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Friday, February 27, 2026
Watch Lucille 's LiveTrack
Day 2 -
I wanted to start off today’s blog by telling you how wonderful the people that I have met are….and likely almost everyone that I haven’t met!!!! The cyclists are wonderful, the people in the shops and the hotels. Tim at the cycle shop in Kerikeri. Anne and Dan who brought me into their house to cool off with the shade and cold water. Fiona at the B&B….drive me downtown for dinner. Allan and company at the restaurant keeping me company during dinner. The campground keeper who gave us some fresh fish for dinner last night. Kay…my riding partner for a few days at least.
The other thing that I’ve noticed is that their currency is similar to ours in the size, colour and security. Their $2 is similar to our loonie. So many similarities that I feel quite at home here. And the views so far are spectacular. This may be a place to relocate if Alberta decides to separate!!!! 😂
Day 1 - Hukatera -Ready -set -cycle!!!
View heading to the lighthouse. The Tasman sea on the west side, Pacific Ocean on the right.
Check point #1. The Cape Reinga light house. This area is sacred for the Māori people. They believe that when someone dies that their soul comes up here to the most northern point of the island and then flies off.
First view of the sand dunes
Deep sand!!!
The bikes have lost their riders!!!!
Riding on the beach. It looks rough, but that’s just the illusion of the different colours of sand.
An early start from Kaitaia - I was picked up at 0530 from my hotel, and required that all bags be removed from my bike. Dropped of at the start with about 60 others. By the time I had by bike assembled it was time for the briefing and it was time to go. The problem was that i hadn’t made it down to the lighthouse for my first picture. Off I went, 25 min later I’m at my bike, and already so far behind.
A few hills….200m of fairly steep hills on the highway before the turn off to the beach….yeah! Ok….one more hill and a long dusty road. Finally I saw the sand dunes….huge, and beautiful and spectacular. I snapped a few photos and kept on going.
The road ended and there was a stream around the sand dune….i wasn’t sure where to go….but tire tracks indicated into the stream. Alright….here I go. There were a few hard packed area that were rideable but anything under water I had to push the bike as it was so soft. About 2 km of this, then I saw the sand….yippeeee!!! No…wait….this isn’t the hard rideable sand that I was promised…it was deep loose sand that I could barely walk it. I placed my bike into a truck tire track, and walked/stumbled in the loose sand….only about a km!!! I finally I heard the surf…then I could see it….there it was….paradise!!!! A beautiful beach and I could start riding.
The riding is hard….but doable. At first it’s so much fun being so close to huge waves….even though I’m afraid of the water. So many people were out in vehicles enjoying a beautiful day. Some walking around, some picnics and several were fishing.
Riding on the beach plays with your mind….i would cycle for what felt like 1km, just to look down and see that I had only gone 0.1 km!!! Ughhh!!! I would found my pedal strokes…..pushing down twice with each leg counted as one….then doing that twice for each count of one….so that when I got to 100 I had gone about 1.5 km. Sometimes I would pick a different feature in the distance in the land side and try to make it there without stopping or looking down. Even with all these tricks. I was stopping for a quick break every 2-3 km.
At km 40 - we stopped at a campground for some water and I seriously considered staying here for the night. I had been cycling with Kay since I got onto the beach and we decided to carry on to this campground. Another 30 km farther when we were already exhausted….0.1 km at a time we made it!!!! Yipppeeee.
Settled into a little cabin, showered, purchased noodles and a can of tomatoes….and the camp host offered us a huge piece of marlin….cooked it up….shared with three other cyclists who are also here. Heaven!!! Now I’m in my happy place.
Tomorrow is about 35 km on the beach - and we can’t start until about 0930 because of the tides. So a sleep in!!!
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
I’m in Kaitaia - Brevet tomorrow morning
A lovely overcast day has kept the temps down to 26C Whoop Whoop!!! A much better day cycling today….still struggling when the hills get to 8-9-10% grade, but below I’m doing better and able to ride up. My new bike doesn’t have the same gearing as my old one so I’m working a bit harder but it is about 15lbs lighter….so might just offset!
Tomorrow morning at 0600 I will take a shuttle that will get me to the start - Cape Reinga and the first of 30 photo checkpoints that I will take to prove that I was on the trail.
I went through all my clothing and gear, and have removed another 1.8 km of gear and sent it off to Christchurch. It feels a little ridiculous right now to keep a toque and mitts, along with the thermal leggings and top, but apparently on the South Island the temps dipped to 6C! So I may just want the cold weather gear with me.
I made it…. I’m starting to think that getting to the start of the Brevet is one of the more challenging aspects of this event!!!
I saw this in the previous town I passed, and below is what is written on the signpost beside it.
Coopers beach, just 5 km from where I spent the last night
Breakfast café
I have food for breakfast, to eat during the drive, and food for tomorrow while I’m cycling, and some extra water. I’m not expecting to find any nice little cafés on the beach!
Dinner was an excellent Korean bowl with a ginger beer, and I had some lovely company from Allan and friends….celebrating his birthday. 😀
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Tough day - rewarded with a cider
Tonight’s dinner….so yummy and plentiful. Blue nose fish.
