The story of Dunc's Big Bike Ride - writing, editing, deleting, writing some more

Nearly 1/4 of 2016 has passed and I haven't written anything for my website. I've had my eyes buried so deep in writing the book, that I've barely looked up to write anything else. That goes for emails to friends, too. Sorry.

If you're not aware, I moved temporarily to Britain at the end of January in order to better focus on the Dunc's Big Bike Ride book, while enjoying the company of my family and old friends. I'm not going to lie: it's been a tough adjustment to make. Firstly, the UK was cold at the end of January, so I had huge bodily alterations to go through. Then came the longing for all that natural beauty in New Zealand, and NZ has a lot of that! They say you can only measure love when you take something away. Well, hear this: I love Aotearoa.

In between writing, editing, re-writing, deleting and writing some more, I've been lucky enough to visit Windermere in the Lake District, the west coast of Scotland, including the Isle of Skye, Penrith, Malvern, Luxembourg, Trier in Germany, France and an IKEA of Belgium. Never stop exploring!

Now, the book, then. The book, I think, is going well. I learnt a lot from chapter one. A heck of a lot. In fact, it will probably need re-writing for the final publication. Chapter two is much better, which I know is wrong. In order to apply for publishers, I need three mint, ready-to-go chapters, a synopsis and pitch page about the book and who will potentially purchase it (you, I hope) and a bio explaining why I am the best person for the job of writing the story of my adventure. I may not be, but I hope that I am. If no publisher wishes to take me, then I'll go run a Kickstarter campaign to take orders for the book. Nothing wrong with that in 2016.

So far, the words of this book have been compiled in various parts of Auckland, a cafe in Melbourne, on a plane above India, in a Bangkok hotel, at my parents' house in London, Kinlochmoidart House, Acharacle Tea Rooms, Severndroog Castle, Woolwich Library, Greenwich Yacht Club, Holborn Cafe Nero and many others. I hope to add the London Eye, Madame Tussauds and the Blackwall Tunnel to the list before it's done.

Aside from writing, I'm posting a daily 'throwback to' my amazing adventure on my Instagram; a picture from every day, precisely a year behind (NZ time).

Being removed from New Zealand so cruelly has also given me a fresh perspective on potential future adventures I would like to tackle. I'm a long way from any of these right now, but do be assured the cogs have started to turn and this pony has more tricks.

Thanks for all your support last year and this. I hope your 2016 is turning out grand as they come.

Dx