The Latest Bicycle Touring News from DownTheRoad.org

Posts Tagged ‘Journal’

Cindie’s Daily Journal: Te Anau, Invercargill, Curio Bay, Catlins, Otago, Dunedin, South Island, New Zealand (March 12 - April 1, 2008)

Sunday, March 30th, 2008

March 12 - Te Anau We met an interesting couple from Africa, the immigrated to Australia from Zimbabwe, it sounded like a tough place to grow up and they eventually had to leave,

March 13 - Te Anau to Black mount 60 km After a morning of internet and a visit to the wildlife park we had a really late start to riding. We planned to ride to Clifton but a headwind developed and slowed us down. We are now at the end of summer and the nights are getting cold. The benefit of this is the sand flies are going away, yeah.

March 14 Black mount to Colic Bay 80 km We met a couple from Oregon, the hills were gently rolling the thing that scared me was the trees, they grew in one direction and looked like this area could pack a fierce wind. oh I am glad it is a calm day.

March 15 - 16 Colic Bay Stopped in Colic bay to work on the book and start pulling our taxes together. I couldn’t be busier, every moment I can I am doing data entry for taxes and putting the finishing touches on our packing list

March 17 Colic Bay to Invercargill 55 km. Tim got a flat on the rear wheel and when he shifted his gear to make it easier to get the wheel off his cable broke. We were on the side of the road for over an hour

March 18 Invercargill. Met a group of geography students from Wisconsin, it was really fun talking about home and politics, a lot is going on and all the candidates made stops at the university. I can’t say I have seen a presidential candidate speak and I have to put it on my must do list. Wow how very cool is that. Met Robert Esson, 77 years old and riding in new Zealand for 17 years

March 19 Invercargill to Fortrose 42 km. On the road we met a number of cyclists going the other way, a Englishman on a Dahon folding bike, and a couple of Canadians on their way to Invercargill too. Since we got such a late start out of Invercargill we decided to stop at the free campsite at Fortrose, a pretty spot on the estuary where we watched the birds come in during low tide, a nice spot. Just as we were setting up and ready to lock the bikes I realized, ok it was my fault, I left the locks to the bikes on the tree back at our last camp site, augghhhh. We both agreed we had to go back for them and Tim, bless his heart, volunteered to ride back and get them. I was oh so itching to get back on the road but yet again we were off our rhythm.

March 20 Fortrose. The day was stunning, no wind, a partly cloudy morning, Tim left unloaded and I stayed with our gear, I had the tough job of reading a book all day, oh a luxury I have not enjoyed in a very long time, thank you Tim. Tim was back in four hours, he rode there and back without stopping, and yes, we have our locks back, a tragedy narrowly averted.

March 21 Fortrose to Curio Bay 44 km. We took a side trip to Waixxx point and it was well worth it to us because we saw sea lions on the shore, close enough to get a good look at them and we even watched them play in the surf. They are such huge creatures and have a hard time waddling around on the beach but in the water they are really graceful. There was a short gravel section to ride and the gravel was deep and the wind was strong from the side, so strong it pushed me across the road. When we finally got to the flats I was relieved that I didn’t wreck going down the the steep hills. Well I let my guard down too soon. As we were riding on the flats a large rock bounced up between my fender a fork and locked up the front wheel, I knew I was going down when my front wheel started skidding. Oh I tried to keep the bike upright but I couldn’t and down I went, I landed so hard I though I may have broke my collar bone but luck would have it and all I did was bruise my palm and my pride. I just don’t have the rhythm.

We arrived at the campground at Curio Bay just in time to put up the tent before it started to rain. The hector dolphins were out in the afternoon, the campsite at Curio bay may be one of my favorites in all of New Zealand, the camp itself is very basic, I would love to know the history behind the murals on the water tanks, the showers are hot, the kitchen tiny but we met all kinds of people there and there is an outdoor covered area that has very stunning views of porpoise bay. just lovely, so nice we decided to stay and extra day, we are not in a rush to get out on the roads during this Easter weekend.

