11:00am Friday 19th March 2010
After 23 days cycling covering 2,419km across North and South Island in New Zealand, Welsh adventurers Tori James from Pembrokeshire and Maria Leijerstam from the Vale of Glamorgan, have arrived at Bluff on the southernmost tip of New Zealand.
With a maximum speed of 73kph, the women have certainly not taken it easy.
Totally self-sufficient, they carried clothes and provisions in their panniers and camped at night though ‘the amazing Kiwi hospitality’ meant that they didn’t always have to sleep on hard ground.
The pair met after Maria advertised to find adventurous women for expeditions and both gave up their London jobs to return to Wales to train and follow their passion for travel and adventure.
Their route took them from Cape Reigna on the northern tip of North Island to Bluff at the southern tip of South Island.
Long days in the saddle were interspersed with a host of other activities. They were invited to the official opening of the 70km Hillary Trail, in memory of New Zealand’s greatest mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary. A day of planned relaxation ended up with them jumping out of a plane at 12,000ft and Maria competed in the prestigious Speights Coast2Coast Adventure race, over some of New Zealand’s toughest terrain. She was placed 91st out of more than 800 competitors.
After these intense intermissions, it was back on the bikes to complete their journey.
“Rounding the corner and catching the first glimpse of the sign at Bluff on February 23rd brought tears to our eyes,” said Maria. “We had done it. Champagne popping, we carried out our standard Welsh flag dance ritual and those around quizzed us on our journey, accompanied by a round of applause.”
Among the highlights of the trip, they list the simplicity of life on a bike with only two panniers; ‘sunshine when it’s winter at home’; big mountain passes; stunning coastline; dramatic gorges and ‘meeting hundreds of fab people’. Best of all in New Zealand, ‘you don’t have to queue for anything’!
“There were some tough moments too,” said Tori.
“We had freezing feet and numb toes in Lindus Valley and a driving headwind leading to Queenstown, that stopped us in our tracks, even going down hill. Our tent leaked and we woke up wet and freezing cold on more than one occasion, but these were minor inconveniences in a great journey.”
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