the map below shows the proposed route…

Fly up the Matterhorn, in a few seconds?

This is an amazing video, especially the ascent of the Matterhorn!

via A welshview

It reminded me of a stunning, if less dramatic, helicopter flight I did around Milford Sound in 2004.

   

   

 

The 101 New Zealand must-do list - Done, to do and why do!

“101 Kiwi Must-Do’s” from a survey of 20,000 Kiwis by the Automobile Association…

Most done , some to do , a few no idea why you’d want to  with hyperlinks to my photos.

1.  Mitre Peak and Milford Sound
2.  Doubtful Sound – Not as easy to see but should be No 1
3.  Bay of Islands
4.  Fiordland National Park
5.  Abel Tasman National Park
6.  Aoraki Mt Cook
7.  Coastal Kaikoura
8.  Hanmer Springs
9.  Camping – No thanks, been there, done that, over it.
10.  Tutukaka/The Poor Knights
11.  Marlborough Sounds
12.  Fox and Franz Josef glaciers
13.  Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro
14.  Waitomo Caves
15.  Travelling the Southern Scenic Route
16.  Otago Rail Experience
17.  White Island (marine volcano)
18.  Stewart Island
19.  Arthurs Pass National Park
20.  Tongariro Crossing
21.  The Blue Pools of Haast Pass
22.  South Westland
23.  Waipoua Forest
24.  Mt Taranaki
25.  Lake Tekapo Observatory and Church of the Good Shepherd
26.  Ulva Island (Stewart Is bird sanctuary)
27.  Otago Peninsula
28.   Canterbury Plains  – No idea why this made the list other than being a way to escape No61 Christchurch!
29.  Punakaiki (Pancake rocks)
30.  Cape Reinga
31.  Auckland Gulf Islands - Waiheke, Great Barrier, Rangitoto and Tiritiri Matangi
32.   Kicking the autumn leaves walking cycling the Outlet Track along the Clutha River, Wanaka
33.  Akaroa and Banks Peninsula
34.  Glenorchy and Dart River
35.  Farewell Spit
36.  Queenstown (adventures)
37.  Hokianga (Northland's west coast)
38.  Whanganui National Park
39.  Cape Kidnappers
40.  Lake Waikaremoana, Te Urewera National Park
41.  Fine wines and fabulous foods
42.  The Queen Charlotte Track
43.  Lake Matheson (Fox Glacier)
44.  Arrowtown
45.  Orakei Korako (geothermal attraction, near Taupo)
46.  TSS Earnslaw (vintage steamship)
47.  Rotorua
48.  Night skiing and riding at Coronet Peak – Not into the skiing thing, have done it on a bike in the day!
49.  Dunedin City (architecture) – Over-rated, nice place to leave on the way to 16 or 27!
50.  Mt Maunganui
51.  Karangahake Gorge
52.  Eastland SH35 (scenic coastal road journey)
53.  Getting up close and personal with marine and wildlife
54.  Hollyford Valley (and the Hollyford Track, Fiordland)
55.  Hot Water Beach
56.  Auckland's west coast
57.  Rotorua Luge, Skyrides, Skyswing
58.  Kapiti Island
59.  Marlborough wine trail
60.  New Chums Beach, Coromandel
61.  Christchurch City – Really????
62.  Mt Tarawera
63.  Te Papa Tongarewa museum
64.  The Bridge to Nowhere (Whanganui National Park)
65.  Coromandel Township
66.  Lake Taupo's water attractions and Tongariro River
67.  The Pinnacles
68.  Te Mata Peak (Hawkes Bay)
69.  Rotorua rafting – No thanks!
70.  The Forgotten World Highway (between Taumarunui and Stratford)
71.  Lake Wanaka maze
72.  Moeraki Boulders
73.  New Plymouth's coastal walkway
74.  Seafood City (Auckland) – a fish shop??
75.  Castlepoint (old seaside town)
76.  Wainui Beach (Gisborne)
77.  Ahipara and Shipwreck Bay
78.  Buller Gorge
79.  Taranaki Gardens
80.  Cape Palliser (southernmost tip of the North Island)
81.  Auckland War Memorial Museum
82.  Raglan
83.  Takaka Hill: Rameka Track Mountain (Abel Tasman National Park)
84.  Whakarewarewa traditional Maori village, Rotorua
85.  Waitangi Treaty Grounds
86.  Rere Rock Slide, Gisborne
87.  Spa and well-being (Nelson) – Why didn’t they just say NELSON!
88.  Auckland's Sky Tower and  Skyjump
89.  Devonport and North Head
90.  The Interislander
91.  Auckland volcanoes
92.  Central Otago
93.  Port Waikato
94.  Golf in an Alpine Amphitheatre (Queenstown Golf Club) – No thanks!
95.  Hundertwasser toilet (Far North)
96.  Wellington Writers' Walk
97.  Cross-country skiing (Lake Wanaka)
98.  Stonehenge Aotearoa (marking the winter solstice Downunder)
99.  Rugby Museum (Palmerston North) – No thanks!
100.  Beehive and Parliament buildings
101.  Attend a must do event in the North/South Island

