The South Auckland Sprint Programme is geared to empower three awesome, high-potential social enterprises to get ahead. Delivered by the Auckland Council in partnership with the Ākina Foundation, the intensive programme will give them a boost through providing theory, tools, business modelling and access to inspiring social entrepreneurs. South Auckland Sprint kicked off late March … Continue Reading →
Prize-Giving, Tour of NZ 2015 The weather gave us one last unpleasant surprise on the 2015 Tour of New Zealand: the Saturday morning race-off in Wellington between the riders from the Tours in the North and South island was cancelled Friday night because the forecast was so horrendous. Even wet roads, let alone high … Continue Reading →
Ending on a high There are many reasons for believing in God. The Manawatu Gorge is one, for the way the river has carved its way through the hills. Divine evidence for Team Ākina, though, was the heavy rain and big landslip that had closed the road. This little act of nature turned a very … Continue Reading →
Today was our longest and in many ways our most spectacular day on the Tour of New Zealand 2015 – from Chateau Tongariro to Whanganui, from the mountain to the sea. Scott Taylor, the Tour photographer, brilliantly captured our journey in the pictures accompanying today’s blog. He’s had a busy week, since he also … Continue Reading →
Oh, was it cold this morning in Te Kuiti! But it was sunny and enticing as we set off on Day Five of the Tour of New Zealand. We climbed south out of town to hill farming country for our 89km ride along back roads to Taumarunui. Riding at times along roads densely fringed … Continue Reading →
The poor weather at the end of yesterday’s stage turned horrendous overnight. We three Ākina riders were all in our own homes in Auckland but we slept badly, woken often by hosing rain, battering winds and thunder and lightning. It was still awful when we turned up at Tuakau this morning for the start … Continue Reading →
Sitting on your bike at 8am on a Monday morning in Dargaville seems like a super skive – particularly if any other morning you’re sitting in an Auckland traffic jam trying to get to work. Such are the little bonuses of riding in the Tour of New Zealand. Another is the start-line camaraderie. Here’s … Continue Reading →
This is a pretty relaxed Tour of New Zealand… so the start of each day’s racing is low-key, as you can see from this photo in the car park of the Copthorne Hotel at Omapere. Nick and Rod of Team Ākina are on the left, while Katie took the photo. It was even quieter today … Continue Reading →
Cape Reinga was particularly beautiful this morning – the sea deep blue, churned white where the Tasman meets the Pacific; the lighter blue sky relieved by some scudding grey and white clouds; and the early morning sun lighting the land deep green with a hint of early autumn bronze. Team Ākina! Riders strode eagerly … Continue Reading →
This week, our blog features former Chair Rod Oram, who begins a week-long adventure tomorrow, cycling the length of the North Island to raise money for Bikes in Schools, and hopefully has some adventures along the way! There’s a great buzz tonight at the Northerner Hotel in Kaitaia, as riders and support crews gathering here … Continue Reading →