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The top to bottom cycle (its all downhill!!)

  • You Sir/Madam are a genius

      16 March 2017

    Hey guys just one final update as Im back in the big smoke, its a bit hard not having to cycle everyday but will get used to it.

    just wanted to say a massive thank you to all that donated, Lifeline were very very appreciative when I went and saw them yesterday.

    Just under 15k thank and that is all thanks to YOU. In recent years their staff numbers have almost halved and answering all the calls they need to is very challenging. it was a bloody good feeling raising money for Lifeline and the conversations it started were well received.

    Thought i would leave you with a few lessons I took from the road.

    1) The further you get away from cities the more smiles you receive when walking down the street

    2) So cliche but uphills and downhills, they both play their part. enjoy them both, they are so different. plenty of fun to be had between your legs.

    3)the hardest hill was the first one from the lighthouse in cape reinga lol.

    3)the best yarns happen when you ask a farmer for a glass of water

    4)not going to sleep with a laptop near you is a really good thing.

    5)if you are staying in a back packers always have slides/sandels

    6)write down your biggest fear, its probably bull shit.

    7) a lone tree on the side of the road will have a bigger impact on the world than you (most likely) so dont take your self too seriously.

    8) be your own best friend and dont be hard on yourself. talk to yourself as you would talk to someone you really care about and want the best for. some of my thoughts can be downright mean so will be kicking them out the door!

    9) bike riding is like the best thing and everyone should do it all the time especially in cities lol.

    10) today is the only day I need to think about (hard to put into action but hey , i will be working on it)

    11)dont watch the news, you cant change anything in Syria, you know all about Auckland house prices and who cares about how much Dan Carter drinks. Or maybe just dont read NZ Herald lol.

    Meeting all these people was awesome, learnt something from everyone of them. have written them all down so will see what i can make out of that.

    Sold Kev today back to the shop i got him from. Hopefully he will do another tour. He wished me all the best and we respect each others

    All the best guys, Im flying to melbourne on Sat so let me know if you are coming there anytime soon.

    'See you in a bit'

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  • Queenstown to Bluff

      14 March 2017

    Had a few days in Queenstown, the place is mad and was a bit of a shock. 1000s of people walking around looking in windows wondering how to spend their money. O well whatever changes their gears.

    Caught the Earnslaw over to Walters Peak and cycled the 50km up to Mavora Lakes, this was the landscapes you see in postcards and didnt see a soul. Had a crash and almost fell off a bridge but other than that everything went smoothly, well as smooth as it could with gravel and headwinds. Also had a huge shouting match with a xenophobic 'native' local dairy farmer. He screamed past us on the gravel with his big boat on the back and i motioned for him to slow down. He stopped and first question was 'you got a problem, where are y from?' in an aggressive tone and i answered him aggressively and kept going till he got back in the car.

    Locals hated the cyclists on this road, keep going with ya farming with your farms you inherited fellas until the rest of us figure out ways for our economy not to rely on your bloody dairy (its happening with tourism and tech sector growing and dairy stagnating).

    Ended up staying in Mossburn and renting a cabin.120km that day which wasnt bad seeing we started at noon.

    Next Day was final day to Bluff. Long straight roads and plenty of music.

    Arrived in Bluff and had a candlelit dinner with Jonny and Sofia and reflected on the journey.

    More about that in final installment

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  • Wanaka to Queenstown and everything in between

      6 March 2017
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    Wanaka

    Rode into wanaka feeling victorious from conquering the west coast. Back into civilisation where people go to shops and spend heaps of money, brunch for hours and google ways to spend their money! Stayed in a lovely house in Albert town , thanks Catherine. Folded towels on beds, ecoya body lotion and Nespresso coffee. Nothing better.

    We went hunting in the evening with a friend Tristan which involved a big hike up a hill. Maybe not the smartest idea with tired legs but YOLO or whatever.

    We saw one tar but missed the shot. Also came across a ute that had been crashed down a hill which looked very much like an insurance job.

    Left wanaka a bit late and biked to cardrona where we came across a Michelin star restaurant called Cardrona Valley Pizzeria. You cannot just go to this restaurant you need to be invited. We enjoyed wood fried pizza, ice cold water and beers and very very good company! (Thanks Katrina and Barry)

    Next up was the crown range in the heat. None of these hills are as hard as you think they will be, much like the fears in my own mind. You get it done and then your at the top. Omg what a ride down it was.

    Ended up in Queenstown for the eve and ate pizza (again) down at the lake and watched tourists take pictures of sea gulls, aww life is great!

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  • Fox Glacier to Haast and through Haast pass

      4 March 2017

    We reached 10k! Thanks to everyone who has spared what they could, man the conversations I have had on this trip around suicide and mental illness, it effects everyone, and we put up these walls to hide it. But thank you thank you I know LIfeline is very happy.

