New Zealand is extremely organized when it comes to planning holidays. Almost every town has what's called an iSite. An iSite is like an American version of a Chamber of Commerce except they're more accessible and well equipped with road maps and assistants that know the area. They're so eager to help you. They'd do anything to get you to stay put and stay a while. Without an iSite we'd be heading into a cloud of dust. Thank you New Zealand for using your dollars well!
On Tuesday we woke up to cloudy skies and spits of rain. We were warned of the weather ahead. People thought we were crazy for taking our campsite down when we just arrived. Especially our neighbors, Merv and Anne. They mentioned this to us over and over. I guess if you're going to start your trip you might as well do it right...let's just say we got the worst over all in one day!
Eager to get on the road we packed up camp and hit SH1 heading north. Our goal was to ride all the way to Waipu (why-poo) which was approximately 65 miles from Orewa...we didn't realize that when we set out for the day. SH1 is a very busy highway bustling with holiday travellers either heading home from their 3 week stint or just heading out. We hopped onto to SH1 and came face-to-face with our first hill (mountain). Both made it to the top without getting off our bikes...promising I thought. Little did I know that the rest of our day would be spent battling hills, cars, 18-wheelers, and rain (pouring rain). We did this for about 40 miles until I couldn't push my bike up another hill. There was hope ahead. Prior we had stopped at an iSite in Warkworth and spoke with an agent who recommended taking a side road up to Waipu. She was a cyclist and knew that Wayby Road would be ideal for our situation. It wasn't until I had pushed my bike up the last hill and said, "This is ridiculous!" that we saw the sign for Wayby Road. Paul of course was stellar throughout the day. He'd wait for me patiently at the top of every hill. When he'd get concerned he'd back track via foot down the hill he just conquered. With his $4.00 second hand helmet he purchased in Warkworth to appease me because we accidentally left his back in Auckland he continually amazed me! He's my absolute hero...
Wayby Road was exactly what we needed. Chip and seal roads winding throughout gorgeous farm land with absolutely no traffic! Ideal, although still raining heavily.
We ended the day soaking wet at a backpackers lodge in Mangawhai Heads having done a total of 53 miles in 9 hours. Average speed was approximately 6 mph. Write that down in your books!
On Tuesday we woke up to cloudy skies and spits of rain. We were warned of the weather ahead. People thought we were crazy for taking our campsite down when we just arrived. Especially our neighbors, Merv and Anne. They mentioned this to us over and over. I guess if you're going to start your trip you might as well do it right...let's just say we got the worst over all in one day!
Eager to get on the road we packed up camp and hit SH1 heading north. Our goal was to ride all the way to Waipu (why-poo) which was approximately 65 miles from Orewa...we didn't realize that when we set out for the day. SH1 is a very busy highway bustling with holiday travellers either heading home from their 3 week stint or just heading out. We hopped onto to SH1 and came face-to-face with our first hill (mountain). Both made it to the top without getting off our bikes...promising I thought. Little did I know that the rest of our day would be spent battling hills, cars, 18-wheelers, and rain (pouring rain). We did this for about 40 miles until I couldn't push my bike up another hill. There was hope ahead. Prior we had stopped at an iSite in Warkworth and spoke with an agent who recommended taking a side road up to Waipu. She was a cyclist and knew that Wayby Road would be ideal for our situation. It wasn't until I had pushed my bike up the last hill and said, "This is ridiculous!" that we saw the sign for Wayby Road. Paul of course was stellar throughout the day. He'd wait for me patiently at the top of every hill. When he'd get concerned he'd back track via foot down the hill he just conquered. With his $4.00 second hand helmet he purchased in Warkworth to appease me because we accidentally left his back in Auckland he continually amazed me! He's my absolute hero...
Wayby Road was exactly what we needed. Chip and seal roads winding throughout gorgeous farm land with absolutely no traffic! Ideal, although still raining heavily.
We ended the day soaking wet at a backpackers lodge in Mangawhai Heads having done a total of 53 miles in 9 hours. Average speed was approximately 6 mph. Write that down in your books!
2 comments:
I laughed as I read about Marijo's frustration - - knowing full well that I would not have gotten half as far... Happy trails!
Sounds like a wild day. Safe travels. And remember pushing your bike is not a sign of weakness but a way to take in the landscape.
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