The end of the road, New Zealand

After cycling nearly 3000km through North and South Island New Zealand I was only 150km away from my virtual ‘finish line’ at a friend’s house in Waerenga. The highlight of this final leg of the cycle would be a training session at the Cambridge Velodrome with Jess, who is hoping to make the New Zealand Olympic 2020 cycle team, and catching up with Alison who I had not seen for 15 years since leaving university.

When I woke that morning I was camped at the end of the Waikato River Trail which was a 100km off road mountain bike trail that I had completed the night before.

The nearest major city to the end of the trail is Cambridge which was only 40km north of where I had camped and that evening I had the offer of a place to stay and the prospect of kick starting the Christmas festivities with a concert in the local park.

As I only had 40km to cover that day and didn’t need to be in Cambridge until early evening I had a very lazy morning sat by the river watching the bird life on the river.  As this was the start point of the river trail lots of cyclists pedaled over for a chat before heading out on the trail.   

At lunchtime I packed away the tent and cycled down the access road which would take me back to the highway and onto Cambridge.  As I needed to cross the river at some point there was no way of avoiding cycling for part of the ride to Cambridge on Highway 1.  It wasn’t that bad though as there was a wide cycle path along the side of the road and I was only on the highway section for an hour or so.

The person that I was staying with was called Emma and she was a friend of a friend.  Yet again though, it was a case of that they didn’t know me from Adam yet she invited me into her home with open arms and a big smile.  There was no room at the inn though as Emma’s two kids and her mother were also in residence so I set up my tent in the garden.

There was a Christmas concert in the park that evening so Emma, the kids and I headed down to watch a few bands intermixed with performances by local school groups.  

I think that most of the town must of turned up for the concert as there was already a large crowd eating picnics on the grass in front of the stage when we arrived.

We squeezed ourselves in, laid out the blanket and enjoyed an evenings entertainment in the park.

The next morning was my penultimate day on the bike and I was heading for Hamilton which was the first real city that I would visit since leaving Wellington nearly two weeks and over 500 km ago.  It was going to be another huge day on the bike with a total distance of only 20km to cycle.

Since entering the district of Waipo, where the town of Cambridge sits, I had seen signs along the road side advertising the district as the home of champions.  Emma had said that there was a velodrome where the New Zealand Olympic Team trained and as it was on my route to Hamilton I decided to head there to have a look.

When I got there the viewing deck was open to visitors and so I went up to have a look.

The banking on the track looked steep and as I had never ridden on a velodrome track it would have been awesome if I could get a ride.  I spoke to one of the staff on duty and they said that there was a track session at 11am and if I spoke with reception I may be able to get a spot if there was any room.

When I spoke to reception I was in luck and was able to get onto the session.  I had an hour to spare so headed to the cafe that is attached to the velodrome for a coffee.  As you would expect the cafe was cycling themed and the christmas lights were wheel rims that had been interwoven with blinking lights.

They looked much better in real life than in the photo above and so if you have a few spare wheels lying around at home I assure you that they will make a good focal point in your living room next to the tree.

Ten minutes before the start of the track session I headed back to reception and found the other people who were already there waiting for the track session.  In total there were 12 of us, most of whom were from a local cycling club in Cambridge and this was their christmas social.

Jess (far left in the group photo), who is hoping to make the 2020 New Zealand Olympic cycling sprint team, turned up to take us through to the track and would be in charge of the session.

The first task was to choose a bike from the training bikes that they had.  They came in small, medium and large frames with either Shimano clips or cages for those wearing trainers.

There are a few differences between bikes built for velodrome tracks and a ‘normal’ racing bike.  The biggest difference is that they have no brakes.  That’s right, once you set off you do not have any brakes to stop you.  The second difference is that they have only 1 gear that is fixed and so you can never free wheel or stop peddaling.  The way to slow down is either to stop putting pressure on the pedals as they rotate and friction will eventually stop you, or try to resist the rotation to stop faster, but to get from a rolling speed of 40kmph to 0 will takes at least one full lap of the track.  

