Helesville to um helesville

Helesville to um helesville

Well the day did not go to plan -

The plan was to head into town to get a tire then start heading in to auckland - well there's not a bike shop in town as such - there is a place selling bikes I think but no one home with just a number to call? on the door and partly put together bikes laying around the place? After more looking around town with no luck I headed to the library /local community service center place to find a bus time table - after taking to the person at the desk I did find out 2 bits of information - that a) there was no where safe to leave my bike with my gear on it (and no where to put my bags off the bike as well)  - there's so rule agest it or something?  And  b)  the bus has a odd time table (what ever that ment?  - as I was leaving I made the point that public transportation in (auckland) nz is a bad joke with the only way to get many  places like in or out of helesville with out spending hours waiting (and it's is hours) is by using a car (or a few hour round trip by bike - that if I had a bike I could used that is (the tire issue) - remains me a bit like Mt summers down the south island where I got stuck for a few days after finding a crake in my bike Friday frame - there if you don't have use of a car you got a 20 km?  Walk to the next town that bus's do stop at as there is no public transport in or out of the small town yet bus's pass with in a km of it with out stopping - any how back to helesville - after some though I deside to lock up my bike (with just a bout all my gear on it besides hander bar bag that im taking with me) outside the library under what I'm hoping is some cameras (so I'm might at less get a view of any one who touchs the bike of gear - I can only hope for the best that my bike will be untouched until I get back some time latter in the day - then I head just up the road to the bus stop to hopefully wait for a bus to Westgate shopping center -  well the bus does turn up  more or less on time - it's a $5 fair to Westgate where I hop off the bus - well after a look around I find there's not a bike shop in the mail - but there is a warehouse store - let's see some warehouse stores do sell bike tires (at times I have got my bike Friday 20" and 12" (bike trailer) tires and tubes from the warehouse when I could not get then from bike shops - well they do sell tubes for $6 and are open longer hours then many bike shops are) - yes they do have 2 $ 15 26" tires in Stock so after looking them over I get then - well they only have to last until I can find /get sent to me some better tires - and I'm just not up to hunting around auckland by bus/train to find better ones - as it is just the trip to Westgate wipes me out and I fall asleep in the bus back to helesville waking up just in time to get off at the right stop (yep just about missed my stop) i dont tend to do well in big cities - so I'm not looking forward to having to ride though auckland - it's after 3 pm by the time I'm back in helesville so time for a new plan as it's to late to try to get though auckland in one go (photo I'd issues mean I don't have just about any where to stay in auckland over night)  so i send a message on Facebook to a new friend (thanks Kim for the help in getting in touch with some of your friends in helesville : ) that I met at a friends place up the way north during a horse camp (some friends from the horse world : )  with her getting in touch with a friend of there's who let me stay at they place for the night (big thank you to that person - sorry I forgotten your name) so spend the night chating and enjoying a good meal with good company before heading off to bed (and getting to slee in a real bed for a change : ) what was nice (besides having a few nightmares - not the fault of the nice people who put me up for the night - its just some suff from my past that I have to deal with)

Some where else to helesville

Some where else to helesville

With 30 km?  To ride to the pick up point for my lift a cross the harbour I leave a bit later then planed - partly as one of the nice people who's place I spent the night at was having a good chat to me about different things and time got a bit away : ) -its always nice to hear different points of view on different subjects from other people  as different people have different out looks in life - how boring life would be if everyone thought the same way and looked at life the same way  - also in some ways taking to different people is a bit like giving and receiving gifts as both people lean for each other in some way : )

Once I'm back on the road there's more up and downs then some gravel road - at times other rides pass me in each direction - some stop for a chat others just keep riding on by in places the gravel road is hard to ride on because it's lose gravel right across the road (so a bit like trying to ride on lose marbles or ball bearings)  in places there is tarseal  the days ride is going ok until around 10? From the pick up point my front tire suddenly losses air (it's good thing I was going only  slowly at the time  as font tire flats can cause a crash) as i look at the tire for the cause - I soon spot the issue - the fount tire has failed with bits of the tire coming apart  - not good - let's see i got 10 km to go with X time to get there to get the boat -  let's see I got a tire boot in one of my pach kits so I use that with a few layers of duck tape to back it up onice the boot wears though (the big hole in the tire in in the middle of the trend so touchs the ground so wears on the road)

 it's a good thing that the last 10 km is mostly gravel as it means that the boot/duck tape will last longer - I do a quick tube change as 2 other riders stop to as if I'm OK - I show them the issue before saying I'm OK as they would not be able to help much as they head off I hear them  saying something about 11 o'clock?  - I hope the pick up time has not changed other ways I'm going to miss it with the tire issue causing delay - after pumping up the tire keeping a eye on the pach hole I give a slow test ride - it's still holding so it's back on the bike stoping a few times to check the damage tire before getting back riding  - at the end of the road there's a beach with people fishing (with some given me odd or unfriendly looks (what I take little notice of - not sure what the looks was for? -maybe because in some places people who live in a place don't like outsides? ) 

