Three Years Later

The hardest part of any new project is making a start. I've 'ummed' and 'ahhed' and have decided to launch straight into it - with just a brief introduction.
I'm Nana Nicki - Nana, not because I have grandchildren (much to my disappointment) but the manner and attitude in which I (make that we) enjoy our biking.(Apparently my driving is just as bad. My sister-in-law, Rose, once accused me of 'driving like an old aunty') We fill up the thermos and pack our picnic, check the wind direction and pick a starting point, usually one on the fabulous Rotary cycling tracks around Napier.
Check out these links:
http://www.napier.govt.nz/index.php?pid=634&prj=23
http://www.hbrc.govt.nz/GetIntoIt/Recreation/CyclingandWalkingTrails/tabid/881/Default.aspx
http://www.hbrc.govt.nz/Portals/0/Pathways/Pathway_MapBrochure.pdf

Let's just start right now - Where do you think this is? It could be anywhere in the world - right?

I took this little baby this afternoon in Napier. Gorgeous, isn't it?

We started out this morning - a glorious, crisp (extremely), clear, winters day. Snow lay thick on the mountain ranges in the west and light patches of fog curling through the trees as we travelled up to our favourite city. We parked at one of our usual spots, the boat launching ramp in Ahuriri, just across from my favourite shop. We started off with little idea of where we were going except I was feeling determined to cross the old Westshore bridge which spans the Ahuriri estuary. Having picked up several brochures from local information centres, (the same maps in the links above), I unfolded the most recent one. It was a bit hard to figure out, map reading is not one of my strengths I have to confess, and we have since come to the conclusion the path marked has not really been completed yet, but headed off towards the bridge anyway. The bridge has been long replaced and the road is blocked off to road traffic, but it is part of the Estuary walking track, so easy enough for intrepid bikers to access.
The pathway was busy with walkers, mostly young families, and we stopped to chat to a woman who had just finished her walk. She recommended crossing the main road and trying out one of the new pathways on the other side.
"New tracks?"

The trucks and bulldozers are there, honest. To the right is the airport.

She said yes, one minute there was nothing and the next week all these lovely new paths. And they were still at it. Sure enough, as we looked across to where she pointed, there were the bulldozers and trucks hard at work. The new track is going to loop around the airport and join up at Bay View (she thought).
Well that's exciting.




Deciding to save that thrill for another day, we followed the old road to its end. Have to say, that was a little exciting too as the road petered out altogether and we wobbled along beside the railway track with fingers crossed, there would be no trains.

A short stretch of busy, main road followed that, with both of us hugging the verge with ours eyes squeezed shut everytime a big truck thundered past,which was frequently, until we gratefully regained the concrete path on Pebensen Drive.
Todays ride was a town ride - through Taradale, but they have cycleways and cycletracks all through there. Down Church Rd, past the Mission and all the other wineries and into town where we grabbed a takeaway for lunch and headed towards the river.
On the way we were passed by a gang of small boys on their BMX bikes, weaving along the busy roads and on the footpaths. A little maori boy pulled up beside me and after a moment, I realised he was talking to me.
"Is that MacDonalds in there?" he asked, pointing to my basket.
"Yeah, course."
"Race ya for it?"

A fleeting vision of me losing both my dignity and my lunch, and I declined the challenge. But I had to laugh - cheeky little beggar. They swarmed past us again when we reached the limestone track beside the stadium and over the bank to the BMX track. What great fun they were having. We decided to bike out of sight before stopping for lunch where we too, went over the bank, bounced across the grass to a picnic/barbecue area.

Have to confess that our Maccas didn't sit too comfortably with the majority of our ride still ahead.
This part of the track follows the Tutaekuri River towards the coast. Despite its name,(look it up), it is very picturesque,and we ride past vineyards, apple orchards and orange groves on the other side, while dodging sleeping cows and their deposits. "Going through the motions" is how Fenton described it last weekend. (My new favourite saying)

Despite my best efforts, the backs of my legs were covered with fresher versions of this.

I realised a bit further on that because we went off the track for lunch, we missed one of the fancy new gates, which was vaguely disappointing. I realise the necessity for the gates on the track but some of them can be a pain. Awkward and too small or fiddly, or frequent. The perfect one should be able to be opened while still mounted.
Anyway, we pushed on towards Awatoto, past the model areoplane field where we were treated to a aerial display, past the smelly compost place, under the bridges (is it just me, but does anyone else find going under or over bridges mildly thrilling?),where we burst out to the stunning scenery of THE Bay. (Hawkes Bay is THE Bay).

As our eyes sweep around from Cape Kidnappers towards Mahia, we realise that something is a little weird until we realise that there is still a fog laying over the Port. The light is slightly distorted and the horizon appears higher than normal and a container ship out at sea looks like a small city has risen up. Those would have been fog horns we heard earlier, of course.
We bike out of bright sunshine into spooky, clammy mist, which although it clears a bit, stays with us for the rest of the ride.

Where's the sea disappeared to?

Lots of families are using this part of the track, mostly Dad's with their kids, it's quite heart warming to see. We can hear the happy voices of kids as the playground looms up out of the mist and we dodge walkers and dogs and pushchairs, everyone, bar a precious few, with a cheery wave or hello. As you pass, you catch each others eye and smile and share a special connection - "aren't we the lucky ones?" sort of thing.

The port was in full swing and we stopped to watch as a couple of containers were being loaded.

Cute little bikie gang.

Hardinge Rd we could hardly see the sea.

Although there were lots of people it didn't seem crowded as you couldn't see anyone else.

We arrived back at the carpark happy to see the car but although we had biked a good 35 kilometers we were still feeling ok. Perfect then. Yet another good day on the saddle.