tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31281959144970527792008-05-24T06:57:54.584+12:00steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-31786681213746703102008-02-17T14:04:00.000+13:002008-02-29T05:50:46.552+13:00

My stay here at the Gisborne hospital has been interesting. The hospital is pretty modern and very up to date. It is pretty fully staffed, but also not extremely busy, which means that you get pretty close attention. I'm in Ward 9, the orthopedic ward. The first two nights, before my operation, I had a single room, but after the operation, they switched me to a four-bed room, where I am currently

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-16107837028091582202008-02-13T22:53:00.000+13:002008-02-29T05:55:09.425+13:00

The bicycling part of today's tour View Larger Map The Ambulance part of today's tour View Larger Map This entry was going to begin: After 90km, 7 hard hills, 7 bottles of water, two bottles of juice, a big sandwich, two peanut slabs and a chocolate afghan, I finally made it to a bed in Tokomaru Bay.Instead, it begins: After 85km, 7 hard hills, 7 bottles of water, two bottles of juice, a big

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-89303542426972644062008-02-12T17:43:00.000+13:002008-02-29T05:37:39.520+13:00

View Larger Map I got an early start today and was on my way by 7:45. I hoped to beat the heat, since I was dreading the five hills that I had to climb. Three were rated "hard" and two were "moderate" according to the Lonely Planet guide. It seems like there a couple of extra thrown in that evidently didn't rate a mention in the guide. Much of the ride was inland. I'd be looking ahead and on

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-48215121860552246502008-02-11T17:28:00.000+13:002008-02-29T04:54:38.573+13:00

View Larger Map Today, I had the choice of Waihau Bay at 25km or Hicks bay at 70km, with hills. I could have never made it to Hick's Bay. It is beginning to get abit discouraging as the hills are getting harder to climb and I don'tthink that they are getting any steeper. After last night's rain, it started out pretty muggy. The Maraehako Bay Retreat was right at the waterfront down a steep

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-19371101195474237822008-02-10T17:24:00.000+13:002008-02-29T04:52:23.705+13:00

View Larger Map It's raining--and I'm sitting on the covered deck of the Maraehako Bay Retreat, with a cat curled up next to me, drinking an afternoon latte (My Italian ancestors would cringe, I'm sure).Sometimes you make the right choice for totally unrelated reasons. That was my day. The free fresh snapper was excellent. I just fried it in a little olive oil until it was just flaky and made a

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-51242345534043858062008-02-09T21:23:00.000+13:002008-02-19T20:49:39.156+13:00

As I hit the first hill this morning, it became abundantly clear that I am dragging too much weight. I seem to be accreting stuff as I travel along. Although I complained mightily on my 2002 South Island tour, there was only one hill that I had to walk up. I was able to cycle today's "moderate" climbs, but did have to stop on one of them. The "hard" climbs are yet to come. What's the problem and

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-15638296830272162992008-02-09T19:02:00.000+13:002008-02-29T04:01:12.829+13:00

View Larger Map It was a short ride today, just under 30km with a couple of "moderate" hills from Opotiki to Hawai. The next practical stop would be Te Kaha at 70km from Opotiki with several more hills in between, including a 200m high one just after here (my morning exercise tomorrow--or will it be morning torture?)If the small hills from Opotiki to here are considered moderate (and there are "

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-90199856891524928152008-02-08T11:18:00.000+13:002008-02-08T11:38:17.193+13:00

View Larger Map For some reason, I found the campground at the end of Ohope Beach to be somewhat depressing. It must have been the disheveled end of the season look of a holiday camp at a too popular vacation spot. So, I left Port (N)Ohope fairly early and headed to Opotiki,a town we have visited in the past, the gateway town on the way to the East Cape circuit and only 40km away. The day

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-77068636935434915322008-02-06T21:15:00.000+13:002008-02-08T11:22:44.996+13:00

View Larger Map I seem to be a glutton for punishment and the wind does not abate (a familiar refrain). The ride today was eventful only in its length. A 70km slog to the coast, ending at Port Ohope. While having breakfast this morning at the Rotoma Holiday Park. I was talking with the other camper who was there with his son and daughter. The daughter, about 10, was participating in a 1K

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-5051868969932163752008-02-05T20:58:00.000+13:002008-02-08T11:35:51.935+13:00

View Larger Map After my day as a tourist in Rotorua, I came back to the camp hoping for an early start the next day and a ride towards Whakatane. Didn't happen. A torrential thunderstorm came through at dinner time. I thought that Ihad the tent sited well on a little knoll under a tree. I had heardthunder when I was bringing my stuff up to the kitchen to make diner, soI was sure to put the

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-83222936746693796152008-02-04T17:51:00.000+13:002008-02-04T17:52:20.591+13:00

My first day off, unless you count the ride from the camp ground to town. I spent the day as a tourist in Rotorua. After having a morning cafe latte and internet session at the Rotorua Starbucks to check today's mail and upload yesterday's journal and photos ("free" broadband is handy, if rare), I took off for a ride around the waterfront and to the Government park, where the famous Victorian

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-30926659293460550582008-02-04T12:15:00.001+13:002008-02-04T12:15:17.448+13:00

View Larger Map Ellen recently wrote me about Slow Travel, suggesting that it was my mode this trip. An interesting idea, but it seems to have been co-opted as a marketing theme for short-term house rentals. That isn't really all that new a concept. Villa rentals in Europe, at least, have been going on practically forever. We did that in the 90's. So, my trip has been a different type of slow

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-15585123875669702802008-02-03T15:37:00.001+13:002008-02-03T15:47:10.505+13:00

