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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OMG!

Jan 27th

Sometimes I just have to be thankful I'm still alive. Today's one of those days.

A guy pulled out to pass within 50 meters of me ... literally pulled out at me...right in my face...OMG!
Nearly took me out!! It's the first time a driver has made me scream, panic, and steer to the left as sharp as I could to avoid becoming a hood ornament. That big a hurry, huh??? Thank you, guardian angel...job well done:)

I was also glad to be alive today because it was another gorgeous day.



What can I say? I grin from ear to ear every day. My cheeks are hurting. Even that crazy driver can't take the smile off my face. Everything and everyone are all so beautiful here. Paradise!




Beach Bum BagLady

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Blaze's Attempted Runaway!

Jan 26th
Road north to Picton.

Three exciting, momentous things today: headwinds, hanging with some "characters" at their caravans on the coast, and Blaze's attempted runaway:)

Lets talk about winds so strong I'm pedaling downhill. All day. So strong I couldn't hear my iPod. Unrelenting. Couldn't find shelter from them. Beautiful day. Sunny. Up the coast. Azure blue waters with white waves crashing. And WIND!!! Think I only made 20 miles going from 9:30 this morning until 5:30 tonight.

Cycling along the east coast, battling the winds, I see a couple of caravans parked in a V with 4 people sitting in chairs just hanging out. One guy waves and then welcomes me over. Never one to miss an opportunity to chat (who me?) and to take a break from the winds, I go over. Using Blaze as my chair I join these two couples and answer all their questions. After telling them my age, upon request, they marvel at my bravery and strength. I wish I'd written down right away the description they had because for the life of me I can't remember the words. It was priceless. Then the same guy who said those pricelss but forgotten words, invited me to rub thumbs, a Maori custom he says. Maybe now I'm engaged! Who knows!! What a treat it was to connect with these folks and pass a bit of afternoon with them. I was even offered paui (I think that's how it's spelled) a type of albatross but I told them I wouldn't know how to cook it :). Hope I see them pass me on their way home tomorrow. That's what this travel is all about for me!!!



Ok now Blaze's excitement. I stopped and got off to take a picture.


Swan made from old tire.

And I turned around and ....

no bike. Really does things to your head. I'm sure I just got off it but she's nowhere to be seen. And then I see a truck pulling up and just past it, this!



Blaze! What are you doing way back down the road? and on your side? and why are the panniers off? Are you ok?

The young guys in the truck so the last part where she flipped in the ditch. They offered to help but I figured she was all right. I was wrong.

Got her upright and in the road, but the derailleur wouldn't shift. It looked bent but I didn't know what to do to it. A local farmer stopped and said he wasn't much help because he didn't know bikes, but he did offer a cottage nearby if I didn't get a lift by nighttime. He also said it might be better to put her on her side so she looked broken and it wasn't that I was tired of biking into the winds. Damsel in distress. While on her side I tinkered. Then tried shifting again and it worked! I fixed it! We're back on the road!

Windswept BagLady


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Devastated Christchurch

Jan 25th

This is one of those nights when I wrote a lot of stuff and somehow lost it and just don't want to write it all again. The day was significant and I don't want to not do it justice.

First thing was getting Blaze on the bus. First words from driver who makes decision was "Not going to fit." But I waited and it did. Learning patience...finally.

Next was a 2 hour layover in Christchurch. I texted the Smiths, the family I met at campground in Wanaka and told them I wouldn't be able to stay over but I had this layover.


Dad and 5 kids showed up at bus stop to pick me up and give me a whirlwind tour of the earthquake damage to and resurrection of Christchurch, one of the oldest cities in NZ.

These pictures are in a city's downtown district!





Shipping containers being used to keep a damaged building from falling into the street.

The 2nd quake did more damage and several hundred people died in that one. As a memorial, across from the building where most were killed is a collection of white chairs, one for each person that died. Each one significant of that person: wheelchair, tiny chair for infant, rockers etc. all painted white.



But also amazing is the creativity being used to put up business stalls and carry on. Shipping containers make banks and shops at Box Mall.









And there's plans to build a cardboard church to use until the permanent one can be built.



So sad and yet, so hopeful and innovative. Kiwi resiliency.

BagLady

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Omarau and the Penguins

Jan 24th
East coast heading north.

Nothing happened. He was just enamoured by my beauty:). It was a quiet night.


Moeraki Boulders.
Look at these round rocks on the beach.



But even more amazing was this Maori sand drawing on the beach that I could see no footprints or machine tracks leading up to it. How was it done us a great mystery!



Omarau is the land of penguins. Yup, penguins! Little blue penguins. And Yellow Eyed Penguins (very rare). The hostel owner took all the newcomers around to show us where to go to see the penguins...and not to pay a tour co for something that's free. Tension in the community over these penguins and those that want to make $$$ off of them.

The Yellow Eyed Penguin is normal size and comes up onto a particular beach about 2 hours before sundown to feed its young in nest in the bushes. There's a viewing area about 1/2 mile outside of town and with our patience and a local farmer's help, we got to see several up pretty close and more way down on the beach.

The Little Blue Penguins are actually inhabitants of the town, many of them living in holes in the old stone buildings. We were told they'd be all over the streets but when we went down into town around 10:30 pm, I could only find a couple. These guys were about 1/2 the size of a normal penguin. So cute as the waddled up the street. Since it was dark, I have no pics.

BagLady

WATCH DATES -Posts out of order!!!!!!!

When uploading, somehow the date order got screwed up. Beware!


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