Week Four of the #TandemTA tour of New Zealand begins in the South Island with 110km from Picton to Nelson.

Today, it really is just photographs. 110km from Picton to Nelson, and completed with elegant pizzaz…. Though scroll to the bottom and there are some words too… Starting into week four of our ‪#‎TandemTA‬ tour of New Zealand, the South Island has immediately thrilled with stunning views of Queen Charlotte Sound, and of the mountains from […]

Kiwis Rock – Daisy’s Wheel is Back in Action, and South Island Awaits

With enormous thanks to Owen Hughes of Dirt Merchants in Wellington for a Saturday evening wheel rebuild, to Chris Hubbard of Pure Sports for the Rohloff spokes, and to Cameron Burnell and Kim Bonnington for lifts, food, music and two lovely overnights, Daisy is BACK ON THE ROAD, and we’re on our way on the […]

Best laid plans? Busted spokes prompt back wheel rebuild in Wellington

Nearly three weeks into our Tandem Tour the length of New Zealand, we’ve had to call in some helpful friends with a van, and take a day out from pedalling, to get our rear wheel completely rebuilt after blowing four – FOUR! – spokes yesterday as we approached the capital Wellington. And it would have […]

125km in one day, and hilliest ride ever! Day17 of #TandemTourTA of NZ, from Mangaweka to Palmerston North

My goodness me, that was one hilly, long, hard-working, but utterly brilliant cycling day. From Mangaweka on State Highway One with all its lorries, off east into deepest North Island back country along the official Tour Aotearoa route along which Katie and Mela and the other 300 registered riders will be coming in a few […]

Off NZ Central Plateau, and Cooking in a Hot Tub.

I know the Maoris were said in very early times to have cooked visiting missionaries for consumption, but I didn’t think they were still doing it! And this is what the setting is, with logs burning underneath, axe perhaps to ward off unwanted visitors, and sans naked European… Quite the most eccentric Air BnB place […]

We survived Mount Doom! #TandemTA Tour Aotearoa sails into third week

Time again for Jutta to register her stoker’s perspective from Daisy’s back seat… Yes, we survived Mount Doom and Mordor. Our bottoms today, at the start of Week Three of our top-to-bottom tour of New Zealand/Aotearoa, anticipated doomsday, with a relentless climb from Turangi at 1200 feet on Lake Taupo up to 3000 feet through Tongariro […]

End of Week Two of #Tandem TA Tour Aotearoa, on Lake Taupo at Turangi

Just 60km today, from Tihoi to Turangi, but we did it in style – gently, powerfully, enjoyably, with inspiration and fun. Despite/because of the hard work. It was as far as we wanted to go, knowing that a big 90-km ride awaits us on Monday morning, first day of Week Three on the Tandem Tour Aotearoa, as we […]

Preparing for three days hardest slog to Whanganui

Which, by the way, is pronounced in Maori FAN-ganui. This is just a camping placeholder to position us, after 80km yesterday from Tokoroa, at Tihoi to the top left (ok, North West) of Lake Taupo. Our third camping night last night – warm and cosy, though heavy early autumn dew this morning at 1500 feet. […]

Out into the wilds around Lake Taupo today

There are a lot of cows in New Zealand… And the herds (if you’ve been following the Archers, this is a debate you’ll be familiar with) are gigantic. Don’t even think about the effluent that ends up in the streams and rivers. Not a good to idea to swim therein. Still, best observed with a […]

From Matamata, Capital of The Shire

Wow – yesterday, Jutta’s 65th birthday, was quite some cycling day – 115km south from Miranda to, yes, thankfully, another hot springs holiday park, this time just outside Matamata and very close to where Peter Jackson filmed Hobbiton for his Lord of the Rings. We indeed had a gale behind us, which rocketed us powerfully […]