No view out the bedroom window today as we just look out onto the streets of Vienna.
A great hotel where you can borrow an electric guitar and bring it to your room and connect it to the Marshall amplifier and have a play! I am seriously tempted!
The plan today was to ride around Vienna for a bit then wander along the Danube bike path towards Tulln. We did just that and knocked off another 88 km in the process.
Some snap shots from around the city including part of the Hofburg, before we got onto the Danube bike path.
On the matter of bike paths, there are some 1300 km of bike paths in Vienna alone. They are everywhere. They can be in the middle of the street in between two lanes of traffic heading in the same direction, on the side of the street, on footpaths and so on.
The drivers are incredibly considerate, patient and courteous where there are no paths too.
This morning was our second trip riding in Vienna during peak hour and whilst we were incredibly alert (often meaning one foot not cleated in, hands sitting gently resting on the brakes), we did not feel unsafe.
Back to the Danube, or Donau as it is known as in Austria. This is shortly after we joined the path. To the right is the Donau Canal, an offshoot from the main river. There is an incredibly long sliver of an island in between.
There are a series of locks on the river.
Here we are nearing the end of the island and the Danube becomes one mass of fast flowing water.
There are many passenger boats with tourists cruising the river. One is heading downstream to Vienna on the fat side, and we are approaching a port on this side.
At the town of Klosterneuburg sits this monastery perched up above town. It was established in 1114. It used to be attached to a town on the other side of the river. The Danube changed course during the latter Middle Ages thereby separating it.
At Tulln we decided to stop for lunch. It is a pretty little town and one of the oldest towns in Austria. Originally settled in pre Roman times it gained importance as a Roman fort.
Paying homage to its Roman history, is this statue of Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor.
The Nibelungen Fountain is where Attila the Hun supposedly proposed to Gudrun.
After our picnic lunch on the banks of the Danube we headed back towards Vienna. It was 28 degrees now and I was hot!
We crossed the river at this lock. It is amazing just how wide the river is.
Two beautiful vistas looking back across the river.
The Pied Piper story here intrigued me. It was all in German. Must research to see where Hamlin is in comparison to the town in the story.
Found a bunch of roaming dinosaurs. Nice posterior view too, lol.
Todays discovery route. We had no plans, we just rode.
Tomorrow we head further down the river to Bratislava, capital of Slovakia. We are winging it and will find accomodation once there.
The forecast today was warm. When we left Prague Moravska Trebova it had been 8 degrees Celsius. It got down to 4 degrees on the first day so to read that it would get to 28 degrees was a pleasant surprise.
Ah, yes but there would be a southerly wind. Of course, we were heading south as we had decided to pop into Vienna, 140 km away.
Beautiful looking out our bedroom window in the early Brno morning. It was 7 am and the church bells had just commenced. The market was being set up.
A substantial breakfast, quick pack and we left Brno around 8.15 am, to contend with early morning traffic. I am not a fan of cobbles, most people understand why. I’m not keen on tram tracks either. Here we had both!
Leaving Brno navigationally speaking was easier than anticipated. Once we had crossed over a plethora of railway and tram lines we were in an industrial area and picked up a cycle track adjacent to the river.
For a section this morning we were on Euro Velo 9, a route that goes from the Baltic to Adriatic Seas, and one we have considered riding the length of.
The first 50 km was really pleasant riding. It was warm with a gentle southerly breeze ( maybe 10 kmh). It provided a gentle cooling effect.
Again we were predominantly riding through agricultural areas interspersed with various sized towns and villages.
It was mid 20’s by mid morning and we had left our lip balm on the floor of Mirek’s house, so we stopped at a chemist shop to buy balm and some sun screen. The view up and down the main Street in Zidlochovice.
Leaving town this was our bike path.
We crossed a small bridge over the river.
The road started to undulate as we headed towards a large lake Nové Mlýny.
We needed to cross this lake and head to the right hand side of the hill.Glorious sunshine – brilliant riding through here.Remnants of an old castle at the top of the hill.
The lake features a lengthy bridge crossing. You can see a small section on the far right of this picture.
Riding through the small village of Horni Vestonice, we rode past many of these structures, predominantly constructed under the small rise.
The village of Horni Vestonice. I was disappointed the icecream shop was closed!
