Perry Newburn the Running Machine!
New Zealand 11
New Zealand 11
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I owe Richard and Clodie Fallen hugely for the great help they gave me in Blenheim. It seemed that they couldn't do enough for me including commuting me to their home for three nights. Those days I continued walking along Route 1. There were also many dangerous bends and oft times I found myself walking behind the crash barriers or up tight against a mountainside and gingerly stepping over falling rubble. I had to take extreme care not to trip myself and fall onto the road as traffic was pretty heavy. Other times traffic came through in waves of up to twenty or more vehicles and then there could be a short break before another lot wound its way past me. Anytime I came to a narrow bridge I waited for that break and made a run for it to get across as much of the bridge that I could safely manage before the next lot came. If I didn't make it I crouched as tightly as I could to the side of the bridge and stood up on the foot wide step if there was one.
I walked past vineyards with windmills which are used in the winter to stop the vines from freezing. The diesel-powered windmill blows away the cold frosty air of frost can kill an entire crop. Other vineyards are so vast that helicopters are used instead.
That day I walked to Picton Port. I had walked the whole length of the south island in a little over a month. Thanks to all of the Southern Kiwis who helped me so much and made it such a wonderful experience.
Then, it was time for me to finally say goodbye to Richard and Clodie. I felt that I had known them a long time. We met when I camped beside them a few days before and asked them for boiling water for my noodles and we soon became great friends.
Next day, Clodie returned me to the port and I took a ferry across the Cook Straits. A ferry crossing which was compliments of the Interislander ferry company. Thanks to Robin and Cherie for this and I really enjoyed my trip to the north island. I was greeted by Lisa who remembered me from my world run five years ago. I held out my hand to shake hers as she went to hug me. We both stepped back and laughed when I went to hug her as she went to kiss my cheek! Eventually, Lisa asked me: "Tony are you a huger or a kisser?"
So, I said. "Well Lisa, At times like this I get greedy and I will have both!"
Then I was shown around the ship which is called Kaitaki by the efficient Tayla. A young woman with her head screwed on. 18 years old and she is studying psychology and forensics!
Once off the ferry in Wellington, which is the New Zealand capital I walked for a couple of hours along bicycle paths and found it so easy to get out of the city. A long time ago Auckland was the capital, but after a lot of complaining by southern island politicians about the long trek north to government buildings it was decided to move the capital to a more central location. I walked up a massively steep hill and when I was about halfway up a friendly Scott stopped to offer to drive me up, so after a brief chat he drove on and I humped it up the rest of the way. That day I ended my day in Johnsville at the Subway restaurant.
I called my friend Carl who is originally from Dublin and he commuted me to his house for the night. His house was way off my route. Carl, like me, was once a photocopier repair technician. We had a great time when he contacted me when I was running through the area on my world run five years ago. Somehow I had misplaced his contact details and as he doesn't do Facebook I was resigned to walking past my old friend's new home city. Then I remembered that he had wanted to contact my brother-in-law, John who then worked for Shaptex photocopier company in Dublin. As Carl was planning a return to Ireland he was obviously on the lookout for a job. After a couple of hasty messages home and just two days before I arrived in Wellington, bingo! My sister forwarded me Carl's email address :)
After spending the night with him and Rebecca, his Kiwi wife they told me that after just nine months back in Ireland that they just couldn't settle back there. It was also his 40th birthday and he took a day off work from his new job as a gaming machine service technician. We went out to lunch at his favourite restaurant, McDonalds! We talked a lot about copier service calls and ultra running for Carl likes 24 hour races and even ran the Belfast 24 when he lived in Ireland. He is also an avid St. Patrick's Athletic football club supporter, as are most of my family. I headed out of the city and was grateful that Carl took on my pack to Rhys, his old workmate who I also stayed with previously on my run and I also had his contact details. It was so wonderful that I could connect with both lads and a stroke of luck that I managed to get the vital email address from his email to my brother-in-law!
As Rhys lived 50 kilometres away in Otaihanga, it was too far for me to make it that day, especially due to my late start. When Carl and Rhys worked together they were terrific practical jokers and playing jokes on each other all of the time. When I ran through five years ago I was going in the opposite direction and Carl had gotten Rhys jealous when he said he was hosting a man who was running around the world. By a massive fluke that night I ended up in a nearby fish and chipper and met Rhys there. It was even more amazing that I had left a Chinese takeaway to go to the chip shop, I guess we are meant to be where we were. Anyway, Rhys took me back to his place that night, took photos and then went to work extra early the following morning to put my photo on Carls computer screen!
