New Friends

A beautiful 63km ride into the Tararua Ranges to Holdsworth Campsite. Stopped in town for groceries and ended up connecting with Pip, the awesome owner of Whare O Māra. Pip shared about their journey as a vegan chef and reminisced about the queer scene in the 80s and 90s. They told me about owning a gay club in Queenstown and all the shenanigans that come with that. I was sent back on the road with lots of vegan treats and a full heart. My night at Holdsworth just continued the kind stranger train: I ended up sharing dinner under the shelter of a couple’s RV. The next day I enjoyed a 10km hike on the Gentle Annie Track.Read more