We had planned to grab some refreshments at Mikulov, a few km short of the border with Austria. Arriving into town we were surprised just how large and busy it was, with lots of heavy transport vehicles. We opted to stop at a service station on our side of the road, rather than cross into ‘centrum’.
Best we could find in such a busy spot!
Quickly consumed a Mr Brown!
Whilst it might not have been the best spot to sit, it did come with a pretty top view of Mikulov Castle. The castle stands on a place of historic Slavonic settlement. The original castle was commenced during the thirteenth century, and the current one early 1700’s.
The Germans occupied Mikulov during WWII and upon withdrawing from the town, set fire to the castle. The local museum historical collection was destroyed as it had been stored there for safekeeping.
Crossing the border was easy, as the checkpoint buildings were closed. Looking back, the castle was still in sight.
After a brilliant morning with no navigational issues, the wheels fell off the cart. We arrived in an area of massive roadworks associated with the extension to the autobahn.
Trucks seemed to converge at speed and were whizzing past is very closely, giving us the absolute heeby jeebies!
Extensive map consultation took us on a couple of longer, ‘alternative’ routes through agricultural land.
Eventually one of our routes arrived at a junction where the highway and autobahn connectors met sans roadworks. We took the major arterial road and stayed on this route all the way to Vienna, as per our original route plans.
Stopping in Poysdorf we opted to have a more substantial lunch.
Tony enjoying his lasagne
Poysdorf is quirky, with many statues around.
Nice village
The southerly wind had increased in intensity and we were to have it in our face for the rest of the ride, adding a bit more of a challenge. Whilst it slows you down, for most of the time, it provided effective cooling as it was now the forecast maximum of 28 degrees Celsius.
As we approached the outskirts of Vienna, one final rest for the bikes at a supermarket whilst I grabbed some supplies.
Vienna is a large city with an intricate road network. The final 20 km was quite slow with constant stopping and starting for red lights.
We crossed the Danube River as our accomodation was nearer the city centre. A few challenges finding our hotel as the street address differs to where it is actually located (on an adjacent street).
Great hotel, self check in (new one for me) and the bikes are in our room! They provide you with a portable device to take around town with wifi, phone calls free of charge. I am impressed.
Tomorrow we intend to cruise around Vienna and see what we find and maybe head down the Danube on the westerly flanks.
Today this was our route and elevation map.
Thanks for reading and I look forward to letting you know what we got up to in Vienna where we are spending two nights.
One of the aspects of cycle touring is that you need to be flexible and adaptable. Whilst I had a carefully crafted route mapped out with supporting accomodation, health, safety and enjoyment come first.
We woke up and confirmed via meteorological sources that we would have a tough day heading to Rybnik with strong winds forecast. So we changed our minds and decided to head to Brno.
Changing your mind comes at a cost because there is a domino ripple with subsequent days routing but we would look at that once in Brno.
The accomodation in Merovska Trebova was quirky. An extraordinarily well appointed apartment right down to magnifying reading glasses and every conceivable toiletry possible.
The owner who had seemed somewhat inebriated the previous night (perhaps frustrated at our very late arrival) had been disappointed we would not drink beer with her. Sleep was on our mind!
She scrubbed up early as we had requested 7 am breakfast and met in in the cellar. Quite literally the cellar.
Our bikes had been stored there overnight.
We demolished a wonderful breakfast. This is all we left.
Packed and ready to roll we headed into the village square. It was a fresh and crispy 8 degrees. Very pretty little town.
After riding at 8 kmh for 1.5 km on the cobbles we had found our navigational starting point. We were both cold as 8 kmh doesn’t not generate any body heat. I was glad to get off the cobbles given my history last year where I ended up with multiple fractured teeth and ribs riding on cobbles.
Today provided different challenges. It was cold and the easterly wind still prevailed. Navigationally it was very slow at times due to a few different factors. Weird and often confusing route selection by our Garmin app, blockages and a variety of surfaces.
Wandering sheep and patched road, but beautiful areaNice meandering bike path
We were lucky to miss this fallen tree, it had only just fallen. Ahead you can see a man with a chain saw coming to cut it away from the track.
BlockagesSolid dirt and gravel trail
My favourite sealed trail beside a creek.
