Johnny Isaak | Adventure Cyclist
A compendium of adventure cycling chronicles, travel lore, tips, techniques, and tactics for the adventure cycling perplexed.
Should I leap and descend into the underworld? Standing on the windswept bluff overlooking the meeting place between the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean, it’s not difficult to see why the Maori consider Cape Reinga such a special place.
Cycling up the North Island’s East Cape has been a highlight of my kiwi adventure. I sacrificed days out of my way to go there, and the detour has been worth it. The riding is remote and off the beaten track. The travel is relatively isolated and secluded.
Farewell to the South Island. Standing on deck at the stern of the ferry, I cast a few fleeting glances to the south as the ship enters Cook Strait steaming toward Wellington. One chapter ends, and another begins.
Inching up the final reaches on the approach to the top of the pass, I knew the end was near. A few more minutes laboring over the pedals and I reached the summit. It was 2:15 pm. Four hours and 1170 meters of climbing on mostly gravel road had put me at the top of Danseys Pass. There was nothing to greet me but the howl of gusts blasting along windswept ridges and heavy blue skies overhead. The elation in knowing a lot of downhill awaited coursed through my veins. The hard climbing for the day was over.
The journey north begins with a single push of the pedal. I’ve made my way south to Bluff, the southernmost town on the South Island and am now starting my journey north to Cape Reinga, the northern tip of New Zealand’s North Island.
My well-worn Vibram FiveFingers finally gave out after a couple of days riding around Queenstown, NZ. A blowout along the lacing on the right shoe rendered them unable to lace up.
