day 013 – km 24225

auckland – ngatea

120.27km 1052 alt meter

riding out of town on the beach front bike lane and then some rolling hills through suburbs.

day 012 – day off

auckland -  day off

mostly extremchouching and maintenance day. (washing cloth, pizza, maps and guide books)

day 011 – km 24104

paparoa – auckland

57,73km 497 alti meter

a half riding day back to auckland.

day 010 – km 24047

paparoa – parakai

108,14km 1461 alti meter

i take it easy and make long rests during the day, as i have some sort of sore muscles on the left leg. so i finish the book “the bone people” and meet some more people, who try to make their living here in NZ. i hope it´s just a proof of the friendliness of the people around here and not me looking that miserable as a car turns around and offers me a ride to the next campground!? my leg feels better as there are 2 “big” hills instead of the constant up/down.

day 009 – km 23939

waipoau forest – paparoa

112,20km 1048 alti meter

meeting some more interesting people (again)  along the road and ending up camping at a organic gardening community.

day 008 – km 23826

herekino – waipoua forest

107,27km 1425 alti meter

nice hilly mountain roads and a ferry crossing before i got a chance to meet the “lord of the forest”  (which is the translation of the maori tane mahuta) a huge kauri tree

Trunk girth 13.77 m (45.18 ft), Trunk height 17.68 m (58 ft), Total height 51.2 m (167.98 ft), Trunk volume 244.5 m³, Total volume including the crown 516.7 m³

day 007 – km 23719

waitiki – herekino

116,72km 936 alti meter

mostly backtracking today…

once again a massive invasion of mosquitoes, which make setting tent in the evening and packing in the morning a annoying race.

day 006 – km 23602

waipapakauri – cape reinga – waitiki

98,96km 1244 alti meter

i wasn´t sure if the sand along the “90 mile beach” is solid enough to ride there on a heavy loaded bike. some locals told me that sometimes vehicles get stuck there and the timewindow between the tides so just a couple hours, so decided to stay on the road. some people warned me about the last part which is supposed to be on bad gravel road – well, it´s only 9km on solid pressed gravel – so not bad at all! (i guess with just the carretera austral behind, i might have a different perspective on that subject)

cape reinga is really nice with the lighthouse, the sand dunes and the 2 oceans which come together there (the pacific and the tasman sea) the maori mythology says that the spirits of the dead travel there on their way into afterlife.

day 005 – km 23503

kerikeri – waipapakauri

96,29km 978 alti meter

i left late after a good relaxed breakfast with steffen, nicola and lukas.  more nice little fishing villages, beaches and farmland…

day 004 – km 23407

whangarei – bay of islands – kerikeri

103,86km 1246 alti meter

another nice cycling day and meeting some great people, like the maori grand mother who invited me for tea and told me some amazing stories, kathy the cyclist from london and then steffen, lukas and nicola who invited me to stay at their place!

the oldest buildings in NZ as i´ve been told. the stone store house and the wooden mission.

day 003 – km 23303

pakiri beach – whangarei

106,82km 1092 alti meter

some more scenic rolling hills and 3 season weather. a rain coat doesn´t make much sense, because as soon as you have it pulled out of the bag and put on over one arm, it stops to rain and the sun burns down on you more or less unfiltered.

day 002 - km 23196

auckland – devenport - pakiri beach

99,04km 1452 alti meter

i took the ferry from auckland to devenport. which is a quick and nice way to get out town going north. the first day on this rolling hills was nice and scenic (nice suburbs, beaches, farmland,…. and 3 season westher all in one day!?) after 23000km the first flat tire on the front wheel, so i guess time to think about putting on a new one. this one lasted over 13.000km.

day 001 - km 23097

auckland - day off
10km 120 alti meter
riding around town, checking out the bikeshop / outdoor stores / supermarkets......
(there is everything available what a traveler could wish/want, but the prices are impressive as well!)
nice to see / meet so many smiling / friendly people!

day 000 - km 23087

auckland - day off
27km 200 alti meter
just arrived at the airport in auckland, unpacked the bike, put it back together and rode to town.

day -X

... and as so many things it starts with an idea......