A Pain in the Butt and Journey so far

 

Well here I am day three, I should start at the beginning and work my way to where I am now,

Left Gissy midday wednesday under nice fine conditions Expectation high after May last year start in preparation, and just wanting to get on with it. Last couple of weeks had been busy training and then getting things down so could go away, you know the story, use like preparing for Xmas holidays and wanting a clear desk for your conscience.

Travel to Hamilton where we originally planned to stay with Natalya and Alex(My daughter and son in law). Tarly had a Covid test on Monday after getting a sore throat over the weekend, but alas the result was not thur’ so all being very sensible we talked accross the drive and dropped some gear that had been left at home a few months ago and booked at a motel on the other side of Hamilton. Was up at 3 am walking around upstairs checking on my bike that was secured on the back of the car. Left and popped into the “base” and secured anew saddle as mine was worrying me a bit. One I had been interested in, A koda was the plan and I found one. Bit late to change saddles after so many Km’s in training and so a real risk. Travelled thru to Auckland to lunch at Takapuna. An old haunt of mine as My Grandmother and Aunt lived there and so were regularly visitors to Mairangi and Campbell’s bays. I love Takapuna and 40 years ago almost to the week  think, I was sitting down near the boat park and launching facilities on what used to be the trees underneath the Mon Desire hotel. 40 years ago a very young Lyall was enjoying Hobie sailing at exactly the same spot in the NZ hobby 14 championships. The place around has changed but the beach hasn’t. Just manic. 

Travelled up to Leigh and had a swim at goat island Marine reserve. Water pristine, no googles so didn’t check on the marine life and a far busier place than I remember, especially the road in. Auckland and surrounds as we know, has grown heaps.

Left there t travel to Whangarei.  To Ngaire and John, a big thank you, you were wonderful hosts. They put on a lovely dinner and we just enjoyed getting to know them, Ngaire is Lees Cousin and they made us very welcome. John was into fitness and played golf so we had a lot in common.  Had a relatively late night for me these days talking and swapping stories. Up late for me in the morning, and just tried to fit the new saddle but one ride about 25 metres  accross the road and just turned around and to decided stick with my original saddle and refitted that  and then we started again on way north again. 

Arrived at the cape at 3 after a lovely stop at another blast from the past, at Coopers beach. What a spot. My Aunt bought a section here in I suppose the 1970’s and intended to build and retire here, but never did. It is purely manic, really sheltered out to sea by islands. Lovely sandy beach and most be up there I am sure with being one of the top of NZ beaches. Very calm and probably like that most of the time. Very different to wainui which is much more rugged open  to the east all the way to South America.. Lovely old trees down to the water line. I  could live there no sweat.  and wow is it impressive. Onwards to the Cape Reinga, where neither of us  been here before. Views to die for. The Heads lands are much higher in elevation than I previously thought. The landscape is unique, views of giant sand dunes on the west and rugged little bays on the right. Very wind swept vegetation that had to keep its head down in that environment and does grow high due to overall environment and poor soils. Down to the lighthouse for the obligatory photos of the Northern most lighthouse  and then back a few km to a lovely little beach called Tapotupotu Bay to set up camp for night. 

A few obvious bikers already settled in their tents and some in camper vans with the drop off crew to get them up here. We parked up close to toilets and sleep in the back of the car which saved setting up a tent and toilet outside, which was the original plan. Had a dinner cooked by a local who also set up  little pup tents for a bus load of bikers coming up from Auckland airport. The excitement was building as many more turned up. Had a late evening walk around the bay.Magic, a word I have used off to describe the far north.

Up early as normal for me pre 4 am. Waking two or three times to check on gear outside and putting fine touches on bike before daylight, with a flashlight fitted to my head. Then to the cape for really final preparations for 8 am start. Sun up, I am not sure but just after 7 am and Lee -Anne interviewed me for the family as down was about to break. Was not  nervous at all,  just wanted to get underway. When setting up that morning, my bike computer would not turn on and I had thought had smashed itself internally to bits. Frustration number one for day and a bit annoying. After trying to get a charge into it, I  gave up as couldn’t solve. Looke at manual on my phone, Tried pressing all the appropriate  buttons together at the same time , holding them for a reset. Dead as a door nail. Cars were arriving and all shapes and sizes of cyclists with all their gear were arriving. It was on and start was soon. 