Im by now some what unsure if I had made it in time for the boat trip across the harbour - spotting 2 bikes near by I ask the owners if they was there for the boat?  Yes was the reply so I had made it - its a hot day so I find a bit of sade to hide from the sun  with my phone on - I get a call to say the yes I would be getting picked up that day and got ask if I had saw two other people on bikes (the two next to me as it turns out)  so i could pass the message on about rough time for the pick up - as it depends on tide and how the fishing going with the boat I'm getting the lift with (it's a $50 cost for the boat trip) - some time latter I'm get a 2th call to keep a eye out for the boat as it should be there soon - looking out to sea I spot a incoming boat so I let the others know before moving my bike and gear to the beach (taking off the bags as there is a ladder to climb up and lift the bike on board the boat (no jetty at the pick up place)  after the boat gets in i help move my bike and gear onbord - I seem to find the hardest way of doing it (i can blame my dyspraxia for that)  once bikes/gear and people are on board we head off to do more fishing (it's a carter fishing boat with 10-15 people on board out for a days fishing)   at first I'm ok then as we move from place to place I start to get sea sick - not fun - so if you taking the boat across the harbour and are likely to get sea sick you may want to take some thing for it before hand : )

   one of the people offers me some thing for the sea sickness but I have To wait until I'm a bit better to take it - wel it kind of works though it makes me a bit loopy (a bit like being drunk I guess?) hum something else to add to the list of things I can't take - odd side effects include at times having trouble staying awake for more then 10 min when off the bike for a few days - what ever was in the sea sickness suff don't play well with my head injury /dyspraxia suff as my legs and balance did play up for a few days after as well  - but besides sea sickness issues the boat trip was good as I hot to see some new places : ) 

after a bit of a chat with the boat owner it's deside to stay on the boat untill helesville (the boats home port) and stay the night at they place in my tent  getting in late around 8pm (so about 8? Hours on board) after dropping off the other people (fishing people) the 2 other riders and me get off before heading to the boat  sip to give the bikes a quick wash (to wash the sea salt off)  before heading to the boat people place for the night - another late night as the other riders and I got given a nice meal and chatting to late (time Flys when you with good people) before everyone headed off to bed for the night  - the 2 other riders staying in a carvan set up for passing riders - from what I hear they got a early start as for me I had a little job to do - hunting down a new tire in helesville or some where near by (west gate shopping center?) so i had a bit of a sleep in

Some where to some where else : )

Some where to some where else : )

After packing up and a bit of a chat to the nice person who's place I stayed the night at its back on the road starting with a more climbing this time on a  bush lined road before getting to a high point then dropping down towards a car park and walk way to a very large 2000 year old tree so after locking the bike up I head a few Mims in to the bush to view the big tree (and take photos - partly as it's one of the photo stops on the tour Aotearoa ride - i do have some fun getting some good photos of my 2 soft toy travel companions in different places : ) before having a conversation with one of the people about different things including the tour Aotearoa ride event and about some of the many places that I have been to over the years by bike and on foot : ) 

Then it's back on the bike riding though more bush - did see a few other people doing bike touring - some going north others going south - and had a chat with some of them : ) after passing between to large trees close together (with the road running between them on a bridge like thing (to protect the roots of the trees?)   there's a bit of a climb then a long and fun if some what bumpy down hill ride to where there is a turn off to a camp ground /visitors center /other suff - I keep on the main road as it climbs up into farmland until I get to the top of the hill (where there is cell phone reception - there's a few messages on the phone including to call a friend at a bike shop about some parts )  before turning off the main road on a down hill gravel road (in places bad washboard ie rough bumpy road) it's a back road that links back up to the main road some km latter - partly gravel /tarseal with some up and downs along the way - onice I'm back on the main road I stop in at a severy  station for a pie and a check about a upcoming bit of road 

Then it's back on the bike taking the side road as per the ride notes - from here to dargavel my route (the tour Aotearoa route)  is on a mix of gravel and tarseal back roads at times climbing then dropping back down to the valley floor before one last climb that takes me into town - where after booking my upcoming trip across the harbour on a fishing boat) i get some food for the next few days (as my next shops will be at helesville)  before heading out of town on a no exit 60? Km long road (well I'm hoping I'm taking the right road as doing a 60 km hilly ride only to have to back track is not so fun : )  the road is up and down as it passes through a few small towns?  As it heads south - in many places there is road works (so lots of lose gravel on the road in places)  i keep riding until it's just about to get dark before picking a house door to knock on - in this case I'm seen as I'm heading down the driveway and waved to go around back - after a bit of a chat I'm giving the ok to set up my tent on they back lawn - then I'm invited in for a drink - and end up staying up late chating and seeing some TV including tenest games Australia open I think and a chat about tenes of all things (just some of the fun if some what odd things that happenes on long solo bike trips : ) then its time for bed for this now very tired girl : )