New Zealand Weeks 3 & 4

We were on a mission to cycle up 90 mile beach to Cape Reinga. Lucky for us the beach is in fact only 90 km long and we were starting 20 km from the south end. Buses and trucks went up and down the beach everyday but they had to watch the tide and so did we. We rose, ate, and were riding at 8 - our earliest departure to date! What a novelty to cycle on the beach! The novelty soon wore off and after four hours the tide was too high to proceed. Being somewhere in the middle of 90 mile beach, we reckoned it would be alright to hang about in the nude! Two hours later we hopped back on the bikes and did the last 15 km to Paki Stream. It took us 1 1/2 hours to push our bikes 3 km through the shallow water and soft sands to where the gravel road began. We gave our bikes a bath and pedaled our way up the gravel road. The kiwis call the gravel roads "metal roads" and this one did feel a bit like pedaling through jagged lumps of metal. Arriving was heavan. The campsite was a hole. Our 70 km day took us 7 hours! ouch.

We opted to hitch hike the 20 km of gravel road from Waitiki Landing to Cape Reinga. It was one of our better decisions. The Cape and Lighthouse were picturesque. A two hour long trail climbed and fell along the shoreline with stunning views of the cape and led us down to a beach named Tapotupotu. We set our tent up in the green grassy campground under a pohutakawa tree with brilliant red flowers. We stretched out on the pure white sand until the sun warmed our toes. We body-surfed in the cool blue waves.

A few days later we cycled through the Waipoua Forest with it's towering Kauris. The kauri trees are absolutely enormous. Not enormously tall. Enormously wide. They have the most stout cylindrical straight trunks that support half a dozen thick limbs that reach skyward in a random haphhazard fashion. Much like a thick fore arm supporting a hand with crooked fat fingers. The bark is quite thin and riddled with fantastic patterns. That night we went on an after dark mission to see a kiwi bird. We tip-toed through the forest, our ears straining to hear the slightest rustle of this nocturnal flightless bird. We saw other nocturnal creatures like glow worms, crayfish, and fresh water eels, but the kiwi was seemingly not there. Finally a rustle just off the path stopped us dead. It was a kiwi! As we watched it slowly make its way through the ferns deeper into the darkness we were filled with a rush of excitement.

The following day, just outside a fish 'n' chips takeaway in Dargaville, my bike's derailer and chain we jammed into the rear wheel's spokes. The result - the day was done. After a bus to Auckland we located a bike shop, "T White's Bikes." Tim's shop was recommended to us by the chaps we bought our bikes from in Vancouver. Such a swell guy, he got us going as quick as he could. To give speed to the process I was sent on missions for parts throughout the city. It was good times kicking it with Tim in his sweet as shop. Tim has spent many summers in Vancouver and has even ridden the Salt Spring Island Skate Park! He taught us heaps about bikes and gave us a CRAZY good deal on the parts and labour. We owe Tim big time.

New Zealand Week 1 & 2

We plunged into our bicycle tour full of expectations. We expected good weather. Early summer New Zealand, North Island, these things meant good weather to us. Instead we found ourselves cycling through all-of-a-sudden torrential downpours, ever-changing wacky winds, and even a 100 kph wind storm that marooned us at our campsite for 2 days. For some reason we expected less hills and our wee legs have suffered at the hands of these unexpected devils. We expected less traffic. For a country with a population of 4 1/2 million there are a lot of the buggers on the road! We expected more cyclist - I guess we are the only nutters who do this kind of thing! And finally we expected to cover some ground...rather quickly. On our last bike trip we averaged over 95 km per day and so far our average is 55 km and we have only cycled 8 out of 14 days! It hasn't helped us that I was ill with a mysterious body rash and mild fever and Laura is quite obviously pregnant. I guess moving slow is just the way we roll. What we never expected was such a hospitable nation. Kiwis are good people. More that a time or two have we had our ears talked off, had gifts pushed into our arms, been given heaps of advice, and warned "be careful, kiwis drive fast!" And nothing could be more truthful.

It has been most pleasant slipping back into the simplicity of travelling together - living out of our tent, cooking meals crouched over our wee little stove, reading to one another, and getting heaps of sleep! The little one is becoming quite active. Little thumps and squirms make it clear that it is not interested in being left out of the adventure. One day i would like to mention is the day we took a ferry from the beautiful town of Russel to the largest island in the "Bay of Islands," named Urupukapuka. We hiked from the island's dock our campsite, made camp and then set out on a tramp. It took us 4 1/2 hours to complete the trail around Urupukapuka. The views from the bluffs and hill tops were magnificent! Returning to our campsite we lay down for a little nap. We awoke 2 hours later starving hungry! That evening as we lay in bed I felt the little one for the first time with my hand on Laura's tummy.

