New Zealand - Blogabond

Day 8: Taupo to Ohakune

Poured with rain most of the day, so only one brief photo before I leave the shores of Lake Taupo. Last night, I was warned that the stretch of SHW 1 along the lake is highly dangerous as it winds around headlands, with blind corners where the large trucks cannot see cyclists. As it turns out,...

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John and Claud on January 28, 2007 from Taupo, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Cape Reinga to Bluff

Day 9: Ohakune to Wanganui

"We think you are very brave!", call out the picnicking couple at the side of HW4, as I toil past. This is the hardest day's cycling I have ever done. I have deviated from the guide book, so I do not have a route elevation profile. As the altitude falls about 700metres from Ohakune to the coast,...

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John and Claud on January 28, 2007 from Wanganui, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Cape Reinga to Bluff

Day 10: Wanganui to Paraparaumu Beach

No breakfast again, as I am away early from Wanganui. After some long hills in the cold and damp air, I reach the town of Bulls. Here I eschew and pass the "Rats' Hole" cafe, which is empty, and stop instead in the thriving "Bullseye Cafe", (there is something in this brand naming lark!), where...

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John and Claud on January 28, 2007 from Paraparaumu Beach, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Cape Reinga to Bluff

Day 11: Paraparaumu Beach to Seddon

North Island? Been there, done it! Farewell, and see you again in two weeks! With a hangover, I stagger away from Paraparaumu Beach back onto Highway 1. I had hoped to get on the 2pm ferry, but in fact I reach the Interislander port in Wellington at 10:20, to find that there is a ferry...

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John and Claud on January 28, 2007 from Seddon, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Cape Reinga to Bluff

Day 12: Seddon to Kaikoura

"Oh my god!!" I gasp, involuntarily, as I catch sight of my naked torso in the mirror in the morning. There are lumps all down the side of my chest. I was stung on the chest yesterday by a wasp-like insect that flew down the front of my cycling shirt. Could it really have had this effect?...

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John and Claud on January 28, 2007 from Kaikoura, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Cape Reinga to Bluff

Not long to go now!!

Only 8 days to go before we jet off, getting excited now. Think we have everything organised. Thought we set up this travel blog so everyone can read what we get up to, see where we travel on the map and maybe if we work out how to upload photos you can see those as well.

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megankevin on January 25, 2007 from Wellington, New Zealand

from the travel blog: India

Day 4: Ruawai to Orewa

I leave Ruawai early and head down to Brynderwyn to join SHW1. There is nowhere for breakfast in Ruawai (beacuse it is Sunday morning), so I stop after 20 miles at a dairy, where breakfast consists of a 6-pack of "Le Snack" biscuits and cream cheese, two white peaches, and a banana. Hilly...

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John and Claud on January 25, 2007 from Orewa, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Cape Reinga to Bluff

Day 5: Orewa to Pukakohe

Today was not a great day! I felt very tired after yesterday's long run. The first part was driving into Northern suburbs of Auckland. I got lost in Albany and had to backtrack up a giant hill (very bad news psychologically). When I stopped to ask for directions to the Devonport ferry,...

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John and Claud on January 25, 2007 from Orewa, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Cape Reinga to Bluff

Day 3: Omapere to Ruawai

"Don't go South tomorrow!", Joe, a local Mauri guy (who turned out to be Sue's gardener)advised last night in the bar in Omapere. "The hills are terrible - head North instead." Joe is somewhat of a philosopher in the "live in the moment" sort of way. I try to explain my Southerly intentions, by...

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John and Claud on January 24, 2007 from Ruawai, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Cape Reinga to Bluff

Day 1: Waitiki Landing to Kaitaia

I present myself in the morning to Joyce, the proprietor of Waitiki Landing. Her eyes travel slowly down from my face to the tight cycling shirt-encased torso, linger on the clingfilm-tight lycra shorts and then on down.... "STREWTH!! You'll have to get those pins tanned up a bit!", exclaims...

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John and Claud on January 23, 2007 from Auckland, New Zealand

from the travel blog: Cape Reinga to Bluff

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