Bicycling is the New Gold Rush

(This is our final installment of Kiwi Chronicles in partnership with Bicycle Times and Adventure Cycling. Look for a link with some behind the scenes production notes on the Bicycle Times website soon.)

We are in Christchurch and are set to fly back to the US tomorrow. It’s strange to think that our three months in New Zealand is done. We initially came to New Zealand to explore their new cycle trails to hopefully learn something about them to bring back to the US. When we got here, things weren’t quite what we expected. The trails were largely in their infancy and primarily off-road, though we did manage to ride the beautiful Forgotten World Highway. In all our interviews, people kept referring to the Otago Central Rail Trail which we originally didn’t intend to do. However, it just kept coming up in nearly every conversation we had about bicycles. It was the the ride that started it all and we HAD to ride it.

Quickly flashback to last summer to our small orange tent in eastern Oregon. We had just spent the last few weeks riding the Adventure Cycling TransAm route, passing through a dozen small towns. I was thinking hard about bicycle touring and travel and its potential to revitalize small communities and in a flash of insight drew a little infographic in a notebook. Bike travelers travel less distances than a car driver. If you were to ask “Who would finish the trip the fastest?,” the bicycle would lose. But maybe that’s missing the whole point of travel and is asking the wrong question. People travel on bikes to go slow and to really experience the countryside. For us, this means making lots of food stops and stopping early enough to have time to explore towns, go fishing and meet locals. The overall net result is that a bicycle traveler will potentially spend more money through a region than a car traveler going the same distance. This all looked great in my sketch book and we experienced it ourselves as we traveled, but the idea still seemed nebulous and hypothetical. Until, that is we went to Central Otago.

The Central Otago region of New Zealand is not what you imagine New Zealand to be. It has more in common with the dry hills of Eastern Oregon than it does The Shire of Middle Earth. The hills are brown and covered with dry tussock grass and the skies there are larger than in other parts of New Zealand. It wistfully reminded us of the American West. Like rural America the Central Otago region had many small towns that were spaced about 10 to 20 kilometers apart, the distance determined by the old parameters of rail travel. When the Central Otago train stopped running, the small towns on the line started dying on their feet. Shops, schools and post offices closed down. A strong enough wind would have carried what was left away. But then, something happened that would bring life back into the area – the humble bicycle.

The Otago Central Rail Trail was not an instant success. The farmers and small towns that the trail would run through did not want it there. It took hard work and what Daphne Hull, the chairperson of the trail’s Trust, euphemistically called “negotiating with neighbors” to make it work. I don’t want to give all the contents of the video away since its always better to hear a story from the source, but the Central Otago Rail Trail was the sketch in my notebook come to life. It was #Bikenomics in action. Bicycle travelers on the rail trail spared the small towns from drying up and blowing away. Visiting the towns, you are struck with a powerful communal pride. The accommodations are tastefully done. The food far exceeds what you would expect from a town in the middle of nowhere. The towns are growing again. People are moving back into the areas and starting businesses, all because of 150 kilometer gravel bicycle trail.

The numbers of the trail are impressive. They figure about 14,000 people ride the whole length annually. Some of the more scenic stretches see considerably more traffic than that. The trail is utilized both by tourists and locals. The trail is said to generate 12 million dollars annually for that region. For the first time in a long time, people are moving back into the area. The trail, as Graham Duncan a farmer and early skeptic put it, “its the biggest success since the gold rush” for the area. That is saying a lot.

What interests us the most is that the Central Otago Rail Trail is both a microcosm and a blueprint of what is possible with bicycle travel. It is the best case scenario of bicycles saving rural communities and economies in a confined geographic area. Over the next few weeks we’re going to sift through all our notes, photos and videos and work on a presentation on our experience of bicycle travel and tourism in New Zealand. Stay tuned!

(Keep our adventures going and the site growing! If you’ve enjoyed our stories, videos and photos over the years, consider buying our ebook Panniers and Peanut Butter, or our 2012 2012 calendar or some of the fun bike-themed t-shirts we’re designing.)

