new zealand …uphill

Just popping out for a quick bike ride

January 19, 2009 on 10:52 pm | In Getting started | 8 Comments

My major new year resolution came to me a little late this year. Well to be honest, I made it on New Years Eve, but kept it under my hat for a bit, just to make really damn sure I wasn’t just drunk and it is something I might like to do. I also had to find the right moment to tell my family about it, as it was to have some impact on them.

Two weeks ago we were camping up at Whatuwhiwhi, our annual pilgrimage to the Top 10 holiday park, for swimming, sunning, and having less showers than you would normally get away with. We were well relaxed after 5 days camping, and I planned to take the family out for a fun day, get them in the right mood for me to announce my new resolution. We would take a leisurely trip up to “The Cape”, Cape Reinga, the northern most point of our fair country, then finish up by doing one of Mel’s favourite things, pulling into a winery for dinner and drinks before rolling back to the camp ground. Well things didn’t go exactly to plan.

First of all the trip was longer than I thought. We spent an age getting there and the kids got a bit restless. Holly for some reason wanted desperately to play on a playground and could not see the value in going to the top of the country, and Mel, to appease her, told her there would be a really big playground on the way. At this stage we had passed Kaitaia, which was pretty much the last point of civilisation heading north, so playgrounds were not a plenty. We did find one but it just didn’t pass the grade, so we moved on, to my delight as all I wanted was to get to the top, give everyone a treat, then make a b-line back to the winery just up the road from our camp, and make my announcement.

I have always been fascinated with the Cape, and it has always been a spiritual place for me. The last time I visited was just after I met Mel. We had met, fell in love, and Mel was about to leave the country and me to go on her OE. So we went on a road trip north, along the same path, and found ourselves about as far as you can go north without getting wet. On that trip when I got to the top, I made the decision to follow Mel overseas. On my return from the Cape I quit my job, sold all of my worldly possessions, and bought a plane ticket. This time, the plan was to cement my resolution in place by telling my family.

After much wailing and disappoint about the lack of playgrounds, we got there. Somewhere along the journey north it was explained to Holly that we were going to the very very tip of New Zealand and we would have to be careful we didn’t fall off. It was of course a joke at the time, one meant to instil fascination within her and her sister, that this place was really special and a just a little bit extreme, so they should pay attention and develop some character. Unfortunately when we got there, the wind had picked up and the usually beautiful stroll from the car park to the lighthouse marking the tip became a little distressing to Holly. She was very aware of the fact that she was at the very edge of the country, and a four year old can obsess about things a little, and in her mind she was very scared of falling off. While we walked to the lighthouse I thought I would distract her a little by asking her why lighthouses were important. She of course didn’t know, so I happily told her the story of lighthouses. “Hurrah”, I thought, I will go into detail, drag it out and by the time I am complete we would be at the lighthouse, we could take some photos, I could point out the directions of Australia, America and any other countries the kids knew, and then we could walk back to the car. I must point out also, that I left my shoes in the car, declaring proudly and loudly at the time “I’m a fucken Northlander, we DONT wear shoes”, and the path to the lighthouse was a new red stone chip path. As the soles of my feet began to get a little tender, I explained to Holly that primarily lighthouses were there to show ships where the land was, so big tankers coming to New Zealand would see the light and not bump into the top. This was followed by increased screams. Bemused I asked Holly what exactly she was scared of.

“Falling off”, She explained.

“Don’t be silly” I replied, “we won’t fall off”

“But what if a ship comes and hits New Zealand, and knocks everyone off?”

I could see there was no way to rationally explain basic physics to a four year old, or what a GPS was, so I picked up the pace, hopping down the red stone path and we finally made it. Holly clung to the lighthouse while I whisked around and took some quick snaps to record the event. I wanted a photo of me to use in an album, perhaps to document the start of my new adventure. Instead, I felt sorry for everyone else who was enjoying a beautiful day at the cape, so whisked up Holly and Summer and started carrying them back the car. Holly eventually decided she would walk with Mel, not me, probably afraid I might tell her stories of earthquakes or tsunamis. Summer however had decided she was not walking at all, as a almost three year old does, so I carried her with feet near bleeding, putting on my staunchest Northlander face for passers by. “Caw, you must have tough feet” some would exclaim. I would just suck in my stomach, grin and give them one of those winks, you know the ones, the “oh yeah baby, glass, burning coals, you name it no sweat” kind of winks. I felt like such a complete dick.

