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How’s Fredrik doin’?
  • Christos S

How’s Fredrik doin’?

Un’avventura di 30 giorni di Christos Leggi altro
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  • Inizio del viaggio
    29 marzo 2024
    Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Finally!

    28 marzo 2024, Danimarca ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    And so it begins!
    A simple msg to Fredrik ended up, in a quick manner, to my longest trip ever. Hyped and excited to visit the guy and have a first hand experience on the seed he planted in one of the prettiest places on the planet.
    The decision for the trip came about a month ago and it was booked, kind off, on the spot. After some long working hours during the past few weeks, finally the time has come.
    It was very easy leaving the mist and rain in Gothenburg and I also grabbed the opportunity to visit Nik in Malmö (not very different there either weather wise...) and catch up a bit. Crazy fiber breakfast, a cup of the finest Malmö coffee (…not!) and I was off to Kastrup airport.
    It is Friday before the catholic Easter and the airport is cramped.
    Despite the traffic everything runs smooth and I am now ready to catch up on my non-existing trip prep while on the go!    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    So this is why all the fuss

    30 marzo 2024, Emirati Arabi Uniti ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    6 and a half hours of flight time and hello Dubai. Typical long flight with all the offerings that all of my last low cost flights were missing. Quiet flight, helpfull and kind stuff, multimedia offerings and nice food to choose from. I might not enjoyed it as much as the girl next to me that slept the whoooole freaking way but still. Landed at 23.20 and there is plenty of time to kill until the connecting flight.
    Tati said it might make sense to go for a quick drive to the city center just to see what the fuss is all about. And so i did...took a cab and the Indian driver managed to squeze 110km of sightseeing in an hour and a half. The city is certainly big and impressive with all the huge tall buildings, the wide, well lit roads and the distinct springles of wealth all over the landscape. No matter how well everything was/is planned though the taxi driver kept complaining on the constant traffic. Lots of xars and traffic despite the 7lane roads and the dact that it was just a late Friday night .    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Christchurch

    31 marzo 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Destination has been reached! Arrived in Christchurch and after a thorough cleaning of my shoes by the custom officers met with F. In short he is doing pretty well!
    Took directly our fist spin wirh the bikes he set up and it turned out it was very much needed (and exhausting...) after all the plane sitting. Jetlag had an obvious effect but after a good night sleep it felt waaay better! So we headed to CAP, Christchurchs' Activity Center. Biking distance from city center they have built a small biking paradise. Loads of trails with steep secrions pump track and dirt jump section. Loads of loose dirt tracks flowing inbetween big pine trees.
    Had half of a day there and continued at the bike shop for F to better prep the bikes for the next coming days.
    Finished the day in the city center where we enjoyed a drink and some needed food to recharge!
    Buss was honking, chimichanga was nice, the city is small but pretty!    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore
    2

    Heading South

    2 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

    And we are off! Heading southbound to check some areas that none of us has visited before. It has been a full day with Fredrik prepping the bikes early in the morning while i am still trying to sync my sleep cycles to a Kiwi rythym. Left Christchurst before lunch, loaded on some chocolate springled coffee and drove all the way to the wrong side of the road!
    EV driving seems nice cause u get the chance to stop quite often and try the local flavors, like the pies...oh the pies. This time it was a well known pie bakery in Fairlie where we tried a Porkbelly with apple mouse pie and another one with chicken, cheese and shrooms. Played some disc golf near Tekapo lake where the famous sky observatory is...what a place! Since the coffee didnt give full effect we took a quick dip in the lake, which feeds from the glacier...brrrrr, and continued refreshed towards a friend that offered to provide a room for us for the night. So thankfull for that and so thankfull for getting to know her!    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Te Anau

    3 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    A refreshing sleep it was...The morning found us surprised over the amazing view the sleeping room (and the house in general) had to offer and soon we were chating over a quick and tasty breakfast, prepped by our host, Abby and off we were, southbound.
    The drive had a lot of amazing views to offer especially with the weather closing in on us. We reached Te Anau loaded up with energy both electrical for the car and gastro for ourselves and drove all the way to Milford sound. A very remote place where a lot of activities like long hikes, cayaking etc can be initiated. Well unfortunately it was quite late around 18.30 when we actually reached destination and there was nothing we could do at the time. Range anxiety kicked in and srarted looking for some charging spot only to find ourselves going all the way back to Te Anau since there was nooooothing available otherwise. People that we turned to were just laughing when they were realising that we went there with an EV. Pffff V12 owners!!!
    And on top of everything else drunk ppl tried to mess with the car while it was charging and we were sitting inside. Alcohol...what can one say?
    Amazingly the guy turned friendly straight away and gave some (yes...drunk) input for our next day...
    Off to the beach for car sleeping!    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Milford Sound

