Paul Rankin

Saturday 10 March, 2007

It is hard to believe that the Circle of Courage ride is over.  It is even harder to believe that we all made it to Cape Reinga.

Thursday morning we left Kaitaia just after 10 a.m. The town meeting was well supported and received an enthusiastic response.  The reception that we have had to the Circle of Courage message has been absolutely outstanding in the far north.  It has been a really encouraging way to finish the tour.  We were late getting away because Jake, Jonathan and myself had a radio interview at 9:30 a.m.

The first 90 km went really great. Mainly flat with some rolling hills through beautiful countryside.  We averaged around 27 km per hour.  We stopped at Te Kau for lunch and then arrived at the end of the tar seal just after 1:30 p.m. We had arranged to hire mountain bikes for the last 22 kilometres of dirt road.  The mountain bikes were not particular well maintained, to say the least, and there were some quite steep sections in the last part.  There were times when I was tempted to get off and walk, however having ridden all away from Bluff to within 10 kilometres of Cape Reinga I was not about to walk! The last 22 kilometres took just on two hours.  Jake, Nora and myself were the last to arrive at the Cape and the three of us rode down together.

On arrival at the Cape we were met by a Maori welcoming party.  They put on a fantastic welcome for us and expressed their appreciation for the effort we had put into the ride but more particularly for the message that we carried encouraging adults to build relationships with young people.

Following the Maori welcoming we then all got back onto our road bikes and rode the final 300 metres down to the lighthouse.  We rode down in formation and then celebrated the ending of our epic journey.

Once all the photos had been taken the bikes were stacked into a trailer and we drove three hours to the Bay of Islands where we checked into our motel for the night and then gathered for a celebratory meal.  Following the meal appreciation was expressed to all members of the party and Allan presented everyone with medals that he had had made up for us.  It was a very emotional but also very fitting end to the journey.  We finally wrapped the evening out at around 11:30 p.m. and collapsed into bed.

Yesterday morning we left the Bay of Islands just after 9 a.m. and drove back to Auckland, arriving in Auckland around 12:30 p.m. There was minor chaos as vehicles were clean and returned to rental companies, bikes unpacked and everyone sorted out what was their personal gear and what belonged to someone else.  All the sorting out was finished by about 3 p.m., Jonathan was taken to the airport and Rex, Elaine, Norah and Anne headed off to Waihi Beach and Allan and Jullene to Rotorua.  Those of us living in Auckland returns to our homes.

Well the Circle of Courage Tour, New Zealand is over.  As far as the riding was concerned our aim was to get all of the riders from Bluff to Cape Reinga.  In this we succeeded.  It was an amazing experience to spend a month together working as a team.  There were no major disruptions within the team and everyone got along exceptionally well. 

It was not until I actually arrived at Cape Reinga that I actually believe that I would make it. Two years ago I was 25 kilos heavier than I am now and is totally unfit.  The thought of riding a bike 20 kilometres would have been a total joke.  So I feel an enormous sense of achievement personally in completing the ride.

It was also fantastic to be able to be part of the Circle of Courage adventure from the perspective of getting the message out to so many towns.  Each time we saw a newspaper article where the reporter had picked up accurately on the message it was really exciting.  The Eastern Courier which was delivered to our letterbox this morning had a photo of Rebekah and myself with a concise outline of the Circle of Courage message.  When you see the lights come on in people's eyes at the town meetings when they realise what a difference it can make young people's lives if they just get to know them it made all the effort worthwhile.

The highlights of the trip for me were many and I will mention just a few.  The reception on the steps of Parliament meeting a number of MPs and the Speaker was a real highlight.  Arriving in both Blenheim and Nelson, Tauraunga, Kaikohi and Kaitaia. The reception we received at schools we visited.  Shaking hands with Mayors of numerous cities and seeing some of them become excited about the Circle of Courage concept.  Riding day in and day out with a really great bunch of people.  Completing the trip with my daughter Rebekah.

It will be a long time before we see the total result of this endeavour.  I have had inquiries from several towns asking me to return, I will be presenting at another Rotary meeting on Monday night.  It will also take some time for me to realise what effect this epic has had on me personally.

Thank you all for your encouragement and your messages of support. Thanks to the Sanitarium Health Food Company, Bainfield Park, ADRA, Adventist Health, Velotex, Cytomax and Cycle City and for your sponsorship. Finally, I challenge you to get to know five young people by name and invest in them.

