Hi Robyn! Just remembered you were embarking on this cycling tour and have found your journal. Sorry about this awful weather and today is even worse here in Auckland. It tends to be normally like this leading up to Christmas. What a great idea to be on an organised tour and able to avoid the worst, busy roads. We've studied the maps of northland and wondered what the roads would be like, so great to get a description first hand. Fingers crossed weather improves for you!

Exactly, Keith!

"This was a challenging ride, thanks to the rain and wind. As always, though, once we're in the van for the return trip to Paihia, only the good bits matter."

The cover article of our local cycling newsmagazine many years ago summed it up nicely: "From Adversity to Adventure, In Two Beers and a Shower".

Including, I note, the ever-popular bicycle-cum-lawn mower conversion. Nice.

Pretty amazing eh?

Love this historical info. Have been to the loos! 😉

Hi Suzanne. I've always been aware of Hundertwasser's presence in Northland but, until today, had no idea of his influence in and involvement with so many issues and projects worldwide. The new art centre here in Whangārei is a fitting tribute to him. An amazing building.

I'm enjoying your sun vicariously, too. Very grey here in Bavaria now. I appreciated your tribute to Hundertwasser. We always make a detour if there is anything of his close to our route.

Thanks, Keith. Having followed the European adventures of CycleBlazers the past few months, I'm enjoying our turn in the sun!

Yes sorry. I need to delete this. Had trouble finding the embedding code when I wrote this last night.

Hi,
Thanks for brightening a dreary day in France. I’ll follow along vicariously as you pedal yourself into what is for us Europeans a strange and exotic land. And one other thing: I wish I could have met Hundertwasser. His artistic sense is a class apart.
Cheers,
Keith

Robyn - I'm seeing a white box with the text "This content is unavailable" here. Maybe there's an issue with your Strava privacy settings?

Yes, Scott, though we will spend one day riding an off-road trail. Cycle tourers are much more of a presence now than 30 years ago but I'd imagine that rural NZ hasn't changed in many respects.

This is a tour on road bikes, on sealed roads? I’ll look forward to following along and seeing how it goes. We keep talking about giving NZ a second pass to see if anything much has changed in the last 30 years.