1/2/91
Got up too early and packed my bicycle then listened to music for the last time for a while. At 10.30 I cycled up to the airport from my flat in Brunswick, it took 2hrs. Security was tight, there was a huge queue just to get into the terminus, I had to show my ticket even to get into the baggage area. Because I had my bike they let me straight through, I was supposed to take the batteries out of things but I didn’t and nothing was checked, they just put a seal on my panniers and they went on separately from the bike. I found out that my re-entry visa for Australia on my British passport is no longer valid, which may cause problems. Then the long wait for the flight, which was quite ordinary. At Auckland airport I was the last to leave since my gear was on the last trolley and they wanted to check all my camping gear and dehydrated food I’d brought. I got it all through and they were helpful in suggesting a spot where I could pitch my tent at the airport, it was 22.00 when I got out, so I found the suggested shrubs, pitched my tent and crashed.
2/2 87km
Woke up at 5.00 with a horrendous thunderstorm. At 6.30 it eased a bit so I packed up, but just as I took off, down it came again so I took shelter. I went to an info place to see if I could get a better map, but the one I have is better, so I memorized the route to the great south road and with a stop to buy a sausage roll and apple cream cake (yum!) for brekkie. Just south of Papakura headed off to Ararimu up some rather steep hills, and into the clouds, I wound around some lonely valleys and back to the main road for 16k during which I stopped to buy food or drinks at several shops, then 10k of really steep gravel roads to Miranda. Near Miranda I stopped to chat with a farmer who blamed the government for his bankruptcy and now has to travel to Pukekohe for work in real estate each day. Had a look at the Miranda Hot Springs but it was going to cost $12.50 to camp and bathe so I found a little track going over the levee towards the Firth of Thames and stopped at 17.00. In Checking my tyres for glass I managed to poke a hole in the tube, and then found that the vulcaniser was dry, so I used super glue. Cooked dinner of ham steak, dehyd vegies with tomatoes, was okay, 2 oranges for dessert. During the day I came off my bike, I was riding on the verge and lost concentration and veered into the ditch the front twisted and I went over the handlebars landed on my feet but stumbled over and put a small cut in my finger. I had just got back on the bike when a truck came too close to me and nearly blew me back into the ditch. The weather had gradually improved during the day with the showers getting lighter and the wind increased but was mainly tail. Also during the day I picked up my 60c worth of petrol to use in my chuffer stove.
3/2 75km
Up at 6.30 and off by 8.30. 2hrs is a bit slow I thought, I used to be able to do it 1hr. The super glue I’d used on the tyre last night held all day, which was a surprise. The 24km to Thames was uneventful with a gentle tail wind. From there it was an easy uphill into Coromadel Pk where I found 10-15k of really steep stuff, I had several breaks to forage for blackberries, take in the view or chat with other tourists one of which told me of a shop in Hikuai so I planned to get there for lunch. The way down from the top was disappointing a short steep wind down with some shorter steep climbs just make it hard. By 13.00 I needed a break so pulled up at a blackberry bush and picked it clean and lay down for a rest. Gary from England rolled up on his mountain bike, so we rode on together, we skipped Hikuai and headed up another steep hill with only a nectarine. At the bottom of that hill we saw some mountain bikers about to head out, stopped to talk with them and got invited to stay in Whangamata, so we headed in to town. By then I was heavily fatigued, the last puny hill was the last straw and I had to take a break, I was totally decked out and feeling faint. It had been a warm day with a light breeze. Finally made it into town and pigged out at the 4 square shop. The others arrived at 18.00 and we had a BBQ, chatting well into the evening. Gary rides differently to me with very little gear he is quick up the hills but slow on the downhill.
