Planning starts.

There are a few things I will need for my adventure. I've got Birdy and a sleeping bag but the list of other things keeps growing. Most importantly is a tent, sleeping mat, carrier rack for Birdy and panniers. So I went off to Dunedin on a shopping spree...got my tent, sleeping mat and rack.
Of course the first thing I did when I got home was put my new tent up. Only took me 20 or so minutes AND I read the instructions.

hmmm I wonder how this works.

A place to sleep.

oh so that is what it does!

I wanted to sleep in it that night but as these things happen...I had caught a bug so that put paid to any thoughts of sleeping in my tent for a few nights. Then we had rain, rain and more rain for weeks (well I exaggerate but it felt like weeks!).

But yesterday, the skies cleared and it was a perfect day for a ride and tent sleeping. So I rode the Clutha Gold Trail from Roxburgh to Lawrence (77kms/48 miles). What a stunning day for a ride and the Clutha River after all the rain, was nearly bursting it banks!

Finally after my ride and before I did anything else, I put my tent up ready for my first night. I have to be honest with you and say I didn't put it up in the wilderness somewhere....it was on the front lawn at home!! I had such a cozy night despite the wind picking up and a little bit of rain. The sleeping mat was so comfortable and the only thing I needed to make it super comfy was a pillow. I am trying to figure out how to carry a feather down pillow on a bike without it getting wet!

"One day you will wake up and there won't be any more time to do the things you've always wanted. Do it now."

                                       Paulo Coelho

An adventure.

Welcome to Birdy the bike and me.
Birdy is my bike. She's not the flashiest or youngest bike around, but she does me well. In the 10 years we have been together, a lot of miles have been covered.

And well....this is me.

I am about to embark on an adventure! Not straight away but in a few months.

All the biking I have done has been locally and just day rides. I'm fortunate that where I live in the South Island of New Zealand, there are so many bike trails and country roads to explore, but its time to expand my horizons. Instead of just taking a small step I have decided to take a big leap.

Over the years I have read and reread books by Josie Dew, Anne Mustoe and Dervla Murphy, all about their solo cycling adventures and wished that I could do the same thing.

I have been planning a trip to visit a good friend in Seattle , then fly to LA to meet up with another good friend for a roadtrip around Arizona. In this plan I was going to fly from Seattle to LA, but got to thinking there must be a more interesting way to do this. I looked at trains and buses, then stumbled onto a blog about cycling the Pacific Route! For me this would mean biking from Seattle to LA...nearly 2000kms!

At first I thought I wish I could do this, then why can't I do this, to maybe I could do this which progressed to why not do this, Now I am at the point where I am going to do this.

So I am taking the first steps towards my adventure. Have got my maps so I don't get lost!! 

(Thanks Graham http://www.grumgoesglobal.com/ )

"but we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies"

                                                                                                       Jack Kerouac