The Last Days
Yesterday, being Friday here we toured a knitting factory, courtesy of Chris and Donna –John’s friends in NZ and now all of our friends. The yarn used is a blend of merino wool and possum fur. The products made with this yarn are very soft and warm. We were able to buy products at the factory store.
In the afternoon some of us, most of the ladies and myself as driver, went to Auckland to see Kelly Tarltons Underwater World. He is kind of the Jacque Cousteau of NZ. We saw penguins, sharks, stingrays and many smaller varieties of marine life. The weather was another mixed day, rain, sun every 5 minutes and always wind. More typical than the weather we have experienced for the last month.
Around seeven (phonetic spelling for 7 here) o’clock we went across the road for a restaurant meal. Some short speeches of appreciation, to Rita and I for organizing the tour, Margaret for being chief cook, Jessie and Teresa for navigating and driving the van, and to the rest of the support team.
I went around the table with a comment on each rider as follows:
Ton- at 72 the oldest rider but 4th strongest and someone whom we all admire for his endurance and strength.
Adrian- hesitant to go at first not too sure of his riding ability but voted the most improved rider on the tour, gaining strength as he went.
Dora- was not worried about the climbing but oh those down hills! She has had lots of practice now and says she is up to 18 km per hour now. Joe said that when her speedometer was broke she went much faster because she didn’t know when to be scared.
Rita- the other Rita that is, new to cycling but a very determined lady who we admire for her positive attitude and seeing the whole ride through.
Bernie- now retired after years of riding his bike 32km one way to work for years, not sure of his conditioning at first but proved to still be the strong rider he was on the sea-to-sea.
John- the mountain man from Alberta and rider of many tours proved once again that he was up to the challenge of NZ and had a great time except for the last day
Rita- my Rita that is, my stoker overcame her fears of mountains and curves and speed and will always be remembered for “Wim! NOT SO FAST”.
Joe-little thin Joe, consistant rider always upbeat and cheerful helping pull Rita at times and a great guy to have along.
Peter- man of patience. We all admire him for staying with his wife throughout the tour and helping her through it. There must have been a significant promise made sometime prior to the trip.
Kirk- who due to an old injury couldn’t make it but tried every way he could to complete the tour, was not present and missed by all.
We all had a great tour, no one had an accident, and the group got on well. The tour was long enough to give me a stripped tan on my forehead again. Heading north into the sun with the bike helmet on insures this will happen. We must now make the transition back to normal life. As Bernie has said though, this is normal the other life is not.
Comments from the Tour Participants:
Joe writes…..this has been a great experience – a dream fulfilled! I am amazed at how the Lord gave us the energy to climb the mountains every day again. What a thrill to see the beautiful landscape of NZ while riding a bike. What a blessing to have just great weather every day again. This will be an experience Margaret and I will never forget – so many fond memories – so many laughs. I feel so richly blessed to have been part of this group - the fellowship was great….What an awesome way to spend retirement!
Margaret writes…..what a privilege to be able to cook meals for this motley crew….no one ever complained about what was on the table – the food all disappeared and very quickly. Can’t find words to describe everything we experienced – even our pictures won’t capture the beauty of this country. What an awesome God we have! We rejoiced each day when all the cyclists had safely made it to their destination.
One last comment….whatever happened in New Zealand will stay in New Zealand!!!!
Rita Beerda writes….Wow, what an awesome journey!! How can I begin to describe this amazing experience: Now that the trip is done, it’s hard to comprehend what we have completed and that we actually did it. If I would have known how many hills we had to climb and that New Zealand is so mountainous, I’m not sure I would have signed up for this trip but now that we’ve completed our journey, I have no regrets. What a beautiful part of God’s magnificent creation! We have experienced so much variety in scenery and landscapes. In spite of some difficult days, it has been a wonderful month. We’ve made new friendships and had so much fun as a group spending this time together and supporting one another. Margaret and the support team did an awesome job of feeding us and making sure we all made it in at the end of each day. My thanks goes out to Bill for all the work he put into the planning and logistics of this trip. Every day was a new experience. This is a trip I will not forget for many years. I also thank God for all the prayers of our families and friends. The weather was awesome throughout the trip with only two rainy days and we were all arrived at our journey’s end in safety. Praise God!!
Peter writes….First of all I want to thank God for looking after each and everyone of us during the trip and bringing us safely to this point. New Zealand really is a beautiful country and we really experienced that along the way by the scenery and the people we met along the way. Each day was a new challenge for us whether it was the steep hills, the wind or the rain but we all rose to the challenge and felt good at the end of each day. It was great that Rita and myself could experience the trip together although we did lose patience with each other from time to time. It will be great for us to talk about this trip with our children and grandchildren for years to come. I had thought of sending a report to Church Council of everyone’s conduct during the trip but will refrain from doing so until such time that I need a big favour from someone. Thanks to everyone on the support team, to Bill and Rita for planning the trip and to my fellow riders for the great memories we will have for years to come.
Trish writes….What an experience!
If I let my mind go back over the last month it feels like looking into a kaleidoscope. Green hills, mountains, narrow roads-watching for cyclists-sheep-lakes-looking for cyclists-spotting one-small group-stopping-making coffee-peeling an orange-hearing the bell bird-different vegetation-tree ferns-gum trees-kiwi orchards-grape vines-stopping to buy food-noticing how wide, how narrow the shoulder is-big lumber trucks-cheering Rita up the hills-Ton’s special signal that he needs support, his hanky flying from his bike bag-Bill’s big grin as we pass him and Rita on a hill.
Mountains-always more climbs-wondering how they do it. Trying to keep track of the money pot-yes-me-a rather detail challenged person asked to keep track of the money. It went ok-with Margaret’s calculator-Anna’s money belt-Ton’s help-Bill’s computer keeping it straight. Teresa and Jesse our navigator and driver, we couldn’t have done it without them. Celebrating Ton’s 72nd birthday far away from home and family but doing what he loves, surrounded by a unique bunch of friends. The comradery, Margaret’s wonderful meals, seeing the dolphins in Milford Sound, the Mauri village, the hot springs, the hostels. Meeting Donna and Chris, the evening and delicious meal at their home at the ocean, ending each day with Bible reading and prayer. The gratitude felt by each member, the awe that we have such a wonderful God that He has given us the chance to experience his wonderful creation and that He was with us all the way in this amazing kaleidoscope experience of New Zealand.
Anna writes;
My job as part of the support team was tracker. It became easier as the month went on because I never knew any of them before the trip and now we’re almost as close as family. Observing the cyclists persevere in this hilly (actually mountainous) and windy country has given me great admiration for them all, especially considering all their ages. God has blessed us with no casualties, much safety, great weather and fun in a country whose landscape changes drastically within very short distances. I’ve gained a new appreciation for our Creator once again!!
In total we had 23 flat tires but I’m sure we’ve consumed many more “flat whites”.
Thanks to Bill Wybenga for organizing this wonderful vacation adventure for us.
Adrian writes:
I joined the biking trip to New Zealand with fear and trepidation. When I initially replied to Bill’s questionnaire I replied that my average speed was around twenty- five km. I really did not know my average speed. I had never biked 100km at any one time.
