Couldn't miss that one!!
My first view of the Pacific Ocean at Orewa
Dry pasture near Whangarei, where the 4 day Tour of the Northland is based. 500 riders in five groups according to ability...plus one hand cyclist
Our "digs" in Dargaville...
past splendour...now riddled with wood boring beetle holes, but still beautiful and built with a grand view.
On our way in the Bagage Train, ahead of the riders, going towards the Waipoua Forest, where the biggest Kauri trees are. Tane Mahuta is the name of the biggest one, just off this road, the girth is 45.2 feet and the total height is 168 feet....it is estimated to be between 1250 and 2000 years old. Some tree!!
Looking over dry paddocks to the Tasman Sea
looking out to sea across Hokianga (natural) harbour from our accommodation in Opononi.
Jandals on the beach.....Kiwi as !!
another dry sunset
On the way to Paihia, ....
coffee stop!!
car ferry from Opua to Russell
passenger ferry from Russell, across the bay to Paihia
All sorts of craft!!
and all sorts of fishermen too. This is a Marlin.
New Zealand has its own style of red phone boxes
Looking back across the bay to Waitangi, of treaty fame, to Russell, which was the capital city before Wellington.
The last day of the tour was wet...as it was last year!! Was this the end of the drought?
The Pirate won the 70+ group prize by over half an hour, and was the oldest rider in the race. Not bad over four hilly stages, total 340 km .
Stephen Cox, the organizer is on the left of the picture and Nathan Cox (his son) the race director is on the right.
Stephen was a international New Zealand rider on the road and is now the most respected event/race organizer in New Zealand.
We travelled with the MyBike team from Whangarei, fifteen of us, riders and helpers, a disparate crew brought together by the love of cycling. We made good friends, mucked in together and all worked hard, whether we were on the bike or not.
And the next day?.....mostly, back to dry weather...
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5 comments:
Well done The Pirate!
You'll not want to be coming back!
Congratulations to The Pirate, He seems to be achieving some excellent results.
Makes me feel like a sedentary slob.
You two are having a great adventure, keep the pics coming!
Oh. And the boat above the marlin? I want a boat like that. similar. with a deckhouse.
Well done, that man. Great times!
Some excellent photos, you are gadding about is some wonderful parts. It is very dry - the year we went was really wet, it must have rained nearly the whole time - and not surprisingly the country side was iridescently green! Well done with the racing - the Pirate is doing well.
the house has a charm of its own has it not?
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