Tag Archives: nz

Day 21 – Chores and tears

We spent the day at our friends’ place to get as many things on our new (Nina updated it while I was not looking with more boxes to tick) list of things to do.

I guess the most important thing was to get the shipping of the bike sorted out and payed. After a little exchange to ensure that we do not have to pay a particular service twice, the final number still came out way over the original quote. The two reasons here were: MCL did a great job at packing my bike secure, but with little concern for packing it down. Compared to the crate I have build myself for airlifting the bike to NZ, this one is 33% larger with less gear in it.

The other reason is that the exchange rates of the NZD vs. USD and AUD have plummeted – something that will hurt our funds continuously from here on out. All in all, this lead to an invoice about 15% over the original quote. Not Mondiale’s fault, but painful nonetheless. I’ll post final numbers for shipping once the bike is customs and bio security cleared.


Theme song for a lot of NZ for me

And the tears: Well, this was the last step, we were leaving our new home NZ for real for a while now, leaving behind new and good friends, colleagues and amazing places (side note, saying goodbye and then going to bed is weird). It was a calm and warm goodbye this one though. I cooked for the three of us in the house, something that for me tied the last three years together quite poetically. Me cooking for friends (and getting a lot better at it) is definitively something that will forever be linked to our time in NZ.

P.S.: And just for Brendan – a new Favicon!

Day 17 – stats 101

Today was a real homework day. So many boxes got ticked from our list, even some that were not on it. We are bleeding money for anything but accommodation (a huge thank you again to our Auckland friends for putting up with us).

I have a new phone, a rear tire is lined up in Melbourne, shipping payed, mails send … and most importantly: All data for NZ collated.

Country data #1: New Zealand

Full screen version of the map

  • 3388 km traveled (3223 km of GPS tracked)
  • 14 travel days, 22 days total
  • $22.90 Average cost per night (7x camping, 9x invitation)
  • 174.89 l of standard fuel for $361.78 (5.16 l / 100km)
  • ~$37 for food every day, eating out 1/3 meals
  • ~$2.500 in total, excluding shipping and tattoo

 

Day 12 – stolen

There are no photos of the beautiful morning on the Tapotupotu Bay DOC campsite at Cape Reigna. We also had no breakfast. Instead, our morning was spent running around, first worried, then increasingly angry. Why that?

Serve and protect.

Serve and protect.

The two big Touratech aluminium panniers for Rocinate were gone! Bless Nina, they were mostly empty but for some small stuff we can replace for maybe $50. Did the strong wind take them? Surely not all the way away. At least one would be somewhere, stuck in a bush or washed up on the beach.

As time went on, it became certain. Someone has come by in the middle of the night and taken both of them from right next of our tent. Yes, we could have taken them inside, or lock them back on the bike … but it was starting to rain, and we were tired. And after all, we were at the end of the world, right?

Well, hindsight can be a horrible tormentor. If only we had taken Colin’s warnings about security more seriously … but the show must go on.

Spending an hour trying to get to a phone to get in touch with NZ police was an utter waste of time. They also send us to a police station 100 km out that was closed in the end and the last phone call got me passed to a call center to lodge my case – it all seemed like paint by the numbers to get to a case number for a potential insurance claim and no further. Because of the goose chance, we have also missed our chance to finally ride down Ninety Mile Beach. Sigh.

Back on the bay earlier we also got to see the side of NZ again that we have learned to love and appreciate so much over the last 3 years: People offering help as much as they can, being caring and compassionate. An Auckland couple offered to take our camping gear (which we now can’t carry with us any longer) with them to Auckland for us where we can pick them up in time to ship with the bike.

Will have to cry for rescue by Touratech Australia some more to get a new set in time for Australia.

To have that much breathing space is impressive in NZ bush.

To have that much breathing space is impressive in NZ bush.