With everyone packed in the car, we started heading back. The day had got on quite a bit, the weather clouded in a bit and it became clear the winery was not on the cards today. So the kids eventually dropped off to sleep in the car, and I wondered to myself if today was really the day to tell them.

“Mel, I have made a decision” I announced abruptly. Mel looked at me, and I got the feeling she was worried. “I have decided to ride the length of New Zealand on a bike” I continued.

“A bicycle?” she queried.

“Yep, all the way.” This was followed by a minute of silence. I guessed correctly and continued “You think its a bad idea”

“I think you are fucken crazy” she explained.

“I thought you would” I said. “It is just something I want to do. It’s not a big deal, it’s not like I am going to sail the world on a windsurfer or anything.”

“You’re not fit. How long will it take? What about us?”

“You mean you and the kids? Well it won’t be forever, probably about a month maybe.” and we discussed some basic maths calculating how fast, far and fucken crazy I was. The thing of course is, that riding the length of New Zealand is not exactly an extreme feat. People have done the globe on a bike. For the most part, State Highway One runs the length of the country, and it is a sealed, comfortable road. I would pass through the majority of our major towns and cities on the way, and there was no threat of being eaten by wild animals. Of course what Mel was most afraid of was me. I was 34, overweight, unfit and hadn’t ridden a bike for at least 16 years. But that was kind of the point. I was all those things, and I didn’t like it.

I knew it would take me a while to do it. The month or so riding was only one part. I would have to get fit. I would have to organise my business so I could take a leave of absence for a while. I would have to be away from my wife and kids for the longest period we have ever been apart, ever. It was all kind of the point. Now while thinking about my resolution in the weeks I pondered if this was some mid-life crisis. It wasn’t, otherwise I would be dead at 68 and that was far too young for me. I had just been through 3 years of extreme stress in my previous business venture during which I became a horrible workaholic. I wasn’t going though any crisis, I just wanted to do it. It would get me fit, and away from my work, two things I promised my family I would do when I emerged from the crater from the meteor that was my workaholism. I would ride a bike and become quite simply a better me. I thought of it as insurance against a mid-life crisis.

“I am not talking about something crazy you know. I could always do it on roller-skates you know”

“I know, two and a half thousand kilometres isn’t crazy I suppose.”

“I know, to make it challenging, I will bike AROUND New Zealand, so instead of just one way, ride around the coast”. This was followed by a stern look, so I decided to stick with the original plan. “I am starting from the bottom tho” I explained. “Otherwise it will be downhill all the way and that would be too easy.”

I would start from Stewart Island, and then essentially make my way home. I thought if I started at the top, I would pass Kerikeri where I live, on day four or five, and I figured I would probably be pretty much had-it at that point, ready to bail. However if I was had-it and in Gore, at the other end of the country, I might feel a little more motivated to keep going.

So lets just say Mel was not thrilled, but when asked if she would support me, she of course said yes. “If this is something you want to do, then sure, we will support you in doing it”. I sensed that she probably thought I would not actually go through with it, but I knew this was something I wasn’t about to cop-out of. And so it is, I have to figure out the rest now, like when to go, what I have to do to prepare, how long it will take, where will I sleep and all of those things. I kind of like the idea of couch surfing my way up the country, so I can meet a whole raft of interesting people to boot. I had planned to sleep in a tent, but the couch surfing was Mel’s idea. I think I will also weave in a few detours, to catch up with some people from my past on the way.

So now the rest of the world knows. If you have words of support, please send them my way. Tips or where to get really good bike gear would also be appreciated. Anyone know how far I can expect to ride in a day? Well, I can say this. It wont be fun to start with, but I am damn sure it will build some character