Cycling – Page 6 – Travelling reflections

TransOceania Auckland Rest-Day 2

The Auckland Museum is bustling with school kids. Most seem interested and engaged vs bored. A mixture of War Museum; history – natural, people; Wars – NZ at war abroad and internal wars.

The Maoris come across as a cultured, skilled, warmongering lot. Tribe vs tribe. Until spear and club met gun. And their honour met British duplicity. All for King/Queen and country. The displays of artificacts, especially how they navigated and farmed are fascinating.

As I toured the wars NZ had supported the British in, I reflected how we view things. We [rightly] see the Ukrainians as the victims of Russian agression/invastion. Yet we celebrate things like Rourkes Drift as a heroic defense against the barbarian Zulu – who were defending their country from our invasion. Ditto battles against the Maori.

New Zealand is also a land of volcanoes: where the Atlantic and Pacific plates tussle. At one end the Atlantic plate is sliding under the Pacific: at the other it’s the other way around. The good news is the dust cloud of volcanic silica particles travels at 100m/s so you are quickly cooked. The other tip is if you car is covered in volcanic dust don’t wash it off – it’s like sandpaper on your windscreen – rather dust it off. I’ll have to remember that “A volcano has erupted – I’m off out to dust the car”. Better to bend over and kiss your ass goodbye.

Too many facts to take in: it leaves an impression of a great land living in the quiet space between cataclysmic events. I hope it remains that way for a wee bit longer, else any gravel routes may be a bit hotter. and the tarmac a bit sticky.

They commemorate their fallen and victims of war well, of all sides and nationalities.

Tomorrow time to saddle up and head out….

Cycling, New Zealand, Trans Oceania

TransOceania Auckland Rest-day 1

Yesterday was travelling from Sydney to start the next section of this trip. Barbara stayed on in Sydney to do delve more into it’s culture and theatre (well it’d rude not to with the Opera House in Circular Quay) before she heads back to the UK’s Winter Wonderland.

We rush to be first in queues to get on board planes. We then rush to get off the plane and get out. Both ends have natural dams to hold back and triage the flow. In both Sydney and Auckland it’s just the security checks: the e-passports do their thing quietly and efficiently.

The NZ check is a detailed biosecurity (e)declaration then a physical check. So having said Yes to we have Sports equipment and we’ve been through rural area, we expect a third degree. In addition to normal bio-risks they have big “we’re worried about foot and mouth” notices all around.

So I am a little surprised with one of our riders jumping up and down whilst enthusiastically declaring “we been through everything: mud, woods, off-road”. My voice shouted – factually – “and 99% of the trip has been on road” (my foot was nearly in her mouth). Anyway what could have been a latex glove internal inspection was thankfully just an extra x-ray of bags and bike. Which was show room clean, ready for inspection. Shed fairy practice paying off.

I do admire their slick IT. From filling in details on an app less than 24 hours ago, the Security agent has it seemlessly and easily read in front of him. BA take note…..

Today bike building, sourcing a new chain – it comes as a shock when the assistant says they only accept a physical payment card. Thinks hard “where might that be?” So now carrying one jic. (Amazon have a very low presence here and deliver from Australia).

Like Australia, I also like the convenience of booking a blood test on-line, going to a high street collection centre, results within 2hours. All for circa 20UKP.

Walking around Auckland on a temperate sunny day you can see it’s development from low- rise to high. First settled by the Maoris in the 14C, the Brits started getting our elbows out from the late 18C. Named by Governor William Hobson (I’m staying in Hobson Street) after Lord Auckland, Viceroy of India,

It was the capital between 1840-1864 before Wellington, the latter being a more acceptable fulcrum between the North and South Islands. 1.5 of the 5.5million population now live in Auckland.

Among the Māori names for the Auckland isthmus is Tāmaki-makau-rau. Mainly bilingual signage and a noticeable number of people wearing black clothes. A lot of homeless folks mix with the busy city goers.

Feels prosperous, and looking upwards.

Tomorrow, some galleries (it’s due to rain).

Australia, Cycling, New South Wales, Trans Oceania

TransOceania Sydney Rest-day 2

The Sydney Harbour Bridge is an engineering marvel. 6 million rivets: it became known as Sydney’s iron lung during its building, completed in 1934. The 4000 workers needed the work.

