Cathy Sheehan Memorial Ride

2 September, 2012

 

 

 

Cathy was fatally injured in a car vs cycle crash in Kuala Lumpur on 2 September, 2011 when she was on her way home from
8 months touring in China.

 

Her first post in her blog commenced:-

"At 55, I'm a year older than Anne Mustoe was when she set off for France on her first round the world cycle tour.
It's taken 10 years from when I first read her 'A Bike Ride' to be in a position to begin my own solo cycling adventure.

I'm not as well-prepared or well-funded and my life is more messy, but here I am, about to fly to Kunming, southwest China, two weeks from today. I no longer have a job, my house has been let for the next 12 months and I have found new homes for my dog and cat.

I love my home, my family and friends and my life in Auckland, New Zealand, and would prefer to be able to keep the dog and cat. But for many years I have been obsessed by travel, and if I don't go now - when will the timing be perfect?

My parents died at 49 and 59, so I have never expected to live very long - there mightn't be many years left."

 

You can read her blog here.

This shot of Cathy was taken in 2004 on a trip through The Molesworth

Photo: Jaap

 

 

In 2008 Cathy organised an ACTA ride to show us many of the eco initiatives that
had been put in place in West Auckland.

You can see pics of this ride here and here.

 

 

 

We decided that a fitting Memorial Ride would be to have a re-run of Cathy's 2008 Eco Tour.

 

 

 

Getting ready outside the New Lynn RSA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First stop was at EcoMatters Environment Trust near Olympic Park.
The house is a recycled railways' house.  Solar panels and wind generators are a feature of this site.

Not sure why we have two groups here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The queue at Kohu Road Café.
As we had 26 to feed, and as it was Fathers' Day, we perhaps set a precedent by having our
coffee stop only 1.15km in to our ride.
There were no complaints.  :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following shots at the café were taken by Cathy's friend Jan Power who had joined us here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frances and Cathy's sister Bernie came over from Sydney to take part in this ride.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting ready to leave Kohu Road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Watch out for this trio : ACTA's new Editor Tony, Secretary Annette, and Webmaster John.
Anything you say or do is likely to be recorded by at least one of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heading off along Portage Road.

Photos : Jan Power

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time to take off a layer before climbing up Otitori Bay Road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traffic jam on Exhibition Drive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dog was wondering what all the strangely dressed people were doing here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The theory is : we stop here to take in the view of the Lower Nihotupu Dam.
But obviously there was something more interesting in the other direction.
Adrian was checking our location on his iPad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A short stop at the Millbrook Edible Garden - a community garden on the floodplains of
Oratia Stream in Sunnyvale. This is on one of the Twin Streams Pathways.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch at Falls Park in Henderson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heading up the Opanuku Pathway, past the Mill Dam waterwheel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Opanuku Pathway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A stop at the eco storm water filtering pond on the Paremuka Stream at Ranui.
Last time we were here there were no electric wires on the railway line.
Maybe next time, there will be elecric trains as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frances and Bernie with Elvis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A brief stop to get a warning about the low gear hill coming up.

 

 

 

Attacking the low gear hill.  Some chose the 24" gear.

   

 

         

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost back at New Lynn.  We negotiate the narrow path with a sharp zig zag on the Tony Segedin Reserve  ........

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

......  followed by the wooden path across the mangrove swamp.

Photos : All from Ron, except for those taken by Jan and Jaap.

 

 

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