WEEK NINE (AND MAYBE TEN, ELEVEN, TWELVE AND THIRTEEN)
This might be my last blog post of my New Zealand travels.
I’m currently in Taupo. This day in a month, I will be making my way to the airport in Auckland to head over to Sydney. I’ve yet to decide how long I’m going to spend in Australia. At this point, flights over to begin the next stage of my ride aren’t getting any cheaper so I’m avoiding making a decision.
The month between now and then is looking really exciting. I’ve got three weeks left of riding, a three-day canoeing trip with some friends, and then three days at the end to get myself and my bike ready for the next step. It’s going to be a busy four weeks and it doesn’t look like I have many, if any, days off between now and when I finish to get any blog posts out.
Getting myself and my bike ready includes installing a new drive chain, throwing on some road tyres, and sending a lot of stuff back to the UK. We’re getting lighter and subsequently, (hopefully) a bit faster.
I am hoping to get one post written in my last three days, but after that, my laptop is being sent back to the UK along with my warm clothes, cooking set up, and most of my civies.
I’m already looking forward to writing the “New Zealand: Reflections” post when I’m back. That might be months away; I can imagine processing this journey will take longer than the journey itself.
The journey from Wellington to Hawkes Bay was looking cruisy. I was popping in to stay with Shane, Lyn and Pip, whom I’d met on the way down (think policeman, week one) en route to Mary and Bevan’s beachfront home in Haumoana.
I took about ten photos this week, I can’t tell much of a story with them!
The week was anything but cruisy.
I’m unsure if I picked something up in Wellington or if the five days off were enough for my body to think the excursion was over and begin some sort of recovery process.
The first two days towards Shane’s, retracing my TA steps, were great but I noticed a dip in my mood and how I physically felt on Monday night. I had sadness sitting in my chest and I was feeling run down. I hadn’t experienced tiredness like it up to that point.
In good news, the morning angst I was experiencing in the South Island has dissipated, so I think it was a result of having a deadline.
I was wandering around Four Square in Martinborough on Monday night looking for dinner, sort of just shuffling my feet slowly around the aisles, devoid of inspiration. I felt heavy, tired, and sad. The last time I had been there was with Sara and Kirsten. I was missing them, having spent the day retracing steps I’d taken with them and revisiting good memories. The last time we were in Martinborough, we had a BBQ and drank craft beer.
I suspect some of the sadness I was feeling came from having met some good friends in Wellington and having easy but fulfilling human interaction and then being thrust back out into the uncertain, solo world of bikepacking. Think harsh contrast and dopamine withdrawals.
I decided it was time to take some time off Strava, Instagram and blogging (alas we have a short summary here).
I spent some introverted days thinking and protecting that space for myself. I felt better not having any accountability and being generally being more intuitive with my movements.
I went on a day ride from Shane’s on Wednesday, then limped over to Hawke’s Bay from there over two days.
The wind was something else (the kind it’s hard to breathe in when it’s face on). And to add to my list, it rained. Hard. Bleugh.
I’m glad I got through those two days. I was on a mission to prove to myself I could face those conditions in a run-down state, something that I knew would set me up nicely for another, much tougher adventure I have planned in late summer. Feels good retrospectively. Felt awful at the time.
I was forcing pastries down whilst trying to inhale the wisps of calm air before the next gust hit me. I had quickly learnt I couldn’t stop for long because although it was warm enough to be riding in shorts and short sleeves, as soon as you stopped, the drowned-rat-moisture-levels sunk in, and I’d be shivering. It took too long to warm up, so eating on the go, whilst not really having enough oxygen, and having to steer through 50 mph gusts of wind with one hand, became a skill I had to master.
I sat and watched the news after that day. Turns out it was an actual storm and I wasn’t being a total negative nelly.
To counteract the toughness of that section and the mental/physical space I was in, I had accepted a lift to Taupo from Hawke’s Bay, leaving on Tuesday. It cut out 100 miles of hilly, remote highway riding.
