4Friends Cycle the Mainland for Brain Cancer

So, it's with equal doses of sadness and relief that we bring you the final post from the 4Friends - our Tour Summary, Reflections and a few Awards.

What an adventure we had!
4,700minutes riding over 15 days, 1,460kms ridden, and 13,500m elevation climbed.
We experienced huge wells of kindness and generosity and mateship.
We laughed, cried, fell off our bikes (well, some of us anyway), ate enough to feed a small nation, farted enough to power a continent, and wee'd our way around the South Island.

Every day of our Tour we were immersed in the grandeur that only Aotearoa and Te Wai Pounamu can offer.
We rode through astoundingly beautiful landscape in fabulous hot and dry summer weather.
We were energised by incredible southern hospitality, camaraderie of fellow cyclists, and courteous mainland motorists.

We have SO many people to thank.
- Firstly, to EVERYONE who has donated to our ride - we had donations ranging from $5 to $1,000 (wow!!) and we loved each and every one, thank you all so very much!
- To the generous hosts that opened their homes to us: Robin Blackmore & Marg Blackmore (and for also providing transportation for Rene to Pelorus), Judi Edridge and Mike Edridge, Ian Hay-Smith and Sarah Hay-Smith/Elvidge whanau, James & Karen Anderson - you guys were lifesavers!
- To the Rescue Teams that came to Tony's aid when he fell crook: Jen Rutherford & Alan Register, Kirsten Alloway & Dale Alloway, Katherleen Zivkovich-Rankin & Dean Rankin - you all deserve bravery medals!
- To Linda Page & Richard for feeding and watering us - we're sorry we cleaned out your fridge!
- To our many friends along the way that stopped for a beer, a chat, or simply beeped as they went past - it was so good to see you!
- And lastly, but certainly not least, a MASSIVE Thank You to our better halves - Anna Blackmore, Katrina Troughton, Jo Matheson, Angela Fox - for letting us out on our adventure. We know our initial request for a Leave Pass went down like a turd in the punchbowl, and we know what it takes to keep the home fires burning - so we are very appreciative of the sacrifices you made for us while we were away. We love you!

We also wanted to give a shout out for all the outstanding hoteliers and companies we encountered - in particular:
- Kate at The Wakefield Hotel - who fed us in super quick time when their kitchen was about to close (we must have looked hungry!)
- Phil at the Lazy Cow Murchison - who greeted us with a smile and free cold beers
- Mike&Pam at Foveaux Hotel Bluff - who were more concerned about our bikes safety than we were
- Yvonne at 295 on Tay Invercargill - who stored our bags and where nothing was a problem
- The manager at The Rainforest Motel in Fox, who initially had a face like a dropped pie when we told him we were cancelling our 2nd nights accommodation, but then after spotting our BTS NZ fundraiser T-shirts didn't charge us for it
- Tony at Reefton Distillery for staying later than normal and for the detailed and thorough distillery tour and tastings session
- To all the pie makers, filled roll fillers, custard square assemblers, coffee baristas of the mainland - we salute you!

However, this would not be a 4Friends Post with some Awards!
We've already announced the winners of the Tan Lines competitions, so here are a few others that we thought worthy of mention ...
- Quote of the Tour: "I like my coffee black, with a bit of milk" (Tony) [Runner-Up: "What makes one side the lunch dessert menu and the other side the dinner dessert menu?" (Ken) - when told that the duplicate-sided printed dessert menu was Lunch on one side and Dinner on the other (OK, he hadn't eaten much that day and was probably going through some sort of calorie deficit...)]
- Gadget of the Tour: Ken's rear traffic sensor gadget thingy - extremely handy especially when accompanied with Ken's real-time audio of "car back" [Runner-Up: Ken's digital tyre pressure gauge]
- H&S Near Miss of the Tour: Rene at the top of the Crown Range descent - locking up his brakes and almost tumbling over the safety barrier at 70kms+ (that will teach you for riding in my slipstream!)
- Crash Report: Rene's graceful and slow tumble on the Maungatapu Track (unfortunately no photo evidence available!)
- Cringe Moment of the Tour: Tony launching into a detailed description of his saddle sore issues with poor Edna (Tour of Aotearoa rider) - during our lunch break no less!
- Monster Meal of the Tour: Ken's record busting calorie dinner at the Wakefield Hotel consisting of Steak&Chips (with salad), with an extra Steak, Sausage and 2 Fried Eggs on the side. Outstanding (especially when he admitted he was still hungry afterwards - so he had crumble+ice cream for dessert too)
- Revelation of the Tour: Rene and Dave when discovering that splitting costs evenly at feeding times meant that they were subsidising Ken's excessive calorie intake, so we pretty much paid our own way after that. Ken was very understanding and consoled himself by eating another pie