The Canal Road

Anyone who has been following the site for the last few years knows that I’ve been bit with a serious fly-fishing bug. Ever since that fateful day when we were in Fort Worth, TX (of all places!) where I took a fly casting class and bought some gear, the rod has been a constant companion on many of our trips. We had been tipped off to ride the canal roads from Twizel to Lake Tekapo to get off the state highway but also for the fishing. There is a salmon farm in the canals and rumors have it that the trout have been getting fat from the pellets and that there are occasional salmon that escape.

The day we rode the canal road was not only one of the best riding days (we could actually ride side by side without large trucks passing every few seconds), but it was also when I landed my biggest fish on the fly so far. We stopped a few times but it was too windy to really get a cast out. I decided to give it another go at a bridge when the winds had mellowed out. After about 20 minutes without a bite I was ready to pack it in. On a whim, I let my line drift over the bridge when I felt a take of a really big fish. In a rare moment, Laura was there to capture it on video as well!

We are at Lake Tekapo and it is glorious outside. The summer weather that has successfully evaded us for the last two and a half months has arrived (atleast for today). We’ve been thoroughly enjoying our last few days as it seems we’ve found a thin vein of NZ roads where the traffic isn’t as hectic and the scenery is beautiful.

We’ve been reflecting a lot during the last few days about our 3 months in NZ. Some of it has been good. Some of it frustrating. It has been a complex trip with lots of mixed emotions. It hasn’t quite turned out to be the pristine bike touring paradise we had hoped but it does have its moments. For now, we’re taking it easy, enjoying the sun while it is out and our last remaining days in New Zealand.

Cromwell to Twizel: Stunning Emptiness

After a lovely week puttering down the Otago Central Rail Trail (more complete write-up soon), we spent a few days in Cromwell to plot our last week in NZ. How has three months come to a close already?! After much deliberation, we decided to ignore all the well-meant pleas that we ‘have to’ go to Queenstown. We’ve become a bit burnt out on the all the overly-touristed spots in NZ, so we decided to spend our last few days simply rambling around the lesser-traveled Mackenzie country.

From Cromwell, we headed north along Hwy 8. It’s a long stretch of empty roadway with only one small community for over 100km. Amazingly, the sun came out for us, and we had a remarkably perfect cycle touring day. The road climbed ever-so-gently through endless expanses of grassland. Merino sheep bleated at us and we passed signs indicating we were in Icebreaker country. Shortly after noon, we came upon our turn-off to a small, basic DOC campsite beside the ruins of an old hotel, built in 1861 for the gold rush. Once again, we found ourselves riding down a bumpy gravel road (we’ve decided that we’ll soon be experts at riding the Bromptons through gravel!). Once again, the Bromptons handled the terrain fabulously. We spent a lazy afternoon by the river, just fishing and enjoying the warm sunny day. As evening settled in, I finally saw my first non-roadkill hedgehog. Later that night, I saw my second, as it tried in vain to break into our trash bag.

In the morning, we set off on what seemed like a brilliant plan. Instead of riding the 6km back along the gravel road and then doubling back on the highway, we would ford the river and cross the paddock on the other side and hop out on the highway there. From the side of the river we camped on, it seemed like it would be remarkably easy. It turned out to be one of the most absurd things we’ve ever done. Fording the river was the easy part. Crossing the paddock, however, was more like bush-whacking than a stroll across a park – the grass was shoulder-height, wet, and extremely dense. We had to stomp down the grass for several feet, then go back for our gear and continue on. By the time we reached the highway, we weren’t entirely sure that the way we went was any easier than simply riding the extra 12km. But, we decided, you have to do something completely ridiculous every so often, just to prove to yourself that you haven’t gotten soft as a bike tourist! From there, we slowly rambled our way up and over the spectacular Lindis Pass – definitely one of our favorite stretches of road riding that we’ve found here in NZ. Down the other side into the small town of Omarama, and into another free DOC campsite by the Ahuriri River.

