Cycling New Zealand 2026 - Episode 5

 As I say to most folk if you have made it this far then you deserve a medal bigger than the one that I awarded myself for completing the ride. Here's episode 5!

In this episode I finally arrive in Wellington and so complete my ride down North Island. Even though the virus blew a hole in my schedule I still had plenty of time to make it to Christchurch as originally planned. I was improving with each passing day. Nonetheless the virus - which I now think was Covid because of the symptoms - even though I had been given the jab in November last year, still really made cycling difficult all the way down to Wellington.  At least two and a half weeks with a general malaize and achy legs meant that the cycling was at times just plain hard work.  

I still had 10 days before my flight back home and so was really looking forward to cycling South Island. 

Oh, I was out on a bike ride yesterday and bumped into another cyclist.  He commented just how good n crusty and purposeful my Surly Moose looked and told me of his ride and how he had once upon a time ridden from Land's End to John O'Groats.  Yeah, I've done that twice says I.  AND I'm not long back from my bike ride in New Zealand.. and oh have you tried the North Coast 500 yet.  Er, no he says in awe that an old fat bloke with wonky skinny legs had done so much.  

Yeah, just thinking of the journeys so far.  In that I've just about done every long distance bike ride in the UK which now has me thinking - where next?

 Let me know what you think .  Try not to kill me please... :-)

Ciao for now