    4 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    After a tight but well slept night in the car (feels like i am past the jetlag phase) we topped again our battery to reassure the battery will bring us back again to Te Anau.
    While charging, we took our time to appreciate the lake with some pie and coffee by the shore.
    The road this time had a different feel since the rain and the clouds gave way to a warm bright sun!
    We had a quick look to the Alltrails app and with some Fredrick inspiration we decided the two trails for the day. View towards Lake Marion and the Chasm which was proposed by Brad...yeap that Brad the drunk one from yesterday...
    It was a full day and a quiet slide into the house since we arrived quite late.    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Wānaka

    5 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    Riding and riding...i am blown away from the beauty and how well organized the bike trails are!!!
    We started with the local mtb park named Glendhu bike park where we shuttled to the top once in order to save some time. So well build and sooo many different styles one could ride! Varied groups from XC oldies, ebike enthousiasts and smaaaaall kids, everyone was represented.
    Left a bit in a rush and early but it was so nice and with such a good flow that everyone was ready to call it for the day...at least until the afternoon where the schedule was to ride Sticky Forest, another mtb area catered by a local group. Very different riding there but equally demanding! In between the two rides we managed to sqeeze in a dip and a beer in Wanaka lake to refresh ourselves.
    When dark fell we hit the local food court for some Asian flavor and visited a friend of Fred at his house. Friendly chit chat and after a little while we were all so ready to hit the mattresses!
    It would be a big day for everyone, me and Fred hitting Queenstown park and Abby doing the same in a racing contex!
    Will be interesting!    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore
    1

    Queenstown

    6 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 5 °C

    What a day again!!!
    Weather is treating us with the best days possible and we ride with a constant dusty dirty smile!
    Fred...again knew/riden these trails which makes me start to think that he has riden everything there is in New Zealand already!
    Flowy, Jumpy, Steep, Long...WOW
    The locals felt they were a unique breed on their own! Even the 12 year olds had some proper mtb swag.
    Managed to put down 6 runs until lunch time/Abbys race ceremony thingy! Nice cool down with a beer in the sun together with the rest and then another one beside the lake with Fred watching the mountain shadow coming at us.
    Unfortuntely we took it way to chill and got very late for the scheduled home cooking part...
    Regardless, it was a nice get together with a swedish/greek/NZ combo (NZ took the entertainment part of the night, selecting music and promoting the Flight of the conchords)    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Aleksandra

    7 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    And it continues...waking up again to a beautifull view, breakfast and off we go the three of us to Aleksandra, Matangi station MTB. Another no lift bike park with awesome trails! Felt a lot like home in Thessaloniki with all the sharp stones and the loose dry dirt! Some really steep parts made it quite challenging and i couldnt keep up with Freds pace (he was after all excited about the contitions and was flying down).
    After some necessary chatting with the groups riding the spot that day we had a few runs together and then moved on to another part of the area.
    First it was a fast flowy one by a small stream and then a steep technical one which took me by surpise! Had an OTB moment and fell with my back towards the slope. I felt my helmet hitting hard against the rock slab right after my bum had done exactly the same. When i stood up i realised my shorts and underwear were torn and my elbow was somehow bleeding. Took some thorns out of my skin and clothes and struggled in the beggining to continue but eventually i managed to clear the trail...
    Another small (thanfully) sacrifice to the MTB Gods!
    Satisfied and full with all the things we did the past days we eventually started heading back to Christchurch from the east road this time. We were aiming for a decent time of sleep before Fred started working.
    Kind of made it...    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Christchurch turist!

    8 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Well...time to act the turist! All the stuff we managed to fit in since we first left Chrischurch left us with a need for a breather. Luckily for me i am on vacay and i can easily take a step back. Not the same xase for Fred that dived straight into work.
    Took it slow and had an early laundry that the hosts were kind enough to provide and headed to the city. Completely different from what i experienced the first night. A bright city with a vibrant center market with loads of coffee places and diners. The river that passes through gathers all the historical parts around it and provides beatifull scenes for the visitor, the turist, me!
    Museums, shops etc etc...typical trip things.
    The day ended with a nice dining experience in a korean/maori fusion diner that even though tasted amazing, left us kind of hungry! Some donats filled in the blank and we were off to sleep!    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore
    1

    North island, Auckland!

