If you object to swearing or support labour and the greens – please don’t read on any further – you might be offended 😎

Day one 105kms 7 hours 500 m

TA is the short form for tour of Aotearoa a 30 day race or cycle breve ( that’s a classy French fancy word for bike backpacking between two points – good for crossword and wordle) , from the top of New Zealand at cape Reinga to the bottom at Bluff . It’s 3000 kms on the road some hard out biking . When we did it in reverse as a group from bluff during Covid I mo always thought it might be possible to do it off tar seal mostly – gravel or shingle roads and bike trails to avoid the f…kn trucks that frighten the hell out of roadies.

I knew it would be harder and a lot slower riding gravel plus lots more hills – but – my lovely e-bikes will help .

So this log might work or not – only because I ride , maree and the boys drive the mobile home and we meet up at the end of each day .

Its a month to get from cape Reinga to Wellington – that’s the plan 😊.

Day one -cape Reinga to Ahipara down 90 Mike beach .

It’s the one day on the plan I had most concern about – it’s a long way and difficult ( and if it goes wrong there is no way off the beach – no road – no rescue ) , especially if it’s blowing southerly – guess bloody what – it was ! strong SW 25-35 kms per hour gusting 45 – but at least not raining .

We were camped at Ahipara in the far north and it needed to be a super early start to get on the beach at three hours before low tide – that’s why we started 22nd Feb for an 10 am low tide which meant being at the cape by 7am . Turns out the first wave of the real hardout TAs were also starting that day – 100 of them . We were a bit late as the 100 kms drive north included an essential coffee cart stop so started riding about 9 am – bit risky as if I was super slow I would get tangled with the incoming tide – anyway ride for16 kms down the road turn left at te paki stream road and hit the beach . Nah – no one told me there was a stream to ride down and push at the end of the dead end road – a surprise and nearly sent me the wrong direction !

Onto the beach and the SW headwind for 6 hours – blew out two 700 watt batteries and had to push without ergs for the last 25 – as my friend Steve said once when riding up to hilltop on the way to Akaroa “- Boycie there are some things you only do once” – yep . A beautiful day spoiled by a bastard wind.

I caught up with the 20 or so TA tailenders that left 2 hours earlier – I had battery then so they drafted behind – but couldn’t hang in at 15 kms per hour the wind floored them . Some started walked complete shot to pieces – and out of 100 fit people 5 pulled out on day 1 – too hard .

I shuffled into camp, the heiniken tasted bad , didn’t feel like food , showered and bed – a day not to remember 😎

Day 2 Ahipara to Rawene 65 kms 700 meters 3 hours

Lovely quiet no traffic Sunday morning ride after coffee n avo toast in Ahipara on the way out . Maree drive into Kaitaia for some groceries then through on google maps to a great little pub at Kohukohu near the Rawene car ferry to take us across the Herikina harbour . There was a local Maori pool clubs playoff happening so lots of funny stuff n singing . Really nice people . At Rawene in the late afternoon Maree got a call from niece Niki to say that Allen her 83 year old brother was in hospital and given only two days – bloody hell – how does that happen and so fast – poor Allen apparently out picking up kids to go to Electric Avenues gig and happy as that as an uber driver he had a big day ahead – then pain and going ! We headed for Whangarei first thing Monday to get maree on a plane to Christchurch but Allen didn’t last one day so she didn’t get to say goodbye – the dreaded 80’s.

Also mayor of New Plymouth and as it turns out the leader of the most effective lobby group in NZ – the NZ trucking Association. They have Transit NZ in the palm of their hand ! Or maybe it happened when they changed their name to from Transit nz to NZTA – the NZ Transport Agency – then later to Waka ….. Kohatu and they all focussed on their Te reo lessons . But – that’s when the truckers won- big time . So NZTA allowed faster , longer , and yes wider truck – they even adopted what could only have been a piece of Harry’s PR blurb and called them HPMV – high performance motor vehicles- with special license to terriorise cyclists and others using the roads .

sSo the boys and I are alone till Friday – Whangarei , Kerikeri , Beatiful matauri bay and back to Kerikeri to pick maree up – then maybe restart the biking .

Anyway back while I have a minute to the ride to Rawene. Here are some pictures

See the beautiful cattle farm.

See the pine plantation on pastoral land.

The three pictures of farmland tell a big ugly story – which I couldn’t get out of my mind as I rode – the utter stupidity of ideologically driven politicians who leave a nasty smell behind them for decades.

In the pictures you see prime sheep and beef farming with beautiful charolis cattle each worth about $2000 living a two year idyllic life and after a ride in the country and a quick painless end – steaks , roasts , corned beef and hamburgers – food for the world unless you happen to be greenie who live on air.

On other side of the road similar prime pastoral land planted in pine trees for carbon credits – something no one heard of until the fifth labour government of Helen Clark who under dumb shits “ministers for the environment” MPs – Mallard and Benson – Pope created the Emissions Trading Scheme or ETS to trade NZUs or carbon units equivalent to a tonne of atmospheric carbon – you gone to sleep yet – well don’t the rest is fascinating just for its sheer stupidity ! NZU s are the nz equivalent of bit coin – except with bit coin the number of coins is fixed and the market sets the price. NZU numbers are decided by government – they can increase or restrict the number to drive up or reduce the price – speculators started to get into them too – but – got burnt and realised that NZUs were a con !

