Loopers

In places New Zealand feels like a time travel to good old UK, colonial touch in Victorian style. In small portions and well restored, it is lovely. Here it often feels little too much. Even though the houses look like they are from Victorian times, actually most of them must have been built around 70ies. 

  

Below is the drive through impression of small town called Thames, small town that looked like a movie set, hmmmm why it reminds me of Thames Town in Shanghai?! Old Victorian houses and then the wide streets and old hotel signs looked like proper set for American cowboy movie. It all comes with the oldest mine schools, nowadays turned into museum. A pub called Workingmens Club! 

A true time stopper!

Workingmens Club

Taniwha race

3 month celebration in New Zealand, time to make photos of something else than the magnificent green scenery, re-discovering sport.

14 km of running done for Kiti and Christian, 42 km on wheels done for me. Taniwha race, beautiful track along the mighty Waikato river, race was so fast that picture time came only after the finish line.

Meeting up with flora

42km, 2h39m, 9th place, very own king of the small hill


Cruising in the most exciting place, @ Rotorua Mountain Bike Park



Meeting up with flora. This time Kiti, head first

The reason to stay at Clarks beach

That is the reason to live 25km from closest supermarket, closest pub, ... One of the stunning morning views from my cabin.

59 days of European summer

That was it, the longest stay back in Europe since 2007. This is how the stats go:

-> 59 days in June to July

-> Met up with all friends, except 1

-> 2400km travelled between Riga and Tallinn

-> 11 visits to different institutions for getting all the paperwork sorted.

-> 44 different events - concerts, pub evenings, terrace construction, song and dance festival, etc.

-> 19 different occasions of getting into sports, besides all times favourites orienteering and MTB went to discover also new ways or recreation. Got into less frequent road biking, kayaking and golfing. And also introduced  myself to SUP (Stand Up Paddling) - funny sport invented by wave surfers, that has transformed into something completely different in wave-less Baltic sea.

Thoughts from the summer.

Welcome to Estonia, where suddenly all the people are riding bicycles

Welcome to Estonia, where friends have turned into Santa Clauses

Happy to give spin with road bike, Taivo thanks for the trip plan; Dag, thanks for the bike!

Welcome to Latvia and the cafeteria culture

Folk fashion in Riga

Sometimes orienteering finds its way out from forest, for example into Old Tallinn

One of the best concert experiences ever: Brainstorm and Ewert concert in Pärnu. Perfect weather, location, music. 

Welcome to Estonia, how retro is that?! Midsummer party in its best

This is how to surf the waves when there are no waves to be found

Yes, Latvian also has Song and Dance Festival, that is held in every 4 years, that has become very popular, so that it is almost impossible to get tickets. At one moment there will be compulsory rain attack. Everything same same as in Estonia, must be neighbours thing!

5th time ~15 of my friends dressed up in K11 bike shirts will bicycle for a about six days around Estonia to train for Kilimanjaro 2011 (K11) trip that already took place in 2012. Hard work that will culminate in absolute black-out on the way back to normal daily life.

Welcome to Estonia, last bye from the good old trains, that became history in July this year.

Riverside of Riga to brainstorm of Estonia

Setting sail to America's Cup... no no, just departing from Riga. Have been living in New Zealand for 6 weeks, talks of sailing competition and America's Cup is 24/7 around me.

Thanks friends, amazing summer!

Week nr 3, Beach life

Time to get ready for the summer, made a move and replaced the road side motel with one by the sea. On sunny days - as last Sunday was - it seems to be a wonderful place, during the rain with quick temperature drops I still get reminded that August is a winter month and being at beach is refreshing experience, even when inside the hut!

Motel camps are at the far end of the small village, main attraction seems to be 1 beach, 1 golf course, 1 church, 1 bowling club, 1 takaway food place, 1 restaurant, 1 small shop, everything else is 20km away.

Morning and tide moving out, will be back by evening

Small stick at the horizon is the Auckland TV tower, the bungee jumping one