6 March 2007

Kaikohi  82km. Today was an easier ride. Relatively flat and being only 82km we decided that today was going to be a recovery ride.

We had a 10.00am start and were in Kawakawa just after midday where we stopped for lunch.

After lunch it was an easy 30km to Kaikohi where we were met by a group of towns people who cycled into town with us. One of whom, Laurie, the Deputy Mayor, had actually ridden in the Tour de France in the mid 60's. In town we were met by the local MP, John Carter, and other town officials who all took a genuine interest in the Circle of Courage concept.

The further north we come the more people know about the Circle of Courage.  It is also warmer as we come north. In the South Island it was jackets and arm warmers. Beautiful days but cold. The bottom half of the North Island was wet. However the last week has been sunshine getting warmer day by day.

The town meeting tonight is well attended and there is a real enthusiasm for doing something for the community young people.

Tomorrow we are of to Kaitaia. 79km with one BIG hill. The Kaitaia newspaper had half the front page talking about the Circle of Courage this morning.

Only two days to go. 2078km ridden so far. Just on 200 to go.

Tea tonight was the last evening meal that our support crew will be providing for us as the next two evening meals are included with the accommodation. Julene, Eleane, Anne, Allen and Rex have done a fantastic job.

5 March 2007

Tonight we are in Whangerei. 97.7km. I found today a hard ride. The legs just did not have any energy, probably still recovering from yesterdays ride.

We hit the road just after 9am. The first 30km, from Wellsford, were rolling hills culminating in the Brynderwins, a serious hill, 3km rising too 294metres. Just as we got towards the top the headwind really kicked in.

It was a relief to get to the summit were we stopped at a very nice café, with a sign stating that the cafe was owned by a husband and wife (whose names I have forgotten) and their 8 children! Also at this cafe we meet an English couple on holiday. The husband is a keen cyclist who has riden in the French Alps. His stories brought some perspective on the Brynderwins!

From the summit we had a beautiful downhill and then 55km of flat road into Whangerei where we went to the Adventist Christian School. The kids were fascinated by Kahu. Jake had taught at this school and one of his students is now a teacher there.

From the school we headed back into town for a reception with the Mayor.

Currently I am sitting in the back of the town meeting at the Forum North, which has drawn a good crowd.

Tomorrow it is 85km (assuming Allen has gotten the distance right!) to Kaikohi with (we are told) no serious hills and a 10am start.

Just three riding days to Cape Reinga. It was exciting to actually see a signpost with Cape Reinga on it as we came into Whangerei, this afternoon.

It is fantastic to have made it this far with all the team still together and still talking to each other.

4 March 2007

Tonight we are in Wellsford.

The day started when we met at the ferry terminal in downtown Auckland in time to catch the 10am ferry across to Devonport. It was a nice 15minute trip. Those of us who live in Auckland had to say goodbye to family once more but we will be home on Friday. As we were getting onto the ferry Sonia, my wife, noticed that Jake had a cap on but no helmet  so there was a made dash by Jake to get his helmet. We all arrived in Devonport to be met by the support vehicles and it was back on the road again just before 11.

The ride to Kaukapakapa where we stopped for lunch was uneventful 47 km through gently rolling hills. The ride from Kaukapakapa to Wellsford was rolling hills but they could not be described as gentle. There were several serious climbs that I found challenging. However we all made all made it. The spa at the motel was appreciated.

The routine is falling back into place after the rest day very easily now.

Once again there was a lot of encouragement from the motorists as they passed us.

Tomorrow Allen tells us is 82km to Whangarei but there is some scepticism as today was only supposed to be 83km and he “forgot” to mention the hills in the last 30km. So we will see what tomorrow brings.

The date I have ridden 1899.9km which means there is only around 350km to go. 

3 March 2007

I have just woken up from a couple of hours afternoon sleep on my very own bed. Luxury.

We arrived in Auckland yesterday afternoon. It was great to see Sonia, Caleb and Rachel after being away for almost a month. They are doing great.

We were on the road at 5.20 yesterday morning and had done 70km by 8 o’clock. I found it rather unnerving charging down the road in the dark without being able to see clearly what was coming up. Doug and Jonathan sat on the front for the first two hours and set a cracking pace. The road was flat for the first 50km and then headed into rolling hills. The early start was rewarded when we headed into the hills and came around a corner to see the sun rising over a lake. There was just a hint of mist on the lake and the view was breathtaking.  For once we actually slowed down to enjoy the view.

At one point we were riding up a hill though the town of Pukekawa when we went past the local school and all the students were out on the side of the road cheering us on. We tried to look like real cyclists as we rode past and waved to them. It is great to hear the encouragement that we get from passing motorists and people on the side of the road. We also really appreciate the messages that come via the website.

We arrived at the Seventh-day Adventist office in Manukau just before midday to a grand reception and a fine lunch. We then went to the South Auckland Adventist Primary School were the kids did a great Haka and met Kahu. After a meeting with a reporter we cycled to the water front and then to the ferry terminal in down town Auckland, 165km for the day, where those of us who live in Auckland were met by family and the rest headed of to their motel.

The town meeting at 7.30 last night was well attended and the presentation this morning at Papatoetoe Seventh-day Adventist Church was well received.

Tomorrow it in back to the ferry terminal to catch the ferry to Devenport and then 85km to Wellsford via the Kaukapakapa.

We are now into the final week and will be at Cape Reinga on Thursday, God willing.

28 February 2007

Tonight we are in Tauraunga. The last two days have been easier days.

Yesterday: Taupo to Rotorua was 84km of rolling hills with no time pressures. We were met about 5km out of Rotorua by the Mayor who is a good cyclist and 6 children from the health camp who all rode into town with us. We were also met by a photographer and reporter from the "Rotorua Daily Mail" who were keen to talk to Norah as she is from Rotorua.

In the centre of town there was a welcome party which included a Maori welcome. There was a good turn out at the town meeting.

We left Rotorua at 10 this morning and rode 42km to Pyes Pa where we stopped for lunch. We were also met by Gordon McKendry who is one of the  sponsors for Circle of Courage through his company Velotex which supplied our uniforms. He was dressed in the Circle of Courage uniform which really startled Anne and Elaine in the forward support vehicle when they saw a cyclist coming toward them in a Circle of Courage uniform. It was great to see Gordon. He took the time to ride with us into Tauranga.

After lunch we rode the last 20km into town. We were met by 25 cyclist from 4 different schools and a police escort for the last 5km. Then there was a great welcoming party in the "Red Square" in the city centre.

The town meeting, which I am now sitting at the back of, has just on 50 very interested people.

The ride today was only 64km but has been a great day for me as it is the first time since Kaikoura that I have felt at full strength. It seems that it has taken longer to recover from the accident then I had anticipated. I am not and never will be an athlete but it was good to be able to ride with the group without struggling.

We came via the Tauranga Direct route which had some step pinches. One climb in particular was probably the steepest that we have had so far. It was only a short climb of around 800m but it was steep. This was rewarded by a lovely 15km downhill run into town.

No flat tires today but Jonathan had another spoke come loose.

Tomorrow it is through to Hamilton, 106km with some hill work. Then on Friday it is 170km to Auckland followed by a rest day on Saturday. As Auckland is home I will get to see my wife Sonia and Caleb, my son, and Rachel, my younger daughter.

I am looking forward to arriving in Auckland.

26 February 2007

We made it to Taupo! 141.7 km. Today was a seriously hard ride. The first 70km were all uphill.

After the first big hill, Neone, looking for some encouragement, asked Doug if that was the BIG hill. Doug in an optimistic mode replied "Neone the hills today are unrelenting!" That did not give us a lot of encouragement but it was accurate. Every hill from then on Neone and I could be heard chanting "un-re-lent-ing un-re-lent-ing" as we tried to push the pedals over.

The first 70km were hard work, uphill, rain, headwind. It was not all uphill however there were some nice downhill runs one of about 10km into Turangi. Then the sun came out and the wind died and the last 50km into Taupo was quite pleasant and was completed at an average of just under 30km per hour.

We stopped for a drink at the army museum in Waiuru. The staff at the museum were very interested in the ride but particular the message of the Circle of Courage that young people need adults to get to know them by name and take a personal interest in them.

Just out of Taupo we were meet by Grant who guided us into a spot 4km out of Taupo where there were 8 other cyclists including the Mayor and a police escort who accompanied us into town.

There were 27 people at the town meeting tonight and they seemed to be really interested in the Circle of Courage message.

Well, today has been the most demanding day so far and will probably be the hardest of the whole ride. It was hard work but at no point today, did I feel that I would not be able to make it. I am looking forward to getting to bed tonight!

