Here's a link to my 2012 tour of Italy
And my 2014 tour of Ireland
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Day 54
Otago Peninsula back to Dunedin 30km
Another lovely day out here on the peninsula. I climbed one more big hill in hopes of seeing a penguin but alas to no success. I guess I'll just have to come back to NZ and try again later. Two days in Dunedin and then back to the northen hemisphere...
Another lovely day out here on the peninsula. I climbed one more big hill in hopes of seeing a penguin but alas to no success. I guess I'll just have to come back to NZ and try again later. Two days in Dunedin and then back to the northen hemisphere...
Day 53
Otago Peninsula 60km
I cycled out to the holdiay park in Portobello, unloaded the bike and spent the rest of the day pedalling around the Peninsula. Known as one of the great wildlife areas of NZ I found it to be quite picturesque but sadly did not get a picture of a Penguin. Apparently I had to be at the tip of the peninsula at dusk in order to get close enough to get a photo of a penguin. Sadly the bike is not set up to cycle back to the campsite in the dark. Even if it were the cars on the narrow roads out here are quite intimidating enough in the full light of day. Kind of a bummer, I really wanted to get a picture of a penguin. Of course I could have gotten one if I were to have spent $100 to go on one of the touristy guided sightseeing buses. Instead, after yet another day of very hilly riding I went back to the pub in Portobello, stretched out my knee and watched some Olympics.
I cycled out to the holdiay park in Portobello, unloaded the bike and spent the rest of the day pedalling around the Peninsula. Known as one of the great wildlife areas of NZ I found it to be quite picturesque but sadly did not get a picture of a Penguin. Apparently I had to be at the tip of the peninsula at dusk in order to get close enough to get a photo of a penguin. Sadly the bike is not set up to cycle back to the campsite in the dark. Even if it were the cars on the narrow roads out here are quite intimidating enough in the full light of day. Kind of a bummer, I really wanted to get a picture of a penguin. Of course I could have gotten one if I were to have spent $100 to go on one of the touristy guided sightseeing buses. Instead, after yet another day of very hilly riding I went back to the pub in Portobello, stretched out my knee and watched some Olympics.
Day 52
Dunedin 20km
I spent the day cycling around the lovely town of Dunedin. This is definitely one of my favorite NZ cities. Lots of stately old buildings. The Museum on the campus of the University of Otago was quite nice. I also enjoyed walking around the botanical gardens.
I spent the day cycling around the lovely town of Dunedin. This is definitely one of my favorite NZ cities. Lots of stately old buildings. The Museum on the campus of the University of Otago was quite nice. I also enjoyed walking around the botanical gardens.
Day 51
Ranfurly to MiddleMarch 68km
Middlemarch to Pukarangi (Bus)
Pukarangi to Dunedin (Train)
The final day on the rail trail. Very pleasant: flat, no cars and not too bad gravel. When I arrived in Middlemarch I had the choice of taking the bus to Pukarangi and the train to Middlemarch. I would have had no chance to make the train on the bike and Pukarangi was literally a shed with the word 'Pukarangi' written on it. Middlemarch wasn't a whole lot more so I spent money to be carried into Dunedin. The other choice was the main road and the gradient map made that look pretty intimidating (I guess I'm getting a little tired).
The train trip through the Taeri Gorge was really quite enjoyable and a nice way to end the day in the very stately train station in Dundedin.
Middlemarch to Pukarangi (Bus)
Pukarangi to Dunedin (Train)
The final day on the rail trail. Very pleasant: flat, no cars and not too bad gravel. When I arrived in Middlemarch I had the choice of taking the bus to Pukarangi and the train to Middlemarch. I would have had no chance to make the train on the bike and Pukarangi was literally a shed with the word 'Pukarangi' written on it. Middlemarch wasn't a whole lot more so I spent money to be carried into Dunedin. The other choice was the main road and the gradient map made that look pretty intimidating (I guess I'm getting a little tired).
The train trip through the Taeri Gorge was really quite enjoyable and a nice way to end the day in the very stately train station in Dundedin.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Day 50
Omakau to Ranfurly 53km
I really enjoyed spending the entire afternoon on the rail trail. The surface is quite nice despite being gravel. It was great not worrying about cars, or buses or trucks the entire time. There were quite a few cyclist on the trail and an equal number of pubs to service them. All quite civilized if you ask me. The were a couple of tunnels left over from the train era that the trail passes through. Kind of fun but reinforced the idea that forgoing the Homer tunnel (had I even made it that far) was a wise plan. A little scary cycling in complete darkness. Anyway, the Moniototo plains are interesting, completely different than anything else I've seen in NZ. If one swapped the sheep for fields of potato crops the place could easily pass for southern Idaho.