4/2 65km
Up 6.30 and a bit of a chat with our host who left for work at 7.30. We rode into town at 8.15 to get Gary’s bottom bracket fixed. The man let us work on it ourselves then did the packing of the bearings, one bearing was destroyed and there was water in there too. Did some shopping and cashed a traveler’s cheque. It was 10.30 when we got out of town. It was fairly easy riding on a warm day with at times a strong head wind that would come blasting down a valley at us. Met two more bikers on the way up the hill into Wahai, they were going on to Tauranga YHA. We had lunch just outside Wahai only 30k down the road, Gary does dilly dally too much. Picked up some stuff for dinner there and on to Katikati, asked someone there if there were any good camping spots, they advised us to go 1½k down to the beach, where we found a beautiful spot out of the howling wind. The inlet is so shallow that the tide goes out 100m. I lost my gloves today, I think at lunch instead of putting them away properly I’d just stuffed them somewhere and then I forgot to put them back on, by gum it makes a difference to the comfort of the hands. Had a full billy for dinner and fruit afterwards I felt like a fat contented cat. Had a read of 1 Samuel about Saul and I wasn’t feeling quite so content.
5/2 116km
A lousy night’s sleep, I got a burnt back through what turned out to be too thin a shirt yesterday, plus I had several disturbing dreams. Up at 6.45 brekkie of porridge and avocado. Into Katikati where I had 2 cream doughnuts and a drink. It was undulating with some reasonably steep hills into Tauranga where Gary had some McDonalds, he had been too slow this morning, but after lunch with a gentle tail wind he took off. We had lunch at Te Puke, then a rather hot ride with light tail winds in the arvo, we had 2 stops to Edgecumbe, one in a servo the other at the beach. We rolled up at Gary’s relation but they were all busy so we had tea at the pub then went back to their place at 19.00, the kids let us in and we sat and watched TV till 22.30 when the hosts returned we had some supper with them, shower and bed at midnight.
6/2 0km
Up 9.00 and helped Maureen clean out the garage, Gary rose at 11.30, had lunch then we went out to see Len at the logging area where he works, then lazed around till 19.00 then played tennis till 20.30, I was left playing the little kid, which I found a bit irritating. Watched TV till 22.30 and bed. I’m worried about Gary’s knee, it’s shot, he intends to go on though. My knees are sore too, which is a bit of a worry as the next stage is likely to be tough.
7/2 97km
Up 6.15, shower and packed, brekkie and off by 7.45. Up to where the river had risen during the earthquake of 1987. Took the wrong road out of Te Teko a steep gravel road, hints of things to come. Another warm day made the uphills hard. Eventually made it back to the bitumen headed up the valley which was unexpectedly steep. Just before Kopuriki Gary said he couldn’t go on, his knee was too painful. I’ve been telling him all along to take it slowly up the hills, but he never took my advice. Had lunch just outside Murupara at 13.00. The bridge across the Whirinaki R was a bit of a detour. Gary had to walk in to town, where he saw a doctor who told him not to go on and gave him some pain killers. There is only one bus a week back north and the train line is dead, so he may call up Len for help. After stocking up with food I left him at 16.00 and headed up into the hills and immediately was struck by a huge thunderstorm with 2.3cm hail stones, one lightning strike was 200m away and the crack of thunder made me jump. The hailstones hitting my still sunburnt back were painful, and the odd one hit my bell with a resounding ding. It lasted 1/2 hr or so and eased quickly to one or two showers with the thunder receding but heard well in to the eve. The track was awash and had lots of ruts which made progress slow, there were quite a few cars, most of the drivers waved I’m sure in encouragement. Soon the sun came out and the storm sounded like a jet in the distance. Stopped for some blackberries and a nearly ripe apple at Te Whaiti then into the hills, the wonderful hills, it was a real pleasure grinding slowly up reasonably steep gradients on the gravel road. Stopped on a tributary of the Whirinaki River with the sandflies at 19.10 and was soon snug in my damp tent.
