27th To Bluff

Done, done like proper done, we rode into Bluff just before midday Kate and our nemesis the Kings there to welcome us. The Kings always 1 step ahead. 

After a fuel up in Invercargill the trail took us along the estuary, a gravel path nearly all the way to the end. In an effort to catch the kings I managed to remove my merino top and change the GoPro SD card all whilst under way we knew we wouldn’t have time to stop.

The day started a little overcast but it warmed and got better and better Bluff turning an absolute Blue Bell day as it welcomed its favourite sons. Aside from a couple of days with headwinds we couldn’t have had better weather on the whole trip, only needing a rain jacket for a couple of hours and to stop the wind biting  on cold mornings.

A couple of minor rises but pretty much 33kms of flat gravel Bluff was larger than I remember. We rode the final rise and rolled down to the infamous direction signs laying a fat skid just  in front, a homage to my “nearly” West Auckland roots. The signs showed 1400kms to Cape Reinga and 2000kms to Sydney we obviously took the long route.

We chatted to a few people and even recommended to someone to do it next year…. 

As I sit in the camper Kate driving us home I don’t really know what to think obviously stoked to have completed the trip, random memories popping into my head. Chris reminded me earlier, a thought in his head of two other riders who didn’t make it both suffering cardiac arrests en route, their families posting bitter sweet comments of how the were doing something they loved. But “what could go wrong” should never be a thought to not do something, “f$&@ it” “what could go right!!!”

Man we had it good. No punctures, no breakages, only 4 bolts needing tightening, great weather, good conversations with randoms, good swims, good food, days of grit and determination, toots and waves from strangers, messages of support from friends and family, friends riding with us and many other good times still coming to mind.

Thanks to Chris for joining me it’s a big commitment to sit on your arse, ride 3000kms and take 4 weeks away from the real world. I’m sure Alison will be happy to see you. We had good conversations and I tried hard to beat you up hills mostly unsuccessfully. So thanks mate!!!

It will be interesting to see how I feel about this trip over the next couple of days but I’m glad we managed to take today easy on our shortest ride and reflect on a mammoth adventure.

26th Mavora Lakes to Invercargil

So much for getting on the road early this was the coldest morning we’ve had, I was we were rolling just after 830 which was good for us. Our little robin friend had come back to visit us this morning bouncing around on our bikes and the table seeing what we had left for him.

I was wearing a snood and a warm hat the first on this trip as we rode through the shady beach trees along the access road. We warmed up and fortunately the sun was shining on the valley road so slowly we removed layers and pedalled along the gravel road slightly better maintained than what we were riding yesterday to Mavora lakes. 

A few vehicles came down the road no doubt heading to the lakes some kindly slowing, some showering us with stones and dust. The morning would be mostly gravel both roads and the random well formed “around the lakes track” to Mossburn no head wind yet…..

We refuelled in Mossburn with 90mm left in Invercargill and like clock work the headwind was turned back on, the run to Bluff has a minor downhill slant but the wind stronger than any downhill gains. This was now mainly just farm land we had left the towering hills in the stations behind us. We pedalled and pedalled stopping regular for something sweet and chamois cream of course. 

Into Winton for a last fuel stop and then back on the roads again, we quickly stopped at Wallacetown Chris picking us up some ciders for our last dinner en route. 8kms to go, sun setting, lights on so we could be seen another massive day our second longest at 155kms but the headwind making it feel like double.

We rocked into camp, Kate had a large pot of vege nachos ready for us, “fantastic” we downed the nachos the ciders and went to bed to battle the wind some more in our sleep.

25th Queenstown to Mavora Lakes

The end is nigh, I lay in my sleeping bag to write this it’s been a few days since I’ve been in the tent, sleeping in relative luxury in the campervan instead. Tonight might be the first night where I need the full insulation of this sleeping bag normally I struggle, changing from feet in to feet out which is difficult in a mummy shaped sleeping bag,there’s always a moment you fight with a zipper half asleep not wanting to exert more energy than needed and wake up whilst trying to maintain a comfortable temperature. I lay on a borrowed sleeping mat which has already travelled NZ by foot, I’m so impressed it basically deflates to flat but you inflate it with a bag as if you were playing the bag pipes and it becomes 50mm thick. I will return it to Ryan my bro and will be getting my own for future trips. My head lays on a small inflatable pillow another luxury I wouldn’t usually take, instead just laying my head on some clothes, however I don’t have many thick clothes on this trip and the state of them after a couple of days en route I’m glad to have a pillow.

