One of the highlights of our recent trip to Hamilton was making the drive to Cambridge (20 minutes away from my parent's place) to visit the new Gallagher Bike Skills Park.
It's located right next to the world class Avantidrome (recently officially opened by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) and the Te Awa Cycleway which will be a whole 70km of cycle paths along the Waikato River when all the various sections have been completed.
There's something for all ages and stages of bike-riding ability here - from a tar-sealed road circuit complete with traffic lights, stop and give way signs and roundabout. All designed to encourage road rules awareness from Mocka riding toddlers right up to mountain bike riders of Noah's age and older.
Right next to it is the more advanced off-road bike track with gravel paths and plenty of undulating hills and curves to test the skills of the riders. The recommended age on this track is 10 years old but in all honesty even Mylo could do a fair bit without assistance.
In the middle there's also a smaller wooden circuit to practice some tighter turns on too.
The morning we went (Saturday) it wasn't too busy as we imagined that most kids our age would be busy in scheduled sports games.
I love seeing how far Noah has come in his mountain bike riding of late. He's done enough off-road mountain biking at home on the hills behind our house with Mark now to be super confident in his ability to negotiate a track like this.
Mylo was also happy to give it a go albeit with Dad close enough behind to help control him on the big downhill slope and gently help him get up some of the hills with a guiding push when needed.
We also went into the Avantidrome to have a look at the track - it's a very impressive facility and Mark said he can imagine the world champs being held here at some point in the near future. The angles at each end are pretty mind blowing when you're looking straight down at them but unfortunately the camera can't really do justice to what the eye can see.
And this week marks halfway through Project 52, I've loved the focus it brings on what is happening in the boys' lives week to week, and with two birthdays and a little guy starting school later in the year I've no doubt the rest of the year will be equally fun and momentous to capture.
A portrait of my children once a week every week in 2014.
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