Turangi to New Plymouth: Bicycling the Forgotten World Highway

Over the past few weeks, one of the things we heard again and again was that we should make time to ride the Forgotten World Highway Cycle Route. Spanning 180km between Taumarunui and New Plymouth, this route cuts through some of the most remote parts of New Zealand and glimpses back into Kiwi life a century or so ago. After spending the holidays in Taupo and Turangi, we set out through the Forgotten World. Although the route officially begins in Taumarunui, we felt like it began (for us) in Turangi, because that was the first day that traffic levels dropped off and we felt like we were riding through truly rural countryside.

Luckily for us, the day we left Turangi, the sun decided to re-appear after several rainy days. Between the clear weather and the much-reduced travel volumes, it was a lovely day to be back on the road. First we rambled around the southern end of Lake Taupo, then we rambled up, up, up our make our way out of the Taupo basin. It was exhausting work, but the views were stunning. And with all the rain of the several days previous, we were treated to dozens of roadside waterfalls. Eventually, the road dumped us out in Taumurunui, and we stopped at a small cafe for a late lunch before making our way to our camp spot for the night. As we were settling in at the Taumarunui Holiday Park, who should arrive but other bike tourists! A whole family of bike tourists, to be exact. Every summer for the past six years, Bridget and John have taken their kids for a three-week rambling cycle tour of a corner of New Zealand. This year, they had decided to ride the Forgotten World route as a part of their holiday. We compared notes and found out that we would likely be camp buddies for the next several nights (which, it turned out, we were, and we loved being able to compare notes with other cyclists at the end of the day).

In doing our research beforehand, we knew that the only camp spot for the day was at least 80km down the very hilly road (unless we stumbled onto something else or opted to free camp), so we were up and on the road early that morning. We rolled through town, turned onto the Forgotten World Highway, and immediately spun our way up the first hill. From Taumarunui to just south of Whangamomona, the Forgotten World Cycle Trail follows an already-established tourist road known as the Forgotten World Highway. The highway is narrow, with no shoulders, but there is virtually no traffic. And, because the area is so quiet and rural, you can hear any cars well in advance. Over the course of the day, we went up, then down, then up, then down, over and over again, through rural farmland and bright green hillsides. The hills through this stretch of New Zealand, however, aren’t cute, coast-able bumps – they’re more like steep, mini-mountains that you slowly have to summit. We would huff and puff our way up, complaining and whining, and then we would get to the top and look out over the stunning scenery and just stand in awe of the landscape around us. Talking to the hundreds of sheep and cows that we passed helped take the edge off the climbing too. As the afternoon wore on, it felt like progress was very slow, which was compounded by the fact that none of the road signs had correct mileage information. And, then, we rounded a corner and found ourselves in the jungle. The Forgotten World Highway passes through Tangarakau Gorge, an incredible area full of thick native bush and jagged cliffs, showing off what New Zealand must have looked like everywhere before it was colonized. The road through the gorge is a hard-packed gravel, and we were delighted that the Bromptons handled the ride beautifully. On the other side, we found ourselves back in a landscape of steep, green pastures. We slogged our way up one last hill, exhausted and long ready to be done for the day, and turned off at Back Country Accommodation. After checking in, we pitched our tent in the open grass field, and looked out in awe of our nearly 360-degree view of endless green hills. We were literally on top of the world, and couldn’t believe our luck. That night, we went to sleep before the sun, listening to the sounds of the bleating sheep in the hills and the Tui birds playing in the flax bushes.

