Here I am in Raglan, looking at a real estate leaflet with properties for sale in Port Waikato. $284,000 for a "classic beach bach" doesn't sound too bad. Here in Raglan, you would be lucky to get a section for that. The two settlements have a number of things in common. They are both on the West Coast. One has a harbour, the other has the country's biggest river spilling out into the Tasman. Both are close to centres with much bigger populations - Hamilton and Auckland. But that's about where the similarities end. Raglan is reggae vibe and way cool. Port Waikato is Coast Radio and hits from the 60s. It still hasn't discovered the meaning of the word cool. But I like it. Just as the music is from the 60s, so too is ... read more

Everything Including the Kitchen Sink Gentle Readers, With the ride about to resume, I have been sorting through my gear and preparing for the next leg to Taupo and Wellington. By now you will be so filled with enthusiasm for your own cycle trips that I have decided to provide you with a handy-to-use inventory. In other words, what to take. Right Front Pannier Sleeping bag and silk liner Thermarest inflatable mattress Small pillow, pillowcase, boxer shorts Weight 4 kg Left Front Pannier 1 emergency dinner - Back Country Cuisine freeze dried meal Waterproof plastic liner Clothes bag containing 2 changes underwear, spare cycling top, zip off trousers, lightweight merino long-sleeved top, lightweight long johns, I casual shirt, 1 spare pair socks. Small towel 1 pair crocs Weight 3 kg Left Rear Pannier First aid kit, ... read more

A man looking remarkably like Feral Mike has been spotted lurking (see exclusive pictures) in cafes in Ponsonby, Auckland, leading to a claim that his solo bike ride of Northland never happened. Did Feral Mike Ever Set Out? An unreliable source says Feral Mike didn't leave the city, but has been lying low until the past few days and making up his blogs by stealing information and pictures from the internet. The source claims Feral Mike's confidence is growing because he believes he's got away with the scam. As a result, he's become brave enough recently to appear in public wearing a yellow cycle helmet to help hide his identity (pictures in the past have shown him wearing a black one). Feral Mike Defends Himself Feral Mike broke his silence late this afternoon to deny the ... read more

One more cup of coffee for the road One more cup of coffee 'fore I go To the valley below Bob Dylan It was a perfect morning and I was in the perfect mood to enjoy it. The sun was shining but the day was still cool, and with no overnight dew my tent was dry when I packed it up. I was fed and watered and the road lay before me - full of promise. What more could a person want? Coffee! Even before I'd reached the 100 kph sign on the outskirts of Russell the thought had flashed through my mind. What could make a perfect day more perfect? A big steaming latte, frothy on the top with one of those tubes of white sugar (or better still brown) poured onto it and stirred ... read more

DRAMA ON NINETY MILE BEACH Cycle tourist Feral Mike has been thrown from his bike, known as the Beast of Burden, in a moment of drama on a Northland beach. The incident happened on Ninety Mile Beach, as the pair were within three kilometres of exiting at Te Paki Stream. At a hastily called news conference in Kaitaia this afternoon, Feral Mike said the Beast had been behaving perfectly up until that moment. But the Beast allowed a crosswind to let it veer off course into a soft patch of sand. The Beast buried his front wheel into the sand and stopped. "IT WAS A SORT OF FLOATING EXPERIENCE" "Instead of doing 20 plus ks an hour on the Beast, I was doing them through the air. It was a sort of floating experience - ... read more