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4Friends Cycle the Mainland for Brain Cancer

  • Our Tour Summary, Reflections, Awards - and Thank You and Farewell from us.

      14 March 2023
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    So, it's with equal doses of sadness and relief that we bring you the final post from the 4Friends - our Tour Summary, Reflections and a few Awards.

    What an adventure we had!

    4,700minutes riding over 15 days, 1,460kms ridden, and 13,500m elevation climbed.

    We experienced huge wells of kindness and generosity and mateship.

    We laughed, cried, fell off our bikes (well, some of us anyway), ate enough to feed a small nation, farted enough to power a continent, and wee'd our way around the South Island.

    Every day of our Tour we were immersed in the grandeur that only Aotearoa and Te Wai Pounamu can offer.

    We rode through astoundingly beautiful landscape in fabulous hot and dry summer weather.

    We were energised by incredible southern hospitality, camaraderie of fellow cyclists, and courteous mainland motorists.

    We have SO many people to thank.

    - Firstly, to EVERYONE who has donated to our ride - we had donations ranging from $5 to $1,000 (wow!!) and we loved each and every one, thank you all so very much!

    - To the generous hosts that opened their homes to us: Robin and Marg Blackmore (and for also providing transportation for Rene to Pelorus), Mike and Judi Edridge, Ian and Sarah Haysmith/Elvidge whanau, James & Karen Anderson - you guys were lifesavers!

    - To the Rescue Teams that came to Tony's aid when he fell crook: Jen Rutherford & Alan Register, Kirst & Dale Alloway, Katherleen Zivkovich-Rankin & Dean Rankin - you all deserve bravery medals!

    - To Linda Page & Richard for feeding and watering us - we're sorry we cleaned out your fridge!

    - To our many friends along the way that stopped for a beer, a chat, or simply beeped as they went past - it was so good to see you!

    - And lastly, but certainly not least, a MASSIVE Thank You to our better halves - Anna Blackmore, Katrina Troughton, Jo Matheson, Angela Fox - for letting us out on our adventure. We know our initial request for a Leave Pass went down like a turd in the punchbowl, and we know what it takes to keep the home fires burning - so we are very appreciative of the sacrifices you made for us while we were away. We love you!

    We also wanted to give a shout out for all the outstanding hoteliers and companies we encountered - in particular:

    - Kate at Wakefield Hotel - who fed us in super quick time when their kitchen was about to close (we must have looked hungry!)

    - Phil at the Lazy Cow Murchison - who greeted us with a smile and free cold beers

    - Mike&Pam at Foveaux Hotel Bluff - who were more concerned about our bikes safety than we were

    - Yvonne at 295 on Tay Invercargill - who stored our bags and where nothing was a problem

    - The manager at The Rainforest Motel in Fox, who initially had a face like a dropped pie when we told him we were cancelling our 2nd nights accommodation, but then after spotting our BTS NZ fundraiser T-shirts didn't charge us for it

    - Tony at Reefton Distillery for staying later than normal and for the detailed and thorough distillery tour and tastings session

    - To all the pie makers, filled roll fillers, custard square assemblers, coffee baristas of the mainland - we salute you!

    However, this would not be a 4Friends Post with some Awards!

    We've already announced the winners of the Tan Lines competitions, so here are a few others that we thought worthy of mention ...

    - Quote of the Tour: "I like my coffee black, with a bit of milk" (Tony - Wanaka) [Runner-Up: "What makes one side the lunch dessert menu and the other side the dinner dessert menu?" (Ken - Mossburn) - when told that the duplicate-sided printed dessert menu was Lunch on one side and Dinner on the other (OK, he hadn't eaten much that day and was probably going through some sort of calorie deficit...)]

    - Gadget of the Tour: Ken's rear traffic sensor gadget thingy - extremely handy especially when accompanied with Ken's real-time audio of "car back" [Runner-Up: Ken's digital tyre pressure gauge]

    - H&S Near Miss of the Tour: Rene at the top of the Crown Range descent - locking up his brakes and almost tumbling over the safety barrier at 70kms+ (that will teach you for riding in my slipstream!)