We are about 400m up between the towering rocky hills where only the toughest plants manage to hold on and survive the flats are just tussock,  but there’s a few beach trees between our tents and the Mavora Lake next to us. The night was as clear as can be and the silence bewildering making me wonder if the silence is because of our elevation or because of the impact humans have had on the local wildlife. Occasionally though a Ruru calls way in the distance.

We got into this camp before dark it’s a couple of kms off our route, Chris started a fire in the pit, a luxury and setting the scene for what is most likely our last night in tents. Unbeknownst to Chris I’d snuck a couple of cheeky ciders into my pantry and we lay these on the lakes edge to cool a little. Dinner tonight was to be couscous, chickpeas and chilli beans a change from the meals we had become accustom too thanks to Kate, but you know what I’ve really enjoyed the simplicity of our dinners cooked in one pot couscous or rice with a random can of something and they’ve filled me up.

We took the day relatively easy catching the Earnslaw at 2 to ferry us across to Walter Peak Station, it was great just to slow this trip down as I suppose it’s supposed to be a holiday and we’d had some punishing rides down the West Coast. The sun was out and lake Whakatipu looked very inviting, Kate had come out for the boat ride and would return to Queenstown whilst we would undertake our last real climb of the trip. 

30km of Gravel roads lay ahead for us to climb from 300 to 750m the sun shone in this dry valley and a reasonable head wind blew at us making the 50km we needed to cover feel like 100km. 

We’d travelled on the boat with a few others including the Kings who had just given there all to get across from Wanaka this morning, what an effort… it was great to talk to the other travellers as we all cycled on each deciding how far would be enough for today. 

After putting the fire out we’d both turned in aiming for an early start and thinking of the experience and simplicity we have lived the last couple of weeks. It’s difficult to comprehend everything we have experienced and I’m sure it will unpack as we return to our normal lives. 

24th Hawea to Queenstown

For some silly reason riding the Crown Range between Wanaka and Queenstown was something I’d been looking forward too. This is the highest point on the ride at 1077m.

We left Hawea after coffee and breakfast at the food truck and followed the fast flowing river from Lake Hawea down to Alberttown. Bart was to join us to ride up to the Cardrona Pub and we picked him up along the way, we continued around Lake Wanaka and into town foolishly not stopping for a pie. The ride to Cardrona is 25kms but very quickly we were thrown a strong headwind, I did my best to tuck in behind Barts and let him shelter me, he would have a tail wind on the way home plus it was downhill. Shit it was tough I probably needed more fuel,we rode upwards and upwards our bike bags acting against us in the wind unfortunately it had taken much longer and Barts had to turn back round, but thanks for coming and setting us a good pace…

Chris and I enjoyed a good break, feed and coffee before we climbed the steep bit another afternoon of grinding away listening to the creaks and groans that need attention both on bike and body but there’s no time to stop onwards to the top.

We got there and could clearly see the distant target of Queenstown lined up with the airport landing strip. A quick refuel and  then down, down, down as quick as possible of course the winds hampering any record timings. We turned off down a gravel road towards Arrowrown missing the steep switchbacks which finish the Crown Range road in the main highway. 

The ride into Queenstown was all on gravel cycle ways pretty impressive there’s a lot of them but we were on a mission we needed to get out of the saddles and to Fergburger. So we powered our way in there and fortunately the burger was as good as I had hoped we finished them off with an ice cream, perfect finish and the end is definitely feeling closer now we are here!!! 

23rd Haast to Hawea

Today was a big day 45km ride in to the Haast Pass then a climb to 560m all within 10km. The road to the big climb was upwards but nothing to strenuous, I had hoped the pass would be lots of switch backs but I was wrong it is straight up with one bridge in it, with the sun beating down on us I “knocked the bastard off” I knew I was in the lowest gear from the start but kept checking just to make sure. Grinding away my dress shirt had liquified worse than a night on the dance floor, but I wasn’t going to stop until the top (well until the false finish at 460m). Stoked I got to the first peak without stopping, loaded up with some more food then a short coast before the final climb. As per usual Chris was ahead no doubt in a gear higher than me. With my butt stuck to the saddle I could hear creaks and groans from the saddle and chain as I slowly edged my way to the highest point. The climb had got into the trees so the temperature was better. We cranked it out finishing at the rock cairn making the highest point. F$@& yeah!!! 