    9 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Auckland is the biggest city in New Zealand and it shows! Straight aeay it gave me a feeling of being in the US and/or Toronto. Big cars, big money, big buildings, big...big...big. The city is build on top of a volcano which by the way pffer the most amazing views of the skyline!
    The room had a view to the road and all the strip clubs the area had to offer! If only i could check the area before booking...very loud at night time from both drunk people as well as roaring car and motorbike engines.
    At the end it was fine...with the earplugs working wonders!
    Did a small run on Wednesday morning to loosen up the legs and it felt soooo nice! Well needed after all the biking.
    Off to get the car and hit the road    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Kauri forests

    11 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    Got a rental and headed north. Drove a bit Freds car but it was long segments of straight road, nothing difficult. This time driving out of Auckland took full attetion. After a while one gets used to it...kind of!
    The drive northbound was not somethimg spectacular in the beginning but it certainly gave its best towards the end. I passed by the Kauri museum, had a look, got some info and quickly headed towards the Kauri walks which had a closing time that i could just make it.
    Lovely typical rolling New Zealand hills gave way to Waipoua Forest road which was both amazing to see and drive. Walked the small paths that eventually led to the biggest trees i have seen. Huge just huge! As if the tropical forest wasnt impresive enough!
    Continued up the road in order to check in for the night in a small place i found online. It turned out to be a proper haven! Owned by a lovely couple, it felt they put a lot of effort making everything just right!
    Took advantage of the remaing daylight to see the sand dunes that where near by. Impressive scenery and beaches!
    Took the rest of the afternoon in the common kitchen checking some pictures and writing down things that had happened the last days.
    It started raining and it will continue to rain for the next two days. I would still like to go all the way up north but probably i will not be able to do as much as i hoped for.    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    The northest of the southest

    11 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    I woke up early and from a weather prespective i was not very keen on heading up north. All the things one could do were out in the open (as most things here...) and with a prognosis for extreme winds and proper rainfall i was veeeery sceptical. At the end i decided to go for it but in a more relaxed manner. At the end the lighthouse will be in place no matter what!
    So i took my time with a proper breakfast and some tea, communicated my best compliments to Bruce for what they have achieved and how lovely the place is and hit the road.
    It was raining...and raining and raining. Not just a drizle, proper heavy, bucketload type of rain!
    Pushed through and commited to it, only to get a freaking dense cloud just before the end that prevented all visibility...lovely!
    Crazy wind, more rain...looked very promising...NOT ! ! !
    Took some windy images of the lighthouse and headed towards a beach just 2k of a foot trail away. Besides looking amazing it was behind the hill so kind of protected from the wind. The rain also stopped...hmm
    And after a quick trail run i found myself alone in the most beautifull beach ever. All mine! Undisturbed, pristine, smooth sand with the heavy waves breaking in a distance and the wind coming ang going from all directions! Felt like running...so i did...felt like swiming...so did...The sun came out! Someone up there had to be watching! I just couldnt believe it!
    I had hard time deciding leaving but i had to if i wanted to see the giant sand dunes that were a bit to the south. Passed them before but i had prioritised the ligthouse.
    After a short drive that passed through fields and fields of cows and sheep there i was! Another wonder of nature. Sandy mountains filling the horizon from side to side. Two figures in the distant dune running like crazy up and down and i followed along. Wind was picking up and was sandblasting my whole being!
    Took another go at running and got in the car to head back. Tonight will be car night. Some planning is needed. And i just realise i spend most of the time writing this...well, it is what it is.    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Heading South?