    Fox Glacier to Haast

    What an evening it was. Even managed to have a spa which was hard to squish into, Jonny and I were the last ones in and as the pool emptied, all the skin and other Debris from backpackers bodies started to show itself, almost enough to dry wretch lol.

    Morning and we were off early going along the flat through bush and over rivers for 50km. Kev was flying and he felt good, slowly appreciating the South Island. Some moments just needing to stop and take it all in, ain't no feeling like that of nature overwhelming ya.

    Got to haast and met a fella called Ken who gave us some rabbit sausages and venison. I picked that he was a doctor from Dunedin , turns out he was an alternative medicine guy from Dunedin, had me fooled.

    Slept in Haast and woke up to that heavy west coast rain pounding the tent. Do we go or do we stay? We go.

    The rivers were flowing deep in the haast past, pouring with rain, you don't get any more wet once you are wet, a fact i learned. A little lady stopped her campervan and gave us a chocolate fish, people are great. the steep climbs were a test, you could stop every now and again and look down into the gushing river or look up to the smokey peaks and everything was alright.

    Ohhh what a wonderful place we have here.

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  • West coast

      1 March 2017

    It's been a few days but I realise you have all been too busy to read these updates anyway.

    Ok ok so yea I love the west coast.

    Why you ask??

    People. Ain't no masks down here. You can ask the lady at the gas station how her day was and she will give you a full rundown of what happened, relationship issues, finance, the kids. All of it.

    Rolled into a bar at Stillwater just before greymouth and they opened the bar and started cooking toasties. Get a house down here for 200k and then I don't know what you would do, it's an option though lol

    Some local gals took us up the river near harihari to show us the spot where you candignyour own spa. They were 30+ and loving the codys ("court case in a can"). These were real west coast women. "The only probl me with a boyfriend is that it's a dick attached to a cock" . Good hearted souls.

    There was also the Aussie outback guy who had the craziest yarns mainly relating to guns and blowing things up, had me in fits.

    Been amazing scenery and currently a bit wet in fox glacier (sheesh you need to have some

    Money to survive here). Great ride today upmover hills and of course coming down.

    Hope you well will try update more regularly but I know you all got your things going on so keep doing you!

    Kev all good even got him a bed last night.

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  • Nelson to the mighty Tapawera (have you heard of it)

      23 February 2017
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    Left Nelson very late after yesterday's craziness. Having amazing days like yesterday don't happen everyday so expected a bit of a slower day today as well as less endorphins flowing through the body.

    Today was like a classic Tuesday in a job you don't like, you get up and do it and it's a day closer to the middle of the week. Today was a day of hard graft , constant hills, a sore knee, and plenty of smells of marijuana through the back country Nelson hills and a fewshifty guys in Utes parked up on the side of the road. There was also one fella that thought it would be hilarious to tell us that there was only 1km to the top, I thanked him profusely, turns out there were another 7km (it got steeper as well). No doubt he had a good laugh with the boys lol.

    Also got some awesome donations and I don't know who from. One named "hi.im.cam" and the second one "Han". If either of you get this thank you so much and get in touch, I'm scratching my head thinking who it would be, very funny.

    Plenty of young German couples with babies at current campsite. They get well looked after by the govt over there. They want me to take a baby on the bike tomorrow, politely declined.

    Have a good one aye! Yea nah!

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  • Picton to Nelson

      23 February 2017
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    Stayed in a back packers that used to be a retirement home. There hadn't been much work done on the conversion so it had all the aged care mod cons.

    Left and the ladies at ITM Picton were great giving us some free bungy cord. A few years ago there was an epidemic where 13 kids in Blenheim and PIcton took their own life.

    Pushed on to Havelock through Queen Charlotte past the old family Bach. After pelorus is where things got interesting as we went over the Maungatapu hill. We went and asked a farmer for some water and turns out my grandad Geoff had delivered him into this world along with his wife. He was full of good yarns.left there and was two minutes up the road and kev's chain snapped. Went back to his house and he managed to get us going again.

    Me: I'll look ya up in the phone books and send ya something

    Farmer: yea mate look me up, it will be under L. Legend

    After we left we climbed up over 800m in under 5km, this is the hardest hill of the tour and all off road.

    Got to Nelson on dark and managed to find a hostel

    What a day

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  • Patea yarns

      20 February 2017
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    Met a guy called Geoff outside the dairy. He said "life can change in an instant". I said " how so" and he told me this story.

    His whole life he has never been able to smell, occasionally he will get what's called a Phantom smell but wont go into that because it took him 5 mins to explain.