We are now well over halfway through the ride. It is getting more achievable as each day goes past. I am learning to take it a day at a time and at some times just focus on getting through the next kilometre.

Tomorrow it is 80km to Rotorua. 9.30am start. Should be a relatively easy day.

25 February 2007

We are in Taihape! It has been a good ride. 115 km.

Most of the niggles from Friday had cleared up with yesterday being a rest day. Rebekah has been keen to do some cooking so she cooked tea last night. It was a top meal despite the fact that she had to boil the ravioli in an electric frying pan and the ice-cream was soft because the freezer wouldn't freeze. I was proud of her. It has been great fun to be able to share this adventure with my daughter.

We left Palmerston North at 8.30 this morning and set a steady pace and maintained it throughout the day until Norah got onto the front of the group about 15km out of Taihape and she went for it. We were all struggling to keep up with her. When she finally let up we were all exhausted but we had made it into Taihape.

Jake continued to get flat tires with another one today. He also provided some additional drama by getting the speed wobbles on a long downhill about 20km south of Taihape. It was quite dramatic seeing Jake wobbling all over the road doing 70 kilometres per hour! Fortunately he did not touch the brakes but sat up to slow himself down and was able to get his bike under control.

When we arrived in Taihape we discovered that both Jake and Neone had major splits in their front tires.

Taihape is a small town with a population of 1700. It is the gumboot capital of the world with an enormous corrugated iron gumboot at both the entrance and exit to the town. There were 15 people at the town meeting. Garth the local coordinator for Circle of Courage had done a great job getting the message out.

Tomorrow we are off to Taupo. 130km with some big climbs. We will be on the road at 7.00 in the morning.

24 February 2007

We are now in Palmerston North.

Yesterday we rode from Wellington through to Palmerston North a distance of 117 km. We left Wellington at 8 a.m. in drizzly rain and moderate head winds. The first 70 km were hard work as the traffic was very heavy and we had to ride single file all of the way. We had five flat tires, Jake had three and I had two. A total of two flat tires for the entire South Island and then we get five on our first day in the North Island! 

We stopped at a little place called Shannon for lunch. Had lunch at the railway station which is now looked after by volunteers as a museum. It was a really nice stop for lunch as we were able to get out of the rain and the volunteer lady looking after the museum put on the kettle so we could have some hot drinks.

When we arrived in Palmerston North we spent about 15 minutes at a primary school and got photographed with the kids. We then rode into the square in the centre of Palmerston North and were greeted by the Mayor and a number of other people. There were 35 people at the town meeting last night.

Today is a rest day. We are doing a presentation at the Palmerston North Seventh-day Adventist Church this morning and then have the afternoon and evening off.

When we arrived in Wellington yesterday we got off the ferry and headed straight for Parliament house. On the steps of Parliament house 10 MPs came out to greet us and wished us well.  Margaret Wilson the Speaker for the New Zealand Parliament was one of those who came out to greet us and commented that our uniforms looked fantastic. (Well done Valotex). John Morrison was there to greet us for the Mayor of Wellington and has arranged to do a radio interview with Jonathan on his sports talkback program on Sunday morning just after 11 a.m.

Once we left Parliament we then rode through to Porirua. It was only about 30 K. but we had a strong headwind and some serious hills to climb so it was a good solid little ride. Norah, Neone and Jonathan ran into each other as we were climbing one of the hills. As it was on a fairly steep hill they were only going slow and so no serious damage was done. There were 43 people at the town meeting at Porirua who were very enthusiastic about reaching out to children and their local community and utilising the resources we had to present to them.

We have now completed 12 days of riding which means that we are over halfway with only 11 days riding to go! Today is a chance to catch up on sleep and take it easy. Rebekah is cooking tea which I am really looking forward to. It is great to that I have a day off, there were times yesterday when I wondered whether I would be able to make it but it is just a matter of taking and the ride a step at a time. 

Once we got to Levin yesterday, it was only 21 km to Shannon and I knew that I could do another 20 K. and then it was only just over 30 K. from where we stopped for lunch to Palmerston North and that was also doable.  So by taking it one step at a time I should be able to make to Cape Reinga.

So far there have been no serious injuries within the team and while most of us are tired generally the spirit seemed to be high.

Tomorrow morning we will be leaving about 8 a.m. and heading for Taihape a ride of about 120 km with some hill work.

22 February 2007

We are on the ferry having just left Picton. It is amazing to realize that we have actually ridden the length of the South Island and gotten to the ferry without major incident. The team is in great spirits.

