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The World on Two Wheels

The World on Two Wheels

After discovering the joys of cycling in 2002 I took a group of fellow riders to China in 2006. Since then we have gone on to complete 54 other overseas cycling and trekking adventures which have taken us all over the planet. Leggi altro🇦🇺Melbourne
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      Home Again to a Nasty Surprise

      28 marzo, Australia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

      The final day of any long trip is always filled with mixed feelings. On the one hand there is a relief that all the planning work that had been done over the preceding year had paid off. It was another quite complex trip, with three groups all starting and finishing on different dates. In spite of the logistical challenges, all the arrangements worked perfectly.

      On the other hand there is also a feeling of sadness that the whole adventure is drawing to a close. Soon we will all be back in Australia and the trip will be added to all the previous overseas rides, with only our memories and photos to remind us of what we had experienced.

      There is absolutely no doubt that the trails in New Zealand are vastly different from those we have in Australia. The magnitude of the mountains is on a completely different scale from the modest little bumps we have over here. As well as the different terrain, we were also able to enjoy riding ebikes that were not encumbered by the ridiculous 25 kph speed limit. It is obvious that New Zealanders have a more realistic approach to what an ebike should be.

      On our final day in Queenstown, we awoke early, packed our bags for the final time and then headed off on the short journey to the airport. The airport in Queenstown is delightful and modest sized, reminding me of Maroochydore Airport in Queensland.

      We were able to check in our luggage immediately, even though our flight was not due to leave for about 4 hours. That left us plenty of time to relax, chat and drink coffee.

      The flight itself took off on time at 3.20 pm and soon we were smoothly flying across the Tasman. The three hour flight gave me just enough time to watch the new Conclave movie, before we started our descent to Melbourne. If you haven't seen it yet, you really should.

      After landing at Melbourne, turned on my mobile phone to check my email. There was one message that I did not want to see. It was from the New Zealand police force, informing me that I had incurred a speeding fine while driving the hire car in the North Island. Although I sincerely doubted the accuracy of the speed recording, I did not want to run the risk of being extradited, so decided that I would just have to suck it up and pay the thing. It was not the homecoming surprise I was looking forward to.

      At least the airport was quiet, and we were able to clear immigration and baggage collection without delay. Soon we were met by the shuttle van we had arranged before leaving Australia and we were on the final leg of our journey.

      Although it was the notorious peak hour on a Friday night, the traffic was very light and we made it home quite quickly. Unlocking the front door always brings a strange feeling, but it is always nice to be back home in familiar territory again.      Leggi altro

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      A Wet Day in Arrowtown

      27 marzo, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

      It was the last full day of our trip, so I asked Maggie what she would like to do. When we had been in Queenstown the first time, back when was still suffering badly from Covid, she had been too unwell to see anything. I wanted her to be able to take some good memories back to Australia.

      She thought for a while before saying that she would like to spend the day in nearby Arrowtown. This is a small town about 20 km from Queenstown. It is famous for the collection of lovely historic shops and buildings. Since the weather had turned cold and wet, there was little we could do in Queenstown, so Arrowtown seemed like a good alternative.

      Fortunately we still had the rental van, so transport was not a problem. The drive took about 25 minutes and went by without incident. After we arrived in Arrowtown, we emerged in quite steady rain and set out to explore the place. Although I had been here during the riding part, Maggie had never seen the place before, and she was immediately captivated by the quaint shops and beautiful autumn colours. She immediately went to work with her camera, catching the unusual angles she loves so much.

      After spending about three hours there (including two coffees, a sausage roll and a cake), it was time to climb back in the bus and return to Queenstown. We were both feeling tired by that time, so decided to head to the bowling alley across the road from our hotel for an early dinner.

      Back in the room, we packed the bags for the final time, knowing that by the same time tomorrow we would be back home in Melbourne.      Leggi altro

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      Back to Queenstown

      26 marzo, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

      It has now been 20 days since we arrived in Auckland to start this trip. A lot has happened during that time, including the added challenge of having to deal with Maggie's serious illness. There were times that she really felt the trip would have to be abandoned and we would have to return to Australia earlier than planned.

      I am relieved to say that Maggie is now making steady progress. Although she is still feeling very fatigued at the end of every, her appetite is improving and she has finally been able to make some good memories.

      So now we are nearing the conclusion of our travels. This morning we left Te Anau for the 170 km drive to Queenstown. Since this is where our cycling began, it was like a case of deja vu as we again drove through several locations that we had ridden through a couple of weeks earlier.

      We arrived in Queenstown around lunchtime and most of us went to get lunch at the food caravans near the hotel. While we were eating we could see the daredevils hang gliding from the top of the nearby mountain. Although it was impossible to tell from such a distance, two of those thrill seekers were Sue and Andrea, who had both decided that they would confront their fears and take the leap of faith.