8/2 65km
Up 6.15, on the road by 7.15, it was a long hard climb out of the Whirinaki river but it was cool and cloudy at least to start off with, by the time I got to the top the sun was out and it was already quite warm. I had a flat flat tyre on the front, the one I had superglued, I had fixed that this morning coming in to Ruatalahuna, it went flat on me twice, the vulcanizing fluid wasn’t working properly, so I fixed the other tube whilst drinking a 2 litre bottle of milk and some chips. It was already 12.00 by then. The main hill was really easy, it was a well zigzagged road up to 930m. I was fortunate to be going the way I was along the road for it always seemed steeper going down the other side. The road followed a tumbling river, but then suddenly as I got to the lake my fortunes reversed and I was going up steep grades. I was already tired and I’m sure I did some damage to my knees, they were sore as I rolled in to my campsite at 5.15 to find everything shut including the store at the motor camp, so I found a sneaky place close to the motor camp and then went for a walk up to lake Waikarati, a peaceful little place. Sat on a rock for 1/2hr or so, walked back, repacked my bike and rode the 2km to my campsite on Lake Waikaremoana at 8.30, pitched tent, cooked dinner, I had intended to use the motor camp showers but couldn’t be bothered, bed 10.00
9/2 85km
Up 8.00 got some milk from the shop and had breakky then hit the dirt track, it was still a lousy road, keeping 200m or so from the lake, going up and down full of loose gravel after the grader had been through, probably after the storm , causing washaways. The road left the lake and dipped sharply into the valley, again the loose gravel made it really hard to keep the bike upright, and then it went to bitumen, and I roared down 5km of hills, but at the bottom it went back to that same horrible stuff until at about 39km out of Wairoa. Stopped at Fraserton with a hot head wind and again at Wairoa for a long break at 3.00. I headed off on really flat roads with my knees still sore. I fear I’ve done the same thing as Gary. Got to Wairoa Beach at 4.30 and blobbed.
10/2 60km
Up at 7.00 and off at 8.00 on a cool day with a light breeze, sometimes headwind, sometimes tail depending on the attitude of the valley. I had real trouble in the hills, it’s not as though they were big or even steep, it just seemed to take forever to get to Kotemaori. Only one shop in Raupunga where I had breaky at 10.00. I met another cyclist going the other way at Kotemaori. At 12.00 I had to have a 20min break just before I was running out of steam and getting saddle sore. By contrast it only took me 2 ½ hrs to get to Tutira I was motoring up the hills much better. At Tutira lake I decided to take a break before I tackled the hill they call the devil’s Elbow. I just went to the toilet after it took me ages to find it when some people came over and said hello and asked if I wanted a cup of tea, I said yes and had some crackers and fruit to boot. Then they asked me if I wanted a lift, and with my knees being sore I broke my purist attitude and accepted, they drove me all the way into Napier, I asked if I could camp in their back yard, they said yes, so I had tea with them and slept on the lounge room floor.
11/2
Up 7.30 had a shower and said goodbye to the Carter’s after swapping addresses, cycled into town, checked on the cheapest way to get to Wellington, a bus at 12.30 for $46, bought some postcards and wrote them in the park, one guy walked up to me and gave me his address in Dunedin, had some sticky buns and got the bus. It got into Wellington at 6.00, got a taxi driver to direct me to the the YHA and I got the the last bed. Had dinner and chatted with some guys. Found a real pork pie in a milkbar, I love pork pies.
12/2
Yesterday on the bus trip down I’d had a funny feeling in my tummy like I was over hungry, but last night at about midnight I vomited up dinner, after that I had a reasonable night’s sleep. This morning I wake up with that same feeling in my stomach and I remembered something Don said last night about a form of gastroenteritis that you get from the streams here called Giardia and I’ve been drinking what looked and tasted like lovely clean mountain water. By 10.30 I was vomiting every ½ to ¾ an hour. I’d tried drinking water but I knew this wasn’t going to go away by itself, so I got the YHA staff to ring up a local doctor and make an appointment for me, they said it was a 10min walk, so at 12.00 I set off sort of stumbling and groaning all the way, it wasn’t all that far in the end, though I had to wait an hour during which I vomited again. He suggested I find somewhere to stay and rest. I had intended today to find some Scout people and try my old American trick of getting a night’s stay for running a meeting for them, but all I could do now was ask for help. The doc actually rang a few places while I lay on the table after giving me a jab to stop me vomiting. I asked him how much it cost to see him he said $30, I said I didn’t have that much cash so he said not to worry about it and let me go, I was so grateful. So I staggered back to the YHA, got one of the girls to buy my medicine and crawled back into my bunk, when I took the medicine it came right back up again. Later I got on to a lady who said she’d be round to pick me up at 3.30, so I hibernated til then, at 4.00 she came and took me back to her house where I collapsed on the bed, one more spew up and that was the last one.
