PrincessBandit
26th January 2013, 23:04
Warning: this is much longer than I’d anticipated when I set out to write this so I hope it’s not too boring! [Left Aucks 2/1, returned 19/1]
Wow, what an amazing trip. We deliberately set out to take as many days as possible on this holiday to enjoy the scenery and take time to look around the places we stayed rather than the lions-share of the time devoted to being in the saddle. Our first deviation from our normal southward route was to take the Old Taupo Rd, just south of Karapiro, with a stop at the Whakamaru Dam. It was the beginning of a fabulous road trip off the usual main highway.
In Wellington our itinerary had to be changed almost immediately due to the West Coast weather (Harihari bridge and slips in the gorge). Instead of Westport, Hokitika and Greymouth we spent 2 nights in Christchurch with family and a night in Wanaka, which hadn’t originally been on our list. Our ride to Wanaka was superb and it was so hot we could hardly believe there had been snow on the Lindis Pass only 2 days before. At Wanaka it was sooooo hot and I found a new use for my mirrors: hanging my washed smalls on them to dry (parked outside our room…)
Next day was off to Glenorchy to Kinloch Lodge. We went via the Crown Range Rd with a brief stop for a fabulous coffee sundae in Arrowtown, and a laze on the grass at Wilson’s Bay just outside of Queenstown. The scenery was superb, the weather perfect for riding and even the last 10 or so km’s past the Dart River to Kinloch over gravel didn’t dent our enjoyment. Kinloch was picture perfect.
The weather wasn’t as kind when we left with drizzly rain, but what really did me in was the wind as we left Queenstown. By the time we got to Five Rivers my collarbone was aching dreadfully and the constant heavy buffeting had physically worn me out. However a second thermal layer of clothing and a cup of coffee in my belly and I was all good to go again! Te Anau was the only place we stopped for two nights, in order to do a day ride to Milford Sound. It was pretty chilly when we arrived in Te Anau, and still pretty chilly as we left the next morning for Milford. But again, I run out of superlatives to describe the scenery and views; absolutely breathtaking. The Homer Tunnel was an interesting experience especially for Balu, who was wearing clip on sunnies over his glasses… We booked a cruise and had a great time on a boat which had comparatively few passengers. This meant we had our pick of possies to place ourselves for the best views. Back on land for the return trip to Te Anau the temperature had picked up and we had a pleasantly warm ride back with even more stops for photos along the way.
The rain had set in again in a consistent drizzle when we left Te Anau the next day for Riverton, however it was not an unpleasant experience – rather we quite enjoyed the ride. Our accommodation was a BnB, which we’ve had no previous experience of in terms of a place to bed down. Having arrived a little sodden we were disappointed to find a note on the door “Back at 3.30” It was 11.30 in the morning. We decided to sod that (as sodden as we were); went into Riverton for lunch and promptly rang to cancel the reservation. Instead we were able to book into the Victoria Railway Hotel in Invercargill – a city we hadn’t intended to stay in. We were rapt that this change of plan worked out brilliantly. The owners of the hotel were fabulous and very experienced with riders booking in. Our bikes were able to go into the carpark building next door overnight and the hospitality at the hotel was superb. In addition we were able to walk down to E Hayes to enjoy the unique experience of this particular shop. Several photos later…we eventually exited Hayes to walk back to the hotel. We went for the cooked breakfast at the hotel the morning of our departure and our wonderful hosts piled extra on our plates in preparation for our ride ahead!
We were really looking forward to this stage of the trip as everyone has just raved about the Catlins. Now we know why. It was simply a joy to ride through this region, and we met up with Jantar at Curio Bay. The three of us travelled together to scumdog territory and we had a great time with more Southland hospitality at the Police Station. Then it was time to leave Jantar and Scumdog to head back the short trip to our accommodation at Kaka Point. By the time we got there it was a wonder we had any breath left to take away, everything was so picturesque. I must say Balu’s burgman did an outstanding job getting us, two up, up to the top carpark at Nugget Point to more stunning scenery.
