New Zealand - 2020
The most beautiful country I've biked, New Zealand is long and hilly. With my thick-tire Trek 1120 backpacking bike, I rode ~1,750 miles from the near top of the North Island to the bottom tip of the South Island over three weeks. Loosely followed the Tour Aotearoa route on a mix of mountain biking trails, gravel track, road and through the use of two ferries. Heat and humidity at the start brought its challenges, but I had only one hour of rain while biking and the scenery and terrain was astounding. Thankfully, I wrapped up two weeks before the world shut down due to Covid-19.
I didn't blog or fundraise for this trip. My stuffed dog French Fry stayed home (he didn't get a passport until the Canada ride). The entries below are way too long and contain summaries of my diary and some of my pics.
The most beautiful country I've biked, New Zealand is long and hilly. With my thick-tire Trek 1120 backpacking bike, I rode ~1,750 miles from the near top of the North Island to the bottom tip of the South Island over three weeks. Loosely followed the Tour Aotearoa route on a mix of mountain biking trails, gravel track, road and through the use of two ferries. Heat and humidity at the start brought its challenges, but I had only one hour of rain while biking and the scenery and terrain was astounding. Thankfully, I wrapped up two weeks before the world shut down due to Covid-19.
I didn't blog or fundraise for this trip. My stuffed dog French Fry stayed home (he didn't get a passport until the Canada ride). The entries below are way too long and contain summaries of my diary and some of my pics.
1/23 to 1/25/20 – Where's the Bike?
I am attempting the Tour Aotearoa bicycle ride that covers 1,750 miles in a zig-zag fashion from the top of the North to the bottom of the South Islands of New Zealand. It is an epic tourney, one that will test my meddle as it is the first ride of substance I’ve taken with a bikepacking/ mountain bike with 3” tires and will entail a mix of road, gravel and single track across one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
I left Chicago for New Zealand through Los Angeles and Fiji with excitement mixed with apprehension. I will miss my wife while away. I’m also uncertain if my gear will arrive timely and in good condition and am sensitive to my right shoulder which has given me grief since I fell off a roof a year ago (postscript: had a total shoulder replacement in December of 2020).
Much like Westley from The Princess Bride who gets life sucked out in the Pit of Despair, the 11-hour flight to Fuji sucked Friday (1/24) out of my life in crossing the International Dateline. Left at 10pm-ish Pacific Time Thursday from Chicago; ended up in Nadi, Fuji Saturday at 5:30AM local time.
In Fuji, I found out my bike was lost in transit despite an Los Angeles layover of over three hours. Bummer! I was told to fly through to Auckland, New Zealand and then on to Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands near the tip of New Zealand’s north island and my bike would be forwarded when found. In this hullabaloo, I left behind my sleeping bag while filing the misplaced bike claim. On the plus side, my gear is now three pounds lighter!
I had booked lodging for the first several days of my ride. Not smart in retrospect…so I tried to unwind things with mixed success. I found lodging within Kerikeri at an AirBnB hosted by a nice couple and settled into the waiting game. Did some touring but mostly worked on logistics as I had plans to start biking today.
I am attempting the Tour Aotearoa bicycle ride that covers 1,750 miles in a zig-zag fashion from the top of the North to the bottom of the South Islands of New Zealand. It is an epic tourney, one that will test my meddle as it is the first ride of substance I’ve taken with a bikepacking/ mountain bike with 3” tires and will entail a mix of road, gravel and single track across one of the most beautiful countries in the world.
I left Chicago for New Zealand through Los Angeles and Fiji with excitement mixed with apprehension. I will miss my wife while away. I’m also uncertain if my gear will arrive timely and in good condition and am sensitive to my right shoulder which has given me grief since I fell off a roof a year ago (postscript: had a total shoulder replacement in December of 2020).
Much like Westley from The Princess Bride who gets life sucked out in the Pit of Despair, the 11-hour flight to Fuji sucked Friday (1/24) out of my life in crossing the International Dateline. Left at 10pm-ish Pacific Time Thursday from Chicago; ended up in Nadi, Fuji Saturday at 5:30AM local time.
In Fuji, I found out my bike was lost in transit despite an Los Angeles layover of over three hours. Bummer! I was told to fly through to Auckland, New Zealand and then on to Kerikeri in the Bay of Islands near the tip of New Zealand’s north island and my bike would be forwarded when found. In this hullabaloo, I left behind my sleeping bag while filing the misplaced bike claim. On the plus side, my gear is now three pounds lighter!
I had booked lodging for the first several days of my ride. Not smart in retrospect…so I tried to unwind things with mixed success. I found lodging within Kerikeri at an AirBnB hosted by a nice couple and settled into the waiting game. Did some touring but mostly worked on logistics as I had plans to start biking today.