To the 4Friends - we had a blast eh?
- Tony Jurlina: after you got sick and became bed ridden for days, you did amazingly well to re join us as soon as you did. Whether it was the magic healing properties of Kirst&Dale's crisp apples, plums and mandarins, or all the home-cooked/freshly caught delicacies courtesy of Jen&Reg, you were determined to get back, and after almost flying the length of the country, you did - and just in time for our Rest Day! That's commitment!
- Ken Yee: for someone with little/no previous cycling experience, and having never multi-day toured before - you are one tough m**o! I used to eat so much more than you (maybe with the exception of pies and Bluffies), but you consistently and unequivocally out-ate all of us, every time, all Tour long, AND still lost weight!! Outstanding!
- Rene van Lierop: with your track record since I've known you, I am still wondering why on earth we let you (self) appoint yourself as our H&S Officer!! But I must say I was totally impressed when you continually supressed your precise Dutch engineering tendencies to go with the flow and embrace the randomness and lack of common sense approach to our day-to-day activities - legend!

However, after all is said and done - this Tour was dedicated to everyone out there impacted by a brain tumour.
Every morning, when we lined up for our customary photo in our BTS NZ T-shirts, we were reminded of those loved ones that we have lost to this dreadful cancer, and we spared a thought for all of them.
For those that are currently going through the challenges of a brain tumour, we remain humbled by your stories of strength and courage, and we will be cheering you on as you fight your battle in the future. Kia Kaha.

To my older bro Chris Tse and the Brain Tumour Support NZ charity - we hope our efforts make at least a small difference to the God's work you do.

And to you all - we have loved bringing this Blog and sharing our photos with you, thank you for reading, commenting, liking and sharing.

Until our next journey - we leave you with a few photos of our trip and the 4Friends 3 pearls of wisdom ...
1. S**t weather on the West Coast/South Island is a lie
2. Eat a Pie - any Pie - whenever you get the chance
3. Tan lines will be the next Hot/Must Have fashion item - you heard it here first

Over and Out
David Tse, Ken Yee, René van Lierop, and Tony Jurlina - the 4Friends

Hi everyone, this is Chris Tse, I’m Dave’s older brother. I’m also chair of Brain Tumour Support NZ, the charity that Dave, Ken, Tony and René have been raising money for.
First, what an amazing effort from the guys to push their minds and bodies to the limit by riding 1,460 kms, including 13,500 meters climbing, in just 14 days!
Special mentions go to Ken, who I am told didn’t even own a bike 9 months ago let alone attempt a multi-day cycle tour, and Tony, who from all reports was pretty crook for a few days before putting his body back on the line by rejoining the tour for the final stages.
Everyone at Brain Tumour Support NZ has been captivated by the team’s daily updates and the spectacular photos they posted. It really was a wonderful effort from the whole team and we can’t thank them enough.
Second, thank you to everyone who has supported the guys by donating to their Givealittle campaign. From the moment the first dollar was donated, the guys knew there was no going back. On more than one occasion on tour, perhaps when the bodies were hurting up a climb or the eyes were transfixed on breathtaking scenery, there were moments of poignancy and reflection as they remembered the people lost to brain cancer – good mates, family members, or the loved ones of dear friends.
Finally, I wanted to say a little bit about where the money raised is going. Brain Tumour Support NZ runs support programmes and services for people affected by brain tumours. This year we will send out around 250 Brain Boxes – care and information packages – to newly diagnosed patients and carers around the motu, absolutely free. Our five online support groups meet each month over Zoom, our three Facebook groups collectively have around 600 members, and our Support Friend volunteers provide one-to-one support to people in need. We support people of all ages - currently the youngest is just 10 months old while the oldest is in their mid-90’s. Our work will not cease until people stop dying from this dreadful disease.
When Dave first sent me his schedule for the South Island tour my first impression was how tough it was. However last week I had to rethink my definition of the word ‘tough’ after meeting one of our brain tumour patients. 8-year old Juniqwa has a grade 3 medulloblastoma, a type of childhood brain cancer. Since being diagnosed last August, she has endured brain surgery, 30 rounds of radiotherapy and several rounds of chemotherapy at Starship Hospital. I met Juniqwa and her mum Julita (pictured) at a function at Government House in Wellington where the Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro presented her with a gold pin. As Juniqwa’s beautiful smile lit up the room, I couldn’t help but admire the sheer courage of this young girl and the way she handled her illness with such grace and dignity. Now that’s tough.
Dave is probably regretting letting me into his page to post this as it’s turned out way longer than I told him it would, but I wanted to sign off with once again thanking everyone for supporting our charity’s work. For those who are in a position to donate, the Givealittle page will be open for a few more days at bit.ly/4FriendsCycle

