Monday, April 8, 2013

Ramblings

April 6 & 7, 2013
Taurus, NZ

The Coromandel Peninsula is turning out to be as hilly as I was told. Don't mind the hills but its slowing down an already slow lady. Green craggy hills, some shaved and green with pasture grasses, some treed with planted pine. Then when the harvest the pine, they desecrate the hillside. Eventually replanting it with pine. But I've been told by a guy who's son works for the Forest Service, that care is not taken with all the byproduct of felling trees and it clogs the streams. Everything is bliss is this country...just a lot is:)

Rain. While eating dinner. Before the tent was up. Not good. I was camped in a questionable spot. Someone's "front lawn". Picture a long winding driveway up a hill with an open gate and fencing, and a mowed patch on the roadside of the fence. Yup. Had my name on it. Especially after looking for nearly an hour. I need to get braver and cycle up one of these long driveways and ASK. My next new behavior modification. I'm taking people's pics easily. Now I need to approach houses. (i'm shy...and I think I'm also tired and really don't want to be social then...)

Back to last night. By the time I packed up dinner and got the tent up and my gear inside I was soaked and a lot of water came in with me. Add to that, the temp dropped to around 40-45* I'd guess by how cold I was and all the condensation made for rain inside the tent. Wet bag, wet clothes, wet mat, wet everything.

Packed it up all wet and went to the beach in Whangamata. (Darling town although I only cycled through it. Trying not to stop and spend money in every town and besides, it's Sunday and most shops are closed.)

But the beach was beautiful and some sun came out. Ya have to wait awhile for it to be a really drying sun. Too early and too cloudy and it takes longer. Met a couple there that are Kiwis living in Hawaii (Kawaii) and usually come back every summer to NZ. They own a paddleboard shop there. That's something I should have tried here. Need a wet suit now.

Up and down. Lots of hills. Slow going. Beautiful views. Lots of time. Just worried about dropping temps at night. Don't have much more to wear:/. We'll see how tonight goes. I may have to think about buying a fleece liner. Where will I pack that?, I wonder.

Tonight I'm going to make a list of every bit of food I have with me. And it's a lot!! Always fear running out. Was a bit low at Tanners Point. Like to be ready for an extra day here or there.

Side bag:
Extra virgin olive oil
Vinegar
Peanut butter
Jam
Lemonade crystals
Canned tomatoes

Right pannier:
Can of tuna
2 pkts of "Jet Planes" jelly candies (they were on sale)
Bag of lentils
Jar of local honey...a gift from Del

Left pannier:
Tub of butter
Bag of coffee, sugar, dried creamer
Mashed potato flakes
Whole wheat pasta
Tea bags
Parmesan cheese
Cheddar cheese

White plastic bag on side bar:
Bread
Doritos
Girl Scout cookies
1/2 head of cauliflower. (Tonight's dinner)
2 mandarin oranges...gift from Karen
2 feijoas...gift from Lorelei today
2 avocados
5 small tomatoes
8 small plums...now 7:)

Now my feed bag:
Dates
4 raw eggs
300 ml of yogurt
Bag of Jet Planes...remember? On sale!
Mac & cheese
Mayo
Muesli
Dark chocolate bar
Mixed nuts
Red pepper
2 cup containers of microwaveable brown rice
100 ml of white wine
Cumin
Salt
Kelp seasoning. Gift from Del
10 crackers
3 hard kiwifruit
3 pkts cream of mushroom soup
Whole milk powder
Chocolate pudding
Garlic

OMG! Not starving any time soon!!! Always nice to have options on what to eat. Tonight it's cauliflower and Parmesan cheese. Maybe I'll finish off the pudding pack for dessert.

We came off daylight savings today and I didn't switch my watch because I know what time the sun sets and what time I need to quit and make camp and what time to get up and get going...and I don't want to mess up. My cycling days are shrinking. Something I didn't think about. I may get upwards of 12 hours of sleep a night now. Besides reading and journaling, play Sudoku on my iphone if it has enough juice, there's not much to do after dark. And dark will be 6:30 tonight I think, new time. Guess I'll be we'll rested. Mornings are hard because its cold and wet out. Hate to start before the sun's well up in the sky and warmed things up a bit. I think the easy days are over. More challenges ahead. But I like challenges. Raises the rewards!!!

Goodnight,

BagLady




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"No Camping!"

April 4 & 5 , 2013
Waihi Beach, NZ



Sleeping
Reading
Swimming
Walking
Talking
Painting

Lovely way to spend a day on a quiet little bay. Two night limit. Besides. I needed to keep moving north.

There's a chill in the night air and the leaves are smelling dry. Love autumn! Can't wait to experience one in NZ.

I'm heading up the east coast if the Coromandel peninsula. I hope folks are using this opportunity to familiarize themselves with New Zealand. I often do that when I follow other cyclists blogs. If you type the location I give you on any particular day into Google Maps...voila! I know I'm not writing much of a travelogue, describing the scenery, etc. This is "my" journal so you just get what I want to write about:). Power of the pen!

I'm following a main State Highway 2 and its quite busy and noisy. Hopefully, when I pass through Waihi today and pick up 25, things will quiet down.

Yesterday I met a German couple that have been on the road 2 years and cycled here from home...through India. I love hearing how couples handle the difference in cycling paces. This couple meets up in town. Yesterday Robert stopped to take a swim at the beach while Sabine continued on to town. He's so much stronger that he catches up easily. They also love mountain climbing with ropes and everything. So instead of carrying that gear, they find a central town to stay at for 6 weeks and have their gear shipped to them. Then before moving on, ship it home to Mom. Costly but far easier than carrying it and you get Your Stuff.



At the suggestion of a local, I cycled out to the tip of the peninsula to camp last night. There was a parking lot, johns, picnic tables and folks with campervans set up. Seeing no camping signs, including campervans, I chatted with some people and found out it had been recently opened to self-contained vehicles. (Those upscale rigs with bathrooms and grey water tanks.). But there's a bathroom here! Well I decided to risk it. Didn't want to bike back. It was after 5 pm.

Found a spot, set up, was cooking up some lentils for dinner and chatting with Karen



when a cop car pulls up. "No camping," he tells me ever so nicely and with the sweetest smile. This is the country of gentle cops! I convinced him to let me stay until morning. Sweet!

I share my dinner with Karen, then tuck away for a night's sleep. Janine comes by calling "Girls!" Just me. She wonders about the cop and am I alright. I believe she was wondering why I was still there. Not safe way over here away from everybody. Give me a break! I am so tired of hearing about not being safe. I'm fine!!! Don't even put that thought into the Universe, please. She leaves and then...

About 9 pm, a representative from the District Council shows up and wakes me. "No Camping! I got a call and have to respond. The cop didn't have authorization to let me stay. Where you go is your problem, Love."

Flashbacks are happening! Am I in Holland? I think Janine called 111 to complain about me.

As I pack, the rain comes back. I cycle away having no clue where I'm going. I'm not going to the campground, that much I know. I'm getting wetter. There was a spot I'd noticed on my way out by a car park and on the water. Lets see if any cars are there. Nope. Look at this...I can set up behind this huge flax plant. This should be fine. In fact, better than where I was:)

And even though I took down and set up the tent in the rain, I've managed to get warm and dry inside...just a slight bit of mopping.

This morning, the locals who told me about going there stopped me on the road. They'd been down to the point for a swim and heard about my fiasco...and felt bad. But I was fine. Everything seems to work out. Just need to obey the signs and not camp near folks. Lesson learned.

BagLady



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone