Imagenes "randomicas" de una despedida Kiwi

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Cuatro meses se me escurrieron entre los dedos. 

Meses llenos de agua, bosques, noches estrelladas, pedal y borregos. Meses cargados de amaneceres, aventuras y encuentros mágicos. Me voy de regreso a los Andes y una parte de mi se queda con mi yunta de aventuras que se queda a terminar sus estudios. Ha sido una inspiración estar a su lado.

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"Randomic" images of a Kiwi farewell

Four months just squeezed through mi fingers.

Months filled up with water, bush, clear nights, bikes and sheep. Filled up with sunrises, adventures and magical encounters. I'am heading back to the Andes and a part of me stays with Marcela to finish her studies. Its always inspiring to be at her side. 

-- The last Tauroa morning / Ultimo amanecer en Tauroa

-- Noel's cabin, better known as "the love shack". Tauroa farm.

-- Flax flower / Flor de Lino

-- Inner tube jewelry / Tubos de bici reciclados

-- Good bye kiss / Hobbit style / Beso de despedida

Blanco-Negro y de Colores

Flotando en el tiempo / Drifting away 

-- Bikes and shed

-- Colores de la mañana

--Pollinating

-- Oak-sky

-- Cimientos

-- Lluchitos / Naked

-- Riding the Cape Kidnappers

pal Norte...

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Todo lo que sube baja. 
Estamos de regreso en Hawkes Bay. La Marce de regreso a clases y yo una vez mas encontrando rutinas finqueras en Tauroa. Los días se van alargando y el invierno ya solo hace entradas intempestivas para luego dar paso a días primaverales. 
Con el calorcito, un frenesí de nuevos "guaguas" invade la finca. Mamas orgullosas se pandean con sus críos mientras todos enfrentamos resignados nuestra nueva ocupación de niñeras/enfermeras. La mañana siempre viene acompañada de alguna eventualidad en la maternidad... que no sale el ternero, que son gemelos, que no come, que come mucho, etc.
La Colorada descansa y todos nos dejamos llevar por el ritmo de la finca...
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What comes down must come up.
We are up in Hawkes Bay again, Marcela back into classes and I find myself falling slowly into the farm routines at Tauroa. Little by little winter starts giving way to spring, days are getting longer and cold spells give way to nice sunny days.
With the sun, an avalanche of newborn babies takes over the farm. Proud mamas wander around the fields showing off her little ones. We quietly accept our new role of baby-sitting and nursing. Mornings are always eventful... the calf is not coming out, twins where born, baby is not eating, baby is eating too much...etc.
Bikes rest quietly on the shed and we all drift away with the rhythms of the farm... 

-- Rising early provides for everyday sun salutations.

 

-- Flowers popping out. Spring coming?...

--After school nap.

-- Garden and garden shed. NZ provides green veggies year round.

-- La Colorada is also taking it easy.

-- More interesting mushrooms...

-- My friend Noel "eating sun" a daily ritual he performs every morning before breakfast.

-- Baby boom!

Nelson y Golden Bay

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Recién llegados despues de una rica salida de fin de semana de pedalear las costas del Abel Tasman National Park. Mientras limpio bicis y escribo un poco de emails me doy cuenta de que nuestro tiempo en la Isla de Sur va llegando a su fin.

La pueblerina ciudad de Nelson ha sido un campamento base cinco estrellas, empezando por la generosa oferta de nuestros amigos Dan y Lisa al ofrecernos su casa durante su ausencia. Adicional a los beneficios de tener un lindo techo al cual regresar después de las aventuras, Nelson tiene mucho que ofrecer. Los “chaquiñanes” locales son de primera clase, el Dun Mountain Trail y todo un laberinto de senderos en el Codgers MTB park están en el patio trasero. Varios almacenes ofrecen taller y todos los artilugios necesarios para las naves de dos ruedas, estoy especialmente agradecido con Stewarts Cycles quienes me dejaron invadir su local un par de veces para “tunear” las bicis después de los viajes.

