Back in 2001 - Paul, Eliza (3), Karen & Sylvie (1)
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A big THANK
YOU!!! Our
New Zealand expedition was generously funded by the Yosemite
National Institutes and the Matthew
Baxter Memorial Fund.
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October 12, 2001 - El Portal/Yosemite, California, USA Oct 25 - Omapere
Here we are on the west coast of the
North Island, and it's a SUNNY day this morning! For
the first day in a week we got to pack up a dry tent!
Yipeeee! We ride south today into the Waipoua Forest
to visit the largest Kauri trees in NZ. Then it's
another few days (via Dargaville) to Auckland.
Oh what a week we've had! We were driven
up to the furthest tip of NZ, the Cape Reinga lighthouse to
begin the Odyssey. With winds so strong that Eliza
couldn't stand up on her own, and hard driving rain, we were
wondering just how great an idea this whole cycling trip
was... we sat inside the car in the rain, then lept
out during a brief lull to throw our chunks under a tree at
the Tapotupotu Bay campground. It dumped all night,
and we awoke to... well... a continued downpour and knee
deep "puddles" all around our tent. Tent
site selection is a critical skill here in NZ! As is
fast packing in a typhoon!
So, that's what the weather's been like for a week, with brief periods of clearing, or overcast, or occasional sunshine (like today!). The riding is going quite well, even with all the wetness, and our "system" is getting smoother every day! The kids are really adapting well to our pace and are truly enjoying themselves! (Well, OK, we do have a screaming blowout now and then, but that just means it's time to pull over for a snack or a potty break!) Karen'a been dealing with a painful sore knee from a past biking injury, but is doing quite well...
From Kaitaia to Broadwood was our first
real bruiser of a day, and I felt like I was only using 1st
gear or 21st, and nothing in between... up and down up and
down... But yesterday was an exceptional "middle
gears day", riding from Broadwood, to Rawene, and
Omapere. Lovely rolling hills with sheep and cattle,
scattered rain and some sun breaking through, parakeets and
goldfinches flying about, Eliza singing waltzing Matilda in
the trailer and asking "Daddy can you tell me more
about kiwi birds? I am very interesting in Kiwi birds,"
then an exciting ride on the car ferry followed by a tasty
lunch at an organic cafe. We did hit some pretty nasty
headwinds in the afternoon, but the scenery was
spectacular... After arriving in Omapere, we treated
ourselves to a nice dinner in the fancy pub, watching the
sun set over the beach! And what a civilized touch,
they have kids toys and a play structure inside the bar so
mummy and daddy can actually eat their dinner!
Gotta hit the road.... Karen's outside
nursing Sylvie, which means she'll be starting here morning
sleep session in the trailer. Everything is timed to
her sleep patterns! We roll on south!
Nov 22 - Thanksgiving Day - Kaikoura! Nov 23 - The day after Thanksgiving Dec 17, 2001 - BLUFF!!! The "Land's End" of southern New Zealand
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