It’s a lovely country and I’m fortunate to have seen so much of it. The upcoming Otago cycle trip will tick a few more off the list!

A few Holiday Snaps

I spent a few days sailing on the Hauraki Gulf, around Waiheke Island, and summer arrived! Well it was nearly summer; a cool’ish south westerly wind and “refreshing” water temperatures were a reminder that summer is really in February/March!

We really are lucky to have this huge playground, many islands and hundreds of bays, within a few hours sailing of Auckland city. I was surprised how empty it was but I guess many have ventured further for their annual holiday. That’s fine with me!

Holiday Snaps Index

    

   

   

Around the World in 366 days | The World Is Not Flat (TwinF)

It really doesn’t seem that long since they were in New Zealand but after 366 days travel, Lee & Sachi are home. It was a privilege to meet you and follow your travels. 

A Ton Of Licks | The World Is Not Flat (TwinF)

Tags: The+World+Is+Not+Flat, TwinF

Schumacher goes out in style

He didn’t win, or even make the podium, but today Michael Schumacher showed he is retiring at the peak of his career. After Japan the championship was effectively off, if still possible, and the qualifying fuel problem made a win unlikely but his drive from the start, then recovery from a post puncture 18th (last) to 4th showed what a class act he is.

Controversial, certainly, but without doubt the greatest driver of the modern age. You could argue for Senna or Prost but the combination of Michael, Todt, Brawn & Byrne rebuilt a legend into a modern winning team and I think that is his true legacy.

Yet, somehow it was fitting that although he proved his point with a storming drive it was the next generation that stood on the podium. Schumacher adds a final Fastest Lap to Career Statistics that will be virtually impossible to match. Alonso takes a brilliant second World Championship and Massa a deserved victory in his home GP. If anything it’s Massa who has stood out this year. Once fast and erratic he has matured to be a true rival for Michael, for Kimi next year, which is something few expected.

McLarens origin means being a Ferrari fan presents a certain conflict for Kiwi. As a kid it was Niki Lauda, his story & fight for life, that made me a Ferrari fan which makes this quote special:

Schumacher hailed as 'greatest' | BBC SPORT
“He is the outstanding racing driver since the Second World War”
Niki Lauda on Michael Schumacher

I saw one of his 90 wins live, Melbourne 2001, and all the others on the box. Thanks for the privilege.

itv.com/f1 - Final Schu facts and stats
We round up all of the amazing records and statistics that Michael Schumacher amassed throughout his extraordinary career, up to and including his final race in Brazil

Michael Schumacher at Melbourne (2001 & 2003)

     

Tags: Michael+Schumacher

101 kiwi Must Do's...

If you are a Kiwi, or thinking of visiting, this is a good site to see what not to miss!

It’s part of an advertising campaign with the places being voted for by the public. Go to the page, scroll on down and click on “Select TVC to Play – AA 101” to see the best advert on TV at the moment...

101 Must Do's for Kiwis - AA Travel New Zealand

The 101-must-dos-for-kiwis Gallery

Here are a few of my own favourites & my favourite way to see them…

Tags: 101+Must+Do's+for+Kiwis

Overlander running, will Laws Streak?

It’s a rather disturbing thought. The Overlander Rail Service will continue which means former politician and Mayor Michael Laws may regret this…

From www.stuff.co.nz/

I exchanged notes with Ruapehu mayor Sue Morris, confirming I would run naked through the main street of Ohakune if her lobbying efforts [to save the Overlander train service] proved fruitful. It's a short main street, I figured. Flashers expose themselves in more time. Then I visited Ohakune. Jeez, it's cold. If there was to be a photographic record, they wouldn't have to pixellate much.

Then today… 

Overlander to continue running - 28 Sep 2006 - National News
The Overlander will stay in service on a reduced timetable, Toll NZ has announced. The service between Auckland and Wellington had been due to run for the last time on Saturday…

Poor Ohakune!

Tags: Ohakune, The+Overlander