TINK
TRAVEL TO THE START
I was initially denied entry to New Zealand NZ when transiting at Sydney. Although I have a new NZ visa with my current passport, it turns out their immigration system still referenced my previous passport number. Slight panic finding that out and sorting!
Having built the bike and loaded the panniers ahead of a 25 km ride to a mate’s place in Auckland, I quickly learnt that this setup was not going to be feasible. NZ is very lumpy, and this setup was good for wheelies and not much else. Initially I had wanted to keep al weight off the forks / steering but also learnt I wouldn't be going fast enough for that to become a problem. Luckily, I was armed with some fork bags just in case. A trip to the local bike shop sorted me out with a decent handlebar bag and some other essentials. A big shout-out to Matt at EVO Cycles in Mount Albert, Auckland!
The trip for me can’t properly start until I get to Cape Reinga and start riding south, so yesterday 05Nov) was effectively day one, despite it taking a few days to get there! I took a tiny domestic flight from Auckland to Kaitaia- luckily my bike was the only passenger baggage not removed as the plane was overweight. Al 9 other passengers had their luggage removed to go on the next day's flight. Fortunately, they can't have been too annoyed with me as one couple on the flight offered space on their front lawn (in Ahipara, bottom of Ninety Mile Beach) to pitch my tent a couple of days later when I'd be going past.
I took the road route up to Cape Reinga to save Ninety Mile Beach (also an official highway) for the ride south. I met Swedish Martin- also riding top to bottom, but over 3 months. He had a fishing rod and hiking boots strapped to the bike and far too many panniers for me to think he's going to enjoy these hills!
The road got lumpier and when I found the last shop on the road was shut (it's not yet summer season) I did worry as I knew the campsite was basic (boil the water before using, cold showers and nothing else). I was pretty cooked in the heat but incredibly German Johann drove past and must have seen the state I was in, as I was suffering from cramping in both legs! He pulled over just round the corner and offered water and cookies. He'd just arrived, bought a car, a sleeping bag, and a stove, and will be driving around NZ for the next 5 months. I met him again at the Cape Reinga Lighthouse and the Tapotupotu Bay campground.
Day 01: Tapotupotu Bay > Ahipara. 109km, 702m.
A 3:45AM alarm and a tough gravel climb out of the bay back onto the road isn't how I'm planning to start every day, but low tide was due at 500 AM and I don't know how much of the beach would be rideable at high tide by 1120. AM.
Repeating the very lumpy stretch of road from yesterday in reverse, I then had to navigate Te Paki Stream Road, which is genuinely a free-flowing stream running along the edge of the Te Paki Giant Sand Dunes. At the end of the stream, I turned left on to Ninety Mile Beach and headed south!
The beach was hard work. The sand is firm close to the water but is hugely energy sapping. After about 30 km of heading south on the beach, a car went past heading north- the first person I'd seen since setting off 3 hours earlier. The last 40 km of the beach, I turned into a headwind which stung with the sand and ki led any form of average pace that wasn't much more than a walk! I also found out that the potential coffee / ice cream shacks near the beach (at campgrounds) were still shut, waiting for the summer season. I was out of water and even checked out a summer house (in the dunes) outdoor tap for water. Nothing.
I was so glad to get to the end of the beach and relieved it was Apihara, where I could pitch my tent on the lawn. I didn't care that this was about 30 km short of my original target for the day. The beach ki led me! I bought 2 lolies, 2 L&P's NZ's famous fizzy drink), water, and snacks and sat on the curb for 20 minutes before I could ride the last 1.5km to Jeff and Flo's house. While waiting for them to get home, I used the outdoor shower to try and get the worst of the sand out of everywhere. They then upgraded me to the spare room and put some homegrown steaks on the barbie! More amazing Kiwi generosity.
Day 02: Ahipara > Waimate North. 101km, 1629m.
Having finished short of where I'd originally intended and worried about how much yesterday's slow ride was beach or pannier related, I had to re-route today's plan to something more direct. I used more of the Twin Coast Cycle Trail, rather than the deep forest tracks, and made my way due east from Ahipara to Waimate North and a small Airbnb shack in the owner's garden! Fresh eggs from the chickens outside and an opportunity to charge everything, shower, hang out the tent to dry, and scrub some of the beach off the bike are al on the to-do list before an early night.
Day 03: Waimate North > Matapouri. 117km, 2002m.
Attacked by magpies divebombing me within the first 4km of riding this morning, I was questioning how my luck may go today but this worry was short-lived as I soon found gravel heaven. Heading due east from Waimate North to the ferry crossing at Opua - I climbed and descended through the Opua Forest which was magical. I was imagining there could have been a flock of the extinct giant Moa birds around each corner as the camber flipped through each bend. This was dreamy gravel! I rode straight on to the car ferry for the Opua - Okiato (NZ's first capital), paid my NZ$2.00 and 10 minutes later was climbing away from the water again. A couple more sections of incredible gravel through the Ngaiotonga reserve and Whanagaruru departments eventually led me down to the East coast at Helena Bay, fortunately after the gravel road had been closed that morning for competitor reconnaissance drives ahead of racing a couple of days later in the International Rally of Whangarei event. It seems the road was gravel heaven for rally cars and gravel bikes alike!
Arriving at the longest footbridge in the Southern Hemisphere at Whananaki, I restocked on water and a couple of lollies and then found the bridge was also about as wide as my pannier setup and getting wedged at a couple of points on the crossing! The route then picked up some of the Te Araroa hiking trail and dropped in and out of secluded coves, stunning hillsides and forest plantations until I arrived in Matapouri for fish and chips and a rest for the night.
Day 04: Matapouri > Wellsford. 141km, 2141m.
Aiming for a reasonably early start due to today's distance and elevation, I headed off knowing I'd seen a cafe in the next town down the coast on Googlemaps to fuel up at. On the road climb between Matapouri and Tutukaka, a local cyclist caught me and recommended another cafe for the best brekkie around. He wasn't wrong and whilst we chatted found I was riding some of the South Island gravel routes he is planning with his gang - some of whom joined us at the cafe. This wasn't the early progress I'd planned but a useful discussion checking over the route for the day ahead and excellent gravel roads down to Whangerai. This would be the biggest town so far and having gone from isolation on the trails to downtown, was a little worried but found an excellent cycleway all the way through town. Unfortunately, it delivered me on to State Highway 1 on the south side of town. Bracing myself for a few km along the hard shoulder as logging trucks flew past, I was glad to get back on the rural gravel roads again, here meeting Tito, a French cyclist on his way north by bike to start the ride south. I was glad I'd flown to Kaitaia to get myself most of the way to Cape Reinga from Auckland.
