Last weekend I went away with a group of people to experience something called “On Yer Bike”. It was AWESOME, I loved it. Basically you rent a bike from the “On Yer Bike” company in the Hawkes Bay and ride to a whole bunch of fabulous vineyards trying as many wines as you like. Because you’re on a bike you don’t even have to worry about drink driving – but you do have to worry about falling off your bike.
The company provide you with a bike, helmets, maps, packed lunch, backup support and a collection service to gather up all the wine you have purchased so you don’t have to worry about it getting broken or heavy while riding around. All this for just $50 – it was well worth it, I totally recommend it and would love to do it again.
After lunch at Te Rau our first stop was the Huka Falls.
Ever since visiting the falls many years ago and missing out on photographing them, I had wanted to return one day to photograph them. Unbelievably all those years ago (before digital cameras) just as I was about to take a photo I realised I had run out of film! Luckily there is a shop at the falls which sells stuff and back then I could buy film. I loaded up the film, got all excited and then the battery went flat. The shop did not sell the type of battery my camera needed, so I was doomed.
It has been a dream of mine for a very long time to go to Napier and take photos of the famous Art Deco buildings in Napier. On our way to Havelock North we made a special stop so I could photograph the most iconic of all the Napier buildings – the Rothmans building, now called the National Tobacco Company building.
On Yer Bike
Originally uploaded by beejayge
At the start of the bike ride it was a bit like the Amazing Race on TV, coz everybody rushed towards the bikes to make sure they got a good one. Funny thing was I had raved to everybody for days how I wanted a bike with a flag, coz it would be just like when I was 12 years old and had a purple “Chopper” with a big orange safety flag. But when I tried to get onto a bike with a flag, I got stuck with the flag caught between my legs, felt very stupid and rushed for a bike without a flag, giving everybody the excuse that the seat was too high on that bike and never mind I could do without a flag!
After all that wine tasting this is what I bought. A wee collection of goodies from my favourite three vineyards.
New Horizons 