It was a gentle 29k from Blenheim to the ferry this morning and we had 2 cyclist who rode with us. Stewart and Liz did really well on their mountain bikes. A third rider couldn't keep up and as we had to get to the ferry we had to leave him behind.

The receptions at both Blenheim and Nelson have been fantastic with about 40 people cycling into town with us in each place with police escourt, very enthusiastic welcomes in the centre of the towns and then good attendance at the evening meetings. We also had Rotary meetings in both towns. It is seeing people's eyes light up as they hear the message, of helping young people simply by getting to know their names and spending time with them that makes the ride worthwhile.

The ride on Tuesday was the hardest so far for me. Probably because of the spill I took on Monday. I was working so much harder than I normally would just to keep up. The rest of the team took it easy and allowed me to sit on the back of the pack. We made it through to Blenheim with me still there! The coastline north from Kaikoura is magnificent and we stopped for icecreams at "The Store" about 55k north of Kaikoura with the greatest sea views. Thanks to the lovely lady in Christchurch who insisted that Allen take $50 to buy us all an icecream! It was appreciated.

We said goodbye to two of the team at the ferry terminal in Picton. Belinda who has been the driver of the media van since Christchurch. Melody has not gone grey with Belinda's driving! Thanks Belinda.

We also farewelled Steve. Steve agreed to join us only two weeks before we started as our other Mainland rider had pulled out at the last minute. Steve was a fantastic asset to the team. He was always happy to take his turn at the front and was an excellent load master. We will miss you mate. Don't let the fact that you couldn't beat Rebekah up the hills haunt you for too long :-)

This afternoon we have a reception on the steps of Parliament at 1.45 and then we ride through to Porirua where there is a Rotary Meeting at 5.30 and then a Town Meeting at 7.30 and tomorrow it is 130k through to Palmerston North where we have a rest day on Saturday.

I have made it so far! Two weeks to go to Cape Reinga!

19 February 2007

We rode from Cheviot to Kaikoura today.  It was only 70 Km with a reasonably large hill at the 40 Km mark.  Neone sat on my tail all the way up the hill, then tried to pass me about 200 m from the top so we raced to the top of the mountain much to the amusement of the other cyclist who were waiting for us. It was good to feel that there was some energy left in my legs after the hard climb.

From the top of the hill the road drops down to the coastline. We took it easy along the coast so we could enjoy the view.  It was magnificent cycling along the Kairoura Coast at about 20 km an hour admiring the scenery.

About 5 km south of Kairoura I hit a rock and had a tumble off my bike.  I do not remember the incident, the first thing I can remember is sitting in the doctor's surgery next to Allen.  The helmet was smashed and I have a graze on my right hip, apart from that I seem to be fine.  I was quite keen to go back and do the 5 km that I had missed this afternoon but the doctor told me I was not allowed to ride the bike again today but should be ok to ride tomorrow.  I will be heading to bed shortly to get a solid night's sleep and I will probably be a bit stiff and sore in the morning.  As you can imagine Rebekah got a nasty fright.  She and Doug were riding on the front of the bunch and so did not see the accident but just heard the noise and looked back to see me lying on the road.

It gave everyone in the group a nasty fright with the exception of myself who cannot remember the incident at all.  Apparently I asked repeatedly what happened and after about 5 explanations in two minutes they decided that it would be good to take me to see the doctor. As I said before the doctor examined me thoroughly and everything seems to be okay.

I am very grateful that I did not knock any of the other cyclists off during the incident.  Steve was riding directly behind me and saw it all happen but managed to avoid running into me.  Interestingly enough Rebekah and Doug at the front did'nt see the rock.

Tomorrow we have 115 ks into Blenheim so we will be starting at about 8 a.m. I will head out and ride the 5 km, that I missed, into town with Rebekah and Doug to make sure that everything is working all right before the big ride starts.

We are now one third of the way through the ride and until 5 km out of town tonight everything had been going extremely well.  Hopefully the accident will prove to be relatively minor and the most serious incident on the ride.

We had a relatively good turnout in Cheviot the local Mayor was there to greet us and a town councillor was at the evening meeting.  When we arrived in Kaikoura and got to the motel we listened to a radio interview from Blenheim talking about the events for tomorrow with Grant Ingersoll the town coordinator and Steve Kennelly.  It was an excellent interview and and the DJ from the radio station promised that he would be riding into town with us so tomorrow night promises to be a really interesting night.

