Today's typically Jeckell and Hyde Seattle winter weather. Difficult to ride on those cobblestones, but the Market is packed with holiday shoppers. Still, it's always amazing to think that I'll be heading to a summer down under. First to Queensland for Christmas with my family, then off to New Zealand to start my first folding bike tour. Wm the conquerer is snugly packed in its d-i-y transport, and should be under the 50 lb weight limit. The next time it will see the light of day will be Auckland on January 8.
I will spend 2-3 weeks riding on the North Island, with visits to Tongariro National Park and Mt Taranaki, then to Wellington. Riding will be alternated with folding the bike and boarding an intercity bus to cover long and/or dangerous sections that don't suit a bike with only 6 gears. On the South Island, I hope to do some loops out of Nelson,visit the Malborough wine region, and up to Golden Bay, and do some kayaking near the Abel Tasman National Park. After that I will head to Christchurch, via Kaikoura. The next stage is still fuzzy: either down the east coast via Dunedin or down the west coast, ultimate goal of Queenstown, with more hiking and some touring down to Milford Sound. I will return to Christchurch and head over to Akarora for more hiking. I will leave from Christchurch in early March.
This trip is much less structured, as I've learned that cycle touring demands you throw out your planned itinerary after the first week and roll with the punches.
It's a new adventure.
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