I came thinking I could always just take pictures and I would have enjoyed that.
On this NZ trip I clocked 2180 km on my Trek 3000.
It was an exhilarating trip. The views all around were breathtaking. .
Many times I just wanted to ride and sing much to the chagrin of Joe and Dora riding with me. For me it became a joy and challenge to ride each day. Having said this, if I do not see another hill or valley, this could be none to soon.
After some thought and reflection, I have come to the conclusion that this country would be wonderful to see in an automobile.
Tjisse writes:
We had a great adventure, found new friends; experienced a different method of traveling, stayed in a different hostel each night, and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. I hope I was helpful to the bicyclists. On the whole I had a great adventure
Teresa writes:
I was in charge of navigation for the support vehicle. It was always difficult to direct right or left when driving on the other side of the road, or staying stop because I can’t find the signs so fast. It has been a very interesting trip, finding stores for shopping, cafes for flat white coffees (which weren’t always at designated stops) and hostels for the night. Sometimes we had to return to find some straggling cyclists.
This was a good way to see most of New Zealand, in a way that most people miss.
Dora writes:
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and it is back to reality for everyone. This trip has been an amazing journey and each and every day brought on new challenges and experiences. I think the beauty of NZ that you see climbing up a mountain pass or going down the other side will always be etched in my mind. The sheep on the side of a hill, the unique bird sounds and the many samples of road kill will also stay with me for a long time to come. The beauty of NZ is unforgettable but so are the people that were on the tour. It was a great group and at the end of each challenging day we could sit back and relax and share some great times and some great laughs. For me the beginning of the trip started off with a challenge and the last day of cycling was also a challenge because of the weather more than the terrain. But I have totally enjoyed the whole experience and I am so glad I was able to be a part of this amazing journey!
Bernie writes:
This was a fantastic adventure. New Zealand may be a relatively small country but it has so much variety in terms of landscape, vegetation and fauna. I was surprised to see trees that although recognizable (cedar, oak etc.) were still slightly different. The cycling was tough at times (elevation gains, rough pavement and winds on the last day) but the scenery was always spectacular. The weather was exceptionally warm. I even got sunburn and needed to use sunscreen over 85 % of the time. We have come to appreciate “flat whites” (coffees) but don’t expect to get a flat white for less than $3.20. There are lots of things to see (sheep, cows, red deer, coast lines, snow capped mountains, rain forests, palm trees, hot springs, vineyards, orchards and road killed possums. Did I mention mountains? The camaraderie was a continuation of our Sea-to-Sea tour with lots of reminiscing taking place. John Koning and I rode together most of the time. He is an excellent climber and on the really tough climbs he left me behind. I’m anxious to weigh myself, as I’m sure that I perspired away a few un-needed pounds (kilos). In summary, I thoroughly enjoyed the physical challenges, scenery, people and group experience of cycling through New Zealand.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Coromandel to Pukekohe
Dora came in shouting “It’s pouring” and sure enough she wasn’t kidding. It didn’t last long that first time but 2km down the road; when we were fixing our first blowout it was raining again. I only had one tube with me and foolishly hadn’t repaired it the previous night, so it was patch on the road.
We were OK for about 5 km and nearing the top of the first major climb when the rear tyre was going flat again. Ton had given me a tube for his bike as back-up but his tyres are much narrower than mine so I was hesitant to use it. At this point however it became a necessity and so I put it in. I had not been able to find any cause for these punctures in either the tyre or the rim. As I was inflating the tube Rita noticed a bulge on the sidewall and I decided that we shouldn’t ride it but that I should ride by myself keeping the weight off of the rear wheel. It is difficult to walk in my riding shoes and I had packed my sandals since we would not be sight seeing today. I would try to get to the first stop and send help or she would try to hitch a ride.
Riding a tandem by yourself is like driving a tractor trailer. The bike didn’t handle well on the downhill on the rough wet pavement so I had to descend very slowly. Once on the flats I was going along well when all of a sudden the front tyre went soft. I tried riding with it flat but that made the bike a lot more difficult to handle so I gave up on that too and parked the bike and waited.
It is amazing what you see waiting on the side of the road. It was garbage day and the green boxes had been emptied so two of those made a good seat. I was pretty wet from the rain but now it had stopped again and the wind was picking up. I put my seat in the ditch and leaned back against the steep outer grass bank and warmed myself when the sun came out from time to time. There was nobody home in the yellow and black snail shell at my feet. I marveled at the perfect form of this unique home, even thought about keeping it as a souvenir. The clouds overhead were going in two directions, a dog started barking when I clapped my hands to warm up. A young maiden with a big smile came walking across the road toward me, her arms were wide open. It was Rita who had go a lift to here. She continued walking down the road in order to stay warm and I continued to sit by the road and wait.
A while later along came the van and there was Rita again. She had got another lift and the van had been preparing to come back for us in any case. We loaded up the tandem and hitched a ride to the lunch stop. The bike store in Thames did not have the tire I needed so we packed in our ride for the day and for New Zealand. Too bad we couldn’t finish but we were the lucky ones.
The rain had stopped some time ago but the west wind had really increased. Just past Thames the road heads west across a flat area; which must be 10-15 km across. It had started to rain again. Last to leave Thames where Peter and Rita. Joe, Adrian and Dora had left shortly after we had arrived; Ton was ahead of them. Bernie and John we hadn’t seen but were also ahead. We met the threesome on the side of the road and left them with some food and drink. Ton was found almost across the flats still fighting the headwind. He too took on nourishment. We caught Bernie and John after the flats and back in the hills and left them with some extra food.
Auckland was not far away at this point and the highways were joining together with the main motorway about to start. The best road into Pukekohe from this point was not entirely clear on the maps. We wanted to check things out for the riders and it is good that we did because the road beside the motorway was small, curvy and very hilly. We posted people at the intersection to tell people to stay on the motorway instead while we went on to town to find the hotel and drop the trailer.
Margaret started preparing soup for the riders while the van returned to the route to find them. Bernie and John found a different and longer route to the hotel. The van found Ton and had passed him instructions and a map but he had a flat tyre about 5 km out and a compassionate motorist brought him soaking wet to the motel. A long tome later, after it was already dark the three-some pulled in on there own steam wet, cold and tired. Close to 7 the van showed up with Peter and Rita. They had wanted to continue but it was too dark and pouring rain again making it too dangerous so the support team pulled them off the road.
We had intended to go out for dinner but those plans changed to order in pizza. Peter and I went out to find some dessert and were successful in finding some large decorated muffins; which finished off the meal.
All in all it was not the day we had hoped for but certainly one we will all remember.
Dora came in shouting “It’s pouring” and sure enough she wasn’t kidding. It didn’t last long that first time but 2km down the road; when we were fixing our first blowout it was raining again. I only had one tube with me and foolishly hadn’t repaired it the previous night, so it was patch on the road.