Tonight marks the final Saturday I'll be sleeping in a tent here in NZ. Kind of a sad milestone. It has been an awesome experience and if I wasn't getting a little tired (and running rather low on funds) I'd have loved to cycle all the way back to Auckland. Oh well, I get to spend several days in Dunedin and am quite looking forward to that.
I really enjoyed spending the entire afternoon on the rail trail. The surface is quite nice despite being gravel. It was great not worrying about cars, or buses or trucks the entire time. There were quite a few cyclist on the trail and an equal number of pubs to service them. All quite civilized if you ask me. The were a couple of tunnels left over from the train era that the trail passes through. Kind of fun but reinforced the idea that forgoing the Homer tunnel (had I even made it that far) was a wise plan. A little scary cycling in complete darkness. Anyway, the Moniototo plains are interesting, completely different than anything else I've seen in NZ. If one swapped the sheep for fields of potato crops the place could easily pass for southern Idaho.
Tonight marks the final Saturday I'll be sleeping in a tent here in NZ. Kind of a sad milestone. It has been an awesome experience and if I wasn't getting a little tired (and running rather low on funds) I'd have loved to cycle all the way back to Auckland. Oh well, I get to spend several days in Dunedin and am quite looking forward to that.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Day 49
Cromwell to Omakau 65km
It was a gorgeous day today. The wind howled throughout the night but it was calm and the sun was out in the morning. The 20km of highway to Clyde was not too bad in terms of trucks and buses. I stopped for lunch in the village and actually ran into Kurt and Tia! I haven't seen them since Wanganui on the north island over a month ago. They had just finished the rail trail form Dunedin and were heading to mount Cook. Other than seeing this dedicated Dutch couple again the best part of the day was leaving the highway and starting down the rail trail. This gravel track sits atop the foundation of the old railway that served as the main transport during the goldrush of the late 19th and early 20th century. Now instead of trains it contains a procession of cyclists and a plethora of pubs to server them. It has been great to cycle along without constantly looking in my rear view mirror for the next sheep truck to buffet me about with a stinky backdraft. The trail is over 180km all the way to Middlemarch. I look forward to two days of quite cycling with no cars, trucks or buses. After Middlemarch I'll take the train to Dunedin, my final destination.
Omakau is a lovely little town. Not much here really but an old hotel. I spent the evening there and the place was packed with locals watching the Highlanders get beat by the Blues. I've watched a few rugby games while in NZ and it is fun to enjoy the game with a bunch of enthusiastic fans, even if they have to watch the home town team get beat. The other nicely appointed building in town is the domain camp site, well equipped with a nice kitchen and showers. The Kiwis really take their vacationing seriously.
It was a gorgeous day today. The wind howled throughout the night but it was calm and the sun was out in the morning. The 20km of highway to Clyde was not too bad in terms of trucks and buses. I stopped for lunch in the village and actually ran into Kurt and Tia! I haven't seen them since Wanganui on the north island over a month ago. They had just finished the rail trail form Dunedin and were heading to mount Cook. Other than seeing this dedicated Dutch couple again the best part of the day was leaving the highway and starting down the rail trail. This gravel track sits atop the foundation of the old railway that served as the main transport during the goldrush of the late 19th and early 20th century. Now instead of trains it contains a procession of cyclists and a plethora of pubs to server them. It has been great to cycle along without constantly looking in my rear view mirror for the next sheep truck to buffet me about with a stinky backdraft. The trail is over 180km all the way to Middlemarch. I look forward to two days of quite cycling with no cars, trucks or buses. After Middlemarch I'll take the train to Dunedin, my final destination.
Omakau is a lovely little town. Not much here really but an old hotel. I spent the evening there and the place was packed with locals watching the Highlanders get beat by the Blues. I've watched a few rugby games while in NZ and it is fun to enjoy the game with a bunch of enthusiastic fans, even if they have to watch the home town team get beat. The other nicely appointed building in town is the domain camp site, well equipped with a nice kitchen and showers. The Kiwis really take their vacationing seriously.
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