While contemplating being sent to ant heaven by a triple length logging truck at an early age during NZ’s winter, today, I took the bus off of the beautiful coast road south of Napier into Wellington. While cycling in Europe and Asia and now New Zealand the viable option of taking the bus always hovers near in anticipation like the overtime period in a Stanley Cup hockey game. The bus is always an option but the hesitant decision always sinks in like a possible defeat to a women travelling on a bicycle.
I have taken the bus exactly one other time since embarking on this world cycling adventure. In China, to stand at the epicenter of the once in 100 years full solar eclipse, the bus was necessary in order to catch the phenomenal astrological event of the sun and moon. Being out run by the inching movement of the sun and the moon is surely humbling even for Pandemic, the magic bicycle.
Wellington, North Island is the diving off place for the South island, NZ. The islands are connected by an ocean ferry. Cycling onto the ferry that crosses the Cook Straight to the South Island, NZ then disembarking into the oncoming winter after a bouncy nauseating three hour journey is a voyage the belly will remember for a lifetime. I am grateful my bicycle “The Pandemic” is a distinguished green due to the fact that it will blend well with the shade of my woozy face. The bird flu pandemic that has wreaked havoc in Europe this past year hasn’t stretched her wings over New Zealand however the Cook Straight ferry crossing is all the illness that is needed here.
Disembarking the barf boat by bicycle on the North island, NZ, I was invited by fellow ferry voyagers to a famous local accommodation. The talk of the famous chocolate pudding cake and ice cream served free nightly to the ferry crowd has stretched across both islands. Sleeping inside for the first time in weeks served to be a pleasant scoop of warmth and comfort for my drunken sailor legs and ocean green belly.
Nice red boat!