13/2
The whole day today was spent snoozing, drinking boiled fuitjuice, taking medicine and every now and then managing to stay awake long enough to watch the cricket. I hadn’t slept well last night, it seemed the pain in my gut woke me up every 10-15min all night long, but by this morning the pain seemed to come more from the intestines though it didn’t seem to be getting any better. I was at last drinking enough fluid to pass urine though that was a painful process. I was really weak and walking with my guts so painful was a tender job done all doubled over and slowly.
14/2
A much better sleep, I only woke twice, I was given the option of going up to Okahune so I took it. Had some muesli fro breaky, packed some gear and headed off at midday getting there at 5.30 and met the next door neighbour who’d be looking after me. I now have a new problem, as I was bending over at the fridge to get a drink of fruitjuice my lower back went cerack! I thought surely not, but sure enough I’d done my back, so now I have to find a physio to put it straight. I’m worried that I still have some infection in my gut and passing urine is still painful, what else can go wrong? Lots I suppose. I have a feeling God wants me back in Victoria, I don’t think it’s Satan as I don’t feel oppressed or depressed, just frustrated. Mind you I’m meeting some great people, so maybe that’s what it’s all about. We went to the local pub for dinner, and the sister paid for it, great people. It was a bit richer than I’d hoped for but we’ll see how the body copes with it.
15/2
Well the ladies who brought me up here took off at 8.00 this morning and I blobbed for a while. I organized to see a doctor about my back, but found I could go straight to a physio, so booked in for tomorrow morning, did a slow walk into town to pick up $20 of food for the weekend. Found out that the doctor is a bit of a back specialist, but left my booking as is with the physio, who isn’t supposed to be all that good according to the girl in the grocery shop. As I was hobbling back, a driver pulled over and asked if I wanted a lift, but it was such a small distance I declined. Had a chat with the lady next door who’s a fellow Christian, then watched TV and played myself at othello till the end of the eve and put as little strain on my back as possible throughout the day.
16/2
The physio came and picked me up at 11.00 and I found out that I should go through a doctor so I can get it done for free, so he drove me to the doctor. The doc gave me a few clumsy yanks around but it seemed to do the job. I think the physio had expected to get the referral and had waited for me, I asked the doc if I needed anything else done but he gave me some pills and wanted to charge me $40, I talked him down to $35. I didn’t feel right getting it for free as the system is designed for Kiwis not Aussies, by giving a NZ address I could get it for free, but I didn’t want to give the people’s address after they had been so good to me. On the way back I met the girl from the grocery store and we sat and chatted in her car as she smoked then went and placed bets in the shop across the road. When some of her friends came I came back to the flat and watched the cricket NZ winning the game and the series versus Australia, boo hiss! Later I went for a nice walk up to the park, as it got dark I had a good prayer session, but on the way back I felt spaced out and my kidneys hurt, it still hurts passing urine and I’m worried about the endless sting of illness, I still feel as I should go home. I rang up the leader of the church from the lady next door and decided to go to church tomorrow. TV till 01.15 and bed after a bible reading and exercise.
