Kia Ora

Yes, we also thought it was a sickly concentrated orange juice drink that's "too orangey for crows", but apparently it's also a New Zealand Maori greeting. So, Kia Ora to one and all. Welcome to our irrelevant witterings about New Zealand, Aotearoa - Land of the Long White Cloud (and sheep, chilly bins, jandals and ice-cream).




The bicycle hire company in Christchurch reassured us that this was the latest in hi-tech hybrid touring bike technology and ideal for tackling the rollercoasting hills of New Zealand's South Island. So, we duly hired a couple and set off for 2 months of cycling adventures. The basic plan - do a lap of the South Island on the push bikes and climb mountains with packs full of rocks on our days off. Perhaps squeeze in a few extreme sports and high adrenalin experiences along the way. Pretty mundane stuff really...