Whilst we reflect on our journey over the last few weeks to report back to you - we thought we would share another of Ken's lesser known talents.
In addition to his eating prowess, the 4Friends have been impressed with his panoramic photo creativity and capabilities during the Tour. Here we bring you some of his best.
Ken is in the midst of setting up a website where you can order limited edition digital copies or personally autographed framed copies delivered anywhere in the world. Refer to PleaseHelpKeepKenInPiesForever.com

Day 17 and Final day of our Southern Tour: Bluff to Invercargill 41km

After farewelling Jen & Reg (the Wakefield/Ruby Bay rescue team) and Tony (who needed to get a ride back to Invercargill to catch his plane to Auckland/Sydney), there was only one thing left to do before leaving Bluff - ride the famous and dreaded Bluff Hill Lookout! 15mins of huffing puffing, grinding, and lactic acid attracting pain, we were treated to a beautiful Bluff morning and magnificent 360deg views of Stewart Island and surrounds.
We continued on to Invercargill, and after seeing Rene off at the airport, Ken and I settled into Invercargill including a visit to the fabulous Bill Richardson Transport World.

Today was really the first day that the reality of the end of our Tour has hit us. Yes we reached our southern most point yesterday, but today we had to say goodbye to 2 of our 4 Friends. and tomorrow Ken and I part ways (Ken back to Sydney, and myself back to Auckland).

Thank you everyone for your lovely comments yesterday - we are very humbled by them. We are still reflecting on our journey and plan to share our thoughts and Tour summary (including some Awards!) with you soon...

Day 16 Southern Tour: Mossburn to Bluff 137km

Today was all about getting to Bluff - not to complete our ride but to get to the Bluffies as quick as possible! Just as well, as the scenery along the way was pretty average - other than some nice farming scenes. We had a much needed coffee/cafe stop after 69kms in Winton (a very quaint and picturesque little town), and as we were about to leave a car drove past honking enthusiastically - we thought that's more eager than the usual - sure enough it was our good friend Helen (who previously just missed seeing us on our Arrowtown to Queenstown leg) who was on her way back to Lumsden! After a quick catch-up and photo with Helen we stocked up at the local bakery and then made our way to Wallacetown. Whilst at Murphy's Takeaways - after Ken destroyed a Jimmy's Mince pie, and we lusted after all the frozen (mainly Blue Cod) seafood - we again went to set off, but then along cycled Edna - a wee lass that we met at the Cardrona Pub a few days earlier! Another catch-up, another photo - we then kicked onto our ultimate destination, Bluff.
We had a 'false start' group photo beside the boring Bluff (est. 1824) sign before coming across the real 'Welcome to Bluff' sign, before reaching Stirling Point and THE Bluff sign where we took 1,000 more photos!
However, the real prize for us lay 2kms away - you guessed it - Bluffies!! After a huge dinner, some drinks, Ken buying 4 dozen battered Bluffies that he forced us to eat, some more drinks - as I write this we are reflecting on our journey and the last 2 weeks, and are both too tired and emotional to share our thoughts with you - but we will... thank you to everyone who has donated to our cause, supported us in all different ways, followed our blog, commented or reacted to our posts - we are immensely grateful and honoured that you've been a part of our magnificent journey. Thank you!!

