10,000 cyclists

On the 28th, Bryce took us to Whanganui Bay for some climbing. On the way out there we inadvertently participated in a bike race. We got stuck behind packs of bikers on our drive down. Bryce got a little impatient because they were taking up both lanes of the two lane highway. He got on the horn and piled through them. I was following in my rental. We were no more than a foot away from the cyclists. They waved at us as we buzzed through them.
We got to Whanganui Bay and went off road. Marc suggested the best 4 by vehicle is a rental. We got to the car park and started the approach. It was an easy 25 minutes in then up to the tree line to the Plateau.
Marc led the first climb - Bunnies in the Sky - and Kate and I topped it. It was a 17 or around a 5.9. We then topped Gunga Din - a 5.10 crack. I was feeling pretty good and decided to try to lead this route without knowing its rating. (RED FLAG!) Bryce comes running up and tells me that's the hardest 23 (somewhere between 5.11a-d) in the Plateau. I tried it anyways and fell, twice. The first time I fell I was at the second bolt and was trying to find a good foot. I can't remember exactly what I did, but I lost my balance and off I went.
I can count on one hand how many times I've lead climbed. I've fallen exactly zero times on lead climbs, meaning I don't know what to do when I fall. So when I did fall, I must have had my leg on the wrong side of the rope and it flipped me. Marc (the guy belaying me) told me my head was less than an inch from the ground and narrowly missed slamming into a rock.
I was a little shaken, but I didn't see the fall from his perspective, so back I went. I clipped in to the second bolt safely and was on my way to the third. I had a good right hand grip and fairly good feet. I reached for the quickdraw and suddenly the feet weren't so good. Another fall with me ending up upside down. Luckily only my hip crashed into the wall. I didn't finish the route.
Marc is a pilot and pilots have all kinds of sayings. He told me my number wasn't up yet.
The next day I successfully led four climbs at Frogatt Edge. The last being Terror Incognito, a classic 25 meter 18 (5.10?). I probably won't be able to post pictures until I get back Hands down (according to Bryce) one of the top ten sports routes on the North Island.