    - Crash Report: Rene's graceful and slow tumble on the Maungatapu Track (unfortunately no photo evidence available!)

    - Cringe Moment of the Tour: Tony launching into a detailed description of his saddle sore issues with poor Edna (Tour of Aotearoa rider) - during our lunch break no less!

    - Monster Meal of the Tour: Ken's record busting calorie dinner at the Wakefield Hotel consisting of Steak&Chips (with salad), with an extra Steak, Sausage and 2 Fried Eggs on the side. Outstanding (especially when he admitted he was still hungry afterwards - so he had crumble+ice cream for dessert too)

    - Revelation of the Tour: Rene and Dave when discovering that splitting costs evenly at feeding times meant that they were subsidising Ken's excessive calorie intake, so we pretty much paid our own way after that. Ken was very understanding and consoled himself by eating another pie

    To the 4Friends - we had a blast eh?

    - Tony: after you got sick and became bed ridden for days, you did amazingly well to re join us as soon as you did. Whether it was the magic healing properties of Kirst&Dale's crisp apples, plums and mandarins, or all the home-cooked/freshly caught delicacies courtesy of Jen&Reg, you were determined to get back, and after almost flying the length of the country, you did - and just in time for our Rest Day! That's commitment!

    - Ken: for someone with little/no previous cycling experience, and having never multi-day toured before - you are one tough mofo! I used to eat so much more than you (maybe with the exception of pies and Bluffies), but you consistently and unequivocally out-ate all of us, every time, all Tour long, AND still lost weight!! Outstanding!

    - René: with your track record since I've known you, I am still wondering why on earth we let you (self) appoint yourself as our H&S Officer!! But I must say I was totally impressed when you continually supressed your precise Dutch engineering tendencies to go with the flow and embrace the randomness and lack of common sense approach to our day-to-day activities - legend!

    However, after all is said and done - this Tour was dedicated to everyone out there impacted by a brain tumour.

    Every morning, when we lined up for our customary photo in our BTS NZ T-shirts, we were reminded of those loved ones that we have lost to this dreadful cancer, and we spared a thought for all of them.

    For those that are currently going through the challenges of a brain tumour, we remain humbled by your stories of strength and courage, and we will be cheering you on as you fight your battle in the future. Kia Kaha.

    To my older bro Chris Tse and the BTS NZ charity - we hope our efforts make at least a small difference to the God's work you do.

    And to you all - we have loved bringing these Updates and sharing our photos with you, thank you for coming on the journey with us.

    Until our next journey - we leave you with the 4Friends 3 pearls of wisdom ...

    1. Shit weather on the West Coast/South Island is a lie

    2. Eat a Pie - any Pie - whenever you get the chance

    3. Tan lines will be the next Hot/Must Have fashion item - you heard it here first

    Over and Out

    David Tse, Ken Yee, René van Lierop, and Tony Jurlina - the 4Friends

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  • Panoramic beauties ...

      7 March 2023
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    Whilst we reflect on our journey over the last few weeks to report back to you - we thought we would share another of Ken's lesser known talents.

    In addition to his eating prowess, the 4Friends have been impressed with his panoramic photo creativity and capabilities during the Tour. Here we bring you one of his best.

    Ken is in the midst of setting up a website where you can order limited edition digital copies or personally autographed framed copies delivered anywhere in the world. Refer to PleaseHelpKeepKenInPiesForever.com

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  • Day 17 and Final day of our Southern Tour: Bluff to Invercargill 41km

      5 March 2023
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    After farewelling Jen & Reg (the Wakefield/Ruby Bay rescue team) and Tony (who needed to get a ride back to Invercargill to catch his plane to Auckland/Sydney), there was only one thing left to do before leaving Bluff - ride the famous and dreaded Bluff Hill Lookout! 15mins of huffing puffing, grinding, and lactic acid attracting pain, we were treated to a beautiful Bluff morning and magnificent 360deg views of Stewart Island and surrounds.