When we woke up the next morning, we were rather exhausted and sluggish. Everything was wet from a bit of rain overnight and we were happy to pack up slowly and wait for our clothes and tent to dry out. We thanked the folks at Back Country and rolled down the hill to Whangamomona. Signs greeted us as we entered ‘The Republic’ and we stopped at the hotel/pub for a second breakfast and a few more cups of coffee. By the time we headed back along our way, it was nearly noon, but we knew we had a shorter day ahead of us and could take our sweet time. We rambled up and over a few more bright green hills before reaching our turn off the highway. From here, we would follow posted NZ Cycle Trail signs, with arrows pointing us in the correct direction. At the turn-off, the road turns to gravel. It’s a looser, more slippery gravel than we encountered the day before, but completely rideable with wide tires and some patience. The scenery through this stretch is simply stunning (so far, we have yet to get tired of the bright green hills here), and the ride was made even more amazing by the fact that it is so rural, with no traffic and very little sign of people. We truly felt like we were in a forgotten world at this point. As we rolled down the road, we chatted with the cows and sheep, and eventually we arrived in what remains of the small community of Purangi. It’s just one couple now, Laurel and Ian, who own the schoolhouse and a walnut orchard. Through a stroke of fate, they met the man who routed the cycle trail, and they decided to open their property to passing cyclists. You can camp on the lawn or stay inside the schoolhouse (which is outfitted with beds and a kitchenette). They told us the history of the area and invited us in for tea. After Bridget and John and their kids arrived later that afternoon, the eight if us decided to pool our meals into a communal dinner and we all spent the evening laughing and swapping stories. It was a truly magical evening that ended only as the last bit of light was fading from the sky and the wine was putting was putting us all to sleep.

We rolled out of Purangi the next morning after some last conversation and photos. After seeing Bridget and John for the past several nights, we would be going our separate ways that day, so we wished each other well. We thanked Laurel and Ian for opening up their space for cyclists and we hope that it continues to be a worthwhile experience for them. Riding away from Purangi, we rambled up and over several more hills, through more gorgeously rural scenery and one narrow old tunnel, and then we turned a corner and stopped at the sight of Mt Taranaki peaking out of the clouds. As we began to roll into the outskirts of the New Plymouth area, the cycle trail begins to zig-zag through small farm roads. It was fantastic to not have to plan our way into the city and it’s evident that care was taken to choose quiet roads, but we had to be careful to not miss the small way-finding signs at each turn. Eventually, the cycle trail to leads to a series of multi-use paths. The Coastal Walkway path follows the Tasman Sea coastline into New Plymouth and is dotted with look-outs, public art, coffee carts, and one incredible bike-ped bridge. It was an amazing way to be welcomed into New Plymouth, which we hear is working to be a model cycling city. Coming in to a city again was a bit of a shock after the quiet of the countryside, but we were delighted with New Plymouth and looking forward to some good food and a mattress for the night.

Overall, I would dare to say that the Forgotten World Cycle Trail was one of the most rewarding stretches of road that we’ve ridden. The scenery seriously out-does itself, the people we met were friendly and helpful – and it was an immense sense of achievement to complete the ride, because it was one of the most difficult stretches of road that we’ve ridden. In 180km, there are no markets, and the only place to buy food is at the pub in Whangamomona. Planning ahead is absolutely essential. The landscape will take your breath away and turn your legs into jello as you climb and climb and climb, so this is certainly not a beginner’s route. Our hope is that, over time, additional facilities will open up for cyclists along the way (a few other campgrounds, perhaps, and a cafe or two), because the low traffic volume and quiet, old-world charm make this an excellent route for capable cyclists looking for a rewarding rural adventure.

(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 new 2012 calendar or some of the fun zombie apocalypse shirts we’re designing.)

Whitianga to Turangi: Beautiful Scenery, Stiff Legs & Confusing Pronunciations

After being completely drenched by rain the day before, we were happy to wake up to dry conditions in Whitianga, even though it was still awfully grey. We spent some time exploring town before pushing off, including visiting the surprisingly great little bike shop that we were completely not expecting. From Whitianga (that ‘wh’ is pronounced like an ‘f’), we hopped aboard a little passenger ferry across the bay to Cooks Beach. The trip was all of 7 minutes long and nobody batted an eye at us hauling our loaded bikes onboard. From Cooks beach, we rambled up and down through the hills, soaking up the beautiful scenery, and trying to kick-start our hill-climbing legs out of their hibernation. When we reached the small town of Tairua, we stopped for a picnic lunch at the beach, followed by coffee in a small cafe by the marina. One of the aspects of New Zealand life that we are thrilled about is the cafe culture, and the fact that you can find a really good cup of coffee in just about every little community! After a long rest, it was impossible to motivate ourselves to get moving again, so we opted to take another short little ferry across the bay to Pauanui, where we camped in a funny little Holiday Park. Holiday Parks seem to be what we would call a RV Park in the US – a place to park your camper, or possibly pitch a tent, sometimes with folks who live there year-round, often with some communal facilities (kitchen, laundry, etc). You may not get the most scenic camping experience, but you get a shower and decently safe place to sleep.