We rode on stopping at the blue pools car park to refuel and get pummelled by sand flys this wasn’t the relaxing rest we wanted so mounting our steeds we rode on bagging kms before dark. 

We stopped on Lake Wanaka just before the climb over to Lake Hawea for a quick swim and feed fortunately the sand flys didn’t find us here. Then up and over the hills. The mountains in the distance are bare, barren and rocky and riding by you have more time to see random things like waterfalls squeezing through broken rocks and under the roads.

There was no easy run into Hawea from here it was up and down but I managed to set my highest speed 87.4Kms, yea boi!!! And nearly like a Tradition we finished just before dark riding into “The Camp” just before Hawea where Kate had cooked us mashed potatoes sausages and veges again just what we needed..

21st and 22nd Hokitika to Franz Josef To Haast

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We started this morning with Croissants for Kates Birthday breakfast (thank you Katie again) and rode into Hokitika for a coffee, this is potentially my most memorial coffee ever I was knackered the massive kms from the last few days and poor sleeps catching up on me the thought of being unable to do this and not ride to Bluff hasn’t crossed my mind but I was definitely feeling it. We rode on Kate joining us along this section of the West Coast Wilderness Trail until it was time for her to turn around, we carried on through to Ross had another quick feed and back on the roads we would now mostly be on roads to Queenstown.

Not much else happened but a long day and 133kms today we got a tailwind which was exciting at one point, we rode into Franz on dark in just enough time to have a quick spa and pizzas and into bed.

Back into the saddle on what will be our second longest day so far 148kms. Man alive!!! Here we come Haast.

These towns along the coast have been hard hit with lockdowns and many places appear shut a great time to be riding these roads as they are a lot quieter than they could be but many of the Cafes aren’t open. This is big country and long stretches with very little, the South Island has been a lot of gentle low riding then up and down a big hill and then more flats where as the North Island was always up and down. 

We rode up to the first viewing point to see Fox Glacier slowly moving further and further in the wrong direction, back up the mountain but we needed to get a photo for the challenge. We rode and rode seeing the sunset at Knights Point lookout and prepared here for our night run into Haast. It was dark as dark can be but the roads were very quiet I think only a milk tanker and a ute with a boat passed us here. We dodged dead possums in the middle of the road and rode into Hasst along the long long bridge but it was too dark to see what was on either side. Again we got to the camp ground and Kate had a nice hot dinner waiting for us, Chris and I both sat there kind of dazed as we refuelled for the next day. The Haast Pass….

Day 20 Ikamatua to Hokitika

 After a good feed, a couple of beers and our nights sleep in our maroon red workers cottage behind the pub at Ikamatua we were back into it, riding roads heading to Greymouth. 

We stopped at the Pike River Memorial - what a sobering stop.. I had ridden past mines, memorials, urupa’s and cemeteries from yesteryear but this was an event in my lifetime I knew some of the story, the youngest was 17 and many were around my age. The memorial sits next to a power station beside a river but it’s at the start of the road and looks towards the hills and the mine. 

I feel outside the West Coast coal has lost its power we don’t see or smell it that much but in the west coast valleys you do. You can smell it still lingering and burning, warming homes in the morning the distinct smell filling our nostrils as we rode through. 

Now I don’t have any connections to these miners, builders and geotechs still underground, but my age and the bits I saw on the media. A white cabinet full of the miners name tags was mounted to the shelter, this stuck with me, Normally they would remove their tag to show they were out of the mine their cards will never be removed and will only fade in the sun their shifts never to be completed…

We rode on contemplating the memorial and warming in the sun…

Blackball was to be out next stop, Chris was ready to declare that the hill was to steep and 1.5km to far to go to get breakfast but we rode in. We have both tried to spend our money at little towns and shops knowing that our $ are going to support local communities, every where has been hit with covid and the West Coast with the changing industries as mining and farming get more restrictive. So I suggest you get out near or far and visit some of these little towns and well used pubs as the feeds and hospitality have been awesome. Anyways back to Blackball we went into the Blackball Inn and Cafe, we received a big welcome as we stood a little dazed just taking in the entrance to the Inn it felt like we had entered into someone’s living room furnished from the 50s but with a bar. Chris ordered the muesli and me the pancakes. 