Cape Reinga

Urupukapuka Island

Auckland

We arrived at 1 pm and after getting our tent sanitized we proceeded to unpack and put together our bikes. This took all of 4 hours. I think we were a bit of a spectacle. Our first impression of kiwis is that they are very helpful. Three people in the airport approached us (separately) and chatted to us for a while, telling us about good places to go and such. We finally set out and...yikes! we realize that we have to bike on the left hand side of the road - weird! Round abouts proved to be especially mind boggling. On the way to the campground we stopped at a strawberry farm - yum! The farm that had the campground was beautiful, a bit like farm in Ruckle Park back home.

New Zealand

Auckland

 

We arrived at 1 pm and after getting our tent sanitized we proceeded to unpack and put together our bikes. This took all of 4 hours. I think we were a bit of a spectacle. Our first impression of kiwis is that they are very helpful. Three people in the airport approached us (separately) and chatted to us for a while, telling us about good places to go and such. We finally set out and...yikes! we realize that we have to bike on the left hand side of the road - weird! Round abouts proved to be especially mind boggling. On the way to the campground we stopped at a strawberry farm - yum! The farm that had the campground was beautiful, a bit like farm in Ruckle Park back home.

Cunqalai

 

Cunqalai was incredible. We walked on the white sand beach around the island in 20 minutes. There was a dive shop on the island and one hostel. The hostel was owned by another island nearby called Motoriki that was resident to 11 villages and no hostels nor tourists. The staff all came from Motoriki. The staff cooked us all our meals. Apart from cooking, maintenance, and getting food and other supplies from Levuka and Motoriki, the staff spent most of the time relaxing, playing guitar, and singing songs. Every night they sang to us while we ate dinner. Our first night after dinner we sat around a beach bonfire and drank Kava. Kava is a drink that is made by pounding the root of a certain pepper plant into a powder and then mixing it with water. Apart from tasting rather like bitter chalky water, it makes you a bit sleepy and gives you a numb tongue. Kava is probably the fijians favourite thing - better than cigarettes! To drink kava you all sit on the floor in a circle and one person passes the kava out to each person in turn, one at a time in coconut shell. It can take 2 hours or so to finish the bowl) since they keep filling it back up again) they REALLY love their Kava! We spent the rest of our time playing volleyball, swimming, relaxing, meeting new people, and snorkeling. The dive shop was taking divers out each day and took us along for free to snorkel. The coral was magnificient! We hadn't seen anything like it in Honduras or the Philipines. The fish were amazing too, and i saw a 4 foot long shark!

FIJI

Nadi

 

Nadi (pronounced Nand-ee) is a tourist trap. We had one week in Fiji so we wanted to make the best of it. We knew we wanted to see a little island with a pretty beach but in Fiji, the choices are endless. Our bank account is not endless. Steering clear of the expensive, hugely advertised, all inclusive, picture pecfect Fijian islands, we weren't left with much but...Cunqalai (pronounced Cung ga lai.) To get there was the real endeavour! It took a 4 hour bus ride across Fiji's biggest island to the hideous capital "Suva," another 1 1/2 hour bus to the ferry terminal, 1 hour ferry, 1 hour of bussing to the town of Levuka, 30 minutes on a motorboat....and we were there! we actually split this journey up into 3 days since the ferries busses and motorboats just don't coordinate with each other!

 

Rain Tree Lodge

 

We were forced to spend one night in the capital "Suva" and so we opted for a 20 minute bus ride out of town to the Rain Tree Lodge. You would never guess Suva was so nearby when you are surrounded by thick jungle rainforest. It was beautiful. The next morning we did a 3 hour hike in a protected area of the jungle to some waterfalls and swimming holes with a rope swing.....before getting back on the bus.

 

Levuka

 

We arrived in Levuka to find that the motorboat to Cunqalai didn't leave until the following day, but that was okay. The town was full of smiling fijians, bunny old battered looking shops and a smell of fish that you could slice with a knife. The following day the tuna cannery burst into flames! We watched huge billows of black smoke erupt upwards. Often there were explosions and great bursts of flames shot up. Hoards of people lined the streets to watch the madness - the whole town was watching! It appeared as though the entire cannery was engulfed but we learned from others who had been closer that only one of the many large buildings was on fire. The fire fighters were doing there best to keep the fire from spreading to the post office and to the gas station just across the road! We wondered if the post card we had mailed earlier that moring was ever going to make it to Canada.

LOS ANGELES

L.A. well....its big. It is massive. It is a never ending city on a flat dry landscape; a city entirely for cars. It is NOT in the LEAST designed for public transit or cycling. Cars, cars and more cars. Nobody on the sidewalks....everbody in their Range-Rover SUVs. An all american tragedy. But oh the sun, the sun! Walking around west hollywood, peering through the glass of chanel, dior, gucci, escada...well it is far better than the miserable north-west-coast weather of vancouver. And surprisingly fun peering into outrageous modern furniture stores and admiring the subtropical gardens and complimenting mexican-influenced exteriors of cute L.A. homes. Eat lots. Rest up. It's L.A. !