In a bit of inspiration I approach Shane from maprogress who had a table set up giving out trackers for those who had not picked up or owned there own. I asked if he could help. A few seconds latter from uncle google he had a solution. Press the one of buttons and hold for 10 seconds. Ahoy it sparked to life, 99 % charged and with all the history and route maps alive and safe. Oh he was a gift from heaven. He gave the briefing instructions with 5 or 10 minutes to go and made a really nice speech which included being very  careful on the tour as the health system had enough on its plate right now, without broken down riders (more on that shortly) . I did catch up on the latest Covid numbers and the spike was really alive as had been predicted. I think 15k of case yesterday. Was I think around 6 k the last time I checked. War in Ukraine and it just reminded me how fortunate we all were. Man, its good to be alive and still be able to do things, as we all must..

I noticed that my tires were a little spongy and I hadn’t pumped them up much recently, but that thought disappeared as I prepared to start and soon found that indeed they were soft but soldered on. Start of a number of dumb things I think back on now. 

In Ahipara at the end of the first day I checked my pressure, after already pumping quite a few pumps ito tires, only 17 PSI, they were indeed soft. Got them up to 31 PSI and left it there. I spoke to one experienced rider latter in day and he had his at 60 PSI. Oh Lyall you are so naive on this cyclist gig.

It was predicted to be a head wind and that was correct, but only slightly so as we started. Loads of chatter and meet a few people . One called Jarrod who had similar plans like myself , who new our Neigbours a home well as in same field of work(air traffic controller),  and had surfed at wainui. Lived in Palmerston North. My plan was to cycle together. We did do so for parts of that first day but with  little hills and food stops and we were  easily separated. Really nice younger  guy, and so was  everyone that I talked too. 

The breeze wasn’t much and infact it was going to be warm so was a gentle relief. A few up and down hills on main road to start and life was good. Wasn’t trying to break any records and lots of chatter from me and loads of questions. Two older woman passed us and so we biked with them for a bit. As we behind them I though of having what called a granny gear, it is  a gear that you get into and enable you to make it up  hills, to make an accent  achieveable. 

I was in granny gear going up this longer hill and thought about saying “wasn’t it good to have a granny gear to peddle in” , but decided against that as may offend the two older ladies,  who may not know what i was talking about and take offense. Better to have some things unsaid which as people know hard for me who says whatever comes into my head 

Arrived at the turn off to go down to the beach and in the next 30 minutes or less experienced one of the most beautiful passes I can image. I wished I could have bottled it up. Honestly it was amazing, the country road bobbled up and down. Temp was Ok and as we neared the coast the huge  sand dune emerged with wetland at there foot. On the eastern side even a large lake. The sand dune were  very impressive and not a footmark on them. We made our way down the Te Paki stream, with a large dune on our right and a smaller on our left and running between was a stream, which was one of a large number that run off the hills thru onto the beach I was to find out during the day. Biking down this stream was like being in a movie. It has quicksand but I only briefly had one “oh no” moment early on to get on to more solid sand to remind me. It felt like I was in a biblical movie set in the Mediterranean or in north  africa. I have expected to find a young Mosses in a basket in the stream that has tall green reeds on either side of it.  It was all  truely magic and was an image I hope I never forget. 

All the riders felt the same about it. .We went on it seemed for quite some while and then we took the opportunity to use some of the fresh water to clean our gear and unblock out chains as we about to enter the beach. I was in heaven.

As I started to ride again onto the beach Jarrod came up and off we went to get her headed down the beach. Learning about each other, our families and things we had in common. 

90 mile, which is not 90 mile as our whole day is only 103 Km, is a long wide beach and the tide was going out with low around noonish. A little island with a hole in it looked prettty close  was off to our right not far from shore. Well and hour or more latter and we had biked past it still look close behind us.Distance perception is amazing. That was an omen for the cliffs  that emerged and were in the far distance. Ones that that we finally only got close to at 3 pm. It was now I suppose about 9:30 in the morning. Things in the distance are in the distance !