It’s a 5 year painting cycle. They’ve just restarted post Covid so it’s looking a bit superficially tatty in places, just like me.

The views climbing over it were great. You can see the city for miles towards the Blue Mountains. The Sydney Opera House was designed to be 1/2 the height of the bridge so in photos it looks in proportion. Can’t say the same for the myriad of skyscrapers which jostle along the shoreline.

The Queen Elizabeth cruise ship, dominates the harbour. 2092 passengers, 911 crew. Each to their own.

Walking back through the centre the old and new buildings tolerate each other. Like any city, the people bustle to and fro.

And that’s Sydney from me, a lot to absorb and most remaining unseen. Barbara will explore more and report on the cultural experiences she’s lined up. Great time.

Australia, Cycling, New South Wales, Trans Oceania

TransOceania Sydney Rest Day

How to even scratch the surface of a large city in a few days? Recommendations help, based on other’s experience and local knowledge. Inevitably you get drawn to the ‘cultural experiences’ and the “must-do” sights. Knowing you are part of a tourist circus and to relax and soak in the atmosphere. And to look at the buildings old and new.

Not a criticism as you can spin for days and see nothing. After last night’s photo shoot by the Opera House we got to experience Friday night Circular Quay atmosphere- quite a few posh clothes on show as standard. That pseudo-sophisticated code was also evident today as we perused the Art Gallery’s two galleries and the Botanic Gardens.

Enjoying the Art Gallery – particularly the immersive “Tank” audio-visual 7 screen show The Rites of When- also made me realise how galleries point you to interpret the art through their views and bias. Notes pointing out what the artist intended – which we may know from the modern art, but earlier paintings surely not? And if you need notes to understand then is that not something the artist hasn’t made obvious? So I came away thinking the old “I don’t know what I like but I like this” approach is solid. A lot was great, some just pretentious. I suspect the latter gets oohed and aahhed over most – just like the impenetrable Waiting for Godot.

The Botanic Gardens are a busy oasis near the business centre. Weddings galore have flocked there to drink the settings. Nicely central, they were founded on the land of the first farm (1788) on the Australian continent in 1816 by Governor MacQuarrie. “I say chaps, I know we’re busy trying just to live, but do let’s build a nice botany garden, near the bay. Whilst you’re at it – can you scum convicts please build my wife her own private road with a bridge too?” The 1816 bridge, Australia’s oldest, remains in situ in the gardens.

There’s a wedding on in St Mary’s Cathedral – completed in 1928. Fairly traditional inside, as is the wedding party’s clothing. Hope they had a great day.

Saturday night is party night so we’re up late at 9:40. Tomorrow a climb….

Australia, Cycling, New South Wales, Trans Oceania

D35 TransOceania Wollongong – Sydney

….a small city of 5.6 million people. So a bit of a shock to cycle into a mmetropolis after days in mainly rural hinterland.

A great day though. Almost completely on cyclepaths on our 60 Mile route. Sea Cliff Bay Bridge, some 635m of cantilever engineering-holding it over the sea, sweeps around a bay. Opened in 2005 it replaced an old road, the remains of which can be seen hanging impossibly onto the cliff.

We’re on the NSW Coastal route which shares some of the way with the Grand Pacific Drive, the scenic way to Sydney. A few wee hilly bumps too – given our experience with Pembrokeshire or Cornwall and coastal roads we should have expected them. The world’s second National Park 1879 (following Yellowstone and 11 years before Yosemite and long before the UK’s first, the Peak District in 1951) shapes the latter half of the morning.

Then a passenger 30 minute ferry from Bundeena to Cronulla on the cute Curranulla, the oldest commuter ferry operating in Australia. It filled up with a hoard of Duke of Edinburgh kids. We were able to squeeze into a spot between theirs.

On the other side, with 20miles to go, kiss immediately busier, more hectic. The city centre is a maze of cycle paths – no relaxing as often there is focused fast bikes cadencing towards you.

We enter Sydney proper by what seemed to be an old district. As the city dates for 1788 there are probably lots of old bits.