| Myrons Daily Journal - Page 1 |
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| February 18, 2004 After a 12 hr 15min flight I arrived in Auckland. After another short flight, I am in Christchurch. Spent the first day doing a 35 mile ride throughout the city. I am doing fine riding on the "wrong side of the road." They have a lot of "go arounds" they are fine except at rush-hour. I believe the locals would find them bothersome. Am starting to understand more words, that at first sound like a foreign language. I am sure I will return home with a slight accent. Am waiting for Shiangold to arrive from Taiwan. He should be here on 2/18. The people seem friendly, but not much different from what I experienced while traveling in the US. Happy Pres. Day. Talk to you later Myron |
| February 19, 2004 Shiangold and I are staying for 3 nights at one of New Zealand's holiday parks here in Christchurch. They sure beat the so-called campgrounds Jim and I found traveling around in the states. Although we are not tenting, they respect “tenters”. Jim and I found most campgrounds in the states were not campgrounds at all. They were just for motor homes and totally looked down on “tenters”. We were often greeted with the statement "we don’t take “tenters”. Everything is smaller, an American motor home would not fit. All the motor homes are no longer than about 15 feet. Most are rented. We are in what they call a cabin. Just a room with twin beds. They also have motel units; all the facilities are very neat and clean. They have beautiful kitchen facilities with a dining room for anyone, including “tenters”. The playground for the kids is a mini Disneyland. They also have an indoor pool. If this is the way it is going to be for the rest of New Zealand, I will be totally happy. Shingold is napping! He traveled from Taiwan to Hong Kong to Auckland to Christchurch, as soon as he is up; we will go into Christchurch for dinner. |
| February 21, 2004 Spent the last day in Christchurch by riding out to the banks peninsula. We were going to ride a gondola to the top of a mountain. They shut it down just as we got there because of high winds. We then decided to explore more of the peninsula by bike. We were trying to get over this mountain but were somewhat lost. We asked a local bicyclist if this was the right road to the pass. His answer was yes but he finished by saying "good luck." we soon found out what he meant by "good luck." The climb was very hard. Since shiangold had not been biking a lot, he fell behind. Very soon the wind picked up and I mean picked up. It was all I could do to keep the bike upright. When I got to the pass there was a busload of tourists there. They were not even getting out of the bus it was so windy. They all looked as me as though I was crazy. I later found out that the winds had been gusting to 90 kilometers/hour. Later when Shiangold met me at the bottom of the mountain he displays some blood coming through his socks. He had been blown over! The only way back to Christchurch was through a long tunnel, but bikes were not allowed. We asked what other route there might be. We were told "back up the mountain the way we had come." no way!! We found a mountain biker with a van. He said he would carry us through the tunnel. We biked back into Christchurch, stopping at the only Denny’s in the south island for dinner. Then on in to the city to get a beer at a local tourist area and laugh about our ride. |
| February 22, 2004 Today was our first day of touring. We traveled 136 kilometers from Christchurch to Hanmer Springs. The country is beautiful. We met 3 bikers from England. They were traveling the same route. A good way into our ride I saw Shiangold stop and get off his bike. He stood there looking at it. He then lifted the front wheel and spun it, then lifted the rear wheel and spun it also. By this time I asked if he had a problem with his bike. His answer made me laugh. He said "yes, no power, something rubbing." this will remind Jim of my power problem while going around the US. One day on our ride I told Jim I just didn't have it, it seemed like I was going uphill, even though it was flat. It turned out; I was holding a bandana in my hand and was unknowingly actuating the brake as I was peddling. Anyway, Shiangold will be getting into shape. These tours make you do that. We are stopped for a day at a hot springs. Shiangold loves hot springs. A great way to relax and get the bike freed up from “something rubbing”. |
| February 24, 2004 What a day. I have never worked so hard on a bike as I did today. We traveled from hanmer springs to maruia springs, a distance of 82 kilometers over Lewis pass. Nothing spectacular, but with constant winds of at least 60 k/hr, gusting to 90 k/hr while climbing most of the time for 76 kilometers made the day one of the hardest I have ever done. At one point Shiangold got off his bike and walked. He is getting stronger daily. We were going further than Maruia springs, but it also rained for half the day. We were frozen when we got to the springs. We rented a room, showered, ate dinner and then visited the Japanese bathhouse. A Japanese family owns the hotel. The bathhouse is just like those in Japan. No swimming suits allowed. After an hour in the bath I will sleep well. |
| February 25, 2004 If you could compare a bike ride to food (we think a lot about food,) yesterday's ride would be a dry liver sandwich on stale bread; but, that would make today's ride compared to a moist chocolate moose cake. It was mostly downhill through tunnels of trees surrounded by majestic Snowcapped Mountains. The last part of the ride was in an open valley of green pastures with lots of grazing sheep (I mean lots of sheep.) I am beginning to feel more and more like a kiwi every day. We ended up in the town of Murchison after 104K. |