Category Archives: around home

around home, Asia, bikepacking, bikes, family, friends, NZ, travel

The Christmas Letter 2025

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The first half of my year centred around building my garage with Don (brother-in-law’s father). An extremely satisfying and fun project with much problem solving and progress, unsure how I’d have managed it without Don’s help.

Garage building was done around a couple of trips to Napier for some work in the sawmill, experiencing being an extra on a TV series that was being filmed nearby, continuing to volunteer on the local ambulance and finally visiting Stewart Island for a three-generation family holiday.

Fascinating to see behind the scenes, the effort and resource going in seemed somewhat unreal.

Clean shaven for a change, on the off chance you see this mug on the small screen pretending to do some carpentry.

Fortunate to stay in a place owned by friends, surrounded by native trees.

Lots of time around the water, mostly walking, some running and James caught plenty of fish to keep us well fed.

Hiking and camping with my nephews also a highlight.

Besides mountain-biking in the Naseby forest, there wasn’t a lot of New Zealand biking. Some notable rides with friends included local day rides, an overnighter on the Old Woman Range, two trips on the always-fantastic Heaphy Track, and a weekend mountain-biking on the Craigieburn trails.

In June, Mum and I went from Broome to Darwin over two weeks in a campervan. An excellent trip I’ll remember for there being a lot of rocks, trees, birds, spectacular sunsets, crocodiles and heat.

Bit of a shock driving home.

Returning from Australia, there was just enough time to finish lining the garage, move all my belongings from the cottage I’d been renting for three years into the garage and pack for my first bikepacking trip abroad in years – and my longest one. Happily, a long-held desire to visit Japan and it seeming an easy option to get back into some foreign bike touring coincided with bikepacking buddy Rachel’s plan to also tour Japan this year. Visiting Mongolia for a month beforehand wasn’t something I was initially keen on, but I could hardly turn down the chance to go with Rachel and Ian.

We thoroughly enjoyed riding through the big open spaces where one could go and camp almost anywhere. Not without its challenges, we left after a month wanting to return and explore more of the country as the landscapes were beautiful and vast, history interesting, the people very friendly – and the food was better than we’d been led to believe. I’ve not had the energy to document the trip yet, nor do I have many photos of me – thankfully Rachel did a far better job of keeping a record of our travels.

Stopped again by locals driving past in a Toyota Prius, offering local delicacies and support.

(Rachel’s photo.)

Second camel ride for the year.

Japan was also excellent to tour, at the opposite end of many spectrums from Mongolia. Apart from the heat, which took a couple of weeks to ease slightly and get used to, it was far easier going but equally fascinating. We enjoyed the landscapes (particularly visiting many [thirty-four] islands, geothermal areas, mountains, golden rice fields, forests and very clear sea, lakes and rivers). Generally avoiding the cities, the depopulating and decaying rural areas were quite a sight. The food was excellent – my favourites a hot soup curry in Hokkaido and a memorable sashimi meal, but over three months too many excellent ones to remember. Somehow I’ve more snaps, thanks to Rachel and Orlaith, to post here.

Later in the trip, we found many excellent bakeries.

Another day, another convenience store – resupply was seldom an issue.

Occasionally we got off sealed roads and paths – meeting the local spiders and leeches here.

My birthday spent climbing Mt Asahidake, the highest point in Hokkaido, was one of my favourite parts of the trip.

Thankfully the bears we did meet were not as ferocious as these ones.

Again, I’d happily return to see more of Japan – despite having ridden over six thousand circuitous kilometres from north to south, there’s more to see (did I mention the food?). Again, Rachel’s account is far better than the one I may one day get around to.

Back in New Zealand, I enjoyed catching up with friends up north before heading home in time for celebration of a significant birthday of Dad’s – great to see all of his siblings down in Naseby for a busy (and tiring!) long weekend. Unexpectedly, after years of wanting one, an EV that ticked most of many boxes became mine after happening to be going through Christchurch. It’s quite a step up from the venerable Corolla (still going strong) and I’m enjoying the change – and looking forward to it powering my off-grid job site. To end the year, ground was finally broken on my small house project – which will keep me busy for most of next year, and beyond. Quite exciting, but also overwhelming.

