Category: Bike Touring
-
Leaving Auckland to head south
It was a productive and restful day in Auckland, getting laundry done and doing a bit of shopping. We went to a Japanese restaurant a scant block from our house, treating ourselves to dinner out before heading into camp-land again. From Auckland, we took the ferry from Auckland City ferry terminal, which was just down…
-
Crossing Kaiapara Harbor
The day finally arrived to cross Kaiapara Harbor, leaving the Northland back to Auckland, where we started 8 days previously. Due to the tides, we were scheduled to be picked up on the beach at 7AM and so we woke at 5AM to break camp and pack. The sunrise was amazing. All of us were…
-
To Pouto: A final ride to the boat
A couple months ago, I contacted a charter ferry company called Kaitaia Cruises to see if I could arrange passage for me and Chris across Kaipara Harbor, avoiding a harrowing road ride on major roads into Auckland from the north. They only do charters, so I asked if anyone had inquired about chartering the boat…
-
Three days towards Pouto Point and our charter boat
It’s been hard to post things reliably, as phone/internet service has been spotty. It was a big day to get to Trounson’s Kauri Park from Rawene, and so we wanted to have a short day today, into the small city of Dargaville. It’s the biggest town we have been in since leaving Auckland, and it…
-
BIG TREE and a big day!
The first two days of riding were deliberately short, meaning about 20 to 25 miles per day, averaging about 2,000 feet of elevation gain per day. We were just getting started, after all, and that was enough! The hills were much more than Europe too. Then somehow, we decided that after 2 days of riding,…
-
Planning the next chapter: Around the world
It’s been a month and a bit more since we returned to the United States from Slovakia, which seems like a long time ago! We scheduled our time here so that Chris could be here in Boulder to help her friend Sarah with the birth of her third child, a little boy named Diyar. He…
-
Last day in DC – Bike ride, anyone?
I suppose it’s a sign of possible obsession that we decided to ride our bikes up the C&O trail from DC, when we could have done a million other things in our nation’s capital. But…it kind of made sense. We were worried about leaving our bikes outside of a museum while we went inside, so…
-
On to DC – with some detours
From Shepardstown, the C&O passes close by the famous town of Harpers Ferry, marked by the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers and where Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia meet. During the American Civil War it was the northernmost point of Confederate-controlled territory. Besides being a notable place for trade and transportation, Harpers Ferry…
-
Another lovely day: Hancock, MD to Shepardstown, WV
Leaving Hancock, a quaint white-painted town on the C&O trail, we had some amazing luck! The previous day Chris had some pain in her …ah…seat, and at night Chris discovered a budding saddle sore that could end our trip if it blossomed and got infected. So, we planned to get a new seat for Chris…
-
A Perfect Fall Day: Cumberland to Hancock
After yesterday’s, cold, wet, and snowy weather, it was a huge relief to have a weather forecast that was increasingly warmer and mostly sunny. We woke up in Cumberland to completely clear skies, and while temperatures were near freezing first thing in the morning, the day warmed quickly. Cumberland is the place where the GAP…