From Omarama, we opted for a short day into Twizel. The road through this stretch surprised us by how utterly flat and straight it is. Mountains loom on either side, but the valley floor is grassland, with easy and fast riding. After bush-whacking and crossing a mountain pass the day before, we were thrilled to just take it easy and enjoy the scenery. Amazingly, we also met several bike tourists along the way. After coffee in town, we made our way to the holiday park by Lake Ruataniwha, and we watched as the sky slowly got darker and more ominous. We opted for a small cabin at the campground, which wasn’t much more than just pitching a tent – and we were extremely glad for our decision as a thunderous storm moved in and turned the campground into a swampy mess.

We are still in Twizel today. It is still grey and rainy. The weather forecast is definitely not in favor of exposed cyclists for the next couple days, but our fingers are crossed that we’ll be able to head on to Lake Tekapo tomorrow. Over the next few days, we’ll slowly be making our way back to Christchurch, via the inland route through the foothills, where we’ll catch our flight out of NZ.

(Keep our adventures going and the site growing! If you’ve enjoyed our stories, videos and photos over the years, consider buying our ebook Panniers and Peanut Butter, or our 2012 2012 calendar or some of the fun bike-themed t-shirts we’re designing.)

Images from the Otago Rail Trail

We’re about 2/3rds of the way through the Otago Rail Trail taking our time and interviewing people along the way. We’ve heard a lot of hype about it and are now believers. It is amazing country and lovely riding. Aside from the scenery, the thing that touches us the most is watching people riding it. One person sticks out in particular for me. The gentleman looked to be in his late 50s, his face was sunburned, his knees were sunburned but he had the biggest grin on his face as he was pedaling up the gravel hill. He was having the time of his life on the trail. Say what you will about the trail, but the fact that it can get non-cyclists out there riding is pure magic. Here are some photos from the last few days.

It’s the Same, but Different

Since we’ve been in New Zealand, we’ve been fortunate to have a lot of honest chats with US ex-pats. It sounds bizarre that seeking out another outsider would help us understand where we are; but we’ve learned that sitting down with another American, who’s been in NZ for awhile, really helps us make sense of Kiwi culture (particularly the parts which seem, to us, like a complete contradiction).

Traveling to NZ, we joked before we left, would be like a gateway drug. With the same spoken language and similar customs, it would be a gentle way to ease into international touring. The reality of our experience has actually been the opposite; and, in many ways, it seems like it would have been easier to adjust to international travel if we had gone to a completely different country, with a different language and noticeably different customs.

What we’ve discovered is that, in NZ, about 90% of daily life is almost exactly what we’re used to from the US. It’s similar enough that we joke about NZ being a sort of “bizarro world” – and we can sometimes forget that we’re actually in a foreign country. The remaining 10% of daily life, however, is so immensely different that it jolts us each time we encounter it.

Why does a country with such a strong history of tramping put pedestrians at the bottom of the road culture? How did ‘traditional kiwi camping’ evolve into pitching your tent a mere three feet away from your neighbor in an open field?

The weird thing about experiencing culture shock in a place like NZ is that you never expect it – there isn’t a constant and glaringly obvious reminder that we’re not in the US. To buy food, we go to a supermarket, pick things off the shelves, go through a checkout line, pay with our debit card – we don’t have to haggle over the price of loose spices in an open-air market. Sure, Kiwis use some different words and their traffic signs have a slightly different design, but the overall pace of life is so similar to how we do it in the US, that we’ve effectively been confused into expecting things to be entirely the same.

Which makes a bit of a mockery of one of the most important travel rules – learn how to stop translating everything into something more familiar and just let a place be what it is. When I lived in Spain, I eventually learned to see a chair and think ‘silla’ instead of thinking, ‘okay, that’s a chair, what’s the Spanish word for chair? oh, yeah, it’s silla.’ Because I wasn’t in the US, where that object is a ‘chair,’ I was in Spain, where it’s a ‘silla.’ But, here in NZ, because it’s not overwhelmingly obvious that we’re in a foreign place, it works just fine to continue to interpret things through my US eyes. Until, at some random moment, it doesn’t, and I feel like that stereotypical American tourist who expects everything to be like the US.

