Arnie said it, I’ve said it… and now I am, I’m back. (more…)
Author: Libby
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The Africa coast to coast adventure so far…
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Check out my New Zealand highlights
Three minutes around New Zealand on a bamboo bike…
a whistlestop tour of New Zealand by bamboo bike… no pedalling required!
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Post trip blues come and go
I’ve had post trip blues before. Not recently, I admit, because usually I am so excited to be back, see family and friends, I am making plans for the next chapter, trying to find work, or I am simply amazed by having full time electricity, access to a fridge and the ability to drink clean, fresh water directly from the tap. (more…)
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One reunion to rule them all
I have been lucky enough to have many reunions with dear friends during this visit to New Zealand. But one stood out in my heart more than the others. (more…)
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The Land of Quakes
I lived in New Zealand for 4 years and have felt enough earthquakes to last me a lifetime. (more…)
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A whale of a time in Kaikoura
When I was younger I sent off lots of competition entry forms from the back of wildlife magazines. One day, out of the blue, I was gobsmacked to actually receive a prize in the post; (more…)
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Wakas, Government and the 1,000 strong haka
The bike ride along stunning coastline to Wellington finished with a big hill, which has become a standard way to finish a big ride here in New Zealand. But that’s ok, because at the top of the huge hill lies my friends’ house, which has a fully-stocked fridge and a bathtub. After raiding the fridge just a little bit (post cycling hungry is a new level of hunger!) and a lovely long soak I made my way down into town for the Waka Odyssey opening to the New Zealand Festival, on the waterfront.
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Presenting underwater with my real life heroes
It’s been a whirlwind of a few weeks. I keep thinking this trip can’t get any more wonderful. And then along comes the next adventure to prove me wrong.
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I can’t stop the feeling
I woke up this morning with this feeling like I just didn’t want to leave Gisborne.
As I stretched and gave my eyes a morning rub, I saw the orange glow of a wonderful sunrise unfolding outside.
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Oh the places you’ll go (and the people you’ll meet)
The places you’ll go are certainly all rather magical. But for me, it’s also about the people you meet along the way.
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I see superheroes, everywhere!
I am making a weird and wonderful journey. An anti-single-use-plastic bamboo bike mission. It’s not your everyday sort of bike ride. (more…)
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It’s time, let’s do it!
It really is an exciting and pertinent time to be delving into the world of plastics. With the incredible Blue Planet 2 series, Sir David Attenborough has once again excelled himself. In addition to capturing our imagination and interest by bringing the magic of marine animal behaviour into our home, he’s also brought the problem of plastics to our attention.
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Buses, reunions and steep hills
I have sinned. And I don’t even really seek forgiveness. I am ok with what I have done and I might even do it again. My crime… well, it is considered gaspworthy cheating in bicycle touring circles…
I mentioned that I went to see (and met) Jack Johnson right?! ? Whilst there at the
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It’s always better when we’re together…
There is no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard that would sum up the past week.
I’ve just smashed through the 2,000 mark with the number of children I have presented to since starting out on my bike just under 4 weeks ago, which has been an awesome rollercoaster. But that is not the focus of this little snippet. (more…)
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Come join me underwater
When you get under the surface of the sea and share time with amazing creatures, large and small, you come back to land feeling fully recharged.
I was lucky enough to visit the Poor Knights Islands last week with Dive! Tutukaka. Not only did they take us to some of Jacques Cousteau’s favourite dive sites (the stuff of dreams), but they also told us about the history and cultural significance of the islands. ?❤
Enjoy a couple of minutes of saltwatery goodness!
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The Force is strong here
Arohanui – it is Maori for much love / deep affection, but goes deeper than just those words. It’s right inside your soul. I can’t think of a better way to describe the start of my plastic kaupapa (principles calling me to action) trip around New Zealand. (more…)
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The little queen of nurdles
Join us on a visit to Nurdle Beach… OK, it was not really called Nurdle Beach. It’s called Mangawhai Heads. But take 5, grab a cuppa and find out about the nurdleyness…
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P Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney
With all the planning, trip admin, bike making, networking and leaving parties that I have recently been doing, I was starting to feel a bit like Dory. There was a hazy memory that I was going somewhere, but I got so caught up in all the jobs I had to do and enjoying my time with friends, that I kept forgetting that I was Sydney-bound. (more…)
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I love it when a plan comes together…
It was winter 2016 and it was dark, cold and rainy. I needed little encouragement to start making travel plans when I walked into the Royal Geographical Society’s Explore weekend. Two days of roaming around historically charged rooms listening to incredible humans share tales of their studies / endeavours / adventures. Perfect. (more…)
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In the beginning, there was bamboo…
Just choose the bamboo that feels right? Seriously?!
A few short minutes after introductions at the Bamboo Bicycle Club, there we were; handling and choosing the bamboo for our bicycle frames. Obviously, we were given guidance on the desired circumference and internode measurements.
Step 1: choose the bamboo that ‘feels right’… This was no casual meander into the world of bamboo. ‘With great power comes great responsibility’ popped into my head. The power of choice. The responsibility of knowing that what I picked will have to carry my belongings and me on lengthy voyages. Oh, the pressure..
We were snapped out of our wide-eyed reveries and hand-held through what can only be described as one of the most satisfying days I can recall. It was like being in Santa’s workshop. Measuring, marking, drilling, filing, sanding, taping… and by the end of day 1, my bamboo was starting to look like a bicycle frame.
End of day 1: time for a bamboo beer Day 2, in simple summary, consisted of sticking all the bits together with bandage-like strips of hemp soaked in resin. Wrapping our frame joins, lovingly securing our handcrafted stems; it was creatively cathartic.
Day 2: hemp and resin joins Days 3 and 4 consisted of hours and hours and hours of sanding. First with a machine, which already felt intuitive and pleasing. But then came the numerous hours of finer sanding, blemish-filling and more sanding by hand. By this point I was getting to know every nook and cranny of my frame. This is not a feeling you can get from buying a bike off the shelf. This is an intimate, loving relationship between maker and materials with a wonderfully slow, manual process.
Days 3 & 4: sanding, sanding, more sanding Although I like the theory of being able to see the raw, natural joins, I wanted the lines of the frame to remain fluid and seamless. So I had the idea of painting the lugs (the joins) a nice, light shade of yellow, which I might then subtly decorate.
Sanding and ideas of natural decoration Cue James opening the pot of yellow that he had in stock. This was the visual equivalent of emptying a bag of sour sweets into your mouth all at once. WOW… not quite what I had in mind. After talking around the pros and cons of subtly vs boldly making a statement (and also slightly influenced by impatience and wanting to spray my frame immediately!), I decided to go for the ‘melonengelb’. Go boldly…
Day 5: wow, that is YELLOW! Days 6, 7 and 8 were spent pimping my ride. The plain bikes look fine and all, magnificent even, but I have a bit of an arty heart. And if this bike is going to be my home, my adventure companion and a huge part of my world, then I want something just a little bit different that reflects what’s important to me. (And I want some words of encouragement for when the hills are tough…)
Sun, seeds, plants, plankton, magnificent marine creatures, the oceans, mountainous lands, towering trees… 
Don’t stop until you’re proud – the top tube 
Today is going to be super duper 
I want to see what happens if I don’t give up 
Ready for parts! So for now, I’m eagerly awaiting the call to tell me that all the parts have arrived and I can once again delve into the magical world of the Bamboo Bicycle Club workshop. Until then I have to busy myself with destination research and route planning…
