TJs recovery ride – I’m off again!

If you make it to Whakatane, make sure you walk over the headland from Ohope beach to Otarawairere Bay. Magical place!!

If my memory is still working, there’s an oyster farm near Whakatane where I had my first and only oyster burger.

Good luck TJ, hoping the updates add a veneer of sunshine to the rest of the Northern hemisphere winter.

Free wifi on the plane.  Screaming bairns as well.  Earplugs in and grump mode activated?

Have fun tj, I loved all the updates last time.

https://www.racesupplies.co.nz/products/putoline-chain-wax-kit

[tjagain]

@tjagainI’m in Melbourne, if you need help / advice or somewhere to stay if you’re passing through here just drop me a PM.

I look back on my plane journey to New Zealand as a distinct epoch in my life – that’s how long it felt.

As for NZ itself, I had a ball. It’s very hard to imagine how you couldn’t enjoy it. The Kiwis get a lot of things right, including, importantly, coffee and baked goods.

Enjoy the stars. I’ll never forget stopping for a roadside piss on the way from Christchurch to Wanaka and just standing there, wang in hand and utterly mesmerised, gawping up at the heavens.

Hope your Aussie car is the last of the V8 Interceptors.

The drivers (generally) often share the Anglo Saxon attitude of ‘screw cyclists’

Got back from NZ a few weeks ago, and I thought the drivers attitudes towards cyclists was one of the best of all the countries I’ve visited. That might not be a particularly high bar, but I found it really notable that even if there were really good cycle lanes and I was on the road anyway, none of the drivers seemed to have a problem with it, and nearly all of them passed me patiently and with plenty of space.

The Kiwis get a lot of things right, including, importantly, coffee and baked goods.

I loved my time in NZ, but I really didn’t rate the coffee or the food.

I hear jean shorts are quiet popular down under!Enjoy.

Sounds like you’ll be passing pretty close to where we are . Moved out here to Cambridge a couple of years ago after 25 years in Glasgow .

Haven’t really had the chance to do much long distance stuff since we got here but have ridden some of the rail trail from Paeroa out to Waihi and can recommend the Gorge as a worthwhile detour off the main trail  .Waihi beach is stunning as well , luckily were on holiday there next week and the weather looks good ?

I’m working through the weeks but if you want some company on a sat or Sunday morning when your on the rail trail or maybe on the Waikato river trails let me know .

As far as advice goes , the pies are brilliant , coffee is good , the sun seems to be an entirely different one to the one you get in Scotland and will burn you in ten minutes, the biking in Rotorua is better than in Taupo but Taupo is a nicer place but you wouldn’t be disappointed with either .

The roads are a bit funny to ride on , they have a white line with a kind of hard shoulder which can be anything from 2 meters to 2cm with no link to how busy the road is and certainly round our way there are a lot of dairy farms so even on the quiet roads it’s not unusual to see a milk tanker . There is also quite a lot of nothing in between towns so if you get a chance to fill up on water it’s worth taking it . 

I haven’t made it to the south island yet but everything looks amazing and I’m sure you’ll have a great time .

If there’s anything you need give me a shout .

Ta moonsaballoon

I might take you up on that.

the sun seems to be an entirely different one to the one you get in Scotland and will burn you in ten minutes

Very much this! I was in Australia a couple of years ago (September/October time) and even on overcast days, needed a sunhat and the factor 50, regularly reapplied!

Have a great time TJ, looking forward to the pics. 🙂

the sun seems to be an entirely different one to the one you get in Scotland and will burn you in ten minutes

Yeah at Cambridge NZ you are at the same latitude as Greece os southern Spain. NZ and Australia range from tropical to mid latitude, the most southerly points of South Island and Tasmania is like north France. And there is still depletion in ozone in the southern hemisphere, nowhere near as bad as the 80s but it’s not fully recovered, so UV can be far higher at times then you get in the northern hemisphere. So yes the public health advice is for sunscreen and sun block.

I got burnt to shit on a clear 12 degree winter day in Tasmania

Abigale had never had sunburn till she got out to NZ. Now she never goes out without sun screen on. She is working outside every day  out on the trails. Some places have sun screen available free to top up when needed.

She sends me a pic most days. Last 2 mornings

Would very much recommend the Queen Charlotte Track that’s mentioned on the previous page. We did it back in 2010 and in peak season you could only to two thirds of it on bike, but it looks as though that may have changed. There’s probably various ways to do it but we did the luxury option (was on honeymoon), of having the boat drop our bags at a hotel halfway along after it had dropped us off at the start.

Other NZ biking highlight was heli-biking in Queenstown, but that does not sound very “TJ”!