The riding was good. I was drinking and eating bits of fruit  generally feeling really good. we had a peloton of guys go past and they were in racing type formation as the wind had increased slightly (a head wind) . We caught these guys as they were having a food stop at about the 25 Km mark. And started back again, with them. I said I won’t be able to stick with them and so it proved only that was about the 65 Km marked when I finally did leave them. It was great to have the shelter from the wind, but these guys were cyclists and we were making very good pace with up to 23km into the wind on the sand. That was mistake, probably  number four mistake for the day. I knew it was silly but hell here we are , why not. I knew I might suffer and have regrets but see how it goes. 

You learn, or the saying goes, more from your mistakes as long as they aren’t fatal. They were good guys and a couple of gals on the Peloton. One young guy with no gear and one gal on an electric bike also with no gear, found out as we rode that they were support crew who brought the other young lass(who had gear) up for the start and were cycling only this first day. Ode to be young an fit. the rest of us were much older and I was probably average age. One older guy called Miles had done the TA before and sadly was having some bike issues. He was super friendly and you tell very  gritty. Sadly  I were to latter find that he had a tumble late in the day as he clipped someone’s wheel and did a shoulder. 

He was out of the tour but had plans to heal and rejoin in the sth island his mates if he could. I  meet on the peloton a  fellow called Paul, again a really nice guy. Had a guiding style, older than me and was to ride about 30 k with him tomorrow with another guy  called Mark Johnstone, who was a former teacher at Matawai school. He was very good friends of Kirsty Shaw and she had said for him to look out for me. More on that connection latter.

The Peleton did exactly that,  dragged us along like train and at a good clip. I knew I was being silly. We had a few stops for water and lunch and nibbles but pretty much the road train rolled on . Taking all in its path. Jarrod disappeared early from the bunch on our very first initial stop to join the peloton  and we gathered hm in for a while and then he again disappeared. Smart guy is Jarrod !. I was to find at the end that he came in about an hour after me. Very smart but more latter on why.

The hills in front of us who the guys thought were not where we were going , they thought the hills were too close and the finish was around the hills. I wasn’t’  so sure, as I had heard stories about them that said the hills stemmed to take forever to reach  in the foreground and although appearing alluring close, indeed were  still far away. So it proved. 

It was only with about still 25 km to go to the finish on day one, that  I said to my mates in the Peleton that I should take it a bit easy. Off they went and I puddled along at an easy pace but more appropriate to my status as a cyclist. The wind by this stage had really got up.It was now a real southerly. Absolutely straight into it. If you stoped peddling you stoped very quickly. It was a grind. Both mentally and physically. Had been there and knew and such is biking. 

Lee -Anne had  found a beach access at about 10 km to go and I had cellphone coverage and a text arrived saying she would come down to the beach. By the way the beach is a main highway. yes its a legal road and if live in the far north you must have a four wheel drive, and drive fast on the beach in both directions for  recreational pursuit. 

Some try taking on the dunes and try driving vertically up the dune to find  that you cannot  drive vertically  before they  risk flipping. Well one or two were doing their bit for the environment and doing that for kicks, but most were just doing the highway thing. On the whole though we saw literally a hundred plus four wheelers and some cars who I presume we going up to fish.

And by up I mean the whole beach length up, cars basically appeared  as soon as we appeared from the initial stream onto the beach and gathered in number and frequency as we got further down. They go very fast and I presume are soon full of rust. Mental note , if live in far north to buy an old toyota ute and go fishing on the 90 mile beach. Not to mock them, it is all part of the way of life. They were all supper friendly and full of interest , Riders were not unusual on this beach. It reminded me a lot of our East coast in many way. 

There were also  Te Araoroa walkers on the beach, we did  pass a few of those embarking on there walk of  the whole of NZ and this part we share the same route,  I think the beach walk takes about 4 days what were we doing in part of one. They are indeed made of tough stuff. A rumor circulated the next day that one of the walkers may have had an accident, perhaps hit by a car as fanatic activity was spotted in indicating some activity with a helicopter arrived jut off the beach. I don’t know for sure what happened but rumor had it that a walker was involved with a vehicle. Facts unknown. Hope not and if so person is OK.