So, here we are, two months into our NZ adventure, and we’re still struggling with random moments of culture shock, and trying to make sense of the very big cultural differences that lay just under the surface. We seek out conversations with local folks who can tell us how that works or what this means or why they do it a particular way. And when we have a chance to sit down with some US ex-pats, who are a few immersion steps ahead of us, we jump on the opportunity to let them interpret the differences in a way that makes sense to us – so the next time we run into the same situation, it’s a little less confusing.

(Keep our adventures going and the site growing! If you’ve enjoyed our stories, videos and photos over the years, consider buying our ebook Panniers and Peanut Butter, or our 2012 2012 calendar or some of the fun bike-themed t-shirts we’re designing.)

Murchison to Christchurch, via Greymouth and a Big Detour-Causing Mechanical

After a restful day in Murchison (and much contemplation about tourism in NZ), we headed off down the road again. We had consulted with a number of bikey people on which route to take to Greymouth, and we opted to follow Hwy 65 out of Murchison, thus avoiding the worst of the Buller Gorge traffic and setting ourselves up to take Hwy 7 into Reefton (which was promised to be spectacular). As it turned out, Hwy 65 was full of lovely scenery, but still packed with way too much traffic. By the time we rolled into the small community of Maruia, we were exhausted and cranky and had spent most of the day whining about NZ roads. With no shoulder and insanely high-speed traffic (unwilling to be patient and pass safely), we spent most of the day looking at the white fog line and pedaling as fast as we could. Which was rather unfortunate, because when we got to Maruia and looked up, we were surrounded by some truly incredible scenery. In Maruia, we stopped for coffee and a snack, and then wandered over to the small motel to give in and pony up for a room. But the motel was full. And the motel owner was completely useless, telling us that it was only a short 19km down the road to Springs Junction and, no, actually, he didn’t have the phone number for the motel down there, maybe he should have that. Um, yeah. Somehow, we rallied the energy to tumble down the road to Springs Junction, distracting ourselves from the task-at-hand by whining about traffic and the wind. Arriving in Springs Junction, we were delighted to find a little motel (with vacancy) and a cafe – and be done for the day. The motel, it turned out, was quite nice. Simple and basic, and much more than we would have paid for a similar room in the US, but it was situated next to a small creek and was warm and cozy.

In the morning, we treated ourselves to breakfast at the cafe. The grey weather of the day before had turned into an actual drizzling rain, which did not inspire us to get going particularly quickly, and which also obscured most of the beautiful scenery that was the entire reason for taking this particular route. But we were delighted to discover that the traffic all but disappeared along the stretch from Springs Junction to Reefton, which almost made up for the weather. We rolled into Reefton early in the afternoon, cold and tired. After wandering around town a bit, we made our way to the motor camp, where we were delighted to discover that we could get a simple cabin for just $15 more than pitching our tent. Sold! We enjoyed a bit of a lazy afternoon, fishing and reading, and basically enjoying the fact that the rain had let up for a bit.

The next morning, however, the grey weather had settled back in, and we donned our rain jackets yet again. As it turned out, that weather is pretty standard, and the area just south of Reefton is actually known as The Grey Valley. After a short, steep climb out of Reefton, the road just rambled along, beside a sparkling river. The traffic was delightfully light along the highway, and was almost nonexistent on the parallel side road that we took from Ikamatua into Greymouth. Early in the afternoon, we came upon the turn-off to the small community of Blackball. We had heard so much about this small hamlet that we couldn’t pass it up, and we pedaled up the hill to check it out. The famous Blackball Salami Co was closed, since it was Sunday, but we were able to pick up some of their product at the market and enjoy a picnic lunch. And, of course, no trip to Blackball would be complete without a beer at the Formerly the Blackball Hilton. The independent spirit of the town was still thriving and it was a lovely rest in the middle of the day. Unfortunately, enjoying a pint on a warm afternoon has a knack for making any remaining hills feel worse than they are, so the rest of the ride was a bit sluggish, and we rolled into Greymouth ready for a couple days off the bikes. In Greymouth, we opted for a Backpackers for the night, and went with the one with free wifi.