Now, I had my sights set on Pimmerton, 19 km down the road. I walked through some plush housing estates and nice country lanes and through a park. Then when I re-emerged onto the highway a short heavy splattering of rain plummeted from the sky and it could have been a day for ducks to be walking along the road, for there was even a duck crossing sign. After I texted Rhys to meet me at Palmers Garden Centre in Pimmerton he came out on his Harley Davidson motorcycle to commute me the 31 kilometres to his house. For me, that was a terrifying ride, and to start with I nearly kicked his bike over when I threw my foot over the pillion seat; I'm not used to throwing my leg over anything these days.
That night, Rhys and Kathie, his wife made me so welcome. He still worked in the photocopier business but more as technical director and enjoying reduced hours. Kathie is an art teacher and has her own studio, I took a keen interest in Madeline, her sexy mannequin! Rhys other passion is for brewing pale ale. He just brewed 15 three-quarter litre bottles. And when Kathie produced a bottle of red wine he was not impressed. Kathie asked him next morning why we polished off his entire stock and his reply was: "Your wine was so terrible we needed a lot to wash it down with!"
Need-less-to-say it was a late start the next morning. I was worried about the Harley but obviously, Kathie who had gone to bed sober and did the driving and dropped me back to Pimmerton for my 31 kilometre walk to their house. It was 2 pm! Luckily they had an appointment that evening and wouldn't be back until late. My walk that day to their house was a joy, I walked along some trails and along a beachfront and bicycle paths and I clocked out at 10.30 pm, just as my hosts arrived home from their evening out. We did a lot more drinking that night, but it was tea and water!
Then it was a pleasant march to Manakua. However, I didn't have to walk with my pack those 30 kilometres as Rhys on a whim phoned Brendan the owner of the Manakau Hotel/Lodge and he was only too delighted to provide me with complimentary nights stay. So, Rhys revved up his Harley and dropped my pack off there!
On the way to the lodge, I was walking down Spring Street, in a place called Waikanae Beach. Of all things, I saw a county Mayo flag flying high above the wooden fence! So, I stopped and called out and was greeted by a lovely family called the McAndrews. Mrs McAndrews father was born in Mayo and it seemed her Irish heritage was so important to her that she embraces everything Irish. Smart woman that she is, all of her children have Irish passports. One son lives in London, residing there on the basis of his EU passport. After lots of tea, snacks and yarns I walked on and through Otaki a place which also had some street names in Japanese as well as English. I wondered what that was about. Strangely one of my fiercest rivals from my competetive days shares the name of this small town.
A couple of hours later I finally finished my days walking in Manakau where a lovely young Italian couple called Clelia and Rosario greeted me. They were the managers of the Manakau Hotel and even treated me to a delicious vegetable lentil stew and salad dinner in their residence.
Seeing how delighted I was at Rhys take my pack on to their hotel they kindly matched his effort by bringing my pack to Shannon Town, another 30 kilometres down the road. I always love walking unharnessed and without my heavy burden. As I mentioned before the reason I am walking New Zealand with just a backpack is that there are so many narrow bridges and roads here. They are just too dangerous for Karma, my cart. Just to prove that point I was barely an hour down the road the following morning and had already had to hoof my way across four narrow bridges.
Just before Shannon Town, which I am sure is named after the Irish town I was greeted by my great mate Perry Newburn on the road. He lives fifty kilometres down the road in Fielding. So, I enjoyed some great catch up with him. I also stayed with him on my world run. He and his wife Kathy took great care of me, and just like so many people in this great country they spoiled me to bits. Thanks so much to one and all. I took a rest day in Fielding which has been voted New Zealand's most beautiful town an astonishing 16 times. Every year they just cover up the previous total with another plastic sign, this year the '5' of 15 is covered with a '6' Then I commuted two days back to my route to walk the 50 km to his house. They were two hot days, close to 30C. Next day, there was rain in the air and I got caught in a sudden pouring as I walked on some backroads. I walked another glorious 25 kilometres and finished at Waituna West. I thumbed a ride back to his house.
