Milestones: 3000 Miles

Three thousand miles and still going although in a slightly different direction. So here are the facts and figures for these 1000 miles.

Cycling

• Continents: 2 (Africa, Oceania)
• Countries: 3 (Morocco, Italy, New Zealand)
• Nations: 3 (Morocco, Italy, New Zealand)
• Cycled distance: 1000 miles (1609 Km)
• Climbing so far: 98,337 feet (29,973 m)
• Cycling Days: 21
• Rest days: 14
• Longest day: 74 miles (119 Km)
• Average per day: 50 miles (81 Km)
• Punctures: 0
• Blow ups: 0

Since last milestone I feel like I’ve done more flying than cycling and yet the same 1000 miles have been rolled under the tyres of the bike. It looks like I’m managing to do roughly 1000 miles a month which is a good yardstick considering the variety of the terrains. It will give me some confidence when I come to plan future trips.

Cycling the short rest of Morocco was fine. I was very disappointed in having to give up that plan but I had the opportunity of an outing in Italy, which I want to cycle in the future a lot more, and eventually to come down under, where the place seems made for it.

Accommodation

• 4 Hotel/B&B
• 14 Friends/Family
• 4 Hostel
• 13 Camping

Finally I’m camping, including in the stats there are the last three days in Rabat where there was little choice but hotel. Not included above are the 50 days I spent with my parents in Italy as I was not riding then and it made no sense to add them to the stats. New Zealand is the best place for camping. Not only there are very many good value excellent commercial campsites, but the DOC (Department of Conservation) has many sites across the two islands where camping is free or near free. The weather has been good so far and I’m really enjoying the feeling of relying on my own brought accommodation.

At the same time I have used some backpacker hostels, more for the fun of being in among youth than for the need not to be in the tent.

Food

• Average spent: £10.28 per day
• Most expensive day: £36.00 (Proteins)

Food is a bit expensive in New Zealand and so far I have not really had any major meal out. I am camping so much that I rely on shops and own cooking. When I say own cooking it means using camping facilities when available. I have realised that I have no need for a warm meal every day and I have dropped the stove and the pans in favour of more space for cold food.

Other things

• Bike is doing great, had the spokes changed in Italy and they are working a treat.
• I dropped and broke my Nexus 4. So long old friend and hallo Samsung Galaxy S5. So far I’m quite impressed with this new phone.
• Camera still a bit temperamental but on the whole I’m happy with it, new phone has amazing camera and I can see a future where I might drop the big camera in favour of just having the phone.
• I have become addicted to an outdoor shop in New Zealand and I have bought another stool, used it three times so far but still convinced it was good buy..
• I am thinking a lot about future rides and the possibility of getting a folding bike for the long hold rides, will need to borrow one and road test it before I take the plunge.

Commentary

So much has happened since I passed the 2000 miles mark in December. I am still a bit upset that my nice sequential route has had to go out of the window, but in the end history is sort of proving me right.

2015 also brought some bad news on the family side with my dad being diagnosed with AML and having to start chemotherapy at the beginning of February. From my point of view this will mean that the continuation of my round the world effort will have to be a bit of a patchwork of stages with in between times where I’ll be back in Italy supporting my parents when support is needed.

In saying that they are ok now and that’s the reason I am in New Zealand. This country, which by the end of the three months I’ll spend here I’ll have crossed twice is truly a biker’s paradise. The roads are not that busy, drivers are quite attentive of bikes and it has a structure that resembles a cardio workout so shedding pounds is truly not a difficult thing.

I will probably reach 4000 miles before I leave New Zealand so I’ll leave for that post a full apreciation session of the land of the long white cloud, but for now I