Introduction

Well, it's time to start packing my bags again.  Headed for New Zealand this time, and biking something called the Tour Aotearoa.  I believe the official Tour Aotearoa is a full-on mountain biking/bike packing route but I'm not that tough.  I have found a NZ company, Escape Adventures NZ, that does a fully supported version of the ride.  While the recommended bike to use is a hard-tail mountain bike, we'll be on "sealed" roads 58% of the time.  The remainder will be 18% quiet gravel roads, 22% cycle trails, and a bit of beach-riding plus one section (that I know of) of what sounds like single-track.  I'll be renting a bike from the tour company.  Apparently they have been kind enough to switch the brakes for me since (along with cars driving on the opposite side of the road to North Americans) their bike brake levers are generally on opposite sides to ours. 

The route is 3000 km.  We will cycle this over 34 days, so an average of about 90 km per day.  Longest day is 140 km and the shortest (the last one) is 31 km.  We have just 5 rest days thrown in; less than I'm used to on a long tour.  Lots of ups and downs.... an average of 3300 feet per day; yikes!  We have 3 days over 5000 feet and another 7 over 4000 feet.  All this on a mountain bike and about half of it off paved roads.  The scenery is supposed to be spectacular, though, and I'll be out there on the route for many hours each day so lots of time to enjoy it!  This is the time when I wonder what the heck I've gotten myself into!! 


I'm heading out on this one on my own, the lone Canadian.  I'm not sure exactly what the group looks like, but I think this is what we have.  Four (2 couples) Americans, four (1 couple, 2 single guys) from the UK, and one fellow from the Netherlands.  It also looks like there will be one or two joining us for the South Island only - Australian, I think.  

The website has pictures from previous tours, and everyone is smiling and laughing.  What could possibly go wrong?  Wish me luck! 

A quick note about the blog.  I'm guessing I will have little free time on this tour to keep a blog going.  I'm also not sure what internet will be like along the way.  I'll try to keep at least a skeleton blog going, but no promises..............


Comments

  1. Lynn CJanuary 2, 2023 at 1:54 PM

    Sounds ambitious, indeed, Sue. But I am sure that you will love it! It's sounds like it is made for you! I will be looking for the blogs, but understand that they may be spotty. Have a blast!!! Take care...

    ReplyDelete

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