1/26/20 – Kerikeri Touring on Foot
Without combustion engine transport (I had checked and all the car rental places were sold out), I ended up walking about 32,000 steps today in my soft-soled red water shoes. Visited the beach where Christianity first came to NZ and went to an Anglican service where I and the female pastor were the only attendees under 75 years of age. We sang a song in the Māori tongue. Shaking hands with the members after the service, my right shoulder hurt a bit. Ye gads. How will I be able to bike? Spent the afternoon on a nice walking track along the Puketotara riverway past Wharepuke Falls, Rainbow Falls and eventually Te Wairere Falls, a nice lush green semi-circle with a pretty 50 ft drop.
Without combustion engine transport (I had checked and all the car rental places were sold out), I ended up walking about 32,000 steps today in my soft-soled red water shoes. Visited the beach where Christianity first came to NZ and went to an Anglican service where I and the female pastor were the only attendees under 75 years of age. We sang a song in the Māori tongue. Shaking hands with the members after the service, my right shoulder hurt a bit. Ye gads. How will I be able to bike? Spent the afternoon on a nice walking track along the Puketotara riverway past Wharepuke Falls, Rainbow Falls and eventually Te Wairere Falls, a nice lush green semi-circle with a pretty 50 ft drop.
1/27/20 – Bike Arrives - Let the Riding Begin
Jet lagged, I slept poorly last night and was wide awake at 5AM. There is a 19 hour time difference to Central Standard Time. Unable to find taxis or Ubers, I lugged my gear (sans the bike) and walked the 4.5 miles to the airport in the hope my bike box would arrive (the airline said it would be there some time today). Arriving at sunrise, the tiny terminal was open but no one was around. So I waited for almost 90 minutes before an Air New Zealand baggage guy showed up and brought out my bike. The box took a beating. My straps were gone. One of the handlebars lost some rubber and the disc brakes are bent a bit. It was still good to see the box and I took it outside and spent an hour putting it together. The air pump jammed and the tires didn’t get fully inflated.
Nevertheless, I left the airport around 10:00AM. I had secured a bus to the absolute north tip at Cape Reinga where the official Tour started but forfeited the ticket due to delays. Being almost two days behind schedule already, I skipped the tippy top and biked in a westerly direction to catch the Tour Aotearoa route at Rawene.
The weather was hot. The sun was bright. The wind was sticky and mostly in my face. The bike was slow with its 3” underinflated tires. The packs have too much stuff and it rests too much on the back wheel with the two yellow panniers mostly full. Nevertheless, it was nice to be in motion. I took side roads and highways and was pleasantly surprised at the space drivers gave me and the overall lack of traffic for a NZ national holiday. My mid-afternoon, I “found” the official Tour Aotearoa route.
I stopped for the day at 7PM after about 75 miles and 5,000 feet of elevation gain. It was hard. No mincing words on that one. I walked the bike uphill often, finding the pace of 5-6km/hour not much worse than if I was cycling in the granny gear and the effort was easier. I drank a discombobulated mix of over four liters of water-diluted soda, a quart of chocolate milk and a half liter of juice. I didn’t eat much of anything while biking. It was too hot to be hungry. Sights of note included the seaside towns of Opononi and Omapere where a bunch of seniors on a bus trip befriended me and asked all sorts of questions. Also worthwhile was the Tane Mahuta, one of 30 photo control points to receive official credit for cycling the Tour. Rooted within was one of the oldest (~ 2,000 years) and largest trees in NZ.
I arrived at Lotus Belle Glamping at the Kauri Coast Estate late in the day, feeling spent but satisfied. The proprietor transported me by golf cart to my secluded wooded site. There is a teepee on a raised deck for a bedroom complete with a mosquito net over the bed and a few cushy chairs to relax in, a separate bathroom partially open to the elements with hot water and a three-sided kitchen area for making tea. I showered, washed my clothes, packed for tomorrow and had tea and a combo of crumbled pop-tarts and protein bars for dinner as the glamp lacks foodstuffs and I didn’t have time to reprovision.
Jet lagged, I slept poorly last night and was wide awake at 5AM. There is a 19 hour time difference to Central Standard Time. Unable to find taxis or Ubers, I lugged my gear (sans the bike) and walked the 4.5 miles to the airport in the hope my bike box would arrive (the airline said it would be there some time today). Arriving at sunrise, the tiny terminal was open but no one was around. So I waited for almost 90 minutes before an Air New Zealand baggage guy showed up and brought out my bike. The box took a beating. My straps were gone. One of the handlebars lost some rubber and the disc brakes are bent a bit. It was still good to see the box and I took it outside and spent an hour putting it together. The air pump jammed and the tires didn’t get fully inflated.
