91 Year Young Gwen

Feb 13 and 14, 2013
New Plymouth NZ

The night before, Mrs. Moa texted me that they had a friend in New Plymouth if I wanted a place to stay. Yes! And that's how I met Gwen.

After a quick tour of NP and finding a Speedo bikini that fit great (I've been looking for a suit since I arrived), I showed up at "Corner Cottage 84" a bit earlier than I planned.





No one was about so I sat on the porch to wait, when a neighbor, Anne, and son, Larry, arrived to say they were looking out for me as Gwen had gone to the store. There she comes, up the hill pulling a wheeled shopping bag. And it's quite a steep hill. Good on ya, Gwen!



She's quite the gardener doing both her own and the church's. She was a Plunkett nurse (an excellent program here that provides new mother training and support after the birth of a child) and a midwife. And she's still a "tough cookie"...my kind of woman! She used to go to London every NZ winter until recently. That couldn't have been an easy trip.

After a leisurely breakfast and tea with the neighbors, I headed in to New Plymouth, still trying to decide where I was going. Do I hike the volcano? Do I bike the Forgotten Highway? Do I have enough info to decide? Well, it turned out the iSite (NZ info center) was at the museum. And the museum had a special exhibit on prefab houses. And I'm very interested in house design. Especially smaller houses. And they had 4 model homes there on the waterfront! Jackpot! I especially loved the iPad (named long before Apple used it).



Indoor/outdoor living!

After checking the weather and being exhausted by the winds, I decided not to do either and continue up the coast. I have a full week to fill (before hooking up with Moa and friends for the volcano hike) and can cover over 350 kms in that time. So I'll head north then east them south to the park.

Last night I had a treat. I stopped early for me because the wind was beating me up in every direction. I saw this park, pulled in, and wandered to find a place out of the wind. Rose gardens. And in Valentine's Day! So that's where I spent the night!!

BagLady

Spectacular Evening View

Feb 12, 2013
Opunake Beach, NZ




This is tonight's view of my campsite.

'Nuff said!

Bedazzled BagLady


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Cows

Feb 10th
Patea, NZ



Highlight of today was this herd of steers. When I see them laying down close to the road, I know they'll all stand up if I stay nearby, so I act like I'm directing them. "Ok, you guys! Everybody up!" And I signal for them to rise. And they do! Then they start to come towards me, curious as hell. Today was extra fun because this herd of about 20-30 just kept moving. First they got scared and they start heading to the right. Then they stop and watch me. Then they start going to the left. Then stop and turn. Then walked closer. Then darted running directly away. "But wait! Why are you leaving?" The stopped and turn and started running towards me. I was rolling on the road laughing. They kept me entertained for 15-20 minutes I'll bet. You had to see them! I wished I'd had a video. Back and forth they went. It was fun to watch the herd mentality. No one was a leader. And all the time you'd a thought I had voice control over them! Ok. So I'm easily amused:). Or hard up for entertainment! I played with some horses a bit today but they just spook. Some are more curious than others.

Headwinds was the word of the day. Powerful ones! Took me one long day to do 30 miles. But I can sure feel myself getting stronger and stronger. I was trucking up some hills!

Had my first pissy driver today. Wide open road. Only car. And he lays on the horn. Really? I'm in your way? How can that be?

I have had a lot more hello honks and waves here on the North Island than I did down south. I like it! Cheers me up. Makes me feel wanted. Most people who've seen me on the road and then meet me in town think Blaze is hard to bike. The other common comment is "You must be fit!" I suppose I am. Feels good to exercise hard every day.

I'm in the cutest, emptiest campground tonight with only 2 old men and me. But it's in a small hamlet where the Patea River meets the Tasman Sea. And oh, the sunset was marvelous! And I got to take a shower, wash my clothes, and cook dinner in a kitchen...all for $10. Not bad.


Goodnight,
BL




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Pies

Feb 9th
Wanganui, North Island NZ

I've found I love pies. I've always loved Swanson Chicken Pot Pie especially as a kid. Well, they're everywhere here. What a concept! All baked little pies, meat or veggie, grab and go! Usually about $4. Flakey. Tasty. Cheap.



Not a particularly interesting day. Pedaled up. Pedaled down.

But dinner was good though: ramen noodles, tuna, onion, mayo cold salad with sautéed green beans and cauliflower and fresh parm. Yum!