The other main difference is that everything is as lightweight as possible, as the track is smooth all padding is removed from the seat and the frame has very little flex or cushioning or springing for rider comfort.  It was definitely a bike built for aerodynamic features rather than rider comfort.

The other main difference are the tyres that were fitted to the bike.  In the past, the tyres were known as “death tires”- silk tubulars inflated to 200 psi, with a few coats of latex painted on for the tread to help them ‘stick’ to the track.  Today, the wheels are fitted with supple, high-pressure slick tubular tires that are made from nylon with rubber tread on the sides as well as the top of the tyre.  

You can read more of the technical details of a fixie track bike here – Buyers guide to fixies 

Once we had all collected a bike and adjusted the saddle it was time to get on the track and do a few laps.  Most people, like myself had never ridden a fixed wheel bike without brakes and so the first task was to just get on the bike.  This sounds easy but when you cannot rotate the pedals backwards it is more difficult than it sounds and the only way you can do it is to hold onto the rail at the side of the track.

It was then time to set off for a couple of laps on the ‘grey’ painted flat surface to get used to riding the bikes before even attempting to get on the curved track. Once we had done 3 laps Jess called us all back to the stop point on the rail where we had to get used to stopping without brakes.

 Jess gave us all some tips on how to ride the curves on the track and over the next 30 minutes we learnt how to gradually ride up the track from the grey area, to the black line and onto the red line.  Once we had conquered the red line it was time to head up the banking of the track.

We were cycling anti-clockwise around the track and you were only allowed to pass somebody on their right.  The formula for staying up high on the track was confidence and speed.  Once these two were conquered then you could ride the top of the banking without fear of sliding off.  By the end of the session I was riding the top of the banking and it was one of the best experiences that I had had on a bike.  

In a flash the hour session was over and it was time to rack the bikes.  The feeling of flying around the track was amazing and you needed to fully commit to staying high on the track.  Here is a video that Jess and I shot and I have added all of the footage that was shot so that the other riders who cycled with me on the day can see themselves too:

It was then time to head for Hamilton where I needed to buy some equipment that I would need in a couple of weeks time when I headed to South America.  As I only needed to cycle 20km that day it would only take me an hour from when I left the velodrome.

If you landed in New zealand from another planet and didn’t already know that it was christmas in a couple of weeks time then you may never know as decorations in shops and christmas lights in towns are pretty much none existent.  I did pass a christmas tree farm on my way to Hamilton though so people do celebrate it here:

As this was my last full day and night on the bike in New Zealand after buying the equipment that I needed for South America I treated myself to a hotel room in Hamilton.  This would be the first time in nearly 2 months of cycling through New Zealand that I would not either sleep in my tent or have friends of friends put me up for the night.  

The hotel of choice was Camelot on Ulster which was a stones throw from Hamilton’s main shopping streets.  I treated myself to a 1 bedroom apartment which was more than I needed but if you are going to treat yourself you may as well do it in style.

As I had a kitchen I picked up some provisions for breakfast on my way to the hotel:

The wine was for dinner for all of those who think I have a bottle of wine with breakfast but here is a quick reality check for all of those of you planning to come travelling in New Zealand – in the picture below which item do you think costs the most money – a bottle of Marlborough Pinot Gris or a packet of the cheapest smoked bacon?

Yep – the bacon costs more than a bottle of wine.  Why do you think that I have lived off instant noodles and porridge for the last two months.  New Zealand really is one of the most expensive countries to travel in when it comes to the cost of food and hotel accommodation. However, as I have shown it can still be done relatively cheaply if you are willing to be self sufficient.

The other benefit of sleeping at a place with an address rather than in a tent next to a river is that Domino Pizza can deliver your dinner.

