I think you've got the entire contingency of CB kiwi's following you 😊

I had a failing pump on my solo Pyrenees trip--one advantage of travelling with a partner is redundancy of essential tools (we carry two pumps between us). I thought it was me but when I got home nobody could get it to work so I chucked it and got my first Lezyne Micro Floor Pump. Yes, first, because I now have both an HP model for the bike I rode then and an HV model for my current bike with its bigger tires.

HaHa! That black and white bird is a magpie. They can be annoying around nesting time, usually just a close fly by, sometimes a whack on your helmet. S/he showed you!

It has a distinct smell. It’s very similar to the smell when you arrive in Hawaii.

Thanks for following along! I am loving the comments from everyone.

Oh! That sounds fun but Europe will happen another year. Enjoy!!

I love the jungle smell!

I've just found this journal and catching up! As Trish has mentioned it's always interesting reading about our country through a newcomers eyes. 'Tropical' was a surprising word and made me smile 😁! It would seem that way after arriving from your cold Northern winter. You've arrived just as summer has made a proper appearance. We've been waiting for ages. Great timing. I'm looking forward to following you along, having done trails around NZ as separate trips. It will be interesting to see how they all join up.

You can join us in the Netherlands in May :)

Whanganui River Road - one of my fav bits of road on this route. The Whanganui River has a lot of history and was the only way to access that area all the way up to Taumaranui. Pity you skipped the Bridge to Nowhere and jet boat experience as it is a gem. The boat operators are wonderful people and run a nice campground at Pipiriki. I think you may be rushing things a bit... stop and smell some more jungle :)

Bummer..

I loved everything about that trail. Absolute treasure.

It was unreal! We call ours woods or forest. Yours is so different in a beautiful way.

The thing I left out of this story was how straight Mr. Moffatt gave it to me. He said things about my classmates you’d never say today.

Hurrah!, Beautiful scenery.

Did you love the NEW Arataki swing bridge? The old one had no base boards, just wire mesh and only one person allowed at a time. Crossing was very slow with each bike popped onto its back wheel and the rider balancing and either pulling or pushing their loaded bike to the other side. Too narrow for paniers, so they had to be shuttled across separately. So good to see that Arataki is now ride-able!