Heading back to the coast via Waipu (and a pie for lunch), the road climbed in and out of coves and pretty seaside villages with white sand beaches and beautiful blue seas. I'd really struggled to find any campsites that were either open (it's not yet summer season) or would allow tents (many camping areas require you to have a self-contained vehicle) in an area anywhere near where I needed to be to make Auckland the next day and my mate Marty's surprise 50th birthday party. I was back on Airbnb and must have looked a weary traveler when arriving as Juan and his family cooked me a Red Snapper, they'd caught that morning ahead of a good night’s sleep.
Day 05: Wellsford > Auckland. 115km, 2231m.
Back on gravel roads (and past ancient Jaguar ruins) lulled me into a false sense of security as this soon went straight uphill on Wilson's Road and became tough to stay on the bike without the rear wheel spinning. Back in the forest tracks on top of this ridge I had my first puncture - the tyre tread sliced by the gravel but quickly plugged and re-inflated. Ultimately these tracks turned more to mountain bike trails running through an incredible native forest environment. Questioning my route with this setup, I met Russell, mountain biking in the opposite direction looking surprised to see a bikepacking rig but assured me it wasn't much further through the trails to be back on the gravel roads and an amazing descent.
I then crisscrossed rural gravel roads with another mountain bike park before getting into the cycleway network of Auckland. The final 20km of the day was all cycle lanes - a stress-free re-introduction to civilization and just in time for Marty's birthday party.
My cycling buddy Lou had been in touch with her sister Sian and family who live in Auckland and had the generous offer of a spare bed for the night. Incredibly whilst on the way to theirs, my front hub exploded, pinging spokes and leaving the bike un-rideable. I'm now on an enforced rest day initially trying to get the wheel rebuilt with a new hub before ultimately settling for a new wheel as the option having the least impact on the schedule to get down to Bluff. A couple of shops and phone calls later and there's more examples of how helpful and generous everyone has been so far.
Ben from Performance Bicycle Tuning was a legend in figuring out if we could repair my front hub / wheel without having a big impact on the schedule before recommending and sourcing potentially the last suitable alternative wheel in Auckland and getting it set up and fitted in rapid time; hopefully not at the expense of delaying his customers getting ready for the Shimano Around Lake Taupo race. Ben has been a top guy who has checked in on the adventure since and an extra thanks to Sian and her family for putting up with me for an extra couple of days and then following the progress daily since!
Day 06: Auckland > Te Kauwhata: 107km, 1322m.
A lunchtime start after getting the replacement front wheel meant I needed to ride a shorter day than originally planned before running out of daylight hours. I'd removed some kit from the bike which I hadn't used in the first week to reduce weight and Sian kindly organised sending this on to another mate in Christchurch - hopefully, it's stuff I don't need along the way! A rapid exit along Auckland's cycleway network soon led to running parallel with State Highway (SH) 1 and a ridiculous mid-ride hill to climb. Just as the rain started. Enjoying the descent into Pokeno and a short distance left lulled me into a false sense of security; at Pokeno, Komoot seemed intent on taking me on to SH1 which was still within commuter range to Auckland meant it was still far too busy for me to want to ride on the shoulder with trucks whizzing past. I plotted a re-route which added 27km to the overall distance for the day (simply because of a limited number of bridges to cross the Waikato River to where I needed to be). Still, it did result in a stunning river crossing, gravel climb, and a pleasant meander following the river. The pressure was on to reach Te Kauwhata before the store closed for a feed that evening, arriving on a farm / yoga retreat destination for that night's accommodation just as the sun set so I was glad the last segment was flat and fast!
Day 07: Te Kauwhata - Cambridge: 97km, 866m.
What a ride! A relatively flat day but this was because the route was almost entirely cycleways along the Te Awa River Ride passing through Hamilton and Cambridge. Sections of the trail are raised boardwalks making it fast and fun and there's a lot of work gone into making this cycleway a breeze to follow and to be able to travel quickly along it. I stopped en route in the Hamilton Botanical Gardens - a place I remember visiting as a young teenager - for a decent lunch before the customary pineapple Frujo lolly and L&P afternoon stop. I finished today early enough to give the bike a wash and check-over.
Day 08: Cambridge > Lake Whakamaru Reserve: 107km, 1893m.
The day started back on the Te Awa River Ride continuing on from yesterday - nice and smooth. I then picked up the NZ Cycle Trail network using country back lanes; I'm not sure I saw more than a couple of cars. This rolled through the 'Shire' and I was genuinely looking out for Hobbits. Things were dialed up to 11 for the afternoon with starting the Waikato River Trails. This coincided with the rain starting (for ~36 solid hours) but could not stop my grin along the mostly MTB technical trails switching back and forth up and down the steep gorge sides. With the incessant rain, I was not sure I'd find somewhere suitable to cook my Radix dehydrated camping food so stopped in at the last shop; pineapple Frujo lolly and 2 pieces of fried chicken... Not many more options! I camped on the banks of Lake Whakamaru but made it an early night to get out of the rain.
Day 09: Lake Whakamaru > Taupo: 59km, 913m.
It rained all night! I did not get a whole lot of sleep but after packing my wet kit down, I did find a shelter to cook a Radix dehydrated berry breakfast - which actually tasted really good. The first 20km or so of today was continuing the Waikato River Trails in much the same style as yesterday afternoon—so much fun. My finish point for today was Taupo but with the rain falling harder and me being soaked through, I just wanted to get there. I had a few minutes of respite in a bus shelter before getting too cold and needing to continue. It may have been a blessing in disguise but the gates to the forest tracks I needed to access were locked and were going through the land for the thermal-powered power station, so I reconsidered and jumped on the road just to power into Taupo.
A big shout out to Vicks and Steve who had given me a hotel voucher for my birthday. I thought no better time to use that than in this cold and wet state and on the eve of my birthday and found a motel that would accept it. After hosing the bike down with the fire hose, and hanging everything out in the room in front of borrowed heaters and fans, I ran to the pub for dinner!
