On Friday 18th November 2016 we leave the UK, San Diego bound. With no plan but to pedal for 5 hours a day and see where it gets us. Hopefully in Florida by the end of February! Buying kit (the best bit) has commenced and so has a few bike rides…so, 12 weeks and counting when we are outta here!
The road south west took us from the Alps to Ocean Trail through Wanaka and finished in Queenstown. We completed this over 3 longer and more arduous days. The prevailing wind was a force to be reckoned with and our daily average speed was again reduced to 5-6mph. This misery was however improved by the very light traffic and incredible scenery.
We stopped in a small, but bustling town of Wanaka. A hub of activity, travellers and cool cafes and bars. A much needed rest allowed us time to recuperate for a difficult ride ahead. From Wanaka, we would cycle over the Crown Range Pass. Even Mark Beaumont, having recently broken the world record for cycle racing around the world mentions this particular spectacular ride as one of his most memorable. https://markbeaumontonline.com/ 1096m in height to gain through rolling terrain over 75km, halfway through we started the 4 hours of steep climbing to the summit. With no more gears to fall back on, it was a slog turning the cranks and almost a struggle keeping the bike upright at such low speeds.Near the beginning, and as per usual, I watched Amy sail off into the distance. Her strength and dogged determination never ceases to amaze me. 3 1/2 hours later we met at the top to an incredible view down a huge valley into Queenstown. The same distance we covered climbing was then completed in 30 minutes flying down the mountain at 35/40mph with views we will never forget.
It was here that we clung on for the last remaining days of cycling, we were only just warming up! The camping routine had become second nature, planning food and cooking for days on the road was now fun and not having a plan for the next day made everything so free and simple. With return flights home booked we decided to ‘relocate’ a car which allowed us to take in some of the highlights. And highlights they were. Milford Sound, Fiordland, was on the list, the 4 hour drive in itself is worth paying for and despite the heavy rain that provided waterfalls three times higher than Niagara words can’t describe the sheer size of this world heritage site. Sat on a small boat it is hard to put into perspective how colossal these towering peaks of rainforest and waterfalls are; we really hoped that it would remain undeveloped for years to come.
We took in the Queenstown cable car and luge, it would be wrong not to. It would also be wrong to come to NZ and not experience wine tasting…so, back on our bikes we mapped a decent trail ride of 20 miles to the Gibbston Valley winery along the Shotover and Kawarau rivers. Once our bodyweight in wine and cheese was consumed the ride back resembled more of a wobble in an attempt to work it off. More stunning scenery as the jet boats tore past with hoards of tourists up and down the river and under the world famous bungee jump bridge, we gave that one a miss. Back in the car our tourist route north out of the Otago region gave us another stop not to miss, the Fox glacier. At 13km long it attracts 1000 visitors a day at peak time, no wonder the walkway directly onto it is now fenced off but it still allows for a rare sight as it lies nestled between rainforest.
We soon realised that this would be our last driving holiday…after hours spent cycling on the open road this relationship was not designed for close quarters, especially 23 hours of them over 1000 miles confined in a hatchback! What a relief to be back in Auckland with Kate, James, Maddie and Finn for final family time and a sunshine filled Christmas. There is little time here to stop and do nothing, this country is wasted if you don’t get out and do. You can discover a source of water whether it be a lake, river or coast within an hour of most places, there is a mountain to ride, ski or hike on, or just a road with so little traffic on it’s accessible to pop somewhere without the congestion we endure in the UK. Auckland on the other hand is facing it’s own traffic issues so we caught the ferry, rode the city bike paths and camped a couple of nights up in regional parks on the west and east coast north of Auckland. We spent an amazing Christmas Eve hiking across dunes to a picnic spot by a lake and walking back through a river to cool off from the hot sand. Christmas Day was equally fun spent kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and barbq prepping.
This is country has a lot to be proud of and also to keep secret. We find it hard to name our favourite part or memory, it is unique and special in so many ways. We’ve lost count of how many Kiwis we’ve chatted to who are in fact Brits who never went home and we can appreciate why. Everything seems easy or without fuss, “easy as”. There is no rush, people are friendly and keen to help, the beer though is pricey and prices are also high for goods exported despite them being grown or reared on home soil. Cafe culture is big and tasty! There aren’t as many sheep as we first imagined yet lots more cows with a big dairy industry. The flowers and colours are something else. The mirror like water is magic. It is clean and organised and even in the smallest of towns there is a helpful information desk prepped for the next tourist to ask the same question. The campsites and Department of Conservation (DOC) regional parks welcome every type of camper and cycling tourers aren’t uncommon across the country. Although the government have plans to change this we have found the current best way to bikepack New Zealand is via the trail network. Other than other people’s similar blogs we found using the following sites to help us along;
https://nzbybike.com/https://www.nzcycletrail.com/So it’s a final farewell to family which is always the hardest part…something tells me it won’t be the last trip though. Onwards to Hong Kong before the last slog back to the UK.