You might remember Mallard – idiot – was speaker of the nz house of parliament and decisionmaker regarding parliament grounds – when Covid protesters invaded the grounds ,instead of listening and getting the police to move them on .he turned on the water sprinklers and blasted them with Barry Manalow bullsit songs and the Macarena which they danced to and played back loud as hell the Kora song – Polly Polly Polly politician – make the right decision………

So emitters ( oil companies, power companies , coal fired boilers in manufacture ( ha – but not schools or hospitals cos that’s govt owned not private enterprise and they exempt themselves from the cost just like they do rates – did you know that – one of the reasons why Wellington council finances are stuffed – so many govt buildings ) started under Helen Clark’s dying government in 2008 to buy NZUs and absorbers like forest owners got credits of NZUs and could convert them to cash . Farming was left out of the ETS but there was pressure from dumb greenies probably didn’t eat at all .

Along comes the fifth national government of John keys and more ideologically driven environment ministers including the worst politician for asking your advice then not discussing anything you said just launching into his own preconceived view – bloody Nick Smith now mayor of Nelson no less.

2015 Paris accord on climate change – signed by most countries , ignored by many, and Trump just pulled USA out of it -world’s largest emitter !

Also the other two massive emitters China And India have not started to reduce Carbon emissions since 2015 cos they are developing nation poor things ! So between these three countries there is about 75% of the carbon being created – NZ is .8% yes less than 1 % and most of that from agriculture producing food . By the way the Paris accord article two says – yes every country needs to reduce carbon output to 2005 levels by 2050 and get half way there by 2030 -but – not at the expense of food production . Where have you ever seen that part in the lefty NZ media . Don’t stop food production – article 2.

Fast forward – here comes Jacinda Ardern and the sixth labour government including the Nz first ,Greens and Maori party – a naive bunch of left wing private enterprise and agriculture hating members of parliament that New Zealand had never seen before and made worse by the second three year term where Covid hysteria abetted by the left leaning media ( who will ever forget Jessica and TiVo ) put labour in without the moderating influence of NZ first . Jacinda declares a slogan ( so full of slogans ) that climate change is this generations “ nuclear free moment “ – what bullshit and arrogance – but it got her the worlds attention – all she really wanted .

So under climate change minister James Shaw but particularly the radical reports of the climate change commission chaired by an exceptionally intelligent .partially blind academic for Canterbury University Dr Rod Carr ,with the longest most disgraceful beard I have ever seen – decided the only way for nz to meet its climate change obligations under to Paris according to 2015 was not to cut back emissions but to step up absorption – not to stop burning a million tonnes of Indonesian filthy coal at Huntley for electricity or to reduce the number of cars we drive , or build hydro power or really encourage solar – shit no – we needed to stop pastoral farming and plant pines – plant baby plant !

So – the NZU price get massaged from $30 to $80 per carbon tone ( the climate change commission wanted it to be $200 !) . All of a sudden farmers get more for their carbon absorbing pine trees than food production – plus the regulations for foreign ownership of forests and forest land created a bubble – and where there’s money there’s crazy- the land price goes to $18000 per hectare for forest verses $12000 for farming – money talks – labour claps – how clever are we .

But soon the devastation to communities of conversion to pines starts to hit – schools close as farm workers leave and tural towns shrink . A classic case -wairarapa – 2500 hectares of flat to rolling beautiful livestock country sold to “ the chocolate princess “ from Switzerland – she needed the carbon credits as offset to her carbon emissions from her chocolate empire on Europe.

So from 2017 ( Jacinda was elected in 2016 ) to 2024 there was 270,000 hectares of pastoral land put into trees some to be harvested in 28 years some in very close planted nonprunned, vermin infested carbon tree stands . By now in 2025 that will be 300,000 and from that 3milion lambs production per year lost ( about 15 %of our total 20 million ) – and it’s still happening the prediction being we as a country will go to 15 million lambs produced for food in the next 5 years – that’s about $1000 million- yep a billion $pa of overseas earnings lost per year – and the trees – zero $ and zero employment . But don’t we look good to the rest of the world .

So – this is on my mind as I bike quietly to beautiful Herekino harbour .

Actuality in 10 years when we look back at what Jacinda and her friends did to nz we will have forgotten the Economy shambles that grant robinson minister of finance left behind ( he has been called the worse finance minister since Rob Muldoon in the 1970’s-and- an economic vandal ) , . Or the rampant crime, and kids leaving school unable to do maths or read , or the mess left behind when health and water was centralised to Wellington decision makers useless bastards. No – the one thing that governments after them can’t repair is the thousands of good farming hectares in Pine trees for ever . Very sad 😔

Days Monday 24 th to Friday 28th

maree was in Christchurch initially hoping to see Allen but when he died on the Monday stayed with Kay, Joan , and Karen plus all the relatives for the funeral on Thursday and the wake at the cashmere country club.

Boys and I travelled the far north – Kerikeri, matauri bay , and Paihia beach – fab places as pics to follow show

Matauri bay camping place

Day 3 – Marees back ! We in Paihia in a lovely camping place amongst olive trees – 4 nights here so settled .

Back on bike – Paihia to Kaikohe on the twin coasts trail – 54 km , 700m , 3 hours – easy day once on the trail at Kawakawa – there is a 17 km trail from opua but I missed it somehow – anyway a lovely pretty flat ride through farmland on what once was a rail track – goes in behind Moerewa beef processing plant owned by Tally’s – immaculate as their plants always are – but deserted on this Saturday – strange as it’s peak season! Ah – yes – it’s those bloody trees creating lower beef cattle. !