We were OK for about 5 km and nearing the top of the first major climb when the rear tyre was going flat again. Ton had given me a tube for his bike as back-up but his tyres are much narrower than mine so I was hesitant to use it. At this point however it became a necessity and so I put it in. I had not been able to find any cause for these punctures in either the tyre or the rim. As I was inflating the tube Rita noticed a bulge on the sidewall and I decided that we shouldn’t ride it but that I should ride by myself keeping the weight off of the rear wheel. It is difficult to walk in my riding shoes and I had packed my sandals since we would not be sight seeing today. I would try to get to the first stop and send help or she would try to hitch a ride.
Riding a tandem by yourself is like driving a tractor trailer. The bike didn’t handle well on the downhill on the rough wet pavement so I had to descend very slowly. Once on the flats I was going along well when all of a sudden the front tyre went soft. I tried riding with it flat but that made the bike a lot more difficult to handle so I gave up on that too and parked the bike and waited.
It is amazing what you see waiting on the side of the road. It was garbage day and the green boxes had been emptied so two of those made a good seat. I was pretty wet from the rain but now it had stopped again and the wind was picking up. I put my seat in the ditch and leaned back against the steep outer grass bank and warmed myself when the sun came out from time to time. There was nobody home in the yellow and black snail shell at my feet. I marveled at the perfect form of this unique home, even thought about keeping it as a souvenir. The clouds overhead were going in two directions, a dog started barking when I clapped my hands to warm up. A young maiden with a big smile came walking across the road toward me, her arms were wide open. It was Rita who had go a lift to here. She continued walking down the road in order to stay warm and I continued to sit by the road and wait.
A while later along came the van and there was Rita again. She had got another lift and the van had been preparing to come back for us in any case. We loaded up the tandem and hitched a ride to the lunch stop. The bike store in Thames did not have the tire I needed so we packed in our ride for the day and for New Zealand. Too bad we couldn’t finish but we were the lucky ones.
The rain had stopped some time ago but the west wind had really increased. Just past Thames the road heads west across a flat area; which must be 10-15 km across. It had started to rain again. Last to leave Thames where Peter and Rita. Joe, Adrian and Dora had left shortly after we had arrived; Ton was ahead of them. Bernie and John we hadn’t seen but were also ahead. We met the threesome on the side of the road and left them with some food and drink. Ton was found almost across the flats still fighting the headwind. He too took on nourishment. We caught Bernie and John after the flats and back in the hills and left them with some extra food.
Auckland was not far away at this point and the highways were joining together with the main motorway about to start. The best road into Pukekohe from this point was not entirely clear on the maps. We wanted to check things out for the riders and it is good that we did because the road beside the motorway was small, curvy and very hilly. We posted people at the intersection to tell people to stay on the motorway instead while we went on to town to find the hotel and drop the trailer.
Margaret started preparing soup for the riders while the van returned to the route to find them. Bernie and John found a different and longer route to the hotel. The van found Ton and had passed him instructions and a map but he had a flat tyre about 5 km out and a compassionate motorist brought him soaking wet to the motel. A long tome later, after it was already dark the three-some pulled in on there own steam wet, cold and tired. Close to 7 the van showed up with Peter and Rita. They had wanted to continue but it was too dark and pouring rain again making it too dangerous so the support team pulled them off the road.
We had intended to go out for dinner but those plans changed to order in pizza. Peter and I went out to find some dessert and were successful in finding some large decorated muffins; which finished off the meal.
All in all it was not the day we had hoped for but certainly one we will all remember.
Hahei Beach to Coromandel Town
I was dancing on the sand trying to stay in the air with both feet at the same time, very difficult to do for a long period. Hot Water Beach doesn’t imply that the sand is hot too!
I had walked across the area where, at low tide, the boiling hot water seeps out of the ground and flows through and on top of the sand. Luckily it wasn’t very wide and I was able to move off of it keeping both feet more or less in the air. Once recovered I managed to find a more temperate spot, dig a hole just in the right place so that as I heated up another wave would come along and cool me off and so the cycle would repeat itself. The only problem was keeping my coffee out of the waves (see photo) and the time between waves was not always consistent. We all had fun but 2 days later the sand is still not out of my bathing suit.
In order to catch the low tide we had to be at the beach around 6:30 AM so we saw the sun rise over the ocean. We piled 14 people into the van for the 12 km drive to the beach enabling us to do it in one trip. After the beach we drove over to Cathedral Cove, well at least the parking lot but it was way above the sea level. It was a 45minute walk to the cove so the van went back to the unit as most people were still wet from the beach.
We had the morning to spend in the area but many of the cyclists went on their ride to Coromandel rather than return to the Cove after breakfast. Only John, Rita and I returned with our bikes and took in the walk to the beaches. Cathedral cove is very picturesque, too bad the day was a bit overcast, but from the photos you will get the idea.
The walk meant that we started biking after noon hour. It was to be 56km ride and it would have been had we not made a wrong turn. By the time we realized our mistake and got back on course we had logged an extra 12 km. My energy level seemed to die at that point. We had to take a short ferry ride on a small boat and had difficulty getting the tandem on to it. The only cafes we could find in Whitianga were closed so we ate lunch along the shore. The large steep hill directly after lunch was tough enough but the flat tire on the way down meant we had to stop again. It was a good thing the car in front of us was going slower than I wanted to go and that it was a slow leak so I had no trouble stopping the bike. A quick tube change and we were off again, still looking for a coffee shop with none in site. The sun was out now and it was quite hot. The last climb of the day a 350m rise was over 3 km long and pretty well all in the lowest gear. This was the easy side of the hill we found out as we descended the other side. The photo shows the start of the descent looking out over the Hauraki Gulf. For the descent I used the full drag brake and my hands were sore from pulling on the two caliper brakes. Some corners had to be taken at 15 kph.
The Anchor Lodge was a welcome sight. The hot tub went over especially well. The two Ritas, Peter and I were the last ones in so the beer was already chilled for us.
One more day to ride; and what a day it would be.
I was dancing on the sand trying to stay in the air with both feet at the same time, very difficult to do for a long period. Hot Water Beach doesn’t imply that the sand is hot too!
I had walked across the area where, at low tide, the boiling hot water seeps out of the ground and flows through and on top of the sand. Luckily it wasn’t very wide and I was able to move off of it keeping both feet more or less in the air. Once recovered I managed to find a more temperate spot, dig a hole just in the right place so that as I heated up another wave would come along and cool me off and so the cycle would repeat itself. The only problem was keeping my coffee out of the waves (see photo) and the time between waves was not always consistent. We all had fun but 2 days later the sand is still not out of my bathing suit.
In order to catch the low tide we had to be at the beach around 6:30 AM so we saw the sun rise over the ocean. We piled 14 people into the van for the 12 km drive to the beach enabling us to do it in one trip. After the beach we drove over to Cathedral Cove, well at least the parking lot but it was way above the sea level. It was a 45minute walk to the cove so the van went back to the unit as most people were still wet from the beach.
We had the morning to spend in the area but many of the cyclists went on their ride to Coromandel rather than return to the Cove after breakfast. Only John, Rita and I returned with our bikes and took in the walk to the beaches. Cathedral cove is very picturesque, too bad the day was a bit overcast, but from the photos you will get the idea.