      The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing and wandering around the edge of the lake, Tomorrow will be the last full day of our adventure, but at this stage we had no definite plans on how we would spend it.      Leggi altro

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      Taking the Hobbit Bus to Milford Sound

      25 marzo, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

      One of the main reasons we had decided to head back down the west coast to Te Anu was to take a day trip to Milford Sound. Maggie and I had visited this incredible fjord back in 1994, when we travelled the length of New Zealand in a Maui campervan with our three young children. Now, thirty years later, it was our chance to visit it again.

      Rudyard Kipling famously described Milford Sound as the "eighth wonder of the world", and there is very good reason why this is the case. The combination of steep, towering mountains and deep, dark water is startling. Apparently it took, not one, but several ice ages and many millions of years for nature to carve out this masterpiece.

      Our group of travelers got up in the dark to be ready to be picked up by our bus at 7.20 am. We waited in a huddle outside the hotel waiting for our large bus to arrive, When it did arrive, to our dismay we discovered that it was not a large bus at all. It was a tiny squeezebox. We did our best to climb on board, fumble for the seat belts and try to find some sort of comfortable seating position.

      If that was not bad enough, we were then told that they still had several hotels to visit to collect the rest of the passengers. About twenty minutes later, every single miniature seat was taken. Somehow four people were shoe horned into the back seat, each having to take turns with their breathing. If two of them had inhaled at the same time, the consequences could have been disastrous.

      Maggie and I were squashed together a little further up, where I had the added pain of a large pillar pressing into my right shoulder. It was going to be a LONG trip, but at least it was not as long as it could have been if we had started at Queenstown, instead of Te Anau. We faced a 2 hour journey each way, most of which I managed to sleep my way through in some sort of coma.

      When we emerged from the bus at Milford Sound, I was finally able to get some feeling back into my legs, but to my horror the place was already awash with hundreds of tourists from other (much bigger) buses. We were rapidly shunted through the terminal, while being handed a boarding pass and a rather sad looking bag lunch.

      At least the boat was comparatively comfortable, with enough seats for everyone. For the next two hours we cruised the fjord and gazed at the sights all around. The cruise took us all the way to the Tasman Sea and at time came perilously close to the sheer rock wall. I had thoughts of the ill fated Costa Concordia. Perhaps ship captains of all sizes take pleasure out of giving their passengers a thrill.

      After the cruise it was time to face the challenge of cramming back into the bus again. I could not help but think it was like trying to put toothpaste back into the tube. At least we insisted on people changing seats so that the pain could be equitably shared around. The American passenger who had grabbed the comfortable front seat, however did not seem to see the fairness of changing seats and ensured that he had the most comfortable seat on the bus for both journeys.

      In spite of the pain of the journey, the magic of the cruise did make the day a day to remember. Tomorrow we head back to Queenstown. That will be the final stop of our New Zealand adventure.      Leggi altro

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      Back in Wanaka

      23 marzo, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

      11 days ago we were in the town of Wanaka after completing the first day of our bike rides. At that time we were all staggered at the natural beauty of this place. The only problem with such astounding scenery is that is does attract hordes of visiting tourists. Wanaka is no exception.

      We left Haast this morning in continual heavy rain. The rain continued for several hours as we made our way down the west coast, only clearing when we reached Wanaka.

      On our first visit here we had lunch at a lovely bakery at nearby Albertown. We thought it would be good to go there again. Obviously about 500 others (mostly cyclists) had the same idea. When I walked to the counter I found that everything in the bakery had been sold. I am not kidding; the entire display cases were empty. Some days are like that.

      We had no alternative other than to continue to Wanaka and see if there were any pies or sausage rolls to be had there. Fortunately the Wanaka Bakery still had adequate supplies, so we did not go hungry after all.

      After lunch we checked into the Haka House Backpackers Hostel. I was a little apprehensive that I might have made a big mistake and that we would find ourselves in some huge dormitory full of drunken and noisy backpackers. It was not like that at all. We found the place was brand new and very modern Our room even had a private bathroom and we did not have to share our bed with the other backpackers after all.      Leggi altro

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      The Fox Glacier and Lake Matheson

      22 marzo, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

      When we were doing the cycling part of this trip, David Parsons (our cycling guide) told us about the incredible scenery we would find at Lake Matheson. He produced some stunning images showing reflections of snow capped mountains in mirror smooth waters.

      Such tales were enough to stir some of the photographers in our group to make the decision that we really needed to be underway by 8 am. And we were. I have to admit that the early views of the mountains from the car park of our motel were something of an appetite whetter.