We took our time in the morning and checked out just under the wire. With all the bags loaded onto the bikes, we pushed off to explore the town a bit. And, then, just as we were bumping off the curb, Russ stopped, looked down, and cursed. One of the bolts that holds the hinge together had unscrewed itself a bit and sheered off. The bike was completely unrideable. We pushed everything back into the yard at the Backpackers, and sat down to figure out a Plan B. We had received a generous homestay offer to stay with Kevin Hague, MP, and he was able to rescue us in his car. Over the next two days, while we worked out what to do about Russ’ bike, we were able to talk a lot about cycling in NZ and learn some of the backstory and hopes for the NZ Cycle Trail network.

We eventually worked out a plan to travel by train to Christchurch, which has a much better selection of bike shops and trained mechanics than Greymouth. The folks at Cheeky Transport in Australia would ship the replacement parts to Christchurch and we would wait it out with some lovely readers. We were bummed to completely change our plans to ride down the West Coast, but excited to check out the NZ train. The scenery along the ride (which crosses the Southern Alps) was truly spectacular, and the train even featured an open-air car at the back.

We’ve now spent a week in Christchurch, resting, exploring, and doing a bit of work. Christchurch is a fascinating city. There is still plenty of evidence of the destruction caused by the earthquakes, but there is also plenty of evidence of a thriving community spirit trying to put it all back together. We visited Re:Start, a pedestrian shopping mall downtown made out of shipping containers. We explored some art galleries and watched the hysterical outdoor play “The Complete History of Christchurch, Abridged.” We sampled some of the fantastic food and beers that can still be found in the city, if you know where to look. And we had a lot of great conversation, and even felt a few rumbles for ourselves.

It took longer than expected for the part to arrive for Russ’ bike, but it finally made it today and the installation was a breeze. The good folks at Cycle Trading had no fear taking on an unfamiliar job. And Shane, the mechanic, who happens to race Penny Farthings in his spare time, did an excellent job taking everything apart and putting it back together. Thank you Cycle Trading!

Since we lost a bit of time, we’ve had to re-arrange our plans a bit for the remainder of our time in NZ. The thing that we are most keen on experiencing is the Otago Central Rail Trail, which is the success story that launched the whole NZ Cycle Trail network. Tomorrow, we’re hopping a bus down to Dunedin, where we’ll get to meet up again with the cycling family that we met along the Forgotten World Highway. Then, we’ll be off to the rail trail!

(Keep our adventures going and the site growing! If you’ve enjoyed our stories, videos and photos over the years, consider buying our ebook Panniers and Peanut Butter, or our 2012 2012 calendar or some of the fun bike-themed t-shirts we’re designing.)

Mini Update from Christchurch

On the train from Greymouth to Christchurch.

We’ve been in Christchurch for a week now waiting for a part to arrive to fix my Brompton. Just as we were leaving our hostel in Greymouth, the Brompton felt REALLY wobbly. I hopped off and noticed much to my horror that the rear hinge wasn’t looking so great and the bike was unrideable. Fortunately, Greymouth was a fairly large town and had train service to Christchurch. We took the train and are now waiting for the parts to arrive. While startling, the mechanical isn’t trip-ending and should be easily fixed once we get the right part. (Note: a good idea to carry a spare hinge kit on long tours).

The sheared bolt head…

While welcomed and relaxing at first, we are starting to get a bit antsy and hope to get back on the road soon. I phoned into the courier service and the part (a countersunk bolt that holds the rear hinge of the Brompton together) is suppose to arrive early in the AM. With any luck, the folks at Cycle Trading will be able to get it sorted and we’ll be on a bus to Dunedin the next day. We’ve lost quite a bit of time so we are opting the bus option to make up some days. While not what we planned, we have to roll with the punches.