    12 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Stealth car camping as it turns out I fit in the car! I had a very good night sleep and since I had limited options for entertainment in the car, I fell asleep really early and woke up just as early! Around 5.30 i was already driving...north, not because i chanded plans but cause of me not thinking straight...After a while i realised and headed towards the right direction. Quite some time was lost but hey, light started to appear behind the mist.
    Farmers drove their 'utes' like mad in the dark! The day started in a hard way. Visited Wangarei to check the waterfalls but i was mostly surprised by the A. H. Reed Memorial Kauri Park.
    Continued down the road and close to the east coast this time. What a sight!
    I missed my chance of riding a wave since they dont rent boards this far out of the normal season.
    At least they all looked lile they were enjoyed.
    Reached Rotorua late in the afternoon dead tired from almost half a day of driving.
    Checked in the hotel (btw if booking rates it around 6 its not worth it) had a full dinner right next to the hotel and crashed into bed!    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore
    1

    Rotorua biking heaven

    13 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Woke up early so took a stroll around the hotel that was quite well centered and next to the hot spring lake. Nice and short walk cause i was focused on maximising my Biking time! Rented a Giant Trance and started the Forest loop at 'Whakarewarewa Forest Park'. I was a bit in a hurry cause rain was supposed to come in later in the day. The 34km loop was said to go through some of the areas interesting forest locations as well as providing a good (grade 3) ride.
    It did not dissapoint. A relatively easy ride but the landscape was amazing! Huge redwood trees, giant ferns, tropical feel and well built tracks that were still moist from the rain the day before.
    Loved it!
    Finished the loop, took a breather and roamed around the rest of the tracks keeping it reltively easy. Did around 60km of trail riding and was certainly ready to hit those warm pools! Nice and relaxing small pools placed outdoors with a view to the lake and both acidic and alcalic waters! Had no cluewhat was what... i just transfered my tired being from one to the other and got primed for some rest!    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Continuing south

    14 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Pretty tired for another day of riding so decided to play it safe and act the turist on e more after Christchurst...(good and bad choice there). Before leaving Rotorua had to have a look at the crankworks racing field...mtfin' HUUUUGE stuff...certainly the size of everything is lost through all the videos. Seeing it in real life is a completely different thing.
    Started driving away from Rotorua and was planning to go directly to Huka falls which is close to Taupo but for some reason when i saw the sign of Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland i just turned in. Decided to give it a go despite the fact i knew it eould be very turistic. Mudpools, geizers, hot spring and sulphur all around...an interesting site for sure. The day was very sunny and nice and all the colors of the oxides and the crystals in the water were very evident. Interesting site to see for sure. What i didnt like was the people! Pfff...didnt miss the selfish ones hunting the perfect photo in expense of everybody elses incovenience...aaaanyhow.
    I rushed through the path and rushed back in the car. Did actually passed by Huka falls at the end and had the same feeling there as well...
    So headed into Taupo, checked in the hostel and started getting ready for next days hike!
    Oh yeah...i watched rugby at the local pub over some beers!
    Kiwi style    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Tongariro Alpine crossing

    15 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ 🌙 5 °C

    Spend the night in a hostel thinking i had to be fresh for the hike. Small wooden sleep pods that worked reallt well in general cutting sounds and lights from the mixed dorm room.
    Started driving in a hurry but i made sure to get time to buy two pies, a bun and a coffee (...thought it was expensive at the time).
    Reached the finish of the trek with the car and from there it was arranged to get a shuttle to the start of the Tongariro Alpine crossing so it wouldnt be any waiting after i was done.
    The day looked very promising excactly as the forecast from the day before. Shuttle time was about 30min and the driver tried to sqeeze in some local Maori stories and legends during the drive. Cool guy with veeeeery NZ accent!
    Started the hike and it feels amazing! The scenery even from the car looked out of this world. It is my first ever volcano sight. And straight away i was thinking Smigol and the fellowship!!! 😁
    The active crater that stars the movie, the red crater, the caldera,the blue lakes.l, the the the...so many features in one go!
    The hike itself was not that hard...the shuttle driver said the record was 1hour 25min! Prob Killian J.
    It took roughly 6 hours with pie eating and a ton load of images. Prob overexcited about the place!
    Aftrr finishing relatively early decided to continue south to Wellington and call it for the north island road tripping. Need some rest and there will be only one full day to explore Wellington so better make it worth it!    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Wellington