This is an example of a weird course route decision by Garmin. There was a 20 percent incline section, which is a push the bike up the hill kind of moment. We had to walk up and around this blockage too.
We perservered with the odd route, inherently believing it to be wrong. We heard a big noise as we descended down this hill and had to get ourselves and our bikes off the track and lean back flat against some trees.
The towns and villages today were again predominantly rural. It was quite overcast for most of the ride hence the gloomy look.
The Czech Republic has the highest density of castles per sq km of any country in the world. Here is just one we passed in Letovice.
Church building in the same town.
Arriving in Brno we sat down in the main town square and booked ourselves into this hotel. They were so accommodating with the bikes. The older concierge guy had been watching somewhat curiously. He disappeared and the lady at reception started telling me there was no room in the luggage locker…she was interrupted by this man who in Czech told her that he had rearranged the room and our bikes would fit in! I was so excited and thanked him, but all he wanted was a hug! Sweet guy.
After showering and washing our clothes we started to wander. In the photo below you can just see some of our clothing drying in our window on the third floor. A feature of our rides is ha going clothes to dry in prominent spots. It is like the Queens flag flying above her castles indicating her presence.
The old church is interesting. Originally constructed back in the 12th century it was rebuilt around 1400’s. At some point the Swedish attacked the area, and the church powers decided to torch all the homes on the hill leading up to the church to keep the Swedish at bay. The fire was so successful and inconceived that it continued up the hill and burned the church.
It was left unrepaired and the Swedish had a second crack a hundred years later further damaging the site. It was repaired/rebuilt in the 18th century led by a man named Grimm. Interestingly his body was one of the many we saw in the crypt.
The crypt has 50 plus preserved bodies for viewing. It was a bit creepy really!
More sites around town.
Icecream van
This window display attracted us. A little bit of Australia in the Czech Republic.
The Czechs certainly love their beer, putting most Australians to shame. Tonight there was a beer festival on with 30 plus different beer vendors selling copious quantities.
I particularly liked the name of this beer. Terrible photo of Tony but really I like to think that he is one…..
The highlight for me was Mr Peltek from Ukraine. This guy was so talented with his guitar skills and singing voice. He was brilliant and I could have listened to him for ages as he belted out well known hits. I popped some money into his guitar case and felt it should be full given how many people were so obviously enjoying his entertainment.
Walking back to the hotel, the grimace on this guys face amused me.
Back at our hotel, the square has emptied somewhat.
With the final view from our room.
Todays route. We ended up in Brno, just does not show it.
So tonight we plot and decide what tomorrow will bring. We have a rough idea, but you will have to wait and see!!
I woke very early to the sound of wind. Bugger! I got up and stuck my head out the window trying to work out the orientation of the house. Bugger…it was an easterly!
I climbed back into bed but slept restlessly as I knew it was not going to be a walk in the park kind of day.
After breakfast we bade our farewells and hit the road.
All geared up and ready to roll
This is the route we took today. When I checked the forecast in the morning it was for 25-35 mph ( not km/h) in the morning easterly direction, changing to up to 50mph in the afternoon. Bugger! As can be seen from our route, we were heading in an east to,south easterly direction.
Today was the hardest day I have ever done in a bike, regardless of distance.
We rode a total of 174 km incredibly slowly due to the wind. I was pedalling downhill and doing 15 kmh on a 3 percent decline. On the flats I was lucky to get 10-12 kmh in the worst winds.
We also climbed just over 1600 metres.
The wind was in our face all day, without reprieve. I’ve not experienced such unrelenting wind before as often you change direction or the wind settles down.
It is difficult to picture wind but in the photo below, you can see the dirt being whipped off the farm land.
We rode through a number of charming villages.
One a variety of surfaces.
Taking any opportunity to draft!
Predominantly an agricultural region with the canola in flower. Canola is grown widely here as a form of bio fuel. Apparently the Republic’s president has a financial interest in many of them bio fuel companies.
Thirst was not an issue today, but we found a few of these drinking machines where you can purchase still or carbonated water.
Service stations were the go today, as they had clean toilets and ‘food’.
Probably our favourite town today was Limotsyl.
Hindsight shows that we should have stopped here as it started to bucket down with rain just after for some 30 km.