After the devastation of the 2016 Kaikoura earthquake the highway no.1 remains closed. As a result our chosen route on the HW6 has taken the brunt of the traffic, in particular, lorries. We weighed up our pride vs. safety and the latter won having heard of a number of recent cyclist deaths along here that we would now, without doubt, avoid. So, another bus journey and possibly a more terrifying experience with an angry Kiwi at the wheel driving it like he’d stolen it.
It got us safely into Greymouth where we’d start our next off-road ride, the West Coast Wilderness trail totalling 130km. Another well marked and documented attraction in the cyclist community it took us through fords, passed old mines, rode on flat disused railway lines, amongst lupin meadows and forest sections. All in all a beautiful route over 2 days ending in Hokitika back on the beach. Still working south towards the start point for the famous Alps to Ocean (A2O) trail…looking at the map this was easy; ‘just over the mountains’ and we’d be in Aoraki/Mt. Cook. Not so easy, the passes are impassable by road and it would require a 6-day riding detour or a couple of days travelling by car. There would also be some pretty serious climbs involved…so we got another bus and headed for Christchurch. The more luxurious option here is to catch the TranzAlpine train, next time.
Christchurch, a small city with a lot of life. In the aftermath of the huge 2011 earthquake there remains evidence of its destruction. The cathedral is still a pile of rocks, some of the old shopping mall is made of shipping containers. There is construction work going on everywhere but another calm and clean city with a friendly vibe, no gridlock streets and no sirens. We were sad to leave but with bellies full of cafe/deli food it was time to hit the road again ready for our camping kitchen and luxury bedding. We got dropped off at Lake Tekapo where the A2O commenced. Soon pedalling along the top of the canal network and at the foot of the towering Mt.Cook region, the bluest glacial lakes and zero cars. It was quite a privilege to ride along this section in the shadows of NZ’s highest mountains and areas only accessible by foot or bike, I was pleased not to be on the campervan trail this time.
For weeks now the locals have wished for rain, today was that day and it didn’t stop for 12 hours. I was back in 4 layers cold and soaked and although we definitely haven’t lost the love for the NZ dream it soon resembled the Welsh Valleys dream as the wind and rain hit us on the nose, the landscape ahead was dark and depressing! When waking up in the smallest 2-man tent known to man it’s difficult to spend the day in there waiting for the weather to pass. So we took it on and suffered as a consequence! 5 hours later we’ve enjoyed a sunny afternoon on a campsite drying out the kit but with a miserable 3 day forecast and limited time we’ve made a decision to head west instead…pride has not got the better of us in not completing the whole trail (to the ocean) and tomorrow we begin in a Wanaka direction and over the 600 mile mark.
We have made good progress since the West Coast of the north island and had always planned to head south as quickly as possible, a.to see what the fuss was all about and b. To highlight places we may want to re-visit on our way back north later this month. One of those spots may be the lovely Wellington city, mega chilled out, safe, clean, quiet, loads to do and see around its coastline. We chose to ‘rest’ here so off we went for a mornings bike-ride around the bays and a visit to the Te Papa museum.
The ferry crossing over to the South Island is a scenic 3.5 hours, this is the only access route to the South Island other than flight. The Interislander cruises through the sounds and passes old whaling stations before docking into Picton where this time we were met by a pre-booked public coach to transfer us and bikes over to Nelson a few hours away. This bus broke down. Not in the plan! Nor was it being on a blind bend, at the foot of a mountain with 45 elderly and immobile passengers wilting in the midday heat. We survived but plans changed, they always do!
We chose to ride west and pay a visit to the Abel Tasman national park. Wow. To get here we picked up the Great Taste Trail, 70km of off road, gravel track, bush and beach trails through forest and farmland. It was exhausting but exhilarating and we finally rested in a camping cabin at Kaiteriteri beach. This would see us into our next rest day…12km kayaking seal spotting around the islands🙈leaving this popular tropical sun-spot the next day we then rode through valleys of wine country. The road and cycle networks are organised and well signed, it was greener than ever, we experienced more clean open roads with little or no roadkill, and of course an endless supply of mountainous scenery fit for postcards. After 2 riding days and 140km into Murchison we settled into another campsite after washing in the river. It would also become apparent that over the last few days in the South Island, albeit in the Southern Hemisphere nothing much can kill you by its sting or bite…although SANDFLIES come very close.