    15 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    And...finally reached the capital. Final destination for the north island roadtrip.
    I arrived around 20.00 and took some time to relax from the long driving. I got a bit frustrated when i realised that most food places and bars were closing at 22.00 and that there was not a lot of ppl around despite being in the city's center.
    It was certainly a different thing the next day during the morning run where despite being early it was alot of people all around showing how vibrant of a city it is.
    Visited the Museum of New Zealand with interesting anf varied free exhibitions. NZ nature, first habitants, Maori culture and 'Galipoli: The scale of our war'.
    The last one was dedicated to NZ's participation in the first world war with a main key contribution from Weta studios (the film prop making studio that made Lord of the rings) placed large scale lifelike figures of NZ soldiers. Impressive work and amount of detail there!!!
    And after the museum and a nice drive/eat/chill towards the Oriental bay i headed to 'Weta cave'. A guided tour at the workshops of the creative studio showing how things are made combined with alot of interesting stories from the film industry!
    Inspiring!    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Back in Christchurch

    17 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Flew back in 'base' and was setting up for touring the north part of the south island.
    Got a lame car, which was expected since it was crazy cheap. Quite a difference with what i was driving just some hours ago. And it was not only the car...the service was following the same path, lame. Went to the parking where there were thousands of cars and the girl at the office gave me the key saying...'i dont know where exactly it is parked, you ll find it' and laughed trying to make it a joke. I didnt laugh! Needless to say it took forever to find it!
    Passed by Freds job to say hi and got a tshirt with the shop's logo. Support local busines they say after all. Before heading to Freds home i tried to catch a good sunset from the hills we biked with Fred o the first day but didnt really worked, too cloud.
    Spend the night at home where Juls made some taco filling that was sooooo needed. Some rest in the schedule and tomorrow off i go.    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Kaikoura day1

    18 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    After a good night sleep we, me and Fred headed for breakfast in a nice coffee place close to the bike shop. A nice coffee, a tasty toast and a nice cheese scone wirh fresh butter (my understanding is that scones are a local saltly bread type of thing) kept me until the afternoon!
    After munching while Fred was fixing a front fork i hit the road againg aiming the north. The weather forecast for the west coast looked a bit moist so changed direction and aimed for the east coast instead. Going on a north loop with an anti-clockwise direction this time.
    First stop kaikoura, a spot famous for whale watching, surfing and crayfish-es! Thats all i knew at least. Driving the 2.30 hours i realised that I stop waaay less in points of interest along the roads. Prob cause i realised they are just too many. So i passed by all the wineries, some scenic road prompts and aimed for Kaikoura. The only scenic road i decided to actually take, cause i felt bad passing by so many things, turned out to be a dead end due to road works...pfff maybe this was not my day!
    But then... just before i entered Kaikoura the road was parallel to the coast and a good viewing spot just clicked. I stopped and the moment i got out i saw them...dolphins! Lots of them in the distance and they were getting closer. I was impressed by the sight (if only i knew what i would experience later on...). Continued driving and got into town heading towards the seal colony with the aim to complete the hiking path which connects the two coasts of the pennislula. It is a looped hike that goes on a high trail along a ridge by the coast and then returns either the same way or...one can choose the coastline path which actually passes through the seal colony. No need to say what i chose...
    At some point the big f...ers were sleeping in the middle of the trail and for sure they didnt want to move...quite the opposite, they were ready to stand their ground!
    MTHRFCKRS!
    I was walking silently like a cat until reallity struck and walked like a normal person, making noise, waking up a seal that looked me in the eye and instantly alerted the others! I was stuck not knowing what to do...thankfully one went to pee or sonething and now there was an opening for me to pass. Maybe it is my day after all . Took the chance only to find another bigger seal sleeping on the trail...this time had to climb a small hill and go through a cave to find eventually a clear path to the trail. It was a bit tricky...and scary...and funny but at the end it worked. At the finish/start of the loop two lamas were eating the grass...i just passed it, turns out nothing is weird these days.
    Finished off the day with some local, expensive crayfish just because i felt it was a must. It was worth it. Bit surreal but while i was eating my lovely crayfish and enjoying the seaside view the lamas were passing behind me making aaaaall the weird noises one can think of.
    I remembered all the crab eating techniques back when Oly was making us crabs for snacks/food and applied em...worked great!
    Headed to the hostel, shower, laundry, cooking and eating and some discussion on what i should be doing the next day with the hostel owner. A girl from Germany overheard and said...'i did a really cool thing today...i swam with the dolphins'
    After some minutes i set my alarm for 5am. The Dolphin encounter swim will be starting at 5.30! Simple as that.
    Excited!    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Kaikura day2