Merry Christmas and all the best for the coming year!

around home, Aus, bikes, family, NZ

The Christmas Letter 2024

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Selling last summer to the continued Pulpmill cyclone recovery project turned out well – recency bias perhaps, it was the most rewarding, engaging and worthwhile work I can remember doing. Generally fifty hour, five and a half day, weeks didn’t leave a lot of time for much else – but I did manage a bit of gravel riding with a good mate and even-slower parkruns as I nursed a side strain. I was pleased to see pulp just starting to come out of the mill before I returned home at Easter (finally reaching the 100 parkruns milestone). I continued to support the project remotely for the next two months, but the hours decreased as the project neared completion.

Returning home and working less gave the opportunity to catch up with family and friends, get in vital firewood, try to remember how to ambulance, and get out in the hills a little. Some highlights were:

Riding from Macraes to the coast through farmland for a fundraiser.

The new, and excellent, Pike29 trail with a good bunch..

Gravel riding near Lake Brunner with the same group, and half the Heaphy with a subset.

A typical, but easy (to cater for less-fit me), West Coast hike up to Mt Brown Hut.

And the summit, only posted here because I thought I’d better put some of the rare photos of me in. Thanks to Katie for this one.

Back in Naseby, I enjoyed a couple of weekend visits from Hooges and Orlaith – as well as helping with firewood work – they bring enthusiasm for half-baked adventure plans that I never seem to get around to doing solo. In this case, finally climbing up through friends’ farm to see what it’s like at the top of Mt Alexander, near Danseys Pass.

Thanks Orlaith for this pic.

Visits from our parents to Naseby reduce over winter, but while Mum was visiting family and friends in UK and Europe I helped Dad buy an e-bike – so that was brought along during a rare winter visit. It’s been good fun having Dad suggest rides we should do and I look forward to more. A sunny, frosty ride from Oturehua to Omakau on the rail trail particularly memorable.

I successfully did my best to not go straight back to work, partly because I’d long wanted to visit a few friends in Queensland for the first time. September was the month to do so, shouldn’t be too hot. I hastily repacked and left my bike at home, forgoing the easy tour I had planned, when temperatures soared over thirty degrees higher than I was used to in Central Otago. So I had a leisurely trip spending extended time with dear friends and family.

On a Sunshine Coast walk.

I did of course manage to borrow bikes and get some short half-day rides in.

Time on farms was excellent, here having watched a bit of beekeeping, but there were general garden tasks, soap making, and dog walking to get me outside – as well as the riding, general exploring and walking.

Coming home to October snow and a week of rain was a bit much; on the plus side, I’ve never seen Central Otago looking so green! November was much better, especially with a delightful overnight hike with my young nephews and their family.

Back north later that month, there were more small hiking and biking adventures and I got to see my favourite podcast performed live again – which reminds me I also saw my favourite band perform in Auckland one weekend back in February.

Photo credit to Katie again.

And again.

In searching for portraits, I did find a couple of photos I’d forgotten about. This one reminding me that my haemochromatosis is still in maintenance with three-monthly blood donations. I continue to maintain that as far as chronic health conditions go, it’s a pretty good one – no medication, regular blood donations that help unknown others out, and I’m arguably symptom-free.

Also on the health front, I’m surprised and pleased at how good my once-troublesome shoulder now is after last year’s surgery. It certainly doesn’t clunk or stall as it used to – and it’s had a fair workout this year with firewood sawing, chopping and throwing.

Back in Naseby life, when I’m there, I spend a lot of hours on call for the local ambulance. After the long break with surgery and back in Napier, it’s obvious I’m not the medic in the family – but that’s fine, I don’t need to be to help keep our volunteer-staffed ambulance online. Small house building has stalled in the consent process, but the with a lot of help the pad for my garage was laid a few weeks ago – hopefully I can build the garage in January, with more help. It should be a fun and rewarding learning curve.