From Pauanui, we rambled up and over some more hills (this is definitely a trend!). We followed a small country road out of town and then connected up again with the highway. Most roads, we are discovering, have no shoulder, just a fog line that drivers expect you to hover over. It can be unnerving on a busy road, but isn’t so bad on a quiet back road. New Zealand also likes to chip-seal its roads, so the experience is a bit bumpy and slow (although, sometimes it’s better to endure a steady chip seal than dodge cracks and potholes on an otherwise nice road). Just north of Whangamata, we stopped at a small roadside farm stand and stocked up on a bike touring essential: an arm-full of fresh fruit and veggies (in this case, plums, avocados, zucchini, and broccoli)! In Whangamata, we stopped for coffee and lunch and pondered our plans for the rest of the day. We were tired, but we decided to push on to Waihi. Of course, if we had known about the huge hill we’d have to climb, we might have stayed put. But we were ignorant of the impending stressful hill and unbelievely windy road, so we went for it. We’ve heard a lot of talk about whether it’s safe to bike in New Zealand. For the most part, we’d say that it’s no less safe than anyplace we’ve been so far. The caveat, of course, is when you get to these narrow, winding hills. The curves are so tight that you have terrible sight lines, so you have to be constantly on your guard and careful to not hang out in the gutter, where you’ll be completely invisible to motorists. This particular hill felt as if it went on forever and we were ecstatic when we finally reached the top and were able to soar into town. Beers were definitely called for that evening and we enjoyed a happy hour round at a cute pub in town. For the night, we found our way to the Waihi Motor Camp. We weren’t expecting much, but it turned out to be a really lovely spt. It’s located on the edge of town, butted up against a hill, with a small creek running alongside the edge of the property. As a tenter, we were able to set up wherever we liked, so we pitched camp by the creek and went ot sleep to the sound of babbling water.

In the morning, we headed back into town to explore a bit of its history. Waihi has had active gold mining for the last 200 or so years, and has an enormous open pit mine just a block from the main shopping strip through town. It’s fascinating to stand at the edge and look over and watch it operate (especially for me, since I work with precious metals on a regular basis). From Waihi, we hopped on State Hwy 2 toward Tauranga. Unfortunately for us, it was the day that everyone started migrating for the holidays, so the traffic was incredibly heavy and loud. It was also quite a hot day (for a change!), so we chugged along rather slowly, stopping at every opportunity for coffee or ice cream. Eventually we rolled into Tauranga and found our way to a Backpackers for the night.

We were so charmed with Tauranga upon arrival that we decided to stay two nights. We discovered lots of bike lanes that criss-crossed the town and we wandered around the shops by the wasterfront. Given that it was only a few days before Christmas, we also witnessed a massive last-minute gift-buying spree, and we even got to meet Santa.

The following morning, we were up and out early, so we could hop the bus to Rotorua. After experiencing such awful holiday traffic, we decided it would be prudent to use transit to climb the hills to Rotorua, instead of jockeying for space on the narrow roads. I had to sweet talk the bus driver, however, to let us take the bikes, and he eventually relented because we had the Bromptons, which fold up so small and compact that they hid nicely in the back of the bus (although, we did still have to pay the bike bribe, which we’re pretty sure just padded the driver’s pocket). In Rotorua, we met up with jeff Anderson, who runs Kiwi Bikes and is the one remaining steel bike frame builder in New Zealand. He gave us a great tour of his work and we enjoyed chatting with him for awhile. He also tipped us off to a great craft beer pub, and we met up for beers and laughs and bike talk that evening.

While in Rotorua, we also met up with Damian, a fellow long-distance cyclist, who uses cycling to mitigate the effects of his nerve disorders. Talking with him was inspirational and a good reminder that we all have a choice, no matter what our circumstance might be. We spent the afternoon of Christmas Eve cycling around Rotorua and a few of the nearby lakes. Rotorus is a fascinating place with an enormous amount of geothermal activity. Sulfur smells hang in the air and thermal baths and tourist activities abound. We rode along the bike-ped path by the lake, and stopped often to marvel at the strange and bubbling formations. We also couldn’t help but think how odd it was the European colonists arrived in Rotorua in the 1800s and looked at these stinky, boiling pools, and thought that they must be healthful – whereas, I think that if I were to stumble onto stomething like that in a strange new world, I might just think that they seem rather dangerous and apocalyptic. At any rate, we certainly enjoyed looking at the natural oddities!