    19 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    Woke up 3.30am, idk if it was the excitement about the coming encouter with the dolphins or the person in the hostel room snoring like an ox.
    Showed up at the headquarter where we got ourselves (we were around 20 prs) equipment and after a short safety brief etc we were in the calm morning sea, in a big boat while the sun was rising behind the mountains that surround the penninslula. In short, it was freaking great already!
    After a while we encoutered a flock of dolphins and we dropped in the Pacific water ehhh!
    It was amazing, the lovely animals wanted to play with you and the more you play and swam the more they stayed around you. Played for 30 min or so with em and got exausted....Then a seal showed up, an albatros, a friendly (?) shark...wtf!
    A trully unique experience that is hard to describe...after everything finished and with a big smille on my face i had a coffee ordered back at the headquarter which happened to be in an awesome location and tried to let the experience sink in.
    Went back to the hostel and after a quick lunch i got a rental bike and did a loop around the penninsula. I was expecting some good views but the trail, despite being nice, was just too flat. It was a good ride though to close another unique day!    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Picton

    20–22 apr 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    After a good night sleep i was on the road aiming for Picton, a city furrher up north which is considered a good starting point for exploring the Marlborough sounds and that is exactly the goal. Btw...'sounds' means 'a narrow stretch of water forming an inlet or connecting two wider areas of water such as two seas or a sea and a lake'. One of the great New Zealand bike rides is the 'Queen Charlotte track' which is offered for both biking and hiking. It was probanly the only thing i had found in my nonexisting prep work for the trip and wanted to try it out.
    Ofcourse along the way from Kaikoura there were points of interest worth spending some time visiting.
    Just a few minutes of driving north and one passes by another seal colony that is right next to the highway. You can stop and see the seals sleeping/sun bathing in the weirdest positions possible on the rocks. In contrast with Kaikoura this time there is no concern about waking them up or them blocking the trail since the colony is a few meters below the road and there is a cement barrier in-between. One can walk along the path between the road and the colony and watch all the funny interactions the baby seals have with the adult ones. A lot of (...I d call it screaming) was involved in these interactions, something that the kids around the spot easily picked up and reproduced themselves! It was funny, up to some point.
    After all the screaming madness i was back on the road not for long though since a black sanded beach was about half an hour drive away. I would have missed it if I didnt catch a young couple taking pictures at the side of the road. I slowed down and realised that this place was the beach I saw in gmaps and I had to make a U turn further down the road in order to be able to stop and have a look. The sight was unique. Another remote and pristine beach with black sand and golf ball sized grey pebbles. Drifwood was scattered all around, even big tree trunks decorating the part of the beach closer to the road. The water hazy and cold, I didnt dare to swim this time. It was nice as it was!
    And then, after a bit more driving, there I was...in Picton. The connecting point to Wellington and the north island since the ferry stops here. Small town with obviously a strong connection to the water element. I went directly to the information center so i could arrange the water taxi for taking me to the start of the trail as well as asking some info on where i could hire a bike. It was the fist time i was using their services and it was great. They could arrange everything for me in some sence but they also mentioned that i sould go and figure out the bike hire myself. Checked in the hostel and went looking for a bike. Found a decent place and long story short, i had a complete set-up ready to go.
    Queen Charlotte track is a physically challenging trail along the peninsula traversing along the ridgeline as well as passing by the beaches. This creates a loooot of ups and downs! Full length is 70km and my aim is to do it in one take! This is where the theory ends, soon i ll figure out if it is managable.    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Queen Charlotte

