ACKNOWLEDGEMENT/REMERCIEMENTS

I would like to thanks all the people from New Zealand who stunned us every day through their goodness and they generosity. I also would like to fairly thanks Mickael for helping us during our first tyre flat; Roger, Anne along with Trevor and Estelle for greeting us to their lovely home. I will keep all these good memories in my mind for ever.

Finally, thank you for taking your time to read this blog, which I hope, allowed you to travel with me.
Cheers 
Timothée TIRMANT

 

LAST WORDS/DERNIERS MOTS

This trip was quite rewarding at all stages. Doing it in bicycle made it again richer and original. Indeed, bicycling is a perfect way to take his time gazing at all the landscapes around as well as shaping a sporting experience and a strong mind.

In one hand, this journey made us learn about how to handle things into the wild with sometimes a few tools in our pockets. Even though it wasn't really easy every day, the kindness of the kiwis, the beauty of all these landscapes and the achievement of our challenge made us growing up.

On the other hand, mutual help was also here.  We helped each other out, never letting down someone behind us. If one of us had got an issue, it concerned all the group.

This trip taught us also to be patient but above all to surpass ourselves and put aside our little routine and every day's whims.

Eventually, the best feeling ever was that huge and powerful feeling of freedom. We were able to get anywhere, whenever. That was amazing ; every single day was different. No space for any routine to set up.

Even though I don't imagine all my life to be this way, I think important to try to do it, even if it takes only 2 weeks or one month. Whatever the way you choose to do it : cycling, driving or walking, regardless, the human being has to know this pure feeling of freedom at least once in his life.

On the left : Our itinerary in the North Island

Above : Our itinerary in the South Island

06/03/14 : BACK IN AUSTRALIA

Day 29

 
We succeed in selling one bike out of three but Trevor told us he could manage to sell the other ones for us since we have to go back in Australia to find a job. 

We are pleased to accept his offer, we tell him he could even keep the money. But he insists and tell us he will send us the money as soon he's got it.

Then, we head to the airport to flight back to Australia and say for a last time our farewell to New Zealand.

04/03/14 : AUCKLAND, HERE WE ARE

Day 27, Papakura - Auckland ( about 35km)

This last day on the saddle toward Auckland isn't the best we had. Indeed, the traffic jam is extremely heavy since we are getting closer of Auckland, the biggest city in NZ.

Most of the time, we have to ride on the sidewalk so it could be safer for us to go on. As a matter of fact, some NZ drivers are very mad on the road. 

Fields and forests we used to see before got overthrown by asphalts fields and cements forest. Little by little, The Artificial is taking over the Natural.

After several hours biking, we achieved at least our last step : get to Auckland. We are very proud of ourselves.

Auckland is a big city (1 377 000 people), similar to all the big recent cities we may find in Australia, Canada or USA. To my mind, it doesn't have anything special though, but somehow, the atmosphere is fairly appreciable.

On the evening, we come back to Papakura to sleep at Trevor's studio. We get back there in train which is much more quicker.

Tomorow we will deal with selling our push bikes along with doing a last visit of the city. At the same time, we will do some shopping.

03/03/14 : TREVOR AND ESTELLE

Day 26, Orere Point - Papakura (about 40km)

This last day unto the coast begin with some hard steeps . Moreover, the weather is quite disturbing since an heavy rain is following us from the beginning.

We join later the Highway state 2, toward Papakura, where Trevor and his wife Estelle live.

We get there later on the afternoon.

Trevor greet us as if we were his children. He bring us in a small studio just next to his house. His son used to live there before leaving his family.

Trevor tell us we can stay here for a while. Plus, we got everything we need in this studio. That's amazing. Since Matamata, we haven't slept on real matresses.

We are very pleased. Tomorow, we will do our last day in bicycle toward Auckland. We are getting closer from our goal.

 TREVOR'S CHEVROLET CAMARO 1971