Day 10: Taupo > Tarawera Cafe: 96km, 1429m.
I'd sorted out a new rear tyre on my birthday and had a rest day - thankfully the rain had stopped and I could be a tourist for the day in Taupo. It has changed a little bit since I last visited 28 years ago! Today's ride started on the cycleways out of Taupo but quickly hit the gravel logging truck roads. All the signs were discouraging any riding of bikes on these roads but the terrain looked so good and the only alternative was SH2! I googled about riding these logging roads and many published routes used them so I went for it. I think I'm glad it was Sunday as my experiences with logging trucks so far would suggest I'd have been squashed on these tracks, but today, for 80km, I saw no one! The perfect gravel tracks through extensive forest terrain were all mine!
I was aiming for Tarawera Cafe which sits at the halfway point on SH2 between Taupo and Napier which was about the only place in a rideable distance. I had googled and checked that it appeared to be OK to camp on a lawn next to the cafe as long as you purchased something in the cafe. It appeared the cafe was closed on Sundays but I'd look forward to breakfast there in the morning (as the next day was going to be big). Riding my way out of the logging tracks left just a few KM on SH2 but on a steep uphill section. Tarawera Cafe was just on the other side of this rise but it was obvious on arrival it was closed for longer than just Sundays and it would not be open for breakfast tomorrow. I knew where the other camping options were from my route planning and the next stop was another 25-30KM down SH2. There was not enough light left for that and my legs weren't up for it either. Oddly, a little white dog appeared in the carpark at that moment making me look around. Down a short track was a house and after knocking on the door to see if the dog was theirs, I asked if it was OK to still camp on the lawn. Absolutely it was - and I positioned myself behind a giant tree stump to avoid being seen from SH2. Unfortunately, every time a truck drove past, the ground shook, or cars stopped by to use one of the only public toilets between Taupo and Napier! It was not a great night's sleep! Radix dehydrated camping food for dinner and breakfast.
Day 11: Tarawera Cafe > Napier: 73km, 1217m.
The less said about today the better! Today was planned at about 125km and 2400m of elevation gain - mostly on gravel, but after a short sprint down SH2. There was barely any shoulder on this section and I was being pummelled by the drafts of passing logging trucks.
Taking my gravel road turning didn't inspire confidence - it looked too overgrown, especially at the junction. What would it be like 40 km further down the track? Another opportune moment for some assistance and a car pulled over on the other side of the road. The driver rummaged around in the boot, then in the passenger side, before crossing SH2 with a hi-vis, a banana, and an oat cake. I had my Garmin radar rear light on as usual but he said I should have the hi-vis too for SH2. I explained my plan along this gravel track to Lake Tutira and he said the road was impassable and why would I want to go to that campsite anyway... I knew the Department of Conservation camping grounds in the area were still closed after a cyclone ~18 months ago, but was not expecting the road would still be washed out. At this moment I felt somewhat stuck - my gravel road was not an option and I was halfway down SH2. The good Samaritan told me the best option was to stay on SH2 directly to Napier. Not a ride I really wanted to be doing but so be it. He said after "The Big Bastard", it was mostly downhill to the coast. I think there must have been 3 "Big Bastards", the last one with a long section of roadworks left me standing on the side behind a red light with an ever-growing line of logging trucks queuing up behind. With the weight of my kit in the panniers, I wasn't much slower than these trucks on the steep sections. Once over the top of "The Big Bastard", it was tricky to get a run of downhill road to enjoy. I lost count of the number of stretches of roadworks, reducing the road to one-way traffic at a time, and the amount of time standing behind red lights again.
Thankfully the last few KM of today into Napier was on a cycleway at the top of the beach. I needed that after the best part of 70 km on SH2.
Day 12: Napier > Hastings: 31km, 110m.
My legs felt like they had sprinted a heavy bike down SH2 yesterday. Heavy and slow. Thankfully, today was a day where I was aiming for Hastings, now not far after my re-route to Napier yesterday, to see an old mate, Nic, who moved out here with her Kiwi husband and kids a couple of years ago. Direct, the route was 25km, 24 of which were on cycleways. Heaven. I added in 3 cafe stops and pottered along. Turning up with a load of washing probably isn't cool, but the washing machine was drowned out by entertaining the kids and chatting over local Brave Brewing Co Tigermilk IPA and homemade pizza. Nic and family threw a surprise birthday evening including a candle in the biggest strawberry I'd ever seen. A world away from SH2!!
Day 13: Hastings > Waipukurau: 64km, 657m.
Today was the first time I had company along the route - Nic joined for about the first 30km, along Middle Road out of Hastings. Just after this was when the rain started again but seeing better skies in the distance, and having a pretty short day's ride I waited it out, mostly, under a tree. After this, I picked up a combination of the NZ Cycle Trail network and the Central Hawkes Bay cycleway into Waipukurau. The logging trucks have turned to livestock trucks here - often with a dog sticking its head out of a compartment under the trailer barking at me as they go past.
Day 14: Waipukurau > Woodville: 102km, 1566m.
Starting along the quiet back roads on the NZ Cycle Trail was great and I had a decent average speed going for the first 1.5hours. Then I hit a stretch of fresh aggregate-y gravel which was thick, bike-tyre=grabbing-soup. Expecting this must just be a section that had washed out in the last cyclone, I thought around each corner this must become hard-packed soon, or at least with vehicle tyre tracks worn in. It wasn't to be. This thick soup lasted 25km and was properly energy-sapping. The views were incredible, but looking at this too much would result in the wheels getting sucked in further and a potential fall. Coupled with some incredible winds picking up, which on 2 occasions turned me around on the road, I was looking forward to lunch. Unfortunately, I stopped at the first place I saw in the only town of the day under some golden arches. Despite being hungry, this just didn't feel good for the afternoon! Surprisingly, it wasn't just the winds to endure for the afternoon - all 4 seasons came out. The hail stones were painful, the rain was heavy, the winds were relentless and then just as I rolled into Woodville, the thunder started!
Day 15: Woodville > Greytown: 125km, 870m.