That couple, Tom and Shiela, that I met a couple of days ago asked me about free camping spots and how I find them. "No Man's Land," I said. And tonight that's particularly true. My one requirement tonight was: not within hearing distance of the main road. I need quiet. So I turned off Rte 3 onto a side road, then onto a side off of that. And I'm camped on the wide edge just past the shoulder. One woman went by and waved:). Guess I'm not freaking the neighbors out. There are some rural homes sorta in site. I almost camped right in town at the large park where I cooked dinner. Woulda worked, I'm sure. There was also a large dog obedience campus someone walking suggested to me, but I worried about pee and poop and early dog walkers. Another option was the Quaker Settlement the same guy suggested. I rode in but couldn't find anyone to ask and there were signs of lots of people (cars) so I opted not to just set up. I've never asked permission...just forgiveness:)

The bewitching hour has arrived.

Goodnight.

Bewitched BagLady


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Feb 10, 2013
Hawera, New Zealand

Walking on the black sand beach with a local started my day. Barry, the camp host, asked me to knock when I was heading out to the beach this morning. So I did. And I got the tour. There are 3 houses that were buried in the cliff many years ago by a tsunami. There was the hull of a ship the capsized in the 1930's. we didn't go all the way down (because the tide was coming in) to the whale carcass. Then Barry gave me a photo he had taken of the shore during a storm. And then I was off.

Forecast, rain late in day. Ugh.

Got into town. Got to chatting. Checked out a local museum. Finally started down the road. I had no energy. And there were headwinds...again. Which means, no umbrella. Which means, no shade. I stopped noon ish to take a nap but before I could put my head down, a couple of cycle tourists that I had seen fly by in town pull over. We share the usual info. Olivier had lots of interest in Blaze. They'd been on the road for over 3 years. Real cycle tourists!!! Not just the wanna-be's like me:). There gear was weathered. They had a lot of unique items like the mint plant potted and riding on the front fender.


And they were loaded!











And they really wanted me to bike with them even when I said I was so slow. So off we went. And I kept up...mostly. They are very loaded so that slowed them down.

The best was dumpster diving with them! I'd forgotten about that free food source. And we hit it big behind a gas station: 10 or more meat pies, a loaf of Vogel bread (the good stuff), and muffins and sandwiches. What a haul!

The guy came over asking what we were doing and Olivier, with his exuberance and French accent said, saving a part of the starving world with good food thrown away.

Tonight we're camped in a cow pasture, plops included...just no cows. Olivier asked a farmer. They also just went up to a house for water at the end of the day. I don't usually ask. And I carry water from the bathroom in town. Love learning new ways.

They're hustling north. They plan to spend 6 months sailing the Pacific on a boat somehow, then off to Australia in Sept. More years planned for the road. Got to ask them how they find doing this.

They shared a delicious dinner that Nadege fixed of lentils and onions and cumin. And lamb they got from the guy that took them in last night. Yum! And fresh herbal tea.

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Always a Good Morning

Feb 8, 2013
Rugby field, Sanson, North Island NZ

It's always a good morning that's starts out with meeting people. While packing up and drying out, Lloyd and Amy, locals going away to the South Island for 6 weeks in their campervan pulled in to make some coffee and invited me over. Always say Yes! So I did. They are, I'd guess, mid 60s, but retired at 45 and have traveled since. One country at a time, slowly and thoroughly. In always jealous when I meet couples like this, doing this...that's what I want...I think...

The North Island is reminding me a lot of the States. Small towns scattered up the road. I was going to say highway, but they don't really have any here. Some motorways near cities is all I've seen. These roads go right through towns. Towns with shops and services. Nice size. No signs of dead towns like we have littering the landscape. And the libraries are amazing, now that I've discovered them! Many are bright, modern, new, with free wifi and a cafe. What a concept! Like a community center and people commune there! Pleasantly surprised. Now that there's more towns here, I'll aim for them.



And today brought fruit and veggie stands. Hadn't seen those before. Got some strawberries and cauliflower. Had steamed cauliflower with fresh Parmesan, pesto and pasta...and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert!



Stopped to do something today and looked over at the fence across the street. What is hanging on there?! LOL!




And I have to throw in a pic of my new best friends! When I stopped these guys were all laying down. I had fun chatting with them. Such fun!



Bathed BagLady

(In a cup of WARM water tonight...it's getting downright chilly when the sun goes down!)



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Finding, Not Searching

Feb 7, 2013
North of Wellington somewhere just past Otaki



"I'm finding now, not searching" said Margaret from Holland, a young woman on a bike by the side of the road who offered me a place to stay the night too early in the afternoon. She's 30 and been traveling for about 3 years. Makes friends, gets house-sitting gigs, works in hostels or on organic farms.