March 22 Curio Bay. I waited all day to see a dolphin but they just didn’t arrive, but a walk on the beach and we found a fur sea hidden in a bed of seaweed, a very cute and sleepy creature. Back at camp we gazed out at the sea all day and when we went to the kitchen to make dinner we met Robbie from Portland. He said I looked oddly familiar and then he asked us if we wrote a book about our travels and the connection was made. We told him about the porpoise bay and the dolphin and we asked him if he wanted to see the yellow eyed penguin and off we went to the viewing area. Tim had camera in hand and true to his nature took some spectacular footage of the penguins which are quite large. Back at the kitchen Rob made an interesting dish I have named Robaroni and it consists of rice peanut butter and tuna. Rob is traveling a tad faster, ok twice as fast, as we are and I can see the joy of riding in his eyes, some people just love the open road and turning the pedals and Rob is one of them. He is off to Thailand soon to teach English and continue his travels, he plans to teach then travel. All this while paying off a student loan, impressive.

March 23 Curio Bay to Caberfeidh 54 km. A bit of a hilly day and I feel like I am on the verge of getting out of shape, it happens when we stop so much but it is a necessary evil at this point. Stopped at a road and went up and found a corral and set up the tent, the farmer came by later and visited with us and said we were welcome to camp in his paddock and we were lucky we were not there in the morning because the cows were going through.

March 24 Caberfeidh to Nugget point 44 km A trip that was well worth it.

March 25 Nugget Point to Lake Waihola 72 km I was lucky to see a pair of yellow eyed penguins leave their nest and go out to sea this morning, the whole thing was beautiful to watch, I was in awe the entire time.

March 26 Lake Waihola to Dunedin 49 km. We may not have had far to go today but the hills were relentless, I heard stories of the hills around Dunedin and they are all true it is hilly. The first hill was really long 7 km and an hour later we were at the top and flying down the other side. The other side was steep as well with a few ally oops, we flew down one side and up and over a short hill, who hooo I love it when I don’t have to pedal over a hill. Thanks Tim for pulling me over. We stopped at a beach for lunch, it was low tide, I picked a few mussels and had them for lunch. Awesome.

We had a nice leisurely ride along the beach through the town of Brighton and into Dunedin. We came to an intersection where we could have gone to Green Island or follow the scenic road towards Blackhead. We chose the scenic road and had a nice ride over the hill past a coal mine and then we looked up the road and Tim and I both thought we were looking at a phone pole is that a pole, holly sh** it is the road. Not kidding, luckily it wasn’t straight up just up and short relief in grade and then a steep section again. In our wisdom we had lost the detailed map of Dunedin so we were riding blind. We continued to follow the scenic road until we came to a garage and asked direction. Easy, we turned right went to the bottom of the hill and followed the signs for bikes to Dunedin and we were in town pronto. Hardly any traffic at all. Nice. We are staying at the Manor House a youth hostel that allows camping. Ok there are three sites but hey it works.

March 27 - April 1, Dunedin - Working on taxes, hey check out that rebate. We leave when the taxes are done.

A couple of American cyclists we met on the road.	The beautiful scenery of New Zealand.
The road that has no end. View of Te Waewae Bay and the fiord lands in the background.	Can you say muscle car. Cindie pushing her bike through a stream, oh the water was cold but I had my sealskins on so I felt the cold but didn’t get wet, yeah.

Cindie with Robert Esson, he is 77 and has been cycle touring for 17 years. whoa.	Cindie waiting for the sheep to go by.
She is roaring at Tim, he got a little too close This little guy was lost but now he is found.	A couple of canadians we met on the road. A heron wading in the shallows.

Robbie and Cindie riding out of Curio bay.	Yellow eyed penguin.
The petrified forest at Curio Bay. View of farmland.	View from Florence Hill lookout. On the way out to nugget point we saw this 4 wheel in trouble, good thing he has that snorkle.