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My name is Paul Doherty. I grew up in New Zealand, studying surfing at high school and Civil Engineering at Auckland University. On completion of my degree in 1987 I travelled to the United Kingdom to broaden my experience and outlook on life. In New Zealand we call it our ‘Big O.E.’, or Overseas Experience. New Zealand is a tranquil, far-away and idyllic place to live – it is just that one has to travel to realize this! My interest in cycling was born in the UK. I bought a mountain-bike and used it to commute to work. I discovered wonderful tow-paths along the canals and rivers in Berkshire. My weekends were filled with memorable rides through the countryside, pub-lunches and warm pints! In fact I became so attached to my bicycle that I took it with me on a trip through Asia and back to New Zealand, including cycling in Nepal, India, Thailand and Malaysia!
We arrived back in New Zealand in 1996, and chose to live in Northland, primarily for its natural beauty, safe harbours and temperate climate. We explored the Northland back-roads on our bikes, and were enchanted. In all the travelling we had done we never dreamt such a beautiful and un-spoilt place still existed in the world. We felt at one with nature and hardly came across another car let alone any other cyclists! Our senses were awakened by a cacophony of sounds, smells and visual delights. We discovered a variety of excellent accommodation in the form of lodges/homestays and a superb array of fresh Pacific-rim food – we were amazed to find such high quality in such remoteness. The families running the lodges had moved to Northland much for the same reason we had! So, from these experiences and the desire to share them with others, the idea of starting a business offering independent cycling holidays was born. After much research, planning, cycling and of course fun we opened the Cycle Touring Company Ltd. We continue to develop our product primarily in response to the feedback we receive from clients. This year, for the first time, we are offering team-building packages for the Corporate Market. Also we are offering budget tours for backpackers who want to see Northland by bike with accommodation in hand-picked hostels. We look forward to hearing from you and hopefully sharing our little piece of paradise! We hope you will join us and discover Northland, New Zealand, by bike.
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