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.

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.)

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.)

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!

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.)

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.)

I’ve done a re-edit of our last video that focuses specifically on the interviews with the NZ Cycle Trail Team. We hope to share it as a resource for other bike advocates trying to make an economic argument for cycling. Although we find it pretty amazing and daring for the New Zealand government to tackle a cycling project of that scale, it is not the only model. Sustrans in the UK was funded to create a project for the new Millennium that was free for masses of people to enjoy and benefited the entire country and they developed the National Cycle Network!

While the NZ Cycle Trail network is still in its infancy and will have a few more years to fully mature, there are already signs of promise. We’ve seen local councils take the lead and make steps to improve trails and roads in their region. We’ve seen some businesses that were started to meet the growing demand of cycling. Most encouraging is that we’ve seen an increase in locals using cycling resources that were developed for tourism. The most exceptional example we’ve come upon is a ferry operation in Nelson. Two people built a flat bottom ferry with bike racks to shuttle tourists to Rabbit Island where there is a lovely meandering path. An unexpected benefit is that locals are brushing off their bikes and using the ferry in droves. It has become quite the weekend activity to take the family out for a bike ride out on Rabbit Island.

There are still some hard yards ahead to change road culture and the perception of bicycles just as recreation to transportation in New Zealand. We’re reminded of that everyday we’re on a road with cars passing too close too fast. After talking to many people involved in the program we remain cautiously optimistic.

TRIP UPDATE:
At the moment we are in Greymouth and have experienced a mechanical with my Brompton. We’ve opted to take the train to Christchurch and wait for the part and deal with repairs there. So if you’re in Christchuch and want to meet up or can help us out with a home stay, email us!

(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.)

(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.)

Of all the towns we’ve visited in NZ so far, Nelson (and surrounding communities) definitely stood out for us. And not just because we finally got some real summer weather there. Nelson is smack in the middle of the path between the inter-island ferry and the West Coast of the South Island, so it sees a LOT of cycle tourists. For years, we’ve been told, cycle tourists have rambled in and out of the Nelson area, making residents accustomed to seeing them and the councils interested in supporting them. It may not be perfect, but they’re trying - and we enjoyed riding around on the bike paths, popping into the bike shops, talking to bike-friendly businesses, and generally surveying the impact of cycling on the community. We also took some time to enjoy Nelson’s other claim to fame - being the craft beer capital of NZ.

After a few days of good food, good beers, good cycling, and digging for clams on the beach, we headed out of Nelson, bound for the West Coast. The ride will take us about a week, and we’re currently breaking it up with a day off in Murchison, where we have found internet for the first time in the last few days.

From Nelson, we made use of some good local knowledge to head out of town on the bike paths and back roads. The sun came out as we rambled beside farms and wineries. We stopped for coffee in the small town of Brightwater, and stopped for the day at a small regional park in Wakefield. We decided to break up the ride to Lake Rotoiti into two days, rather than slog it out in one long day - which turned out to be a prudent decision that allowed us to camp that first night beside a beautiful small stream.

In the morning, we headed out of Wakefield, into the hills, along the backroads. Finally, we had found some quiet country riding! Eighty-Eight Valley Road led us through rolling countryside with very little traffic. We wound our way over two good climbs and gradually gained over 2000 feet of elevation. It was a beautiful day that was also a lot hotter and harder than we thought we were in for (yes, we keep forgetting that NZ is full of hills). As the sun beat down, we drank our way through our water a lot quicker than we expected, and we were forced to catch and treat some water out of a road-side culvert (which, thankfully, did not seem to be downstream from a cow pasture). A few kilometers before we reached the lake, we took the turn off to Tophouse, home of NZ’s smallest bar. A beautifully restored old hotel and restaurant, Tophouse serves lunch on the front patio and features a tiny “honesty” bar (where we pulled our own pint of beer and settled up later). Refreshed by our afternoon snack, we rode on into the town of St Arnaud and Rotoiti Lake. The lake is stunningly gorgeous and great for a brisk swim. It’s also swarming with sandflies, an annoying little insect that travels in hordes and bites with a vengeance. Legend says the sandflies were created to keep man from endlessly staring at the natural beauty. Whether that’s true or not, we certainly enjoyed the beauty of the lake quickly, from behind several layers of clothing, and then hid out in our tent.

In the morning, we packed everything up in lightening fashion to run away from the sandflies, which do not seem to rest while it’s light out. We chatted over breakfast with some trampers from Oregon and another cycle tourist writer. We had intended for that day to be a rest day, but we just couldn’t stand to be around the hordes of sandflies or spend another night in the packed-like-sardines campground. So, we headed down the road toward Owen River. Along the way, we stopped at an access point to the Buller River, and Russ threw his line out. Watching from the road above, I was hoping that he’d be able to snag the monster trout for dinner, but the trout proved to be too smart. We camped for the night at the domain camping ground at Owen River, just down a short gravel road from a pub. The camping was perfect, nestled beside the river, amongst a row of enormous fir trees, and nearly empty (there were only two other people in a campervan at the other end of the park). We enjoyed a leisurely afternoon by the river and then moseyed up the hill to the pub for some dinner and beers. When we got back to our tent, we discovered that the wind had died down enough to bring out the sandflies, so we ended our evening (again) by hiding in our tent and reading.

And, again, we awoke to sandflies everywhere, and hastily broke down camp and headed out. This morning, we had a ridiculously short day into Murchison, broken up once for some coffee at an animal park about halfway to town. We found a great deal at the Riverview Holiday Park, and are enjoying a (sandfly-free) cabin for just $40 (and a much-needed catch-up afternoon). With any luck, the rain that’s predicted for today with blow through while we’re indoors, and it’ll be clear again tomorrow.

(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.)

Check out some behind-the-scenes info 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 new 2012 calendar or some of the fun zombie apocalypse shirts we’re designing.)