The walk meant that we started biking after noon hour. It was to be 56km ride and it would have been had we not made a wrong turn. By the time we realized our mistake and got back on course we had logged an extra 12 km. My energy level seemed to die at that point. We had to take a short ferry ride on a small boat and had difficulty getting the tandem on to it. The only cafes we could find in Whitianga were closed so we ate lunch along the shore. The large steep hill directly after lunch was tough enough but the flat tire on the way down meant we had to stop again. It was a good thing the car in front of us was going slower than I wanted to go and that it was a slow leak so I had no trouble stopping the bike. A quick tube change and we were off again, still looking for a coffee shop with none in site. The sun was out now and it was quite hot. The last climb of the day a 350m rise was over 3 km long and pretty well all in the lowest gear. This was the easy side of the hill we found out as we descended the other side. The photo shows the start of the descent looking out over the Hauraki Gulf. For the descent I used the full drag brake and my hands were sore from pulling on the two caliper brakes. Some corners had to be taken at 15 kph.
The Anchor Lodge was a welcome sight. The hot tub went over especially well. The two Ritas, Peter and I were the last ones in so the beer was already chilled for us.
One more day to ride; and what a day it would be.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Waihi to Hahei Beach
Sorry to my readers but the computer this morning wouldn’t download text from a memory stick so that is why only the photos were posted. Today the computer charges are outrageous so I’ll have to wait one more day to post. Technology still has a way to go.
The first picture today was taken at the beach house on Monday night. That is Donna in the bare feet, our hostess for the night.
The day broke clear and warm, another perfect day coming. Before breakfast I went down to the beach to catch some morning light on the outgoing tide.
Only four of us took the side road to the scheduled coffee spot and what a beautiful side trip it was. For those of you haven’t seen much less tasted a flat white I thought I would post a picture for you. This is also so those on the trip can remember with fondness one of these little delights here. I could have spent the whole day on beach and surrounds in this little spot, perfect in so many ways, put yourself in the posted picture and imagine.
Oh yah the ride; almost forgot. A true cyclist will search out hills and curves. Well today was a day for true cyclists. All the other riders we saw on the road today also attest to this. We had to negotiate 3 major climbs of 200m, beautiful curvy roads on the way up and down, in addition to the numerous smaller hills over the course of the 103 km day. Rita is finally relaxing enough to lean into the corners with me and is not afraid that she will fall off the bike any longer. This makes cornering much easier. The good pavement and taking the whole lane made the descents a dream, with beautiful views all around. The temperatures were in the mid 20s or higher causing the sweat to drip constantly from my head as we climbed, out of the wind and in the sun.
As we approached Hahei beach we had another hill to climb before going down into the village. We could see the coastline in this beautiful area. The pictures show the cliffs and hills reaching into the water and between them fine sand beaches. The water temperature is nice but after a day in the saddle a dip in it really cools you down and both nights now I have had to put on extra clothes to keep warm as a result.
The chili, salad and garlic toast washed down by a beer or two really hit the spot. Early to bed tonight so we hit Hot Water Beach at low tide, 7:15 AM! Good night.
Sorry to my readers but the computer this morning wouldn’t download text from a memory stick so that is why only the photos were posted. Today the computer charges are outrageous so I’ll have to wait one more day to post. Technology still has a way to go.
The first picture today was taken at the beach house on Monday night. That is Donna in the bare feet, our hostess for the night.
The day broke clear and warm, another perfect day coming. Before breakfast I went down to the beach to catch some morning light on the outgoing tide.
Only four of us took the side road to the scheduled coffee spot and what a beautiful side trip it was. For those of you haven’t seen much less tasted a flat white I thought I would post a picture for you. This is also so those on the trip can remember with fondness one of these little delights here. I could have spent the whole day on beach and surrounds in this little spot, perfect in so many ways, put yourself in the posted picture and imagine.
Oh yah the ride; almost forgot. A true cyclist will search out hills and curves. Well today was a day for true cyclists. All the other riders we saw on the road today also attest to this. We had to negotiate 3 major climbs of 200m, beautiful curvy roads on the way up and down, in addition to the numerous smaller hills over the course of the 103 km day. Rita is finally relaxing enough to lean into the corners with me and is not afraid that she will fall off the bike any longer. This makes cornering much easier. The good pavement and taking the whole lane made the descents a dream, with beautiful views all around. The temperatures were in the mid 20s or higher causing the sweat to drip constantly from my head as we climbed, out of the wind and in the sun.
As we approached Hahei beach we had another hill to climb before going down into the village. We could see the coastline in this beautiful area. The pictures show the cliffs and hills reaching into the water and between them fine sand beaches. The water temperature is nice but after a day in the saddle a dip in it really cools you down and both nights now I have had to put on extra clothes to keep warm as a result.
The chili, salad and garlic toast washed down by a beer or two really hit the spot. Early to bed tonight so we hit Hot Water Beach at low tide, 7:15 AM! Good night.
Rotorua to Waihi Beach
By 8:30 all the riders had departed Trek’s Backpackers, an early start to the 155km day. Although this was the farthest distance for any day in the tour there was much less climbing than some days and so we didn’t anticipate a hard day. The sun was out and it was cool enough for a coat and leggings. The first flat-white stop was a short 20km away since this was the last town for another 30km. The morning ride was mostly downhill since we were heading for the coast again. In addition there was a tail wind for this first 50km stretch so my average speed was up around 35kph.
The plan was to tour a Kiwi growing operation for our first lunch break, but since it was a long riding day several of the group decided to keep going. Those who took the tour learned about why the volcanic soil combined with the local climate is idea for growing almost any fruit. The kiwi came from China in the early 1900s and the New Zealanders have genetically modified it to produce the Hayward variety we know today. One mature 7-70 year old vine will produce about 1000 pieces of fruit a year. They plant 1 male vine among 4 female vines and count on bees to cross-pollinate the plants. It takes 6-7 months for the fruit to grow. New Zealand has developed other varieties of the fruit; which are slowly being introduced to the market. New Zealand grows about ¼ of the world supply.
After the tour we had a mere 100km to ride yet but it was just past noon when we left so there was time enough. The wind seemed to be shifting a lot, sometimes for us and sometimes against us. The land was a little more rolling than we expected since we were riding close to the ocean. A short break to eat and rest the hindquarter and then another one within about 25km of our destination got us to Waihi Beach around 4 in the afternoon. The sun had not set behind the hill yet so after a quick beer I went for a swim in the waves. The water was a nice temperature and the salt didn’t taste much different than the water usually running down my face.
We were invited out to a fish fry at a beach house owned by an acquaintance of one of the riders and had a great meal and great company, learning more about the area and life in New Zealand.
By 8:30 all the riders had departed Trek’s Backpackers, an early start to the 155km day. Although this was the farthest distance for any day in the tour there was much less climbing than some days and so we didn’t anticipate a hard day. The sun was out and it was cool enough for a coat and leggings. The first flat-white stop was a short 20km away since this was the last town for another 30km. The morning ride was mostly downhill since we were heading for the coast again. In addition there was a tail wind for this first 50km stretch so my average speed was up around 35kph.