Alas, the next day it was time to leave. However this was to take us into Otago, a region which my better half has dreams of us heading to permanently some time in the future. We took the kb advice we’d been offered and followed the river out of town (immediately left over the bridge) wending our way to Cromwell. FJRider was keeping an eye out for a burgman and a bandit while on the road for work and serendipitously he met us as we stopped to take photos of the bridge at Millers Flat. No surprises in that it was the burgman that caught his attention, complete with bandit following close behind. He suggested crossing the bridge and riding up the other side of the river all the way up to the Roxburgh Dam. It was a simply beautiful ride, effectively like riding a country lane, and of course the Dam was impressive. After a short stop for lunch in Clyde, with the obligatory stop for photos at the even more stunning dam, we continued on to Cromwell. We didn’t stop in Alexandra, but will definitely be back in the future to spend more time in this gorgeous region. We spent a couple of hours enjoying walking through Cromwell down to the old part of town then once FJRider was back we took more time to catch up with him. We had a wonderful time discussing the trip and listening to his advice on various routes and places of interest. As mention just before, it simply reinforced our desire to return to this area for further exploration and enjoyment in the future!
The last section of our trip was to head back to the West Coast as we had been able to reorganise accommodation for Haast and Hokitika. Leaving Cromwell we trekked toward the coast and were once again blown away by the stunning scenery we’re so blessed with here in New Zealand. The Gates of Haast is a must-stop-at point and even the slips along the way weren’t too bad. The worst one was no problem for motorcycles (just a bit muddy and wiggling our way through the earthmoving vehicles on the road – probably not so great for the busses and campervans we passed along the way) but we were glad to get to our destination. We were early enough to be able to visit the conservation centre just along from our motel then ride out to Jacksons Bay. That ride itself was awesome and we had time to stop at the historic Pioneer’s Cemetery as well. Walking up to the little glade where the graves are was quite surreal – it seemed such a bleak and lonely place yet rather lovely, in its own way. The weather was starting to pack up so we hightailed it back, at a rather faster pace, to Haast. Overnight the rain set in and it was to mark the beginning of our only miserable riding stage of the entire trip. Crossing the Haast bridge, which we’d walked to just the night before, you could barely see halfway along the bridge. The rain was like riding into a bank of fire engines in full operation and I could barely see Balu’s flouro wet weather suit (and couldn’t read the figures on my odo at all). On top of this I discovered my right boot wasn’t watertight and the whole ride to Hokitika my foot was trapped in a sopping wet sock. We flagged stopping at Fox Glacier to eat, pushing on instead to Franz Josef. We were so wet I nearly cried at the prospect of taking my soaked gloves off even to eat. The toilet trip after lunch was a horrific experience of being terrified I wouldn’t be able to get my gear off and back on again in time before the door unlocked! (One of those automated toilet door locks – :eek:). Anyways, the rain had eased a little as we arrived in Hokitika and we left wet trails across the floor of our room on the way to strip off in the tiny bathroom. We hung our gear as best we could then shut the bathroom door, leaving the heat lamp on for as many hours as we could. (Still didn’t really dry our gear that much). Having griped about the depressing rain, the scenery was still beautiful – what of it that could be seen. There were still so many places I really wished we could have stopped for photos but the prospect of pulling over, stopping and trying to remove wet gear in order to take snaps was out of the question.
The next day we were making for the Otira gorge, Arthurs Pass and Porters Pass on our way for a 3 night recovery with the outlaws in Rangiora. We’ve ridden this route before and enjoy it every time. Otira was riding through cloud; Arthurs Pass was the picturesque stop for lunch. We debated whether to remove some of our winter riding clothing as it was comparatively warm but wisely decided against – the temperature unexpectedly dropped again in Porters Pass so we once more thanked our good foresight of having packed a good quantity of winter riding gear. Our days in Rangiora were blissful with very welcome hot days and rest from the saddle. Not to mention home cooked meals and a chance to wash some smelly clothes!
Hanmer Springs was to be our last South Island stop before heading back to the North. Balu put it to me that we could spend the extra night in comfort with his parents but I was determined to return to Hanmer where we had experienced a wonderful stay previously. It was the one decision of the trip I really regretted pushing to stick to. The rain had set in on our day of departure (so much for getting our gear dried) but we were in high spirits. Those high spirits weren’t destined to continue. Not long after Amberley the temperature began to plummet :cold::cold:and the last hour and a half to Hanmer would have to rank right up at the top end of my misery-o-meter TM for riding. Despite multiple thermal layers of clothing we had been lulled into a false sense of security regarding the rain once away from the West Coast. The rain itself wasn’t too bad but the frigid weather was soul destroying. I spent the last hour of the ride chanting aloud in my helmet all kinds of encouragements in order to avoid mentally falling apart. As soon as we got to our (very nice) accommodation the pair of us left huge puddles of water in the reception foyer as well as our room. We also discovered that the temperature was going down to 6 degrees that night, so that coupled with the rain left us feeling like a couple of drowned rats. It also put paid to our plans of enjoying the hot springs as I couldn’t face either getting back on a bike or walking the short distance to them only to come back out in such shitty weather to get back to the motel. Despite the frigid cold, our room was delightfully warm and what a difference a night makes!