Maybe a long day on paper, but overall, a flat day by Kiwi standards, and the weather was significantly better than yesterday! Most of this distance was gravel and a lot of it was also the NZ Cycle Trail network and The Scandinavian Trail - taking in places like the Norwegian Church and the Mauriceville District site map consisting entirely of Scandinavian names with the early settlers from Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Some great segments of gravel, but continuous 90-degree changes of direction around field boundaries (to avoid just riding down SH2) meant a constant switch of headwinds and crosswinds! Finished the day with a decent pub dinner in Greytown.
Day 16: Greytown > Lower Hutt: 81km, 850m.
A day consisting almost entirely of cycleways, I was mostly looking forward to this - just with a little concern on the profile - going straight up into the clouds to cross the mountain ridge into the Hutt Valley. The profile was not so bad in reality and despite puncturing on what was definitely an MTB route, I then picked up the Remutaka Cycleway using the line of an old, pioneering train line that was built to connect the agricultural lands with Wellington. This route was spectacular, even in the mizzle, with a few tunnels to blindly ride through, the wire bridge at Siberia Corner, and eventually up to the old settlement, Summit. The descent was glorious - in the sun, smooth and fast, just with runners from a 100km race to avoid. Picking up the Hutt River Trails, the gradient flattened out, before an almighty steep climb up to stay with some old family friends on a hilltop in Lower Hutt.
Day 17: Lower Hutt > Wellington: 23km, 85m.
Well rested, fed, watered, and with clothes that smelt fresh again, today was going to be an easy roll down to the InterIslander ferry and completion of the North Island. Another day almost entirely along cycleways after a warp-speed descent down the hill from Charles and Isobel's.
Incredibly on my approach to Wellington, I caught up with a rider on the cycleway - something telling me this was Swedish Martin who I'd met on the road several weeks ago as I headed north to start my ride south from Cape Reinga. I cruised alongside; said "Martin?", he said "Tink!". What a way to bookend the North Island. Martin was riding with a lot of kit, including a fishing rod and hiking boots so had done an incredible job to get here in this time. He sat on my wheel for ~10km and appreciated the tow into Wellington.
North Island completed.
Day 18: Picton > Blenheim: 35km, 236m.
A hot start to the South Island and a gentle roll through Picton back to the harbourfront to find somewhere for breakfast and I must have hit it just at the same time as a cruise. Having queued around the cafe, a Birmingham couple celebrating a 60th birthday asked to join me at the table I was tucking into my brekkie as there was nowhere else to perch! We went on to share NZ and Australia's go-to destinations and tips and wished happy 40th and 60th birthdays!
Climbing out of Picton I found the start of the Whale Trail cycleway to be closed. The only other option in the direction of Blenheim was SH1. Fortunately, I must have been on it between inbound ferries so it was quiet and the scenery a welcome intro back onto South Island soil. The Whale Trail crisscrossed with SH1 and some sections were open while others were closed for maintenance work (I believe there was quite a bit of damage in a previous cyclone). Where I could use the trail it was great and I'm sure I had luck with busy stretches full of fresh ferry arrivals mostly while I was on the trail neighboring the road rather than hanging on to the shoulder.
I purposely planned a shorter day today to be able to restock on food supplies (both dehydrated dinners and breakfasts to consume while in the High Country and for on-bike nutrition) and to get some warmer cycling mitts in preparation for the Southland area which I'm expecting to be hit by the Southerly's coming up from Antarctica. This visit to the Bikefit Marlborough bike store also proved useful as I learned that Taylor Pass was closed for logging work and this would have been my first climb after Blenheim. The alternative was a stretch continuing along the Whale Trail and I'm glad I found that out ahead of trying to ride it.
Day 19: Blenheim > Muller Station Merino Stud: 119km, 2264m.
Today's profile just went uphill and was also hot from the outset. Re-routing to avoid the Taylor Pass closure, the route headed out of Blenheim along the Rail Trail, and then the Whale Trail; an easy intro to the day. Rolling past vineyards, out towards Cloudy Bay, back inland over Redwood Pass, and past more vineyards I picked up the other end of Taylor Pass with about an extra 30km on the day compared to the original plan. This has been smooth riding though and I was happy taking as many flat KM's as possible before the route ramped upwards in the Awatere Valley. Soon after the Taylor Pass, I could see 3 cyclists on the horizon and locked them in as my target.
Loaded up with my panniers it took a very long time to slowly claw them in but when I did, I found it was a group celebrating their 70th birthdays! I hope I can still ride a bike at 70. They had ridden from Blenheim to Taylor Pass and found it shut due to traffic, so loaded their bikes back on their support car and drove around to the other end of Taylor Pass using SH1. The 4 of them, known as Team BAIT (Bill, Alan, Ian & Trevor) rode 3 at a time with one being their designated driver for the day, carrying kit and Christmas cake. They were interesting guys to chat with and we slowly rotated for conversation - there was no way I could hold their wheels going up the steep gradients with the weight of my setup, but on the downhills, I'd catch back on and wait for them to pass again on the next incline.
It was hot and on dusty gravel, we pulled over several times when logging trucks were approaching - or we'd been warned by oncoming traffic of an impending log truck on the way. Trevor whipped out homemade Christmas cake at one of these stops which no doubt fuelled us as the altitude increased. Team BAIT were staying at Upcott Farm while I had another 30km to my stop at Muller Station Merino Stud, high up and about halfway along Molesworth Road. This felt like the toughest 30km of the day and just kept ramping up - one particular ramp cut straight up the hillside, until I saw it was a continuation of the road I was on, I prayed it was a farm access track I wouldn't be taking. The steepest part of this became hike-a-bike; tough on steep, loose gravel with the loaded bike.
As the sun was setting in the valley I finally approached the Muller Station signage at the top of their access road (after clearing a bridge full of cows to be able to cross), and had a massive sense of relief at the end of a seriously tough day climbing on gravel. Larissa, a Horse-trekker was also on the final approach to Muller Station Merino Stud and we congratulated each other on making it to the accommodation.
As I rolled up to the Shepherds Quarters (which are also rented out to weary travelers along the Molesworth Road) my unclipping of SPDs spooked one of the farm horses and probably wasn't my finest introduction to the Shepherds enjoying a cold beer at the end of their working day (before some of them headed off to a mustering station further up in the hills for an early start the next day). I found out the farm had 23,000 heads of Merino and had just won Marlborough Farm of the Year. I'm not sure what I had been expecting but it wasn't my own dorm and modern (shared) bathroom with a hot shower and kitchen, and an owner so interested and knowledgeable about gravel bikes. Result!