The plan was to tour a Kiwi growing operation for our first lunch break, but since it was a long riding day several of the group decided to keep going. Those who took the tour learned about why the volcanic soil combined with the local climate is idea for growing almost any fruit. The kiwi came from China in the early 1900s and the New Zealanders have genetically modified it to produce the Hayward variety we know today. One mature 7-70 year old vine will produce about 1000 pieces of fruit a year. They plant 1 male vine among 4 female vines and count on bees to cross-pollinate the plants. It takes 6-7 months for the fruit to grow. New Zealand has developed other varieties of the fruit; which are slowly being introduced to the market. New Zealand grows about ¼ of the world supply.
After the tour we had a mere 100km to ride yet but it was just past noon when we left so there was time enough. The wind seemed to be shifting a lot, sometimes for us and sometimes against us. The land was a little more rolling than we expected since we were riding close to the ocean. A short break to eat and rest the hindquarter and then another one within about 25km of our destination got us to Waihi Beach around 4 in the afternoon. The sun had not set behind the hill yet so after a quick beer I went for a swim in the waves. The water was a nice temperature and the salt didn’t taste much different than the water usually running down my face.
We were invited out to a fish fry at a beach house owned by an acquaintance of one of the riders and had a great meal and great company, learning more about the area and life in New Zealand.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Taupo to Rotorua
Taupo to Rotorua
Our first and only disappointment for the day was that there was no café in Broadlands. This was to be our first stop for the morning at 32 km into the ride. The sun was out, although it was still quite cool at 9 AM, so cool that I borrowed Rita’s jacket having packed mine away in an overly optimistic moment. We had already ridden by numerous steam plumes coming out of fields and small lake sides.
A short 23km later we were at the lunch stop and major sightseeing spot for the day, the Waimangu Thermal area and site of many hydrothermal eruptions. The biggest of the recent activity was the 1886 Tarawera Eruption which completely obliterated all vegetation seen in the posted photo and for miles around. The hydrothermal activity present today and seen in the pictures started after that explosion. There is much more detail available and if you want to learn more you can check out www.waimangu.com.
The whole group took the self-guided trail down to Lake Rotomahana some 4 km away and not only saw but also felt and smelled the thermal activity. Inferno Lake is the hottest having a surface temperature of up to 80C. All were impressed by this awesome display of nature in this unsettled area.
The remainder of the ride was about 20km with the last 10-12 sloping down to the tourist mecca of Rotorua. This town has its own more compact geothermal park and also a Maori cultural center; around all of which a thriving tourism industry has been developed.
Tomorrow, Easter Sunday, we will attend a local church, where I hope to meet up with an old friend through work Alex Wood who some of the blog readers also know.
Our first and only disappointment for the day was that there was no café in Broadlands. This was to be our first stop for the morning at 32 km into the ride. The sun was out, although it was still quite cool at 9 AM, so cool that I borrowed Rita’s jacket having packed mine away in an overly optimistic moment. We had already ridden by numerous steam plumes coming out of fields and small lake sides.
A short 23km later we were at the lunch stop and major sightseeing spot for the day, the Waimangu Thermal area and site of many hydrothermal eruptions. The biggest of the recent activity was the 1886 Tarawera Eruption which completely obliterated all vegetation seen in the posted photo and for miles around. The hydrothermal activity present today and seen in the pictures started after that explosion. There is much more detail available and if you want to learn more you can check out www.waimangu.com.
The whole group took the self-guided trail down to Lake Rotomahana some 4 km away and not only saw but also felt and smelled the thermal activity. Inferno Lake is the hottest having a surface temperature of up to 80C. All were impressed by this awesome display of nature in this unsettled area.
The remainder of the ride was about 20km with the last 10-12 sloping down to the tourist mecca of Rotorua. This town has its own more compact geothermal park and also a Maori cultural center; around all of which a thriving tourism industry has been developed.
Tomorrow, Easter Sunday, we will attend a local church, where I hope to meet up with an old friend through work Alex Wood who some of the blog readers also know.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Taupo
I ws not going to post today but here I am.
Eleven of us went on a 5 hour cruise on Lake Taupo today. The weather was magnificent as was the scenery. I have posted 3 pictures but as usual we saw many more cliffs and beaches. This lake is actually a volcano crater formed 1900 years ago by the biggest explosion know from such a source The volume of rock and earth moved was about 100 cubic kilometers (1oo km x100 km x 100km) Mount St helens was a puff compared to this. The lake is approximately 40x 60 km and over 1km deep in some places. It was formerly a mountain.
After the cruise we went to the hot stream comming into the main river from the lake. It was in a natural setting along the river. Sorry no pics of that, my batteries werre flat. We will have several more in the coming week.
Happy Easter to all. Kirk got home safely. The Tsunami (sp?) didn't affect us.
Eleven of us went on a 5 hour cruise on Lake Taupo today. The weather was magnificent as was the scenery. I have posted 3 pictures but as usual we saw many more cliffs and beaches. This lake is actually a volcano crater formed 1900 years ago by the biggest explosion know from such a source The volume of rock and earth moved was about 100 cubic kilometers (1oo km x100 km x 100km) Mount St helens was a puff compared to this. The lake is approximately 40x 60 km and over 1km deep in some places. It was formerly a mountain.
After the cruise we went to the hot stream comming into the main river from the lake. It was in a natural setting along the river. Sorry no pics of that, my batteries werre flat. We will have several more in the coming week.
Happy Easter to all. Kirk got home safely. The Tsunami (sp?) didn't affect us.
Napier to Taupo
The Indonesian dinner was great; 16 courses of various dishes including beef, pork, vegetables, mangos, bananas and rice. It had started raining before dinner but stopped in time for some to walk to the restaurant.
In the morning the skies looked rather threatening so we all prepared for rain before leaving the prison (see photo). We actually did sleep in the old cells for the night.
Everyone packed a larger than usual lunch and had more breakfast than normal in preparation for the 143km ride which I figured would take 7-10 hours depending on the rider and break frequency. We were the last to leave the jail at around 8:30. The road followed the ocean for the first 15 km before turning inland. Soon after changing direction we noticed the climb starting although it was irregular at this point. The winds were not in our favor at this point so we hunkered down for a long hard day.
My theory is that you should eat at least every hour starting an hour into the ride so that you don’t run out of steam. This has severed me well on the long rides across Canada when I used to eat every ½ hour. Rita however thinks you need to be hungry to eat and that is true under normal circumstances but this is far from normal. As a result I’m force-feeding her all the time and I get the usual protest every time “but I’m not hungry” and I say, “eat” in response.
The café at the first stop, 44 km out, was closed so we ate in the cold clouds outside. The next stop was at the top of the second major climb another 20 km down the road. They were open and we had our first lunch there shortly after 12 along with a flat white.
By lunchtime we had already climbed around 1100m. It turned out that the second part of the first climb was the steepest, a steady climb for over 3 km in the lowest gear at 7-8 kph. The second climb was about 400m high but we managed to go up it in second gear at 8-9kph. The total climbing I use is only the major climbs of the day not all the little undulations in between of which there are many as you can see from the various photos. Very little of this country is flat. The decent from the first climb was rather steep. I had my drag brake on full and if I released the hand brakes the bike was soon going over 60kph and my stoker starts to complain over that. It was not safe going into turns at that speed on a wet road not knowing what is around the corner either. With the bike stationary it is very difficult to turn the rear wheel with the drag brake on so it is quite effective.