On Christmas morning, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, coffee, and chat with Damian at the Backpackers, before heading into town to catch the bus to Taupo. It was wonderful to ride through town and have everything be closed. No traffic, no people, no noise. We zigged and zagged all over the road – which felt overly huge without any cars! Our bus to Taupo was much more pleasant than the bus to Rotorua, because we had a very sweet and level-headed bus driver who adored the Bromptons and waived the bike fee since they fold up so small. A lovely Christmas gift! Even with buses criss-crossing the country and a steady stream of tourists utilizing them, we have discovered that the bike friendliness of transit in New Zealand is pretty much on par with transit in the US – it all comes down to the whims of the driver. In Taupo, we found similarly empty streets, and we wound our way to our homestay. The rest of our Christmas day was spent out on Lake Taupo, boating and swimming, followed by a bit of exploring, walking some local tracks, and a delicious ham dinner.

All told, we spent four nights in Taupo, enjoying the hospitality of two great families. We got out on the lake a couple times, wandered the town, and went out on our first-ever mountain bike rides.

From Taupo, we rode down to Turangi, at the southern end of the lake. The plan was for Russ to be able to fly fish the Tongariro River for a few days, and give us a quiet place to wait out the rest of the holiday traffic. Unfortunately, it has rained a lot here in Turangi, so the fishing isn’t so great, but it has proven to be a nice spot to relax for a few days. We’re staying at the Riverstone Backpackers, which is hands-down the nicest hostel-type accommodation we’ve ever experienced.

In New Zealand time, it’s New Year’s Eve, and we will be celebrating here in Turangi. On the 2nd, we’ll be headed west to Tamarunui, and then hopping on the Forgotten World Highway to New Plymouth, before making our way to Wellington. We can’t believe how quickly our time in New Zealand is passing, and we’re beginning to wonder if three months will be anywhere near enough time!

(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 new 2012 calendar or some of the fun zombie apocalypse shirts we’re designing.)

Kiwi Short: Much Ado About Nothing

I’m busy editing the 3rd episode which is a little tougher than the first two because there is no defining storyline yet. This is cute little sequence that probably won’t make the next Kiwi Chronicles but I wanted to share it anyway. It’s also significant because its the first video I’ve edited on FCPX on a MacBook Air – the little computer that can! Enjoy.

(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 new 2012 calendar or some of the fun zombie apocalypse shirts we’re designing.)

A New Zealand Descent

Just a quickie video from today’s ride. Descending on S25 into the small town of Tairua. It was twisty and turny and quite a thrilling ride. One of our best descents so far on this trip. Total length was about 8 minutes but it is obviously sped up in the video. Enjoy.

Mis-Adventuring on the Coromandel

We’ve been having a heck of a time the last few days. First, we happen to be in New Zealand during a record rain storm – a once in 20 years sort of rain – that has been causing havoc around the country. We had to attempt to leave Waiheke Island twice by ferry. The first attempt was thwarted by the storm, which caused a cancellation of the ferry. On that day, we had enlisted the help of Tony, a bike advocate on the island and all around good bloke. It was a mad rush to the ferry landing in Orapiu, which we nearly didn’t make because Tony’s truck ran out of gas a few kilometers from the wharf. At one point, the truck stopped and stalled on a hill. We thought we were going to have to push it. It came back to life and had enough in it to make the top of the final hill, whereupon it coasted to the pier on nothing but fumes. All that drama… and then the ferry was cancelled. Tony’s son came to the rescue with a few gallons of petrol and we got a lift back to square one.

