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Remember the time when you were given your first bike? Your horizon's changed and the world suddenly got a whole lot bigger. Adventure was around every corner... Summer 2017 was a bit of a dud as far as the weather was concerned. Daylight saving has long gone and days are getting shorter and colder with the odd cyclone just to rub it in a little more. However this summer’s also been a hectic one for Dancing Moose with an astounding number of keen adventurers wanting to get set up for their epic adventures all over the country. From keen riders heading off the beaten track for a night, to multi-day adventurers who managed to book well ahead for the huts on the Old Ghost Rd. The Moose has even been spotted in places like the UK, Iceland, Europe and the US! I guess that’s one of the perks in this business, you get to hear all the stories and adventures. Unfortunately this comes paired with one of the downfalls of this business, you get to hear all the stories while you spend long evenings behind the sewing machine… but in the end I think the upside far outweighs the downside. In some way it’s immensely satisfying to have the opportunity to help intrepid adventurers reach their dreams. Back in February, Rotorua hosted another epic Bike Festival. The weather decided to gate crash the party and some events needed to slide to alternative days. After a false start, the Stars, Spokes and Tent poles ride was held a few weeks after the Bike Fest with a small but energetic group of keen riders ranging from 6 to 10 years. The idea behind the ride was to get parents and kids out there for a night under the stars. The catch was, the destination was inaccessible to cars so everyone had to take everything they needed with them on the bike. Bikes as small as 16” were loaded with sleeping bags and cuddlies while parents morphed into pack mules for the heavy stuff. In order to level the playing field, the older kids were loaded down a little more than the younger ones. This meant a greater responsibility for the older riders to ensure the bag of chips wasn’t crushed (or devoured) in transit while the younger ones were light enough to keep up with the bunch.  With kids you don’t need to go far for an overnight adventure. The task of the parents was simply to dilute the distance with healthy snacks, tree climbing excursions on the side and swims wherever possible. It’s not the distance, but the experience that counts.
A local Rotorua Farm owner was kind enough to grant us access to her farm, which allowed us to ride to a stunning wee beach right at the very end of Lake Okareka. The ride was an epic adventure just shy of 16k and to see the faces of the kids as they rode into their campsite for the night was priceless. We arrived just in time to set up camp and while the parents were preparing dinner, the kids swam and ran riot in the paddocks. Sitting on the beach watching the sun go down and the first stars come out just before everyone hits the sack is nothing short of majestical. With kids you don’t need to go far for an overnight adventure. The task of the parents was simply to dilute the distance with healthy snacks, tree climbing excursions on the side and swims wherever possible. It’s not the distance, but the experience that counts. 
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Harm ZuidmeerCycle adventurer. Archives
April 2020
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