Well I was puddling along, feeling pretty tired but just ticking over, muttering about the headwind and I saw in the distance what looked like a surfer carrying a surf board walking accross the beach . Turned out to be Lee-anne with an Umbrella .It was from a distance. She had some food and a cold drink and was lovely to catch up. I had a about 10 or 15  Km to go , Those hills looked really close ! Haha they weren’t. Chatted and shared some days news. Three riders were coming up so i got back on the bike and started off again.

Two of them soon caught up and they were fit and young, and of cycling background. They were a couple and we chatted as you do and then off the went , only slowing moving ahead but at a faster clip than me and their mate joined me from behind. He was a Photographer from NZ herald,  he had a backpack on and was headed for the same place for a feed and then onwards another 60 odd Km to camp for the night, where I only would get to about 11.15 the next day. Wow are you serious. 

A really good fellow and he was series about that intention. I am sad now I annoy recall his name. Found his pace good and we actually gathered the couple in as they had stopped about 4 kn short of Ahipara and we all pedaled together to finish. The camp ground was very close to the beach and we were done for day one, Least I was and so were most but not all like my friend from the NZ Herald. `They say the  first day is a hard day and if windy even harder, well so it proved !

After fluffing around  with brain at half mast, I decided to shower, needed to clean off and during the ride and noticed my butt a little sore. To be expected as was a long day 7 hrs in saddle. Touched my butt and oh should not be that sore,  so I would swallow my pride and get Lee -Anne to check out back at our cabin. Hey Lee -Anne can you take a look and tell me what you see. 

Oh really was my reply when she told me of her inspection, I though a bit sore. 

A larger blister on the right cheek(had skin was still on a small corner but well and truely popped) and a very red mark on the left about same size and another small blister beside that. Not the news I was hoping for as this part of the anatomy is sort of important if you are to ride a bike. Got pics but won’t show those but allowed me to understand what was going on down there. I knew straight away what consequences were possible for my all my plans. I had read extensively about Butt problems and how tour ending they are. 

So started the enquiry. 

I had been busy in last two  week and in the period  had order a spare set of pants to ride in. I knew I had to wash before using, but clean when out of my mind. Suspect number one-and probably the main line of enquiry still was damage caused by new cycling pants. That’s was plain dumb !but history now, how do I sort this and form a way forward, solve the problem. I have  to figure a way forward. Suspect number two, when I put my old saddle back on did I do that correctly?-have cycling 5000 Km plus with this saddle, heaps with no problems, it may have I did quite put it back on correctly ?. I do remember one major bump and perhaps it moved to a different position ?. Suspect number three was did I put enough Butt Butter (yes we butter our posteriors  do us Cyclists  😀) for good reason.

 I may not have came back on all this as investigator. I knew I did the butt butter   early after dressing at about 6 am, but was  enough applied ?, not sure now and as I said spilt milk now.

 Suspect number four-was the lack of air in tires a reason ?, perhaps

 and suspect number five, riding a little harder with the Peleton,  did that play a part ?

 Well enquires are still being made and it could have been a result of all those lines of enquiry together did the damage but the reality is that as I sit (we on my knees) here now tying this in the early of the morning, I generally don’t sleep well, that only two days of the tour I know the reality that all my training efforts may be  over. 

Still have some remedies to seek out and ideas to progress but time may be against me. Enough of negative thoughts , need to find solution.

As luck would have it , Lee -Anne found on my phone some messages on messenger that were really old on the day before we started. I am hopefulness with these apps ! One from Margie Humphreys who did the tour in 2020 and was wishing me luck, sent in Jan and i had not seen. i responded and thanked her and she had advice on a whole range of subjects. Butt maintenance was one of those and she came back with really good advice when I contacted her at end of day one. Margie and Kirsty Shaw were my inspiration for this adventure. . Together they did in 2020 but got caught by the first covid lockdown on the west coast and had to return home as everyone had too. They went back and completed last year. Margie had really solid medical advice so we did what we could do. Well Lee -Anne did as I am not flexible enough to conduct examinations and  operations on that part of my body . In our kit I did have sodacream (used for nappy rash) and used that as well as some medical pads that we did have to cover and act like skin. I tried to expose to the air as much as possible without quite appear naked in a crowd,  

Went to sleep end of first night, with all this in my head, and a plan for the next day. Try and get closer to to medical help and Lee -Anne was going to get to a pharmacy and get some better medIcal resources remedies than we had. I changed my chain as was my plan as my chain was old and given the hammering from the sand needed maintenance . Was proud that I  could do that mechanical bit as my skills with things mechanical are not great. My trusty stead looked good after wash, degrease, further wash and new lubed chain. I felt some level of accomplishment from doing that. Thanks to elbow rider from Auckland airbase for your sound advice on chain as well.