Nevertheless, I left the airport around 10:00AM. I had secured a bus to the absolute north tip at Cape Reinga where the official Tour started but forfeited the ticket due to delays. Being almost two days behind schedule already, I skipped the tippy top and biked in a westerly direction to catch the Tour Aotearoa route at Rawene.
The weather was hot. The sun was bright. The wind was sticky and mostly in my face. The bike was slow with its 3” underinflated tires. The packs have too much stuff and it rests too much on the back wheel with the two yellow panniers mostly full. Nevertheless, it was nice to be in motion. I took side roads and highways and was pleasantly surprised at the space drivers gave me and the overall lack of traffic for a NZ national holiday. My mid-afternoon, I “found” the official Tour Aotearoa route.
I stopped for the day at 7PM after about 75 miles and 5,000 feet of elevation gain. It was hard. No mincing words on that one. I walked the bike uphill often, finding the pace of 5-6km/hour not much worse than if I was cycling in the granny gear and the effort was easier. I drank a discombobulated mix of over four liters of water-diluted soda, a quart of chocolate milk and a half liter of juice. I didn’t eat much of anything while biking. It was too hot to be hungry. Sights of note included the seaside towns of Opononi and Omapere where a bunch of seniors on a bus trip befriended me and asked all sorts of questions. Also worthwhile was the Tane Mahuta, one of 30 photo control points to receive official credit for cycling the Tour. Rooted within was one of the oldest (~ 2,000 years) and largest trees in NZ.
I arrived at Lotus Belle Glamping at the Kauri Coast Estate late in the day, feeling spent but satisfied. The proprietor transported me by golf cart to my secluded wooded site. There is a teepee on a raised deck for a bedroom complete with a mosquito net over the bed and a few cushy chairs to relax in, a separate bathroom partially open to the elements with hot water and a three-sided kitchen area for making tea. I showered, washed my clothes, packed for tomorrow and had tea and a combo of crumbled pop-tarts and protein bars for dinner as the glamp lacks foodstuffs and I didn’t have time to reprovision.
1/28/20 - Glamping
Looking back after the trip ended, these early nights in the north with farm stays and rural lodging were the best I experienced in NZ. Last night was lovely. Lots of animal noises and clear skies. I was up by 5:30AM and it was light enough at 6AM to get out and pack. I made several pots of tea to rehydrate, went for a walk and took a bath in the outdoor tub. Forest bathing while naked in a porcelain tub took a little adjusting, but once I got used to it, it was enjoyable.
At 8AM, the owner picked me up in her golf cart and took me back to the base camp where I repaired a few things, re-aired my tires and was on the road by 8:30AM.
After 123km yesterday, I managed only ~115km today. That seems terribly weak, but the humidity and mostly full sun skies sapped me. I also had a two-hour mid-day break in Dargaville where I ate chicken tiki masala at an Indian restaurant with naan (the only restaurant in town), got some more groceries and paid to get my front disc brake fixed at the town’s bike shop. A very nice lady, incredibly impressed with my Trek 1120 bike, helped straighten the disc that had been rubbing against the brake. She also oiled the chain and made sure the tires were at 18psi, all for about $25US. I also had a short scenic stop shortly after the start. 3km into the ride, I at Trounson Kauri Park, I pitched my bike in the woods to do the 1.7km loop trail through stands of large Kauri on a pretty boardwalk. It was a nice diversion and the thickness of the forest, occasionally accented by these huge trees, was lovely. I was the only one in the parking lot and on the walk. The only bummer was that it came at the cool part of the day. It warmed up shortly thereafter and I encountered some mild rain coming out of Dargaville that mingled with my sweat, only to stop and turn into a debilitating humidity when the sun came back.
The official Tour Aotearoa route had me going south to pick up a boat at Pouto Point. I started my journey a few weeks before the official Tour commenced. That means more heat, more humidity and no ferry service, so I rerouted on Hwy 12 and NZ 1 in a trek on my Trek along busier roads lacking decent shoulders but one that seemed flatter in general than the regular route. Today included a large section on gravel, something my bike with its 3” tires is well-equipped to handle. I saw only a single rural mail carrier on this 30km stretch, a stark contrast to the state highway portions.
I stopped about 25km before the night’s end at a Four Square mini-market in Maungaturoto and bought a quart of apple juice, drinking most of this in one setting and putting the remainder in my main water bottle. The perplexed look on the market clerk seeing me guzzle this juice made me laugh. People in air-conditioned glass buildings should throw stares. With one hotel in this hamlet but hoping to make more km’s, I called ahead and supposedly found the last room in Kaiwaka. I reserved it and had something to strive for…a shower and a bed. Ended up at the Gateway North Motel & Café at 6:15PM and paid the $125NZ ($82 US) for a no air- conditioning room with three beds. Oddly, I sit outside of my room on a chair at 8:30PM and the parking lot is empty. Last room? No worries.