17/2
Went to church and they did the singing in tongues that always makes me feel uneasy, I praised God quietly and prayed for all the people that have been so good to me over the last few days. They were of course Pentecostals which I’m wary of their teachings, but it was straight from the bible and I couldn’t fault it. A late lunch of soup and homemade bread, chatted with the people until 4.00 then got a lift home and blobbed in front of the TV until late.
18/2
Cleaned the place until 10.30 which by then the rain that had come in overnight had stopped, almost, gave the key to Paula and hit the road with my thumb out. It took me a while to get my first lift to Waiouru and again a while to get a ride south, the nice elderly gentleman gave me a lift all the way to near Lower Hutt, where I caught a train into the city. Booked a time for the doc tomorrow and found that the YHA didn’t have a room. One of the dumb things I’d done was leave my bike propped up near the entrance to the YHA unlocked. I was flabbergasted to find it still there, so wheeled it with my pack around to the other hostel. Had Big Mac’s for dinner, watched TV and chatted with a few people including my roommate Andy until 2 in the morning.
19/2
I am traveling on a British Passport and today I was advised that I should get a new re-entry visa, cost $80 rather than have hassles getting back into Australia. Went for a ride in the rain, and got wet. Saw the doc at 12.15 he prescribed some all encompassing drug that will get rid of the urinary tract infection. I bought some Bill Bass sunglasses for $40 and found out from a fellow Aussie also traveling on a British passport with the same re-entry permit as mine that the old one is still okay. So I raced around to the consulate and retrieved my passport but they said the money would take several weeks to be returned. So long as I get the whole lot back I don’t mind. Dinner of fish and chips.
20/2
Rode down to Island Bay only 20min away, a rough track followed the coast past red rocks and a vacant seal colony. A very pleasant day with light winds and mostly sunny day and no people. Got my rear rack re-welded at a 4wd place for free, good on you guys. Had McDonald’s again for dinner which reflects my attitude about things at the moment. I’ve lost interest in touring, my budget is shot, I feel lethargic and spaced out, but I can still be friendly. Gave my address to Kirsten a young German girl this morning. Booked my ferry trip and bus to Havelock with hopes of doing the mail run up the sound. Walked up Victoria Mt which goes straight up from the youth hostel. When I got back watched TV then bed.
21/2
Cycled down to the ferry, got talking to the Canadian guy I was sharing a room with last night on the ferry, naturally as we’re both Christians it was a common topic. Got the bus to Havelock, bought some food and had a shower and did some washing, a sort of preparatory day, an in between day, the hostel here is very quiet and everybody seems to stick to themselves.
22/2
Walked down to town with another biker I’d briefly met on the ferry, we both went on the Glenmore mail boat up the Pelorus Sound on a Friday special, it didn’t do the full run and with a YHA discount it cost $20, a very pleasant ride, even a short bushwalk, had a snooze on the way back and burnt my nose, did a jigsaw puzzle in the eve.
23/2 110km
Up 6.30 on the bike by 7.00 I’m sure I woke everyone up with all the creaking of the floorboards. I was in Blenheim before 9.00, had to wait for the bike shop to open, where I put some oil on my chain, it was squeaking something terrible, on down through Seddon and Ward where I had lunch at 12.00, then took it easy through the hills to Kekerengu which was the first viable spot to camp, just behind the general store. The route today was easy, the hill before Seddon was the steepest and I did that in 2nd. There was a lovely tail breeze on a warm sunny day, I was off the road by 2.00 and the worst of the heat and just slacked around for the arvo on the beach.
24/2 65km
On the road at 9.30, I had expected the wind to be tail again, but it was from the south, and I’d heard on the radio last night that some rain was forecast. The mountains that were so clear last night were under heavy cloud, but it didn’t look like rain. With the headwind it was a slower ride than yesterday, also with a few climbs, all by the sea, I kept looking at the rocks but didn’t see anything using them. 10Km out of Kaikoura I went on a small walk to a waterfall, and just around the corner from that was a fur seal colony, so I had lunch in their company. Just after that the rain started, it was slow developing kind of stuff, it never really got hard, just a steady light rain. I got into Kaikoura to find the YHA full as expected, so scouted around and found an old hut open at the old wharf, so after fish and chips at 8.00 I bedded down whilst the rain came down outside I was dry and it cost me nothing.