      The drive to Lake Matheson was quite short and we arrived in still conditions, while the last wispy long clouds were just lifting from the mountain tops. A few days ago Maggie was struggling to walk about 5 metres, now she was the one ordering that we all set out on the longer walk option. We were promised we would be rewarded with something called the "Reflection Island" and the even better sounding "View of Views".

      OI must admit that the walk was quite enjoyable, even if it had some climbs and descents (and even staircases). When we arrived at the scenic points, we discovered that about 1000 noisy ducks and geese had arrived there before us, While I have nothing against water birds, all their activity was creating ripples and waves which were disturbing the water somewhat. While we still got to see the reflections, it was not the perfect image that David Had shown us.

      Towering above the region were the snow capped summits of Mt Tasman and Mt Cook. Even though the glacier was quite a distance away, it was still the closest view we were going to get on this trip.

      After our time at the lake, we climbed back in the vans for the long drive to Haast, our home for tonight. Apparently, it is also home to an untold myriad of stinging sandflies. We were advised to saturate ourselves in insect repellant. Charming.      Leggi altro

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      Hokitika and the Disappearing Glacier

      21 marzo, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

      After breakfast at the bakery in Hokitika, we drove out to the impressive Hokitika Gorge to do a delightful walk through the rain forest. The abundance of life in the forest was astounding, clear evidence of just how tenacious and unstoppable the life force of nature can be.

      We then returned to Hokitika for lunch by the waterside, before driving to Franz Josef. When we were in this spot 30 years ago it was possible to walk right up the valley floor to the foot of the glacier. To our dismay, we found that this is no longer possible. The combination of retreating glacier and changing river paths now mean the walk has been declared as unsafe.

      We did walk to the limit of the " viewing area" only to see ---- nothing. Well that is not really correct. It is still quite a dramatic and wild scene, but as for the glacier, it was not visible at all. Apparently if you want to see it now, a helicopter flight is the best option.

      Maybe we will have better luck with the Fox Glacier tomorrow.      Leggi altro

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      Doing the Trans Alpine Doddle

      20 marzo, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

      I have always had something of a love affair with trains. Over the years I have been fortunate enough to have the chance of riding some of the most famous trains on the planet. These include the "Train to the Clouds" in Argentine and all the alpine trains in Switzerland. I have also ridden on Australia's Puffing Billy and the lightning fast "Grand Vitesse" trains in France.

      Up till now there had been one world famous train that I had not ridden on, and that was the famous Trans Alpine Train from Christchurch to Greymouth in New Zealand. Today I was going to tick that one from my bucket list.

      We arose early (we always do), packed our bags and met our shuttle driver at 7.00 am. He took us to the Christchurch Railway Station where we checked in our luggage and boarded the famous train. At the appointed hour, it took off with a roar. Actually that is not quite correct, it took off at walking pace.

      I thought that the slow speed might have been so that they didn't wake the sleeping inhabitants of Christchurch. It wasn't. It maintained the incredibly slow pace all the way from Christchurch to Greymouth. Seldom did it get over 60 kph, and for long periods it was much slower. Sometimes we stopped altogether for coal trains to pass from the opposite direction. Other times we stopped for no apparent reason.

      Our journey was frequently interrupted with announcements apologizing for how late the train would be arriving in Greymouth. At least the carriages were comfy and the scenery really was amazing. It was a pity about the throng of Chinese tourists in our carriage who were making as much noise as about 200 children fueled with a diet of concentrated red cordial. It took all my self control to stop me from standing up and telling them to shut up.

      The train finally crawled into Greymouth about 2 pm, and by that time we were all glad to get off. David had arranged for two rental cars to be waiting for us at the station, and there they were waiting for us.

      Although we are generally heading south, we decided to take a 60 minute detour north to the famous Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki. Maggie and I had visited them 30 years ago, before they had become a tourist hotspot and we wanted to see them again.

      When we exited from the van at the crowded car park, there was a lot of excitement. "Look a kiwi", Maggie shouted. We all got excited. It looked like it might be a kiwi, calmly wandering around the carpark. We later found out that it was a Weka, not a kiwi. Oh well. It could have just been a wild chicken.

      The rugged rocky cliffs were certainly spectacular, and so was the $6.50 I was charged in the tourist shop for a small bottle of water. However it had been a long and quite hot day and our energy was flagging rapidly.

      We climbed back into the van for the return journey back to Greymouth and then to Hokitika, our home for the night. Tomorrow we continue heading south to the Franz Joseph glacier (or what is left of it).      Leggi altro

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      Inundated in Christchurch

      19 marzo, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

      It was quite a relief to awake to a significantly improved weather situation. When we tried to venture out last night for dinner, the wind was blowing so hard that it immediately blew our umbrellas inside out. As well as the wind, we also battled freezing rain. It was so bad that we just couldn't help laughing at our comical situation.