Somehow I’ve picked up a bit more work in Napier, this time on a casual basis in the sawmill (a different world to pulp), but it’ll be a couple of months before I’m back up there. Besides that and building, nothing much planned for the coming year – lots of ideas, but nothing set. Merry Christmas and all the best for the coming year!

around home, bikes, family, NZ

OCRT – Oturehua, Omakau return with Dad

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Now that Dad has an e-bike, there’s even more reason to get out riding some cycle trails. During his last visit, the section of the Otago Central Rail Trail through the Poolburn Gorge (with its two tunnels and viaduct) was the one Dad wanted to do. Happily there was another big frost, clear skies and no wind for the ride to Omakau for a pie.

Leaving Oturehua, looking back to Hawkdun Range.

Thankfully the trail remained frozen and solid longer than the cross roads. Old Man Range in distance.

Bumping over the Poolburn Viaduct.

Out of the second Poolburn tunnel – the curved one that you almost need a light for.

Over the Manuherikia Valley to the St Bathans and Hawkdun Ranges.

Dunstan Range, Dunstan Peak and St Bathans Range.

Crossing the Manuherikia, more of the Dunstan Range.

Trail thawing and getting slower, close to lunch.

Returning, strangely enough – more of the same mountains.

Ida Range back into view.

Fun little half-day trip with Dad, crisp though!

around home, bikes, friends, MTB, NZ

Mt Alexander

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Casting around for ideas of interesting new places to bike over an early-winter long weekend, conversation reminded me of a long-neglected offer from friends to access their farm. Permission sought and granted, we studied the map with only a vague idea of the farm boundaries as to where we might go the following day.

Reporting Sunday morning, there were a few options for routes to and from Mt Alexander. We were surprised to hear tales of German farmstay tour groups thirty years ago doing similar rides, bikes have developed a little since then. We settled on a route up the ridge from Nobbler Stream, past a comms tower to the summit, down to and from Danseys Pass. Mid-morning by the time we set off, it was a cracking day and bits had even began to thaw.

Hooge and Orlaith setting off besides Nobbler Stream, Mt Nobbler ahead.

Finding the correct place to cross the stream, things kicked up pretty quickly to climb eight hundred metres in seven kilometres. Mostly still shaded, the ground was at least solid so that made things less mucky. I’d chosen the heavy, more-fun bike so with that, lack of fitness and some steep pitches there was a fair bit of walking on my part – possibly half.

But that hardly mattered, being somewhere new and different perspectives on familiar landmarks was engaging – keeping moving helped fight the chill too.

The Rock and Pillar Range looking quite small and flat from across the Maniototo.

Nobbler again, from the northwest.

Past the turn-off to the comms tower, the track switched to the sunny side of the ridge – and got steeper.

At another intersection, we cut east – the track visible more directly going to Kye Burn. Mt Kyeburn on left, St Marys Range in background.

Past Tania to Naseby Forest, Ida Range on right. Good fun trying to spy various mountains on the horizon.

Bit of snow remaining on the top of the Rock and Pillars.

Fairly typical surface; higher up it got a bit muddy as things thawed, thankfully not too sticky. Ida Range and Mt Kyeburn.

Around 1300 m, we got into the ups and downs of ridge riding. Fun descents (pleased to have big tyres, suspension and a dropper) and pushes up the other side.

Thanks Orlaith for the photo.

Too busy looking at the route up Mt Nobbler, I blew right past the place to stop and walk up to the named summit. But never mind, there was another equally high point to pause and eat my sandwich at.

Waiting for the descent.

Not a bad spot for lunch, another of Orlaith’s pics.

Yup, definite track going up Nobbler.

As always, looking at other possible routes. Down Maerewhenua Spur looks like fun! Pacific on the horizon, what a day.

Big, open, forgiving descents began in small doses – yay for having hauled that bike up.

A few patches of snow in the shade, the last of the ridge riding – we began the descent just before that tower, diving off to the left.

Much fun dropping to the road over a couple of kilometres, rough enough to be exciting, not so rough to slow things down.

Not a view of Danseys Pass I’m used to.

Closing the thirty kilometre loop on gravel road would have been a much quicker affair, but for the excellent pub halfway down. A great half-day outing making the most of a short, spectacular winter day. Scheming for longer trips over longer days well advanced.