Bike Waiheke Island: The world’s second-best cure for jetlag
by Jules Older, Vermont Sports Magazine, May 12, 2007

She's giving you directions, and you don’t even know what she’s saying, do you?

When the bike rental agent on Waiheke Island says, “En fromthetpoinon, the roadwye is mittle,” you haven't a clue what she's talking about.

If you're going to experience the world’s second best jetlag cure, it’s important to understand her. Keep reading — you will.

The world’s first best jetlag cure is a relaxing after-flight soak in Iceland’s Blue Lagoon. The second best is a mountain bike ride around New Zealand’s Waiheke Island.

Here's how it works. Your plane lands in Auckland, probably at an ungodly early hour. Instead of:
a. hitting the sack, thus throwing off your biorhythms for the next two weeks, or
b. jumping onto the next flight or into the rental car, thus guaranteeing tiredness beyond comprehension,
get rid of your luggage, either in the airport or your hotel, and get yourself to Auckland’s Ferry Wharf. Give the lady NZ$26 for a round-trip ticket, and climb onboard. Thirty-five sparkling minutes later (minutes often spent in the company of frolicking dolphins or lurking hammerhead sharks) you'll disembark on Waiheke Island. Almost any time of year, it’s likely to be sunny and warm. And hilly. Hilly is good; hilly is part of the jetlag cure.

Just a two-minute walk from the dock, you'll find Waiheke Bike Hire where you'll hire (rent) a decent, well maintained mountain bike, get your directions (“En fromthetpoinon, the roadwye is mittle”), and be on your way.

Up hills, down hills, past tidy homes and riotous gardens, past blue-water views and ultra-green pastures, past the soft shades and unfamiliar shapes of the New Zealand bush. At a viewpoint, even if you're sleep-deprived, you'll notice the clarity of the air. In New Zealand objects appear closer than they do back home.

Then it’s more up, more down until you come to a perfect little beach.

There's nobody on it. A couple of kayakers are paddling offshore; three sharp-eyed terns are greedily following your moves. That’s it. A beach of your own. You decide to swim.

The swim. Part Two of the Waiheke Island Jetlag Cure. How’s the water? Clean and clear. Warmer than Vancouver, colder than Florida. No hammerhead sharks. Enjoy your swim, dry off on the sun-drenched beach. Remember sunscreen — clear air means quick burns.

From then on, it’s pedal and swim, beach walk and bush walk, admire the scenery, pedal some more, swim some more. You have 100 beaches to choose from. Your night on a plane is already fading from memory. And you're getting hungry.

Here's Option A, the Budget Plan. Bike down to Palm Beach (one palm, growing horizontally), buy a couple of Jen’s Pies (potato top, veggie or a nicely spiced Thai Chicken, each about three bucks) at the store, followed by a huge scoop of New Zealand ice cream and a cup of famous Kiwi coffee. Consume all of the above on the beach. Don’t let the terns put you off. After lunch, stroll the sand. Don’t swim for an hour. Mom may have been right.

Here’s Option B, the Haute Route. Point your bike toward one of the island’s more than 30 vineyards and combine a fine, fine meal with a glass of savvy or chardy. Dawdle over lunch. Try the merlot. Finish with a pav. Jetlag? Wazzat?

Then, back on your bike, careful to remember which side of the road the cars drive on (the wrong one) and back to the ferry. Is this the best first day in a new country, or what?

One more thing. If you're put off by the thought of all those hills, you can rent a power-assisted electric bike. No guarantees about the effect of that on jetlag, though. And should you find that you don’t want to leave Waiheke, spend the night and the next day rent a kayak or just start walking. (In New Zealand, it’s called “tramping.”)

OK, here’s what the bike agent was saying. “And from that point on, the roadway is metal.” Doesn't really help you, does it? Here it is in North American: “And from there, it’s a gravel road.”

SIDEBAR

Air New Zealand flies to Auckland, and if you spring for biz class, you'll probably get a seat that converts into a full-length bed — another advance in the fight against jetlag.

www.airnewzealand.com
FoMoInfo on Waiheke Island, logon www.4waiheke.co.nz
For Waiheke Bike Hire, www.4waiheke.co.nz/bikehire.htm
For the ferry schedule, www.fullers.co.nz

Jules Older’s latest adult book is Backroad and Offroad Biking. His latest for kids is PIG.

CALLOUT:
Hilly is good; hilly is part of the jetlag cure.