    We continued on to Invercargill, and after seeing Rene off at the airport, Ken and I settled into Invercargill including a visit to the fabulous Bill Richardson Transport World.

    Today was really the first day that the reality of the end of our Tour has hit us. Yes we reached our southern most point yesterday, but today we had to say goodbye to 2 of our 4 Friends. and tomorrow Ken and I part ways (Ken back to Sydney, and myself back to Auckland).

    Thank you everyone for your lovely comments yesterday - we are very humbled by them. We are still reflecting on our journey and plan to share our thoughts and Tour summary (including some Awards!) with you soon...

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  • Day 16 Southern Tour: Mossburn to Bluff 137km

      4 March 2023
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    Today was all about getting to Bluff - not to complete our ride but to get to the Bluffies as quick as possible! Just as well, as the scenery along the way was pretty average - other than some nice farming scenes. We had a much needed coffee/cafe stop after 69kms in Winton (a very quaint and picturesque little town), and as we were about to leave a car drove past honking enthusiastically - we thought that's more eager than the usual - sure enough it was our good friend Helen (who previously just missed seeing us on our Arrowtown to Queenstown leg) who was on her way back to Lumsden! After a quick catch-up and photo with Helen we stocked up at the local bakery and then made our way to Wallacetown. Whilst at Murphy's Takeaways - after Ken destroyed a Jimmy's Mince pie, and we lusted after all the frozen (mainly Blue Cod) seafood - we again went to set off, but then along cycled Edna - a wee lass that we met at the Cardrona Pub a few days earlier! Another catch-up, another photo - we then kicked onto our ultimate destination, Bluff.

    We had a 'false start' group photo beside the boring Bluff (est. 1824) sign before coming across the real 'Welcome to Bluff' sign, before reaching Stirling Point and THE Bluff sign where we took 1,000 more photos!

    However, the real prize for us lay 2kms away - you guessed it - Bluffies!! After a huge dinner, some drinks, Ken buying 4 dozen battered Bluffies that he forced us to eat, some more drinks - as I write this we are reflecting on our journey and the last 2 weeks, and are both too tired and emotional to share our thoughts with you - but we will... thank you to everyone who has donated to our cause, supported us in all different ways, followed our blog, commented or reacted to our posts - we are immensely grateful and honoured that you've been a part of our magnificent journey. Thank you!!

    HANG ON / STOP PRESS - the Wakefield/Ruby Bay rescue team has just surprised us at the Foveaux Hotel! A fabulous end to a fabulous day - so please excuse us as we get back to my G&T and Bluffies...

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  • Day 15 Southern Tour: Queenstown to Mossburn 105km

      3 March 2023
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    Another early (and chilly) start so we could get the water taxi across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak Homestead where we began our ride.

    As the sun came up and we made our way across Mt Nicholas Station, up Von Hill, and to the Mavora Lakes - we were treated to scenery that all of us could only describe as absolutely sensational. No wonder it took us an hour to do the first 10km - as Ken commented "I need to take a photo every 100 metres!!"

    After almost a whole day on gravel roads, we hit the smooth Around the Mountains Cycle Trail through beautiful farm land all the way to Mossburn, and the classic Mossburn Railway Hotel.

    Whilst tomorrow we reach the southern most point of our journey - and the end of the 'official' South Island leg of the Tour of Aotearoa, AND (hopefully) a Bluffies pot (more likely pots) of gold - our actual itinerary ends up back in Invercargill on Sunday.

    Either way, being so near to the end of our Tour, we are feeling both euphoric and sad over our jug of Monteith's tonight...

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  • Last Day of our Tour tomorrow!

      3 March 2023

    Whilst tomorrow we reach the southern most point of our journey - and the end of the 'official' South Island leg of the Tour of Aotearoa, AND (hopefully) a Bluffies pot (more likely pots) of gold - our actual itinerary ends up back in Invercargill on Sunday.