My final accommodation bill for 56 nights in New Zealand (excluding the night in Hamilton) was 270 NZD or 150 GBP. This just shows that it is possible to travel cheaply in ‘developed’ countries if you are willing to be self sufficient and camp in the woods night after night. A huge thanks must also go to the amazing people who put me up along the way and allow me to share a little of their lives.

When I left Hamilton the next morning I was heading to stay with the final person that had offered me a place to stay.  The difference here though was that I actually new Alison as we had gone to University together and I had last seen her 15 years ago when we had both graduated from Aberystwyth University.  A couple of years after graduating she had moved to New Zealand to work as a teacher and was married with a son.

My final day on the bike would be a 60km ride to where Alison lived just to the south of Auckland.  I wasn’t looking forward to the ride as the quickest way would be up Highway 1 but when I set off that morning I cycled down to the river and saw signs for a River Ride cycle path and decided to follow it north.

The cycle path followed the Waikato River which I had already followed a couple of days before for 100km on an off road mountain bike track.   This section of cycle track was more formal and was a walking/cycling path next to the river:

 The path ran parallel to Highway 1 and was so much more pleasant to cycle than one of the busiest roads in New Zealand.  I followed the river for nearly 25km and it was a great ride – the sun was shining and I had the path very much to myself.

I pulled over for something to eat – one last portion of pot noodle and a coffee before I left the Waikato River behind me for the last time on this trip:

Just before I reached the town of Taupiri I left the path and crossed over the river and headed into the hills towards Lake Waikare. 

Lake Waikare is the largest lake in the upper floodplain of the Waikato River.  

It covers 34 km² but due to its shallow nature (its depth is never more than two metres), the heavy use of fertiliser in the surrounding farming district and discharge from a human waste treatment plant the waters of the lake are in poor condition.

It looks beautiful from a distance but up close the lake has an orange colour (think fanta orange) and a 2010 report showed that it had the highest trophic level index, a measurement of the amount of pollutants, and advised that the lake be closed to the public (Click Here)  Today, the district council has put in measures to remedy the situation but it will be a number of years before the lake returns to full health and there are signs around the lake advising the public not to enter the waters for their own safety.

Alison, who I would be staying with for a few days, lives about 5km from the northern end of the lake in a village called Waerenga.  

We last saw each other at university over 15 years but when I knocked on the door it was like only yesterday that we last talked, and over the next few days we would have a ball.

The first order of the day when I got to Alison’s, apart from drinking wine, was to get all of my kit washed ready for South America as I had now finished my cycle ride through New Zealand and would pick a car up in a few days time when my wife flew into Auckland.

I also stripped the bike down and gave everything a good greasing

The tyres on the bike had now done nearly 10,000 km and even though they were still in good nick I decided to change them before heading for Bolivia as I would be doing anywhere from 5000 – 8000 km through South America. This would take the current Schwalbe marathon tyres past the ‘upper limit’ of their range.

I wanted to stay with Schwalbe but needed a bit more tread on the tyre for the off road cycling I wanted to do when I arrived in Bolivia and tried to buy a pair of Schwalbe XR tyres when I was in Hamilton.  The company no longer produce the tyres though and instead, I opted for their Mondial tyre.  For some reason the Schwalbe distributor for New Zealand does not stock these and my only option would be to purchase them in the UK and get them couriered to New Zealand.

If you purchase equipment in the UK that is delivered overseas then you do not pay VAT on the purchase.  Not paying the VAT covered most of the cost of the courier and so I ordered two tires to be delivered to Alison’s. Delivery would take anywhere between 5 to 8 days which was fine as I would be storing my bike at Alison’s and picking it up on my way to the airport on the 1st of January.

The evenings entertainment the night I arrived was her son Isaac’s school production.  Each year group put on a sketch show and his class were up first:

Isaac is the one on the left and no he does not attend a school for dwarf’s –  it his his head and feet and somebody else’s arms and they did a very funny and clever dance routine.

