New Zealand 2001                   

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January 24
I had a plane to catch at 6 and I took a wrong train to airport. Later I found out from the map that I had reached a different place. Hastily I took another train.

January 25
I had a visa to enter New Zealand on the 24th. It was already 12:15 when the plane landed. At the counter, they told me that I couldn’t go. I requested, showed them all the papers, and finally they let me. I didn’t know what would they say at the other side. The plane landed after hovering above the clouded sky over the sea for 2 hours and 45 minutes.

At the immigration, the officers became alert as soon as they saw a Nepali passport. It was already 25th. They asked me if I didn’t know that I had to enter by 24th. I told them that I had come on the 24th but didn’t realize that it would be 25th when I reach here. They discussed a lot among themselves, while I was put up in a corner. I introduced myself and they examined all my papers, interrogated a lot. After about half an hour, they let me enter.

In the baggage claim, another man came and asked for the passport. He saw the stamp and looked at the watch. He went through the passport over and over again. I had brought the cycle and had loaded my stuff. Seeing the cycle, the man was amazed and exclaimed that I was a cyclist. They even opened the tent to check at the customs. Like in Australia, you cannot bring in food here. They took a lot of time going through each and every page of every book I had.

It was windy outside. I took out my jacket. It would take 45 minutes to reach the city. A staff named Doug suggested me to stay there. He put my cycle in the store and took me to a bench to sleep.

Sanju had called me before I left Sydney. She had wished me a successful journey. Her wishes came true but I couldn’t even call and tell her that it did. However, I wrote a letter. Thank you, I would always need your wishes through my journey.

The cafeteria opened at 4. I couldn’t sleep well at night because of cold. There were few other people sleeping at other corners. I had a coffee, bought an egg for 10 dollars. In the change I got, I saw my dream hero Edmund Hillary in one of the notes. It was from his young days during the time when he conquered Everest. He must have grown old by now. I tried to imagine how he would look now. Cold wind was blowing. Willington is also known as the city of wind.

I went straight to the town hall. There was no one in the reception. A man came and asked, “May I help you?” I showed him my ID and told him that I wanted to meet the mayor. He took my card and told me to come at 2:30, and then he left. After a while a lady came in and I told her the same thing. Apparently, the man who had left earlier was the mayor himself.

Willington is also called a nuclear free city. I had no choice but to roam around till 2:30. When I went back to the mayor’s office, I got another appointment for the same time for tomorrow. Then I headed towards Kitts Park, where there was an exhibition going on - of statues made on the spot by the British artists. I met an artist by the name of Vincent. He took some pictures, bought a tea for me. I tried to contact Naresh ji through phone but failed. Narayani didi had emailed me his number and address. Narayani didi in turn was informed by Dr. Hom Murti Pant in Australia.

I gathered it would rain soon. So I put up my tent in the Central Park, fighting with the wind. It had started drizzling and there was constant wind. Just as I was about to go inside my tent, a police car pulled up. They told me that that was not a camping site and asked who had told me to camp there. I pleaded, but in vain. I pulled down my tent and repacked, and moved on pulling my cycle through the park.

On top of a hillock in the middle of a jungle, I parked my tent again, and made the lodging for the night.

I don’t expect much from my government. I just ask for two time meal for the period of my journey. I have a house of my own, wherever I go. My country’s government cannot fulfill the small request of mine. I am traveling around the world leaving behind my own domestic responsibilities, to make my country known all over the world. But then too, when my country cannot do a thing to help me in my venture, I sometimes feel that I should not be doing this. Don’t I have a dream to buy a pharia for my mother? Don’t I have a dream to provide higher education to by brothers and sisters? I too want to provide my family a sound and comfortable living. Putting aside all these moral responsibilities, I am in a journey to benefit my nation.

It was raining at night. At around 1, I heard some noise outside. Who could there be at this time of the night, in that rain? The sound came nearer. I was frightened to my bones. I wanted to ask, “Who’s there?” Now the sound came from just outside the tent. They (people or ghosts) started whispering among themselves. I tried to listen more carefully. I had a feeling that I could be attacked any moment. I took out my hammer from the bag. I could defend myself with that to some extent, I thought. But what if they are more than one or two? After sometime, the noise seemed to go away. I peeked outside the tent and saw two shadows disappearing behind a tree in some distance. I gathered that I shouldn’t be staying there for long. Hastily I packed by bags and loaded on the cycle. I again heard some noise coming near. Terrified, I went inside the tent again. The noise grew nearer, just outside my tent.

February 16 - Pushkar's Cycle Gets stolen
I got up at 11, had breakfast and went with Karki dai to Mt. Eden, which is the highest point in Auckland city. The mountain was created after a volcano eruption long time back in history. One can see the whole city from there. On the middle of the mountain, there was a 'direction table', constructed in 1928. On which is printed the distances of various important places around the globe. We took some pictures.