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  • Day 14 Southern Tour: Arrowtown to Queenstown 35km

      2 March 2023
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    7.00am and we were woken to a (supposed) Anderson family tradition - an early morning dip in the Arrow River! James assured us that "you won't regret it", and whilst Ken and Rene were up for the challenge, we got a resounding 'Have-Sex-And-Travel' response from Tony.

    Sure enough James was right! It was brisk, just short of brain freeze, but exhilirating as promised.

    The following hot spa soak at 40degC, accompanied by espresso coffee and breakfast, gave us the best start to our day so far on tour!

    After a walk through the main part of Arrowtown, visiting the old Chinese miners site, James then led us on the Queenstown Trail cycle out of town. Other than a quick detour to see the Edgar Bridge - an inspiring piece of engineering - we meandered along yet another magnificent cycle trail beside the Arrow and Kawarau Rivers, Frankton Track and finally into Queenstown. Before we did though, we enjoyed a couple of beers at Altitude Brewing where we sadly bode farewell to James - our fabulous host for the last couple of days!

    Fergburgers beckoned us for dinner (along with half of Queenstown) and on our way to eat them along the lakefront we had a lovely surprise running into our friend (and generous supporter of the 4Friends) Joanna, and her friend Julie, who were in town on holiday.

    Tomorrow we are up early to catch a boat to Walter Peak, and then a 103km ride to Mossburn on (sadly) our 3rd the last day of our Tour.

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  • Day 13 Southern Tour: Wanaka to Arrowtown (via Crown Range) 55km

      1 March 2023
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    With our changed schedule to celebrate Tony's return to the 4Friends peloton, we had a short day ahead, so a leisurely start was in order.

    Today's BTS NZ group photo was taken at #ThatWanakaTree where we felt a bit like adolescent tourists lining up for our photo - and after we conquered the first hill out of Wanaka, we thought we'd stop for coffee at the Cardrona/Treble Cone HQ cafe.

    When we finally set off from coffee we had done more resting than cycling, so we attempted to make amends by setting off onto NZ's highest sealed road, the Cardrona Valley Road up to the Crown Range Summit. After a quick stop at the quirky "Bradrona" fence (!!!), and the obligatory lunch stop at the Cardrona Hotel (Ken saw the Blue Cod fish 'n chips and was immediately sold!) we pushed onto the summit - a challenging pinch up, but the descent made it all worthwhile!

    We rolled into Arrowtown and the incredible hospitality of another mainland angel in the guise of our good friend James from Auckland (originally Invercargill), where his fabulous crib and a Southland feast awaited us - Jimmy's Mince pies, cold beer and licorice allsorts. Thanks James!

    Pizzas and beers at the Fork & Tap Ale House for dinner probably added more calories than we expended today, but we were too hungry to care!

    Another short day tomorrow to Queenstown (a monstrous 23km away!) and a special guest in James joining us and showing us the local sights.

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  • Day 12 Southern Tour: Rest Day in Wanaka

      28 February 2023
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    After a luxurious sleep in and huge brunch, we got into cleaning our bike and gear. The sight of our H&S Officer with a bottle of Poison would be enough to scare anyone, and after he almost scrubs the metal off his chain, we head into town for a leisurely lunch and stroll around the lake. Ken, after being in a stupor since his record-breaking ride yesterday, came alive when he spotted the Kai Pai Award Winning Pie shop, and vowed to be back for breakfast when they open at 6am tomorrow.

    After a quick beer catch-up with good friends Mike & Amanda, we were picked up by Tony's glamorous cousin Katherleen Zivkovich-Rankin (Zivvy) and whisked away to an incredible BBQ feed prepared by her and legendary husband Dean, including smoked Marlin, rare Venison back leg steaks and sausages, and delicious salads.

