• Helene Rimberg
Nykyinen
  • Helene Rimberg

The Grand Adventure

A bike trip with no end Lue lisää
  • Dunedin

    8. helmikuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Slow start as bodies are tired, but head out into the sunshine for some sightseeing. Wander passed the Chinese gardens and the impressive train station Farmers market is next - full of summer fruit and veg! Slow walk through a street fair and make our way to Botanical gardens and aviary. Cover quite a bit of ground like usual! Head back to organize and prepare for tomorrow’s bus ride.Lue lisää

  • To Dunedin

    7. helmikuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    One last day of riding. And the winds are not in our favor. Feeling the miles in my legs! Continue on the Clutha Gold trail until the end - passing through wetlands and along a huge lake. Wind our way along side roads - avoiding the main highway as much as we can. Slow going into the wind. 2 big hills and we drop into Dunedin. Check into hostel and do a little walk about into the city. Fish n’ chips and gelato for dinner.Lue lisää

  • Long day in the saddle to Milton

    6. helmikuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    As forecasted, rain comes in during the night but lets us by morning. Cloudy skies aren’t going to dry our tent so pack up as we have a long day ahead on the Clutha trail. Services are minimal so need to do a 50+ mile day to get to a campground and be able to get to Dunedin the next day. Cruise along the river until Beaumont and then into the hills. The sun makes a few appearances. A hill and a tunnel before our lunch stop in Lawrence. Treated to a large herd of alpacas! 2 more hills and tunnels and we are done the hard stuff. Wind picks up but we make it - rather late into Milton. Steak dinner to replenish our iron supplies.Lue lisää

  • Clutha Gold trail

    5. helmikuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Day is split between riding the very hilly highway and then a dedicated cycle path. Hills are hard, traffic is nasty and it’s hot. But we make it down to the Clutha river, passed a very large dam and hop on the trail. Beautiful gravel and cement trail (mostly) along the fast moving river. Stop for lunch and ice cream and continue on. Find a small beach and plunge in (slowly - it’s a bit chilly). Continue on to Miller’s Flat.Lue lisää

  • Otago rail trail

    3. helmikuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Still feeling tired but alot of coffee and breakfast revives us. The sky is clear as we continue on the gravel road to Naseby. Lots of gold and mining history. Enjoy a brief bit of pavement and proceed back to gravel and the Otago rail trail. Nice quiet path in the middle of big valley. Short ride and we are at our destination- Oturehue. Nice short day.Lue lisää

  • Dansey’s Pass

    2. helmikuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    Misty morning as we leave the lovely farm and our cozy trailer. Make our way back to Duntroon and head onto the Dansey pass road. All ok for first bit though weather is less than ideal. Road kicks up for the first incline but it’s still pavement. We cruise back down and hit the gravel road. It’s well compacted and the moisture keeps the dust down. Clouds settle on us and we revert to pushing UP. Hug the side of the mountain yet can’t see around the next turn. Hit the top but can’t see a thing. Zip up and head down. Skies begin to clear as we wind down to Dansey Pass hotel. Fortunately for us there is a room. Lovely old hotel and comfy room. Pub dinner and collapse in bed. Very hard day.Lue lisää

  • Into Waitaki valley

    1. helmikuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Seek out penguins in the morning but they have already returned to the sea. Opt to check out conservatory. Great penguin info and see some up close in their nesting boxes. Backtrack a bit to catch road heading into valley. Lots of farmland as we make our way to home of Steve and Petra- childhood family friend of Boe family. Lovely evening in their piece of paradiseLue lisää

  • Pints, pizza & PENGUINS

    31. tammikuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Set our sights on Oamaru to visit a larger penguin colony. Only 56 miles or so away. Ride highway 1 but it has a nice shoulder. Stop for strawberries at a converted church. Then fall upon a beautiful gourmet cafe. Eat some sustenance and carry on. Able to get off the highway for a bit. Make it to Oamaru - phew! Head to brewery for pints and pizza. Sadly viewings for penguins returning to land is sold out. Stake out a spot on the beach. Only see them as we walk back to our campground.Lue lisää