      When ordering dinner, I somehow thought I was ordering a pizza, when I was actually in a hamburger restaurant, Little wonder the guy looked at me weirdly when I asked him whether they were big enough for two people. He probably thought I was an escapee from the Institute for the Criminally Insane.

      This morning Maggie and I walked from the hotel in search of a place to buy a warmer coat for Maggie. We walked and walked and she got a little excited when we saw a sign with the familiar TARGET label. "They will sell clothing" she exclaimed. The problem was that, when we arrived, we discovered that the New Zealand Target only sells lounge suites. Not exactly what we were looking for.

      Fortunately Maggie is recovering her walking legs. It is amazing what a little retail therapy does for the female health. Later in the day we found a Kathmandu outlet. Sometime later she emerged with a big smile and a warm jacket. I emerged with a significantly lighter wallet.

      As the day wore on the weather steadily improved. The wind dropped, the temperature rose and we even had some bursts of sunshine. Maggie did not seem to care what the weather was doing, as she just kept telling me how warm she was.

      By the end of the day our watches reported that we had walked over 10000 steps. What a huge improvement on two days ago when she struggled to walk even 50 metres.

      Tomorrow we leave Christchurch to ride the Transalpine Express to Greymouth.

      Side Note - When we arrived back to our hotel room in the afternoon, we found that the room had flooded. A corner of the room was soaking wet, saturating Maggie's case and everything in it. There had obviously been a serious leak in the wall. The manager was very apologetic, but explained that they had no spare rooms to switch us to. The next couple of hours were spent drying the contents of the bag. The carpet is now covered with towels, Not exactly ideal, but we don't think that anything has been ruined.      Leggi altro

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      What has Become of the Penguins?

      18 marzo, Nuova Zelanda ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

      At this point of time I have both an apology and an explanation for the lack of daily updates for this trip. In fact there were two reasons for the apparent lack of activity. The first problem I was confronted with was very poor Internet connectivity. On several occasions I really tried to upload photos, but was met by an endless hourglass. It was just impossible.

      The second, and more serious , issue was that at about day 3 Maggie started to feel quite unwell. A RAT test showed that she had succumbed to the dreaded Covid. We suspect that it happened during our time at Melbourne Airport. Wherever it occurred, it really was not a good result.

      Maggie's condition actually worsened over the next few days, and by the time we reached Queenstown, there was no way she was going to be in any condition to ride a bike. This meant that she was confined to the bus for the entire duration of the riding sections. This was a huge disappointment for her, as she had played a huge part in putting this trip together.

      By Sunday 16th March, she was so unwell that we decided to take her to the modern new clinic in Alexandra. Being a Sunday, there was no waiting and the attention she received was quite amazing, She was thoroughly examined and tested, and found to be very dehydrated. So much so that they put her on an intravenous drip for an hour. The improvement over that time was nothing short of amazing. With 48 hours she was eating again and starting to feel much better. By Monday evening the RAT test showed she was no longer infected and was finally able to stop wearing a mask and rejoin the rest of the group.

      Overnight the weather in Dunedin underwent a dramatic transformation. Whereas yesterday had been hot and dry, with a top temperature around 30C, we awoke to a completely different world, The temperature had plummeted to less than 10C, the wind was blowing a gale and rain was falling steadily,

      This morning was supposed to be our final ride of the trip, but the awful conditions quickly persuaded the majority of the group to stay in the bus instead. Only 4 riders were brave (ie silly) enough to climb on the bikes for the ride around Dunedin Harbour. By this time the wind was ferocious, and the rain was still sleeting down. We could only feel sympathy for the riders in Group 3 who were doing their first ride today.

      After the freezing ride, we all climbed into a small motor launch for a cruise across to the other side of the harbour. The wind made sure that the cruise was probably more exciting than it usually would be.

      After morning tea in a delightful pub across the harbour, we all climbed back into the bus for the long, long drive to Christchurch. Our lunch stop was at the fascinating, and somewhat whimsical town of Oamaru, This place has a rich history and is full of an eclectic mix of second hand shops and art and craft businesses,
      It continued to rain heavily for the entire 5 hour drive and was still raining heavily when we arrived at our hotel in Christchurch. It was a relief to finally reach somewhere warm and dry, It was also a very fortuitous discovery when we found that each room had a washing machine and dryer,

      Tomorrow is our free day in Christchurch, and a great way to relax after the busy schedule of the past week,      Leggi altro

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