HANG ON / STOP PRESS - the Wakefield/Ruby Bay rescue team has just surprised us at the Foveaux Hotel! A fabulous end to a fabulous day - so please excuse us as we get back to our G&T and Bluffies...

Hey Team - WE MADE IT!!
Day 16 report to follow (were busy gorging ourselves on Bluffies) ...

Day 15 Southern Tour: Queenstown to Mossburn 105km

Another early (and chilly) start so we could get the water taxi across Lake Wakatipu to Walter Peak Homestead where we began our ride.
As the sun came up and we made our way across Mt Nicholas Station, up Von Hill, and to the Mavora Lakes - we were treated to scenery that all of us could only describe as absolutely sensational. No wonder it took us an hour to do the first 10km - as Ken commented "I need to take a photo every 100 metres!!"
After almost a whole day on gravel roads, we hit the smooth Around the Mountains Cycle Trail through beautiful farm land all the way to Mossburn, and the classic Mossburn Railway Hotel.

Whilst tomorrow we reach the southern most point of our journey - and the end of the 'official' South Island leg of the Tour of Aotearoa, AND (hopefully) a Bluffies pot (more likely pots) of gold - our actual itinerary ends up back in Invercargill on Sunday.
Either way, being so near to the end of our Tour, we are feeling both euphoric and sad over our jug of Monteith's tonight...

Day 14 Southern Tour: Arrowtown to Queenstown 35km

7.00am and we were woken to a (supposed) Anderson family tradition - an early morning dip in the Arrow River! James assured us that "you won't regret it", and whilst Ken and Rene were up for the challenge, we got a resounding 'Have-Sex-And-Travel' response from Tony.
Sure enough James was right! It was brisk, just short of brain freeze, but exhilirating as promised.
The following hot spa soak at 40degC, accompanied by espresso coffee and breakfast, gave us the best start to our day so far on tour!
After a walk through the main part of Arrowtown, visiting the old Chinese miners site, James then led us on the Queenstown Trail cycle out of town. Other than a quick detour to see the Edgar Bridge - an inspiring piece of engineering - we meandered along yet another magnificent cycle trail beside the Arrow and Kawarau Rivers, Frankton Track and finally into Queenstown. Before we did though, we enjoyed a couple of beers at Altitude Brewing where we sadly bode farewell to James - our fabulous host for the last couple of days!
Fergburgers beckoned us for dinner (along with half of Queenstown) and on our way to eat them along the lakefront we had a lovely surprise running into our friend (and generous supporter of the 4Friends) Joanna, and her friend Julie, who were in town on holiday.
Tomorrow we are up early to catch a boat to Walter Peak, and then a 103km ride to Mossburn on (sadly) our 3rd the last day of our Tour.

Day 13 Southern Tour: Wanaka to Arrowtown (via Crown Range) 55km

With our changed schedule to celebrate Tony's return to the 4Friends peloton, we had a short day ahead, so a leisurely start was in order.
Today's BTS NZ group photo was taken at where we felt a bit like adolescent tourists lining up for our photo - and after we conquered the first hill out of Wanaka, we thought we'd stop for coffee at the Cardrona/Treble Cone HQ cafe.
When we finally set off from coffee we had done more resting than cycling, so we attempted to make amends by setting off onto NZ's highest sealed road, the Cardrona Valley Road up to the Crown Range Summit. After a quick stop at the quirky "Bradrona" fence (!!!), and the obligatory lunch stop at the Cardrona Hotel (Ken saw the Blue Cod fish 'n chips and was immediately sold!) we pushed onto the summit - a challenging pinch up, but the descent made it all worthwhile!
We rolled into Arrowtown and the incredible hospitality of another mainland angel in the guise of our good friend James from Auckland (originally Invercargill), where his fabulous crib and a Southland feast awaited us - Jimmy's Mince pies, cold beer and licorice allsorts. Thanks James!
Pizzas and beers at the Fork&Tap Ale House for dinner probably added more calories than we expended today, but we were too hungry to care!