Perry is a prolific running-machine who has run across America in one of the fastest times ever. He has also run the entire perimeter of New Zealand a couple of times. One of them staggered me: A run he called " The Great ENZED charity run." It was a 70 day effort, without a rest day and he ran a staggering 5,302 kilometres!! Reading his daily totals is like watching a darts match at the world championships. In that total, there were several tons including an astonishing 150 kilometre last day and plenty of ninety's and mere eighties!! If there was ever a man suited to running around the world it's Perry if only he could find a way and a sponsor :)
I walked past vineyards with windmills which are used in the winter to stop the vines from freezing. The diesel-powered windmill blows away the cold frosty air of frost can kill an entire crop. Other vineyards are so vast that helicopters are used instead.
That day I walked to Picton Port. I had walked the whole length of the south island in a little over a month. Thanks to all of the Southern Kiwis who helped me so much and made it such a wonderful experience.
Then, it was time for me to finally say goodbye to Richard and Clodie. I felt that I had known them a long time. We met when I camped beside them a few days before and asked them for boiling water for my noodles and we soon became great friends.
Next day, Clodie returned me to the port and I took a ferry across the Cook Straits. A ferry crossing which was compliments of the Interislander ferry company. Thanks to Robin and Cherie for this and I really enjoyed my trip to the north island. I was greeted by Lisa who remembered me from my world run five years ago. I held out my hand to shake hers as she went to hug me. We both stepped back and laughed when I went to hug her as she went to kiss my cheek! Eventually, Lisa asked me: "Tony are you a huger or a kisser?"
So, I said. "Well Lisa, At times like this I get greedy and I will have both!"
Then I was shown around the ship which is called Kaitaki by the efficient Tayla. A young woman with her head screwed on. 18 years old and she is studying psychology and forensics!
Once off the ferry in Wellington, which is the New Zealand capital I walked for a couple of hours along bicycle paths and found it so easy to get out of the city. A long time ago Auckland was the capital, but after a lot of complaining by southern island politicians about the long trek north to government buildings it was decided to move the capital to a more central location. I walked up a massively steep hill and when I was about halfway up a friendly Scott stopped to offer to drive me up, so after a brief chat he drove on and I humped it up the rest of the way. That day I ended my day in Johnsville at the Subway restaurant.
I called my friend Carl who is originally from Dublin and he commuted me to his house for the night. His house was way off my route. Carl, like me, was once a photocopier repair technician. We had a great time when he contacted me when I was running through the area on my world run five years ago. Somehow I had misplaced his contact details and as he doesn't do Facebook I was resigned to walking past my old friend's new home city. Then I remembered that he had wanted to contact my brother-in-law, John who then worked for Shaptex photocopier company in Dublin. As Carl was planning a return to Ireland he was obviously on the lookout for a job. After a couple of hasty messages home and just two days before I arrived in Wellington, bingo! My sister forwarded me Carl's email address :)
After spending the night with him and Rebecca, his Kiwi wife they told me that after just nine months back in Ireland that they just couldn't settle back there. It was also his 40th birthday and he took a day off work from his new job as a gaming machine service technician. We went out to lunch at his favourite restaurant, McDonalds! We talked a lot about copier service calls and ultra running for Carl likes 24 hour races and even ran the Belfast 24 when he lived in Ireland. He is also an avid St. Patrick's Athletic football club supporter, as are most of my family. I headed out of the city and was grateful that Carl took on my pack to Rhys, his old workmate who I also stayed with previously on my run and I also had his contact details. It was so wonderful that I could connect with both lads and a stroke of luck that I managed to get the vital email address from his email to my brother-in-law!
As Rhys lived 50 kilometres away in Otaihanga, it was too far for me to make it that day, especially due to my late start. When Carl and Rhys worked together they were terrific practical jokers and playing jokes on each other all of the time. When I ran through five years ago I was going in the opposite direction and Carl had gotten Rhys jealous when he said he was hosting a man who was running around the world. By a massive fluke that night I ended up in a nearby fish and chipper and met Rhys there. It was even more amazing that I had left a Chinese takeaway to go to the chip shop, I guess we are meant to be where we were. Anyway, Rhys took me back to his place that night, took photos and then went to work extra early the following morning to put my photo on Carls computer screen!