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(Matt) Leaving the lake at Taupo was sad, but over here, leaving most places the next morning is sad. For me, so far, this place has been astounding. The people are friendly and easy going, you’re surrounded by cool stuff to do (everywhere), the scenery is epic, the weather has been amazing and best of all, it’s been great on our bikes.
Majority of the roads have a reasonable hard shoulder and roads that don’t are quiet enough that it’s just not a concern. As with any place, the arterial roads nearby large towns or city’s have been busy and the logging trucks aren’t much fun but it’s entirely manageable with the shoulders. That said, we have made a concerted effort to stay away from the roads as much as possible given the nature of the bikes we have brought out here. (The rest could be boring if you’re not into bikes!)
New Zealand is a haven for outdoor pursuits and mountain biking is on that list. Whether you are an amateur off-roader like us or mad down hiller, this place has everything. Long trails that are well signed and prepped for adventure are all over this country. There is no shortage of campsites and usually amenities are just within reach on the bike. Perfect.
A lot of research went in to finding the ‘perfect’ touring bike after our lessons learnt in America. We needed a bike that would both cut through an off road trail, but also sing along the tarmac over an extended distance. I found the Giant Toughroad SLR1. Bike wise in the USA, we missed out on so many opportunities to explore off the beaten track. On road bikes and skinny tires it was tarmac or nothing.
With fast rolling 29er wheels, a lightweight and strong aluminium frame that’s built to be racked out, flexible composite forks and a relaxed mountain bike geometry, they seemed the ideal solution. So far they have been. Out here, we wanted to do as much gravel, single track, byways and ‘offroading’ as we could (and also could handle!). However, we still needed the ability to bang out 100km on the road to cover the distance. The Toughroads have met that criteria and excelled. The gearing range is just about wide enough to haul a load (4 panniers) up a steep, rutted gravel track yet also run up some speed on the flat tarmac.
Even without the front suspension and while carrying a load, the Toughroads took to a single dirt track through New Zealand’s bush with ease and the most important thing, we felt confident on them. The composite forks gave just enough flex to make the ride enjoyable and big wheels with gravel tires made it fun. On top of all that, the bomb proof disc brakes made it safe.
On the road, the bikes take some peddling to get them motivated in a forward direction, however, once rolling they are easy to maintain cadence and speed and are a pleasure to ride. We have added handle bar bar-ends to have an extra position for our comfort and grip and you can sit on these most of the day without too much discomfort!
Judging a bike is always difficult when they are burdened with 4 panniers, handlebar box, extra water (4kg) and food but I honestly believe these bikes do it well. These aren’t today’s true mountain bikes, they are definitely not road bikes and they’re not even gravel bikes, they are somewhere muddled up in all that (mountain bike end) and seem to everso slightly slide on the scale depending on the surface you are on.
All of that being said! We have hosted people on warm showers at our house that have cycled from Hong Kong to our tiny village in the midlands UK on an old steel framed mountain bike with half flat tires and a suitcase strapped to the back knowing virtually nothing about bikes at all. So I guess what it comes down to what you want out of your trip and what your budget is!
We set off by 7.30am with the plan to avoid the high temperatures…it worked and we got to our first stop, the Aratiatia Dam in good time ahead of most (other) tourists. That said, about 50 local cyclists joined us soon after on their warm up for tomorrow’s 100 mile ride around Taupo. Won’t be joining them🙄there are a number of options leaving the dam and we chose the MTB trail which on the map took a leisurely roll along side the river, passed Huka Falls for about 12km. This turned out to be a lie. We needed a breather away from the main highway and a chance to see what these bikes were really made of but single track carrying panniers is not your normal sight. The transition between road biking and mountain biking, for me in a nutshell is; concentrating on cadence and avoiding lorries and the latter; having the technical ability to stay up right, using gears/brakes to maintain speed and above all have balls of steel. I likened this trail to Cannock chase (in the UK), there was nothing easy or unskilled about it so Matt was quickly in his element. The amount of concentration required sapped all of our energy but as a result we had a brilliant time and would recommend this to anyone wanting to get off road with suitable bikes and some nerve!