    21 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    Once again the excitement about riding the trail didnt allow for a good sleep. Got up really early and went grocery shopping...had to buy pickles! What is the point having a sandwitch if it doesnt have any pickles in it? Jokes aside, I needed them to compensate the lack of isotonic water. Even though i borrowed a tablet from a German roomate i felt that it would be good with some extra salty stuff. So, prepped quite a lot of food and took 0.75l of water hoping to get some water along the way.
    Showed up to the water taxi spot with full gear. The bike was already loaded on the boat and the captain just started checking-in the group. We were all present and so we started boarding on time. I was a bit in a hurry cause the time that was available for completing the trail was 'only' 7 hours in the best case. Boat would arrive round 9.00 at the start and pick up at 16.00 from the finish in Anakiwa. Thankfully the guy from the bike shop presented an option, as a safety feature, to call him when i would get reception somewhere in the middle of the trail to let him and the boat taxi if all goes according to plan or if we should make any changes for the pick up. The length of the full trail is 70km (Ship cove to Anakiwa..). If i could manage to consistenly ride about 12km/h then i would have some slack for misshaps/breaks/food or whatever comes along. That is pretty much my running pace, should be easy!
    Well that pace is for a flat course, with the planets aligned...etc not for biking a tropical jungle trail. I am very curious how this will end up.
    The views from inside the boat, and even better from the boat's deck, were amazing! It took around an hour to reach the trail's start 'Ship Cove' and once there everyone went straight into it!
    Bikes (me) are supposed to start before the hikers so they dont cross each other in the trail. With me setting up the bike and getting a pic or two i started last. So, I passed all the hikers in the fist uphill and I felt fresh and nice! It didnt last long! The trail showed out of the gate that it will not be easy to complete...the uphills were seriously steep and the gearing on the bike didnt allow for fast spinning. Grinding my way up and down soon i cleared the first 5th grade uphill and my legs melted...
    That was the point i decided to just enjoy the trail and exit/picked up at the 50km mark 'Torea bay' at 16.30.
    Now i had actually the time to go to the look out and enjoy the amazing view. Took my time riding further while taking a lot of images and trying to make everything stick in my head.
    The ride itself besides the uphill part was just ok. No difficulties no nothing. Beautyfull views and certainly interesting to ride through the jungle...
    It was another great New Zealand experience, thats for sure!    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Nelson

    22 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Got a rather lazy start for the day. I still had some sandwitches left that meant to be consumed during the last part of the trail. Well...now they will be breakfast, and its a looot of pickles in em!
    I searched for a nice spot close by one could go and have a breakfast with a view. Turns out there was a perfect location for that looking over the hole Picton bay area. When I reached the spot besides the beatiful view there were already two guys there having breakfast. Started chatting like normal people would do and turns out they were heading Nelson and were looking for a ride. They were quite surprized when i said before leaving...'Is it ok to pick you up with the car in 30min and head to Nelson?'
    They were interesting dudes. Marlin from California with a very distinct accent and Vincent from Germany. We talked about everything but also enjoyed some silent moments. Its nice when you are able to do that with strangers. Because of these two I forgot I had some points marked along the way to Nelson that we could have checked out. It was a nice drive regardless. Weather was awesome these past few weeks. Lst rain must have been in Rotorua while biking. Seems the sun lovws the east coast and rain loves the west one!
    The tide had pulled way back and felt extreme. For many km we were watching wetsands that we coulnd believe it was due to the tide. Later i learned it is a typical thing in these parts.
    Left the two guys to continue their journey towards Abel Tasman National park, a place i also olanned to visit but things turned out differently. Went to the hostel just to realise the check in was available after 15.30 so i roamed around a bit. Went to the 'Center of New Zealand' which was nothing morw than ametal plte on an otherwise lovely hill with great bay overview (including the tide pull back).
    Then headed to a bike shop to arrange a ride for the next day. Nelson is famous for the good weather and the amazing mountain biking.I would search for a good bike this time cause i realise during the Charlotte trail that it does make a difference...big one. Lucky me and i hit the nail on the first try. Google IS your friend my friend! Nelson Gravity was an authorised dealer for Santa Cruz, Transition, Mondraker and Evil bikes...sweeeet. They were renting the Mondraker Foxy which was the aluminium verson of my dream bike and a perfect choice turns out for the local trails including the Coppermine which i planned on riding the next day. Of course the price was three times higher comparing to the GT aggtessor i had two days ago. Sorted everything checked in the lovely hostel and went out to catch the sun set over the bay. Nelson had quite a big beach right next to city center.
    After it became dark for any additional images I headed for a decent meal since it was loads of sandwitches and pasta these past few days.
    The Thai restaurant I went to presented a medium quality pad thai for my liking and the best sping rolls i ve ever tasted. All in all I felt really good and i was on my way to get some sleep cause it will be again a long day.
    Back at the hostel another German roomate (feels it is only Germans around) said that i should visit the north tip of the south island cause the beaches there are amazing. He showed me a pic and instantly i put it on the tight schedule. Abel Tasman even tough it has to be amazing it is a hiking destination and the hiking time i dont actually have. So that is also sorted, kind of cause the driving north a a well 6 hour round trip. I ll figure it out tomorroe depending how i feel after biking.
    Sleep now!    Leggi altro

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  • Christos SHow’s Fredrik doin’?Viaggiatore