    In the meantime, Tony had embarked on his own private Tour of Aotearoa (since he overstayed his welcome at Jen&Reg's in Ruby Bay), and today had flown from Nelson to Wellington to Auckland to Queenstown, and then dialed up a cuzzie-Uber (Go Katherleen!) to pick him up from Queenstown and delivered back to Wanaka, JUST to make the 4Friends whole again!

    After a celebratory group hug, the presentation of his Lucky Reunion Rock, and a family photo, we retired for the night.

    Tomorrow we move into our updated schedule - still riding over the Crown Range, but ending in Arrowtown, about 54kms away.

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  • Day 11 Southern Tour: Haast to Wanaka (via Haast Pass) 156km

      27 February 2023
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    Our longest day of the Tour ahead, and an early start saw us knock off the first 50km to the Gates of Haast bridge by mid-morning. Along the way, we were treated to more possum roadkill, which prompted a conversation between Ken and Dave as to which body part a hawk would eat first (some analogy akin to their upbringing and family meals eating whole steamed fish around the dinner table).

    The 9km climb to the summit of Haast Pass treated us to fabulous views of mountains and valleys, towering silver beech forests, waterfalls and grottos, and this did a good job of taking our minds off the searing pain going through our legs. Once we cleared the Pass, very quickly the scenery changed dramatically and we found ourselves cruising alongside first Lake Wanaka, and then Lake Hawea, and enjoying the incredible landscape colours, blue skies, white clouds, and clear waters.

    After Rene promised "It's all downhill from here", we were subjected to what seemed like endless undulations all the way to Lake Hawea Township - at which point we were treated to the magnificent Hawea River Track, and just when we thought that couldn't get any better, we rode the Wanaka Outlet Track along the banks of the Clutha and around the edge of Lake Wanaka to our destination - wow!

    A big day, but one where we again witnessed the incredible beauty that this part of our country has to offer - and we spared a thought for those that unfortunately are not around anymore to enjoy it with us.

    Two worthy milestones were reached today - the Friends have clocked up over 1,000kms ridden on Tour, and Ken again smashed his PB for most kms ridden in a single day!

    Tomorrow is a much needed rest day in Wanaka where we hope to enjoy a sleep in, catching up with friends, and perhaps a long lunch - before Tony arrives in Wanaka and rejoins us!

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  • Day 9 Southern Tour: Harihari to Fox (via Lake Matheson) 104km

      25 February 2023
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    Our day started rather awkwardly when we asked a passer-by to take our group photo in front of our Hari Hari motel, muttering that there's bugger all other decent backdrops in this bumfu#k town - turned out he owned the motel.

    Things looked up 35kms later when we rolled into Whataroa to discover that we had stumbled across their biggest day of the year in their town calendar - their annual A&P Show! There were egg and spoon races on horseback, pony rides, apple bobbing, bouncy castle (the Titanic!), a wood chopping competition (apparently very serious!) and many more!

    After a combo of Bacon butties/Steak sarneys/sausage & bread + cans of Coke for morning tea, we set off for Franz Josef and a more substantial pasta/salad lunch. Whilst we found the constant buzz of scenic chopper flights entertaining, by far the highlight of this terribly touristy town was the matching Combi van + caravan - sensational!

    3 challenging uphill stretches lay between us and Fox (the downhills were exhilarating!) and immediately after entering Fox, we rode out to the famous Lake Matheson (the Mirror Lake). Unfortunately, as lovely as the setting was, it was a bit windy on the lake, and not quite the reflection we were looking for. There will be 2 British tourists reflecting on why they trusted a Dutch Kiwi who reassured them that Mt Cook was indeed the mountain peak with the jagged edge (and not the tall pointy one) and who will now go home with a camera roll full of photos of Mt Tasman.

    {BTW Rene went to great lengths to get me to mention that Lake Matheson was definitely definitely DEFINITELY his highlight of the trip so far - take note Jo (Rene's better half!)}

    NB that we have had a schedule change - instead of a Rest Day in Fox tomorrow, we are bringing the next few day's schedule forward a day, and replacing them in an overnight stay in a friend's awesome place in Arrowtown (thanks James & Karen!)

