Running totals: 683 km completed, 35,562 calories burned, elevation climbed 5070 meters, 48:58 hours in the Saddle.
Day one, 3rd Jan – CapeReinga to Ahipara (GPS went flat, didn’t record last 27km)
104 km (Total), 7962 calories burned, climbed 580 m, 11:12 hours in the Saddle.
Shuttle from Kaitaia to Cape Regina, then about 9 am, I plundered down a 90-mile beach and ran out of water (I carry two ltrs, so I need to carry more). The kindness of strangers topped me up with water (twice) and even gave me a cold Coke Zero (something I haven’t drunk for years) and a Carlsberg Beer at the 77km mark, which made my day.
The ride down the beach finished after 11 hours in the Saddle. Did I say I had a headwind? The Fat Bike, which you may think goes well on the Sand, does not, umm, go well on Sand. It bogs down. Arriving at the Campground in the dark, locked gates (at 11 pm) sealed off that day for me. I broke in and got sorted. Bloody Rooster woke me up early the next day.
Day two, 4th Jan – Ahipara to Rawene
83.52 km, 5651 calories burned, climbed 1320 m, 7:14 hours in the Saddle.
Another hot day, blessed with Hills and some rain. Started getting messages of support… Rocking into the final leg, it took me 25km into the gravel hills before reaching the Rawene Ferry for the last crossing @ 8 pm. Where I ate some junk food, oh I mean chips n fish.
Day three, 5th Jan – Rawene to Ompere
25.98 km, 1765 calories burned, climbed 309 m, 2:07 hours in the Saddle.
The plan was to ride 70 km to a campground that was about 40km out of Daragville. But I forgot to book, and when I contacted them, they were fully booked. I only made it 25km. So cut it short at Opononi (a real Bro town on the coast, all accommodation booked out as well), and I ended up staying at the Global Trekkers backpackers. It’s a cool place. It gave me a chance to reset and sort the bike and myself.
Day Four, 6th Jan – Ompere to Dargaville.
83.52 km, 5651 calories, climbed 1320 m, 7:14 hours in the Saddle.
Riding up some steep climbs through the Waipoua Forest, where it rained and rained, yet it was still 28 degrees.
Big day in the Saddle to Dargaville. I tented at Dargavlle Holiday Camp, where I met my first TA riders of the Trip—Todd and Kerry from Canada.
Day Five, 7th Jan – Dargaville to Poutu Point
70.28 km, 4349 calories, climbed 858 m, 6:22 hours in the Saddle.
The hottest day yet, 38 degrees. Big haul out to the point. I ran out of water about 20km short and found a Rurual School that, amazingly, had filtered water in the playground.
I arrived at Poutu point, where I met more riders. (and still more came in after me)
Day Six, 8th Jan – Poutu Point to Helensville / Muriwai
71,63 km
Easy Day, Kaipara Cruises Boat ride, Charter pick up to Helensville.
Twenty-one cyclists crossed over, one e-bike. Met some good people.
Stayed at Family Friends in Muriwai. Quick farm tour. So good to have great company, lots of food, and a bed for the night. Great reset
Day Seven, 9th Jan – Muriwai, Hobsonville Point, Auckland, Clevedon to Miranda (on the way to Thames).
116.83 km, 4664 calories, climbed 610 m, 6:12 hours in the Saddle.
I used the AT Ferry service to bypass biking through Auckland, shaving 70km of what of been an awful long km day.
Lovely Coastal Route with lots of scenery.
I met Pete, the e-biker, 50 km from the end; he was going to Orere Point. I was going 40km further to Miranda Hot Springs Holiday Park.
Day Eight, 10th Jan – Miranda Hot Springs Holiday Park to Opal Hot Springs Holiday Camp
119.97 km, 5520 calories, climbed 80 m, 7:17 hours in the Saddle.
Mostly flat all the way. Passed through Paeroa. Very hot day in the Saddle. Met two new riders in Ngatea, and then ran into Pete on the e-bike again (his mates joined him with their e-bikes for support)
I drank over five liters of water during this ride. Highlight, video call with Daughter during last 10km of the ride.
Body feeling good.
Day Nine, 11th Jan – Opal Hot Springs to Matamata
7.5 km.
Semi rest day. Getting things sorted on the bike, stocking up Electrolytes, and preparing for the next few day’s rides.
I thought I’d take some time to catch up on work and life.
Caught up with the Black Peacock.
Hey You! Are you New to this Blog? Find and read below the series of Posts. Listed Top down, oldest to newest.
The first reaction I generally get when I (or others) tell someone I’m going to ride NZ is, WTF are you crazy? It seems like an impossible feat for nonbikers, right? It stands out as a holy grail achievement, even for those who cycle.(I’m not taking that away from any […]
89 days until I start Planning How to start, how to get there, what you need to navigate your way. The Route I plan to take. North Island, then the South Island Planning to ride New Zealand on a push bike (get it, “push…bike”) is an interesting exercise. There are […]
82 days until I start Shouldn’t you start training for this? This is what I kept getting asked. And it is a fair question, so thank you for your support.But, me peeps! I’ve been training for 30-odd years, so I’m good. I’ve also been eating some donuts, but who counts […]
75 days until I start You have to consider several things when going on a multiday ride. What type of bike should you ride for these adventures, how does that Bike need to be set up, what gear do you need to take, and how do you carry all this […]
68 days until I start Part Two brings us to the how and what I will carry but also the Why How? – how do you carry everything except for the Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink (joking, We have a Butlers Sink in our Kitchen and that bitch is heavier […]
62 days until I start Fact: Based on my last seven big 100km+ rides, “little” ole me is burning, on average, 5000 calories per Ride. How do I know this? Well, move in closer, me-friend; let me tell you some stuff. I wear a Myzone heartrate monitor that connects to my […]
53 Days until I start Yeah, you read that one right. “Mehh-hanicals,” otherwise known in the English language as “Mechanicals.” Oh Boy, oh Boy.Things were going good until about 40ish km in, and I must have rolled over a nail to receive a special gift from the “Roads of Winton” […]
49 Days Until I Start Part of my planning was to work out what to do when I wasn’t riding.Being (OCD) Bike Cautious, I’m not about to stray too far from my main form of transport.I’m intellectually and very rudimentary ‘not-so-smart” even to work out how to play Sudoku, or […]
42 Days until I Start. Remember back in the 1800s when you pondered over hand-drawn maps by candlelight to get excited about your up-and-coming horse-and-cart journey through the unforsaken lay of the land to get to a better life? Yeah, me neither. What about in the mid-late 1900s when you […]
I’ve been off the bike for a few weeks, which is why posts have stopped. I find being on the bike has been the perfect time to think about what to write, but off bike, not so much. Since the last post, I arrived in Auckland with a Bike in […]
Running totals: 683 km completed, 35,562 calories burned, elevation climbed 5070 meters, 48:58 hours in the Saddle. Shuttle from Kaitaia to Cape Regina, then about 9 am, I plundered down a 90-mile beach and ran out of water (I carry two ltrs, so I need to carry more). The kindness of strangers topped me up […]
