CYCLE TOUR - BREAKING NEWS - BEAST OF BURDEN UNSEATS RIDER

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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 - a bit like astronauts go through when they're in training in those aircraft on the edge of space," said Feral Mike. "The landing didn't hurt, after all it was sand. But I did get quite a surprise."

WEIRD BEHAVIOUR PUZZLES JOURNALISTS

Also surprised were journalists and camera crews attending the news conference - at Feral Mike's behaviour. He walked into the room humming an old Rolling Stones song, and before the conference was over he handed out photocopied sheets with the words to Beast of Burden. At one point, he broke off from what he was saying, to play an imaginary air guitar, and then tried to encourage journalists to join. They didn't.

WILL THE REAL MICK JAGGER STAND UP PLEASE

While most journalists were puzzled by the behaviour, one woman reporter was overheard saying to a colleague,"he does a pretty good imitation of Mick doesn't he? And he looks so much younger and more handsome."
Feral Mike went on to say that while he was unhurt, his dignity suffered a blow. The Beast threw him off in front of two foreign backpackers who were walking and hitching their way up the beach.
"When they weren't looking, I gave the beast a couple of decent kicks to let it know who's boss. But I'm not sure it worked. His gears squeaked all the way to Cape Reinga after that."

And just for the record, travelblog reprints the lyrics to Beast of Burden, handed out at today's news conference.

I'll never be your beast of burden
I'll never be your beast of burden
Never, never, never, never, never, never, never be

I'll never be your beast of burden
I've walked for miles and my feet are hurtin

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Photos

At Ahipara
About to start riding on the beach - 83 kilometres to Te Paki Stream

Feral Mike at today's news conference
One woman journalist was overheard remarking to a colleague that Feral Mike looked like a younger and more handsome Mick Jagger

Not the wreckage
Just nowhere firm to park the bike upright on its stand