Day 20: Muller Station > Hanmer Springs: 97km, 1530m.
Larissa had told me to keep looking back at the view - not just forward - on this morning's route. I'm glad I did, the layers of mountains changed tones of blue, layer by layer, and did a great job of making me feel very insignificant in the landscape. Having had the worst of the climbing last night, the road still went up, and just past Cob Cottage, Team BAIT rolled past me in their car. I couldn't blame them and after a brief chat, they said they'd see me at the top of Wards Pass where they were going to unload the bikes for the downhill and flat (ish) part of the day and make a coffee.
Wards Pass was a lung buster and unsurprisingly, Team BAIT had rolled on by the time I was there, but I did catch Geoff and Brian. Two Kiwis for a trip out on the Sounds2Sounds route, they became integral to my being able to continue on schedule. Fascinating and extremely knowledgeable about the entire route and all things Kiwi-gravel we tapped out Wards Pass at our own paces and re-grouped at the top. The descent from Wards Pass into Isolated Flat (real name) was a ribbon of perfect gravel with a steep drop-off to one side. This was enticing and I had to give it a go, only yelping at one point when squeezing myself between the mountainside and a Land Cruiser heading up around a bend.
Stopping for the obligatory selfie with the 'Isolated Flat' signpost in the middle of an isolated flat, I was praying for no flat tyres here and read many of the information boards about the early pioneers and sheep musterers trying to make a wage in this unforgiving landscape. I stopped at a rebuilt hut to cook some lunch - a Radix curry - and watched the wide but shallow river flow by with a Mars-like landscape beyond. I watched Geoff and Brian motor along the corrugations in the gravel and then join me in the hut - all content in watching the landscape!
There was still a long way out of the Molesworth Road and back into 'civilisation' so we cracked on - the ribbon of gravel passing early pioneer relics and following the Archeron River between high ridgelines. All 3 groups of riders were aiming for Hanmer Springs, but at different paces and choosing different descents off the Molesworth.
I took Jollies Pass - an unmaintained High Country road, this started quite reminiscent of some of my local terrain in the summer, but soon became much more like a downhill track and had me wishing for just this section I was on my downhill race bike! At times I was just surfing the gravel and hanging on - the weight of the panniers doing a great job at pulling the bike side to side. The descent calmed down and the last 5km had literally flown by (down a mountainside) before I found myself back on tarmac and rolling into Hanmer Springs; a town famed for its ski season and its thermal springs.
I wasn't there for either and headed for the brewery pub, finding Team BAIT already there and dinners finished. A great laugh over a beer or 2 that evening. We caught Geoff rolling down the high street after dinner - he simply just needed to find his accommodation after a gigantic day out for anyone.
Day 21: Hanmer Springs > Glasnevin: 105km, 1210m.
A decent brekkie set me up for what looked like an easy day on paper compared to the last couple of days out, and the tailwind lulled me into a false sense of security; covering nearly 60km in 2 hours, I was thinking what a result! Unfortunately, most of this was along SH7 so wits needed to be maintained.
Just outside of Culverden (which would be one of the only options to stop for refreshments today), I could see a couple of riders on the horizon and it was Geoff and Brian. Brian and I pulled over to figure out where was best to stop as Geoff flew by saying the "Tearoooooms!". A coffee, a thick shake, some cake, and a pineapple Frujo... Team BAIT pulled into the same cafe! A quick catch-up, a group photo, and some of us pushed back onto SH7. The Hurunui Hotel, until recently holding NZ's longing running alcohol license, is a famous watering hole and the disappointment was audible on seeing it closed.
Turning off the highway shortly after the Hurunui Hotel it was solid headwind, enhanced to block headwind on taking another junction. Having gone from absolutely flying along, I was now struggling to hold 9km/h. I'd been told of another pub in Hawarden, The Hoggett, which was at a better distance for my lunch stop option today - unfortunately, I found they were only going to be open another 2 days before closing down. I had the last 2 tins of Coke. Back to the brutal headwind I was glad to finally circle the Hawarden Forest and into some shelter from the wind. The roadway switched between quiet asphalt back lanes and primo gravel tracks - the only traffic was the occasional tractor or quadbike.
I'd arranged a hut on a farmstead to stay in this evening and got there in good enough time to be able to sit outside and watch the sheep in the paddock immediately out front and the shadows of the looming hills beyond. The owner arrived home soon after me and turned out to be a huge cycling fan! I was made to feel very much at home and given a couple of beers to soak up the view with and an emergency energy gel! We talked bikes and how she was keen to open up the accommodation specifically for cyclists passing by on the Sounds2Sounds route.
Day 22: Glasnevin > Christchurch: 93km, 379m.
It was a pretty gloomy start to the day but overall, also quite flat on the profile so a welcome 'recovery' ride after a few lumpy days! After stopping in the first town of Amberley for a coffee and brekkie I was soon cycling up a riverbed - not something I'd expected but as part of the Hurunui Cycle Trails I took it, just in time to need to put my GRVL 3 Season jacket back on again as I climbed out of the bank on the opposite side. With today not being a stressful day on the bike, I had brekkie number 2 in Rangiora where I also restocked on dehydrated foods and a thermal long-sleeve base layer.
I soon picked up the cycle lanes of Christchurch and headed for the pier at New Brighton Beach - a spot where I'd seen a rather awesome sky back in 2020. I almost felt alien riding through the comparatively 'busy metropolis' of Christchurch City Centre and to Hub Cycles - a recommendation I'd had through the network of cyclists back in London. It seems strange to already be planning logistics for the trip onwards after NZ, but 'things may take some time' in a good, less stressful way! I ordered a bike bag and purchased a fresh tub of chamois cream.
My accommodation for the evening was at Lucy and Kamil's - Lucy an old mate from home. This was a great catch-up and with some fresh greens on my plate, very welcomed after weeks of pies and eggs benny!
Day 23: Christchurch > Mt Somers: 126km, 821m.
Lucy joined me for the first stretch out of town to the cafe in Lincoln and astonishingly had a flat tyre within the first 10km so was not on the same ride mileage to puncture ratio as my adventure. Tyre sorted and onwards to brekkie, Lucy heading home afterward and me heading on through the Canterbury Plains, the cycleway cutting a geometric route around fields.