The second part of the ride had one remaining major climb at 300m high but was not a continuous climb, more insteps of varying steepness. The wind direction changed from here on to a tail wind of about 20-25kph, which helped on this climb. We followed along the plateau for a while till we got to our second lunch stop (the café here was also closed!) at the 105km mark. After eating copious amounts of peanut butter sandwiches we set off again. We had met up with Bernie and John at every stop and they had gone off ahead of us here. Another 10 km of fairly flat road at speeds of around 45-55kph (see what peanut butter will do for you) before the gradual decent into Taupo over the remaining 30km. The Rumba has excellent gearing for speed, with 60kph being quite doable in the highest gear and I used all of it.
When we entered town Bernie and John were waiting for us because Bernie had changed shirts part way through the ride and left his directions in the wet shirt. Together we made our way to the hostel where we are staying for the next two nights. Total riding time 6:24 and total elapse time about 7:15, average speed 22.2kph.
The other Rita decided quite early in the day to let her husband Peter have a more challenging day on his own so Peter rode with Joe, Ton, Dora and Adrian for the rest of the day.
Tomorrow we have a day off. Some of us will take a boat cruise and others will find other sights to see.
I do not expect to post tomorrow.
The Indonesian dinner was great; 16 courses of various dishes including beef, pork, vegetables, mangos, bananas and rice. It had started raining before dinner but stopped in time for some to walk to the restaurant.
In the morning the skies looked rather threatening so we all prepared for rain before leaving the prison (see photo). We actually did sleep in the old cells for the night.
Everyone packed a larger than usual lunch and had more breakfast than normal in preparation for the 143km ride which I figured would take 7-10 hours depending on the rider and break frequency. We were the last to leave the jail at around 8:30. The road followed the ocean for the first 15 km before turning inland. Soon after changing direction we noticed the climb starting although it was irregular at this point. The winds were not in our favor at this point so we hunkered down for a long hard day.
My theory is that you should eat at least every hour starting an hour into the ride so that you don’t run out of steam. This has severed me well on the long rides across Canada when I used to eat every ½ hour. Rita however thinks you need to be hungry to eat and that is true under normal circumstances but this is far from normal. As a result I’m force-feeding her all the time and I get the usual protest every time “but I’m not hungry” and I say, “eat” in response.
The café at the first stop, 44 km out, was closed so we ate in the cold clouds outside. The next stop was at the top of the second major climb another 20 km down the road. They were open and we had our first lunch there shortly after 12 along with a flat white.
By lunchtime we had already climbed around 1100m. It turned out that the second part of the first climb was the steepest, a steady climb for over 3 km in the lowest gear at 7-8 kph. The second climb was about 400m high but we managed to go up it in second gear at 8-9kph. The total climbing I use is only the major climbs of the day not all the little undulations in between of which there are many as you can see from the various photos. Very little of this country is flat. The decent from the first climb was rather steep. I had my drag brake on full and if I released the hand brakes the bike was soon going over 60kph and my stoker starts to complain over that. It was not safe going into turns at that speed on a wet road not knowing what is around the corner either. With the bike stationary it is very difficult to turn the rear wheel with the drag brake on so it is quite effective.
The second part of the ride had one remaining major climb at 300m high but was not a continuous climb, more insteps of varying steepness. The wind direction changed from here on to a tail wind of about 20-25kph, which helped on this climb. We followed along the plateau for a while till we got to our second lunch stop (the café here was also closed!) at the 105km mark. After eating copious amounts of peanut butter sandwiches we set off again. We had met up with Bernie and John at every stop and they had gone off ahead of us here. Another 10 km of fairly flat road at speeds of around 45-55kph (see what peanut butter will do for you) before the gradual decent into Taupo over the remaining 30km. The Rumba has excellent gearing for speed, with 60kph being quite doable in the highest gear and I used all of it.
When we entered town Bernie and John were waiting for us because Bernie had changed shirts part way through the ride and left his directions in the wet shirt. Together we made our way to the hostel where we are staying for the next two nights. Total riding time 6:24 and total elapse time about 7:15, average speed 22.2kph.
The other Rita decided quite early in the day to let her husband Peter have a more challenging day on his own so Peter rode with Joe, Ton, Dora and Adrian for the rest of the day.
Tomorrow we have a day off. Some of us will take a boat cruise and others will find other sights to see.
I do not expect to post tomorrow.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Ormondville to Napier
First let me appolgize for the lack of road picture for yesterday. The day before I had set the camera for movie mode and forgotten to rest it for still photos so all my shots were movies with poor reolution and not worth posting.
Ormondville to Napier
Dinner last night was enjoyed by all. We had a lamb roast; which Val explained was a meal eaten here on special occasions, much like we have a turkey meal in Canada. Dessert was Pavlova; which is basically egg white whipped and a topping added. We met and talked with a few of the locals in the adjoining pub before and after the meal. The picture shows the room and everyone eating.
We were warned that the trains would be running throughout the night and at several intervals the cabin along the platform would start rumbling as the trains rolled through. This made the experience all the more authentic and didn’t keep me awake long.
The sun rose around 6AM and the sky was quite nice; the close-up picture of the station was taken shortly after that time. We said goodbye to our hosts after taking another group picture and set off for the day.
The route today was somewhat complex and all made notes on which way to go at the first coffee break. Rita and I were among the last to leave and found the correct road off of SH2 but we never passed any of the others. Ton was following us after making an incorrect turn and then retracing his steps. As it turns out all the others that left before us missed the turn and so were off the route. Bernie and John were behind us and did find the correct route. The 5 of us met the van at the designated spot outside of Hastings North, had lunch and continued with the van ahead to guide us through the town as planned. The van filled with anxious wives went on a search and rescue mission after that and managed to locate the other riders in two different places. All eventually arrived at the Napier Prison where we are staying for the night. The accommodations tonight are in the actual cells of this old prison. Dinner tonight is in another restaurant, this time Indonesian food, and a favorite of people of Dutch background as most of us are.
Tomorrow will be the toughest day of the whole tour. It is long at 140 km but also has by far the most climbing. From the coast we climb 700m then drop down into a valley 400m deep then right back up the 400m again and then down again before climbing back up to a plateau at around the same height. A total of 1400m of serious climbing! At least the route is simple and no one should get lost. Judging by the determination I have seen so far in this group I expect all will make it to the end. More on that tomorrow.
Ormondville to Napier
Dinner last night was enjoyed by all. We had a lamb roast; which Val explained was a meal eaten here on special occasions, much like we have a turkey meal in Canada. Dessert was Pavlova; which is basically egg white whipped and a topping added. We met and talked with a few of the locals in the adjoining pub before and after the meal. The picture shows the room and everyone eating.
We were warned that the trains would be running throughout the night and at several intervals the cabin along the platform would start rumbling as the trains rolled through. This made the experience all the more authentic and didn’t keep me awake long.
The sun rose around 6AM and the sky was quite nice; the close-up picture of the station was taken shortly after that time. We said goodbye to our hosts after taking another group picture and set off for the day.
