Road trip to New Plymouth

A three day jaunt to Taranaki so Mish could drop more felt artworks into her gallery and we could look at a  dining table made by a guy up there, and go for a cycle along the waterfront, and of course have another lovely country drive. Any excuse really. New Plymouth is 300km north of here, so that took all day haha.

On the city waterfront with The Girls.

Looking the other way (south). Volcanic remnants beside the port. Occasional blue whales pass by in the Taranaki Bight, but not today. 

And the volcano itself, right on the city's doorstep. Mt Taranaki is dormant, but due for an eruption sometime. It had a dusting of snow under the cloud when we arrived.

And cycling on the coastal track. Taranaki is dairy country. 

We drove home a different way, around the cape on the surf highway, doing a circuit of the mountain.

Bit more snow on the drive home. 

Stopped for breakfast in the little town of Okato. 

And back home, reconnecting with the main road SH3 and scoffing pears from a roadside stall.

Cycling to Pencarrow

A favourite ride is still the trail out to Pencarrow lighthouse at the bottom of the North Island from Eastbourne. We did it recently for our 24th anniversary: a picnic out on the coast followed by a swim (not Mish) and dinner at Eastbourne. 

Looking back toward Wellington city. 

And post swim, ready for dinner. Nice beachy day out. 

Road trip to the volcanic plateau

Drove up to Ohakune via Whanganui and forests and hilly paddocks full of cows and lambs and very green grass.

Ohakune is a ski town, just south of the three mountains and Lake Taupo in the middle of the North Island, and on the edge of Tongariro National Park. So, scenic!

Next day we picked up a couple of mountain e-bikes and got shuttled to a starting point so we could cycle back to town on an old coach road. The road was made for railway workers who were building the main trunk line and train viaducts in the national park in the 1880s. The cycle track has the distinction of being the only cycle track going through a national park, in the world. Apparently.

The bikes were great. Heaps of power and grippy grip with their big tyres as we went down some steep rocky bits and around hairpin bends.

First stop, before we headed downhill into native forest. Mt Ruapehu beyond the sheep. Spring snow hanging around but a warm day This was Mischa's birthday, so you can see I've done better this year than the ropework torture course last year in Adrenaline Forest.

One of the decommissioned train viaducts.

And another. Walked over this one to a lunch spot. 

A stop with native clematis, which is currently flowering everywhere. We've planted one in our yard and it's going great guns.

Coming to the end, the track skirts green as paddocks.

End of the cycle track, going through a  gate to get onto a picturesque riverside trail and toodle into town for a mocha.

Back in town - where you could shoot a cannon down the main street and hit nothing (thanks Covid) - we had an excellent hotel with hot pool and scrumptious dinner and breakfasts. Chef did not open a tin.

It was a cold morning when we headed out of town for home the next day. We popped up to the nearest ski field (Turoa) before we headed south, and it was zero degrees in that deserted place, with snow flurries and wind that lifted the bonnet and prevented Mish opening the car door. But, gorgeous. Old growth forest, waterfalls, the volcano right there in the freezing mist - what's not to like?

Then, the big carrot.

Ohakune is known for its carrots, hence:

That's the big carrot, and in the adjacent and very nicely designed adventure park playground, a root veg collection and brussel sprouts too. We got our hats on - cold.

Stopped at the Tangiwai memorial soon after leaving town. Site of a major disaster Christmas Eve 1953, when a lahar swept down Ruapehu in the night, moments before the Wellington-Auckland train went through. It took out a rail bridge over a river and the train went into the mud and water and tumbling rocks. 151 people died. 

Came back through quiet farm country on a narrow back country road to Whanganui, dodging bits of tree that had blown down overnight. Bit windy. We had the best day for a sunny cycle, that's for sure.

Views from Queen Elizabeth Park

An afternoon cycle south to Paekakariki. Taking Mischa's bike for a run. It's more powerful than mine, that's new ebike technology. And just being new of course - mine's about six years old now.

The view of Kapiti Island from the US marines memorial lookout in QE2 park. In WW2 there were about 20,000 marines camped at the coast here, for training and R&R. They had exercises around the area and practised landings on the beach.

It's much more peaceful now.

From the memorial lookout, with the sea behind me, that is where the US camp sprawled across the bottom of the hills, where the red roofed buildings are.

And from the lookout, the view south back to Paekakariki. South Island on the horizon.

Cycling local tracks

Cycling out from the house (a joy after cycling out from Newlands), first stop was the local bike shop and pedal replacement. 

New pedals; no more squeaking!

From there it's a flattish run down the road to get on a bike track that runs north-south. Went north yesterday and connected to another track that runs east-west alongside the Waikanae River. Pleasant cycle; found some sweet picnic spot possibilities. River not deep enough for the kayaks, but it has several deep swimming holes. Ended up in the town of Waikanae, so had lunch in a sunny spot at a cafe and cycled back.

 

E bikes are go

Mish bought an ebike!

And today we took it for a spin to Paekakariki for afternoon tea. That's on the road from here for about a kilometre, then into Queen Elizabeth park and along trails past horses and rampant blackberries, then you pop out at the coast road and along that to the funky cafe. A 20km round trip.

From QE11 park we had a good view of the new road being cut through farmland, Transmission Gully. That will mean two roads leaving Wellington going north, instead of one. Hallelujah. Completion due end of this year.

View of a steep section of new road from one of the park's bike trails.

We came back a different way, along the coast track. Zooming along from the cafe, looking back south.

And posing at Paekakariki after a yummy lamb stew pie. Looking north to Kapiti Island.

