New Zealand Expedition 2002-2003
Welcome and thanks for visiting! Check out our latest video updates as of December 24, 2002 below.
This expedition would not be possible without the support of our families & friends. Thank you to all. Adjusting to our new routine and the absence of our friends will be a constant challenge. We are delighted to have shared such great moments with all of you and we are excited that some of you are coming to visit.
Remember though, before you can learn to say
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu
(longest place name in the world), we'll be back.
Breakdown of Weight:
#1 Gear Bag (Clothes): 7.25 kg
#2 Gear Bag (Food): 7.40 kg
#3 Gear Bag (Health/Beauty/Water): 6.75 kg
#4 Gear Bag (Misc, Books, Toys, Maps): 5.60 kg
Handlebar Bag: 2.55 kg
Backpack (Tent, Sleeping Bag, Bedmat): 7.05 kg
Bike = 14.2 kg
Total Weight: 50.65 kg = 112 lbs
We have created this website to update you on our adventures and progress.
See the links below for short digital videos highlighting some fantastic moments of the journey. For your viewing pleasure, we will add more in the months to come.
The video clips will work best with Quicktime Player and other common media software.
Also, be on the lookout for our photo album on ofoto.com.
We will e-mail you details after each download.
We hope all is well with you. Please keep us up to date on your life.
E-mail:
brandon_s_warner@yahoo.com
ytreytreytre@yahoo.com
or
Cell Phone:
From the USA, Dial: 011 64 21 Treker(873537)
From NZ, Dial: 021 Treker(873537)
The first link under 'Our Favorite Web Sites' section will assist you with .15/minute phone rates. Our incoming calls are free so we have unlimited time to talk with you!
Don't forget to bookmark this page for journey updates.
We hope you enjoy the ride!
"Do not burn yourself out. Be as I am - a reluctant enthusiast...a part time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it is still there. So get out there and hunt and fish and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, encounter the grizz, climb the mountains, bag the peaks. Run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to the body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over those people with their hearts in a safe deposit box. I promise you this: You will outlive them all."
-Edward Abbey (1927-1989)
Click on the links below for a peek at our adventures.
"Why do we try to spend our lives striving to be something that we would never want to be, if we only knew what we wanted? Why do we waste our time doing things which, if we only stopped thinking about them, are just the opposite of what we were made for?"
-Thomas Merton (1915-1968)
Our Most Memorable Moments of the Trip as of 11/20/02:
- Figuring out how to pack 7 months worth of gear and clothes into four bike panniers.
- Waking up on 9/13 knowing we won't have to shave again for a long time.
- The gracious welcoming of our hosts in Auckland, Jonno, Denise, & Zahlee.
- 8 km of downhill cruising.
- 15 km of steep ascent.
- Realization of how heavy our bikes were once fully loaded.
- A houseboat after party in Rawene.
- Zooming down gigantic sand dunes aboard tobogans.
- The twisty thermal springs hotwater slides.
- Creating cow and sheep stampedes along rural roadways.
- Seeing the new stars of the southern hemisphere in all of their dazzling brilliance.
- Learning the full workings of a dairy farm.
- A private guided tour in search of the elusive Kiwi bird.
- Experiencing the days of the week losing their signifigance.
- Mussel hunting for food.
- Being the first to see the sun in the world on November 9, 2002.
- Exploring the world of the Gannet mating rituals.
- Enjoying natural salt water hot pools along the coastline.
- Rounding up cattle along the gravel roads.
- Realizing the potential of Tobasco sauce in freeze dried food.
- When a hitchhiking ride turned into an evening's accomodation.
- The whirlpool current of the Whanganui River
- Motor boating in 3 meter swells on our water taxi to the trailhead.
- Spreading the holiday cheer with our mobile Christmas Tree.
Our Favorite Web Sites:
Call us. It's only .15/minute. Honest!
We are not that far away. Just click and book your ticket here.
The public restroom will become an important part of our life. This link will make a world of difference for our personal hygiene.
100% Pure New Zealand - All you need to know about NZ
Knowledgeable travel agents to assist you planning
Travel Packages to NZ
Specials NZ Deals
Time Converter
Map of NZ
Email: brandon_s_warner@yahoo.com
