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CYCLING

Cape Reinga to Bluff SOLO Cycle

Tuesday 24 April 2007, 9:46PM

By Fraser Mills

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Colin and Airforce
Colin and Airforce Credit: Colin Anderson
Report Courtesy of Craig’s Computer Services, Princess St, Palmerston North.

22 April 07
6 am Cape Reinga Lighthouse.
Weather cool, still, clear with a sky full of stars.
Colin Anderson set out to start his challenge for Heart Children N.Z. He left
the lighthouse making his way up the 500m track to the road. He had just
started biking up the path in the dark when he met two large boxer dogs
snapping, snarling and straining on their leads. A scary moment but a true
postie farewell from Cape Reinga!!

The first 20kms were on a very rough gravel road. The bike Colin started on
had wider tyres to cope with the metal. He changed to his Black Trek for the
sealed roads for the rest of his journey.

The team is accompanying Colin in a campervan. Third gear in our trusty van
has been a nightmare for all of us, dropping down from 4th is accompanied by a
graunching sound… poor Colin, that’s not what he wants to hear – but at least
he knows we are there behind him!!

We stopped at a service station in Whangarei for approximately 30 minutes
where we collected donations for the Heart Children N.Z. (Remember to please
tell friends and family to donate to the website at the bottom of this). Hot
chocolate and a pie - “some real food” at last, Colin said.

Colin's progress was great on day one, he averaged 25 kph. He was in great
condition – strong and fast and surprising us with his cheerfulness and
optimism considering the very hard work he was putting in.

23 April 07
What a night!! Colin had hill after hill after hill from Whangarei to
Auckland. We met five guide cyclists at 11.30 pm in Orewa to show us through
the network of streets to get Colin through Auckland without using the harbour
bridge or motorways. It was a great experience watching the riders whizzing
through the city with so few cars on the roads. A long haul though, finally
getting to the Waikato Expressway at 4.15 am.

Colin hit the 500 km mark at the Bombay hills and continued on to Otorohanga,
arriving there at 10am - 28 hours without sleep! After a shower and a
scheduled three hour sleep, he was back on the bike heading to National Park.
More huge hills were encountered as he progressed on to Waiouru at midnight.
A ten minute power nap was taken under the aeroplane café at Mangaweka, and
then Colin powered on into the dark arriving at Bulls around 5.30 am for a
welcome stop for hot food.

24 April 2007
With Wellington within reach Colin pushed on with barely a stop. Weather
continued to be perfect for riding and Colin consistently went under his
target times along the way. His North Island leg was completed at 11.44 am –
covering 1,100 km in 53 hours 44 minutes, with just three hours and ten
minutes of sleep. An arrangement had been made for a helicopter ride across
Cook Strait with the Air Force. An Iriquois helicopter was on exercise for
ANZAC day and kindly assisted Colin in his charity ride - see attached photo.
Colin is now heading south from Picton.

Please forward this report, and in particular Colin's charity website:
www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/capebluffsolo

Jenny Hughes and Royce Mills
Team Support