The route today was somewhat complex and all made notes on which way to go at the first coffee break. Rita and I were among the last to leave and found the correct road off of SH2 but we never passed any of the others. Ton was following us after making an incorrect turn and then retracing his steps. As it turns out all the others that left before us missed the turn and so were off the route. Bernie and John were behind us and did find the correct route. The 5 of us met the van at the designated spot outside of Hastings North, had lunch and continued with the van ahead to guide us through the town as planned. The van filled with anxious wives went on a search and rescue mission after that and managed to locate the other riders in two different places. All eventually arrived at the Napier Prison where we are staying for the night. The accommodations tonight are in the actual cells of this old prison. Dinner tonight is in another restaurant, this time Indonesian food, and a favorite of people of Dutch background as most of us are.
Tomorrow will be the toughest day of the whole tour. It is long at 140 km but also has by far the most climbing. From the coast we climb 700m then drop down into a valley 400m deep then right back up the 400m again and then down again before climbing back up to a plateau at around the same height. A total of 1400m of serious climbing! At least the route is simple and no one should get lost. Judging by the determination I have seen so far in this group I expect all will make it to the end. More on that tomorrow.
Masterton to Ormondville
Masterton to Ormondville
The sun was already shining brightly when I awoke. We spent the night on the second floor of a large building in the center of town. The tandem was supposed to be ready around 8:30. Now I can use the complete set of gears in the low range, something that will come in handy for the big climbing day coming up on Thursday. By 8:40 we were ready to start riding, all the others had left already.
Outside of town we were introduced to the wind for the day, a rather strong headwind, in fact we had trouble staying at 20kph! First break was at a bird sanctuary where they have successfully reintroduced some of native birds back into the wild. This includes the Kiwi bird and several other non-flying species, which were almost wiped out due to habitat loss, and non-native species hunting them or eating their food supply.
After that the wind was more from the side, the flat white kicked in and we were rolling along at over 30 kph. This got us to the lunch stop rather quickly. After lunch we weren’t as energetic or maybe it was the wind change again but the speed was definitely down. At 100km we had been riding for 4 hours. The contours here are pretty flat except for Mount Bruce just before the bird sanctuary. Ice cream, beer or coffee was enjoyed at Dannevirke. This left us with 15km to go and once we found the secondary road to Ormondville it was a pleasant change from the constant traffic on Highway #2. There were a few anxious moments as we tried to find the station, but following the tracks was the right thing to do an eventually after passing through some pretty valleys Ormondville and the station appeared.
We are sleeping in the old railway station and some workers huts situated around it (see photos). The trains still rumble through here but there is no longer any passenger service. Everyone loves the place even though there is only one shower. Dinner tonight will be prepared for us, an authentic NZ lamb dinner.
The sun was already shining brightly when I awoke. We spent the night on the second floor of a large building in the center of town. The tandem was supposed to be ready around 8:30. Now I can use the complete set of gears in the low range, something that will come in handy for the big climbing day coming up on Thursday. By 8:40 we were ready to start riding, all the others had left already.
Outside of town we were introduced to the wind for the day, a rather strong headwind, in fact we had trouble staying at 20kph! First break was at a bird sanctuary where they have successfully reintroduced some of native birds back into the wild. This includes the Kiwi bird and several other non-flying species, which were almost wiped out due to habitat loss, and non-native species hunting them or eating their food supply.
After that the wind was more from the side, the flat white kicked in and we were rolling along at over 30 kph. This got us to the lunch stop rather quickly. After lunch we weren’t as energetic or maybe it was the wind change again but the speed was definitely down. At 100km we had been riding for 4 hours. The contours here are pretty flat except for Mount Bruce just before the bird sanctuary. Ice cream, beer or coffee was enjoyed at Dannevirke. This left us with 15km to go and once we found the secondary road to Ormondville it was a pleasant change from the constant traffic on Highway #2. There were a few anxious moments as we tried to find the station, but following the tracks was the right thing to do an eventually after passing through some pretty valleys Ormondville and the station appeared.
We are sleeping in the old railway station and some workers huts situated around it (see photos). The trains still rumble through here but there is no longer any passenger service. Everyone loves the place even though there is only one shower. Dinner tonight will be prepared for us, an authentic NZ lamb dinner.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Wellington to Masterton
What a difference a day makes! The old Cambridge Hotel was in the middle of the Saturday night revelry that surrounds an international ruger game here when New Zealand is playing, especially on a Saturday. Never the quietest corner of town this past evening was particularly boisterous till late at night. Rita uses earplugs to sleep because if the noise isn’t coming from outside it is from snoring on the inside when in dorm facilities (not from yours truly) so the noise didn’t bother her at all. As for me, I can sleep through almost anything. Last night, Sunday, the hotel was quiet with only the inner city garbage pickup occurring during the middle of the night.
April 1 brought out some fools in our group, but the debate is who the fools were. Dora has had the pleasure of choosing between three different men to sleep above most nights for the last few weeks. She usually takes the upper bunk you see. Well Anna and Dora decided to do some room cleaning yesterday in Dora’s dorm and make out like all the stuff had been removed from their room. The guys came home and were a little upset, so much so that the front desk person told them their stuff was safely stored. John and Adrian quickly picked up the gag and played along, got into bed and pretended not to notice anything was wrong. Now Dora’s stuff had also ‘disappeared’ but she couldn’t get into bed, having no nightclothes. When I met them in the lobby Dora and Anna where trying to figure out what to do next. The tables had been turned, how could they salvage some self-respect out of this? Dora finally found her stuff but the boys couldn’t get out of bed claiming nakedness so Dora finally had to get their stuff too. The problem with all this is that there are two more weeks to go. Who will get the last laugh?
Oh Yah the ride! I put the fear of the Rimutaka hill into the others Sunday night; steep, narrow, winding, windy, trucks. Oh did I mention it was long?
It was a nice sunny morning with a few clouds and not the strong winds we had the last two days. We had to reassemble the bikes (photo 1) first. Then the tandem led the bikes through the early morning rush hour traffic in downtown Wellington, along the 4-lane highway through Lower Hutt and eventually Upper Hutt, all the time holding a speed of about 26 kph (see photo 2). After 30km it was our intension to have another flat white but the support crew couldn’t find the coffee shop so we had a stop along the highway. This spot was strategically chosen because it was just a few km from the start of the big hill.
Refreshed we set off at our own pace for the hill. Now from this side it comes in two stages, the first being only a climb of 150m then going down 50m and level for a bit before starting the real climb of 330m. As I told Rita the secret to a big hill is finding the right gear so that the work you do is sustainable for a long time. The difference is that for strong riders this is faster than for others but if you have the right gear you climb virtually anything. Also don’t let the hill intimidate you. Signs like these…….
Mind over matter or in this case mind over hill!
You can see that weather was excellent and the view outstanding as we climbed higher and higher. The other traffic on the road was very co-operative and because of the curves it was not moving too fast either. Rita and I set an easy pace so that my breathing was no harder than it had been on the ride earlier in the morning. The contours varied so that I was switching between my lowest 3 gears during the climb.