Now, it was a really annoying day, but also a deeply moving one. After lunch the mood started to improve again, we had a cute cup of coffee somewhere on the road and weird weather with sun and hard rain alternating in 10 minute intervals. After a brief ferry ride across Hokianga Harbour, we were approaching the highlight of the day: The Kauri coast and Waipua Kauri Forest.

Tane Mahuta is the name of the oldest remaining Kauri tree, and also for a mythical figure / god in Maori mythology. Tane was the one separating earth from sky to create the air, forest and realm of life and men.  In the presence of that giant, I could see how these myths spawned. One way or the other, Tane Mahuta will probably be the oldest living organism I will see in my life. It is estimated to be around 2000 years old.

Did I say anything else important happened today?

Oh yes, more heartwarming hospitality at the Greenhouse Backpacker in Dargaville. See for yourself …

Day 4 – Whole new world

A rainbow greeting us for breakfast

A rainbow greeting us for breakfast

It makes such a difference to have a full day of sunshine. So much in fact, that I am able to slightly burn my nose through the visor of my motorcycle helmet.

Going back the way we came out to Lake Waikaremoana was so much easier in the morning and with sunshine. Our spirits were high anyway from having dry gear.

 

Back to Wairoa and then further on the coastal road. We made a detour through Mahia and the peninsular which was well worth it. Looking at the white cliffs and then having lunch near the sea gave me a bit of a holiday feeling. We even saw a seal, napping in a wind-protected little nook.

Back on the road and towards Gisborne. Days on the road are so long, even in winter, that we decided to stay in the city tonight and take advantage of the wifi in the hostel.

Day 3 – The two sides of Aotearoa

Rain – lots of it. Last night on the ride here, all night and all morning. Plus grey skies and 300m visibility. We would not get our gear packed up remotely dry. The ride was also dodgy, the silt on the gravel roads becomes slick as soap.

Rocinante and our tent

Rocinante and our tent

So, a decision was made. Stick it out for one day, or at least until a pause in the rain gives us a chance to pack. And then, all went out again, when the DOC warden took pity on us and offered us a hut for a great price (budget is an issue for us now, especially in the “western world”). The hut was amazing! Warm, dry and enough space to spread our gear out to dry.

Te whenua also took pity and shooed the clouds away around 11am. It is hard to overstate what a difference the weather makes when one is so exposed to it all day. What set out to be a dreary and cold stake out between wet tent and cold public kitchen turned into a warm, sun-drenched dream.

The weather turned out to be so good in fact that we took off for 3 hours hiking the tracks around Waikaremoana Holiday Park. We explored some of the coolest waterfalls and had great vistas of the lake and surrounding mountainside.

Day 2 – Into the mud

 

After our 2 hour long brunch in Groove Kitchen Espresso in Napier, we took off again. This time towards Lake Waikaremoana.

Only picture of this day - to much rain.

Only picture of this day – to much rain.

Our brunch had included checking emails, voice mails and general stuff…one big damper happened but I am sure Flo will write about it at some point. On the bright side, my red rain jacket was finally found and will most likely be posted to Auckland by Brendan so that I can have it again. I dearly miss my fleece gloves at the moment which are in the pockets.

Back to riding in rain. The landscape is still beautiful, even with clouds hanging around hilltops and fog drifting in and out of street-level. I didn’t get the camera out much as I’m scared that the rain will damage it.

There was quite a bit of life stock around us including an escaped sheep that panicked when we got closer, tried to run up a steep bank and then slid back down because it was too steep. Luckily, by that point we had already passed it and it was able to relax again.

Wild or at least escaped goats also roamed the streets. One was especially sneaky and hid its great coat on a grey surface so we saw it quite late.

Wairoa was the last ‘bigger town’ so we shopped for dinner and breakfast tomorrow before going towards Lake Waikaremoana. The last 28km of the road are unsealed and with all the rain lately, it was quite a mess to ride it. The bike and Flo are covered in finely sprayed dirt.

We arrived at the DOC campsite (this time with hot showers, WOOT!) just before dusk, put the tent up in a hurry and hid in the warmer kitchen for a cooked dinner.