I took an hour's rest after lunch at 3, at 4:30 headed for a program by Nepalis in Henderson. No one had come when I reached there at 6:30. The programs started at 7:30, with religious sermons. The hare ram hare Krishna group sang religious songs and delivered sermons in English. At 9 pm, just as Kamal dai was giving my introduction to the mass, someone brought in the news from outside that my bicycle has been stolen. Everyone headed out. The cycle was not where I left it. Who could have lifted a cycle so heavy? We thought some one was playing a practical joke. So, we looked all around the house in case anyone had hid the cycle somewhere. It was nowhere. Everyone was shocked. I suddenly developed a headache. Everyone tried to comfort me. Immediately, the police were informed. The programme was stopped and 5 of us when to the police station to report the theft. I gave them the details of all items that were lost with the cycle. All I am left with is the set of cloths I am wearing. I always thought New Zealand to be a peaceful and prosperous country, today I am writing about theft in this country. What an irony. Let's see if the police here are able to catch the thief.

I went back to the program and narrated my stories of the journey. The cycle has been stolen, but the stories of the cycle still remains.

February 17
I couldn't sleep the whole night, my mind occupied with the cycle issue. I was thinking of ways to continue on my journey. Would my journey be stopped because of this? How am I now supposed to gather all the things I need for the journey? It started raining from the early morning, otherwise I could have gone to look for the cycle in the city in Robin's cycle. I lost my appetite for food. A lot of people called to express their sympathy. NZ-1 television station heard about the theft and came to cover the news. They interviewed me. At 5 in the evening, the police called to say the bike has been found. They brought in the bike within 30 minutes. They handed me a sack full of stuff, and said to come to the station later to report the missing items. I signed the receipt of the cycle and they left. The items inside the sack were all soaked in water. The cycle itself was in a bad condition - there was no mile metre, a bag was gone, all spare parts were gone too, my trousers and a number of new t-shirts, small idols of Buddha (numbering more than 150), pin khukuris (about 100), a swatch watch - all were gone. All that were left behind were a tooth brush, shaving kit, visiting cards and some old t-shirts. I found my cycle, but there was not much to console myself with.

The television station telecast the news of the theft at 6.

February 18 Pushkar meets Edmund Hillary
June Hillary had called me yesterday immediately after the news on NZ-1. She said to meet at 10:30. I reached Remuera from Hendersan in almost 2 hours. On my ways, I discovered that yesterday's news had had effect on the people. A lot of them stopped me on the way to enquire. One man actually suspected me of the theft, and asked me where I found the bike. I had to work very hard to convince him that I was the original owner of the bike, told him the whole story from the theft to the recovery. At the end, I showed him my passport and he finally believed me, said sorry, and even congratulated me for finding it so fast. Well, if I had really been the thief, he did play an ideal citizen's part.

NZ-1 television crew had reached the Hillary residence before me. They wanted to cover the recovery of the bike. The Hillary couple was waiting for me. My age old dream has been fulfilled today. I me Edmund Hillary, shook hands with him, hugged him. Before even beginning the conversation, he asked for forgiveness for the bike. I told him we may have more thieves in our country. I was my misfortune that a thief here got his eyes on my cycle. Hillary made a plea on air to help me. Hillary is respected more than the prime minister here. We chatted for about 2 hours after the television crew left. He was around 33 years old when he conquered Everest in 1953. Now he is 81, and in a good shape, but can't think of walking up to Everest. These days he takes a chopper there every year to pay his respect to the mountain. I too solute my dream hero and depart.

February 19
Kiran didi and I went around to collect donations. She went from door to door, showing my papers, giving my introduction; I followed her around with my bicycle. Most of the people here use cards, so do not have cash with them. Some of them said they saw the news on television. Some expressed their regret for not being able to contribute even if they wanted to. When we counted the money back home, there were 18$. That can at least feed me for a day. At 11, went to the Manav… city council, but could not meet the mayor. The council manager gave me a city council pin, a cap and a t-shirt. I also gave an interview for a local paper. From there, I went directly to Waitakere City Council. The council had arranged for a reception at 3, had lunch with mayor Bob Harvey. He gave a city council track suit, expressed their sadness to learn the news of the theft and wished me success for further journey. They also arranged for me to stay at Lincoln Green Hotel for tonight. I had expected for some financial assistance when they even announced on television that the Waitakere city is hosting a reception for a cycle traveler. They fail to understand that more than clothes to wear I desperately need to repair my cycle and get the cycle parts and accessories that got stolen. A hungry bird cannot survive with blessings. I am hungry. What use do I have of tight fists and pats on my back. I reach the hotel and my restlessness grows. Even the damaged bicycle inside the room seems to be staring at me with emptiness. Poor thing, it cannot talk. It sure would want its broken arms mended. But I am helpless, all I can do is caress it, love it. It has been my companion through out my journey, and now it's not in the condition to accompany me anymore. Right now. My disabled cycle! I love you.

Pushkar later received generous help from Edmund Hillary and his wife June Hillary, who helped to repair his cycle. A cyclist from Germany, Mark, contributed in buying the carrier bag and other accessories. Pushkar later writes in his diary that he did not "know how much does the repairing of my bicycle cost. That is beyond what I can afford. I cannot highlight more the contribution of Sir. Edmund Hillary in my journey ahead." Before receiving Hillary's help though Pushkar was on the verge of ending his journey in desperation. He even had to resolve to begging on the streets, just to get a meal for the day.

You can read more about Sir Edmund Hillary here