25/2
Up 7.30 had a chat with a fisherman as I had breaky, the weather had cleared to show the local mountains full of snow, it looked very fresh, rolled into the YHA to find that the whale watching was postponed, the water was still too rough, but at 10.00 they came. I dutifully told them I had a bad back, and they told me I couldn’t go, but I was adamant, and they relented. The ride was rough but it was half the fun, they sat me in the back corner as I would get the least jolting there. We saw quite a few Humpback Whales, some even surfaced not 10m from the boat, then we visited the dolphins and got very close to the rocks at a fur seal colony, then back, the cost was $75, a bit expensive for me so not quite worth it, but great fun nevertheless. Then 4 of us went horseback riding for $30, we walked the lower hills through the bush and the rivers, again very expensive for what you get, but a very pleasant ride. Take away for dinner again. Stayed at the YHA, but I had a hassle finding my bed, all the beds in my room had gear on them, we eventually found that one of the guys who was supposed to be in room 6 not 5, but he couldn’t find 6 so had just plonked his gear on my bed.
26/2
A blob day today, did my shopping and post cards, had fish with a packet of chips and a can of loganberries for dinner. On an earlier trip to NZ with some Rover Scout friends one day I had icecream and 2 cans of loganberries. In those days bucket seats were a bit of a new thing, I was sitting in the front seat, and the guy sitting behind me grabbed the handle and rocked the seat several times, the motion upset my tummy I just managed to lean forward enough to vomit a stream puce across the back window, thus for that trip I was nicknamed Chuck Boysenberry, so whilst I was in NZ again, I had to have at least one can of Boysenberries . Bed early.
27/2 113km
Up 6.30 and hit the road just after 7.00. It was rather cold with the mountains all covered in bits of cloud with the odd glimpse of the top, no wind. Headed through the inland road which turned out to be dirt, which was okay, but then came the grader, which made the dirt soft and thus hard work just keeping the bike upright, then came the head wind which made the uphills a real grind. I had to get off and walk up one that I couldn’t get any traction on, stopped along the Conway river with Mt Tintine in the background, as I munched on the scroggin. Had lunch at Mason river bridge and soon after that I was on bitumen, but the headwind didn’t relent, rolled into Waiau at 2.15 and had 2 drinks and an icypole, then took it easy until 4.45 up the Waiau river to camp.
28/2 85km
Up 6.45 and off by 7.45, the road from Hamner Springs to the Hope river was a stinker, it went up down all the way while below me was a lovely flat river flat, I hate NZ engineers! Going up the Lewis river was more of a steady uphill with great views of the towering mountains above me. The pass was only 911m though it felt like I’d worked harder than that, some special places were the Hope river from the bridge, Lewis pass looking back up the Mariua river, Wee creek, Hamner Springs valley, Lewis pass and Rahu river, where I camped. Did the long downhill run to Mariua river in nothing flat, it took me 30min to go from Lewis pass to Spring Junction which is 21km, compare that to the 4hrs to get from my campsite in Waiau to Hope river a distance of about 35km. I had my usual fruju icypole and fruit juice drink at Spring Junction, then did a bit of the Rahu pass before finding a nice campsite by the river, sat on a rock and squished sandflies for a while, score, about 50 to me 0 to the sandflies, I win! Putting my gear into the tent I had to kill about 20 more once I was inside, they don’t have a very good escape plan, so they’re easy to kill, they can’t bite through the clothing, not even socks, but once they land on your skin they bite immediately and their itch is worse than a mozzie bite and lasts longer. The robins here are very curious, they come right up to you, he went away, and came back again possibly getting some of the sandflies I’d missed and often singing away. The weather today was wonderful I started out with gloves and coat on, it wasn’t until after lunch that I took my jumper off, the sun was warm but the air was cold, so downhills were freezing, but the mountains were all crystal clear.