The next morning we left early in order to make Picton in time for our ferry. It was still only 8 degrees but there was no rain and the air was so crisp and clear. Our plan was to head across to Kaikoura via Mt. Lyford. Balu turned left onto Leslie Hills Rd (probably the GPS indicated this as the best way to go…) and we revelled once again in riding along the equivalent of a country lane. Which then turned into a gravel road. Which went on and on and on (except for bridges and intersections which were tantalisingly sealed, only to return to gravel on the other side). It also became quite pot holed, and muddy thanks to the rain the previous night. Just as we were starting to wonder whether a turn around was required the seal returned and once again we had stunning riding conditions. The ride across Mt Lyford was truly gorgeous. We also saw a few rabbits, hares, naughty lambs that had escaped their paddocks and even a wild goat with three kids at the side of the road. It was cold but in a completely different, and even enjoyable, way. As we headed away towards the Kaikoura coast the lift in temperature was noticeable (and appreciated!) A quick stop for coffee and fuel then it was full speed ahead for Picton. This part of the trip we’ve done many times by car and bike so despite the beautiful scenery our goal was really to make it to the ferry in time for check in.
At Picton we had the pleasure of chatting with other riders making the same crossing – a German rider who had shipped his bike out from Germany and had come up via the Molesworth road on his trusty BMW (could that have been Nobby??), and a woman making a solo ride up the North Island on her last week of school holidays (hi Wil, if you get to read this).
After the crossing it was business as usual, basically heading back up country to home. We stopped for the night in Wanganui to visit my gran, then other than a refuel in Taumarunui and a coffee in Pirongia, it was a straight run back to Auckland. And I must say it was sooooo nice to be home!
Highlights for me: too many to count. For the most part the weather was superb and everywhere we went the scenery was sublime. Meeting other Kb’ers was fantastic and now being able to put faces to names is great. Great road conditions in the SI with less traffic than I’m used to! Seeing a variety of live wildlife on the road including bunnies, lambs, goats and a Spyder :devil2:
Lowlights: 2 rides in shitty rainy cold weather which rank as number 2 and 3 (Rangiora-Hanmer and Haast-Hokitika respectively) on my misery-o-meter. If you’re interested, number 1 of all time on that meter for me was a ride from Wanganui to Taupo – again weather induced misery. The only disappointments really were not being able to take even more photos because it was just too much effort in such inclement weather, and not stopping at points of interest along the way because the signs then informed you that it was a “20 minute walk” from where you stop your vehicle (I didn’t fancy doing that in heavy bike gear especially as I’m not overly fit).
Things I learnt:
1 Always take spare gloves
2 Always have thermal gear and winter-weight liners for your gear even if you think it’s going to be summer
3 Have a plan for drying out boots if they get wet inside. Katman later told me scrunched up balls of newspaper work well; I also thought later (when it was too late) if I should have put some Tena pads to the test to see how absorbent they really are! Same could be tried for wet helmet linings…
4 I can enjoy riding at a slower-than-my-normal pace in order to soak up the scenery and experience. For us the whole trip would have been diminished if our rides had been reduced to focus on lines through bends and a narrow blinkered range of “road plus road edges” with no time to appreciate the landscape around us
5 I can make do with less spare clothing than I though I could
6 Our trip was just as much about seeing our wonderful country as it was about doing it on the bikes. It was a true pleasure to explore the places we stopped at, knowing we had planned limited riding each day in order to spend time in each destination seeing what was on offer.
7 I was astonished at just how many of my photos just had to include the bikes! My kids teased me “Here is my bike on day 1, here is my bike on day 2 beside the sea, here is my bike on day 3…”
I’m sure more things will come to mind, but this is already an extremely long read so I’ll stop. Thank you for spending the time to read through my ramblings, I hope you got some enjoyment out of at least some of it! I’ll try to upload some photos to an album rather than spending ages trying to work out the few “best” to insert here.
