"Trike Girl"

March 24,
Hwy 35 Bay of Plenty, NZ

Norm and my reflection:


Alice, minister of sweet church that her Scottish grandfather built with kauri logs cut and hauled from the northland. She's Scottish-Maori.


John and Colleen I met when I stopped at a macadamia farm cafe, The Nut House. He's a photographer from Auckland and I hope to get a copy of the pic he took of me:)




Didnt get a picture of this: Deer with 8 points in road staring at me. But deer don't run wild here! Mind boggling, like a sign just for me.

Maggots. That's what Kiwis call the white campervans as they crawl around the South Island. Fitting!

Microwave oven mailboxes are everywhere on the East Cape.



Great recycling!

Second rainy cycling day. First was in January on South Island.

Lovely, rolling coastal ride with quiet little coves in all the dips. And a view of the steaming volcanic island off shore, White Island.



I ran into Norm on the road this morning and while we were biking and chatting, friends of his passed by. Then I turned off to checkout the historic church and he pedaled on. His friends were up the road and asked him "Looks like you didn't score with Trike Girl!" (Norm told me the story when he passed again going home. "So now there are rumors going around about us, Trike Girl!")

It's 8 pm and the last of the day's light is hanging on the horizon. And I'm sitting in my tent, drinking wine, listening to Rodriguez, dancing and crying. Solo travel can be quite lonely. Many hellos and quick goodbyes. I travel alone because I have no compatible travel mate. And maybe because its easier. I get what I think I want...every day. No compromises.

I sleep every night in a different place, with a different view...alone. The other night I was sick, a terrible bellyache. And I was out at the lighthouse. What would I do if I had an emergency in the middle of the night? Alone out here? I don't think about it because I don't know really. Wait until morning, I guess. I think that because I've been alone most of my adult life, I don't know what it's really like to be taken care of (except for a few years). I'm tough. Tough Cookie. I don't think there's really anything I can't toughen my way through. And maybe that's what I do alone in my tent out of habit now.

But crying feels so good sometimes...like being fragile and vulnerable, just for a brief moment. And maybe, as my daughter said, "Crying cleanses the soul." But oh wouldn't it be nice if there were someone who cared that I was crying? That someone who just holds you and the whole world feels better. Will I ever have that again? I sure hope so. Until then, I have to do both the crying and the holding. And I'll be all right. Another sip of wine...there...all better:). Turn up the music, dance while sitting down...party of one! There'll be more great hugs and parties of two and real connections...and until then a lot of hellos and goodbyes meeting incredible, amazing, giving people!!

Thanks for listening. I'm posting this slightly censored right from the heart. If I can't share this, why journal at all? It's all part of the journey. It ain't all smiles...just mostly!!

BagLady


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I Never Know What a Day Will Bring

March 23, 2013
Waihau Bay, NZ

Wet, cold, sandy start to this day. And does sand ever stick when it's wet. No drying out before I start. Have to do it later. And later never came.

Five miles in I pass a woman at the end of her driveway fiddling with her bike



and say some nebulous comment, as I usually do. We get to chatting, as usually happens. And we've got a lot of similar views, which happens here a lot. Then hubby comes running down the road having just finished his bike and run training sessions. He's got a marathon goal in a couple of months. Done quite a few...triathlons too.

What started as a quick hello turned into cup of tea, hubby checking my dereilleur, tour of the bush, lessons on identifying saplings, pottery shed tour and lunch!!! Four hours later I'm finally on the road having spent the most delightful and informative time with Glynis and Norm. They live off the grid and have for over 25 years. Solar energy, wood-heated water and space, water from the mountain creek. Idyllic lifestyle. I was envious:)

Lunch was skillet bread for open face sandwiches of grated carrot, with cooked mushrooms and tofu. Yum!!


Then tonight when I'm putting up my soggy tent as the sun is setting over this delightful cove, Karen pulls up. We chat. Then her daughter, a friend, a float (trailer) with horse aboard arrive. I get talked into moving to the friend's yard and SHOWER! That's how showers find me. I've stopped "searching" and am "finding". And I managed to get a sliver of a signal, enough to let Wayne know I'm alive:). (Folks worry about me for a bit after meeting me. I think my family is so over it!)

When I can take iphone photos of some of the pics on my camera, I'll put them in here. I've had to slow down a bit on the picture taking of people because I meet so many in a day. I was tiring myself out.

Nighty night.


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Furthest Point East

March 21 & 22, 2013

I'm really out of touch with folks. No cell reception so no contact with Kiwis that usually hear from me. And no wifi so no posts either. Just the way it is.

