I remember when I was 14, I cycled with my father and a dozen or so students from Wellington Teachers College for about 300km over 4 days through the lower North Island of New Zealand. A year later, I did the same ride with a friend. I remember thinking it was pretty neat - the camping, the freedom, the adventure. It was the start of a dream. I imagined cycling enormous distances from sunrise to sunset in strange and wonderful lands.
In the following years, I spent many school holidays in the saddle, exploring different routes through the North Island. Finally, at the end of 1995 I decided it was time to explore some of those far off mysterious lands. With degree in hand, I landed in Malaysia and began what would become a 4 year stint of English teaching. It gave me a chance to see south east Asia, travel, and save money.
In 1998, after a 3 year break from cycling, I took to the bike once again - A 10 day, 1100km solo ride through central and eastern peninsular Malaysia gave a dramatic reintroduction to cycle touring. In 1999, I spent 5 weeks cycling 2500km through Vietnam and Laos with a teaching friend. My fate was sealed, I knew that cycling had to play a major part in my life from then on.
1987 Lower Nth. Island, N.Z / Group of 12 / 200km / 3 days
1988 Lower Nth. Island, N.Z / Mr. A. Lock / 200km / 3 days
1991 Central Nth. Island, N.Z / Mr. A. Lock / 450km / 5 days
1992 Wgtn. to Hastings, N.Z / Mr. D. McEwen / 250km /1 day!
1995 Wgtn. to Hamilton, N.Z / SOLO / 600km / 6 days
1998 Mantin to Kota Baru to Kuantan, Malaysia / SOLO / 1100km / 10 days
1999 Ho Chi Min, Vietnam to Luang Phabang, Laos / Miss E. Myatt / 2500km / 35 days
1999 Auckland to Turangi, N.Z / SOLO / 450km / 4 days
2000 Mantin, Malaysia to Krabi,Thailand / Mr. A. Lock / 1200km / 10 days
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