Anna and Dan live beside the B&B where I’m staying. I was leaving the B&B as the lady wasn’t home yet, pushing my bike up the steep driveway. Anna came out and told me I looked exhausted-which I was. She invited me into their home, a cool place to sit and wait and gave me some cold water while we had a lovely chat.
Today was one of the hardest days I’ve had cycling….in part from the hills, lack of training but mainly the heat. My GPS recorded 31C after in had been in the cool garage for over 30 min. The heat combined with the lack of any shade and only carrying 1.5 L of water made it a challenging day. Thanks to everyone who sent me messages and texts!
I packed up my bike last night as soon as my bag arrived at 6:30pm. I had it mostly loaded up by bedtime. A few last minute tweaks this morning, a banana for breakfast and I was off just after sunrise. I’m slowly getting used to riding on the left side of the road! I followed Ingrid the other day…and still managed to find myself on the wrong side of the road several times! I did much better today.
60 km and over 500m elevation is what I managed today, my plan was over 100km to get to the town of Kaitaia, then the following day cycle another 100km to the start of the brevet. I was having trouble finding accommodations in Kaitaia so decided to break up the long day and stay in Mangōnui. Tomorrow I’ll make it to Kaitaia, then on the 27, the start of the brevet, I will catch a shuttle to the start. Other than being tired, the campground at the start is full of mosquitoes and is 2 km downhill….so then on the day of the start of the Brevet I would have that steep climb before starting. Not really appealing!
I did not take any pictures today….landscape is beautiful green rolling hills. Now I’m right on the coast for the night. I’m heading to bed soon…..even though it’s only 7 pm here right now. Another early start tomorrow to get as far as I can before it warms up.
Monday, February 23, 2026
It’s all coming together
Breakfast…poached egg, mushrooms in a tangy sauce, roasted tomatoes, avocado, toast hash browns….so yummy
My friend Ingrid….she owns a bed and breakfast near Wellington….Ted and I will likely go visit while doing our motorcycle tour
Still waiting for my bad, so decided on a pedicure 😊
Well I hope at least!!!! My gear should arrive today, looks like it’s in Auckland at the moment, it needs to be bioscreened then put on the plane to KeriKeri where I am currently.
Yesterday I met Ingrid, a fellow Tour Aotearoa cyclist who has done it 5 times. She has had a gear malfunction and so was forced to spend the night here….we ended up sharing a room, dinner and Ingrid shared so much great information with me. My plan was to ride from here to the start at Cape Reinga, which is over 200 km from here….but needed the route to get there, as the paved roads aren’t the safest.
Heading for breakfast soon, then the airport to check on the bag, then if it arrives, strap on my gear….post my tramping gear…..that’s what Kiwis call hiking….and set off!
The bad still hasn’t arrived, but it’s likely at the airport. So another rest day. Tomorrow I will have to wait for the post office to open at 0900, post my tramping gear to Christchurch then head off.
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Arrived in New Zealand!!!!
My room
View from my balcony
The best sushi ever! You just take a box, fill it with whatever pieces you like, pay and enjoy 😊
Really good ginger beer
A shady spot to settle in.
I’m all set up for my next adventure….the Tour Aotearoa. The most challenging thing about this cycle tour is how to pronounce it? I’ve googled it several times…and I’ve been practicing it lots since I first thought about it….and although they say that practice makes perfect…. But if you’re not practicing it properly….well… it’s not good!
Aotearoa is the Māori name for New Zealand and it means land of the long white cloud. It was these clouds that assisted the Polynesians to find these Islands. The tour is the length of both the North and the South Islands, distance 3000km. In a few days there is an event called the Tour Aotearoa Brevet. Not a race, but there are rules nonetheless! Objective is to complete in 30 days, but cannot be fewer than 10 days with a minimum of 8 hours of rest per day. No problem for me! Although I was hoping to do it all alone, the Brevet is occurring at the same time, so I decided to join.
The first day is 88 km of riding on what’s called 90 mile beach. The timing of the start coordinates with the tides…start is 3 hours before low tide until 3 hours after low tide. Should be doable unless there’s a strong head wind. 😳
I flew into Auckland this morning, with the plan of another flight into Kerikeri, then a bus into Kaitaia which would get me within 100 km of the start at Cape Reinga at the tip of the North Island. Luckily my bicycle made it, but unfortunately my luggage did not. I’ve packed for two adventures, cycling for 30 days, hiking for 2 weeks then motorcycle with Ted for 3 weeks. Ted will bring my motorcycle gear, but the rest I have with me. The hiking gear I will post to a friend in Christchurch rather than carrying it for the cycle tour. Hopefully it will arrive tomorrow morning, if it does I will likely start cycling towards Kaitaia….and will only make it part way if I have a late departure. Right now it’s a rest day that I didn’t want to have to take, but after 24 hours of travelling it’s maybe not such a bad thing!!!!
As for the little bit that I’ve seen of New Zealand….I love it here. The weather is fantastic, views are great, people are friendly and the sushi is fantastic!!!! I love it here….and all I’ve seen is the inside of a couple of airports and a stroll around town! Sure beats -30 and the 8 inches of snow I shovelled just before leaving!!!!
The lady at the airport called the taxi for me, helped me find a room for tonight, and the bike shop is assembling my bicycle. Perfect start to a holiday.
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