I went for a leisurely ride today to visit Haruru Falls and catch the ferry to explore Russell. Compared to previous rides, this would be super easy, so I put on my hot pink top and scarf, then headed on my way.

I had my first fall on the bike, not a bad one, but just a reminder that in a split second it’s easy to mess up. I was riding down the footpath here, which turns quite sharply, which you can’t see as you descend. A driver came up really close behind me and honked the horn a few times. I must have flinched and had my handlebars tap the brick wall, because I tipped over and fell in the bushes.

So out of all motorists, including trucks, buses, motorcycles and cars, the horn honkers are the worst. Their vehicles weigh 100 times more than mine, they travel at 5 times my speed and insist on driving really close to me and repeatedly pounding their car horns. It’s not cute or funny, it’s just obnoxious. It’s happened a few times at highway speeds and I’m just lucky I didn’t lose my balance, fall onto the road and die. Okay, that’s my rant for the week, just a little cyclist rage.

The rest of the day was great though, Haruru Falls was beautiful, although the picture looks a bit funny. I’m wearing black gloves and black skins, so it looks like I have no hands.

After having fish and chips for lunch and a hot mocha to warm me up, I caught the ferry to Russell, where I saw some parasailers and contemplated trying it out.

View from the ferry

I rode to Long Beach and around the bays at a leisurely pace, enjoying the changing scenery around me.

A windy day on Long Beach

Long Beach from the lookout

Oh NZ, always providing beautiful walkways.

I ended up return to the pier 45 minutes before my ferry left, so I sat on a swing and then a bench to admire the views.

The sunset ferry ride was really nice and I promptly got on my bike ride home. It’s only 6km away, but the road is also a high crash zone, so I was keen to get past it in one piece. Luckily half of it has a separate footpath and there wasn’t much traffic. I made it home safely and packed my things for a big day tomorrow.