Up early Sunday and original plan was to get to Waipoua Forest area about 120kms away. Just south of Tane Mahuta , the giant Kauri tree. I love early starts but held up departure to first light . Was cooler and off I went by my self. Today is a hilly day and so it proved. Passed many who had got up early. Butt was tender but tried to put out of mind. Perhaps the pads we put on would work. Scenery was great and about 10 -15 km into it. Mark Johnstone  caught up and after some chats found out the Gissy connection. Decided that we would bike together to the ferry at Rawene which we ended up doing. His wife was with him as they had come up from Napier but tomorrow she was off home. We gathered up Paul and he joined our three man team. Was lovely scenery going thru bush, forestry and back country roads and the views looking down on Rawene were glorious. I love water and the inlet is very pretty. As we came out of the bush gravel road we were at a quaint little  village with neat cafe so I ate and rested, only to find that the wharf here was not the ferry wharf, it was 4 km up the road, so off we trotted to get the ferry. About 15 km earlier the butt really started to hurt when climbing on the gavel and stopped and took my first  pain killer, which I think worked and got me to to Rawene which is on the other side of the inlet. 

On getting off the ferry a friendly voice called out and it was Jill Chrisp and Karen Johansen. They were on holiday up here and what a coincidence. Jill was tracking me on my app and thought was a chance that I could be on ferry as they were headed over themselves. It’s a small world. Jill and are are fellow trustees on a community board at home and Karen has know me before I was born as her parents and mine were buddies. Our families spent much time together, Being the “late lamb” that I am in age I was many years younger than anyone else amoungst the kids. I remember going to Uncle Joes wake(that’s Karens Dad). He lived more than 20 years more than my own dad. I often reflected on Dad passing young and what he missed. It is why I am so keen on people remaining   active through ones full life. Hope that  not morbid but is a ver real reflection that the wake gave me and still on my mind. Retiring early was all part of those reflections.

 Was lovely to see them. They were about to have lunch and I could see other riders who made the ferry about to do the same. So I decided on a second lunch. What the heck I still feel hungry. Had second lunch with a bunch of cyclists. One south african guy, said I should try two set of cycling trousers and so after lunch did that.

 Hoped to lunch with Paul and Mark but couldn’t find them, so set off again on my own after seeing Lee -Anne just as I was leaving  the cafe. She had tried desperately hard to find me medical supplies to create a second skin in kaitaia but it was sunday. Website said was going to be open but was not. Comms were difficult  on day as very hilly area and Lee -Anne had called me on ferry and with the noise from the engines said I would ring her back as soon as ferry landed,  but did not do so as got distracted and caught up in my own thoughts. 

I felt dreadful when I saw her and remembered my promise to ring back.  She was wonderful enough to forgive  me as she has a frustrating morning trying to find me medical supplies. Thank you Love.

 After apologies back on bike, 60 km to go on my original days plan  but already having thoughts of early stop and getting help. On open roads for this part as made way to Opononi and Ompapere. Not long into journey felt a sharp plain in inside leg. A bee sting. I am allergic so knew I had to stop as problems take over very quick and got an antihistamine into me. A down side of these is drowsiness but I felt pretty doppy anyway so thought what the heck.

 Decided on another pain killer as well and crudely now it was as they say a real pain in the butt. Pretty sore now. About half way to Opononi had to stop and change things. Found a little shelter beside road and told Lee -Anne where I was was.  Plan was to play round with seat and see if indeed was angled wrong. As a stopped and mucked around heaps of cyclists went b which is nice to see but deflating. Lee -Anne turned up and we must have looked lost as van then turned up. This guy has a bike shop. He was so helpful and ended up giving me, yes giving me a woman’s padded seat. I insisted on paying but he would have none of it. A real tour angel. I want to reward him somehow and have a photo of his van which i will post somewhere.

To be continued…….