450 pounds or NZ$1100.
Donations still welcome and very much appreciated...
Sunday, 13 July 2008
Monday, 10 March 2008
Are you a computer head with some spare time??
Re-cycle are wishing to build a new web-site so if you think you might be able to help please e-mail: info@re-cycle.org or call (+44) (0)1206 863111
Funds Raised so far and Re-cycle`s latest projects
A HUGE thanks to:
Steve Mills
Charlotte Auty
Chris Wilson
Karen Ringrose
Anna Wilson
James Romain
Philip Chklar
Susan Wilson
Derek Balcombe
Bill and Janet Ligon
Catherine Speak and family
who all made a donation to Re-cycle.
The total comes to around 400 pounds/NZ$1000.
Just to give you some idea of the current projects Re-cycle is involved with here is a brief outline. (More details can be found on their website: www.re-cycle.org )
Main partners are
Ghana (The Village Bicycle Project)Major focus on mechanic training and getting bicycle tools into the country. Was selling them below cost price to stimulate the market, now selling at wholesale. Mechanics helping deliver the training get discounted tools. Set up by ex peace corps man David Peckham.
Namibia (The Bicycle Empowerment Network)
Major focus on providing bikes to AIDS/HIV outreach workers. Set up by Michael Linke, who used to ride pedicabs in London
Uganda (Bicycle Sponsorship Project and Workshop BSPW)Have received 2 x 40-foot boxes from Re~Cycle, including light metal working tools to make their famous Bicycle Ambulance.
New partner in South Africa just getting together, and Lesotho will be getting going soon.
Steve Mills
Charlotte Auty
Chris Wilson
Karen Ringrose
Anna Wilson
James Romain
Philip Chklar
Susan Wilson
Derek Balcombe
Bill and Janet Ligon
Catherine Speak and family
who all made a donation to Re-cycle.
The total comes to around 400 pounds/NZ$1000.
Just to give you some idea of the current projects Re-cycle is involved with here is a brief outline. (More details can be found on their website: www.re-cycle.org )
Main partners are
Ghana (The Village Bicycle Project)Major focus on mechanic training and getting bicycle tools into the country. Was selling them below cost price to stimulate the market, now selling at wholesale. Mechanics helping deliver the training get discounted tools. Set up by ex peace corps man David Peckham.
Namibia (The Bicycle Empowerment Network)
Major focus on providing bikes to AIDS/HIV outreach workers. Set up by Michael Linke, who used to ride pedicabs in London
Uganda (Bicycle Sponsorship Project and Workshop BSPW)Have received 2 x 40-foot boxes from Re~Cycle, including light metal working tools to make their famous Bicycle Ambulance.
New partner in South Africa just getting together, and Lesotho will be getting going soon.
Goodbye Monty...
Ah its been good...
It has....
Well you`ll soon be hairing about Sticky Forest which is much more exciting than boring old tarmac.
Yeah I guess...
Ha! I knew you`d be back once the novelty wore off. 5 years is a lot to throw away Jimmy.
I know Max, you don`t need to worry.
How about a camping trip up to Lake Hawea next week?
Ok sounds good boyo sounds good.
It has....
Well you`ll soon be hairing about Sticky Forest which is much more exciting than boring old tarmac.
Yeah I guess...
Ha! I knew you`d be back once the novelty wore off. 5 years is a lot to throw away Jimmy.
I know Max, you don`t need to worry.
How about a camping trip up to Lake Hawea next week?
Ok sounds good boyo sounds good.
And finally...
After a pretty quiet night in Auckland (OK the cars are only mental on the weekend) got the train from Auckland to Wellington. Pretty cool train. At the rear is a huge picture window and near the front is a little area to stand outside and watch it all go by. Fine views of Mount Ruapehu. The driver had something to do so he let me drive the train the last half of the journey. I wasn`t sure what all the knobs and lights meant but he gave me the list of station stops and told me to obey the speed limits unless we were running a bit late.
Hooked up with Holly and friends for a few drinks and enjoyed my comfy double bed for about 4 hours before getting up for the ferry to Picton. I took the Bluebridge one this time which had a fantastically cheap cafe.
The train ride to Christchurch was beautiful. There had been a typhoon passing pretty close the day before so the ocean had huge ways and a lovely sea mist between the hills and the sea for much of the journey. Beats the bus hands down. And this train has a really big outdoor viewing area.
Ryan and Katie met me at the station.
Coupla days in Christchurch and then, at last, back to Wanaka.
Hooked up with Holly and friends for a few drinks and enjoyed my comfy double bed for about 4 hours before getting up for the ferry to Picton. I took the Bluebridge one this time which had a fantastically cheap cafe.
The train ride to Christchurch was beautiful. There had been a typhoon passing pretty close the day before so the ocean had huge ways and a lovely sea mist between the hills and the sea for much of the journey. Beats the bus hands down. And this train has a really big outdoor viewing area.
Ryan and Katie met me at the station.