Cafes abundan, ZUMO mi favorito. El “farmers market” es muy especial y todos los sábados ofrece una enorme variedad de productos locales y artesanías de altísima calidad, generalmente acompañados de musica en vivo tocada por algún lugareño. A todo esto tenemos que sumar que Nelson disfruta de unos de los mejores climas de Nueva Zelanda y que incluso las playas de la cuidad tienen su encanto, todo puerto tiene su encanto… 

El Kahurangi National Park, Abel Tasman National Park, el Queen Charlotte track, Rameka track, el Ghost track están todos a escasos 90 minutos en auto del centro de Nelson, caminatas y senderos abundan. Los fish and chips son buenos y baratos, la ciudad esta empapada de hermosos murales y en general se respira un ambiente de buena onda entre la gente. Va a ser difícil dejar a Golden Bay cuando llegue la hora…

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We just came back from a short overnight backpacking trip in the Abel Tasman National Park. As I clean bikes and do some emails, I realize that our time in the South island is coming to an end. 
Nelson has proven to be a five star base camp. To begin with, our friends Dan and Lisa have lent us their beautiful home while they are gone on their honey moon. Adding to the benefit of having a nice roof, the riding around town is first class with plenty of options. Codgers MTB Park is just out the door and the exceptional Dun Mountain trail is also on Nelson’s backyard. 
Bike shops options are plenty as well, the guys at StewartsCycles have been particularly nice, letting me use their tools and workshop a few times to tune my bike.
Nice cafes abound, with ZUMO being my favorite. A thriving farmers market happens every week, local crafts and yummy foods are sold accompanied by the tunes of talented local buskers. 

This funky city also offers some of NZ's most friendly weather and a great coast line to stroll along with wide, sandy beaches to explore.
Kahurangi National Park, Abel Tasman National Park, the Queen Charlotte track, Rameka track, the Ghost track are all within 90 minutes drive from town. The city has the most amazing murals, good fish and chips and good vibes all together. Its going to be hard to leave Golden Bay when time comes…

-- The picturesque town of Nelson as seen from Dan and Lisa's house

-- Some of Nelson "sky" and "sea" dwellers. The little fantails also like riding clipless.

--The  Dun Mountain Trail a 45k "Great Ride" on Nelson's backyard.

-- Afternoon beach stroll with our good friend Annamieke and her family.

-- Yoga mornings. Our Ecuadorian made Tatoo Marmolejo jacket has been the best all arounder for winter weather.

-- Windy beach ride

-- A city of murals...

-- and sea...

--Abel Tasman National Park, an icon of Golden Bay.

-- Wherever you look there is art and detail...

-- Murals everywhere. At the bathrooms, public buildings, electric supply boxes, at the corner store...

-- Chillaxing afternoon by the port.

-- Getting ready for a swim after an overnight  bikepacking trip to the Gibbs track.

-- Golden Bay sunset at Pohara beach

Honguitos / Magicos / Mushrooms

-- Casposos / Dandruff
(Hawkes Bay NZ)

-- No empujen! / Stop pushing!
(Raetihi, NZ)

-- Montañero / Mountain man
(Kahurangi, NZ)

-- Manos / Hands
(Marlborough Sounds, NZ)

-- Snorkel
(Kahurangi, NZ)

-- Colorin Colorado
(Abel Tasman, NZ)

-- Oran-gine
(Abel Tasman, NZ) 

-- Extraterrestres
(West Coast, NZ)

Great walk = Great ride

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Hace ya casi siete años por “equivocación” y en puro estilo “guerrillero” (info detallada solo por via interna) caminamos con la Marce el Kepler Track, una de las nueve New Zealand Great Walks. La pateada fue memorable y desde entonces siempre he tenido curiosidad de saborear alguna otra de las renombradas “Great Walks”.

Hace unos meses, antes de salir de Ecuador, encontré que por un periodo de tres años y a manera de prueba, DOC (NZ Departament of Conservation) abriría la posibilidad de recorrer el Heaphy Track en bicicleta de montaña.

