Having conquered the challenging Tour Aotearoa in 2023, Tauranga cyclist and accomplished author Vince Ford is eagerly looking forward to participating in the Great K Valley Cycle Adventure on Sunday, April 21.

Joining him for the popular annual scavenger hunt, map reading and puzzle solving by bike in Kopurererua Valley, will be his wife Andrea on her e-bike, and daughter Matija.

In 2023, Vince completed Tour Aotearoa from Cape Reinga to Bluff in 22 days.

“About 30 per cent is gravel road or beach, 30 per cent are cycle ways and 30 per cent are sealed roads that are mostly on the west coast of the South Island from Hokitiki through Haast to Queenstown,” says Vince.

He says on the first day of the ride which starts at Cape Reinga, his group of seven cyclists faced nasty head winds.

“We were averaging 13 km/h down Te-Oneroa-a-Tōhē /Ninety Mile Beach on the sand. It was a tough one, hard going. We were on the tail of Cyclone Gabrielle and had to take detours to get to the starting point.”

He says they saw a lot of the cyclone damage along the way.

“From Dargaville to Poutu Point there were massive swaths and shelterbelts, with a lot of machinery working on that.”

A hip replacement hasn’t slowed down his cycling adventures.

“I got into gravel cycling when they did the cycleway from Tauranga to Ōmokoroa.

“The cycle trail encouraged me to get a gravel bike rather than a mountain bike as I could get a good cycle in rather than putting a bike on the back of the car, plus it can be self-contained.”

At the end of the Covid lockdown, he took a couple of days away cycling from Ohakune along the Old Coach Rd to Whanganui.

“It was good for mental health, clears the head. You only had to think about where you’re going to sleep for the night. On the bike you just go that much slower so you get to take in the sights and smells.”

Vince Ford. Photo: John Borren.

He says cycle ways help people get out and about, and they connect communities.

“My wife Andrea has an e-bike, so she can keep up with me now. We can go for a bike ride together and both get a decent workout, and both of us are doing something together.”

Their daughter Matija, 17, also joins them on rides.

Vince, a speaker and trained teacher, has written 17 children’s and teen’s novels over the last 20 years. He won the Tom Fitzgibbon Award for an unpublished manuscript and then went on to win the junior fiction and best first book awards at the NZ Children’s Literature Awards, as well as children’s choice awards in the junior and teen categories.

Currently Vince is working on an adult nonfiction book about connection, and speaking about that to businesses, schools and friendship community groups such as Probus and U3A.

“With community groups I’m focusing on loneliness and connection, and for business and schools it’s culture and connection.”
Having frequently ridden through Kopurererua Valley, he’s interested in how cycle paths connect family and community, and is looking forward to Sunday’s adventure.

Run by the Rotary Club of Tauranga Sunrise, the Great K Valley Cycle Adventure, which began in 2018, is supported by sponsors like My Ride Tauranga, Ingham Mora and Pak N Save, with all profits going to local youth charities. And there’s great prizes up for grabs!

Teams made up of up to six people, of family, friends and workmates, follow clues along either a 10km or 25 km trail through the valley, join in team challenges to score more points and can come away with fabulous prizes. 

Teams can start at 10 minute intervals between 10am and 12 midday. On arrival and registration at the west end of 17th Avenue, you will be directed to the Starter for your safety briefing confirmation and your team start. Prize giving is at 2.30pm.

Vince Ford with wife Andrea and daughter Matija. Photo: John Borren.

Funds raised from the Great K Valley Cycle Adventure will be going to the Graeme Dingle Foundation, a charity established since 1995.

A leader in positive child and youth development Graeme Dingle Foundation currently works with over 27,000 five to eighteen year olds throughout New Zealand. Three of their programmes are run in the Bay of Plenty.

Kiwi Can, Stars and Project K and aim to equip young New Zealanders with a sense of self-worth and self-confidence, the ability to take responsibility and be accountable for their actions, and valuable life skills.

To register for the Great K Valley Cycle Adventure on April 21, 2024 go to https://www.eventspronto.co.nz/event7032