View from the coastal track, looking south past Paekakariki, Pukera Bay and the edge of flat topped Mana Island on the right. It's a scenic cycle. The coast track is a gravel track, up and down; hoping we didn't met a speedy mountain biker on a blind corner on the narrow bits. We didn't. The benefits of doing this kind of thing mid week.

Waitangi Day 2019

Our national day.

Warm and cloudy, so off I went to cycle the Hutt River trail, first bit of the Remutaka rail trail, from the harbour to bro Cliff's place. 52km return and hooray for the ebike.

Bit of a grimace but I am having a lovely day beside the river. Jane, thanks for the ride snack, it got scoffed with wild blackberries mmmmmmm.

Putting on the bike rack

Thanks to brother Greg (with his usual goofy photo expression) and his tools and our pipe wrench, ebike rack is on.



Yay!

Lights work, licence plate is in the mail; 25kg bike rock solid on.  I'm wearing many layers, and am not a 'chunky custard'  Mishy, well, maybe a little chunky. It was cool!

Christmas eve eve

And what a stunning day it was. High 20s with a breeze, perfect.

Cycled out to the bottom of the island from where the road ends at Eastbourne. Lots of people diving (for Christmas lunch probably). Bit of snow left on the Kaikouras in the South Island.

We have a new walking track near us, so checked it out last week. It overlooks the harbour and has a bush walk as part of it. Very dry all over town at the moment but the ponga ferns are hanging in there. We've had stuff all rain for months now.

Looking east to Petone. The beach where the first English settlers landed. I cycled to work one day last week and got half the beach in my right ear - blazing southerly that day. 

And below us is the other end of Newlands. The posh end, with the street below actually called Dress Circle, and harbour entrance and airport on horizon.

And blooming pohutakawa all over the hills of Wellington. New Zealand's Christmas tree.

Anzac Day ride to Pencarrow Head

A beautiful autumn day. Warm and windless. We drove around the harbour to Eastbourne and the end of the road, then cycled out to the bottom of the island and Pencarrow. That's about 8km and lots of people had the same idea today.

Had a picnic and a beachcomb and enjoyed the surf for a bit.




Mish in a broken paua shell.



Then, as we had the bikes in the van, we stopped at a shed place and made free with all the sheds. Putting the bikes in, and taking them out, and much measuring of course. No one around, so that was fun. We're aiming to get the ebike out of its portable shed (the van) and into a shed beside the house, with the other bike and a workbench and power! (For the Mish power tool collection.)

That will make three sheds on our property, which is probably enough...

Hutt River ride, with blackberries

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Last day of the working week - yippee!

Cycled to work today (32 km round trip).

Went early, in the dark, but the ebike's lights are like a Christmas tree so no worries. And the perk at the other end of the day is I get to leave early.

Stopped at Petone for a drink and an apple, then down the highway and 4 km uphill to home.



Can do 15 kph an hour up Ngauranga Gorge now; the first time I did it I could barely manage 8 kph. Knees are really complaining by the time I get home though.

Had to have a beer and a sit down, and then dozed off in my fave chair in the hot afternoon sun.

She's conquered The Gorge!

And boy, is she exhausted! 

And yes - I relented; the bikes in the lounge (for now).

On yer (e) bike

Carols hit the perfect morning jackpot today. Still and clear with golden light and warbling blackbirds.
A great start for her first ebike ride to work.
She's a burnt orange beauty with an impressive array of gizmos. So's Carol (but I'd say more a distinguished salt and pepper grey).

It's quite a performance getting it out of the van and no - it can't  stay in the lounge room.

Note to self - put on pack after you've wrestled it down and out of the van.

The plank really helps though. Will soon be a slick operation.

 All set

 Down the hill and rounding the first bend. She'll really appreciate those hydraulic brakes as she whizzes down the gorge (not to mention the motor coming up up up  all the way home).

Oh, and can you see the two ships passing? I didn't notice them until after I took the shot. One's a cruise ship entering the harbour (mostly obscured by a tree fern). The other's a container vessel. A better shot below.

Just heard she's made it in 50 mins - 20 mins faster than using her old geared bike.
There's no going back to that now.

Sunday evening daylight saving

Sun going down now behind Mt Kaukau, about 7.15. A pleasant evening.

Today started with cold grey skies and sleet, and then cleared to sunny with a light breeze - get out the sunblock!

Bought an ebike on Friday and headed out for a cycle today on part of the long trail beside the Hutt River. Hills - so easy! Will be able to get up the gorge now and then up to our place no worries. ebikes are pretty groovy and speccy now, slick and fast (c. 80km on a charge and c. 60 kph - not that Carol will be doing that haha). Well, maybe when I get the hang of it - it has a speedo hyuk hyuk.

Last seen heading down the gorge to the harbour....and that's when I will appreciate the hydraulic brakes. Going to commute on it. It's about 16 km to work; some by the beach at Petone, some suburban, and some on a main highway, so a bit of a mix. Helmet, lights, fluoro jacket, puncture kit - check.

Daylight saving has arrived - very nice (long warm evenings are coming, beersies on the deck after work), and the weather is warming up just a tad in mid spring.

Our second renovation is still in the planning drawing discussion quoting stage, so nothing to report there.

Mish made me buy her birthday present yesterday in the city (early!), so we made a morning of it and found a newish funky cafe in one of Wellington's lanes, Egmont St. The council is working to turn the CBD's scungier alleys into modern precincts with cafes, shops, art, etc. It's happening and it's great.

Come and have a look.