Just before the Selwyn riverbed crossing, I spotted a black dog in the long grass at the back of the verge; thinking he must be a guard dog or a Shepherds dog, I was a little worried when he ran out at me. A long, old piece of rope tied around his collar didn't help alleviate those fears, but he was the best dog and after initial excitement sat down next to me. Checking his collar to find no tag, I was glad he was quite happy to run alongside as we backtracked on our route to some farm worker accommodation - unfortunately, they didn't recognise him as a local dog and had no luck after phoning around the local farms. He was a well-looked-after boy being well-fed and well-behaved. I called Animal Control who could be around in 2 hours - fortunately, with a big bowl of water, they'd keep the dog here so I could continue knowing today was going to be quite a slog out on the bike - checking with the next few people I rode past if they were missing a black Lab.
Incredibly, on making a dog-leg turn to pick up the road to Rakaia Gorge, I spotted 2 cyclists taking a break on the roadside and wondered.. as I got closer, I could see it was Brian and Geoff! No way - having not seen them for 48 hours it felt like plenty to catch up on! They were meeting a friend to join the ride with them to Methven for the evening and then on part of tomorrow's ride too. After a catch-up I cracked on, fully embracing the fast descent to the Rakaia Gorge bridge before the inevitable climb up the other side. From this climb, I had multiple views of snow-capped peaks and knew the route would turn lumpy again.
Checking into a homestead accommodation at The Old School House I must have looked a weary traveler as after home-baked goodies (many saved for tomorrow's ride) I was offered a home-cooked meal - result! The Kiwi generosity has been constant!
Day 24: Mt Somers > Fairlie: 112km, 1044m.
Today was a hot one from the outset. The route yoyo-ed between riding the Inland Scenic Route 72 which was relatively busy and neighbouring gravel back-country tracks busy with tractors and combines. The route settled into quiet back roads soon after stopping for lunch at Geraldine but the route just got lumpier and seemingly with no shade to take advantage of!
There were plenty of places you'd expect to see a group of Hobbits but the route continued to rise - probably the biggest climb of all being the very last of the day - every turn revealing a false summit. The descent was rapid into Fairlie but with places not being open very long in the evening, it was a quick turnaround to be able to grab some dinner in town.
Day 25: Fairlie > Twizel: 106km, 876m.
Fairlie is renowned for its pies so what better breakfast stop than the bakery for a pork belly and apple pie with crackling on top? Maybe not a traditional brekkie but delicious. I'd opted to follow the cycle track alongside SH8 as the shorter route to Tekapo rather than over the McKenzie Pass but unfortunately, this cycleway came to an abrupt halt and I was on the shoulder going over Burkes Pass.
Soon after joining the Alps2Ocean cycle trail, I stopped at a roadside rest area with not only an incredible view of the snow-capped Southern Alps but another cyclist sitting at the table. Sebastian was from Argentina and here for 6 months, half traveling, half working on a cranberry farm. He was cycling from Christchurch to Mt. Cook where his girlfriend was driving out to meet him. We'd not been chatting long before Symon and Stephen pulled into the carpark too - I had spotted them a few minutes earlier off the road at Dog Kennel Corner and gave a wave but now was the chance for intros! Stephen and Symon were real experts on the trails and were out for a few days to ride a big loop out - much of it on the Alps2Ocean route. Incredibly, Stephen pointed and said I know you... Quickly figuring it was from Francis Cade's videos. My mind was slightly blown but there was quite a bit of conversation before realising we should be riding bikes.
Stephen and Symon headed off first and I caught up with them again in the next town; Tekapo where I was stunned by the colour of the lake waters and surrounding lupins. We grabbed some lunch - me needing to crack on with the trails to my campsite stop in Twizel, whilst these guys had the luxury of staying in Tekapo so an afternoon to relax!
The Alps2Ocean route follows the Tekapo canal - the same vibrant turquoise colour as the lake so combined with an almost pan-flat section, this was a great introduction to quite an iconic set of locations. Over the canal, the view was today Aoraki / Mount Cook and I'm sure I stared at the landscape more than I rode my bike for this section. The Tekapo canal flows into Lake Pukaki, downhill through a couple of huge pipes. This allows for a fast descent down to Lake Pukaki level where the A2O route continues mostly along the shoreline on gravel singletrack. So much fun! That was until I noticed my left pannier was swinging around which it hadn't been doing previously.
Checking it was still clamped onto its lugs, I found that the main frame of the rack had started to peel itself apart. It looks like it had failed at a weld and then begun to peel through the tubing. There's not much around here so with a few choice words and thinking I was going to be spending the evening on the phone trying to find someone who could weld aluminum, I used a few cable ties and tape to stop the pannier bag swinging around and hopefully hold things together with enough time for me to stop if it did completely separate. I nursed the bike the last 18km of the day along what had been some of the best singletrack of the whole trip!
Arriving into Twizel and seeing Poppies Cafe was open for dinner I decided to eat there and then rather than boiling something up so I could then concentrate on what to do about the rack for the rest of the evening. I had been recommended to join the Sounds2Sounds Facebook group by the guys at BikeFit Marlborough in Blenheim so put a post on there about any recommendations or suggestions appreciated on where / how to fix this rack in Twizel. In the meantime, I reinforced my tape and cable tie handiwork ready for a ride somewhere the following morning.
There was a plethora of responses with ideas on how to hold it together, but a message from Brian, saying to give Geoff a call at 21:00 led to the promise of a repair or a new rack the following morning, just up the road at Cycle Journeys, and up behind Poppies Cafe. This was another example of the Kiwi approach and was truly humbling that people will help! Geoff messaged ahead to the team at Cycle Journeys and said that if they couldn't fix it, on his authority, they would loan me one of their Thule racks (originally designed by a Kiwi before Thule bought the design).
Geoff was officially taking a step back from involvement at Cycle Journeys but I'm so glad to have met him several days ago climbing up Wards Pass as 2 strangers on bikes just out for an adventure!
Day 26: Twizel > Dunstan Downs High Country Sheep Station: 98km, 1122m.
