Dante's Kiwi Adventure: A Week's Worth

Monday. I played good volleyball again (clarification...I certainly wasn't good, the level was) with Teryn's (flatmate and fomer teamamte at UofW) local team. Awesome to be out there again but I hurt. My fingernails are even in pain.

I rode to a mecca called Kiwivelo on Tuesday after school. I left at 4:30 and thought I'd have no problems covering the 15 kms there and the 15kms back before dark. haha. I'm not in Windsor anymore. Good thing I took lights. Aside from wrong turns and second guessing my red-pen-written-directions-on-a-scrap-of-paper, the hills made their presence known. I took a road pleasently named Beach Road that follows the coast, which is comprised of bay after bay after gorgeous bay. The road climbed way up then dove back down to a bay...then up again...then back down to a bay. over. and over. again. I did make it to Kiwivelo, which incidentally was Italian Road Bike Nirvana (Pinarello and Colnago everywhere), for a floor pump, bike cleaner and chain lube. Finally, some air pressure in my Michelens.

Yes, that's a prefectly good Cinelli on the roof of the shop.

After begging some carbon grease for my seat tube (we're so strange, us cyclists...that almost sounds innapropriate) I put my flashers on and started the pedal home.

(my 'i think i should hurry' face)

Darkness fell almost immediately- it is winter here - and the light rain started. Twisty, wet, hilly roads with no bike lane. Awesome. Luckily the traffic wasn't too bad.

That same night I got my first introduction to coed, indoor, small court soccer. We got roughed up...on the scoreboard and literally. Let's just say the other team was a bit "soccer intense". Good times, though, very good times. Sorry (and thankfully), no pics of that. Hand-foot coordination? Not so much with this Italian.

Wednesday.

Full moon is out...

day

and night

...perfect for night mountain biking. Off to the Woodhill Mountain Bike Park. Beaker (friend of a friend) drove us out there with his borrowed Canadian steed on the back.

yup. that's a Kona Stinky.

Rex, another friend of that friend, met us three there with bikes for us to borrow. Awesome. Saved me some cash on the rental. The bike? Legendary. Why? It was Rex's commuter and included this...

So here I am, on my first moutain bike ride in New Zealand on an undersized, kick-standed commuter bike with the wrong pedals for my bike shoes (this equals slippage and danger on good trails, which this was). No worries. This trail system was fantastic. Like a Nutella Crepe. Perfection all wrapped up in a nice package. It was like Pinckney, but better climbing, more fun stuff (teeter-totters, bridges, jumps, boardwalks) and it seemed HUGE. The four of us were plodding along nicely for about an hour until I watched Rex's borrowed bike's back end explode in front of me on a descent. Derailleur eaten by wheel. Awesome. He coasted down the main dirt road and the rest of us managed our way down via trail. I'm completely hooked. I now need a moutain bike and a car to get me there. Send either if you have them lying around (Jim, that MTN bike is just sitting there, dude).

Tonight I was back at the volleyball. That might be the last. I can't keep up with the kids on the court anymore.

Tomorrow night I get to see the DT Auckland scene. And my teacher freinds are having drinks after school to welcome me. Yeah, drinks in the school. More on the school (Rangitoto College)and my job next week. I'm having too much fun posting about the fun!

I'll leave you with some pics and video of the Mountain bike adventure.