![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tracksmag.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Still-2025-05-01-121718_1.313.1-1024x576.jpg\")
\u201cI bought a $50 bike off Marketplace, did a few trial runs from Byron to Yamba and that was that,” she said. “I planned about a week ahead of time, which was realistic, because I was moving at such a slow pace. It was honestly freeing. Any pre-swell anxiety that one might get, was irrelevant. It was like, well, I\u2019m on my bike and I know I\u2019m going up the coast to so-and-so. I was literally able to go with the flow.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course, not every moment felt that romantic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was chased by wild dogs up in Northland. Big trucks passing me on small country roads were sketchy. And towards the end, decision fatigue was a thing \u2013 looking at the weather, deciding where to go, not getting a good sleep when camping, it all got a bit mentally exhausting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, somewhere between the long stretches of road, the missed swells and the unexpected ones, Johanna found something in the rhythm of it all. We asked her for five tips in case you ever feel the urge to trade the ordinary for a bike and point it at the horizon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Let go of expectations. <\/strong> 2. You\u2019re far more capable than you think. <\/strong> 3. Get a rear vision mirror for your bike. <\/strong> 4. Attitude is everything.<\/strong> 5. Rest.<\/strong> Struck by wanderlust, Johanna\u2019s already eyeing Japan and Ireland for the next chapter. No word yet on whether the $50 Marketplace bike will make another appearance – but it\u2019s a safe bet whatever she does next won\u2019t follow the conventional route.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Johanna Brebner shares hard-earned advice from cycling the length of New Zealand in search of waves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10082,"featured_media":126196,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5931,1,20,332,5547],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-126151","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editors-picks","category-general","category-news","category-slider-home","category-slider-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tracksmag.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Untitled_1.54.2-1024x576.jpg\")
Reality is that you\u2019re going to be moving slowly. 10 – 30kmph to be precise. That means you\u2019ve got a very small radius of coastline to work with when lining up forecasts. You\u2019re probably going to miss a lot of swells due to this. Shifting your mindset from hyper fixating on perfect waves, to enjoying whatever you find along the way makes the trip far more rewarding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll be surprised once you\u2019re out on the road and find rhythm in the journey, just how much ground you can cover by doing a little bit each day. Power of the pedal! <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tracksmag.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Johanna-Brebner-NZ-2-1024x576.jpg\")
Do yourself, and every other road user a favour and get this life saving piece of equipment! It makes a world of difference seeing what’s coming up behind you and being able to pull over safely – especially on roads with no shoulder and logging trucks coming through. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019re going to get rain, headwinds, and hills. Days with low energy. It\u2019s inevitable. Embrace it. The difference is in how you respond – look for the glimmers amidst it all (they\u2019re everywhere!!) <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tracksmag.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Still-2025-05-01-121718_1.469.1-1024x576.jpg\")
Take rest days. Decision fatigue is real when you\u2019re a few months in. Don’t underestimate the value of a hot shower and bed if you have to. Let your mind\/body and soul switch off for a second! Future you will be thankful for it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n