    Nelson day2

    23 aprile 2024, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    And so, its time again to hit the trails! Since we didnt manage to plan a ride together with Fredrik and Abby for the 'Old ghost road' my hopes for riding one more of New Zealand's 'Great Rides' focused on the Coppermine trail and it was one of the main reasons for visiting Nelson. I received quite some info regarding the trail both from the well made official application for all the 'Great rides' as well as from the bike hire shop. One was generic with all types of historical and nature focused info and the other one provided latest status and tips...good combo. The official guide made me a bit sceptical since they were characterising the downhill part as grade 4 and being on my own without added body armour except a helmet i started to feel unsecure. That's BAD! Was keep thinking that it is the last ride in NZ and as Murphy wants it, all the misshaps happen on the last ride...it is 'last' for a reason. Like finding your keys in the last spot you usually imagine...cause you stop searching after that. So even though i slept on it, i had a dream bike waiting for me at the shop and from what it looked liked in the morning a perfect riding day ahead of me weather wise. Ate some left over sandwitches i had made in Picton and headed for the bike shop. Soon enough i was in the trailhead and covering the first out of 20 or so km of uphill. The trail is around 40km and half of it being a constant uphill through pine forest leading into a mining area and then kind of an alpine flora landscape that signifies the start of the downhill part into rocky exposed hillsides. Once i was on the bike i forgot all of my fears...typical case. Up and up the trail went making the views even more impressive after every corner. Even though the trail was in the shade for the first part of the uphill I was sweating like a...nevermind. Still managed to pass a guy on an ebike! Felt good...haha.
    Time and kilometers went by fast and soon i was riding the ridgeline named 'windy point' after which the trail becomes a single downhill track. There were some tables with benches for resting and one biker was taking a breather before the downhill part. Talked a bit...interesting guy for sure but I started to get cold so politely I asked to be excused and took my first turns on the downhill. The fear turned into excitement and a big smile appeared onto my face. The trail info was a bit over protective. At least for the part of the downhill I could see. Pure joy of a ride that certainly worth the uphill part. The ride down felt long and tiring and it turns out there were some points of good exposure but who cares now? Its downhill and its good and fast and its sunny! New Zealand delivers...all these were going through my head. Pure joy.
    Finally, I was again on the flats returning to the trailhead to close the loop and while taking some pics the guy we were talking before the downhill showed up and we were able to finish our discussion on our way back. We went together all the way to the city where I took my way to a nice artsy coffee place i had seen the day before. It was nice with fancy ppl and all of the sunshine hitting it straight on. I was covered in mud, all sweaty and looking tired but...artsy coffee place i wanted and thats exactly what i got! I enjoyed the break and felt a bit revived so it was time to head back to the trails area. Fred mentioned a good trail to try out called 'Te Ara Koa' and I had nooooo idea what/where/how. I thought just go for it and go for another one later on. If only i knew...Turned out the trail was going aaaaall the way up again but in a shorter uphill. Now it was also warmer...and i was already tired...this will hurt i thought while riding up. Took a lot of time but at the end I reached the trailhead, the top of the hill (later Fred told me that they use the shuttle service to go up they dont bike the uphill...he could have been a bit more specific haha). With all the uphill effort, time to return the bike was closing in and i had no idea what to expect besides what I saw on the map, it was a black trail. Black trail riding for the...'last' ride...tired...sure mr.Murphy!
    But NO, it was just THE BEST TRAIL I HAVE EVER RIDEN !!!
    Close to 5km of pure joy! Steep, fast and well built going through tropical forest with tones of features! I was enjoying it soooo much i was screaming alone in the jungle...until i crashed. Small one in a tight corner! Out of all the difficult spots i washed out in a switchback (need to work on those btw). Continued like nothing happened...felt no fear now, just joy...didnt care...shoulderbumped a tree...still didnt care...still hurts!
    'TE ARA KOA'...wow just wow, forgot already all the 'Great rides'.
    Took some time to wipe the smile off my face and i headed to get some food in order to refill the energy bank and head north to grt closer to the beach the German guy from the hostel presented! The drive went through a mountain pass with loads of hairpin corners. I was not in a position to continue driving at night time. Stopped, ate and eventually slept in the roadside parking in the car under the fullmoon, not bad ehhhh! I was already pretty close to the north cape of the south island.    Leggi altro

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