It was back on the hard black stuff after here and as we hit the midday heat the asphalt began to melt, makes for interesting traction. Distraction this time was the beautiful lake and those crazies 15000ft high leaping from the numerous planes free falling above our head. We picked up the lake path and rode through national reserves with swimmers, sunbathers and school trips, lots of activity here but oddly quiet.
Today things started to click, they say it’s often at least a week before you find a flow on the bike and the saddle becomes ‘comfortable’ day after day. And then I cried, not due to any pain this time but as we scaled yet another 12% climb out of one side of the vast Taupo lake and down into a long fast sweeping descent I was actually moved to tears by the scene that met us. I will try my best not to overuse the words ‘breathtaking’ and ‘epic’ but already it’s happening! As we crest each hill they all become worth the effort with the stunning mountains and lakes, it is everything I imagined plus some.
How better than to end a long 50mile day than to bathe in the (cold) lake, do some washing and lap up the sights…it would be easy to get blazé about our tents front garden! Another campsite with amazing facilities, hot showers, fridge and basic cooking kit. The mood is brightening up in the Kingsford camp too, our exchanges have now moved on from one word grunts to short sentences, happy days.
The next day quickly became one big, long turn and burn. It was just short of 50 miles but with an initial 700m/2300 ft. climb to warm us up with it wasn’t going to be an easy one…We smashed it, it continues to amaze me how Matt is now pretty much on my tail…with one less limb. It was also the sort of journey that would remain silent, I’ve learnt my lesson trying to converse! At the base of this said climb Matt look toward me and said “sorry, it’s time” as he put his headphones in. So half way up I did the same (but without headphones as think it’s risky), I shuffled the music and first to play was ‘Joy & Pain’ which is now appropriately named my track of this trip. For the next few hours I was able to focus on climbing into Tongariro National Park (a World heritage site with snow capped volcanic peaks) by listening and reminiscing of only 6 months ago getting my rave on in Ibiza. Sorry to our one-day kids that your 35 year old mummy once went raving, in a nightclub, in Ibiza🙈
With our limited time we’ve opted to jump on the occasional public transport, not only to maximise the cycling highlights but to also see the country from a variety of perspectives. At the end of this day we chose a bus which took us 100km south west into Whanganui. A small pretty town, once voted the 8th top place to visit it is sat on the river and has a very relaxed feel. We checked into the lovely family ran YHA to de-bug our kit, do laundry and explore on foot for a days rest.
We are slow. We are tired! Two days in and we’ve quickly remembered how hard those first few days in the saddle are. I keep trying to justify our fatigue with the jet lag excuse but it’s validity is expiring. There are a number of contributing factors that we hadn’t expected so soon. Namely, the monster climbs just getting out of Auckland and the heat. The first few hours of our ride yesterday I had mixed emotions of what lay ahead and I soon felt envy of every camper-van that drove by us. Adding to that was a tearful goodbye between myself and Kate; it’s been years since we hung out but we share so much in common and I wanted her to join us on our adventure. Matt however, was keen to press on and smashed up the hills better than he ever has. This energy didn’t last too long though! We spent our first night on the road camped in little Nemo overlooking Rotorua lake. Asleep by 9pm our bodies were crying with pain.
My favourite season at home is Spring, the bar has just been raised, Spring here is magical. I’ve never seen depth in green like it, it is rich in colour in every direction with an abundance of wild flowers and the scent of honeysuckle providing a good distraction from the logging trucks that bolt by within reach. Matt would describe our scenery and landscape so far as the Lake District on steroids, I’d have to agree. Our short days of actual riding enabled us to stop off at certain highlights and today we finally found some designated safe cycle paths to reach them. We did what every other person did and headed to the thermal pools, perhaps the reverse of what we needed at the time with bath like sulphur smelling water of 40+ degrees. This area is filled with steaming volcanic lakes and every now again another one will pop up, it’s quite an eerie sight. Our only access point to a certain bath was via a gravel track of 6km return…this would never have happened without the bikes we’ve selected and so far they are running well on the bigger tyres.
Tonight we’ve found a Chinese ran campsite on the road side, it’s pretty isolated and no food available for miles in either direction. We arrived prepared with supplies but with half our food melted or wilted! New Zealand you are hot and we already look like those stripey sun burnt British idiots dehydrated and weary. It’s an evening of chatting to a German cycling couple who are towing a trailer with their kit as we discuss and plan tomorrow’s destination.