Jonathan returned tonight and is taking evening meeting. It is great to have him back on the team.  He kindly picked up a replacement helmet for me on his way through from Christchurch this afternoon.

Except for the fall of the bike things are going very well. 

17 February 2007

Today is a rest day in Christchurch.

We made it into Christchurch at 3.30pm yesterday. It was a long haul from Timaru, 176.6km. Very flat. Averaged 25.4km/h.

Steve lives close to Ashburton and the Ashburton media were very keen to interview him. He had one radio interview and two newspapers lined up to talk to the local boy. Melody is doing a great job setting up media opportunities.

Jonathan dropped a bombshell on us yesterday morning. Due to family reasons he has to return to Australia. Jonathan was the one who dreamed up the Circle of Courage ride and led out in the Australian ride in 2005 and initiated the New Zealand event. He was also the spokesman for the team and presenter at the town meetings and at the Rotary meetings. He is a strong rider. We will miss him.

The team is doing well. With the exception of one strained Achilles tendon which we were able to get seen by a doctor today there are no other injuries.

Tomorrow is 100km into Cheviot. A piece of cake!

We have survived six days on the bikes. We have had days with big hills (Wednesday) and days with lots of k's. I am beginning to believe that I can make it to Cape Reinga! Six days behind us only 17 riding days to go.

14 February 2007

We made it to Oamaru. It was a hard day, 115km with over 1100 metres of climbing, which as we told the Australians with us, is more than halfway up their highest mountain!

The ride started at 7.30am with 4km flat then straight into Mt Cargill for a 7km climb down the other side, a flat section for 6km then the Killmog 3km of step climb.

The downhill following the Killmog was awesome. Doug got up to 79km per hour. I got a more pedestrian 65km per hour but it was fun to get some easy kilometres as a reward for the work.

We stopped in Palmerston for lunch then had a relatively flat 57km into 0amaru. The traffic have been great giving us good room and often a friendly honk as they go past. Allen in the trailing vehicle gives one beep on the horn for a car that is passing and two for a truck and if it is a big truck they are loud honks. For the first couple of days the horn was a little annoying but it has now become really comforting to know that he is there and to hear the horn.

We arrived in Oamaru just after 3pm to be met by the Mayor and a rider on a Penny-farthing bike.

We rode into a park in town where a photographer from the local paper took some photos and a reporter asked questions for an article. We then rode to our motel.

The Oamaru Seventh-day Adventist Church provided tea for all of us which was greatly appreciated.

Jonathan had a Rotary meeting which went very well and then we conducted a town meeting a 7.30pm.

Well we all made it into Oamaru. The team is doing really well and looking after each other holding a pace that every one can maintain and waiting at the top of the hills for everyone to get to the top.

Personally I am really pleased to have made it through today . I am tired but doing OK. Maybe I really can ride from 2347 km from Bluff to Cape Reinga.

Tomorrow we head to Timaru. It is about 85km relatively flat. It should provide a chance to recover a little. We plan to be on the road by 9.30am.

13 February 2007

Tonight we are Dunedin.

We had a fantastic ride from Balclutha through to Dunedin.  It was 84K with rolling hills through to Lake Waihola where we stopped for lunch and then we had a good tale wind as we rode across the Tairei plains into Dunedin. It was great being able to sit on 32-34 km per hour effortlessly.  There were a couple of good solid climbs as we came into Dunedin but everyone handled those really well.

Jonathan broke a spoke in his front wheel on the last downhill coming into South Dunedin.  However we discovered an excellent cycle shop in Dunedin called Cycle Surgery which repaired the spoke and realigned Jonathan's wheel at no charge.  They also replaced a missing cadence magnet from Steve's bike, and did some work on Neone's bike all gratis.  Great service.

We were met at the Octagon by a representative of the Mayor.

It seems that all the riders are doing really well and enjoying the ride.

We had some drama this morning when we discovered that the keys had been locked in one of  the vans so we had to get the AA man to come and open the van for us.

We had eight people from the community at the meeting last night in Balclutha, a couple of them from the local council.  They all seem to really appreciate the message and keen to implement the Circle of Courage ideas.

When we arrived in Milton, about 30 km north of Balclutha someone gave us a copy of the Otago Daily Times and there was a big picture and feature article on the Circle of Courage.  It was really exciting to see what we are doing getting some media attention. We have also been getting a number of messages from the web site and these are really appreciated.  Four messages came through tonight while we were having tea (at a Thai restaurant, to give the cooks a break).  The team really appreciates the encouragement.