Wow, what an amazing trip. We deliberately set out to take as many days as possible on this holiday to enjoy the scenery and take time to look around the places we stayed rather than the lions-share of the time devoted to being in the saddle. Our first deviation from our normal southward route was to take the Old Taupo Rd, just south of Karapiro, with a stop at the Whakamaru Dam. It was the beginning of a fabulous road trip off the usual main highway.
In Wellington our itinerary had to be changed almost immediately due to the West Coast weather (Harihari bridge and slips in the gorge). Instead of Westport, Hokitika and Greymouth we spent 2 nights in Christchurch with family and a night in Wanaka, which hadn’t originally been on our list. Our ride to Wanaka was superb and it was so hot we could hardly believe there had been snow on the Lindis Pass only 2 days before. At Wanaka it was sooooo hot and I found a new use for my mirrors: hanging my washed smalls on them to dry (parked outside our room…)
Next day was off to Glenorchy to Kinloch Lodge. We went via the Crown Range Rd with a brief stop for a fabulous coffee sundae in Arrowtown, and a laze on the grass at Wilson’s Bay just outside of Queenstown. The scenery was superb, the weather perfect for riding and even the last 10 or so km’s past the Dart River to Kinloch over gravel didn’t dent our enjoyment. Kinloch was picture perfect.
The weather wasn’t as kind when we left with drizzly rain, but what really did me in was the wind as we left Queenstown. By the time we got to Five Rivers my collarbone was aching dreadfully and the constant heavy buffeting had physically worn me out. However a second thermal layer of clothing and a cup of coffee in my belly and I was all good to go again! Te Anau was the only place we stopped for two nights, in order to do a day ride to Milford Sound. It was pretty chilly when we arrived in Te Anau, and still pretty chilly as we left the next morning for Milford. But again, I run out of superlatives to describe the scenery and views; absolutely breathtaking. The Homer Tunnel was an interesting experience especially for Balu, who was wearing clip on sunnies over his glasses… We booked a cruise and had a great time on a boat which had comparatively few passengers. This meant we had our pick of possies to place ourselves for the best views. Back on land for the return trip to Te Anau the temperature had picked up and we had a pleasantly warm ride back with even more stops for photos along the way.
The rain had set in again in a consistent drizzle when we left Te Anau the next day for Riverton, however it was not an unpleasant experience – rather we quite enjoyed the ride. Our accommodation was a BnB, which we’ve had no previous experience of in terms of a place to bed down. Having arrived a little sodden we were disappointed to find a note on the door “Back at 3.30” It was 11.30 in the morning. We decided to sod that (as sodden as we were); went into Riverton for lunch and promptly rang to cancel the reservation. Instead we were able to book into the Victoria Railway Hotel in Invercargill – a city we hadn’t intended to stay in. We were rapt that this change of plan worked out brilliantly. The owners of the hotel were fabulous and very experienced with riders booking in. Our bikes were able to go into the carpark building next door overnight and the hospitality at the hotel was superb. In addition we were able to walk down to E Hayes to enjoy the unique experience of this particular shop. Several photos later…we eventually exited Hayes to walk back to the hotel. We went for the cooked breakfast at the hotel the morning of our departure and our wonderful hosts piled extra on our plates in preparation for our ride ahead!
We were really looking forward to this stage of the trip as everyone has just raved about the Catlins. Now we know why. It was simply a joy to ride through this region, and we met up with Jantar at Curio Bay. The three of us travelled together to scumdog territory and we had a great time with more Southland hospitality at the Police Station. Then it was time to leave Jantar and Scumdog to head back the short trip to our accommodation at Kaka Point. By the time we got there it was a wonder we had any breath left to take away, everything was so picturesque. I must say Balu’s burgman did an outstanding job getting us, two up, up to the top carpark at Nugget Point to more stunning scenery.