So we’ve been away almost a week and haven’t pedalled a single stroke…after a lot of hours sat on a plane, consuming far too alcohol in Dubai with old friends and enjoying the luxury of my cousins family pad in the suburbs of Auckland it’s time to stop procrastinating and get on the road. It was an amazing week leading up to our departure too, we witnessed our best friends get married, I found out I was going to be an Aunty and we purchased brand spanking new bikes!
With them too having survived the flight and now re-built we are quite apprehensive of what this trip has in store. We craved for more freedom but without a clear plan and structure of a route we are literally deciding whether to turn left or right out of Auckland! Kate has kindly offered to drive us just south out of the city, there is one main arterial road which is basically the M1 so we’ve opted to avoid on day 1. Once we are out of here it’s Rotorua bound, Taupo, the Tongariro crossing, Ohakune, Whanganui then onto Wellington for the ferry crossing to the South Island. And our tent.
Auckland is beautiful, we have used the time here to relax with family by the pool, stock up on supplies, find portable food, and climbed a view point over the sprawling volcanic city. We even joined in the local Beach series event which saw Matt compete in the the 1km sea swim and I run a 7km coastal run…albeit with the tide rushing in and swimming part of it. New Zealand makes outdoor activity like this accessible for the family and with a back drop like this who wouldn’t take part. We are quite quickly sold on this place.
Panniers packed, good to go.
How has that been a year already! How time flies when planning the next trip…almost exactly to the date on 16th November 2017 we leave for Auckland with the plan to cycle from North to South Island in little under 5 weeks. Not quite the 3000 miles as before but with new and improved kit, less time constraints, a mere 2 stone lighter (Matt!) and even more isolation this trip is set to be an entirely different challenge. We cannot wait and since being back from America have longed to be back in our little tent thinking of ‘where next’, without the everyday stresses of life and a phone in hand or email to reply to.
America did change our lives. It highlighted so many things we wanted to change and gave us time to make new decisions and choices which we feel are for the better. I went back to firefighting, but only lasted a month. Having extended the sabbatical I used the time to re-qualify in subjects I wanted to explore, took great pleasure in learning about gardens and the outdoors and spending as much time as possible in them and in my home. Matt on the other hand pursued his skills in woodwork, reached his goal of purchasing another property and took the time to eat, cook and exercise in a new way he never thought was possible.
So now what; with 4 weeks to go we must rectify the issues we faced before. Ie. cooking, off-road terrain, weight distribution and non-supported endurance. (plus the obvious avoidance of a Mexican dentist and the Type2 diabetes amount of sugar digested)
Matt’s solution – buy everything new that looks shiny, just turn up and see what happens. Amy’s solution – sell all our stuff, buy second hand and read reviews/blogs/books until blue in the face. Oh, and train every day.
Compromise…we have sold 3 of our old bikes and went bike shopping today 
Rough distance to cover: 1000 miles from Auckland riding a direct route to the crossing and then working down the west coast of the South Island taking in Abel Tasman, Franz Josef, Mt Cook and over the mountainous area into Wanaka/Queenstown. We plan to camp a whole lot more during this period so our cooking system is priority in getting it right and being prepared. With a population of only 4 million New Zealand will be remote at the best of times! We may call upon our trusted WarmShowers community, of which we have loved being host to so many interesting people this year in our own home.
The cycle network over there offers more trails and off-road sections so the bike set-up has to be right. Our skinny tyres just won’t cut it and I don’t think Matt could face more punctures like day 1 of the U.S! We have opted for additional front panniers this time so the weight is equally balanced plus it allows us to carry more cooking equipment.
As I write this the UK has just seen the back end of Hurricane Ophelia and whilst the skies have turned clear blue and the sun is shining over the village church England is and always will remain home. That said, I won’t miss another gloomy December exploring the magic of New Zealand!
The last few days have been a bit of a blur. A rest day near the end of our trip was needed to ensure we finished on a high. Ichetuknee Springs was the place for this and the Kayaks were deployed (well, rented). Paddling down a spring-fed crystal clear river (I literally mean like tap water) in glorious sunshine surrounded by jungle on both sides, we chilled. Huge fish swam underneath us, hundreds of turtles watched us drift by and woodpeckers entertained us along the river banks.
That night we relaxed around the camp fire exchanging stories and tips with Bo. A 65 year-old cyclist (retired accountant) starting out on his solo adventure heading west across America. Truly humbling when old timers like that are doing what you’ve just done, on their own!
Amy’s motive the next day to the city of Gainesville was clear. Alison and Paul (her parents) were here for a holiday and to see us finish the trip. 45 miles were blasted away with help from some local cyclists who tagged onto the last 20 miles into the city and we were all reunited by late afternoon.