Day4 TA Gravel . Second day of twin coasts trail from Kaikohe to Korere on the Hokianga Harbour . rode the white bike which was probably a mistake as it had some steep slippery sections – beautiful hot day .

Day 5 Paihia to Whangaruru beach

66kms 1200m 3hrs 30 – great day on the bike – very isolated area and steep – off road saw no cars or people for a couple of hours – would have been much faster on tar seal – but – sometimes the slow way is better . Life is laidback up here – like cars on beach , talk talk talk at the camp office on how to propergate plants from seeds and fruit – like slice a strawberry in half and put slice part down in the soil and cover – strawberries will appear .

Day 6&7 TA gravel . Well it was two days planned biking which we decided to do in one day – have the extra day at Whangaruru – so I asked for it eh !

But first – it’s the end of the day – sun poring down – we safely in our camp spot at wangarei – and best of all beef time – Heineken can ice cold . But – f….k – I am on number two can – sat back down after a string of jobs like water filling ,Boys spirals, Boys cage .…, and took a swing on my can ! Yuck Shit – nasty taste and gritty – marees used my previous can as an ash tray and I took a swing on it . Oh no – solution – open a third and drink the lot 😊😎😊

Tutukaka to wangarei s short cut

All up a long day 85kms ,1400m climbing , 5 hours biking plus strong head wind but no rain so no way am I complaining.

Lots of steep hills and shingle before hitting the tutukaka coast – then fab beaches – surf and far enough away still to be isolated . Saw no one and no trucks for hours 😊❤️😊.

Lena had said that Aucklanders saw tutukaka like South islanders see Nelson – must go there someday – and they even see it as the abel tasman of their north. Guess what – it shows – you can see the change in the cafe at Tutukaka- well dressed , nice sunnies , fast cars , big boats – must be from Auckland! Sure as hell haven’t seen that sign of wealth in the far north.

Also guess what – no pine trees – yep all day just beautiful rolling dairy and pastoral land once I left behind the scenic reserves that no one goes to cos it’s way off the beaten track .

Nothing toxic here- which brings me to something else . The world watches gasping at the toxic , nassistic ,bastard they now have as president in USA . Just treated the president of Ukraine to super nasty public dressing down in the Oval Office – the guy who has lead his country in 3 years of war against one of the worst dictators known – Putin !

And Donald duck refers to Velenskyy as a dictator and war monger . Donald D is just a despicable mob boss – and – the USA has him in power for 4 years ahead – the worlds a mess – thank god we are the last bus stop and so far away from them.

Had to feel sorry for Mike hosking on news talk ZB this morning – he just can’t get past the school lunch debacle as much as he tries to. It’s such a laugh – if it wasn’t such a crazy mess .

Started of course under Jacinda – as lunches to those kids in real need – I think 20,000 across nz . No one wants kids at school hungry – But then in the spirit of kindness it Expanded under labour to over 300,000 or 50 % of all school pupils cos no kid should be hungry – right – pity about the parents who can’t possibly supply a lunch for their kids . Where the hell are they !

Inherited by National and Seymour with a plan to cut the cost from $7 to $3 by cutting out the sushi and couscous ! Anyway fast forward to now – been a few hiccups in delivery and the parents ,teachers and unions are upset – poor things . Then this week Luxon on Hoskings made a true statement- “ what’s with the parents – and- if the kids don’t like the new lunches then get the parents to provide a marmite sandwich and apple !” That’s what we had plus tomato squashy sandwiches sometimes .

It’s bloody nuts – and yet no one can see the joke .

Anyway – hosking got excited – stuff on line , who only criticise and take the labour/greens/ Maori view on everything carried Luxtons marmite comment – plus an on line survey – 55% agreed about parents taking the iniative and providing a marmite sandwich . Hosting was ecstatic ! Shit we live in trivia eh !

Day 8 TA gravel Wangarei to Marsden point then to Mangawhai. 100kms , 1300m ,4and half hours

Was always going to be a long day – before I took a wrong turning coming out of Whangarei – with hindsight – “ how could I be so f…n stupid “

. That’s why I always take trips with Ralph at global adventure tour – maps and detail his strong point – my weak one . Anyway I kind of headed off north west rather than south west – the the wahoo said take this side track – it was a great gravel track up and up – great because it was a logging road and ended half and hour later at a huge locked gate. Was a great view up there though .

That got me thinking about acknowledging our weaknesses – mine includes detail , planning , and following a map – plus – realising early when things are off track . I remember one of those bullshit management training sessions of the 80’s – we had to talk about our weak points – most there just invented stuff – but I do remember saying I wasn’t great on detail or finishing stuff .

Anyway – oh that’s right – one day maree and I were talking about why she is so much better than me at word games and spelling and detail stuff – she said and this is without a word of a lie “ your not intelligent you are just cunning “ – nice eh .

So it was a bit of a painful retracing of where I had already biked then a crossroad to link up to the proper track – guess what – I should have known – the road was called “tiger peak drive “ a- would you have thought could find another way – steep but lonely cos no one else is stupid 😎

Next problem arriving at wangarei heads after 50kms and 1000 m climbing – time for a latte – I ask casually so where does the ferry to Marsden point across the harbour leave from – answer – there isn’t one you have to go back to wangarei and go round the harbour – oh shit – can’t face it .

