let me say: IT IS SUMMER!! HOT AND STUNNING!!!!!!!
hi ya!
well after the exciting 2-4 days travelling ( not really sure with all the date lines and time changes) i arrived in New Zealand!!!!!!!
after getting thru customs no problem i set about getting my bike together at the airport. i had planned on riding into Christchurch from the airport but i took the easy route and caught a shuttle. glad i did after all -- they drive on the 'wrong' side of the road and have many roundabout intersections (which take a lot of getting used to). i would have had a hell of a time getting into town had i not taken the shuttle. just picture a mr. bean episode with a cyclist going round and round holding up traffic.
i spent my first night in Christchurch at a hostel. as i walked the streets of Christchurch it actually sunk in that i was indeed in the world of the "traveller". it has been almost ten years since i last travelled overseas on a solo journey and it feels great being out in this big ole world!
i caught a train early the next morning and headed north. the train trip was absolutley stunning - up the west coast of the south island. train travel here is really efficient and super affordable. i boogied up north to get to my family.
for all that don't know all my dad's (Trevor's) family live in NZ. The area i am in now (Motueka) is where both my Granny & Uncle Barry (trevor's brother) live. My folks are here on holiday now, so they came and fetched me from the train station and we drove 2 hours west here to Motueka. my aunt and family (trevors sister) are holidaying here. so the Fisher Family is almost complete. My sister Maren will be here in s few days. let me say: IT IS SUMMER!! HOT AND STUNNING!!!!!!!
this area is soo beautiful. it is similar to the Okanagan in that it is orchard and vineyard territory. but it is different in that it is surrounded by the ocean and gorgeous blue water. Motueka is a quiet seaside community, but it is also a gate way town to a big National Park (Abel Tasman). If you are looking on a map we are at the giant bay at the top of the South Island.
i have broken out this winter body and i am easing my way into the sun. the ozone hole above NZ and Oz is very big, so this scaredycat must be careful. i am swimming pretty much everyday (will head to the beach once i am finsihed here).
my uncle Barry's farm/orchard is so amazing. high up with views of neighbouring orchards. Barry has apples and lemons (recently harvested) and we will begin work on the apples mid-Feb. last night we harvested the apricot tree and i have will set out to make apricot jam -- a first!
so as you can hear it is amazingly beautiful. i am enjoying being with family. grannies, cousins, aunts, uncles, second cousins and parents. it was so nice riding down country roads this morning, birds chirpping,realizing that this will be home for a while. i will head off in about a week for some touring (once all the family leave) until i need to start work. if ever in NZ there is plenty of work (hravesting fruit) this time of year in this neck of the woods.
bike news: there have been lots of letters to the editor in local papers about touring/cyclists. a swiss woman was injured while riding a few weeks back after someone 'yawbo' threw something out the window of a car. cyclists in the nearest town/city Nelson are carrying digital cameras to capture bad drivers and are creating a website. i am not worried and see tonnes of tourers around this area.
oh ya one last thing. there is a great article in the Jan/Feb issue of Bicycling Magazine (read it on the plane) -- an articel about Bike Town USA. The magazine and Trek bikes had a contest and gave out free bikes to people for 3 months to see how a bike made a difference in their lives. It is a great article as it rings true to why bikes and cycling is so important and fun. I am so used to reading bike magazines that are all about performance, gear and fitness. It was a nice change to read something about bikes and community.
I hope you are all so great and happy and healthy.
Love to you all,
cara
p.s. rusl thank you so much for helping get me this blog set up!!!
Hi Cara,
Good to here you arrived safely. You sound like your having a great time.
Miss you already, Jack Ass and Kate.
Here are a few photos from your going away party.
http://www.jevansmedia.com/cara/index.html
Posted by: Jack Ass at January 16, 2004 07:25 PMHey there Natty Gann,
Glad to hear u had a good journey and arrived safe. i wish i could be havin some toast and fresh apricot jam with u there. U be careful ridin', watch out for those kiwi, bottle tossin'
rednecks. I also heard there are 10 -15 orcs that escaped from Mordor and are bushwacking unsuspecting hobbits on the mountain roads.
so maybe consider shaving the hair off the tops of your feet as a disguise. haha.have fun
Love Tony
hooray you dun thee kompewter and have travelled safe.
enjoy the sun
I miss swimming. Ah to be hot and relaxed.