No matter, there was a break in the clouds the next day and we were determined to ride to the ferry landing this time. We packed up and pedaled off. It was our first real day of riding on this bicycle tour, so our legs were soft, but we managed up the climbs. Screaming down a hill a few kilometers from the wharf, Laura heard a god-awful screeching from her brakes. She stopped, barely managing to not crash into the bush. We took a look and found that one of her brake pads had fallen off! The screw that held the pad into the brake holder had vibrated off, and out slipped the brake pad. She had to ride really gingerly the last few kilometers and had to walk down some of the steeper hills. I did a quick inventory of our repair kit and we didn’t have any spare pads. Feeling like complete amateurs, we hoped for the best (that we would be able to find some brake pads in Coromandel).

The ride on the 360 Discovery Cruise ferry from Orapiu to Coromandel was lovely. We were actually really glad it was cancelled the day before, otherwise it would have not been a pretty sight. The ferry crew was cheerful and helpful. They didn’t question the bikes and helped us bring them aboard without so much as a blink. In the US, taking a loaded bike on a ferry or other transit almost always results in begging and pleading. Not the case here. In Coromandel, there was an awaiting bus to take us from the wharf to the town center. It was newly outfitted with bike racks only a few weeks old. Willie, our driver, was helpful and affable. We stuck the Bromptons in the boot of the bus with our backpacks and we were off.

Coromandel town is so named because it is on the Coromandel peninsula. In our heads we had imagined something a lot larger, but its main street lasts only about three or four blocks. In those few blocks, however, most of your needs are met. There are a few restaurants and pubs, a market, some fishing gear stores and what would be our eventual savior – a hardware store. There was no proper bike shop in Coromandel, so I figured our best bet would be the hardware store. Sure enough, there was a little shelf with a dusty array of lights, tubes (even 16 inch ones, presumably for kids bikes or wheelbarrows) and brake pads. Not a wide selection or even a brand you’d recognize, but they were there and we were grateful. I bought them and installed them right outside the hardware store to make sure they would work.

In Coromandel we stayed at the Tui Lodge that was very bicycle friendly. The woman that ran the place was accustomed to bicycle tourists and quickly offered us a towel. “I always give my cyclists towels because I know they can’t carry real ones.” She also had a small fleet of bicycles and bicycle helmets for guests to use. What has struck us about backpackers (which is what these hostel-like accommodations are called) is that they cater to a wide range of travelers. You can choose to have a private room, a bunk room, sleep in your camper or pitch a tent. In the US, all these things are mutually exclusive. Many RV “camp sites” don’t allow tenting, when it would hardly inconvenience the owner. It is absolutely refreshing how much it just makes sense. Another great things about backpackers is the wide range of people that stay there. It is not just for your crust punk or hippie types. At breakfast, you could be sitting down with a German backpacker, someone’s grandmother or a young professional out for a weekend of fun.

Did we mention the rain? After an amazingly torrential downpour Saturday night, we woke up Sunday morning to find that it was still coming down. There was a moment when we contemplated just staying another night, but that’s a slippery slope. We are getting soft in our old age. We packed up and accepted our damp and drizzly future, chalking it up to more character building. Our route for the day was Coromandel to Whitianga on route 25. It started out with a vengeance, with a leg burning 1200 foot climb in about 2 miles, with an average of about 8% grade and pitches well over that. It didn’t help that it was raining and blustery and at the beginning of our trip, so our hill climbing legs have yet to properly kick in. We made it to the top, but that was little relief because we had a steep, windy and wet descent ahead of us. We kept our speed in check and managed fine (thankful that Laura had rear brakes!). The first hill was the worst of it and everything afterward didn’t look nearly so bad. The country that we were passing (especially in the rain) reminded us a lot of Oregon. We joked a little to ourselves that we had flown to the edge of the world to ride in Oregon.

We rolled into Whitianga pooped but feeling good that we braved the rain. Although we’ve been in New Zealand for a while already, it finally feels like our bike tour is underway. Our bodies are achy, but our spirits high. Every grand sweeping vista we witness and thrilling descent reminds us why we’re doing all this in the first place.

(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 new 2012 calendar or some of the fun zombie apocalypse shirts we’re designing.)

Auckland and Beyond

We’ve had a busy week in Auckland. We were set to leave Auckland on Thursday, but after coffee with some Auckland bicycle advocates we were persuaded to stay until the weekend to witness the first LEGAL crossing of bicycles over the Harbor bridge and we are glad we stayed. The Harbor Bridge (called the “coathanger” by some locals) connects St. Mary’s Bay in Auckland with the North shore and has been completely off limits to cyclists. There has been a growing movement to allow cyclists and pedestrians on the bridge and the Telestra Challenge ride was the first time cyclists were allowed to legally cross it. We volunteered a few days before the ride to help with registration at the University of Auckland campus. It was great fun to volunteer and we got to chat with some local cyclists about biking in Auckland.