Out with Google – find an obscure reference to a casual water taxi run by Blair . Called him and hey presto – arranged to leave in 30 mins from Reitahi bay – 10 taxi minute ride $100 . Well bit of a rip but the alternative was sooooo bad .

After pretty dire ride through The shut oil refinery at Marsden point – shut during Jacinda’s time with clapping from the greens who hate cars . Anyway it actually was a great shame – it was producing a product vital to NZ – Shane Jones’s right about it being strategic not to rely on shipments of fuel out of Singapore – when I mentioned it to Blair thinking he would agree I got an earful about Shane – turns out Blair besides running an expensive water taxi also does fishing and diving charters – he’s seriously pissed that Shane has reduced the catch quota for crayfish and king fish for recreational fisherman and handed it to the commercial guys -plus- taken the surveillance cameras off commercial fishing boats – he reckons there is “ pay back happening “.

Anyway onto the tarmac road down the coast – it’s getting richer and more refined in every way the closer i get to Auckland – the food is more varied like sushi and halomi and the people look like they are nice wine drinkers !

Great to get to campsite by the seashore- all set up by the lovely Maree.

TA gravel – day 9 Mangawhai to Sandspit via Matakana

Seemed a hard ride today – headwind – but think it was stress trying to stay away from killer trucks – more later .

Super nice start to the day in Mangawhai with maree and boys biking on trails to coffee .

Took the white bike but it behaved badly – puncture and jumping chain so dialed up the support truck ( like maree) and swapped over to the levo 29 mountain bike – nice .

Found shingle – called cemetery road which is not a fun name – plus it lead on to what was the scariest road just before Matakana valley road – whangaripo valley road – near wellsford . 5 kms of narrow blacktop with no run off at the side and enormous truck and trailers carrying aggregate from two quarries nearby – crazy guys going at the speed limit with no regard for a bike or anyone else – probably contractors paid by the number of loads for the day . I just couldn’t believe it cos there was no way out no driveways to pull into or verge – survived and got the name of the quarry company “ Rodney Aggregates” – I emailed them but they all probably just hate bikes so I feel pleased to survive.

Strange thing was there were other trucks on the road – like “ Rhodes for roads “ that were safe .

After Matakana it is only a short bike to lovely sandspit beach – I was thinking about a Hosking comment – he just cracks me up – sometimes they are so short so cryptic that you would miss them – so he’s talking about Greg Foran ceo of air nz that he says he likes , who resigned – had enough after 8 years – who can blame him with dumb engines, massive gaps on plane deliveries and COVID shutting NZ down – all of them decisions or consequences made in prior years before he got to AurNz by other idiots . But he left being positive. Hosking couldn’t let him go without a dig . Says AirNz has gone backwards – true ! And isn’t up with the best – true . And lost the undying support on NZers – true .

But then the little side comment – Foran had said the AirNz was up there with airlines we benchmark against – but to Hoskings that’s like “ red rag to a bull “ – why compare with the mediocre- why not compare with the best – Singapore, Emerites ,Qatar….. . Then the crack up which I am sure I am the only one who caught it – it’s like Grant Robertson ( you know last disastrous finance minister under labour) when asked how the NZ economy was – he said ok compared with “ others we reference to “- Hosking said well maybe he thinking of the Democratic republic of Congo or Ethiopia or other disastrous failed states ! Priceless e- but true eh 😊

sandspit – beer and fish n chips at the yatch club after a long hot hilly day – nice😊

TA Gravel day 10 – Sandspit to Orewa ( Auckland ) – 40kms, 620 m , 2 hours

Great riding through rolling countryside and steep bush – hard to believe this close to Auckland there seem to be few secondary roads and gravel – so on the tarmac . I guess it’s just steep as and few people so no need for roads other than no exits . Lovely area around Waiwera where the wonderful Hauraki Gulf comes into view.

It was about Waiwera I saw the first Porsche and from there on seemed like I had struck the Urban Ute capital of NZ – so Ranger, D-max,Navarro, Hilux, amarok, and Rambo ( no just Ram ) – but the deal is none that I have seen have tradies tools on board or bails of hay . They are city People who want to look big and feel Rambo !!!

After the slow quiet north -?Orewa sure has a vibe – lot more immigrant small businesses around – and open sundays ! A few closed up premises due recession but lots out brunching .

While thinking about recession the news of the week was the early resignation of reserve bank governor Adrian Orr – frankly surprised he lasted this long but I guess he has a five year term extended by his “mate in disaster “Grant Robertson . Widely acknowledged that he lead monetary policy through unprecedented times during and after Covid – but can’t be forgiving for major mistakes – way to loose for to long ( not so much the incredibly low interest rate – all developed economies went there) but the inflation boom bust money printing they developed a name for to hide what they were doing – “quantitative easing “. Like borrowing as a country like there was no tomorrow and pumping it in the banks and economy creating huge demand and prices . Everyone remembers the 20% increase in house prices and not being able to buy a car, motorhome,ebike even for cash . Well the effects are now – and – Orr is blamed for being too loose and in the last year to slow to bring the OCR interest rate that banks pay for overnight money down .yes- he wants inflation down to 2% but how fast that’s the issue – plus there are parts of inflation that no amount of high interest rates can’t fix – like power charges, gas charges, rates, international food and commodity prices and of course petrol . Above all no genius can find a way to recover from the 35% increase in the minimum wage that Michael woods and Jacinda pushed through inn2017-2022- it created wage inflation at every level of the economy as relativities were maintained . Labour of course believes that the money grubbing employers could absorb it – so naive – how does a farmer pass in on – overseas customers just say “ get stuffed “ .As Lena says as a small business owner – the only people in employment that benifitted were the kids working at MacDonalds and living at home – they didn’t get their minimum wage increase eaten away by instant inflation or tax . jacinda would have been far wiser to take the 10% tax on incomes below $20,000 to zero – but – of course that can’t be done cos Polly’s like tax cos they like to spend- right!

