2 days in Auckland

So I had done the hard part right? The 31hr flight, repacking the bike box and dealing with over enthuastic customs agents? All I had to do now was cycle across an entire country.

My original plan was to spend the first three nights in New Zealand's capital, Auckland. Here I would surely take my time to relax, recover from the jet lag and prepare my mind and body for this epic undertaking.

However, ever the curious chap I was interested in seeing what this city had to offer and so quickly threw that plan out the window. The first day I woke up when my body allowed me (4am for those of you interested) and took to the streets of Auckland to have a look around. I did not know the city particularly well so I made a few notes from Trip Advisor and made the short trip downtown from Ponsonby into Auckland centre.

I had managed to get at least 2km on foot before my jet-lagged, starved body gave me precisely no notice and angrily demanded food. Against my better judgement I ducked straight into an American-style diner opposite Sky City. Presumably there were cheaper and less touristy locations close by but fuck it: I was hungry.

Walking through the streets had been fine but as soon as I sat down in the restaurant, I felt the icy hand of the jetlag monster on my shoulder. Looking through my journal at my handwritten notes I can now see that my mind has perhaps not been in the right place. My only entry for my time in that diner read:

"I am not jet lag's bitch - it is mine."

Oh dear, time for a walk.

On this first day I took in many glorious sights of, what I found out to be, a much-maligned city. I took in a wonderful Maori portrait exhibition at the Auckland Art Gallery, investigated the harbour district and even took a stroll up the aptly-named Mount Eden for panoramic views of the city.

I also took it upon myself to visit Auckland's shopping district, Queen's Street, to pick up a few supplies. Having picked up a new waterproof, camping gear and camera, I was spending more money that I had originally intended. And, more crucially perhaps, I was adding weight onto the bike.

Also managed to pick up a kiwi phone contract and had fortunately brought along a spare phone on the trip. Foolishly, the thought of having a local SIM card hadn't even crossed my mind. My thoughts of riding into the wilderness, relying on intermittent WiFi and winging it as much as possible had turned out to be a slighrly naive idea. Especially as I had a blog to keep updated as well...

On the way back to the hostel I made friends at the local bike shop (never know when I might need them) and chatted to a friendly chap about my visit. He warned me of nutty truck drivers, fierce headwinds and something he described as the "15 minute burn time". Apparently the sun in this part of the world is far more vicious than in the Southern Hemisphere. Well at least I had my top 3 things to be frightened of: trucks, wind, burning. Lovely.

The evening of the first day was spent unpacking the bike and putting it all back together again. It took a good 30mins to remove all the tape and bubble wrap - curse my overzealous wrapping technique... Soon enough the bike was fixed and I had even managed to stay awake by the time it had gotten dark.

"Jetlag: you may have beaten me in the past but today was a big step in taking you down a peg."

A lot of people have asked how I will deal with the loneliness while solo cycling for such a long period of time. Let me assure you that all the loneliness and isolation in the world will still be preferred to the noise of the lady in the next room coughing and spluttering all night. Bring on the camping!

On the second day I had planned to take a ferry out to one of Auckland's scenic islands. Waikete Island is a veritable paradise of shops, beaches, hiking and vineyards. If I was to spend and day anywhere it should be there surely.

However I suffered one of my moments of indecision when I arrived at the ferry terminal and heard about a different island by the name of Rangitoto. This was a volcanic island with some unique species of birds and a beautiful hike to the top of a now-dormant volcano. Sod vineyards; I want volcano. Off to Rangitoto I go!

Rangitoto was a beautiful island with an immense, albeit tame, hike up to the summit. Full panoramic views over Auckland and the bay greeted me as I tucked into a home-made sandwich (cheese, salad and mustard for those of you interested). Very nice and a good change of scenery to the hustle and bustle of the city the day before. The weather had picked up as well. They weren't wrong about the 15 minute burn...

Back again to the hostel. Treat myself to a Thai takeaway and a beer. Luxury. Tomorrow marks the start of the big cycle South. I plan to head to the town of Huntly and then East to Matamata and eventually to Rotorua. I'm looking forward to getting in the saddle and hitting the open road. Auckland has been a delight and I've enjoyed my time here but I am here for the wilderness, not the cities.

Wish me luck as I head out tomorrow at daybreak. Huzzah!