Another short day tomorrow to Queenstown (a monstrous 23km away!) and a special guest in James joining us and showing us the local sights.

Day 12 Southern Tour: Rest Day in Wanaka

After a luxurious sleep in and huge brunch, we got into cleaning our bike and gear. The sight of our H&S Officer with a bottle of Poison would be enough to scare anyone, and after he almost scrubs the metal off his chain, we head into town for a leisurely lunch and stroll around the lake. Ken, after being in a stupor since his record-breaking ride yesterday, came alive when he spotted the Kai Pai Award Winning Pie shop, and vowed to be back for breakfast when they open at 6am tomorrow.
After a quick beer catch-up with good friends Mike & Amanda, we were picked up by Tony's glamorous cousin Katherleen Zivkovich-Rankin (Zivvy) and whisked away to an incredible BBQ feed prepared by her and legendary husband Dean, including smoked Marlin, rare Venison back leg steaks and sausages, and delicious salads.

In the meantime, Tony had embarked on his own private Tour of Aotearoa (since he overstayed his welcome at Jen&Reg's in Ruby Bay), and today had flown from Nelson to Wellington to Auckland to Queenstown, and then dialed up a cuzzie-Uber (Go Katherleen!) to pick him up from Queenstown and delivered back to Wanaka, JUST to make the 4Friends whole again!
After a celebratory group hug, the presentation of his Lucky Reunion Rock, and a family photo, we retired for the night.

Tomorrow we move into our updated schedule - still riding over the Crown Range, but ending in Arrowtown, about 54kms away.

Day 11 Southern Tour: Haast to Wanaka (via Haast Pass) 156km

Our longest day of the Tour ahead, and an early start saw us knock off the first 50km to the Gates of Haast bridge by mid-morning. Along the way, we were treated to more possum roadkill, which prompted a conversation between Ken and Dave as to which body part a hawk would eat first (some analogy akin to their upbringing and family meals eating whole steamed fish around the dinner table).
The 9km climb to the summit of Haast Pass treated us to fabulous views of mountains and valleys, towering silver beech forests, waterfalls and grottos, and this did a good job of taking our minds off the searing pain going through our legs. Once we cleared the Pass, very quickly the scenery changed dramatically and we found ourselves cruising alongside first Lake Wanaka, and then Lake Hawea, and enjoying the incredible landscape colours, blue skies, white clouds, and clear waters.
After Rene promised "It's all downhill from here", we were subjected to what seemed like endless undulations all the way to Lake Hawea Township - at which point we were treated to the magnificent Hawea River Track, and just when we thought that couldn't get any better, we rode the Wanaka Outlet Track along the banks of the Clutha and around the edge of Lake Wanaka to our destination - wow!

A big day, but one where we again witnessed the incredible beauty that this part of our country has to offer - and we spared a thought for those that unfortunately are not around anymore to enjoy it with us.

Two worthy milestones were reached today - the Friends have clocked up over 1,000kms ridden on Tour, and Ken again smashed his PB for most kms ridden in a single day!

Tomorrow is a much needed rest day in Wanaka where we hope to enjoy a sleep in, catching up with friends, and perhaps a long lunch - before Tony arrives in Wanaka and rejoins us!

Day 10 Southern Tour: Fox to Haast 122km

Into double figures for riding days completed, and the weather gods continue to bless us!
Our ride between Fox and Lake Paringa should be named Dead Possum Highway, it made us wonder how many of the little blighters live in the forest if that many get run over on the road.
Bruce Bay was a beautiful fine white sandy beach that we just didn't expect on the West Coast, and the Coffee Cart there had great coffee, but the Salmon Farm should win the award for most boring menu - not helped by the fact that a tourist bus cleaned them out of Salmon Chowder which we craved for!
Ship Creek was an interesting tourist site, if nothing else for it's name and magnificent viewing tower, but the highlight of the day was the last stretch into Haast as we road past kms of Kahikatea swamp forests and grandad wetlands - just beautiful.

Tomorrow we tackle our longest day on tour - 152kms over the Haast Pass to Wanaka, where a rest day awaits us (thanks to Rambo&Sambo for the generous use of their crib) and the [BREAKING NEWS!!] reuniting of the 4Friends as Tony rejoins the Tour!!