Now, I had my sights set on Pimmerton, 19 km down the road. I walked through some plush housing estates and nice country lanes and through a park. Then when I re-emerged onto the highway a short heavy splattering of rain plummeted from the sky and it could have been a day for ducks to be walking along the road, for there was even a duck crossing sign. After I texted Rhys to meet me at Palmers Garden Centre in Pimmerton he came out on his Harley Davidson motorcycle to commute me the 31 kilometres to his house. For me, that was a terrifying ride, and to start with I nearly kicked his bike over when I threw my foot over the pillion seat; I'm not used to throwing my leg over anything these days.
That night, Rhys and Kathie, his wife made me so welcome. He still worked in the photocopier business but more as technical director and enjoying reduced hours. Kathie is an art teacher and has her own studio, I took a keen interest in Madeline, her sexy mannequin! Rhys other passion is for brewing pale ale. He just brewed 15 three-quarter litre bottles. And when Kathie produced a bottle of red wine he was not impressed. Kathie asked him next morning why we polished off his entire stock and his reply was: "Your wine was so terrible we needed a lot to wash it down with!"
Need-less-to-say it was a late start the next morning. I was worried about the Harley but obviously, Kathie who had gone to bed sober and did the driving and dropped me back to Pimmerton for my 31 kilometre walk to their house. It was 2 pm! Luckily they had an appointment that evening and wouldn't be back until late. My walk that day to their house was a joy, I walked along some trails and along a beachfront and bicycle paths and I clocked out at 10.30 pm, just as my hosts arrived home from their evening out. We did a lot more drinking that night, but it was tea and water!
Then it was a pleasant march to Manakua. However, I didn't have to walk with my pack those 30 kilometres as Rhys on a whim phoned Brendan the owner of the Manakau Hotel/Lodge and he was only too delighted to provide me with complimentary nights stay. So, Rhys revved up his Harley and dropped my pack off there!
On the way to the lodge, I was walking down Spring Street, in a place called Waikanae Beach. Of all things, I saw a county Mayo flag flying high above the wooden fence! So, I stopped and called out and was greeted by a lovely family called the McAndrews. Mrs McAndrews father was born in Mayo and it seemed her Irish heritage was so important to her that she embraces everything Irish. Smart woman that she is, all of her children have Irish passports. One son lives in London, residing there on the basis of his EU passport. After lots of tea, snacks and yarns I walked on and through Otaki a place which also had some street names in Japanese as well as English. I wondered what that was about. Strangely one of my fiercest rivals from my competetive days shares the name of this small town.
A couple of hours later I finally finished my days walking in Manakau where a lovely young Italian couple called Clelia and Rosario greeted me. They were the managers of the Manakau Hotel and even treated me to a delicious vegetable lentil stew and salad dinner in their residence.
Seeing how delighted I was at Rhys take my pack on to their hotel they kindly matched his effort by bringing my pack to Shannon Town, another 30 kilometres down the road. I always love walking unharnessed and without my heavy burden. As I mentioned before the reason I am walking New Zealand with just a backpack is that there are so many narrow bridges and roads here. They are just too dangerous for Karma, my cart. Just to prove that point I was barely an hour down the road the following morning and had already had to hoof my way across four narrow bridges.
Just before Shannon Town, which I am sure is named after the Irish town I was greeted by my great mate Perry Newburn on the road. He lives fifty kilometres down the road in Fielding. So, I enjoyed some great catch up with him. I also stayed with him on my world run. He and his wife Kathy took great care of me, and just like so many people in this great country they spoiled me to bits. Thanks so much to one and all. I took a rest day in Fielding which has been voted New Zealand's most beautiful town an astonishing 16 times. Every year they just cover up the previous total with another plastic sign, this year the '5' of 15 is covered with a '6' Then I commuted two days back to my route to walk the 50 km to his house. They were two hot days, close to 30C. Next day, there was rain in the air and I got caught in a sudden pouring as I walked on some backroads. I walked another glorious 25 kilometres and finished at Waituna West. I thumbed a ride back to his house.
Perry is a prolific running-machine who has run across America in one of the fastest times ever. He has also run the entire perimeter of New Zealand a couple of times. One of them staggered me: A run he called " The Great ENZED charity run." It was a 70 day effort, without a rest day and he ran a staggering 5,302 kilometres!! Reading his daily totals is like watching a darts match at the world championships. In that total, there were several tons including an astonishing 150 kilometre last day and plenty of ninety's and mere eighties!! If there was ever a man suited to running around the world it's Perry if only he could find a way and a sponsor :)
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