As Chris’s muesli approached the picnic table we sat at we assumed it was both our breakfasts Chris nearly fell off his chair when he realised that was just his, with a large bowl of home made muesli a bowl of fruit, bowl of yogurt and toast to come. Will this be Chris’s most memorable meal of the trip? My Pancakes were pretty good too we chatted to the Ladies filled our water bottles and with full bellies got back on the road this was going to be our longest day.

We rode to Greymouth quick stop at Countdown and on to the West Coast Wilderness trail I’d previously ridden this trail as a family over 4 days and we were going to get the 84kms to Hokitika done today. The trail is very well formed gravel MTB highway, our first stop was Kumara where I brought a pie ate it in 5 bites then went in and brought another before they closed, it’s hard getting enough fuel in on this trip you feel you’ve got to keep eating and most of the easy stuff is very sugary so a savoury feed is always good. We saw Kate here drinking a wine at the bar in the sun, but back on the saddle we couldn’t stop. Up into the hills we rode through gravel roads and MTB tracks a refreshing dip in the cool clear river more food and onwards.

Riding up through the highest  point and into the best trails either side of Cowboys Paradise. Yes there are rundown ranches in the middle of the West Coast Trail, it’s like the owner uses the trail as leverage for what ever is going on up there. The stories of this place are long talked about before and after by everyone and whilst I previously had a good nights stay there you’ve got to question whether you want to support the ideals of this place. It is in such a great spot though…

We raced through the twists and turns as we left Cowboy Paradise and onto the gravel road playing the Alphabet game to make the hills feel easier. We rode into Lake Kaniere for a quick photo and fuel up. The trail from here is tight following an old water race which takes water to a small power station we raced down these trails with the water race flowing along side, under us and even across bridges over other water ways as we sped next to it racing the darkness. We were buzzing through here as we descended to Hokitika pulling into the campground and Kate waiting with a hot dinner and cold ciders, another great day done!! Thank you Kate…

19th Big River Track

 Back in the saddle, these roads look familiar…… there was a bit of a climb from Lake Rotoroa and then mostly downhill along the road to Reefton to find a cafe.

Chris needed a break to recharge so was going to ride directly to Ikamatua I wanted to ride the Big River Hut trail through Waiuta and to Ikamatua. 

Was this trail to be as good as I hoped….

After a 10km gravel road in I found the trail with warnings to say it’s no longer maintained, starting to sound promising, I hit the trail it was rough with golf and tennis ball sized rocks sometimes bedded in sometimes loose, lots of uphill but fast downhill my smile couldn’t get any wider flying through beach trees, my ponamu necklace beating off my chest like a heartbeat, no time to think as I picked the quickest lines through the rocks trying not to blow a tyre in the process. The track to the Big River Hut was a 4wd drive track changing from rocky to mushy beech tree sections going up and downhill. A couple of kms out from the hut I could feel fatigue starting to appear the boulders I was previously missing I kept hitting I knew it would be time for food at the hut.

The Big River Hut was a typical DOC hut perched on a small ridge over looking the old mining relics but what a spot…

will this be the best track of the trip? 

After lifting my bike over the metal gates twice I was on the right track a tight single track more like a tramping track than anything else. I had some more up hill to slog out, up the washed out trail ditches trying to avoid my fork bags hitting the sides and stopping all momentum. The trail started quite open, going along a board walk through a long boggy section but it soon tightened up and ended up siding along the hills in and out with creeks running through the valleys and drop offs around the bluffs.  Good fun!!! The up hill slog rolled into a downhill with my bell telling me every time a hit a sharp bump.

At one point the trail joined into a washed out stream bed which I had to push up to continue, this trail would challenge many riders and For some it was a good choice to go around. The trail reached its highest point and started to flow to Waiuta. This was awesome it was starting to get darker in the forest and I was hoping the carrots I had in my lunch salad would help . O shit duck low branch. The trail dove in and out as it sidled the hills and every now and then the trees would open up and the light would come in, it wasn’t that dark yet. I had finally found the washed out sections and they were definitely washed out there was no going around, I lowered my bike down and jumped in after, dragging it through the muddy slip. Back on the bike racing down the hill the back tyre showing it’s age from the 2000km+ it had done slipping and sliding on the wet roots, trying to avoid the bank on one side and the drop off into the bush on the other, hopefully I can get out of here before dark.

I ended up in Waiuta with moments to spare a quick change into warm clothes and to put some lights on. 19kms to go to a beer, a shower and a bed. All top gear from here through the gravel road, the sealed road and on to the highway. What a run….