Up early and keen to get to Cycle Journeys, I was already in the workshop when Geoff called Mike to explain there would be an English guy in with a broken pannier rack and there was an option A and an option B. Greg, Mike, and the team wasted no time in looking at my broken rack and saying something along the lines of that's not going any further. They did not want to even consider a repair knowing what my route would involve over the next few days. They removed a new Thule rack from one of their hire fleet and gave me a bundle of bungees to strap my bags to it (as the mounts were different sizes and my bag adapters were back in the UK).
By 10:00, the bike was all good to go again! From thinking my trip could be over, or at least severely compromised waiting for a repair/replacement, I'd just lost an early start! Having then had brekkie at the cafe, I sat back down as I was leaving as Stephen and Symon arrived having started their day back in Tekapo. Updates all around, they had seen my post about the broken pannier rack and continued with giving me some more detailed route tips and the offer of a lift through a nasty stretch of State Highway in a couple of days.
The cycling world really is a good one!
It was time to actually start my ride and it was entirely along the Alps2Ocean route again today, heading out of Twizel along the Pukaki and Ohau canals. Unfortunately, I wasn't even out of Twizel before the rain started and I had to stop to wrap up! Luckily by the time I was round to Lake Ohau, this had mostly died down again and I was back on an excellent stretch of gravel singletrack along the shoreline.
I'm seriously impressed with the Alps2Ocean route making it fun as well as 'bikepackable'. Following the shoreline round and into the wind coming down the lake I could see heavy rain clouding the other end of the lake and the hillsides and prayed it wasn't going to get me. The route did a sharp turn back on itself and up the Tarnbrae section of the trail. This seemed to have multiple characters, all during a steady climb to an altitude of 900m, from sweet smooth gravel, to loose sharp mountain bikey rocks to fording snow melt streams, to harshly exposed hillsides to enchanted shady wooded sections. The steady climb meant that at 45km into the day I could see back to where I'd started the day at Twizel.
It was through the avalanche zone and over the Tarnbrae High Point, the descent also had a couple of characters - one quite Dyfi'esque in terms of downhill, rocky, flowy berms to fast smooth grassland descending. My Komoot route was asking for a right turn sending me through a private property, gated access, and straight up and over another mountain, whilst the Alps2Ocean signposts were telling me to turn left.
A quick sanity check on the Komoot app and I could see that despite an extra 23km to follow the sanctioned Alps2Ocean trail, there was significantly less climbing. I turned left. And immediately had a tailwind; rolling along at 50km/h+ I had zero qualms with the extra distance and rolled into Omarama pretty quickly. Restocking on snacks, water, L&P, and a pineapple Frujo, the appeal of a pub dinner far outweighed a dehydrated dinner once again. Now full of chicken burger and chips, I turned into a full headwind along SH8 for the last 20km, I think averaging 13km/h!
I was staying on a High Country Sheep Station again this evening - this time though in an old train wagon down by the riverside. It was a magical spot surrounded by lupins and hillsides. I got the bath warming over a fire whilst getting kit and bike sorted for a bike day tomorrow and ended up staring into the perfectly clear night sky with the Milky Way overhead.
Day 27: Dunstan Downs > Alexandra: 140km, 1458m.
Today was going to be a big day so after trying to get away for an early start, I was thankful for the tailwind to begin with and just wanted it to eat up as many of the KM's as possible. What I thought was today's main challenge was the climb up Omarama Saddle - Stephen and Symon had told me about there being 2 routes and to take the East track as a far more gradual climb. Of course, Komoot had plotted the East track, as although it was shorter, basically went straight up and over the summit whilst the West looped around. Jeeez, the East track must have been a killer! I must have hike-a-biked for over an hour up a loose, rocky 4x4 track with gradients of 15-25%!
Once over the shoulder of the climb, I could see bits of the track continuing up as they came around bluffs on the hillside. We were heading towards the snowline and I couldn't work out just how high up we were heading. When over the shoulder, the wind was incessant but the gradient only eased in the final stretch before the Saddle. I nestled down over the saddle behind a clump of tussock grass to eat my sausage roll mostly out of the wind. Now, I love downhill, and having started racing downhill in my younger years, it is the bit I look most forward to, but looking at the ribbon of loose rock disappear into the valley below me gave me vertigo. Getting on a heavy, rigid gravel bike and pointing it downhill on this gradient made me question it!
For a few sections, I skated with one foot unclipped and tried to remain in control of the brakes. This was seriously steep, and in the middle of nowhere - I knew the guys riding in the same direction were a day or 2 behind me too. Honestly, a sense of relief having completed that and I thought now let's go!! It had taken me about 6 hours to ride 40km. This was not cool, but the rest of the day's profile was a steady downhill for the next 100km so I thought I'd be back on the pace shortly. I was wrong.
To my surprise I met David and V, riding from Cromwell to Christchurch in the opposite direction to me and they were just putting trainers on having ridden the day so far in flip flops. From the hut that they had camped in last night, they'd made at least 30 river crossings. Oh, dear... I considered putting my flip flops on too but thought with going in the downhill direction, I'd want to be clipped in between river crossings to maximise speed and control and I'd make do with wet shoes.
Considering the water was snow melt and springs, I didn't notice the cold - maybe slight panic that today was going to be a very long day out hid that. With David and V still in sight behind me, I made my first river crossing and enjoyed it, thinking this wasn't that bad!
I'm not sure after how many crossings it began to be a struggle, but maybe whilst on one crossing and you could see the next 3 or 4 in the next few hundred metres was it at its worst. A couple of the crossings were thigh-deep, most shin-deep, some rideable. They went from a couple of metres to stretches that may have been 20 metres wide. Over the entire descent from the Omarama Saddle and some further crossings later in the day, I counted a total of 57 river crossings. Unbelievable.
I let out an audible sigh of relief when exciting this avenue of river crossings and joining the trail alongside the larger Manuherikia River. The terrain now was quite dark and looked almost inhospitable and the next stretch was where the few lumps other than the Omarama Saddle would be. Fortunately, I had a slight tailwind assist and could mostly push on with trying to recoup time, other than when direction changes forced a crosswind or slight headwind.
