We’d always been planning to wrap up our time in New Zealand with an exploration of Northland. Not because there was some event happening, or because there was something specific we wanted to see,, or because we were “saving the best for last”. It was simply because the far northern peninsula would be the last Read more…

We weren’t able to enjoy a relaxed morning in our cottage upgrade, because we had a long ride ahead with the wind projected to be in our face all day. So in an effort to beat it, the alarm went off at 6am, we made some egg-bagel sandwiches in the kitchen, and then Keith opened Read more…

The closure of State Highway 1 into Northland is forcing all of that major artery’s traffic onto three detour options, and one of those options is an eastern scenic road that we would have cycled north on. That’s why we instead took a bus from Auckland to Whangarei several days ago, to “teleport” us into Read more…

Early-morning rain pattered on our tent as predicted. Normally we keep our bikes standing right next to the tent, but last night thanks to the forecast, and the quiet holiday park, I had moved them under a large tent that covered the barbecue area. We have rain covers that keep our bags (and everything in Read more…

Yesterday it was easy to say that our decision to live fancy-free (by making an unplanned right turn to snorkeling) had paid off. But the final bill has not yet come; only after today (and maybe even tomorrow) would we be able to make a full tally of the consequences of that choice. Because having Read more…

Day 2 Dive day at the Poor Knights Islands! Well, not really “diving” for us. We wanted to do the tour company’s snorkeling tour, but now that we’re in the off-season they combine us snorkelers with the scuba divers on the same boat. So the dive office was a flurry of activity in the morning, Read more…