Anyway stop grizzling Craig – we don’t live in Ukraine being bombed daily by Putin – and – at the same time having our arm wrenched up our back by the deal maker of the century – Trump

Actually there was an American here last week – who makes sense – in NZ for Conference on central banks – Ben Benarke- head of the Fed for 8 years during Bush and Obama – widely applauded for his role in steadying the USA economy during and after the financial crisis 2008 – and getting a Nobel prize for it.

That’s a diplomatic way of saying – Adrian Orr and the reserve bank just got it wrong – and – we pay – or rather mortgage holders and businesses pay . Public servants get paid regardless of bad decisions .

But here in Orewa it’s a beautiful day from the moment the sun got up.

And then Lena and Sophia and their lovely dog Mellor came for a great catch-up

Mellor – well unless you are a long term Liverpool fan the name wont mean anything to you – but – the family ( Lena probably not ) are die hard fans . So – Mellor – was Steven Mellor one of the greats a centre forward and side kick of the famous Stephen Gerrard striker who benefited so often from Mellors work up – there you go – another fact of huge value 😊

So have made it to Taupo – three days of hard biking so I am behind on the blog – and the world is still nut – It’s called Trump chaos !

While in Orewa I managed a haircut – essential as Maree was looking at me differently- and – invented a new word for it – the “ crinkle cut look “ like chips . The curves left by the bike helmet left waves . It wasn’t complementary- kind of like Shakespeares put down “ damned by faint praise” . But not quite as cutting as “ you look like Val Doonican- anyone remember the 1970s Irish singer with the slick down haircut – “ Elusive butterfly “ and other dreadful croons . Anyway when Val Dionicans name is mentioned I need to head a haircut

Maree can get what she wants with so few words – like – let’s compromise and do it my way 😊

TA gravel day 11 Auckland ( pine harbour ) to Marinda ( at the bottom of the fifth of Thames )

Beautiful village at Pine harbour and lovely beach at Maraetai and heading up into the Maraetai mountain bike park I had planned a gravel ride through to Clevedon – um – oh no – dead end after about an hour . So had to take a 3/4 grade track to get out and lead right back to where I started at Maraetai beach – oh well – do something that scares you everyday – right .

From here through by road to Clevedon to meet maree and Lena for lunch at the corner cafe n bar.

From clevedon I had planned a big gravel through the Hunua bush area which is the main water reservoir for Auckland – but – steep and long so after the mistake of the morning chickened out and took the coast rode for the sea views – nice – but not before a few big steep climbs to reach the firth of Thames with views across to Coramandel

TA gravel day 12 Miranda to Matamata

From Marinda it’s into the Mighty Waikato after crossing the famous Kopu bridge – what a miserable little crappy bridge that causes so much anger from Aucklanders travelling on long weekends to their baches and launches on the Coramandel . It’s the place of legend – 2 hour long ques trying to get across and not even a cafe !

Northern Waikato is not the lush green grass and thousands of cows – it’s pretty dry and pinched – I think with bad sandy soil and marshy wet area – and strange canals – streams full of cow shit and not much happening . Shingle roads for a while then I hit the Hauraki rail trail into Te Aroha and though to Matamata – fabulous off road trail I think one of the first that happened as a result of the $20m bike trails projects of the John key government – one of the few things of that 2008-2017 years of National Government of “ do nothing “ that actually remains – they were so bloody conservative that “do nothing and hope “was their catch word . It’s hard to think of anything they actually did except reduce the top tax rate from 39% to 33% but increase GST from 13.5% to 15% and deal badly with the Christchurch earthquake with fatso Brownlee in control – but so much more could have been achieved by being brave – wasted opportunity !

So I don’t just wander around taking photos of meat plants – but – this one is new . Rebuilt about 5 years ago after a massive fire- shouldn’t have been rebuilt actually as there is already to much processing capacity – but then it’s a farmers cooperative and they make decisions for other reasons .

Silver Fern farms second largest nz meat company lost $45m the year before last and will probably make a similar loss in the year to 31st December 2024 – result to be published in a few days . It made disastrous losses about 10 years ago and had to be sold 50% to Chinese owners to survive . The same will happen this year to the largest nz meat company Alliance which lost $127m last year and $97m the year before – massive unsurvivable and unbankable losses. Both farmer coooeratives with farmer representative elected boards .

Anyway here’s a tiny fragment of insight – so – as I biked into the plant to snap a pic of the plant , and in drives one of their management or livestock buyers- didn’t say anything but driving a new white ford ranger ute – with distinctive Black Fern symbol on the side – you see what seems like hundreds of these Silver Fern farm vehicles driving around the country and up farm roads. My guess is that they are all on 3 year leases and regardless of kms get flipped – I recall as GM of Borthwicks one of my hardest decisions was moving the buyers from 6 cylinder to 4 cylinder cars – the company cars was a huge deal and the howls of protest !