1/3 115km
Up 7.00 and off by 8.00, the robins came back to bid me farewell. The pass was in cloud at 611m, then it was a wonderful long run down to Reefton. It was then a long flat run down the Grey river with a stop in Alura for lunch and a bo-peep at the Bremmer mine (ex). The wind was a head wind that gradually built up through the day, got into Greymouth at 4.00, got some food then booked into the YHA and relaxed for the eve.
2/3
A much needed blob day, my thigh muscles were so tight I couldn’t walk without pain, but I could cycle okay, organized my tickets and YHA stays for the rest of the trip which leaves with only $100. I had hoped to have enough to go see Mount Cook again (we had a flight over it the last time I was here). My average spend per day has been $30, a lot more than I’d thought. Watched the cricket and movies ’till bed time.
3/3
Watched the cricket after packing, it got rained off. Walked into town, met one of the guys from my room going to Fox glacier, we sat up the back of the bus, the scenery was interesting, the road reasonably flat, with the odd excursion into the hills. At the hotel I met another guy from my room who had driven down and a Canadian girl, who I’d given my address to but still can’t remember her name. We decided to all go walking tomorrow. I went for a walk on a short loop to Gallery Gorge through lovely thick bush, saw a New Zealand Pidgeon, but another walker came along and it flew off. Cooked dinner, shower bed.
4/3
Up 7.00 ready by 7.30, met up with Thomas and Simone, we got to the first lookout and were well into the cloud with a light drizzle, the Rimu trees looked magnificent, and the spiderwebs all hung with water droplets looked spectacular, down and out to the glacier terminal where the drizzle was heavier. Had a late lunch and back to the YHA and watched the cricket and a video. Had a chat with some people and gave my address to Thomas and a South African girl who both intend to come to Melbourne.
5/3
Up 8.00 and said goodbye to Thomas. A steady rain was falling as I got the bus back to Greymouth. I don’t like how fast they throw these buses around, though I only felt afraid once or twice, but as a passenger that’s once or twice too many. Walked back to the hostel, met Ted who had slept on the bunk under mine last time I was here, watched the cricket, got some food then went and had a very nice pizza in town. Met one of the girls from the hostel who lives in Carlton and works at the Royal Women’s Hospital. Back and watched Footrot Flats video, red some bible and bed.
6/3
Up 8.00 packed and did the walk out to Elizabeth Point, got a hazy view of Mt Cook, rode back and had lunch by the river on the concrete, then got the Transalpine express through the Arthur’s pass to Christchurch, the scenery was nice but I had some old ladies yapping away all the way with their time-honored cliches which detracted from the trip. Found the YHA and got some Chinese takeaway with a Canadian girl, got some milk for breakky, then remembered an awful thing. I had put my battery on recharge for my video recorder in the Greymouth YHA and it’s still there! And the manager has picked tonight to go out!
7/3
I organized with the manager to get my battery and charger sent home. Hopped on my bike and rode out to the airport. I only had one hassle, I use a chuffer stove which runs on all sorts of fuels, I use unleaded petrol because it’s the cheapest, it’s a bit dirty to start it up, so it has to be done outside the tent, once the pressure is built up it’s a wonderful stove, anyway they took one look at it and said ‘we’re not having that on our plane!’ I argued with them my case, and in they agreed to take it if I emptied the fuel out. The flight home was uneventful and I cycled back home from the airport. I spent the time that would have done in NZ if I hadn’t run out of money volunteering at Red Cross in South Melbourne, I enjoyed that too.
If you would like to contribute the the well being of this world, our world, your world, an easy and effective way to do it is to join a quality environmental group. There are many spread across the world all plugging away trying to make the world a better place for wildlife. We belong to Birdlife Australia, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC). You can donate your time and or money to these and many others knowing that the world will be a slightly better place because of your effort.