Coupla days in Christchurch and then, at last, back to Wanaka.
Sand surfing
Public transport all the way now....
So ended up on a the return half of a tour which unexpectedly turned out to have sand-surfing on the itinery which was a lot more fun than I expected it to be. They are about 60m high and you can really catch some speed on the way down and you steer with your toes. Then we hurtle down 90 mile beach in the coach which is quite strange at first but becomes normal as these things do. Stop halfway down at a spot with a little shingle beach and also a Kauri museum come sles place. Awesome table at awesome price. The wood has been taken from fosilized trees dug from a nearby field perfectly preserved as if it had been chopped down the day before.
So ended up on a the return half of a tour which unexpectedly turned out to have sand-surfing on the itinery which was a lot more fun than I expected it to be. They are about 60m high and you can really catch some speed on the way down and you steer with your toes. Then we hurtle down 90 mile beach in the coach which is quite strange at first but becomes normal as these things do. Stop halfway down at a spot with a little shingle beach and also a Kauri museum come sles place. Awesome table at awesome price. The wood has been taken from fosilized trees dug from a nearby field perfectly preserved as if it had been chopped down the day before.
Sunday, 9 March 2008
Camping up at the Cape
Tapotupotu DOC campground 2 bays east of the Cape surely must be one of NZ`s most beautiful places. Had a very relaxed couple of days here. On the 2nd day I went on the coastal walkway for a few hours which winds around the cliffs up to the lighthouse and then back down onto a huge beach. The Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean meet here and well, they really do meet, with the waves racing towards each other in a sort of big triangle and crashing together. Very strange to see. The photo here was taken when the sea was quite calm but when it was rough it was very impressive.
Then round into beautiful sand dunes and back upto the road through cool dark Hobbity manuka forest. Such colourful country. The dark greens of the manuka forests, rust red coloured sandstone, brown sugar custard sand dunes, pale yellow sandy beach, rich green fields, the darker rippling purplegreen of wild grasses and the infinite blue blue sky. And I met one person as most people who go up here just go to the lighthouse and then walk back to their cars or buses.
On the way back to the campsite I noticed a womens weekly magazine lying at the side of the road with the pages open at an article explaining how Princess Di would be living if she was still alive.
A little macabre I thought. Though I then found myself turning the page which compared various celebs wearing the same designer gress and which one looked best and deciding if I agreed with their choice and then deciding i had been crouching by the road reading a magazine in the gutter for about 10 minutes and there were probably better ways of leading my existence.
Then round into beautiful sand dunes and back upto the road through cool dark Hobbity manuka forest. Such colourful country. The dark greens of the manuka forests, rust red coloured sandstone, brown sugar custard sand dunes, pale yellow sandy beach, rich green fields, the darker rippling purplegreen of wild grasses and the infinite blue blue sky. And I met one person as most people who go up here just go to the lighthouse and then walk back to their cars or buses.
On the way back to the campsite I noticed a womens weekly magazine lying at the side of the road with the pages open at an article explaining how Princess Di would be living if she was still alive.
A little macabre I thought. Though I then found myself turning the page which compared various celebs wearing the same designer gress and which one looked best and deciding if I agreed with their choice and then deciding i had been crouching by the road reading a magazine in the gutter for about 10 minutes and there were probably better ways of leading my existence.
Sunday, 10 February 2008
Funds raised so far
Thanks very much to everyone who has so far made a donation. I have all the names and in a couple of weeks i will make up a list of names on the Blog. Current totals stand at around the 400 pound/NZ$1000. Keep `em coming!
in a couple of weeks (thereabouts)-camping up at the Cape and the trip back south on the train which was great. Right, I`m orf to not do very much and not cycle ANYWHERE for a couple of weeks before I go back to work in Wanaka at the YHA. Take care good folk...
in a couple of weeks (thereabouts)-camping up at the Cape and the trip back south on the train which was great. Right, I`m orf to not do very much and not cycle ANYWHERE for a couple of weeks before I go back to work in Wanaka at the YHA. Take care good folk...
Wednesday, 6 February 2008
Bloody made it!!!!
February 3rd 6.30pm. 3596k, 2 months, 2days after setting out from Bluff.
Monty we did it! Good work mate!
Well, I couldn`t have done it without your legs.
Errr... no, right.
To Cape Reinga/Te Rerengawairua
Lovely open road in the morning, big country. Stopped in Te Kao`s very cool little grocery store which is the last one before the Cape. Inside a kitten slept on the newspapers and Ella and Louis sang sweetly on a stereo. And if you don`t know who they are ask your Mum or Dad. Te Kao also had a rather strange mosquey type building but with Te Reo (Maori) writing on it so I don`t know what the story of that is. Should have asked at the shop I guess.
Stopped again for some food at Waitiki Landing and then the last 20k which is a steep windy gravel road but with stunning views of enourmous sand dunes and the sea and Manuka (tea tree) forests and rippling native grasses and green fields. Bloody hard work though.
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