    He worked at a meat works in Hamilton, he would start early doing deliveries in the truck and then go back to the factory around 10am to finish off his day in the factory. He always carried coffee thermos to keep him on point during work hours. One day when he got back to the factory one of his colleagues took a poo in his thermos. Obviously not being able to smell he drank a fair bit of it before realising (80% of taste is actually smell, this is an actual fact, not FAKE NEWS!). When he realised Geoff completely lost it and the world turned red. He went outside and punched the wall then stormed back inside wanting someone to own up to it. No one did. He was absolutely fuming and he went back to work packing, not aware of what was going on around him. About 20 minutes later he got hit in the back of the neck by a machine that fractured a certabrae. He woke up in hospital and was told that he wouldn't walk again, he was walking again in 12 weeks.

    Just a story from a guy outside a dairy. Hope you are all well

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  • Ak to Otorohunga and everything in between

      14 February 2017

    Stayed two days too many in ak and was glad to leave that place behind. Got on the bike and the first stop was glen Murray about 80 clicks from AUckland to stay with uncle Rodge. "It's easier to give than to receive" (he still has a present from Christmas that he doesn't want to open) one of the gems from the evening. Bloody nice blue berry pie as well, living lavish. It was up early and on the road, plenty of grey sky and rain and one xenophobic Ngaruawahia locals complaining about the Chinese whilst eating Chinese food at 10.30am. Knee clicking with every pedal over some parts (what could that be). Got to Otorohunga , tent set up . Couple of backpackers who hitch rides, look at them as barely travellers lol. Also met Calvin the local flip top (he had a brain operation 10 years ago and reackons you could still flip open his head. Lost all long term memory but doesn't worry about a thing. "What ever happens will happen, I couldn't give a toss." Lol. Have a good one

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  • Ruakaka to Auckland (two days)

      11 February 2017
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    Left Ruakaka, really angry at Kev and it was raining and I wanted to lie in bed and cry lol. Frustrating with the back wheel bent and didnt know how to fix it. Got on with it. Went over the Brenderwyns. Roadworkers cheering me on an laughing at the silly fella climbing the hill. Always a downhill after an uphill and the workers held the traffic a bit at the top so I had a cruise down with no one behind me, 'Shot boys'! Made it to Kaiwaka adn stayed on the Worsfold farm. Went and got my bike fixed at Bike Mangaphai by Sadie. Relief. Quote of the day from Eden Worsfold 'The further north you go the less of a shell you have to get through when talking to people, not liek Auckland where most people have a front, hide behind what they do or achieved.' Kaiwaka to Auckland was 100km and it took me 6 hours. Great sunrise, they seem to be better in the country? Serene. Wanted to go through the Warkworth tunnel but in the end didnt. Felt weird coming into Auckland, staying here for a day to get my bike looked at and see my uncle and Auntie.

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  • Keri Keri to Ruakaka (113km)

      11 February 2017
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    Woke up by the river in Keri keri, dew on the tent but a very nice surrounding, ITS GOO. The night before there had been plenty of laughter from the fruit pickers as they all played volleyball together. As i was doing my final prep the pickers drove past the bus full of trepidation, no morning smiles. Made it to Kawakawa really quickly and had a breakfast in a place that did refillable coffee. Bacon, eggs beans etc for $9.I like those places.Rode into Whangerei and was pretty shattered and my friend Rangimarie shouted me a nice lunch and a good yarn! Final push for Ruakaka, was slowest and most difficult so far, raining and tired, not a good mix and Kev was playing up. (rose from Kawakawa)

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  • Day three

      8 February 2017

    Hey guys hope you had a good day. 120km today from Keri Keri to ruakaka and the biggest one so far. Stopped for breakfast at kawa kawa and met rose and talked about youth suicide rates in northland and got the whole cafe talking as rose knew everyone. Big climb after kawakawa. Kept up to date with donations and these really help me keep going. At one point I had tears of gratitude , firstly for the donations and then for the opportunity to do something like this. What a feeling it was , almost surreal . Started talking to my bike Kev quite a bit, so we are getting to know each other. Might take it easy tomorrow as legs are very sore. Hope you guys had a great day

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  • Day three

      8 February 2017

    Hey guys hope you had a good day. 120km today from Keri Keri to ruakaka and the biggest one so far. Stopped for breakfast at kawa kawa and met rose and talked about youth suicide rates in northland and got the whole cafe talking as rose knew everyone. Big climb after kawakawa. Kept up to date with donations and these really help me keep going. At one point I had tears of gratitude , firstly for the donations and then for the opportunity to do something like this. What a feeling it was , almost surreal . Started talking to my bike Kev quite a bit, so we are getting to know each other. Might take it easy tomorrow as legs are very sore. Hope you guys had a great day

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  • Far north glitch

      7 February 2017

    Was going really well, coasting along thinking , it must be harder than this! My ol bike Kev thought I was getting a bit cocky so decided to break on me. Got into Kaitaia and managed to get hold of Stewart who is a school teacher up here and also coaches kids in cycling. He managed to get me back in the road this morning before he went off to school.

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