Planes, Coaches and Automobiles!

PRE – JOURNEY

My plan is to start in a warm’ish country for spring, heading northwards into Europe as the summer takes hold.

After many hours, OK days, I chose the coast of Morocco. I’ve never been to north north west Africa … so why not!

Months before departure is spent buying and then sending back new bits of kit, I think I thought I would need! Then, what can’t go back is put on eBay.

What a palaver!

In the mean time I’m prepping my Thorn Sherpa ready for the start line.

The main things obviously been the points of contact.

Thorn Sherpa – Final Build

A coach, three flights, a coach and many hours, my Thorn Sherpa arrives, along with me. Thankfully in one piece to the little town of Owaka, Catlins, New Zealand.

Some minor superficial damage to the box, apart from that, it’s all in good order. A box over a bag any day! Box vs Bag.

Reunited.

Thorn Sherpa – Pre Build

After years of deliberation and countless hours on the road in the UK, New Zealand and Tasmania dreaming of a new bike-build, I settle for an English number!

I arrived back to Blighty from Tasmania in May 2013. One of my first port-of-calls was to cycle up to Bridgwater, Somerset from Poole, Dorset to test ride a Thorn bicycle. Thorn Cycles.

WOW… look at all these fabulous bicycles. There’s a bicycle heaven, and it’s in Bridgewater of all places!

It’s About the Bike

So here we are about to leave Tasmania. Over six months since I left the shores of England for New Zealand.

In that time I’ve cycled countless miles (yet to tally up), conquered many BIG  l o n g hills, visited family, worked at a backpackers, welded an ailing bike, fought mind bending headwinds, endured countless road kill, ran away arms flaying from sand flies, grew a handlebar moustache, had a haircut, fell of the bike twice, broke and lost sunglasses, ate tons of pasta (need a bigger saucepan!), surveyed lots of stars, cycled in snow, cycled in blistering heat, cycled in cold driving horizontal rain, got lost a few times, wild camped most of the time, stealth camped, caravan parked camped, camped in a rugby changing room, camped on tennis courts, 50km’s is enough for one day, found a maggot in my coffee, attacked by jumping ants, lost travel adapter, slept a lot, experienced four seasons in one day, helped a hedgehog cross the road, hate vehicles even more, attacked by Magpies, chased ‘Low Battery’ endlessly, need a dynamo hub, lost a good friend, cried on my bike, spent too much time chasing the elusive wi-fi, new drive train on bike, experienced Warm Showers,

Lower Pennycrocker Farm to Constantine Bay

I wake to the Atlantic rain hitting the south-western shores.

Camp packed away, and onto the back roads for the A39. Great to be on the bike.  The rain gets really heavy as I trundle along the A39. So make a detour again, to the war museum, and a welcome pot of tea!

Once on the trail, the rain slightly subsides and we are out of the wind. When I say ‘we’; its bike and I!