My loaner bike while in Christchurch!

The upside of all this waiting is that it has given us time to plan what we are going to do next as well as catch up on some other projects. I’ve had a few ideas for new shirts bouncing around in my head the last few weeks and have had time to get on the computer and design them. Even though in NZ, I’ve been keeping watching over the sad state of the transportation bill and have been thinking about how it will affect bicycle travel in the future. It’s sparked a few ideas for some bike advocacy related shirts, if for nothing else, to let off some steam.

Our friend Kristen on her first bike tour in NZ rocking a Zombie Apocalypse shirt!

Some of the shirts are just meant to show that cyclists are a real political force that cares and votes about issues. Check out our Car-ody shirts.

The other line of “Bicycles. You’re Welcome.” shirts point out some of the things we take for granted that were brought about by bicycles like paved roads, pneumatic tires and automobiles. A quick search on the Good Roads Movement will show that the first paved roads were advocated for by cyclists, counter to the all too common “roads are for cars” mantra. Roads for moving people in whatever form they choose.

As always, all shirt sales help keep our trip going. We really operate on a tight budget but still manage to write, photograph and film it all to share. If you want to support the site and need a new bike themed shirt, it’s a win-win : ) Check out T-Shirt Store here. We’re also about 50 people shy from reaching 5000 Facebook Fans. The 5000th person gets a free “Bicycles. You’re Welcome.” shirt!

Kiwi Chronicles: Episode 5 – Bicycling in Nelson, New Zealand

In this video we leave Wellington and finally make our way to the South Island. We explore the wonderful town of Nelson, NZ which is one of the most bike-friendly towns we’ve seen in NZ. It doesn’t hurt that it is also New Zealand’s beer capital. Check out more behind the scenes info about the video on our special post on Bicycle Times.

(Keep our adventures going and the site growing! If you’ve enjoyed our stories, videos and photos over the years, consider buying our ebook Panniers and Peanut Butter, or our 2012 2012 calendar or some of the fun bike-themed t-shirts we’re designing.)

Kiwi Short: Frocks on Bikes

We are currently in Christchurch with some down time as we wait for some repair parts. It’s giving me time to work on some videos. I’m starting to edit the next Kiwi Chronicle episode and lamented all this great Frocks on Bikes footage that probably will be cut from it. So instead of just letting it gather digital dust, I had to cut a Kiwi Short. I was feeling pretty down about cycling in New Zealand and Wellington in particular after the International Bike Incident. This gave me some hope again. Everyday cycling in NZ seems to be in its infancy and its groups like Frocks on Bikes that will hopefully help take bicycling from recreation and bring it back to the everyday. In the video is Leah Murphy, one of the founders of Frocks on Bikes which has become a national movement of sorts. Also present is Celia Wade-Brown, the mayor of Wellington.

As you can tell from the video is that it was pretty windy. What you probably can’t tell is how absolutely terrifying the ferry ride was. The seats in the ferry weren’t bolted down and actually started moving during the ride from all the tossing! Everyone was pretty ecstatic to be back on shore and we all decided that riding a few hours into the headwind was more enjoyable than another ferry crossing. What was suppose to be a short picnic ride, turned into some epic riding battling the winds back into Wellington. At one point, three people in front of me and myself included were actually blown into traffic. We got off and had to walk a 100 meters. Surprisingly, everyone kept their spirits high and made it back. Even Celia pedaled all the way back, proving to be a stout cyclist (now if she can only get some more bike lanes in Welly!). Riding with the Frocks, renewed some faith that I had lost in cycling in NZ. It still has a long way to go, but moments like this give me hope.

(Keep our adventures going and the site growing! If you’ve enjoyed our stories, videos and photos over the years, consider buying our ebook Panniers and Peanut Butter, or our 2012 2012 calendar or some of the fun bike-themed t-shirts we’re designing.)