Norway II and England (again)

2600km, 37 tunnels, 18 ferries and breathtaking scenery at every turn.....Norway has been an absolute blast! The last few weeks cycling from Trondheim to Bergen have been tough - definitely no risk of sunburn, dehydration or heat-stroke, in fact we were on the verge of hypothermia nearly every day! We left Trondheim on a bit of high after a brilliant time spent with Chris and Emily and coming close to securing jobs for our return to New Zealand. We covered 250km from Trondheim to Molde in one and a bit days. The riding was rather unremarkable and only memorable for getting caught in a massive thunder and lightning storm, eating crackers and cheese for dinner (too wet and cold to cook!) and having to take a longer route due to a closed road.......

We were very pleased to reach Molde, where our warmshowers hosts Berry and Robert kindly picked us up, as the undersea tunnel to their island home is banned to bikes. Berry and Robert were wonderful hosts. We were treated to a fantastic salmon meal and home-made wine, enjoyed with stunning views of the mountains and fjord from their dining room table.


After a late start the following day we set off toward the Trollingsen Pass- one of Norway's most famous sections of road. The eleven hairpins and steep incline is built into what looks like the dead end of a valley - surrounded by enormous peaks and powerful, roaring waterfalls. The climb was one of our favourites on the whole trip and we were rewarded at the top with magnificent views, a magical sunset and great alpine campspot at the pass.
The next morning we awoke to the familiar pitter patter of rain. This was the beginning of a six day stretch of almost continuous rain and very cold riding. Our feet were continuously wet and cold and pitching a soggy tent each night became a bit tiresome. Descents became unbearably cold with heavy downpours and icy wind. We actually looked forward to uphills to keep us warm. We discovered the warmth of Norwegian petrol stations and treated ourselves to coffee and waffles. Although it was pretty grim at times and definitely the coldest and wettest either of us had ever been, we pushed on and kept smiling - through chattering teeth. We figured it was the weather's way of easing us out of cycle touring! A typical Norwegian weather forecast
At least the rain makes the waterfalls more spectacularWe spent a day exploring the peaks surrounding the small town of Loen (Jostedalsbreen National Park). We climbed a 1600m peak and had amazing views of the lake and fjords below. We have found that with all the hours spent biking, our walking and running muscles have become really weak. Although we feel quite fit our legs get so tired walking!


The night before we were due to fly to London we got caught in a fierce storm. We decided to stay put for the night and ride the last 60km to Bergen airport in the morning. We spent ages at the library checking our email and doing some jobs. When the librbary closed at 7pm we made a dash for the nearby shopping centre. While enjoying a meal of blue cheese, crackers, chips and doughnuts (very healthy!) Kate happened to look in our document wallet.....'Matilda- how come there is only one passport in here?' In a sudden sickening moment I realised I had Left Kate's passport in a photocopy machine at the library.....now closed until 11am the following morning. Surprisingly, Kate handled the news incredibly well! So with no passport, a flight the next day, galeforce winds and horizontal rain we set about finding shelter for the night. The winds were too strong for us to pitch our tent, but luckily we managed to find a perfectly positioned Info centre porch to hunker down in. Like true hobbos we spent a restless night hoping the storm would pass and that Kate's passport could be recovered.......Luckily, by morning the weather had settled and the wonderful librarians showed up early to work! So with passports safely back in hand we set off for Bergen.....our last ride!

We made it!!!

After leaving Norway we spent a few days in the UK catching up with lots of friends. We also cleaned and packed our bikes and sent them back to NZ by boat. It was awesome staying with my childhood friend Kellie Hinds and we had a great weekend up in Sheffield with Johnny, Claire and Ruth (UK docs we worked with in Whakatane). Also very cool to briefly catch up with Matty and Becky, who had just flown over from New Zealand for a holiday with Becky's family- made us amped up for mountain biking back at home. Walking in the Peak district...Some familiar faces in a quaint English garden

15000km on the bike, 20 countries and endless stories to tell, this has been the journey of a lifetime. We have seen so many incredible sights, met so many generous people and have learned so much about our crazy, complicated world. Thank you to all those people who have made out trip possible through their advice, hospitality and support. We are both getting super excited about returning to New Zealand, but are also really looking forward to our time in Egypt and meeting up with Tom Ritchie for three weeks in Nepal.

Goodbye beautiful Norway...