Cycling NZ26 - Day 1 - Finding Sanctuary

Well I’m set. I think I’m set.  No, I’m sure I’m set.  The bike is built, the luggage is packed. Time to go…

I’ve been into town and found the departure pier for the 45 minute ferry to Beachlands. You can imagine why it is so called huh?  I have bought factor 50 sun cream as there is no ozone in the southern hemisphere so being frazzled is what happens to unwary sweaty blubbering wrecks post their long hauls from frozen parts of Europe and the UK. 

I smile to myself when I look down at the floor, as perhaps I did today after Hairy Melon unceremoniously ejected Mr Softee from her cave.  You have to look past him to know that approximately 8000 miles that way, straight down that pipe, lies a cold Britain and a frozen York.  Eight-thousand-miles. 

I imagine I am a trainspotter. Hand in hand with Ewan McGregor we momentarily swim together around the U-bend where with a wave he lets me go.  I descend faster and faster with my eyes closed. I’m dreaming of home.  The sound of a screaming kettle wakes me up as I am ejected out of my bathroom toilet back home shivering and naked onto the cold tiled floor!   I’ve seen this shit before!

https://youtu.be/mlB6bv4get4?si=jx3y8d4NTDoRAqoW

Feck that little dream!

Time for a cup if tea. It’s 4am Zulu. 

This is the 3rd time I've been to this country.  Travelling 11000 miles the long way around.  Irradiated by atomic nuclei for almost 24 hours whilst flying high. My ultra expensive dinner pizza probably had a less daunting experience in the microwave whilst being reheated last night  for it was not being molested by Kathy too. 

I’ve zapped myself.  Yes the pizza gatling gun arrived about 1830 and was gone by 1831.  My body which is stuck in a time lords time warp is currently battling the attack of the Daleks. Yes I’ve been stunned by them, that is the sun, the food and the gin clear fresh air which has left me almost comatose - so hard am I battling the desire to sleep. 

It probably did not help spending some time with my hosts Kevin and Natalie and a beer or two. Whilst Kevin is a bit shtum about what he does, Natalie is a sculptor with her own shop in town which is suffering a bit because like back home folk here are not really spending either.  Nonetheless he must be a good earner having such a big house in a lovely suburb of Auckland.  I think I’m in what would be called the granny flat. An appropriate room for me. 

We chatted some. And found were had similar thoughts about the state of the world and the political and social shenannigans that surround everyone on this planet today. Although I could never imagine Kevin rolling his sleeves up to fettle a shitty ubend. When asked if he might have a track pump so I can better inflate my bike tyres before I set off well yis he does but it probably wont work because the connector is only for inflating their surf boards. It didn’t. Some people have all the fun huh?

I’ve also visited the local cafe a couple of times. Nice but not cheap. In there I got chatting to a lady, I would guess in her 70’s, festooned in flowing chiffon - with her mate in tow.  She rocked up in a rather swanky white Range Rover and her mate by the look of her on a fly bitten horse. 

Chiffy as I called her was a white immigrant. By marriage of course. Some 45 years ago. Originally from Wiltshire but who now spends her summers in New Zealand, her winters in Turkey and visits family in the UK once per year. Her pet horse however was having trouble eating her soft eggs out of her nose bag. She had lost all 4 front teeth some time ago.  A wannabe Dame Edna she says. A big boomy laugh!  For sure she has Australian DNA in her bones. 

We chat a little about the weather and in the mix of giggles and smiles note that we have similar humour. Chiffy is a lady who is not shocked by Michael McIntyres comedy although she agrees it is a bit samey but who like me use to love Jethro. Sadly with us no more.  

https://youtu.be/-C3W49DgcnU?si=z2m5QqI2qH4jwAiY

We chat and giggle half an hour away. I am struck again how happy and nice both of them are. Wishing me a wonderful time in New Zealand.  I must’ve made an impression because moments later Chiffy’s horse reappeared with her front teeth in. For me?  Not really. I think simply because scrambled eggs was no longer on the menu. 

Now my planned route today takes me to a place called Miranda. Nothing had been booked and my worry all along right to this point was that I hadn’t booked for this area, nor for any other. Over the past few weeks I’ve been trawling Booking.com/ Hotels.com and the like trying to find a place to stay.

Nada. That was unless I wanted to cough up a lot of dosh for a posh farm home stay or stay in a shed in the mountains at the bottom of someone’s back garden. Friday was a bank holiday and folk tend to migrate to the country and coast most weekends.  I really did not want to start so soon with the wild camping and the other places with availability were almost in the wrong direction near Hamilton.  Randomly I start to search Google using different key words like hostel and bunk room  - and lodges. 

Anyway this little sanctuary popped up!

https://shorebirds.org.nz

It’s on route. 130 dollars (about 55 quid) for a private en suite room.  Surprised they had weekend availability!  I need to bring food with me as there is nothing there ‘cept for clear night skies and seabirds.  It all works out in the end eh, Wayne 😊👍🏻

Well thats it. Bags are packed. I’m away for the ferry later this morning. I will try the Garmin tracker function for all you dot stalkers out there. 

And finally, this place has been a first class find. So much better than a hotel. For what it is in the UK expect to rent similar for twice the price.  I will leave my hosts Kevin and Natalie a first class review 😊👍🏻

Just hoping my arrival tonight is nothing like this! 😳

https://youtu.be/kkz9HI75R2c?si=TcrFAosbu_TZypjI

Ciao for now