The day of the event was a cloudy and blustery one, but it didn’t discourage the 5000 cyclists that showed up to ride. Before the ride started we got to meet Len Brown, the mayor of Auckland and got a short interview on film. He was jovial and affable and seemed like a nice guy trying to make Auckland more livable. One of the highlights of the event was to witness the protective barrier on the bridge formed by buses. It was a stunning sight and highly symbolic of the buses attempts to bridge the gap with cyclists. While it was a one time event, we certainly hope that it opens new minds about adding pedestrian and bicycling facilities.

After the official ride there was a bicycle carnival where we got to meet the Velociteers, Aucklands only synchronized bicycling group. The thing to know about Auckland is that it has a lot of cyclists, but very few who commute or are more everyday riders. Cycling is very much a sport and the idea of bike fun that is easy to take for granted in Portland hasn’t quite taken hold yet in New Zealand. But it is hopeful with groups like the Velociteers and Frocks on Bikes that an every day cycling culture will soon develop. After the end of the official happenings, we had a wonderful time at a cafe with a few of the Velociteers and Frockers.

We soon left Auckland, but not before exploring the cute suburb of Davenport. We rode up to North Head which was once a military installation with a big gun to protect against the Russians. It was beautiful riding and the top of North Head had great views of the city.

Waiheke Island

We hopped a Fullers ferry to Waiheke Island. Fullers is a local ferry operation that also operates buses on the island. They are unusual in that they are making great steps to being bicycle friendly. There is no charge for bicycles and some of their ferries now have indoor bike racks, which we haven’t even seen in the states! When we got to Waiheke, we saw that their buses had a great PSA to look out for cyclists on back. We also heard that they received a shipment of bike racks and would be piloting those soon.

The island of Waiheke is home to beautiful beaches, vineyards and mountain biking trails. On Waiheke you are either going up or down, there is very little flat road on the island. Its a beautiful but can be a challenging place to cycle if you’re not use to hills, but the leg burning is well worth it. The islands roads are a veritable roller coaster and are fun on an loaded bike. The weather hasn’t been very cooperative (where did summer go?) so we didn’t get to do as much riding as we would have liked, but what we did see was spectacular.

Tomorrow we ride out to Orapiu and hop a 360 Discovery Cruises ferry to Coromandel. We’ve heard the ride is beautiful and a great way to enter the peninsula. From Coromandel, our next stops will be Rotorua, Taupo, Napier and then down to Wellington. The holidays are coming so we’re starting to worry a little about accommodations, but since we travel so open ended its hard to make reservations. If you’ve got any leads for homestays in those areas, let us know. Episode 2 of Kiwi Chronicles will be up next Wednesday and its a good one!

(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 new 2012 calendar or some of the fun zombie apocalypse shirts we’re designing.)

Kiwi Chronicles Episode 1: To the Edge of the World

Our first full episode of our Kiwi Chronicles is complete! Updating from Waiheke Island. Working hard on getting the second episode done while we have reliable internet. Look for a special post on Bicycle Times. Also we’re excited to have Adventure Cycling as another video sponsor. Cheers!

(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 new 2012 calendar or some of the fun zombie apocalypse shirts we’re designing.)

Learning to Ride on the Left

It never really hits you that you’re in a different country until a few days after you’ve arrived. The change is so abrupt and so sudden that, though your body may have made the trip, your mind is still at the airport at home checking in. It’s our third day in New Zealand and our minds have finally arrived like wayward luggage. Our flight was uneventful, except for the Air New Zealand safety video that featured Richard Simmons. Where were we going?

Auckland by most appearances is very similar to any large city in the states, and yet it’s just different enough to make you do a double take. After we reassembled our gear outside the airport (and consumed a pair of meat pies), we warily hopped on our bicycles to ride on the LEFT side of the road. It sounds like a trivial thing to do, simply ride on the other side. Perhaps its because we are cyclists and transportation wonks, but the act of stepping out on the road (remember to look RIGHT as you exit driveways) and riding on the left hand side felt antithetical to all our cyclist survival instincts. It was as if someone told you to stick your hand in a fire and not to worry about it all too much because you’ll be fine.