We refuelled at a pub around 30km from our destination for much needed tucker. This also got us out of the wind and rain and in front of a nice wood heater. I had no idea what I ordered for dinner but recognised one word ‘schnitzel’. Obviously no Czech translation so,ordered two!
The downside to stopping meant we completed the last 20 km of the ride in the dark. That was a challenge as we only had our warning lights on the bike. There was a climb in total darkness between two villages. No lights, no moon due to the rainy sky. That was technically challenging as was the descent as there were toads all over the road. No pictures either!!
We were pleased to arrive at our accomodation only to find that Tony’s mobile was flat and we could not ring the owner to come and let us in. Half an hour later we were in, showered and went to bed!
Given tomorrows forecast it is likely we will tweak the itinerary as the strong winds are forecast for the next few days. A real shame, but nothing you can do about the weather but act safely!
After my Easter Monday whipping by the local boys, I thought it was safe to walk out the front door, what did I find?
Yet more local boys!
This bunch sang a song as they used their canes ( far more gently than the older males earlier in the morning!). This is a hilarious tradition I must say and I could see some politically correct ‘do gooders’ finding offence in Australia. A third group arrived shortly thereafter and I submitted again!
We had arranged to meet a local group of riders, ‘up the road’ at 10 am. Tomas, Milos and Kat I had ridden with before, but I had not met Jaroslav or Honza.
It was quite windy, but a pleasant 20 degrees as we headed to the town of Podebrady.
Once in town, I had requested we visit the spa fountain. I had been here 12 months before and was very surprised to taste the water here. It is naturally carbonated.
Tony having his first drinkThe classical epitome of elegance!
As you can see in the photo above, locals visit the taps to fill bottles to take home. Far healthier than the original bottle contents too.
We then headed around the town to a series of cafes adjacent to a large park. The place was swarming with people walking and enjoying the lovely weather on what is also a public holiday in the Czech Republic.
Here we are at the cafe. Whilst the weather was great, it was quite cool in the shade, hence the old granny blanket in the second photograph. I had a great iced coffee. Most of the guys had a beer, including a chocolate beer!! I will take my chocolate neat thanks!
We headed out via the park, walking our bikes as it is illegal to ride in the area.
Lo and behold, another water fountain. The boys replenished their bidons.
Cruising out of town past the first water fountain.
Turning right into a busier main thoroughfare.
No roses, but hey I am making the most of smelling the non scented tulips! 😜
I love riding with this Czech group….they enjoy their regular refreshments. Our numbers had dwindled … but the remaining lads ( Mirek and Milos) knew of a place! Prerov nab Labem!
The view from the pub looking back towards the town Prerov nab Labem
We needed to wait a short time for a table. Here we are assessing the likelihood of a table becoming available within a short time. We were fortunate.
After a lovely bowl of a Czech soup that I thought was beef with funny tasting meatballs I found out the meat balls were actually liver!! Hmm…
We were only 5 km out of Cekalovice and we went looking for an ATM so we could have some local currency and then headed home via the Elbe River.
We stopped for a picture at a small chapel. Behind us is a locked metal gate. Behind that is a small chapel, maybe 1-2 person capacity.
We were quite taken by this topiary
Now we are packing our bikes up ready for an early start tomorrow. We had tweaked the route as were were heading to Podebrady, but given our visit today, we will do a slightly different route.
The forecast is looking pretty good for the next few days. I am not sure about the wind, but I am hoping it eases otherwise it will be a headwind all day if it maintains the same easterly direction.
There is nothing glamorous about long haul travel. 4 plane flights later and we have arrived in Prague.
We were collected by my Zwifting friend Mirek and his daughter Eliska. I spent a week with Mirek and his family last year. Having me stay is his ‘reward’ or ‘punishment’ for ‘convincing’ me to ride in the 24 hour Zwift event last year!
We detoured via a higher part of Prague to overlook the city and see the largest sports stadium in the country.
The stadium is in the background. The tall tower directly behind us in an air vent for the tunnel beneath us. Very tall!
Highest priority once in Cekalovice was putting the bikes together. All appears fine and they have blended into their new home well.
Sarka was busy decorating eggs when we arrived. It is an Easter tradition on the Monday here to have the decorated (hard boiled) eggs, which later get eaten. I was learning the finer art of decorating. Sarka teaches children at a primary school, (3 grades) and I can tell she is very experienced at this! I did not find it that easy at all!