Tonight Jonathan is presenting at a Rotary meeting at 5:30 p.m. and then at the town meeting at 7:30 p.m.

Tomorrow is a big day with 115 km and some serious hill work between Dunedin and Oarmaru. Breakfast is at 6:30 a.m.and we aim to be on the road by 7:30 a.m. We have a couple of kilometres to warm up and then we hit Mount Cargill and then the Killmog two serious hills. I have been rather nervous about this day as it is the first hard day and I will be really glad if I can get to Oarmaru without too much problems.  If we can get through tomorrow's ride then we should be able to get through the next three and half weeks without too much problems.

Three days into the ride things are going really well.  The team is working together, there is a good spirit and everyone is feeling positive.

11 February 2007

We are in Gore!!

The day started, for me, at 6.30am. Breakfast was at 7.30 and then a team meeting at 8.00. There were some anxious moments as we tried to get all the bikes, gear and cargo into the three vehicles as everything had to be transported to Bluff for the start of the ride. Finally it was all in and we left the motel just after 9.00.

We got to Bluff to be met by a group of about 40 people including one 1902 Renault car, who had come to wish us well. Melody took lots of photos under to signpost at Bluff and then we were on our bikes and the Circle of Courage Tour was finally on the road.

It was a great feeling to be started. The ride into Invercargill went well. We averaged just over 25k per hour. We stopped in Invercargill to pick up some more gear that had not been able to fit into the vans with all the bikes. We then rode on for about 30ks stopped for lunch, this was a harder ride with a head wind and slight rise in terrain. After lunch it was on to Gore. This section was faster and we averaged about 28ks and was interrupted only by the first flat tire (mine). It only took 3min 47sec to get out the spare wheel change wheels and be back on the road.

Rebakah and Doug have challenged each other to see if they can catch Rex asleep in the lead car. They are trying to catch up to him with mad sprints when they think he is not watching. They have not caught him yet.

We arrived in Gore at about 3pm and had to wait at a spot about 1500 metres from the town centre for the mayor of Gore to arrive and then we rode into town at 3.30pm and met the mayor under the big fish.

It has a really good day. The whole team has worked together well and the rides head a good pace with all of us holding up their end.

The journey has begun.

10 February 2007

It is Saturday, February 10. Tomorrow we start the ride from Bluff. The whole team was in Invercargill by Thursday evening. Only Melody is still to come.

Neone, Doug and I left Auckland at 5.30am on Wednesday and caught the 2pm Ferry from Wellington to Picton. We spent the night in Kaikura and had a great ride out to Seal colony. We picked up Rebekah and Steve in Christchurch and had a very full van for the 600 kilometres to Invercargill. We got to Invercargill about 9.30pm. The support crew Allen, Julene, Rex and Eleane along with Jake and Norah had arrived the day before. Jonathan got in just before we arrived. He and his wife have just walked the Milford and the Routeburn Tracks.

It was good to have the team together. The team is great. The riders are all getting along really well and the support crew are great fun. Allen has done a tremendous job organizing the town coordinators and traffic management and anything else that needs organizing. Doug will be the ride captain and Melody will look after media and PR.

Yesterday we went for a ride. We were riding in our uniforms which looked great and attracted a lot of attention. We stopped at one set of lights and a lady in the car next to us asked what we were about. Doug told them that we were riding from Bluff to Cape. She looked at us in a concerned way and said "But your going the wrong way!" She was reassured when we told her that this was just a training ride.

After lunch we had to pose for photos. There were media interviews Jonathan with MoreFM and I had an interview with Radio Rhema at 10 past 5. This afternoon the Southland Times is doing an interview and photo shoot at 2pm.

Yesterday morning Jonathan, Allen and Jake attended a Rotary meeting and received a very good reception with one man bringing his family back in the evening to learn more about the Circle of Courage and resiliency.

This morning we are doing a presentation at Invercargill Seventh-day Adventist Church to around 100 people. They are providing lunch for the team.

This afternoon there is the photo shoot with the Southland Times and then, hopefully there will be time for a rest.

Tomorrow we head to Bluff, where the ride begins. It will be good to be finally started. Most of the riders are nervous wondering if we can make it, wishing that we had done more training. Tomorrow we will find out.