We were all looking forward to a coffee at the café at the top but it was closed on Mondays much to our disappointment. We ate lunch and waited for the others to arrive, cheering them to the top.
In preparation for the descent Rita and some others put their jackets back on. I set the camera for ‘movie’ mode, set the drag brake and away we went. A larger freight truck had crested a few minutes before we set off and part way through the 7.5 km descent we caught up to it and the cars behind it. Bernie and Joe were also in the pack. John had passed it earlier. At a wider spot the truck pulled over momentarily and the two of them slipped by but the cars ahead of me did not. Later at another wide spot I got by too. Rita had been only too glad to be in the traffic behind the truck at the slower pace. Now wind in the helmet and both hands firmly on the brakes to control the speed in the corners we sailed down what was left of the hill. It was all too short although the brake hands didn’t mind that the road straightened out and the highest gear was engaged for a run out at 55kph. I did manage to shoot a few movie clips, a couple of which are posted.
We had agreed to meet in Greytown, about 14km from the bottom. Coffee time was now over and we enjoyed a cool Oranjeboom beer (Dutch beer what else?). After relaxing for a while and waiting for the others to catch up we set off again toward our final destination some 25 km away riding at a steady (in several ways) 30kph.
I decided to take the Rumba (tandem) into the bike shop there to have the chain shortened some so that I could use more of the gears in my low range. The shop owner is a tandem rider who has a racing tandem with aero bars (not something you eat but use to lower your wind resistance). This gentleman, now about my age, is the holder of the time record for biking from Auckland to Wellington in just over 19 hours at a speed of over 34 kph that is over 600 km!
Everyone made it all the way, and felt real good about the accomplishment. Rita confesses she had nothing to fear after all those restless nights. With another perfect cycling day behind us; we ate too much at dinner as usual.
April 1 brought out some fools in our group, but the debate is who the fools were. Dora has had the pleasure of choosing between three different men to sleep above most nights for the last few weeks. She usually takes the upper bunk you see. Well Anna and Dora decided to do some room cleaning yesterday in Dora’s dorm and make out like all the stuff had been removed from their room. The guys came home and were a little upset, so much so that the front desk person told them their stuff was safely stored. John and Adrian quickly picked up the gag and played along, got into bed and pretended not to notice anything was wrong. Now Dora’s stuff had also ‘disappeared’ but she couldn’t get into bed, having no nightclothes. When I met them in the lobby Dora and Anna where trying to figure out what to do next. The tables had been turned, how could they salvage some self-respect out of this? Dora finally found her stuff but the boys couldn’t get out of bed claiming nakedness so Dora finally had to get their stuff too. The problem with all this is that there are two more weeks to go. Who will get the last laugh?
Oh Yah the ride! I put the fear of the Rimutaka hill into the others Sunday night; steep, narrow, winding, windy, trucks. Oh did I mention it was long?
It was a nice sunny morning with a few clouds and not the strong winds we had the last two days. We had to reassemble the bikes (photo 1) first. Then the tandem led the bikes through the early morning rush hour traffic in downtown Wellington, along the 4-lane highway through Lower Hutt and eventually Upper Hutt, all the time holding a speed of about 26 kph (see photo 2). After 30km it was our intension to have another flat white but the support crew couldn’t find the coffee shop so we had a stop along the highway. This spot was strategically chosen because it was just a few km from the start of the big hill.
Refreshed we set off at our own pace for the hill. Now from this side it comes in two stages, the first being only a climb of 150m then going down 50m and level for a bit before starting the real climb of 330m. As I told Rita the secret to a big hill is finding the right gear so that the work you do is sustainable for a long time. The difference is that for strong riders this is faster than for others but if you have the right gear you climb virtually anything. Also don’t let the hill intimidate you. Signs like these…….
Mind over matter or in this case mind over hill!
You can see that weather was excellent and the view outstanding as we climbed higher and higher. The other traffic on the road was very co-operative and because of the curves it was not moving too fast either. Rita and I set an easy pace so that my breathing was no harder than it had been on the ride earlier in the morning. The contours varied so that I was switching between my lowest 3 gears during the climb.
We were all looking forward to a coffee at the café at the top but it was closed on Mondays much to our disappointment. We ate lunch and waited for the others to arrive, cheering them to the top.
In preparation for the descent Rita and some others put their jackets back on. I set the camera for ‘movie’ mode, set the drag brake and away we went. A larger freight truck had crested a few minutes before we set off and part way through the 7.5 km descent we caught up to it and the cars behind it. Bernie and Joe were also in the pack. John had passed it earlier. At a wider spot the truck pulled over momentarily and the two of them slipped by but the cars ahead of me did not. Later at another wide spot I got by too. Rita had been only too glad to be in the traffic behind the truck at the slower pace. Now wind in the helmet and both hands firmly on the brakes to control the speed in the corners we sailed down what was left of the hill. It was all too short although the brake hands didn’t mind that the road straightened out and the highest gear was engaged for a run out at 55kph. I did manage to shoot a few movie clips, a couple of which are posted.
We had agreed to meet in Greytown, about 14km from the bottom. Coffee time was now over and we enjoyed a cool Oranjeboom beer (Dutch beer what else?). After relaxing for a while and waiting for the others to catch up we set off again toward our final destination some 25 km away riding at a steady (in several ways) 30kph.
I decided to take the Rumba (tandem) into the bike shop there to have the chain shortened some so that I could use more of the gears in my low range. The shop owner is a tandem rider who has a racing tandem with aero bars (not something you eat but use to lower your wind resistance). This gentleman, now about my age, is the holder of the time record for biking from Auckland to Wellington in just over 19 hours at a speed of over 34 kph that is over 600 km!
Everyone made it all the way, and felt real good about the accomplishment. Rita confesses she had nothing to fear after all those restless nights. With another perfect cycling day behind us; we ate too much at dinner as usual.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
The Big One
We had a nice relaxing day off, found the local Reformed church and
talked with a lot of people there after the service, wandered around
this windy city on a nice sunny afternoon. Tonight most of us went out
to a Malayan restaurant for a nice meal.
After church we talked to people and they asked are you going up the Rimutaka Hill? There is that word again Hill; used rather loosely around
here I'm afraid. This is the 500m climb 40 km outside of Wellington. I
wrote about it on the way down. It is a twisty narrow bit of road which
climbs over a 7 km stretch of road and then goes right back down again
for over 500m. This is probably going to be the toughest climb of the
trip. Will everyone make it up? How long will they take to climb it?
What will the weather be like at the bottom or the top?
talked with a lot of people there after the service, wandered around
this windy city on a nice sunny afternoon. Tonight most of us went out
to a Malayan restaurant for a nice meal.
After church we talked to people and they asked are you going up the Rimutaka Hill? There is that word again Hill; used rather loosely around
here I'm afraid. This is the 500m climb 40 km outside of Wellington. I
wrote about it on the way down. It is a twisty narrow bit of road which
climbs over a 7 km stretch of road and then goes right back down again
for over 500m. This is probably going to be the toughest climb of the
trip. Will everyone make it up? How long will they take to climb it?
What will the weather be like at the bottom or the top?
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