Anyway the point – I will get there so hang in . The difference between farmer cooperative or overseas owned companies and privately owned companies ( particularly where the management own shares in it ) is simple . Every day the company owned guys wake up thinking differently – how to make more with less – simple as that . So at ovation meat the 5 th biggest meat company in NZ there is only four company vehicles – the livestock managers . The CEO doesn’t have one !

There is a company pool car that is used to visit plants, meet customers, and pick up occasional visitors ( like me – haha ) . It’s a grey 10 years old Toyota Camry with 235,000kns on the clock! Goes like a charm and all that’s needed. No losses at this meat company!

It can be lonely riding all day but you think about the simplest stuff.

TA gravel Day 13 Matamata to Mangakino.

Riding out of Waikato to the central plateau – changes on landscape from dead flat dairy farming to rolling then steep dairy breeding / wintering and cattle farming . Harvest happening – silage making and maise harvest – maree closed the campervan windows due to an “ awful smell “ – such a townie That’s the sweet lovely smell of cows feeding on silage – haha . Down on trails past lake karipiro and onto the sleepy Mangakino with its own beautiful lake . I remember this place – when we rode 2020 – bluff to cape Reinga on road bikes – and thought it to be nzs friendliest town – lovely people talking to you in the street and so good at the coffee shop even as 25 roadies all asking for latte at the same time,

temperatures are cooling as we head south and up into the central plateau with mountains ahead . Taupo today – rest day .

Rest day Taupo – bloody beautiful – stayed at Motutere Bay between Taupo and Turangi on the beach . Maree went into town to do absolutely essential stuff – like pedicure, supporting the local apparel retailers with shirts , tops, makeup, oh and groceries too . Yes and found an outstanding Peroni bar overlooking the lake .

TA gravel day 14 – Turangi to taumaranui

Unfortunately we have to leave Taupo – loved it there but need to move south .

It’s taumaranui on the main trunk line and we stayed to link up with a Sunday shuttle into the mighty Pureora forest park – it’s bloody huge and I remember seeing part of it of it way over there in biking to Mangakino – so it is apparently as big as Singapore ( actually lake Taupo is bigger than Singapore ) . How about that for an irrelevant fact . The town is serious rundown with lots of closed shops and businesses – but the people of Taumaranui – super friendly . Hopefully the farmers are happy and prices except for wool are near a record high – so trickle it down to Taumaranui please.

TA gravel – day 15 Timber trail from Piropiro to Ongarue . This is the best mountain biking trail in nz – two days of bikers heaven through dense podocarp forests and native bush untouched !

It’s just possible to do the full 87 kms in a day but – um – reckon you would need lights to start and finish . The section I did today said 4-7 hours and I managed it ( with ergs ) in under 3 hours – so with a spare battery and guts and determination – one day would be on .

Some pictures along the way

And some pictures from our campsite at Taumaranui

We are in the middle of the NI – high on the plateau as far from the sea as it gets – and – I feel it . I have always lived where I can hear or see the sea and it matters . Don’t know how these people live so far away from it – interesting in vast countries like Midwest USA there are people who will never see the ocean and never feel like they should – I guess it’s like the American who decide against going to Venice and go to spend a week at the Venetian hotel complex in Vegas 😎. Yep it’s so true – well why wouldn’t you – no need to buy euros,they all speak English , it’s fully AC, plus you can get a gondaleer to push you along the imitation canal and sing a sickly song – terrific eh. I bet Trump is one of them – he doesn’t like anything other than mighty USA or any body other than a MAGA !

Day 15 Taumaranui to Ohakune – all gravel day and a bottla- so good because there was no one else !

Lots of climbing but zero traffic – in the first 2 hours I saw a Te Araroa walker ( the walking trail of 3000 kms from Bluff to Cape Reinga) and a ute ( a lineman for the county). Had one of those conversations out of the blue with the walker – introduced as Len from England and been walking the trail from bluff for 6 months alone – young tall rangy guy happy with himself and looking forward to a rest day in Taumaranui- had lots of questions I could answer like was there good inexpensive huts at the camping ground and where’s a good cafe ( yes to both no 75 cafe – old fashioned but super friendly – actually as everyone is in the town ) . It was a good conversation but not deep – I would have loved an hour to talk about life with him – and – does he get lonely walking alone and camping out somewhere alone for days and days – but it was his comment about the sea and not having seen it for a month – and a word he used when talking about getting lost and caught out high up on exposed ridges in bad weather – he said “ you have to be resilient “.

In nz we used to be resilient – take care of yourself , find a way forward in adversity, don’t look to others to provide for you, rise above whatever obstacle hits you!

My grandfathers who lived through the depression were resilient – but – also hardened and mean as it comes- their favourite saying “ you made your own bed now sleep in it “. My fathers generation coming out of WW2 were also resilient and resourceful but softer, my generation were resilient – we had to take care of ourselves and yes there was some state provided benefits like state houses, child benefit, and state paid medical care – but there was an attitude also of “ don’t look to your neighbour to support your life “ . But especially since COVID and the aftermath of the “ be kind” daily TV appearances of Jacinda telling everyone to stay home the taxpayer will look after you and working from home is a god given right – we have lost resilience . I know the majority of nzers still have the resilient attitude but when half of school kids parents are happy to let someone else provide their kids with lunch – bloody hell – where is their pride.