Alas, the next day it was time to leave. However this was to take us into Otago, a region which my better half has dreams of us heading to permanently some time in the future. We took the kb advice we’d been offered and followed the river out of town (immediately left over the bridge) wending our way to Cromwell. FJRider was keeping an eye out for a burgman and a bandit while on the road for work and serendipitously he met us as we stopped to take photos of the bridge at Millers Flat. No surprises in that it was the burgman that caught his attention, complete with bandit following close behind. He suggested crossing the bridge and riding up the other side of the river all the way up to the Roxburgh Dam. It was a simply beautiful ride, effectively like riding a country lane, and of course the Dam was impressive. After a short stop for lunch in Clyde, with the obligatory stop for photos at the even more stunning dam, we continued on to Cromwell. We didn’t stop in Alexandra, but will definitely be back in the future to spend more time in this gorgeous region. We spent a couple of hours enjoying walking through Cromwell down to the old part of town then once FJRider was back we took more time to catch up with him. We had a wonderful time discussing the trip and listening to his advice on various routes and places of interest. As mention just before, it simply reinforced our desire to return to this area for further exploration and enjoyment in the future!
The last section of our trip was to head back to the West Coast as we had been able to reorganise accommodation for Haast and Hokitika. Leaving Cromwell we trekked toward the coast and were once again blown away by the stunning scenery we’re so blessed with here in New Zealand. The Gates of Haast is a must-stop-at point and even the slips along the way weren’t too bad. The worst one was no problem for motorcycles (just a bit muddy and wiggling our way through the earthmoving vehicles on the road – probably not so great for the busses and campervans we passed along the way) but we were glad to get to our destination. We were early enough to be able to visit the conservation centre just along from our motel then ride out to Jacksons Bay. That ride itself was awesome and we had time to stop at the historic Pioneer’s Cemetery as well. Walking up to the little glade where the graves are was quite surreal – it seemed such a bleak and lonely place yet rather lovely, in its own way. The weather was starting to pack up so we hightailed it back, at a rather faster pace, to Haast. Overnight the rain set in and it was to mark the beginning of our only miserable riding stage of the entire trip. Crossing the Haast bridge, which we’d walked to just the night before, you could barely see halfway along the bridge. The rain was like riding into a bank of fire engines in full operation and I could barely see Balu’s flouro wet weather suit (and couldn’t read the figures on my odo at all). On top of this I discovered my right boot wasn’t watertight and the whole ride to Hokitika my foot was trapped in a sopping wet sock. We flagged stopping at Fox Glacier to eat, pushing on instead to Franz Josef. We were so wet I nearly cried at the prospect of taking my soaked gloves off even to eat. The toilet trip after lunch was a horrific experience of being terrified I wouldn’t be able to get my gear off and back on again in time before the door unlocked! (One of those automated toilet door locks – :eek:). Anyways, the rain had eased a little as we arrived in Hokitika and we left wet trails across the floor of our room on the way to strip off in the tiny bathroom. We hung our gear as best we could then shut the bathroom door, leaving the heat lamp on for as many hours as we could. (Still didn’t really dry our gear that much). Having griped about the depressing rain, the scenery was still beautiful – what of it that could be seen. There were still so many places I really wished we could have stopped for photos but the prospect of pulling over, stopping and trying to remove wet gear in order to take snaps was out of the question.
The next day we were making for the Otira gorge, Arthurs Pass and Porters Pass on our way for a 3 night recovery with the outlaws in Rangiora. We’ve ridden this route before and enjoy it every time. Otira was riding through cloud; Arthurs Pass was the picturesque stop for lunch. We debated whether to remove some of our winter riding clothing as it was comparatively warm but wisely decided against – the temperature unexpectedly dropped again in Porters Pass so we once more thanked our good foresight of having packed a good quantity of winter riding gear. Our days in Rangiora were blissful with very welcome hot days and rest from the saddle. Not to mention home cooked meals and a chance to wash some smelly clothes!
Hanmer Springs was to be our last South Island stop before heading back to the North. Balu put it to me that we could spend the extra night in comfort with his parents but I was determined to return to Hanmer where we had experienced a wonderful stay previously. It was the one decision of the trip I really regretted pushing to stick to. The rain had set in on our day of departure (so much for getting our gear dried) but we were in high spirits. Those high spirits weren’t destined to continue. Not long after Amberley the temperature began to plummet :cold::cold:and the last hour and a half to Hanmer would have to rank right up at the top end of my misery-o-meter TM for riding. Despite multiple thermal layers of clothing we had been lulled into a false sense of security regarding the rain once away from the West Coast. The rain itself wasn’t too bad but the frigid weather was soul destroying. I spent the last hour of the ride chanting aloud in my helmet all kinds of encouragements in order to avoid mentally falling apart. As soon as we got to our (very nice) accommodation the pair of us left huge puddles of water in the reception foyer as well as our room. We also discovered that the temperature was going down to 6 degrees that night, so that coupled with the rain left us feeling like a couple of drowned rats. It also put paid to our plans of enjoying the hot springs as I couldn’t face either getting back on a bike or walking the short distance to them only to come back out in such shitty weather to get back to the motel. Despite the frigid cold, our room was delightfully warm and what a difference a night makes!
