I stayed on a campsite the other night on the top of a big hill, halfway through the forgotten worlds highway. I took this photo the next day from the lookout on the hill. The view was amazing!


( Read more... )

I just finished a freaking crazy assed ride through the Forgotten World Highway. Those hillls. Had hills. I was incredibly beautiful through there. I also passed through a tunnel, where I ran into a big rock, and went over 12 km of unsealed road, where I'm happy I didn't fall off my bike. I passed the 5000 km mark on my odometer today, all ( Read more... )

Yesterday I did the Tongariro crossing, a big hike near Taupo, through a number of new and old volcanic cones.

( details )

Yesterday I did the Tongariro Crossing. All 17 km of it, with a side trip up picturesque and heinous Mt Ngauruhoe (Mt Doom from Lord of the Rings.)

Photos and more explanations coming soon.

I was planning on biking today, but my quadriceps are really tired. :P

In Tauranga now. Got dumped on with rain the other day, glad I had the new jacket! Staying here tomorrow to meet a friend of my uncles, and then it's off to Rotoroa (sp?) Uploading a ton of new photos at the moment.

It's been a good Waitangi weekend! Simon and I went hiking in the billygoat pass near Thames (no one pronounces the h in Thames, it's weird.) The billygoat pass was great. It was a 5 1/2 hour hike up and up, and then around some great hills, and then down again. There were some cool swing bridges, and a lot of streams. We had a meal at the ( Read more... )

Spent the weekend in the Coromandle peninsula with a german tourist, Simon, who I met up in Russel. Went on a few hikes, it was good times ( Read more... )

I'm in thames, on the Coromandle peninsula. I met a guy briefly yesterday when I was leaving Auckland. He was touring on a mountain bike, four panniers and a trailer. Like a mini land train. He'd been travelling for 3 1/2 years, and covered so many countries. Wild ( Read more... )

So it looks like I'll be working for the wild foods festival! Ha ha, I have no idea what I'm getting myself into exactly. Should be fun, and some money in will be good. :)

I spent last night drinking wine, getting silly, laughing a lot and playing cards with some people in the hostel, it was a really good time.

I'm on the road again! I headed out of Maungakaramea about three days ago, south towards Auckland. I headed along Parparoa road, which runs parallel to the state highway for a while. It was pretty good, not much traffic, hills weren't too bad. From there I headed to SH 1, the main highway into Auckland. I stayed in Kaiwaka for the night, ( Read more... )