Alison is a teacher at the secondary school in Te Kauwhata and the day after I arrived was her last day of school.  In the southern hemisphere schools close for their summer holidays in December and don’t reopen until February.  As is the routine in most schools on the last day of term the teachers head for the pub, and in rural New Zealand it is no different. 

Outside shops and pubs in New Zealand there are signs asking customers to leave dirty work boots at the door and it is normal to see people shopping in their socks.  This pub was no exception and there was a good collection of boots at the door.

Doug, Alison’s husband, joined us in the pub for a pint and a game of pool when he finished work.

Alison’s friend, Dixie, and her two boys were also visiting for a couple of days and so that night Alison had a house full.  When we got back from the pub Doug and their son Isaac fired up the barbecue.

After the BBQ it was time to play a game that Alison had bought for Christmas – Pie Face.  

You load cream onto a mechanical hand and place your face in the cut out.  You then spin a number spinner which tells you how many ‘clicks’ to rotate the horizontal bar.  If the mechanical hand isn’t released then you pass the game to the next player who repeats the process.

If on your turn the hand is released then you get a face full of cream:

Great fun but a very messy game.

The next morning the sun was shining and Alison has always been a bit of a horsey nut and at home she has two horses that she lets onto the lawn of the house when she is there.  

They even stick their heads through the patio doors of the living room and drink water out of the dogs bowl.  It sounds strange but for Alison it is normal.

In the evening there was a Christmas parade in the local town so we all headed to watch.  A local band was playing on the main street on the back of a hay trailer.

The parade was led by a ‘Scottish’ pipe band 

With different Christmas themed floats following behind:

I think that the award for weirdest float of the day has to be reserved for the local church.

They had essentially strapped 4 kids to scaffolding poles 3 metres above the ground.  Here is a short video to give you the full flavour of how bizarre a sight it was:

Once the parade had finished we headed to the pub for a quick pint and then all headed back to the house for an earlyish night as the next day would be spent helping Doug move his workshop from a rented building in Te Kauwhata to the new ‘barn’ that they had just finished building at their house.

Doug was a carpenter by trade and as Doug had rented his workshop for over 20 years he had built up a fair amount of wood and machinery that needed to be moved.  On the second day of the move his brother Alex arrived to help out and by the end of the day we had made a good dent in the move.

There was only one thing to do at the end of a long day of moving loads of wood and machinery and that was to fire up the barbecue

The next morning we shifted another couple of loads of wood before Alison, Isaac and I headed off to Auckland and left the brothers to carry on with the move that would take 5 days in total before everything was fianally shifted to the new work shop

 

The reason that I was heading to Auckland was to meet Deirbhle who was flying in for Christmas. On the way we took a detour to the beach.

The water was still a tad cold for my liking and as you can see in the photo above not many brave soles were venturing into the water.  Isaac though was up for a challenge and I bet him 5 NZD that he wouldn’t stay in the sea for 10 minutes.  Guess who won the bet?

We then headed into the city to get something to eat before Alison dropped me off at the hotel to wait for Deirbhle to arrive from the airport.  

Deirbhle’s flight arrived on time and by 8pm we were sat in a restaurant having dinner.

Having cycled through Asia and now New Zealand that is the second leg of my cycling adventure completed and I now have a couple of weeks off the bike before I fly to Argentina on the 1st of January 2017.  I will spend 4 days in the capital city – Buenos Aires before catching a flight to La Paz in Bolivia.  

At nearly 4000m above sea level La Paz is the highest capital city in the world and so I will need to spend a few days acclimatising to the altitude before I can start cycling.  Once acclimatised I will then start cycling back south towards the salt flats and then onto Chile and Argentina.  I have not yet looked at the route that I will take but will probably stick to the mountain route along the ridge of the Andes Mountains for a couple of months as far as the glaciers in Patagonia. 

Merry Christmas everyone and see you in South America !!!!!!

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