The amount of time and wind still in the day did a pretty good job of drying my shoes out though. This inhospitable looking landscape eventually gave way to a gravel road and a farmer filling a water bowser which lifted my spirits no end. Back in the realms of better gravel roads, I felt much better and this quickly became the Central Otago Rail Trail - sweet! I thought result, although found that for the next 15 or 20km, it steadily rose uphill to cross the ridgeline through a couple of tunnels and viaducts. The exposed viaducts, at this height, made the wind an incredible force and I was riding sideways to go forwards. How many challenges can today throw at me I thought? Well, just as the rail trail started to ease into a downhill gradient, the rain joined me.
Knowing today was going to be a big day out, I'd booked ahead to a motel in Alexandra rather than finding somewhere to camp and arrived with 5 minutes to spare to get a dinner order in. I ordered it with 2 tins of Sprite and 2 pints too and ate it still in my soggy and salty kit.
Day 28: Alexandra > Cromwell: 58km, 888m.
Today was going to be breezy compared to yesterday. The River Trail joining on to the Dunstans Track with its cantilevered boardwalk sections out over the lake and shoreline hugging route couldn't be too 'climby' could it? It probably wasn't but honestly, my legs didn't have much go in them - I could tap it out along the flats but had to spin up the inclines. These trails were spectacular though and the clear blue skies, turquoise river and warm weather made yesterday feel a million miles away.
The Dunstans Track is a feat of engineering, carved into the hillside, or hanging off the cliffs over the water, it is a quite spectacular route to follow and short enough to get to enjoy. I rolled through the Carrick Vineyard with a pizza trailer for passing cyclists and thought it would be rude not to sample the local Pinot Noir and refuel without a rush with the pizza. The Dunstans Track took me into Cromwell, quite a distinctive heritage center with some buildings partly below the waterline, or in other cases completely submerged and no longer visible - a result of building the dam downstream.
I'd arranged to meet Stephen in Cromwell; both he and Symon said that the next section of State Highway into Queenstown shouldn't be ridden. I've learned to follow locals' advice and was happy to listen. There is a cycle trail under construction joining Cromwell and Queenstown but it's not yet complete (we could see them working on it from the highway) and a combination of no shoulder, tourist traffic/drivers, and an almighty headwind, I was happy to sit in the passenger seat for a few KM. This also meant I got into town just in time to meet Cam, a mate from Sydney who was over exploring a few mountain bike trails. We had a couple of beers and a chat over dinner on the lakefront.
Day 29: Queenstown > Mossburn: 119km, 968m
The Sounds2Sounds route would pick up the Around The Mountains trail south of Queenstown and although Komoot had plotted the eastern flank, all the recommendations were to take the boat across Lake Wakatipu and take the western flank. A little longer, but well worth it for the scenery and lack of nearby traffic. I booked on the catamaran crossing from the waterfront in Queenstown across to Walter Peak Farm with just a handful of other passengers. Not a bad start to a day's cycling!
Once back on dry land, the gravel road gently rolled between mountainside and lakefront and was really spectacular. I'd recognised that the profile was similar to the Omarama Saddle day but knew there couldn't be so many river crossings to follow. The climb was punchy but reasonably well-sheltered so I wasn't being buffeted around and all rideable. I took a break at the top, looking out towards Jane Peak - and a vast landscape, devoid of any other people. This was spectacular!
The gravel road cut a mostly straight line down the valley, a few fords to cross before eventually I found 2 fishermen sitting on the gravel roadside. They joked it was normally only Lord of the Rings location tourists they see along here, before heading on and passing another fisherman on the road. He said he'd caught the least trout so it was his job to walk back to collect the ute. The Around The Mountains route was great and when it deviated away from the gravel road, it used great, purpose-built sections similar to the Alps2Ocean trails.
These delivered me to the centre of Mossburn where I'd booked into another local recommendation; The Mossburn Railway Hotel and its dedicated 'Wheels n Reelz' accommodation for passing cyclists and fishermen. It was quite handy having a pub on the doorstep too.
Day 30: Mossburn > Bluff: 134km, 404m
The rain had fallen all night and I wasn't looking forward to riding into the wind in this rain. I stopped at the cafe next door for breakfast and, in this time, the rain eased a little and I knew I had to get on with it. Starting back on the Around The Mountain trail following SH94 - the road to Milford Sound - I felt good progress was being made possibly just to get out of the rain. With the AtM route heading back north, as the name suggests, around the mountains, I switched on to the Southland Traverse cycleway and headed south.
The rest of the route would now just be pointing towards Antarctica. The forecast hadn't been great and for the previous couple of days I'd been expecting a strong Southerly today which would be a brutal headwind - fortunately, it wasn't and I even had a good tailwind for stretches meaning great progress. The Southern Traverse uses quiet back roads and gravel tracks and is almost entirely flat. Apart from one road that no longer existed, I could crack on, ultimately arriving in Invercargill in the early afternoon. I had booked a rental vehicle to be able to drive back up to Christchurch for a flight in a few days and got that sorted but the plan had been to ride from Invercargill to Bluff and back tomorrow morning. I was feeling good and didn't want to wait for tomorrow, with pretty good conditions and time today, I thought why not?
The wind battered me across the boardwalks and gravel trails heading out of Invercargill and I wondered whether it had been the right decision, but also, it was probably never not windy in some direction here. The gravel track then shadowed SH1 again - a nice bookend to having been on this at the top of the South Island too from Picton. Despite being a flat ride, the wind made it really hard work, except for the bit through Bluff High Street where the tailwind had me going 50km/h.
The Stirling Point sign rapidly approached at this pace and an inevitable queue of tourists waiting for their photo meant I wasn't quite sure what to think at this point; a quick photo then turn around and get going back to Invercargill, or stop at the Fish and Chip shop for a celebratory dinner. A Yorkshire expat offered to take my photo in front of the Stirling Point sign and asked how far I'd ridden - possibly expecting me to say from Invercargill, I don't think she was expecting me to say 3000km from Cape Reinga. 30 days of riding, done.
As I was getting sorted to ride off back to Invercargill, another lady asked me about the ride and where I was heading back to. On saying Invercargill, she offered me a lift - as long as I could wait a couple of minutes for her son to arrive who was just about to finish cycling the length of the South Island. There was no way I could turn this down and applauded Harry as he rolled in! A few stories shared from our adventures whilst out of the wind on the drive back to Invercargill was great and yet another example of the Kiwi way!
Now to start planning the next one...
