There comes a point toward the end of any road trip when both the passengers and the vehicle begin approaching a state of disorder, both physically and emotionally. This is the point we are at as we arrive in Havelock for the NZ Enduro. Combined with three days of torrential rain, any aspirations of “racing” are replaced with mere survival. We make it through the event by any means necessary: tripoding, scootering and flat out walking.
After the race, we explore the steep trails, lush forests and diverse bird populations between Havelock and Nelson. Our birding is amateur at best, but we do manage to identify a three-winged chicken in the takeaways section of a Nelson grocery.
Series Description: The Free Radicals are four guys who are just trying to ride some bikes. We live in vans, work seasonal jobs and eschew the comforts and constraints of traditional lives in order to ride our bikes as much as humanly possible. Racing is the impetus for our travels, but we live for the in-betweens: the hidden trails, local swimming holes and general mischief encountered while on the road.