El  Heaphy es la mas larga de las Great Walks con casi 80 km de chaquiñan que van desde Golden Bay hasta Karamea (ver mapa). Los Maori abrieron la ruta hace ya varios siglos para traer “pounamu” y "paua" desde la mítica West Coast; les siguieron los exploradores y mineros del siglo XIX en busca de oro y, hoy por hoy aventureros de todo el mundo buscan hacer una reserva “on-line” para poder caminar la ruta en verano. En invierno, como muchas otras de estas travesías, el Heaphy descansa de los caminantes y hasta Septiembre 2013 abre sus puertas a unos cuantos “bike-packers” que van a pedalear la ruta.

De principio sonaba como una oportunidad que no había como dejar pasar y después de un poco de dudas, análisis de “fore-cast”  y planeación estratégica de logísticas, hace un par de días finalmente estuvimos en el Kahurangi National Park a la cabecera del Heaphy Track. Los caballitos de metal ensillados y aperados. Nuestro plan: pedalear el Heaphy de ida y vuelta en cuatro días.

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Seven years ago, by “accident” and in pure “guerrilla style” (detailed info by e mail only) we ended up hiking the entire length of the Kepler Track, one of the nine New Zealand Great Walks. The hike was memorable and ever since I wondered when will I have the chance to do a Great Walk again.

Before leaving Ecuador a few months ago I found out that DOC (NZ Department of Conservation) had opened the Heaphy Track to mountain bikes for a trial period of three years.

The Heaphy is the longest of all Great Walks with 80km of uninterrupted trail starting at Golden Bay and finishing at isolated Karamea (see map). The track was opened hundreds of years ago by local Maori as a route to seek for “pounamu” and "paua" in the mythical west coast. Gold miners followed their footprints in the early 1900s, and nowadays hikers from all over the world book “online” their fast-selling hut pass to do the track in the summer months. In winter, as most of these traverses, the Heaphy sees little traffic and for now, while the trial period lasts, it welcomes a few adventurous bikepackers.

The ride looked appealing to us right from the beginning and after clearing some doubts with the local forecast and sorting out ride and hut logistics, we finally found ourselves at the Kahurangi National Park by the Heaphy Track trail head. Bikes packed and ready.

Our plan: to ride the Heaphy there and back in four days.

-- 17 km of gentle uphill welcome you into the Heaphy Track as you climb 1000 meters towards Perry saddle.

-- Character full beech, podocarp and rata forest.

-- and moss

-- Coming out into the alpine.

-- The terrain on the first day varies from easy smooth gravel to very technical loose rock.
The riding is always rewarding

-- Red Tussock grass takes over as you reach 1000 meters. Welcome to "paramos"

-- and of course many river crossings.

-- Up in the high mountains. Probably my favorite section of the ride.

-- Warming up by the fire on the small  and cozy Goulands Down hut.

-- The second day we started on some of the finest terrain of the ride.  Nice fast flowing singletrack...

-- The smoothness eventually gave up to loose rock, mud and moss.
A technical descent towards the West Coast.

-- On the downhill frenzy both riders did some "close ups" off the side ditches. No injuries.

-- Marcela's menu always features some gourmet surprises. NZ smoked salmon + cream cheese bagels for lunch.

-- giant Rata trees as we reach the lowlands of the west coast

-- All alone in the brand new Heaphy Hut (just opened a week ago). The huts are luxurious for our traveling standards.

-- West Coast sunset. Surrounded by tropical nikau palms and limestone cliffs.

-- After climbing back the long-wet-technical terrain from yesterday we are back on the flowy stuff

-- Arriving for our third night at Saxon Hut, we found company on a left over bottle of scotch! Doesn't get much better...

-- Saxon Hut transformations as the sun rises.

-- "Producto de Ecuador" wood box in the middle of the track... a globalized world!

-- We had to pour hot water on chains and cranks
to wake up the bikes from the cold night.

-- lovin' the red tussock...

-- Rime ice at Saxon Hut.

-- Morning river crossings.

-- Looking out to Golden Bay as we finish the ride. A Great Ride!