I decided that 12 miles out to the furthest point east was not too far to go for a side trip even if the road was 1/2 gravel. There was a lighthouse out there that one of my Maori guys from Gisborne said was a must see. That and the sunrise. So after getting some groceries in town, out I pedaled. I got groceries but forgot water. Oh well, I'm sure I can get done at the campground I'll pass. About halfway out a pickup going the other way stops to chat and I happen to ask about water. Don't think they have any. Do you? I ask. Yup. So I'm saved...again.

(I'm laying in my tent tonight with a GD bird making the most annoying repeating squeak for the last hour spoiling an otherwise delightful camp spot by a creek. I'm going after him right now!! Bird lovers, don't watch:). A few rocks thrown into the water displaced them for now. Peace!)

Now where was I? Oh ya, the ride out. Open range horses and cattle have the best coastal grazing spots along this road. And when I was almost all the way there, Paul (no photo, too bad, really cute Brit I'd met in town) stopped me to say "good news, I was almost there...bad news, the lighthouse was up 700 steps on a hill!"

I camped in the grass of the car park and planned to get up at 6 am to go up for the sunrise. But of a rough night. I was sick. Not a fun feeling when you're in the middle of nowhere really. There were some cars there although I hadn't heard anybody. Managed to sleep and whatever it was ran its course. Then there was the rain. Do I go up if its raining in the morning? Won't be much of a sunrise to see.

I did go. It was raining. And it was a spectacular sunrise!



(Please know that i have to take pics with camera and then take a pic of a pic to post to blog, now that power is at a premium.)

Happy birthday, Kevin. Couldn't call...no signal:(

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Kindness of the Kiwis Never Ceases to Amaze Me

March 17 & 18, 2013
Tokomaru Bay NZ

Yesterday I'm pedaling along, having finally severed the umbilical cord to Gisborne, and there's a bit of rain. Barely a sprinkle. And this pickup pulls up in front of me and this woman, June, jumps out of the passenger side. "It's raining!"

Ya, I'll be alright.

What if a deluge comes?

I'll still be all right. But I do appreciate you stopping.

Kindness right from the heart. She'd have taken me home if I let her:). She had the most beautiful chin and lip tattoo that my new picture taking motto allowed me to capture.

And again today. Blaze's back tire continues to have inflation issues so I had her stripped down on the side of the road. Actually the problem I was having was with the release and reconnection of the rear break cable. Could not get that sucker out of and then back into the hole. This time Wayne turned around to stop and help me. We got the cable lengthened enough for the problem to go away. Then he gave me the lowdown on Tokomaru Bay and camping in the beach and then offered to give me a tour in the morning. How sweet.

While setting up, Lyn


comes by with Foxy the dog and I not only got a shower but evening company and a glass of wine. And tomorrow I get to go with hubby, Mel, kayaking into the ocean while he pulls in his net!

What's not to love about New Zealand? Chatting with Ian last night at the campground I was at and we concurred with the amazing and startling kindness of Kiwis. Ian is French and staying here for a year.



Time for sleep, after I take another peak at the most amazing night sky I've seen in quite awhile!

Actually last night's sunset was pretty spectacular.



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Goldfish Farm

March 19 & 20, 2013

Wow! Days behind! Think I lost a post, yes, know I did.

Day off in Tokumaru Bay watching Mel retrieve his fish nets. Rough surf caused him to capsize a few times before he got out.




Later, Wayne (the rescuer when my bike brake cable wouldn't reassemble) gave me a tiki tour of the town: old freezer factory and wharf, a goldfish farm (way cool)



...those are tanks of goldfish -about 100 of them! And this is Stan, the goldfish farmer.



And then I got a tour of the boat that Wayne has been building for 23 years.


And not a little boat either! He says it may launch this year. I hope I get pictures when it does!
And here is Captain Wayne.



I managed to hit the road north the next day and with tailwinds and 2 flats actually went further than expected. While changing the first flat the cops, Reagan and Ben, stopped by to make sure I was okay.

"You're not going to camp by the side of the road, are you?"

"Oh, no! Not me! This road is too busy. I'll ask a farmer."

Later they pulled into the bar I was camped behind. Made it!

The second flat was a pinch flat. Because I'd been having several flats on the back in the same spot and unable to find the issue, I swapped out my foldable spare. I checked for punches, but must have missed it. The next morning I was able to find the culprit, a microscopic sliver of metal straight in...and I got it out! But the back tire is bald. I need to swap it with a front one. Ugh. That means changing 2 tires at once. Maybe in the morning.

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