I find myself still constrained by narrow, limited thinking. I applied for a visa extension and paid $150, she flew to someplace near Fiji and then came back...voila, new 3 month visa. Boy, have I still got lots to learn about living on the road:)

She gave me directions to the library where, no sooner had I hopped off Blaze, I met Tom from Wyoming. He and his girlfriend, Sheila are on their FIRST bike tour! Do they do a 2 week tour of somewhere in the US? No! They fly to NZ and do a 3 month tour!! Kudos to you guys for jumping right in there. And you're doing a great job of figuring it all out...including free camping. Shiela is amazing at info gathering...she had lots of info for me:). See, that's how I figure things out. See what comes my way. And the Universe brought them. Thank you for a touch of home and that great Wyoming accent, Tom. Hope our paths cross again.

Last night I camped at one of the many picnic places by the side of the road. This one didn't have the usual blue sign of a tree and a picnic table but it was perfect for the night. One change from the South Island is traffic. It used to stop at dark and start again in the am. Not here! All night. Exhausting. Guess I'll need to pull further off. But a local said she heard it up at her house on the hill. Oh well. Not many road options on an island. They're all going the same way I am. Side roads just lead to the coast and end.

The dew is really heavy and the nights are quite chilly even with warm days. My 50* bag is barely warm enough in early Feb (think Aug)...so how's it gonna be in Apr and May (think Oct and Nov)? Think I may need to borrow a warmer one...hint, hint to any Kiwis reading my journal. Finding, not searching.

Guess I have most of the water off the tent and can pack it to go. 9 am is the start time most mornings. No hurry. I'm retired!!!

This is all $36 buys!



Postal carriers use bikes here!!



On the road!!! Literally:)))


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Get Out!

February 6, 2013
Mana Marina NZ



I'm stuck. Can't seem to move. Packed up today. Straightened up the boat. Gotta leave it "ship-shape":). (Bruce, the captain, has gone home for the weekend. I was going to get a lift north to Auckland with him, but with my visa extension filed, I have more time and will bike north instead.)

Then decided to make bagel chips out of some over-priced bagels I got in the city the other day.

Then decided to finish the book I was reading since I was almost done and then could leave it behind.

Then got busy painting, trying to leave Bruce a thank you gift of a painting of his new boat, the Manaia. (Shhh! Don't tell him. And he probably doesn't read my blogs, so my secret is safe:/)

Before I knew it, it was 3:00 and seemed a bit late to take-off, so I guess I'll stay another night. It's so quiet in the marina although I've seen more people than other days. It's terribly nice to have a place to stay by myself again (like at Kiwi's house at Christmas). As much as I love being around people (and I do!), it's also nice to be alone...and not on the move. How gracious of Bruce to offer this to me. Tomorrow. I'll head out tomorrow. I promise:).

I need to if I'm going to bike the 650 kms to where I meet up for the volcano hike.

But for now I'll enjoy the boat, the water, the view, and the quiet.




And live on bagel chips!




Wise words a friend sent me today:

"Slow down and show up!"

That's all we ever need to do.

A Blessed BagLady

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New Flag

Jan 28, 2013
Picton, South Island

A day not much happened.

Except, Blaze lost her flag. The base of it had broken off when she tried to runaway and fell into the ditch, but there was still enough left to stick in the seat hole. I did think once or twice about tying something to the hole on the base of the flag in case it flew off on a downhill. Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Didn't. And it took me a while to realize it was gone. (I'm not detail oriented... what can I say?). It was after a couple of woman I met when I stopped for some food helped me realign the back tire. I had everything off and was reloading when I realized no flag. I talked someone into driving back a few miles (since I hadn't biked far:/) to look for it, but we couldn't find it. Oh well. The old guy who drove me back started working on a replacement. I love what we ended up with! He found a bent but very rigid piece of heavy wire. We stuck it in the hole and I tied a bandanna to it. NOW she looks like BagLady's trike:) !!!



I'll try and get one where you can really see the bent wire. It's such an effect! Love it!



One of the many rivers I cross coming up the coast.

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Feb 4th
Wellington NZ



I've been in Wellington a week. Spent a couple of days with Moa and Mrs Moa attending a going away party for Kiwi and Mrs Kiwi who have gone to Spain for a year to explore while having a house there. I also used my time getting my gear cleaned and thinned, Blaze spiffed up, and just relaxing.

The last couple of days I've spent hanging on a boat of a Kiwi friend. Life in the harbor is so delightful. Blaze thought she was one of the boats:)



Tomorrow I'm heading north, by bike. Since I've applied for a via extension, I've decided to proceed as if I'll get it and cycle northward. I have the volcano starting on the 23rd and now I'll bike to it by touring up the west coast. Then I'll have unlimited time to see the Coromandel Peninsula and Northland! No more rushing around!

Chillaxed Bag Lady



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