The next morning we left early in order to make Picton in time for our ferry. It was still only 8 degrees but there was no rain and the air was so crisp and clear. Our plan was to head across to Kaikoura via Mt. Lyford. Balu turned left onto Leslie Hills Rd (probably the GPS indicated this as the best way to go…) and we revelled once again in riding along the equivalent of a country lane. Which then turned into a gravel road. Which went on and on and on (except for bridges and intersections which were tantalisingly sealed, only to return to gravel on the other side). It also became quite pot holed, and muddy thanks to the rain the previous night. Just as we were starting to wonder whether a turn around was required the seal returned and once again we had stunning riding conditions. The ride across Mt Lyford was truly gorgeous. We also saw a few rabbits, hares, naughty lambs that had escaped their paddocks and even a wild goat with three kids at the side of the road. It was cold but in a completely different, and even enjoyable, way. As we headed away towards the Kaikoura coast the lift in temperature was noticeable (and appreciated!) A quick stop for coffee and fuel then it was full speed ahead for Picton. This part of the trip we’ve done many times by car and bike so despite the beautiful scenery our goal was really to make it to the ferry in time for check in.
At Picton we had the pleasure of chatting with other riders making the same crossing – a German rider who had shipped his bike out from Germany and had come up via the Molesworth road on his trusty BMW (could that have been Nobby??), and a woman making a solo ride up the North Island on her last week of school holidays (hi Wil, if you get to read this).
After the crossing it was business as usual, basically heading back up country to home. We stopped for the night in Wanganui to visit my gran, then other than a refuel in Taumarunui and a coffee in Pirongia, it was a straight run back to Auckland. And I must say it was sooooo nice to be home!
Highlights for me: too many to count. For the most part the weather was superb and everywhere we went the scenery was sublime. Meeting other Kb’ers was fantastic and now being able to put faces to names is great. Great road conditions in the SI with less traffic than I’m used to! Seeing a variety of live wildlife on the road including bunnies, lambs, goats and a Spyder :devil2:
Lowlights: 2 rides in shitty rainy cold weather which rank as number 2 and 3 (Rangiora-Hanmer and Haast-Hokitika respectively) on my misery-o-meter. If you’re interested, number 1 of all time on that meter for me was a ride from Wanganui to Taupo – again weather induced misery. The only disappointments really were not being able to take even more photos because it was just too much effort in such inclement weather, and not stopping at points of interest along the way because the signs then informed you that it was a “20 minute walk” from where you stop your vehicle (I didn’t fancy doing that in heavy bike gear especially as I’m not overly fit).
Things I learnt:
1 Always take spare gloves
2 Always have thermal gear and winter-weight liners for your gear even if you think it’s going to be summer
3 Have a plan for drying out boots if they get wet inside. Katman later told me scrunched up balls of newspaper work well; I also thought later (when it was too late) if I should have put some Tena pads to the test to see how absorbent they really are! Same could be tried for wet helmet linings…
4 I can enjoy riding at a slower-than-my-normal pace in order to soak up the scenery and experience. For us the whole trip would have been diminished if our rides had been reduced to focus on lines through bends and a narrow blinkered range of “road plus road edges” with no time to appreciate the landscape around us
5 I can make do with less spare clothing than I though I could
6 Our trip was just as much about seeing our wonderful country as it was about doing it on the bikes. It was a true pleasure to explore the places we stopped at, knowing we had planned limited riding each day in order to spend time in each destination seeing what was on offer.
7 I was astonished at just how many of my photos just had to include the bikes! My kids teased me “Here is my bike on day 1, here is my bike on day 2 beside the sea, here is my bike on day 3…”
I’m sure more things will come to mind, but this is already an extremely long read so I’ll stop. Thank you for spending the time to read through my ramblings, I hope you got some enjoyment out of at least some of it! I’ll try to upload some photos to an album rather than spending ages trying to work out the few “best” to insert here.