The Tongariro Alpine Crossing is an epic 20km hike, with incredible scenery and special sites along the way. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great, so the company I booked the tour with, canceled the trip. I ended up going anyway with two other people at the hostel, Alan and Vicky, who were kind enough to drive … Continue reading Day 11: Tongariro Alpine Crossing

After the big ride yesterday, I slept like a log. I felt fortunate to have stayed in awesome hostels for three consecutive towns, which seemed too good to be true. So I was reluctant to leave, also because I met some cool people here, and the pizza place down the road was amazing. There was … Continue reading Day 10: Riding Ohakune to Turangi

I knew that this one was going to be the hardest ride for my whole trip and the Strava results below definitely prove it. I gave myself 9 hours to arrive in Ohakune, including breaks, and there were three reasons it was so tough: Ridiculous elevation; more than a quarter of Everest, essentially it was going to … Continue reading Day 09: Riding Wanganui to Ohakune (cyclist version)

This was the most scenic ride so far, I rode along and over various rivers and streams, saw multiple waterfalls and gazed upon mist covered mountains in the horizon. Most of the locals have said that it's a shame that I'm only seeing the North Island, since the South Island is so much prettier. To … Continue reading Day 09: Riding Wanganui to Ohakune (tourist version)

I was looking forward to this day, but unfortunately the weather didn't agree with me. It rained a fair bit, so I decided to keep myself (and my bike) dry and enjoy some indoor activities. First off was a beginners' yoga class, which was very refreshing but challenging at some points. To begin with, my legs … Continue reading Day 08: Wanganui, rest day