    Tomorrow then, we have a 122km stretch to Haast...

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  • Day 8 Southern Tour: Cowboy Paradise to Harihari 114km

      24 February 2023
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    We got out of Cowboy alive (Mike was great fun actually!), and continued along the magnificent WCWT Trail complete with water races, boardwalks, old tramways and beautiful wooded riding (particularly between Hokitika and Ross).

    We had a bit of fun with the Hokitiki driftwood competition, the obligatory photos at the beach sign and chair, and then hit pay dirt at the Clock Tower Cafe - their baker was awarded Top 10 in the Bakels pie comp - I haven't seen Ken so excited all trip! After passing some riders coming the other way, it was Rene's turn for unadulterated joy when one of them was carrying the perfect hat just for him (for those of you that know Rene's track record for safety, you will appreciate just how ludicrous him holding the H&S Officer position is!).

    After a sugar top-up, and the resulting sugar rush and (more) silly photos at Ross, we set for Hari Hari, but for a snack stop at Lake Ianthe - a beautifully peaceful spot with very few sandflies!

    There was a lot more to Hari Hari than first thought, and in gorgeous early evening sunshine we gorged ourselves on fish 'n chips, burgers and Lion Red/DB Export to wash down all the grease.

    Tomorrow we're off to Fox Glacier, via Franz, only 98kms away!

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  • Day 7 Southern Tour: Ikamatua to Cowboy Paradise 119km

      24 February 2023
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    After our hotel breakfast we thought we'd take in the sights of Ikamatua, and then 3 seconds later we set off for Blackball in search for a pie for Ken.

    Unfortunately The Hilton wasn't open yet but we found fabulous coffee, cake and aforementioned Pie at the Blackmail 08 Inn & Cafe.

    Although no rain this morning, there was a cool SW breeze blowing and we headed straight into it on the way to Greymouth. After a cruise through town and along the waterfront, and a quick visit to Blanchfields Bakery (for a few more pies, sandwiches and a sensational raspberry bun), we hit the West Coast Wilderness Trail. First stop on the trail was the Greymouth Bar lookout where there was some pretty wild surf, and then multiple photo stops all the way along the WCWT, through Kumara, arriving at Cowboy Paradise 10 mins before the buffet dinner was being served - what timing!

    He may be a highly controversial figure (some suspect all in the name of marketing his 'brand'!), but Mike at CP certainly knows how to throw together a roast dinner and provide some entertaining dinner conversation!

    Unfortunately dinner (including seconds) with some beer chasers, were too much for our H&S Officers tummy, so he retired quietly to his room without attempting the pole. Mind you, there's always breakfast time tomorrow morning...

    Tomorrow we complete the WCWT and more on our way to Harihari and a 114km day

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  • Day 6 Southern Tour: Reefton to Ikamatua (via Big River Track) 56km

      22 February 2023
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    Early departure from Reefton to beat the forecasted rain - the ascent to Big River Hut was a lovely meandering track through native forest, but quite a challenging rocky surface. Even in the dry there were lots of stream crossings - you can see why DOC are worried about anyone on the track when it's in flood! The Big River DOC Hut offered fantastic views and a welcome stop for lunch.

    The downhill into Waiuta was through gorgeous beech forest but very slippery and rocky, and for the first time on our trip we got hit with a good old fashioned West Coast downpour!

    Rolling into Ikamatua like 3 drowned rats, we still had to hose down the bikes to get rid of the excess muck, but then beer and a roast dinner beckoned.

    Tomorrow we head into the West Coast Wilderness Trail, through Greymouth and Kumara to Cowboy Paradise, 119km in total - looking forward to seeing how our H&S Officer will fare with the pole dancing!