  • Geraldine

    29. tammikuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    Incredibly windy night. Carries on into the morning. Finally settles a bit and we crawl out of the gorge. Fortunately we turn with the wind and have happy cruising along the mountain range - including Mount Hutt, their ski resort. Stop for lunch and have “toasties” (grilled cheese Sammie’s). Wind has changed but we are going slightly down. Make it to Geraldine. Sadly the power is out in the entire town and thus can’t get any food or take showers. Fortunately it is a quick fix. Nice dinner if lamb.Lue lisää

  • From one gorge to the next

    28. tammikuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Hug the mountain range as we go further into the Canterbury plains. Not much around besides sheep. Beautiful, sunny day - best we have had in awhile. Stop in tiny towns for lunch and the unexpected ice cream. Wind picks up, creating a challenging final leg up and then down to the Raika gorge. Set up in nice campground by the river and head off on a little walk. Very windy!Lue lisää

  • Beautiful scenery, treacherous roads

    24. tammikuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Misty morning, this we take our time. Ride along the peninsula in search of more sea creatures. Do see some dolphins from afar and more seals. Walk amongst rocks that were displaced from most recent earthquake. Head south along the coastline and get some up close views of seal friends. Road becomes more narrow, especially as we head inland. Make it to Cheviot - barely. Find a lovely campground and opt for a nice cabin.Lue lisää

  • Ah, the wind at one’s back

    23. tammikuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Up and out early to catch the favorable northerlies. Road is fairly quiet and has big shoulder. Roll through the brown hills and grapes until we cross over and plunge down to the sea. Ride alongside with the mountains, close on the right. Seems to be an alp ridge in the middle of this island. After a lunch spot find ourselves amongst the fur seals - with babies! Long day but make it 64 miles to Kaikoura. Lovely fish dinner.Lue lisää

  • And the ride resumes

    22. tammikuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Spend much of the day at the campground waiting for the bike to be finished. Finally hit the road at 2:30. Ride the Whale Trail safely out of town, up the mountain and back into wine country. Wind slows us down but only have to go to Seddon, 20 miles or so. Set up in tiny Motor camp - squished between others.Lue lisää

  • Wither Hills

    19. tammikuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Hit a chocolate factory and farmers market before heading up into the Wither Hills. Lovely, almost 360 views of the hills surrounding us and valley below us. Sunnier and warmer than it’s been for awhile but still windy. Finish our adventures at a winery - of course. Nice first day of being “stuck”.Lue lisää

  • Our first major mechanical

    18. tammikuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    As we need to get to a bike store before it closes, get an early start to Blenheim. Beautiful and quiet coastal road gives way to busier road, winding through a valley. Livestock gives way to grapes as we enter one of the premier wine regions. Zip past the wineries - for now. Wait for awhile at the bike shop to then be told it will take 5 days to order the rim, wait for it and then rebuild his wheel. No other options. Make our way to Spring Creek Campground - nice place though on top of busy road.Lue lisää

  • To the south island we go

    16. tammikuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Up early to catch our 8:45 ferry. Easy check in and boarding! Find some nice seats and get comfy for our 3 1/2 hour ride. Beautiful day for a crossing. Arrive on the South Island, get some supplies and ride west along the coast to Smith family farms campground. Greeted with banana muffins, a towel and food to feed the animals. After f d inner, walk to the waterfalls and the glow worms.Lue lisää

  • Wellington: Day 2

    15. tammikuuta 2025, Uusi Seelanti ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Museum Day! Walk ourselves back down to the waterfront and the Te Papa (museum of NZ). Spend the next 3+ hours in a mix of natural, cultural and social history. (The ‘people were about 8 feet tall and so life like. Done by Weta studio). Emerge into the sunshine and walk to Mount Victoria lookout and seek out LOTR filming sites. Another stop on the beer route and we are back on the bus towards our ‘home’.Lue lisää