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 28 - Auckland
The rain continues, but we are in a
cozy spacious lodge here in the big city. Rushed
down here by bus from Dargaville to meet up with
"uncle Marcin" who just flew in today with his
bike to join us on the road for a few weeks. Eliza
is thrilled! We'll ride our bikes right onto the
commuter train tomorrow morning, cruise past the 30 kms
of busy city and suburbs to Papakura, then ride
southeast towards Miranda hot spring.... ahhhhh....
Following that we planning on Waihi, Rotorua, Taupo,
etc...
The ride south from Omapare was
fantastic, and included a lunch stop at NZ's
northernmost brewery! The toughest climbs of the
Northland through Waipoua forest were actually pretty
mild grades, so even some 5 and 6 km uphills passed
nicely! We are so amazed by the flora over here...
Palms, 40 foot tree ferns, and Monterey pines!
Eucalyptus, yucca "trees," oaks, and bamboo!
What a wild combination it is. We struggle to
define these northern forest as a combination of
Mendocino, Malaysia, and Hawaii. Or Thailand
and Point Reyes... What a blissful 5km downhill we
had in this astounding forest a few days ago, accented
with massive ancient Kauri trees! This west coast
is a good one! A long rolling haul into Dargaville,
fueled by multiple meat pies, completed our northernmost
tour, and we're sort of "hopping over"
Auckland en route south.
Shopped for biking tidbits here in
Auckland, ate Thai food, and got some salves and a brace
for Karen's knee. I even found a shop that
photocopied the English version of the directions for my
cycle computer! Up until now I've been bumbling
along with no instructions, except the Czech and
Hungarian sections... I did know, of course, that my
pryzova podlozka was cracked, and that I needed a new
drzak! Life in the city is a bit crazy... We can't
wait to be back riding out in the countryside!
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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