Straight into the Czech Easter tradition
Here are some of the finished products.
I can see a Sharron Yaxley original design in the bowl!
The egg below was decorated by an elderly local lady. After colouring the egg with a dye, the egg is carved with a pin head! Extremely intricate and painstaking!
We wandered into town via the river for dinner. I have swapped my mode of transport. Scooter it is….although I am not ambidextrous, only being able to push off with one leg. I did manage to get the route onto strava!!
Mirek is busy at breakfast building a wheel for his bike before heading off for the Easter Monday tradition.
Easter Monday, I was told that ‘boys’ knock on the door and ‘whip’ the girls backsides with their canes. I interpreted boys as pre puberty age male
I was wrong. Traditional Czech welcome!
The Czech Easter welcome!
In return, the children receive Easter tokens. The men receive a shot of an alcoholic beverage!
Amazing hand made biscuit art work
So with that, I will sign off and get ready for a ‘coffee ride’ with my Czech friends I rode with last year. I think we might be heading to Podebrady, so Tony can experience the surprising water fountain.
Charlie Brown once said to Snoopy, “We only live once, Snoopy”. He responded, “Wrong! We only die once. We live every day”.
People often ask me, “How come you ride so much”? “How come you travel so much”? “Gee you have a lot of holidays”! One even suggested I will be “crippled” by the time I am retired.
Who knows what tomorrow holds? I do not have those answers.
I do know this – I have been to far too many funerals for people who died far too young – they had dreams and aspirations that went unfulfilled!
I made a conscious decision to work to live! I am doing today what I may not be able to do tomorrow. I get it that not everyone understands that, or agrees with me – but then, this is my life and not theirs. I am fortunate that I have a husband who happens to agree with me.
We do what we want these days – and do not try and fulfil others expectations, as invariably, we fail!
Yes, I know that I have physical limitations that make these rides bigger challenges, but I try to balance it by being as fit as I possibly can.
If I had a dollar for every time I have been told I could not do something, I would be rich! Negative feedback tends to do the opposite and fire me up!
As a child I was restricted for many years after being diagnosed with exercise induced asthma. 10 years later I’m hanging off ropes in dark caves and sporting a wind surfer (that I was hopeless at). I was bush walking carrying heavy backpacks and canoeing. I ran at track and field and cross country events. Ventolin was a god send!
In my late teens, I was restricted after a skiing accident resulted in major knee surgery, taking me two years, and a lot of rehabilitation, to walk without a perceptible limp. I fluffed my way into the Australian Defence Force much to the horror of my parents.
I prolapsed two discs in my back as a young mum – and kept working despite the pain and did not take one day sick leave. I have had pneumonia and pleurisy to an extent the doctors wanted me hospitalised, and I refused.
In my 30’s I had an undiagnosed ruptured appendix (gangrene and peritonitis) for 3 days and played it down enough that the doctors thought I was not as unwell as I was (that was my closest escape in life…as I was told after surgery that I would likely have died within a further 24 hours).
After my fourth knee surgery, three and a half years ago I was told by my orthopaedic surgeon that I could not ride more than 5 km on my bike.
Since that day, I have ridden over 95 000 km. I’m now the leading female distance rider on Zwift globally (65,000 km). In addition to riding on the roads in Australia, I have also ridden some 10,500 km in Europe and 4,000 km in New Zealand.
Last year I broke a couple of ribs in Europe after coming off my bike on the cobbles in Switzerland and still managed to ride myself to hospital. I then went on and did a further 1000 km through Europe. Most people had no idea about my broken ribs. Did it hurt? Absolutely! I kept it fairly low profile as I did not want the travel insurance company to tell me that they would not cover me if I kept riding, or that I had to come home early!
Rib pain or awful pasta?
Last year I rode solo 1150 km in what was a massive, personal challenge in New Zealand. Day 2 was Cyclone Hola with big winds and incredible rains. I had friends telling me not to proceed. Did I give up? No!
Day 2 solo trip. I have taken all my wet clothes off and all my dry clothes on…still smiling!
So I know I have guts and determination in buckets that is not always understood – but for me, it has been a survival instinct for some of my other life experiences and challenges (not the subject of this blog).