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  • Day 5 Southern Tour: Rest Day in Reefton

      21 February 2023
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    After a luxurious sleep in, we took in the sights of Reefton - the Walkway up the hill with a great view of the main street, over the swingbridge to the ruins of the old Powerhouse, and then down the main street to visit the incredible treasure cove that is Reefton Sports, and a delicious giant sausage, cake and coffee at The Broadway Tearooms and Bakery.

    However, the highlight of the day was the tour of Reefton Distillery (of Little Biddy Gin fame) followed by a fabulous tasting session - Tony from RD was a magnificent tour and tasting guide!

    The West Coast is forecasting rain for tomorrow afternoon, so we are planning on an early start in the morning on our 56km ride over the Big River Track to Ikamatua - and likely more fantastic scenery and mining history.

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  • Day 4 Southern Tour: Murchison to Reefton 124kms

      21 February 2023
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    After admiring Ken's 2nd breakfast at Rivers cafe, the 3.5 Friends (Tony is still crook, imprisoned in Ruby Bay luxury - but he's still with us in spirit) had a quick photo stop outside the Murchison Museum (which has a historical connection to the Monahan family - my mother-in-law's clan) and then made our way up the gorgeous Matakitaki Gorge in brilliant sunshine. Just when we thought the scenery couldn't get any more beautiful, we meandered up a gorgeous 7km gravel track to the Maruia Saddle through native forest - a real highlight. A curious little Robin kept Rene entertained during our lunch break, and if not for the Kapiti ice cream and Powerade at the G.A.S station, he would have official declared Springs Junction a sh*thole.

    What cheered us up immensely from there, was a magnificent 35km downhill stretch into Reefton, where we will have a much welcomed Rest Day tomorrow - including a tasting tour at Reefton Distillery (of Little Biddy fame).

    PS: whilst our bodies are starting to feel the effects of over 400kms in 4 consecutive days, the legs and bums are feeling remarkably 'fresh' (!) - long may this continue!!

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  • Day 3 Wakefield to Murchison via Lake Rotoroa and the Braeburn Track 128kms - the 4Friends (temporarily) become 3!

      21 February 2023
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    This morning we woke to a very feverish and ill Tony - when he refuses breakfast you know he's crook! Luckily an angel in the form of Jen Rutherford (ably assisted by sidekicks Reg and Cole the dog) arrived to save him! After a lovely coffee catchup with Jen and Reg, and resting in the comfort of knowing that Tony was shortly going to be ensonced in luxury lodgings in Ruby Bay, we continued on our journey.

    We had a gorgeous ride through pine forest in Wai-iti Domain, the Spooners Tunnel was a real highlight, and Ken impressed us again at the fabulous Kohatu Flat Rock Cafe where he continued his Pie eating tour of Te Wai Pounamu.

    The Tapawera Hop Farms are a highlight for any beer drinker and Lake Rotoroa and their famous sandflies didn't disappoint. A final pinch over the Braeburn Track to Murchison (the birthplace of my mother-in-law - my wife asked me to mention that!) and a welcoming smile and beer from the amazing hosts at the Lazy Cow.

    Today's awards go to Ken for completing his longest single-day bike ride EVER (!!), and to our self-appointed Health & Safety Officer (Rene) for another incident-free day (despite leading us on a couple of dodgy forest tracks that I'm sure weren't meant for cyclists!).

    Finally, what's fast becoming a routine for us - bike wash, clothes wash, us wash and then a beer and dinner (tonight's was a spectacular roast lamb at the Hampden Hotel), cuppa tea, then bed!

    Tomorrow another big day (122km) to Reefton!

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  • Day 2 Pelorus Bridge to Wakefield (via Nelson) 72kms - Arrival of The Bean!