Originally we had two more days of cycling to do, however a plan was quickly hatched to cycle the remaining 85 miles in one day. The panniers were loaded into the back of the hire car and a time trial race to the finish ensued, with our new support crew and photographers in tow.
With the flat roads and blustery winds that seemed to come in random directions we averaged nearly 17mph over 84 miles. Not bad considering I was happy with 14mph average over 20 miles before I came our here! I can say I can just about, nearly keep up with Amy now….
We arrived in St Augustine at 15:05hrs 26th Jan 2017 thus completing our journey through 8 states across the United States along the Southern Tier cycle route. 2 tubs of sudo cream, a Mexican tooth extraction, snarling chasing dogs, huge trucks and a little over 3000 miles later we’ve arrived. The bizarre thing is we don’t know how to feel. Elation and pride that we have completed our journey safe and in one piece but also sadness. What was once a challenging ordeal at the start of the trip has quickly become our, perhaps temporary, lifestyle.
This trip would definitely not have been the same if not for the people we have met on the road. Namely people on Warm Showers and others that took us in for temporary adoption! Whether bringing much needed protein and healthy food over 150 miles or plying us with drinks and teaching the Texas Two step, we are forever grateful.
Having had time to rest at the finish line, both of us are strangely eager to get back on the bicycle and do more.
So was it what we expected? We discovered that we certainly married well, how much we appreciate family, friends and ironically, England. To be clear, neither myself or England are perfect! However, just like England, America (or what we have seen in the south) has its fair share of (different) problems. I’m certainly no hippie or green peace activist but how does the most powerful country in the world get away with the bewildering amount of waste here! A small example; every motel, hotel, and most eateries and households serve food and drink with plastic and polystyrene plates, cutlery and cups! All to be thrown in some seemingly never ending landfill. Virtually NOTHING is recycled out here, it’s insane.
In my opinion, it’s questionable that this really is a free country. We’ve met people who pay more for their health care than they do for their mortgage, spoken with teenagers who’ve hidden under their desks at school while other KIDS threaten people with assault rifles, cycled through entire towns that have been abandoned by their people and their country and watched so many hugely overweight seemingly trapped Americans go back to that supersize Big Mac and unlimited soda refill time and time again. We’ve listened to a country that is so terrified of dying from the next terror attack but probably won’t see it anyway due to diabetes, heart disease or just another American with a gun. Perhaps there is freedom of speech, but where is the freedom in any of that?
The average American (we’ve seen in the south) is a hardworking, family person that seems truly enslaved by the fast food industry and therefore reliant on an extortionate healthcare and medication system, and so the cycle continues…Some would say the ‘corporations’ perfect business plan?
All that said, this place contains some of the best human beings we’ve met on the planet. People who will go out of their way to help you, not just because we were cycling, but just because, that’s what they do. We have been sheltered from storms, fed when needing it most, helped on the side of the road and given a warm bed by strangers. By people with huge wealth or by others with not so much. From being alone in the desert to exploring the bustling streets of city’s, there has never been a time we have felt threatened or unsafe. And on the flip side with firearms, most Americans are safe with their guns and in fact some rely on them to hunt and feed their family and I don’t believe taking away someone’s way of life is correct either…some complex issues!
America is truly a beautiful place. We’ve been blasted by the sand in deserts, burnt to a crisp in red rock landscapes, frozen up mountain passes, eaten alive by mozzies in the swamps and seen wonder in small jungles but we only saw a fraction of this vast Country. We’ve cycled through virtually every weather system, from scorching sun to hail storms and narrowly missing tornadoes that killed 20 people a mere 70 miles away…It’s no wonder people spend a lifetime exploring the USA.
We first intended this blog for our children to read one day, no slide shows like our parents did for us! But for those of you that have bothered to read this blog wherever, whoever you are, thank you for putting up with the sometimes trivial drivel that to us at the end of an exhausting day was putting it mildly!
So in summary, yes, it is what we expected. An incredible journey with highs and lows through an interesting and beautiful country, meeting interesting, inspiring and generous people with just a few Big Mac and cokes thrown in for good measure.
Sad sad times…we are shocked and saddened to learn of the tragic accident that killed Mark Baumer, the inspiring guy we met only days ago “barefoot walking across America” along the same highway we are traveling on. Our thoughts are with his family and friends who we are sure are so proud of his tremendous efforts in his plight to raise awareness of climate change. His videos highlight a lot of the truth out here whatever you believed in.
Kingsford's go pedalling 