View Larger MapI got off to a very slow start today. There's still nothing like a good nights sleep. Last night was different, however. I had picked a nice quiet spot that was shady in the afternoon for my tent. Unfortunately, I didn't think to look up. Imagine my surprise when I came back from the kitchen after dark to find that the brightest security light I've ever seen was posted on the TV

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-80625525088331027382008-02-01T21:26:00.000+13:002008-02-03T15:41:52.119+13:00

View Larger MapToday's journey was a relatively short one, 39.96 km, from the Te Aroha Holiday park to the Opal Hot Springs Holiday Park, outside Matamata.It sprinkled a little overnight and was just cloudy (and a little bit cooler in the morning). Aside from the free Internet access, the Te Aroha holiday park was definitely an amenity-free zone. The kitchen was bare, not even a bench rag to

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-48439892695179227152008-01-31T22:57:00.001+13:002008-01-31T23:06:00.709+13:00

View Larger MapThere's nothing like a good night's sleep, and I've had nothing like a good night's since I've been on the road. I'm not sure that the Thermarest and I are cut out for each other. A couple of more tries and it will be time for a good hotel (or at least a clean cabin).The Miranda Hot Springs campground is as clean and nicely kept as ever (as long as you don't have to stay in the Dog

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-14563810926007172572008-01-30T16:13:00.000+13:002008-01-31T23:01:11.701+13:00

View Larger MapI'm now at the campground at Miranda Host springs. I was a 37km, 2 1/2hour ride. There weren't any big hills, but I was just worn out. For thelast 5k, it was "Where is that campground, it should be here by now!".In hindsight, I should have been thankful for all those cold morningstarts on my South island tour, where I had to wear fleece pants and myrain jacket to keep warm. This

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-75207392643681754322008-01-29T22:06:00.000+13:002008-01-30T20:23:28.389+13:00

View Larger Map I got off from Peter's around 8 am and stopped at the local Woolworths supermarket as I hadn't stocked up on ay provisions. I probably should have done it on Waiheke. You can't buy small amounts. I tried to get the minimum but when I checked out it was all too much and I ended up returning half. I can't remember how I managed to always have a enough bits on the last tour without

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-26256318408096728942008-01-28T21:05:00.000+13:002008-01-30T20:21:33.196+13:00

I finally got started with this tour. I'm still doubtful of beng able to ride the North Island, but I'll at least give it a start. Time for hills and more hills under an almost full load. The good news is that the bike was more stable this time and going downhill didn't seem scary any more.The bad news is that after the hill up O'Brien Rd, the hill up fromO'Brian to Erua Rd., the hill from the

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-9706103105079650092008-01-28T09:59:00.000+13:002008-01-28T10:11:09.149+13:00

On Saturday, I cycled over to the Ostend weekly market and to a Kinetic Sculpture exhibition at Cable Bay Vineyards. (Okay, it wasn't exactly direct). View Larger Map The Ostend market is a weekly institution, an open air (mostly) market with food, crafts, books, and used items. There are a few stalls with produce, but more prepared food stalls, so it isn't really a farmers market. My friends,

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-79285897673759705392008-01-27T09:24:00.001+13:002008-01-27T09:29:25.151+13:00

Another haiku-like title--How long will I be able to keep this up? It seems a good mantra for bicycle touring. The "Pedal Quickly" part is about keeping up a fast cadence, which means that one uses lower gears and puts less strain on the joints, strain being something to avoid over the long term. Savor the view. Ride slowly. These go together. One of the things I noticed during our travels

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-12989276799716989122008-01-24T08:25:00.001+13:002008-01-24T08:25:44.675+13:00

It has been too long since the last post. I arrived on Waiheke on Friday and it has been nearly non-stop since then. The haiku-like title is a subtle reference to the premise of Michael Pollan's new book: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. ", which has been the subject of a pair of articles in the online New York Times, "Seven-Word Wisdom: The Contest" and "Hold Contest. Read 1,000 Entries.

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-78486880439715820032008-01-19T22:21:00.000+13:002008-01-21T22:22:33.226+13:00

After the usual nine hour wait in the Los Angeles airport, I was finally on the way to New Zealand. The flight left only a little bit late, but the pilot said that we would arrive on time. It was a totally full flight, at least in "Pacific" class (otherwise known as "cattle" class) and I had an aisle seat. Unfortunately, the seat next to mine was occupied by a large heavy smoker (ahh!, the aroma

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-23303417086700390052008-01-17T13:59:00.000+13:002008-01-20T07:12:24.185+13:00

Finally, I'm off, but it is through LAX rather than San Francisco. This morning's 8 am flight was delayed to 9:27. It seems the co-pilot got into Logan late last night and we had to wait until he had the mandated eight hours of hotel time. So I was at the airport about four hours early. After waiting in the TSA line (behind a woman with fragrance to gag by!) for about half an hour, I got to the

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-55509843712782003322008-01-15T03:50:00.001+13:002008-01-15T03:58:24.954+13:00

My flight out of Boston was scheduled for 8:07am EST today, to San Francisco. It didn't happen. Since we were about to get another Monday morning Nor'easter this morning, we rose at 3:15am to get an early start to the airport. It was just raining when we left at about 4am. The first mistake was not calling to confirm the flight. At 3:30 in the morning it was raining and it never occurred to me

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3128195914497052779.post-87337325136338324782008-01-07T08:31:00.000+13:002008-01-07T08:46:16.103+13:00

It's time again for the winter escape to New Zealand. This year I am bringing my bicycle and trailer back for another tour. I did the last long tour in 2002, riding the length of the South Island from Picton to Bluff. This year it will be a tour of the North Island. I haven't quite decided what kind of route to take. Either south to north, starting in Wellington, or in two parts, starting from

steve magnellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17838987674663233759noreply@blogger.com