Reality is I know I am one of the tougher chicks I know (regardless of age) and I know what I have to overcome to achieve what others either avoid totally, or do more easily. I know how hard I train!
My experiences show that those that criticise the most are often the ones who talk the talk, and never walk the walk. To criticise is easy.
So the impending challenge is my biggest yet.
I thought Pas de Payrol, Puy Mary (Massif Central, France) in 2015 was my limit, with 3 km of 13% gradient near the top! I know I was cussing near the top!
Then I did London to Venice with even bigger climbs including Fluela Pass in The Alps (below). A brilliant trip.
The following year I tackled The Pyrenees (France and Spain) en route from Bordeaux to Barcelona. The climb below is heading up Superbagneres.
Last year I conquered Colle della Finestre (Italy) when I was riding with the Italy Bike Tours gang. That is my biggest single ascent to date.
These photos are on the descent. The last 8 km of the climb is gravel. I am a nervous dirt rider so was unsure as to my ability to get to the top within the required time parameters (remembering I did this climb with 2 broken ribs). I did it with time to spare. Check out the wall of snow on my right hand side, and a number of the hair pin bends (55 on this climb).
This year Team Yaxley is undertaking what is a huge challenge, by anyone’s measure. Certainly the biggest for either of us.
4,300 km riding, 33,770 metres ascent, 10 countries, one month, self supporting. That means we carry all our gear for the month including basic mechanical gear. We do have the luxury of staying in accommodation with beds! We have ‘rest’ days scheduled for Budapest and Split.
There are risks. Life is risky.
The route – with the blue line between Split (Croatia) and Anacona (Italy) representing our overnight ferry transfer.
The countdown is on, and we fly out this Saturday afternoon.
Upon arrival into Prague, I have provided one full day rest for jet lag, particularly important as jet lag is one of the major triggers for my epilepsy.
Our first day is a mere 172 km (910m ascent) or so heading into the eastern section of the Czech Republic. Day two is another 174 km (1540m ascent) taking us into southern Poland. Baptism by fire.
By the fourth week, we will be in the Dolomites (Italy) and I have some unfinished business there – as last year we were unable to complete the planned day ride looping through a number of climbs. Last year it was very cold and the decision was made to descend asap rather than risk pushing on.
The descent down Passo Falzarego is the coldest I have ever been on a bike. We sought refuge and hot drinks at this cafe. I was so cold that I was having difficulty steering my bike through the hairpins.
This trip there will just be the two of us – no support crew, no riders we can cruise along with. Based on my touring experiences to date though, we will meet people and create many new memories to share.
I look forward to sharing our adventures with you – and thank you for your continued support and encouragement. It is humbling when I know how some of my ‘regulars’ look forward to each blog, including Tony’s Uncle Jim, and ‘older generation – young at heart’ friends Noeline and Margaret!
Our local copper Air BNB host got home at 2 am…we assumed…so we snuck out as quietly as we could so as to not disturb him. He has left us food out for breakfast but we decided to find somewhere in town…again, so as not to wake him.
Town was rocking at 730am, and we found ourselves a nice spot to enjoy our breakfast.
Setting off up the hill out of Raglan the day was gorgeous. No wind, and a very rideable 18 degrees.
The day was a tough one to finish on. It was literally up and down all day.
At times we had no idea where we were, but kept following our Garmin instructions.
We were both really thirsty today and were drinking heaps. Water became an issue with no towns in sight. I noted a lady outside her farmhouse , so wandered in and asked if we could possibly have some water for our bottles. She was more than happy to oblige.
Another 30 km later, we were running dry and still had seen nothing open. We found a community hall so checked it out, and found a house with water coming from their storage tank.
We soldiered on.
We stopped at this signpost as Garmin was turning us right, rather than following Highway 22. It was pretty warm now, and our Garmin indicated mid 30’s. We had some of our emergency food….in my case, pear and mango baby sachet!
Here is Tony’s preferred baby food…..
This is where I disagree with Garmin’s route. It took us off the highway up a bitumen hill…that’s ok…then turned us left onto a damn gravel road….that had the worst camber incline to date …it was so steep loose and slippery…
Anyway 4 km later I popped out the other end. It was a tad shorter than the highway but about 4 times slower….