      21 February 2023
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    Rene finally catches us up after his delayed ferry crossing - and the 4Friends tackle the infamous Maungatapu Track. Crikey no wonder some old settlers murdered a few people up there, we felt like doing the same riding (walking) it!! After a miserable 3-hour ascent, and an equally painful 2-hour descent, we were blessed on our arrival at the 'Linda Page oasis' with cold soft drinks, roast chicken sandwiches, sponge cake and cups of tea, and the famously warm and gorgeous smile of LP herself! Linda is one of our most ardent supporters, and we treasured our time with her and remembering her late daughter Indi, who succumbed to a brain tumour a few years back. After cleaning out LP's fridge, we reluctantly bode our farewells and continued to our destination, the amazingly hospitable Wakefield Hotel.

    Ken burned so many calories during the day, that for dinner he orders a massive steak, chips with a side of fried eggs and a sausage, and crumble and ice cream for dessert, and THEN assumes the position of sweeper and helps clean up the leftovers. Another cuppa and off to bed for us ....

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  • Day 1 Blenheim to Pelorus Bridge 92kms done!

      21 February 2023
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    Nice to ride parts of the developing Whale Trail enroute to Picton, a nice respite from the ferry traffic and logging trucks.

    The Picton Village Bakkerij didn't disappoint (other than Olliebollen not being available until December!) and the Le Cafe coffee was as good as usual.

    We rode the Link Track to Governor's Bay, but then took to the road as it was muddy and slow going.

    Havelock ice cream (not mussel flavour) was outstanding and we pushed onto Pelorus Bridge for the night.

    Thanks to Kirst, Dale, Mike & Jude for kindly providing tonight's accommodation (including full catering!) - if anyone is looking for a House&Garden-worthy homestead on a piece of paradise overlooking the Pelorus river, then there's one going for sale!

    PS: Rene's ferry didn't get in till 9.00pm (something about an engine failure!) but he has just arrived in Pelorus (thanks Uber Rob 'n Marg) and will join us from tomorrow morning!

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  • 4Friends Blog site now live on Facebook!

      12 February 2023
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    Cellphone coverage permitting, we hope to bring you daily updates and photos of our journey on our new Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/4FriendsCycle.

    Please follow our Page and our progress - and we would love to hear what you think!

    Thank you all again for your incredibly kind donations and amazing support we have received so far - we are very grateful!

    The 4Friends - David Tse, Ken Yee, René van Lierop, Tony Jurlina

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  • Countdown - 1 week to go!

      9 February 2023
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    Hey folks, tomorrow marks 1-week from the start of our ride, and the 4 of us are super excited as to what lies ahead! We are also a little nervous as to the magnitude of what we are about to take on, the run of weather that we may get (!!) but are mostly feeling very grateful as to your incredible support and kind donations to our ride!

    I thought this was also a good time to share the Brain Tumour Support NZ (BTS NZ) Facebook page and those of you that were involved, or responded to, their Post (attached). Thank you very much!

    PS: we will be setting up a Facebook Page for a blog of our ride - cellphone coverage permitting, we hope to bring you daily updates of our journey!

    Cheers!

    The 4Friends

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  • Keeping up the training and fighting off the temptations of Xmas goodies!

      9 January 2023
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    Merry Xmas and HNY all!

    Well OK - I didn't totally fight off all the temptations, rather I "managed" them best I could (eg: only had 3 servings of Xmas Trifle rather than the usual 4 that I would normally do - impressive discipline huh?!).

    Managed some stunning rides around Wellington/Blenheim/St Arnaud/Nelson over the break - blessed with mainly fine weather, and incident-free (phew).

    Thanks everyone so much for your support and kind donations to date. We have just cracked the $5k mark - half way to our goal!

    If you had a moment to share our Givealittle Page with others, or remind them of our ride, that would be much appreciated!! Thanks again!

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  • Paparoa Track training run - yowsa, a tough track!

      12 December 2022
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    Just back from a weekend riding the incredible Paparoa Track (Pike River29 Memorial Track - from Blackball to Punakaiki) with a couple of good mates Chris Hood and Vaughn Woods. If this is a taste of what's to come next February then its Game On!

    Thanks everyone for your amazing support and donations thus far. Every dollar makes a huge difference to families in need now and in the future. Thank you all SO much!

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