Study - travel - explore

13/01/2015

The journey has come to an end

After 60 days of traveling around NZ by bike, I arrived back to Auckland on 10th of January 2015. My flight was about to leave back to Finland in 36 hours and my feelings were surrealistic - this is it.

Some statistics of the 60-day trip:

3722 km by bicycle & trailer
Average day distance: 76km (longest:136km)
49 nights in a tent, of which 28 days at a $-campsite)
11 days in a hostel
3 hiking days + 3 days at the new years festival
Several flat tyres
3 broken spokes
1 broken rim
1 broken trailer fork
10+ caught salmons/trouts

Start from Auckland to Wellington 11.11.2014, return from New Plymouth to Auckland 10.1.2015

12/01/2015

Across the North island

The 3 last days of 2014 were really fun in Gisborne, but the cycling had to continue already 1st of January, so that I could reach western coast in 10 days.

Highlights of the route were the beautiful and sunny city of Taupo and Tongariro National Park, where I did the world famous Tongariro Crossing day hike (see post below). From Taumaranui to Stratford I cycled through the "Forgotten World Highway" which offered plenty of remoteness and rural landscapes. Nothing extraordinary, but quite beautiful though.

New Plymouth was my mental end station for the bicycle trip, even though I cycled some 20km more close to Waitomo Caves and in Auckland, but otherwise I did my way from New Plymouth to Auckland by bus.

From Gisborne to New Plymouth, 1.1 - 9.1

Staying in Glens Innis Backpackers. Thank you for the lovely family who hosted me that evening!

Cycling around Lake Waikaremoana

Lake Waikaremoana, unfortunately in a cloudy weather

Lake Waikaremoana

Thermal Energy power plant, close to Taupo

Just before Taupo, 3333 km done!

Lake Taupo, just a wonderful sunset over there

Time for sauna, in Rainbow Lodge in Taupo

In the horizon: Mt. Ruapehu and Tongariro National Park

Time for a break under a birch (=koivu)

Road 43, aka Forgotten World Highway

Laurens Lavender Café

A typical landscape in North Island

Reaching Stratford late in the evening, after cycling 136 km from Ohinepane campsite

Finally in New Plymouth!

06/01/2015

Tongariro Crossing

Tongariro crossin is a world famous day hike which leads you between the stunning views of Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Ngauruhoe. The 19,4km hike takes usually 6-8 hours, but if you decide to take some extra hikes, you can spend a whole day at Tongariro Crossing.

I was super lucky with the weather on the day I did my crossing. Sometimes weather conditions are at the crossing are so rough that it is better not to do it, but I just enjoyed sun and light winds the whole day. In the morning I saw something extraordinary and unusual: The summit of Mount Taranaki was clearly visible in the horizon above the clouds. According to the local people, this phenomena happens very seldom.

Starting the hike from Mangatepopo car park

In the horizon you can see Mount taranaki which is 136km to West from Tongariro. Apparently this kind of view is available very seldom!

Mt. Ngauruhoe, 2291m

At the summit of Mt. Ngauruhoe

The Red Crater

The Blue Lakes

01/01/2015

New Year 2015

From Wellington I took a bus to Hastings on 26th December. I had now two days time to spend on East Coast before the new year festival "Rhythm and Vines" would start on 28th in Gisborne.

In Hastings I visited Craggy Range winery, which is on my opinion one of the best wineries in Hawkes Bay wine region. Craggy Range has some really nice Bordeaux blends and also their Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay charmed me. Worth trying definetly!

From Hastings/Napier I cycled to Gisborne in two days and I suffered again a flat tyre, even though the tube was totally new, but for some reason it cracked from inner surface like the previous tubes had done as well.

In Gisborne we met with our exchange student group again and in total we were 7 people participating to Rhythm and Vines festival from 28th December to 1st of January. The main artists in the festival were Bastille, Nestky and Mø. What was quite unsual was the campground: we were literally staying in the middle of a vineyard. Whoa, it was exclusive!
As a conclusion I must say that this must have been my best new years eve so far. Instead of snow and frost I was just enjoying sun, good music and the company of nice Kiwi people.

Napier, the Art Deco capital of NZ

Napier Beach Boulevard

*****

Our campground

Arcadia Afterburner stage

Some beerpong in the pool

A waterslide, naturally

26/12/2014

Mt. Cook -> Christchurch

Christchurch would be my end station on South Island and from there I would fly to Wellington and continue forward to East Coast towards Gisborne where my plan was to celebrate new year.

Stages from Mt. Cook:

20.12 Mt. Cook - Lake Alexandrina 112km

21.12 Lake Alexandrina - Waihi Gorge 112km

22.12 Waihi Gorge - Rakaia Gorge 93km

23.12 Rakaia Gorge - Christchurch 97km

On my way I suffered again several flat tyres because I found out that all of my tyres had a manufacturing fauld and they cracked slowly from the inner circle. Plenty of stops, patches and nerves. In Mt. Somers I fixed my trailers fork which had been broken since Invercargill. Thanks for Hendrik from Mt. Somers Service Centre for helping me with the fork! Also I had two broken spokes which made the last 100km a bit tricky, since the rear wheel was getting more and more unstable.

I spent my Christmas in Christchurch in Vagabong hostel, together with very nice people. On xmas eve we rented a car with two Swedish girls, Maja&Julia, and went to check out the Akaroa Peninsula, which lies south east from Christchurch. Nice and different xmas eve in a nice company with hot wearher.