Day 2: Prince, Aroha and a Māori song · Freedom Seat New Zealand

My first rider of the day! My cute four-pawed friend Prince joined me for a ride this morning. Prince was adorable. A beautiful start to Day 2.

Naresh on the tandem with a small white dog in front of him — Prince.

Thanks for the kick-ass coffee and chat, Hannah! Enjoyed my time at the cafe meeting your crew.

Naresh and four women outside a bakery cafe, the tandem in front — Coffee with Hannah and her crew.

Kindness (bike) meets Aroha (bus)! Took a rest in Aroha’s shade to escape the scorching hot sun.

A bus painted with the word Aroha, the tandem parked beside it — Kindness meets Aroha.

Saw a big gathering by a school and decided to crash their party. Horace and his extended family were having a get-together.

“Did you lose your mate?” was their first response.

I introduced myself and the cause I’m riding Kindness for. Horace jumped on Kindness for a spin, and the family wanted to bless me with a Māori song. What happened next was heartwarming and brought tears to my eyes.

My first hongi. A hongi is the traditional Māori greeting, pressing nose and forehead together. In the hongi, the ha, the breath of life, is exchanged.

Naresh and a man pressing noses and foreheads in a hongi — My first hongi.