We were hankering for more food and were very excited to see this sign as we were climbing a hill.
An odd combination to advertise for a petrol station but surely they had cold goods. We were hot, thirsty and hungry.
$40 later….
It was interesting to note the difference between diesel and unleaded. In Australia diesel is more expensive. Note the differential in New Zealand.
Our accomodation is in Papatoetoe a southern suburb of Auckland chosen because of its proximity to the airport, and the start and end point for this tour.
Nevertheless we needed to negotiate a fair bit of built up humanity and traffic, complete with the normal offenders such as the dude who did a u-turn into the bike lane, or the other guy who sped past us to then turn left….we needed to break heavily to ensure we missed his side passenger doors…morons!
After 138 hot, sweaty, thirsty kilometres we arrived in Papatoetoe…
It is always mixed feelings I have at the end of a bike tour. Lots of memories, lots of hard work, great sense of achievement and accomplishment, but…it’s over!!
This was also the longest unsupported tour I have completed. I have done longer supported rides ( ie where someone transfers your gear, and your bikes are heaps lighter).
Tomorroe is another day and my kiwi friend Jacqui is putting on a bbq for us tomorrow, and friends John and Suzanne have invited us up to Snells Beach for NY…and have Tasmanian champagne on ice!!
The bikes have been cleaned and in the process of being disassembled and packed for the trip home.
There they will undergo further work and upgrades ready for our next tour….in April we head to Europe for 5-6 weeks…..with our bikes!!
Today was our shortest riding day scheduled for this tour, but we were still up before everyone else at the holiday park. Mind you, I think we were first to bed too listening to the kids running riot until at least 10 pm.
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Today was our shortest riding day scheduled for this tour, but we were still up before everyone else at the holiday park. Mind you, I think we were first to bed too listening to the kids running riot until at least 10 pm.
We headed into the local shop to grab some ‘breakfast’ and coffee, which we took to eat in the local park. The day promised to be a cracker weather wise.
We enjoyed 4km of sealed road climbing out of town, before turning left onto gravel. The first bit looked fine.
Whilst today was a short 49 km, 38 km was to be gravel, 11km sealed. There was over 800 metres climbing in that shorter distance, and around 750 metres of that was gravel.
The views were great though.
A lot of the gravel was shite. The cambers were very steep with lots of loose gravel. My bike and I had a few words! The bike wanted to head to the lower side of the camber, whereas I wanted the higher side.
You know the going is tough when you are descending at 11kmh! I also only had one foot cleated for the majority…wanting that uncleated foot ready to hold me firm.
We moved on, slowly and surely, ticking off those kilometres.
Then it was Tony’s turn for a puncture. That did not resolve all his technical issues as his rear disc brake pads were making noises and he pulled them out to inspect.
They were worn out so he replaced those as well. Amazing what he has learned off You Tube to become a handy bike mechanic.
Nice views from our repair site although we were only part way up a climb. It is nice being able to sit in long grass in New Zealand knowing there are no snakes. At home you would be wary of the longer grass, although snakes also like short grass.
In Tasmania, all of our snakes are deadly poisonous….and protected!
The area was again, outstanding.
I was delighted to finish the ride to Raglan with a few more km of sealed road. What bliss!
We arrived in Raglan, along with half of New Zealand it seemed. The traffic was heavy and the streets were packed. Sitting at a cafe having some lunch, we felt somewhat overwhelmed. We had enjoyed so much peace and tranquil places, devoid of crowds, that the sudden crush left us craving that peace.
Notwithstanding that, Raglan is a great town with a strong vibe. Great cafes, craft breweries, quirky shops.
We met a young family, with three young children. They have travelled from overseas and are able to cycle some of the areas we have been. Dad is riding a tandem with the eldest child ( maybe 6-7 years old), towing a cart with the say 5 year old. Mum will ride towing a cart with the youngest. Wow!
They will be riding from Matamata to Rotorua, which concerned both of us, as that has been the hairiest day of all, with the large trucks, impatient drivers and minimal verge. The carts with the kids are significantly wider than the bikes…..I wish them the best of luck. I have provided my details for strava so they can check our routes and a few suggestions we had.
The natural harbour is magnificent, and was being very well utilised.