So these thoughts are swimming around as I bike through the isolated King Country – until all of a sudden – holy hell – I hit state highway 4 for 7 kms heading into Ohakuni ( carrot growing capital of nz ) . Talk about a wake up call – no margin left of the white line ,and trucks with trailers too wide for the highway and reluctant to go over the middle white line at over 100 kms per hour – means it’s suicide – really scary actually as you can hear them coming but can’t get more to the left as it is an inch of broken shingle then a big drop off – so close your eyes and feel the vacuum as they try to suck you right into the gap between the truck and trailer.

It wasn’t like this when we rode Bluff to Cape Reinga five years ago – we didn’t seem to have these monster truck and trailer units trying to kill us . Then I remembered a name – Harry Dynhaven !

So this guy was a Labour MP in the 90’sand the Helengrad government- minister of transport .

If you look for these on the website you will be disappointed with the vaugue description – it’s intentional – it’s the truckers association that’s giving NZTA the words – so using chat AI thus is what I got –

So yes State Highway 4 is designated HPMV truck killers and guess what so is state highway 6 the main route into Nelson through Hope and Richmond .

Last word – it’s hidden but you can find it – these vehicles are wider – the website says the maximum width hasn’t changed from 2.5m – but it has to 2.55m for HPMVs they are cunning buggers eh.

So – it’s a decision – it’s now to dangerous to cycle on any State highways – find another road or walk – thanks Harry you won we lost and it’s forever 😡

In ohakune we found a bar stool and a guy to share it

This guy was interesting – lives5kms up the Wanganui river from isolated village of pipiriki and accessible only by his jet boat . He’s a builder by trade and teaches part time at Ohakune school kids who want a trade – he was so proud that they were building a house on the school grounds – no power tools allowed . He had 12 kids , lives alone, built his house over 10 years on Maori land up river – character and fun to talk with as well as drink a Tūī with cos there is no Heineken 😊😊😊

Day 16 Ohakune to Wanganui via Pipiriki

ummm – had planned a 70 kms day due to hills and heavy rain – but – it turned into a 100 kms plus day and five hours bike time .

Long story short- yep I take the blame – Maree got tangled in Pipiriki with a woman of bad behaviour and due to misunderstanding I thought she was at the “ bridge to nowhere “ rather than on the right road “ wanganui river road” to meet me . Anyway she handled it and 1000 point turn required and we meet at a great coffee shop just in time before they closed the machine down ! It’s got a lot colder but I guess it’s autumn and we were super spoilt for sun up north – sun 🌞🌞🌞 please.

It says ……,,,,

“Because they see me with a beard and a pipe and long hair they say I am a poet “

Day 17 Wanganui to Hunterville – lots of gravel and hills

Biking out of Wanganui crossing over the main city bridge I looked up to a stairway of steps – like 200 – my wahoo said go there but I said no – I find an another way . Then I saw this weird tunnel – painted white – with moving chambers of colours – and started biking through . It’s the entrance to a 100 year old elevator system and a beautiful thing . Called the Duthie elevators it’s an ancient piece of machinery not to be missed – with a funny operator ( ex engineer ) who loved to chat.

The cost one way $2😊😊😊

The biking was great – zero traffic only about 10 minutes after leaving Durie Hill and the town centre – and no one there . The Tukina valley was deserted and sooooo quiet except for the magpies warble warble warble and the occasional bull bellowing at his harem and dog bark.

Lots of hills though to climb before the welcome town and Maree waiting at Hunterville 4 hours biking later – and coffee .

We had planned to stay in Fielding as there are few camping grounds in the Manawatu that allow dogs – and see old friends Rhona and Bernard who live there – but we got warned off as it is a Bogan place ! Maree got her geography mixed up and we ended up on the beach – far out – this isn’t Manawatu ! Nah it’s Hīmatangi mate – nice place and the surfing spot for palmy people !

Isn’t that a sight for the morning on the shelf of our campervan – yep- high speed modem, air fryer, latte expresso machine, and smart tv with a million channels and Netflix!

I could do without all of these except the expresso machine !

But it’s interesting – non of these were the 20 years ago and now we can’t live without them eh .

The Modem – essential for smart iPhone and Tv – but it’s not even 29 years ago the first smart phone was launched -iPhone 1 – 2007 !

Well before it we had everything we needed in our handheld Nokia phone- I remember thinking – I can call and text why the hell would I need a phone even to download emails – now I get the shakes if I can’t find it 😎✅

But the real hero was an English guy – Americans claim him cos he ended up a professor at MIT University there – but he was a computer scientist and effectively founded and wrote the first hypertext code as well as making it available as open source for the internet – Berners-Lee – born London 1945( yes an OK boomer – so derided by Greens leader Chloe – but sure as hell very ready to use any invention or product of the boomers ) , educated Oxford University and “gave” the internet to the world 30 years ago – so that’s what makes the gadgets work in the campervan.

Without this guy and “open source “ internet code there would be no Google, Facebook, cloud computing or Maree’s favourite wordle!

Data general a massive mainframe computer manufacturer in Ohio USA . She said over coffee one day “ the thing I miss most from being at Stanford is access to my daily mail box “. Naive me From NZ “ – you mean you miss walking down to the gate to collect the mail?”

