New Zealand

02/03/08
What’s that? You’re wondering why I say Edinburgh? Well, Dunedin is Edinburgh in Gaelic as it turns out, so my journey today was really to get to Edinburgh, not just Dunedin. As you can see by the picture, I had yet another very soggy day on the bike. In fact, this was the very worst day that I endured to date on the bike. I had to endure very heavy rains, cold winds, and numb appendages. For a while, I was actually concerned that I might end up with hypothermia. As a self-check, I kept singing to myself and talking aloud, to make sure I wasn’t mumbling. Of course, I’m getting a little ahead of myself yet again, so why don’t I start my story of the day from the beginning once again for you all. In the meantime, check out the map that I put together, and the pictures along with it. My camera was literally floating in a pool of water within my jacket pocket between pictures. However, I went the extra step for you today. Enjoy.

01/03/08
Hello sports fans, and welcome back to another chapter in the ActiveSteve saga. Today’s story is a familiar one folks. I woke up, it was raining. I cycled, and it rained. I got to my hostel, and it’s raining. As such, I find myself with very little in the way of exciting stories to share with you at the moment. I assure you that this isn’t a result of my lack of desire to write a lovely story for you, but there simply wasn’t all that much going on with me. However, I have, as usual, prepared a map for you, detailing my comings and goings, and I’m still prepared to give you an account of my day if you’re willing to read it. The highlight of course was the fact that I finally was able to find an Internet connection and upload my latest few posts and maps. Sorry for the delay, but as it turns out, the world wide web hasn’t fully made its way to the Catlins Coast yet. Anywho, read on for more about my enjoyable day.

29/02/08
Hello, all my global friends. Isn’t it odd that I’m writing a post on the 29th of February? Good old leap year. Only comes once every four years, and this happens to be one of those years, so there you have it kids, my Feb. 29th post. Hopefully not too many babies are born today, as it would sure suck to only get presents once every four years, wouldn’t it? Lucky for me, I don’t have a whole lot to write about today, as it was another one of the now-familiar Catlins rainy days for me. Due mainly to my departure time, I basically had rain most of the day in some form or another. It was a bit frustrating, as it would slow down for a bit, and I’d try to take off my jacket, and then the rain would pick back up to full force, forcing me to put it back on. Oh well, I’m getting used to all the different types of weather and riding conditions, so it really doesn’t bother me too much anymore. My ride today was from Curio Bay to Owaka, which is 1/3rd of the way to Dunedin. One more stop in Milton, and I’ll be in Dunedin. Read on for today’s story, and remember the map, etc.

28/02/08
Hey dudes and dudettes! How are you all doing? For ActiveSteve, the fun just never stops. I spent an extra day in Curio Bay, because there are a number of worthwhile things to see and do here, so why rush on, right? I think I already mentioned that there are Hector’s Dolphins, Yellow-Eyed Penguins, Sea Lions, Petrified Forest, etc. etc. Also, in the surrounding areas, you can go to Slope Point, the Southernmost point on the South Island, as well as some other choice viewing spots of the rugged Southland coast and the ocean. Of course, to get to those, it’s via gravel roads, and can take a while on a bike. As you can see from my little map, I did 70km, but my speed is very high. Why is that? Well, I must confess that I toured the area in a car, not on my saddle! I also finally took a surfing lesson and tried my hand at riding the waves on a longboard. For the full details on how I did all this, read on my friends.

27/02/08
Howdy gang, and how are you all doing today? Me, well, it was a soggy day for ActiveSteve. As such, you’ll have to forgive me, but there aren’t all that many pictures on my map. You can still see my route and all the stats, but not much for entertainment value I’m afraid. For the first while, there really wasn’t all that much reason to pull out the camera anyway. The scenery was just more rolling farmland, with sheep, deer and cows, much like the last few biking days. It was also really coming down, so I was pretty bundled up. Overbooties on, arm warmers, gore-tex jacket done all the way up with the hood over my helmet, and even my ski gloves to keep my hands warm, so as you can imagine, the camera wasn’t in a ready state as it normally would be! All that being said, I guess I can fill up a couple more paragraphs with some info on my day and evening in the beautiful Curio Bay area of the Catlins Coast. So, read on, dear literati.