Australia

I've been bicycling in Australia for the past month. Heading south and west along the coast from Brisbane to Melbourne. At the Brisbane airport I unboxed my bike after the flight then ventured off into the Australian sunshine. I had been going for only 40 minutes when I met Mitch. He came up to me on his bike and became my tour guide and friend for the rest of the day. We drank beer in the parks, biked all over the city, went out for dinner, then, as a warm downpour soaked us and the city, we biked to his house where I slept on his couch. This was my friendly welcome to Australia.

The Australian coast has been beautiful to bike along. I followed beachfront bike paths for days. Brightly colored birds filled the trees above my hammock in the morning. Many nights when I set up camp I see kangaroos hopping along through the forest. They may be my favorite animal. I laugh every time I see them.

I spent a day in Sydney. It is one of the prettiest cities I've ever seen. The Sydney Harbour Bridge at night is spectacular, and the Sydney Opera House absolutely deserves its iconic status. I bought a ticket to see a ballet performance there and afterwards Florence and the Machine was playing a concert on the Opera House steps.

I met plenty of friendly people on my way down the coast. I was invited to a beachside camper park where a couple new friends took me on a mountain bike ride. I took a day off there to get over a cold and, it being the culture there, we partied quite a bit. The day before I arrived to Melbourne I stopped to watch a lawn bowling match. I had been seeing the fields all through Australia but hadn't seen it played yet. It wasn't long before I was invited into the clubhouse for a beer and offered a spare bedroom to sleep in that evening.

Now I am in Melbourne. I am staying with my Australian friend Ben. I met Ben while cycling in Canada and now 16 months later I've managed to bicycle to the other side of the world to visit him.

 Biking with Mitch in Brisbane

 An interesting bike path

 Sweater tree on the beach

 I found a shy turtle

 Downtown Sydney

 Beautiful Sydney

 I was told this bridge is so famously beautiful that it has been in 4 car commercials.

 My collection grows.

 I don't know what this is but they are in the woods where I'm camping.

 Found a rail trail!

 An aboriginal carving. Few are left due to logging.

I gave Ben a hammock. This was the best place to hang it.

The last of New Zealand

At this point my dad and I have parted ways. He has flown home to Pennsylvania and I've continued onto Australia. The trip through New Zealand, biking and fishing, yielded one fish. Catching a fish in New Zealand was part of the reason, maybe a big part, of why my dad chose to join me here. Off of a steep bank over the mighty Tukituki River a rainbow trout as big as my forearm was dragged ashore. In grabbing my camera I got the lens wet so that the only photo I have of my dad holding a New Zealand trout looks like the trout might have actually pulled him underwater. At least he got the one.

On the east coast of New Zealand’s north island we arrived in Napier, the Art Deco capital of the world. Art Deco is the style popular when the city was rebuilt after an earthquake destroyed much of downtown in 1931. All the downtown buildings have this style of architecture with pastel colors and swooping lines. It isn't a style I would have been able to recognize or put a name to prior to visiting but after a day of walking around the city I quite like it.

The rugby world cup gripped the nation while we were there. The All Blacks are the New Zealand national team. If they made it to the finals it would be equivalent to the Superbowl in as much as it captures the national audience. The world Cup was happening in England so the live matches took place at 4 AM in New Zealand. This culminated in The All Blacks playing the championship match the night of, or call it morning after, Halloween. I don't think many people went to sleep. It was a party to remember. The All Blacks took the championship against Australia.

The highest mountain in New Zealand is Mount Cook. From valley to peak it rises almost 10,000 feet. Glaciers fill every crevice, dripping turquoise water into cold deep lakes. A hike took us a short ways up the same valley Sir Edmund Hillary might have used to approach Mount Cook when training for Everest. The mountain loomed huge and cold. It was spectacular.

Much of the rest of the riding was along beautiful coastlines of clear blue water or among steeply rolling pastures full of sheep and cows. Seals made an appearance by the thousand. They smelled awful. Christchurch, the last city we stopped in, was still under construction after a terrible earthquake 5 years ago. I think in 5 more years it will be an incredibly beautiful city. Hopefully they go with the Art Deco style.

 After a long morning of fishing and biking. 

 Flowers for you. 

 Wellington farmers market. 

 He was not amused. Expensive though. 

Snowy mountains could be seen from the beach! 

 New friends, we watched the rugby semi-finals together. 

 Robin makes the best pies in New Zealand. Thanks Robin! 

 Typical New Zealand decorating. 

 The road to Mount Cook. 

 Mount Cook in the back. 

 In Christchurch. 

 Christchurch under construction. 

I had the woman at the information center pronounce this for me. It sounds just like it is spelled. 

New Zealand

I have arrived in New Zealand. After a month back in the USA visiting friends and family I decided I still hadn't quite biked far enough, and so I continuing on. I left the winter of Argentina for the summer of Pennsylvania which turned to fall and now within a single month I am back to spring. For this stretch of spring road my dad is joining me. Recently retired, twice my age, a self described debonaire, he has brought along his bike and his fishing pole. I've been showing him how to bike tour, he has been showing me how to not live like I'm destitute while bike touring.

After several incredibly long flights we arrived in Auckland. Auckland is a beautiful clean city with an attractive harbor and happy looking people. The parks were nice, I liked the architecture. It is worth a visit. Leaving there took us through suburbs for a day before arriving at a tall picturesque waterfall where we camped. Every few days another amazing waterfall appears. Fields and hills of thick, vibrant green grass full of cows, sheep or deer filled in much of the landscape for the first few days. We spent an evening very near the set location of the Shire from the Lord of the Rings movies. No visa required to get to middle earth.

Our next stop was the town of Rotorua. Days earlier a rancher referred to it as Rotovegas. It proved to be quaint, clean, quiet and laid back just in the way that Las Vegas is not. Positioned on a large beautiful lake the town is known for its hot springs which steam to the surface as bubbling lakes or mud pits. Walking paths meander through pleasant parks past the steamy water. Trees bloomed with intense full large flowers like I've never seen before. It was beautiful scenery.

We also found mountains. Climbing through Urewera National Park was like biking into an arboretum curated for variety and size. The forest was thick, impenetrable even. We found camping along clear blue streams and drank water flowing from hillside springs. In the park, at another waterfall, we met a native New Zealander. He shared some locally foraged vegetables and taught us the traditional New Zealand hello which involves tapping noses together twice while shaking hands.

On the far side of the mountain we pedaled to the coast reaching Hawke's Bay. Never have I seen such a beautiful coast. Steep cliffs rose out of water the color of glacial lakes. The black sand beach was contrasted by bleached white driftwood piled against the base of the cliffs. Turning away from the ocean, vibrant green hillsides nearly glowed in the sunlight. It was magnificent in every direction. The waves fell gently against the beach, salt filled the air. It was a hard place to bike away from.

Finally a haircut!

This is the largest organ I've ever seen. Located in Auckland.

No fish have been caught yet, but soon.

Grazing animals walk across hills to make these trails.

The Rotorua museum.

A hobbit horse?

Flowers for you. 

 Lake Waikaremoana.

 Be afraid. Be very afraid.

 Hawke's Bay.

Hawke's Bay.