You will be fine, but your mind will be mush. For the first day or so there was a strong sense of cognitive dissonance. We were riding on the left, which should be unsafe or certain death into oncoming traffic, but it wasn’t. Traffic is the intimate language of the city. In New Zealand, the words are the same-ish, but the syntax is completely different. So for the first few hours on the road, we rode with great trepidation and skepticism that we were actually doing the right thing.

After getting turned around a few times and getting used to how Kiwis sign things, we were able to find the cycle path that led almost entirely from the airport to Auckland. When we were on the outskirts of the city, the hills began with a vengeance. By no means were we expecting flat riding, but there were some serious Seattle type hills that pop out of nowhere. Grades were easily over 10 to 13 percent for some short painful blocks. Eventually, we made our way to the hostel where we were staying and settled in. Our room had a marvelous view of the CBD (Central Business District) with the pointy and proud Sky Tower protruding from it all.

There are a couple of things that came as a surprise. First, how many cars there are in Auckland. For some reason, we didn’t expect so many drivers in such a small country. Rush hour at its worst reminds us of places like Los Angeles. Given all the traffic, we were also surprised to see a small number of bike commuters mixing it up in the fray, and they ranged from your male roadie type to commuters in regular clothing. There was also a decent number of female cyclists on the street.

Interestingly, there was some sporadic bike infrastructure – like way-finding, the occasional off-street path, and green bike boxes (or “advance stop boxes” as they are called here).

While at the moment, Auckland may have a long way to go to be bike-friendly, there are some rumblings of good things in the works. We interviewed Glen, the owner of Eight Thirty Coffee who is an avid cyclist and just added a cargo bike to his business to do local coffee deliveries. They had modified a tandem and affixed a large wood box to carry bags of roasted coffee to subscribers.

We also met three women at a downtown coffee shop that are heavily involved in bike advocacy in Auckland. Rowan, Pippa and Barbara were planning a cycling fashion show when we met them. Rowan is active in the new younger demographic of cyclists interested in Critical Mass, bike polo and the bike co-op. Pippa is an elected official working on making her district more bikeable and also happens to be part of Frocks on Bikes, a bikey group that encourages everyday cycling. Barbara is the media outreach person for CAN (Cycling Advocates Network), New Zealand’s main bike advocacy body.

Through them, we got the scoop of how Auckland is changing to be more bike friendly. The current mayor is interested in making Auckland more “livable”, which includes encouraging alternative forms of transportation. One of the biggest hot button political issues in New Zealand is traffic congestion – some things are indeed universal.

We had planned to be on the road today, but were told about an event on Sunday where cyclists will be able to ride legally across the Harbor Bridge from downtown Auckland to the North Shore. So, we are sticking around to film it and get some interviews at the event for our video series. Not quite what we planned, but a worthy segue. Late Sunday, we plan to start our journey South, out of the city and into the country, towards Taupo and Napier. We are slowly starting to get back into the rhythm of travel again and expecting the unexpected.

(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 new 2012 calendar or some of the fun zombie apocalypse shirts we’re designing.)

UPDATED: A reality show about bicycles…Kiwi Chronicles: Prologue

Want some behind the scenes info about the vid, check out our post on Bicycle Times.

We are excited to partner with Bicycle Times to produce an online show about our bicycle travels in New Zealand. Look for more vids soon.

Packed up and ready to go!

(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 new 2012 calendar or some of the fun zombie apocalypse shirts we’re designing.)

Video: Packing Bromptons for Extended Tours

As we get ready to take off on the next leg of our adventure, we thought we’d make some videos showing how we pack and what we carry when we tour on the Bromptons. This is all the stuff we’ll need for months of touring in mild weather. Since we share resources and our tools of the trade are a little differnt, our packing methods aren’t exactly the same. So here they are back to back, how Laura packs and how I pack our Bromptons for extended touring.

Laura’s Packing Method


Russ’ Packing Method

(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 new 2012 calendar or some of the fun zombie apocalypse shirts we’re designing.)