Cycling New Zealand - Week Two Hills, Storms and Equipment

Well I made it to Wellington where I have had a couple of days kindly put up by Steve and Sarah which has been great so thanks very much.

My ride down involved a lot of wind and hills and is outlined in the video below. I also go through some of the equipment and gear I've got with me.



I leave for the south island first thing in the morning.
My rough route ouline can be seen here South Island Route

Its also good to see Villa in the semi finals of the league cup.

Anyway thats all for now as most info is in the video.

Cheers, Neil

Cycling New Zealand: East Cape Coast Ride

After the last post I continued along the Pacific coast highway and up round the eastern peninsula on the north island. Was following the road but then did a 56k round trip to the East Cape lighthouse and the most eastern point in the southern hemisphere which is outlined in the video above.

It was a great day for a ride out to the lighthouse and an easier day with the reduced distance and no luggage however the next day I woke up to server gales. The worst wind I think I have ever experienced (and I remember the hurricane which hit the UK in what was it 89ish)... I thought I’m staying in bed... well my sleeping bag anyway. It got worst throughout the day and the telegraph pole which brings the electricity into the campsite got blown over which meant no electricity... luckily there was gas to cook on. I was a bit concerned about my tent as it was bending right over but it stood up to it, thankfully. The next few days saw some massive climbs, oppressive heat and also relentless headwinds ... but that can wait for the next post.

I’m currently in Wairo and heading south towards Wellington, the nations capital where I’ll be meeting up with Steve from uni (the first time) which I’m looking forward to but apparently a lot tougher cycling on the way. The campsite I’m now in has internet for 5 bucks a night. I’m currentlywaiting for the video to upload whilst having my post ride coffee, but I really wish it would hurray up as I desperately need to get in the shower... but at least its keeping the kitchen empty!

Anyway, it’s been good to see Wolves and Villa pick up some much needed points and I hope that continues. Anyway, best go, hope you’ve enjoyed reading and watching and any feedback is always appreciated.

Cheers, Neil

Settling in to life on the road ...

Well my bike and I got here in one peice .. a long few days of travelling but it went pretty smooth.

The first few days of cycling and camping have gone OK too, just taking it easy and settling in to life on the road. The first day was a very hilly 80k, then 96k and yesterday 105k. Average speed is between 20 and 22 kph depending on the wind and terrain. Today I have done about 25k so far but then stopped in Whakatane to upload the video (below) which is taking a long, long time .. the sun has come out and I'm sat inside an internet cafe on my PC. Oh well ... anyway, below is a video of the first week or so. it covers travelling, shopping and an overview of my bike.

Before I left I was always being asked if I was doing it for charity, which I wasn't. However I always said that I may add a justgiving page to the blog incase anyone wants to donate anything. At the moment it just seems that I am on holiday so it doesn’t feel right trying to raise money. However if at the end of the year I have got home and covered > 30k km it would be a challenge which people may feel warrants supporting a worthy cause. In the meantime I have decided to have some mini challenges which I will aim to raise money for, sections which may not be too much fun e.g. crossing the Nullabor plain or cycling the whole of China. This will also enable several different charities to be supported. I will add more details as and when.

In the meantime, I’ve been really impressed with NZ. It’s totally stunning and I haven’t even started to scratch the surface. I am heading east, around the north Island East Cape, which should get me to the furthest east mainland point in the southern hemisphere (I think). Then it’s time to start heading home.. well after looping the south Island and getting back to Auckland for the flight to Sydney on the 1st of Feb .

All the best .. Neil

Gotta Gotta Gotta Go!

Test Blog

Just a simple blog post to see how it all works .. to be deleted!

Here is a picture from the Wolves half marathon a few weeks ago.