http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Clare and Vernon/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Clare and Vernon en-us Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:12:40 BST Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:12:40 BST Trains that run on time 03040806We decide to head out to Nikko to see the shrines then on to Sendai where another old PhD friend of Vernon's lives magneticists they get everywhere. So we leave the bikes in the bike park under Ueno Station having checked with the attendant that they'll be okay until Sunday at least we think that's what we asked. The excess bags go in a locker and we take http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Tokyo/blog-85655.html Doing the soft shoe shuffle 310706We sleep for most of the 6hr flight to Narita but still arrive feeling knackered we stagger like zombies through immigration and customs and find a space to rebuild the bikes near the bus stops. People keep wandering up to have a look see the silly Gaijin getting hot and sweaty. Next to us is the pick up point for one of the buses to Tokyo each time a bus le http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Japan/Chiba/Narita/blog-83261.html A sign of things to come 18210806So we finally leave Bowen. It's a warm sunny day and the riding would be perfect if it wasn't for the lump that has developed on my bum It's right under the left sit bone and is making life very uncomfortable when I get on the bike there's a few minutes of comedy Oooh. Owwwww oooh accompanied by much hotching around until the damn thing gets squashed eno http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/blog-80586.html Land of sugar cane rum and ginger beer 03050706We set off north towards Bundaberg taking a lovely quiet back road through the hills to Howard where we have lunch before getting back onto the Bruce for the rest of the day. Our route is now through fields of sugar cane and as it is the start of the harvest season there are a number of cane trucks on the road and also a lot of cane trains the http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/blog-80310.html Running away from Brisbane 23290606Up early and finish the packing then try to eat breakfast the YHA which has 165 bed spaces is incredibly poorly equipped and has the grand total of three spoons in the kitchen ten mugs about the same number of bowls but oddly hundreds of knives. Stupidly we are on the porage today as we need the fuel for cycling so while Vernon cooks the breakfast I s http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/Fraser-Island/blog-76417.html Stuck in Port 230506 030606We decide to spend a day in Port Macquarie so we can visit the koala hospital it's probably the only way we will get to see any of them Spend a pleasant couple of hours ooohing and aaahing at the patients they are incredibly cute although we are told they have a nasty bite and very strong claws we are happy to keep our distance and just look. The koala hospital http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Queensland/blog-69968.html Taking colds to Newcastle 11150506We say our goodbyes to the hostel staff and head back into Central Sydney we're going to cheat and take the train to Hornsby thereby avoiding the worst of Sydney's traffic. The Pacific Highway is a secondary road here as a freeway has been built next to it so we get a quiet ride almost all the way to Gosford although the bikes are rattling well under the str http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/blog-61902.html Two Poms in the big city 300406 050506We arrive ahead of schedule and get through immigration incredibly fast the longest queue is for Kiwis and Aussies the everybody else aisle is almost empty. Amazingly the bikes have arrived on the same flight we get them back together and entertain the crowds by removing many layers of clothing and emptying pockets before rearranging our bags and head http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/blog-58250.html Making all the right decisions 16180406We have a choice when we leave Invercargill we can take SH1 direct to Balclutha a fairly flat and boring route on a quick road or we can take the Southern Scenic Route through the Catlins a much more interesting and hilly route. SH1 is the sensible choice as it will get us to Christchurch more quickly and we have a flight deadline.The first problem w http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Christchurch/blog-56606.html Our slowest speed yet 040406We're off towards Queenstown today the forecast is for a southwesterley so we will at least get wind assist by the Haast river we ride away from Haast Township into a northeasterly which stays with us all the way along the river ho humOur progress is slowed by photo stops at every waterfall we see they are all very impressive since the rains of the last two day http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Southland/blog-54723.html Mind the gap 19230306We're off down the West Coast on State Highway 6 the road rolls gently for the first few miles then we crawl up Costello Hill before finding out what 40mph rain feels like freewheeling down the other side. We struggle over three more vicious hills and reach the sea the views are amazing beautiful little bays with waves rolling in we want to live in every house we see. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/West-Coast/blog-52817.html Heading West 11180306After a day mooching around Picton we're heading for Renwick in the heart of Marlborough wine country we catch a nasty thin cold rain just as we crest the hill out of Picton but soon afterwards the sun appears and the road flattens out. It's an easy ride into Renwick and we soon arrive at Watson's Way Backpackers. The next day we tour some of the local vineyards but my http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/West-Coast/blog-51827.html Sorting the knee 05090306The road to Wellington from National Park looks like a great riding route when the local plant life isn't horizontal and the weather isn't blowing againsterlies we'd like to thank Wafflycat for that description. As it is we're sitting on the train admiring the views.On the morning of the 6th we head into Welly to shop for Sealskinz for Vern they're waterproof socks http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Wellington/blog-50397.html Heading towards Mount Doom 270206010306We 're finally leaving Hamilton it's going to be weird not being at J's Backpackers anymore and we can both heartily recommend it to anybody heading to Hamilton. Trevor and Bruce show their appreciation of our stay there by ignoring our departure there's more important stuff to be done like bagging a place on the sofa to sleep on We say our goodbyes http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Wellington/blog-46548.html Frankly this is beginning to get a bit repetitiveNew Plymouth 08150206We decide to take the Intercity bus to New Plymouth and then travel down to Wellington for a few days before heading back to Hamilton so that the next medic can give us his opinion about my knee. We are booked into the Sunflower Backpackers which is in the centre of New Plymouth the place is okay but by midnight we've had http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hamilton/blog-43922.html Off the bikes doctors orders 28300106We get dropped off at Anglesea Clinic this morning where a doctor manipulates my knee for a while before announcing that I may have a torn meniscus and I need to rest it for seven days definitely no cycling. He then tells me that after two days rest I should start exercising it he says a really good exercise for the knees is cycling. I give him one of http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hamilton/blog-41655.html Heading to Raglan 19220106So we finally set off south the weather is abysmal we decide to stop at Papatoetoe to sit out the worst of the rain in a cafe after 50mins we have another coffee each because we've made the first ones last so long they're cold The rain continues to pour down there are rivers running down the paths as well as the roads the drains are full and outside the cafe is a http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Hamilton/blog-41096.html Homeward bound 8100106We finally decided to get back on our bikes and head off the object of the journey meeting our niece has been accomplished and so it's time to go home very slowly. Incredibly I was the first person awake and managed to get a cup of tea and toast in complete peace before anybody else got up. We loaded up the bikes and set off towards Russell amid photos loads of shouts http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Northland/blog-38872.html Hot springs and hills 451205We rode away from the hostel and headed for the ferry back to the mainland the hills didn't seem as bad on the way back and the mile downhill to the port was great. We rolled the bikes onto the ferry expecting the same comedy routine carrying them fully laden down four steps and over two door sills as we'd had on the way to Waiheke. Amazingly we were loaded strai http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Northland/blog-33984.html 13th November 2005Didn't exist Don't you love the International DatelineAuckland and beyond 14261105So we made it to New Zealand by 6.30 am on the 14th only one hour late but a number of passengers had to make internal connections and were panicking over the delay we sat back and let them all flap about then wandered off the plane and into passport control where everybody got to queue for http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/blog-29732.html