Happy New Year!!!!

The start of a new year - the start of new beginnings! I wish all of you a very healthy and prosperous 2008 and that all your plans may come true!!


As far as my (and Marco's) trip is going since Christmas Day:

In Kaikoura we knew the following day would be a tough one so we set the alarm clock early. But in the night my self-inflatable mattress broke down, so not a good night's rest this time and moreover, a strong storm starts blowing - time to use the earplugs! In the morning however on the positive side: the bakery next door is open, so we can have a coffee and take some extra supplies for the long trip. We have to cycle with a headwind and then we start climbing into the hills and it starts raining - no fun! And when we have cycled to one of the tops where we know there will be a restaurant, unfortunately this one is closed for Boxing Day. We take a rest anyhow, but get very cold with the southerly that is coming up and the rain that goes with it. We cannot stay here and move one. It is getting very cold with the strong wind and rain in our faces - we wear our sunglasses to protect the eyes from the rain. When we finally - after 6.5 hours effective time on the bicycle - arrive at our destination, Waiau, we are lucky the shop/takeaway (only shop of the village)is open, so we can enjoy some good fast food. At the campground there is even a cabin available so we decide to have a luxury night after a hard and cold day. Adding to this a nice, hot shower and the day is good again!


In general campgrounds in NZ are very good. We always enjoy clean facilities, hot showers, equipped kitchens and full laundry facilities.


The next day we go to Hanmer Springs to relax our muscles in the hot pools. We spend an extra night here, to fully enjoy this luxury. At night we make a real Nasi Goreng (the Dutch national dish that actually is Indonesian) that Marco had brought with him from Welly as a surprise.


After that we enjoy a very easy ride (downhill) to Waipara, one of the wine regions of the South Island. The Backpackers/Campground here consists of old railway wagons and is a nice and quiet location. We decide on some wine tasting (a nice holiday pastime) but unfortunately after one winery I have a flat tyre and head back to the campground to fix it. This takes a bit of time, because it is the rear tyre (why does it always seem to be the rear!?). But surprise: the next morning there is freshly baked bread in the kitchen (Esther/Steven: what a terrible smell early in the morning, isn't it?!) and freshly laid eggs. A real treat.


Then we head to Christchurch where we see the first traffic lights since leaving Wellington. We do not spend a lot of time in this city, since we have been around here quite a bit last year and head on to Akaroa on the last day of the year 2007. This will be a great day in the end and to give you a better idea of live on a bicycle in Aotearoa I give a more detailed report of this day:

• alarm clock at 6:15 am


• breakfast (bread with jam / tea) at 6:45 am


• break down tent - packing bags


• leave campground at 7:30 am


• 12 km touring in Christchurch to get to the highway out to Akaroa


• another 35 km without any cafe/restaurant open


• all the time head wind


• fruit shop open at 10:30 - buy an ice cream and some potato chips (good combination of suger and salt)


• first open cafe: 11:40 am (60 km on the teller)


• lunch and coffee


• 13:00 am leave for the next stage


• after 2 km first climb - 6.5 km from 0 to 476 metres (around 7% gradients on average)


• magnificent views over the harbour and the settlements including Akaroa (a great reward)


• 5 km downhill


• another 4 climbs - each of 600 metres to 1 km but with gradients of around 8%


• finally a sign for the camping - 90 km on the teller


• 3:00 pm pitching the tent - nice hot shower
• a cold beer in town
• fish&chips
• a bottle of wine
• 10:00pm sleeping - vaguely we hear some fireworks in the distance, but we slide into the New Year without even really noticing