Safe travels As we drove out of mangawhai - with The Rolling Stones " Beast of Burden " blearing from the utes stereo - we crossed paths - and then you were gone. Back to the city - flat whites and traffic lights. It was good to see you down Ponsonby Rd. and good to hear of your travel tales. " Me he manu motu i te mahanga" - Like a bird escaped from a snare. Travel safe MB. Good times!
Hi Melanie, They are on board. Did I forget to mention them? Lip stuff in the handlebar bag, sunblock in a pannier. Trying to keep the weight out of the handlebar bag otherwise the bike gets front wheel flap and tries to run off the road. regards, Feral Mike
Intrigued Hi Mike, what does it say about me that I'm fascinated by this??!! So hard to focus on so many things these days, but I read and re-read your list. I'm not sure if you've inspired or completely intimidated me. I guess the sunscreen and lip gloss are in the toilet bag. Good luck with the next leg. Melanie x
I am the man who Feral Mike encountered in Tomarata. I believe that he is indeed the brutha of my luvva,
'THE' Feral Mike. How do I know? He came back to our place and devoured half a cheese cake- only a man who had just cycled 1200 kms could have such an appetite. And even if he wasn't the Feral Mike we all know and love, anyone who calls me a 'low flying missile' has my backing.
-L.F.M.
reality check Who was that man.? News that the Feral Mike saga may have been the greatest hoax since George Bush professed to Christian principles has left a Northland man in a state of shock.
"We laid on a fishing trip for him. I did have my suspicions when he fainted at the sight of fish blood, and again when he tried to turn on the TV One News that evening. His demeanour in the Paparoa Pub was also very subdued, unlike the Feral Mike of my past aquaintance when no barmaid was safe when he fell under the influence of Pinot Noir. The fact he accepted instant coffee instead of the preferred Ponsonby barrista'd latte was another suspicious factor, but his gluttony when offered panfried freshly caught gurnard and home made chips almost had me convinced it was in fact, him."
It is understood the Northland man is now undergoing counselling.
Thanks Gordon, yeah, there must have been some good times. Maybe they'll come to me! I went private boarding with a couple of families in my last year at high school,and things certainly picked up then.
poignant
Isn't it interesting to visit some place otherwise long forgotten. It's when we're in that actual place again seeing things we haven't seen for so many years that the brain fires up and dumps down a host of memories....and memories are usually either bad or good...seldom inbetween. Your memory of the nervous boy and the dance was especially poignant.
Hi Melanie, it's nice to know you're out there. Hey, thank u very much for the Oxfam donation. I've been intending to get an email address for you from J, so I could thank you personally. In the meantime, here's a very public thanks! Yeah, Mimiwhangata is a great spot. love, Feral Mike
Homesick ... Hi Mike, just to confirm that you're being read at least as far away as Hong Kong so please keep up the blog! The only problem is that your descriptions and photos are making me VERY homesick!! Yes, I'd love to chill at Mimiwhangata!! Have fun on the next leg, Melanie xx
Travelblog Hi Kevin, thanks for your kind words. I must say I'm enjoying doing the blog. I Knew I'd be hopeless at doing a journal/diary but with my small but select readership I feel a sense of responsibility to do the blog. And it will indeed provide me with a record of the trip which I can keep. cheers, Mike aka 'Feral Mike'
Travel Writing Mike, me thinks you're discovering your next career .. as a travel writer. You're a natural, ... with pen and picture. At the end of the road back in latte lovin' Ponsonby, will you rip the script out of this blog and publish hard copy?
road rash You did well Mike. That kind of road must have been frightening on the downhills to say the least. I hope you don't have to come across that again. Well done on reaching Whangarei in one piece. Enjoy your short rest before the last stages of your return. See you soon.
Wow Dad - Mimiwhangata looks absolutely beautiful, how lucky you are to have the chance to discover these places. Can't wait to see you at Mangawhai tomorrow! xoxo
From Cippo " Roaming free as the breeze,What's to stop me , and why ?I can do as I please, Open road, open sky." The chorus of the ballad, 'Open Road' sung by the late, great John Charles Thomas. An oldie but a goodie..I think you'd like it. Good to see the pic of Paul Campbell..He looks very relaxed and contented. Seems to be going well for you, Just had ten days off..Jill in Australia...I just sat in the sun-drenched courtyard, reading, reading, reading. My two cats for company..peace, peace , peace. Hope your treasured bicycle stand is fulfilling its promise. Cheers.
A LATTE SIPPING, PONSONBY DWELLER GOES ADVENTURING BY BICYCLE
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THE BIG PLAN
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I made a solo cycle ride from one end of New Zealand to the other over the southern summer - 2009/10. I kept off the busy highways as much as possible, and even managed a few 4WD tracks in some of the more remote corners of the country. I finished on 9 April 2010 and returned home ... full info
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Safe travels
As we drove out of mangawhai - with The Rolling Stones " Beast of Burden " blearing from the utes stereo - we crossed paths - and then you were gone. Back to the city - flat whites and traffic lights. It was good to see you down Ponsonby Rd. and good to hear of your travel tales. " Me he manu motu i te mahanga" - Like a bird escaped from a snare. Travel safe MB. Good times!