Whilst the sand may look muddy, it is in fact black volcanic sand
We spent quite some time watching kid after kid jump off this bridge. They were having an absolute blast.
A closer look at the throngs on this section of the harbour
My last two touring trips in New Zealand have involved Police. On the Auckland to Wellington trip, Sue and I were flagged down by the Highway Patrol ( flashing lights, siren – the full works), as we had inadvertently made our way onto the motorway heading into,Wellington. Very nice man!
Then with my solo Auckland to Cape Reinga return tour, I ended up at the North Shore Police Station after my backpack was stolen whilst I was in a shop, under ‘unusual circumstances’.
So why should this trip be any different??
Well fortunately all is good!! We are staying in an AirBNB owned by the local cop. He does not lock his house, assured us our bikes will be fine outside, as in 6 years no one has knicked anything.
Chatting to him I asked what the main issues were in town…drunk and disorderly, domestic violence, car accidents and……house burglaries! We have used our cafe locks!
So tomorrow is our final day. We need to make our way back to Auckland. We have revisited the route for this as it is a decent ride…anything between 140-160 km depending on ‘which way’. It is not flat either!
Breakfast in Piopio was a bit of a flop. The milk in the kitchen had an expiry date of 20 December. There was cornflakes and rice bubbles and white bread…so we went with the latter and smashed left over bananas onto them, drizzling it with honey. Black coffee was the kick starter.
We knew today as going to be tough again, and that there were no shops for grabbing food or liquid for the 128 km, so we headed to the local milk bar to buy bottles of water and grabbed some nibbles.
Ready to roll
This is the highlight of Piopio. The village green with a couple of murals.
Our route today weaved around and was chosen as it kept us off the busy SH3.
The first 21 km was excellent. Rolling hills and very quiet and peaceful. We went past the property where the Hairy Foot scenes were shot for Lord of the Rings.
Climbing a hill, a short distance before the top was a car park and sign indicating waterfalls.
We finished climbing up to the top of the hill and Then we bit the gravel…it went for 31 very long and slow kilometres. In addition we climbed 500 metres and descended about 200 metres.
Here is a nice and flat section.
We had no idea how long this was going to last, and given I was only doing about 11 kmh I was doing the maths and figured I may arrive at 9pm!
I have 28 mm tyres on my bike, ( it came with 25mm) Tony 32 mm. I’m just a tad nervous on gravel as the majority of my spills have occurred on gravel, mainly as a result of me braking at the wrong time! I have some nice scars to remind me.
The countryside was splendid though, and a distinct lack of traffic. I felt I was fairly safe and private stopping for a pee on the roadside…..however, I turned around and I seemed to have attracted attention!
At the 52 km point we arrived at a T junction. To the left….bitumen. To the right ….bitumen! YES! Tony told me tostop smiling so much 😂
There was a little shed at the junction and we took the opportunity to have some food….a protein bar and a UHT sachet of baby custard! We also noted that one of the spare bottles of water has bounced off the back of Tony’s bike so a bit less water!
About 15 km later we found this shop!!! Fairly new, and attached to a house!
So a ham and cheese croissant and iced coffee later we felt far more nourished.
Another customer asked where we were headed. I asked if there was any gravel sections? “No, not much” I asked him how many km were ‘not much’….his response was “ hmm…maybe 35 km”….
Groan! Then he recanted and said maybe he was wrong and there was none! Fingers crossed!!
Lots of climbing today – over 1800 km, thereby providing many views. Water in the distance!
We got closer to branches of Kawhia Harbour.
More hills.
Finally we turned left onto the main road to Kawhia. Up and down, up and down and we came to this fence. Lost your bike? Might be here!
We are now in a cabin at a caravan park for the night. We walked into town to check it out and had a great meal at the local pub.
Low tide reveals the black volcanic sands.
This image quite appealed to me, stranded on the black sands.
The two sides of the totem at the local park.
I enjoyed watching these youngsters having fun playing in the muddy creek.
Two days left. Tomorrow is Raglan. More dirt, more hills!
My last two touring trips in New Zealand have involved Police. On the Auckland to Wellington trip, Sue and I were flagged down by the Highway Patrol ( flashing lights, siren – the full works), as we had inadvertently made our way onto the motorway heading into,Wellington. Very nice man!
yakkablog 