Get a good local map if you can. A really detailed topographical map is so good for exploring off the beaten (or car) path. You family is much more likely to know where to find such a map than you as a tourist, so take that advantage. Jane's family in Germany had good maps.
don't beleive the newspaper hype. Cycling is always safer than driving. So whatever these newspapers pretend to be sympathetic but somehow they help propagate the myth. Any real numbers however show that bikes are many times over always safer. Most bike accidents are from falling off your own bike. In the US a cyclist sued a driver sucessfully who had thrown a chocolate bar at him and he wasn't injured but could have been.
hugs,
rusl
Cool, Babe! I miss the open roads, aussi.
I told you about Jason on the North Island... Well, he's buying my "overseas passage" to see him in Feb.!
I'll be 2 wks. in Wakatane (ocean town) in the south of the N. Isle likely in the last 2 wks. of Feb. - so let's hook up if we can!
Ya up fer a lil' skinny dippin', bebe? :D
bigasssmooches,
Kristin
woah nelly fertado, this all sounds incredible ... in fact i don't believe a word of it, you must be hiding in a vancouver internet cafe ...
no chewing gum or spitting in singapore?
they drive on the wrong side of the road in NZ?
toilets flush counter clock-wise?
nice try ...
anyway, i just watched whale rider again
and thought of you while crying again at
the end ...
cara fisher, i'm glad we got to jam out
at the railway sing along one last time ...
i hope you find some good bars in nz and
a dance club with 80s nights ... though
maybe you'll truly never come back if you
do ... don't hold back posting about sightings
of cute kiwi boys and/or girl;s(is it true what they say about the fuzzy kiwi skin?)
i hope your wearing lots of skin block ...
what's the accordian situation look like
down there? are the keys all upside down and
on the wrong side of the bellows? does
the air squeeze out counter clock-wise?
and get a friendster.com profile up, ok?
everyone's doing it ...
love
steven
Hey bikegirl
You lucky bird, it seems lots of us wanna ride wit ya. I'm there in spirit as well. Cara! don't shave, us elves and fairies love you the way you are:-)well, it could be that we want to shave ya ha ha!
Do Kiwi's have hairy bikes? If you can make pictures of hairy Kiwis on Hairy bikes for the bikesexual page that would b e great.
My Kiwi biker housemate Naomi is moving and being replaced by an Ausi biker chick its all good. our Swiss cycling roomies just gave birth to a brand new SwissCanadian bikeshevik called Chan. He is now one month old and very very cute.
Had a fun gathering last night planning the next Crit Mass ride it was soo fun. Feb Ride is a Carnival Ride.
Rusl started a real awesome new bikesensual page, when its ready I'll make sure you get the url. Take pictures of working bikes if you see any.
have a wonderful ride and swim
I send ya love and hugz
in solidarity with velolove
Guy
Hey Cara
Glad to see your swimmin amongst the fish's
Just the family hope many of us wishes
Fruits of the land, Its the Sun's greatest gift
Pickin it fresh along the Ohhh! zone rift
Lest during any bear azed tanning
and hot weather fanning
remeber to turn,
so you don;t burn your fern.
No really, I hear rubbing yourself frequently with indigenous guys
Increases your exposure time to Mauri skies
Watch the ocean currents
They will be running along a beach near you
Love from an exfishy in-law ........ M~~~
Hey
Glad to hear your alright sorry we kept missing each other. I saw the applebee's the other night and here and everyone else in Vancouver. I wish I was where you are though. If you make it to auckland Sunnie's brother just moved there for 4 years.
Love Derek
Posted by: D-rock at January 22, 2004 11:15 AMYo sweetness! Our timing was off, and i didn't get to say bon voyage! We sure are missing you here! Can't wait for the updates, love you, mel xo