Our last full day in New Zealand, I rented a Ninjette from the folks over at nzbike.com. $70 for a full day, maybe $90 with petrol included. I headed north from Auckland on 16, found mile after mile of well-paved, well-paced roads with good cadence and spectacular scenery. Enjoyed getting completely lost in a generally northeasterly direction, hit the eastern coast, took in the surf, and hugged the coast south. It’s all farms: one lane bridges over creeks, limestone hillocks, and the occasional jaw-dropping valley opened up in the sun. Hit some dirt, a few dead ends, and generally had a grand time of it.

Everyone, everywhere, was thrilled to say hello, tell me about their farm or flower shop, and give directions. I don’t think I met a single unfriendly soul in the whole darn country. Even petrol station attendants grinned, warned me about storms to the north and pointed a better route. Maybe it’s a factor of size, maybe it’s purely cultural, but I wish the rural US were anywhere near this friendly.

Highway 1, north of San Francisco. I absolutely love the stretch at the crescendo; it makes me melt every time I hit those curves.

The back side of 9, Old La Honda, Skyline, and some bits in between. Shot with a GoPro HD Hero, helmet top mounted.

6:00 AM. Oh, snap.

I think I was supposed to be on a plane. This morning? Wouldn’t I have set an alarm for that? Yeah, the plane definitely leaves at 7. Today? I packed last night–it must be today. How long does it take to get to San Jose?

Man, his Triple looks like an absolute blast. Maybe someday I’ll get one of those.

Optimism prior to embarking on the Great SF-Seattle Adventure…