Nah – she was talking in 1982 about opening her email box – an early form of it and only within her own company’s intranet so restricted to Data General people but there it was – the beginning if it ! Email !

Day 18 Manawatu to Wairarapa – Ashurst to Alfredton and Masterton

Closed in 2017 due to a huge slip the main highway from Palmerston North and the Manawatu to Hawke’s Bay was closed – it took another 5 years to get a new road further north through the Ruahine ranges and in the mean time secondary roads like the Pahiatua track which were windy and slow had to be used .

Today started out to be a 100 kms day and over 1000 m climbing but I had heard that cyclists were “ stealing “ through the old gorge road and as well as being flat would cut 30 kms off the ride over the Pahiatia track with super steep hills – so I thought its worth a go.

Was a bit daunting as I approached the entrance with huge concret e block barrier but I noticed a cycling nutter had cut a hole in the fence to squeeze through – so from there it was spooky and quiet – very like riding the Christchurch port hills illegally after the EQ- and looked the same – slips unmoved , huge boulders , deep wet patches and trees growing over and in the middle of the road – but very rideable . On the other side a country road down the Manawatu river to Pihiatua. Famous for only one thing – and actually inglorious – birthplace of the most pompous, arrogant,upper class British sounding Prime Minister New Zealand ever had – Kiwi Keith Holyoke . A complete tosser and in power during my university years and famous for linking arms with the USA on buying into the Vietnam war – Kiwi Keith once said “ All the way with LBJ” who was the President of the United Sates at the time -Lynden Johnson. He finally stepped down to John Marshall a far better bloke who then lost to Labour under Norman Kirk 1971-72. The reason I always considered Holyoake a right prick other than just his condescending way of talking was because he brought in the “ birthday ballot “ conscription to the nz army for the lucky 18-20 year olds of which I and a couple of my mates unfortunately won – I bloody hated the army- but worst kiwi Keith seriously considered sending nz conscripts to Vietnam to fight alongside USA in that devastating lost cause . I left Nz as soon as I could for England aged 21 and voted labour .Norman Kirk’s first act was to abolished the birthday ballot and compulsory army conscription! Brilliant – especially birthday ballot conscripts facing a one way trip to Vietnam to meet the Vietcong.

So today is a rest day before the Remutaka hill push tomorrow – Maree’s shopping in one of her all time favourite towns Greytown – it’s classy as – and I get to look after the boys and in an hour join her for a Sunday afternoon cocktail on the balcony of that beautiful white pub on the main street. It’s a balmy breezy day – we are just the most lucky country in the world right now with Trump and Putin out there trying to rule the world and even a member of the EU Turkey where the president Erdagon Is rounding up and imprisoning the opposition – so crazy .

I on a lighter note cos Maree thinks I am grizzly- I notice a few mainstream journos starting to get some positive time in the newspapers – like Ryan Bridges ex TV3 morning host in the Herald . There is starting to be a positive push on the fa ct that the current government got thrown under the bus with by Labour and the need for them to clean up the mess before a whole lot of new promises – I only wish they had had the guts to “means test school lunches “so that they only went to the kids whose parent can’t afford it ! there are green shoots eh !

TA gravel- Day 19 Last Day Carterton to Wellington

Started out gloomy and got more dismal as I approached Wellington – wonder why !

But coming out of Greytown I found a fantastic bike trail through to Featherston – all off road and a rail trail to Woodside linking tothe Tauherenikau trail into Featherston – keeping me off the state highway – from there off road all the way to the start of the Remutaka trail over to the Wellington side . I was thinking as I was going along – how this section would make a great weekend away for the BB boys and girls – like day one drive to Picton and cross to Wellington only with bikes and hit the pub ( or go to the ballet,theatre, opera , of orchestra – whatever suits ) day two shuttle to upper hutt and ride the trails to Greytown for cocktails on the balcony bar of the white swan in main st, day three repeat in the opposite direction ( or if 75 kms and 500 meters climbing is enough take the train back to Wellington , hit the pub again then last day cross the strait- fun trip eh .

Other than rain and low cloud the ride was great – except – when wahoo decided I needed a spanking . For no reason diverted me off the rail trail onto Forrest tracks over Goat pass then into a full on grade advanced downhill Mountain bike track – wet, slippery, moss covered, steep as – basically unridable and no one there . No option but to walk and slither down – bloody hell I didn’t buy into this one 😎

Relieved to finish in tact at the meeting point in Upper Hutt – darling Maree and boys there – load up the bikes and call it quits .

Loved the sun and warmth of the people and places in the far north east coast north of Wangarei – meet lots of New Zealand characters in funny isolated places through the NI plus a couple of ferals.

Admire hugely the walkers mostly solo doing the 3000 kms length of NZ Te Araroa trek ,and those doing the Tour of Aotearoa bikers all hoping to do the cape Reinga to bluff in 30 days. These guys are legends .

Pictures of the last day of riding follow

Started with ferry crossing 17th February – first day bike down 90 mile beach 22nd Fenruary – ferry crossing 23 rd March so 5 weeks and loved it .

1500 kms ( about 50% shingle and trail riding ) ,15000 meters climbing, 20 days biking and the rest were days off in between cruising around on beach or in pub – what a life .

To my darling Maree ❤️