Queen Charlotte Track

I’m very envious TJ! I was at a conference in Rotorua a few years ago and while I agree about the sulphurous smell I really enjoyed the day I took off to go cycling in Whakarewarewa Forest. I still have the map, in the form of a giant glasses cloth…

Have a fantastic trip. Looking forward to the inspirational photos and updates!

How exciting.

Very brave, but you’ll soon be relaxed and making friends.

I saw this last time I was in NZ and it really appealed

https://www.alps2ocean.com/trail-map

Sounds like an epic adventure TJ. Enjoy!

Got back from NZ a few weeks ago, and I thought the drivers attitudes towards cyclists was one of the best of all the countries I’ve visited

Aye, i think you may have misread my post. I was referring to Oz drivers being a bit more aggressive. Kiwis were fine if sometimes a bit chaotic IME. 🙂

Lucky bar steward.  I would add a vote for Queen Charlotte Trail, although I when I did it ahem years ago it only opened up for bikes for a limited period (in March?). But things may have changed

Good luck and enjoy TJ, looking forward to another of your cycle adventures.

Good luck TJ . I am well and truly jealous  have wanted to go to NZ for decades.  . Also it’s just occurred to me that you could be watching rugby in New Zealand soon. Have a great time

I have arrived in Auckland.    Absolutely shatterd.  My body clock thinks it’s 1812.  Feet like balloons

Checked into my hotel.   Perfectly acceptable.   Big yellow burny thing keeps appearing in the sky.

Just messaged the chap i am getting a bike off to put that off until tomorrow .  Need to buy an effing helmet and a pannier rack and chat up the lass in reception to find somewhere to sort the bike

View from my hotel

Congratulations on your arrival in NZ.

Oh shit mate. You’ve been duped. That’s Toronto not Auckland!

“Just need to chat up the lass in reception”.I’m starting to like the sound of this adventure.

Lolz at reeksy

Went out for a burger and got free chips.  Good omen

Sure they weren’t chups 😉

Bought a majic plastic hat and found a hipster craft beer place

Welcome, I hope you enjoy your ride through NZ. To add to the others offers, I am out in Papamoa, just south of Mt Maunganui which might be an option if you end up on the rail trail to Waihi and are heading to Whakatane or Rotorua. Its about 3.5 hrs pleasant ride (half cycle trail) north of Rotorua so if you end up this way and need sleep/shower let me know.

My own thoughts/opinions of riding the central North Island for 24 years, the main roads are getting busy, especially in January but if you have time it is worth taking the back roads and quickly finding piece and quiet. As Moonsaballoon says, the ‘hardshoulder’ can be a bit random but often you get 2m of space even on a main road. DOC campsites and others are generally good, some cost and need booking, others are free and just turn up. The info is all on the doc website. My favourite N Island trail is the timber trail (just north of the central plateau). Went through there last week and saw Kaka (native parrot), bellbirds and a morepork (NZ owl).

Its not too hard to find a diary for icecream and drinks every 2-3 h or so but make sure you have enough water with you. I went through about 7 litres a day doing 11 h days on the bike. Some of the taps in the campsites aren’t guaranteed so I carry puritabs.

I do have to disagree with those above who says NZ drivers are courteous. Ride like about 20% want to kill you for being in the way of their oversized UTE and you wont be far wrong.

I spent a month there, walking, diving and cycling. Brilliant place. Try and fit in a cycle tour round the vineyards, and always wear sunblock. Enjoy!

Got my bike sorted today.   Bus into the ‘ burbs to meet a nice chap who sold me a giant liv.  Flat bar gravel touring bike.  Ok its a ladies bike.  I dont care.  Only problem its 28/ 38 / 48 chainrings which is a bit high.

So i cycled to T Whites second hand bike shop and after a load of searching thru boxes and faffing about with incompatible parts finnally got a 22/ 32 / 42 triple fitted..  The crankset that came on the bike did not have replacable chainrings so ended up replacing bb crankset and chainrings with a nice secondhand fsa set.  The also had some nice sweptback bars and a rack.  They let me do all the work in the shop and loaned me tools.

Bike was £225 and all the bits £110.  **** bargain.  Think i might take them some beer tomorrow

Looks like you’re Liv-ing it up mate 😉

Favourite poster doing an epic ride in an amazing place? This thread is one to follow! Go TJ!

Good to see you got there ok. Cant wait for the selfie of you in a helmet.

Good luck with the beer TJ. Craft beer is pretty much the standard now.
I live in Hobart now, so if you make it to Tasmania, I’ll shout you a beverage of your choice.
Just kidding. It’ll be a Cascade pale ale or stout because I live right next door.

Specially for Lowey

PCA

Is that:

Go

Walk out the door

Don’t turn around now

You’re not welcome anymore

…………