That meant I had three days to sit and stare at the sea. I refuelled a lot. I slept a lot. I sat on the balcony that faced the sea and listened to the waves roll in and felt the sun on my face as I read. I drank a lot of coffee and tea. I spent some quality time with a gorgeously calm dog, Cruise.
It was peaceful bliss. I could’ve happily stayed there for a long long time.
I had a lot of thinking time and I noticed a huge difference in my mindset from the South Island. In the South Island, I felt a desire to challenge myself, push bigger days and take challenging routes.
Now, I feel like doing shorter days with cafe stops and lots of sitting and looking at the sea. We’ll see how that goes for a bit.
I was quite conscious that the reason I was so tired and run down was because I’d had a break in Wellington, and that I was digging myself further into that hole by stopping for another three days. But as we know, your head gives up before your body does, and I feel very setup considering I only have three weeks of riding left.
I’m hoping the “end is nigh” feeling will get me through. I admittedly felt a bit daunted when I left Wellington with the unknown, and extensive kilometres I had set myself to cover, which was looking at taking the whole thing to about 7000 kilometres.
I now feel more secure in the steps that will get me to the end. I’ve recut 500 kilometres out. I cut out the logistically difficult bit by accepting the lift. I’m breaking up two demanding bits of riding with spending time with friends, alongside a change of scenery and activity.
It’s a real mixed bag of feelings, being so close to the end of this part of my journey. I’m conscious of wording this correctly so it doesn’t sound like I’m gagging for this bit to be over. I’m not at all, but I do feel ready for the next chapter; for something new. I don’t mean that in the sense I’m not enjoying this chapter, I definitely am. But I’ve also started to let myself daydream about how it’ll feel to roll into the finish on my last day.
I wonder if I’ll feel accomplished, or if that will come later. I think it’ll be emotional. I know for definite that I’ll be tired. Hopefully proud, probably hungry.
Hopefully, I’ll find a bit of time to write about my last month when I’m done and back in Auckland.
This week, I had to make a choice between heading to the East Cape and being the first person in the world to see the sunrise (which felt quite poetic), or cruising back to Auckland in time to catch a group of friends setting off on a three day canoeing trip down the Whanganui River.
I chose the canoeing trip. The timings worked out far too well for it to not be the obvious choice. I thought back to Kirsten and her aversion for “side quests” and laughed at the situation. What a side quest it’ll be! I’m really excited for that adventure.
I have a week to get to Auckland. After the trip, I have 14 days for the final lap of the Northland.
In between me and Auckland is a lap of the Coromandel, which has been on the bucket list from the very first days of researching this trip.
I’m excited to get to Cathedral Cove, where they filmed a bit of Narnia. On the same day, I can visit Hot Water Beach, where you can dig your own hot pool to sit in.
I’ve got some short (but pretty hilly!) days around the Coromandel and I’m looking forward to being close to the coast, with access to touristy cute cafes and some of the most beautiful beaches on the planet.
After my canoeing trip, I hit the Northland, which might be the hilliest part of New Zealand. I’m not too sure what the Northland has in store other than hills, and Cape Reinga, of course.
I’m looking forward to getting to Cape Reinga for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it is a spiritually significant place for the Māori. It is said that Cape Reinga is where Māori spirits depart from this world into the underworld (reinga). There is an ancient pohutukawa tree, where spirits slide down a root into the underworld. I’m intrigued to feel what it’s like to stand in such a culturally and spiritually significant place.
Secondly, it’ll mean I’ve cycled the entire length of New Zealand back from Bluff! I wonder how it’ll feel standing by the yellow sign at the other end. Once I’m back in Auckland I’ll be able to say I’ve done both lengths.
So it begins, the steps to end an entire lap of New Zealand!
There will be one more post explaining the next stage of the ride. When it begins, I will transfer my ‘blogging’ to Polarsteps and will try to keep a short (!) daily summary going.
I’m currently thinking that stage will be done a whole lot faster, with consistently longer days, so time won’t be on my side with writing!
Thanks for following along to this point.
Los geht’s!