My ideal routine, akin to what I did in the cross-USA trip, is to start early, wrap by mid-afternoon (if possible) shower, wash all my clothes and hang them to dry (which doesn’t work well here with the humidity) and then seek out nourishment. Tonight that entailed walking 15 min along busy NZ1 to the establishments. I bought a medium size chocolate milk from one place and two beers from the local liquor store before stopping for another Indian dish, this time a beef biryani that I took as a takeout. It was a huge portion for NZ$15. I could not finish it and will have to consume the rest for breakfast. The beer I drank in its entirety, so thirsty was I and so tired of water, Diet Coke and juices.
Looking back after the trip ended, these early nights in the north with farm stays and rural lodging were the best I experienced in NZ. Last night was lovely. Lots of animal noises and clear skies. I was up by 5:30AM and it was light enough at 6AM to get out and pack. I made several pots of tea to rehydrate, went for a walk and took a bath in the outdoor tub. Forest bathing while naked in a porcelain tub took a little adjusting, but once I got used to it, it was enjoyable.
At 8AM, the owner picked me up in her golf cart and took me back to the base camp where I repaired a few things, re-aired my tires and was on the road by 8:30AM.
After 123km yesterday, I managed only ~115km today. That seems terribly weak, but the humidity and mostly full sun skies sapped me. I also had a two-hour mid-day break in Dargaville where I ate chicken tiki masala at an Indian restaurant with naan (the only restaurant in town), got some more groceries and paid to get my front disc brake fixed at the town’s bike shop. A very nice lady, incredibly impressed with my Trek 1120 bike, helped straighten the disc that had been rubbing against the brake. She also oiled the chain and made sure the tires were at 18psi, all for about $25US. I also had a short scenic stop shortly after the start. 3km into the ride, I at Trounson Kauri Park, I pitched my bike in the woods to do the 1.7km loop trail through stands of large Kauri on a pretty boardwalk. It was a nice diversion and the thickness of the forest, occasionally accented by these huge trees, was lovely. I was the only one in the parking lot and on the walk. The only bummer was that it came at the cool part of the day. It warmed up shortly thereafter and I encountered some mild rain coming out of Dargaville that mingled with my sweat, only to stop and turn into a debilitating humidity when the sun came back.
The official Tour Aotearoa route had me going south to pick up a boat at Pouto Point. I started my journey a few weeks before the official Tour commenced. That means more heat, more humidity and no ferry service, so I rerouted on Hwy 12 and NZ 1 in a trek on my Trek along busier roads lacking decent shoulders but one that seemed flatter in general than the regular route. Today included a large section on gravel, something my bike with its 3” tires is well-equipped to handle. I saw only a single rural mail carrier on this 30km stretch, a stark contrast to the state highway portions.
I stopped about 25km before the night’s end at a Four Square mini-market in Maungaturoto and bought a quart of apple juice, drinking most of this in one setting and putting the remainder in my main water bottle. The perplexed look on the market clerk seeing me guzzle this juice made me laugh. People in air-conditioned glass buildings should throw stares. With one hotel in this hamlet but hoping to make more km’s, I called ahead and supposedly found the last room in Kaiwaka. I reserved it and had something to strive for…a shower and a bed. Ended up at the Gateway North Motel & Café at 6:15PM and paid the $125NZ ($82 US) for a no air- conditioning room with three beds. Oddly, I sit outside of my room on a chair at 8:30PM and the parking lot is empty. Last room? No worries.
My ideal routine, akin to what I did in the cross-USA trip, is to start early, wrap by mid-afternoon (if possible) shower, wash all my clothes and hang them to dry (which doesn’t work well here with the humidity) and then seek out nourishment. Tonight that entailed walking 15 min along busy NZ1 to the establishments. I bought a medium size chocolate milk from one place and two beers from the local liquor store before stopping for another Indian dish, this time a beef biryani that I took as a takeout. It was a huge portion for NZ$15. I could not finish it and will have to consume the rest for breakfast. The beer I drank in its entirety, so thirsty was I and so tired of water, Diet Coke and juices.
1/29/20 - The 85/85 Days
Sill dealing with jet lag. Awoke for good at 5:30AM, I was cycling an hour later. Biking is best done in these tropical conditions in the AM and the meat of the heat is at 4PM. Very hilly as was promised. New Zealand is far hillier than the US and more akin to the UK. Today was another 85/85 day - 85 degrees (29C) and 85% humidity with mostly full sun. It was smashingly beautiful with a deep blue that makes the mountains stand out in 4D, but being on the move is the part that is hard. As I head south, it will cool down and the heat will eventually break; but I don't have time to sit and wait it out.
I opted to not follow the official detour route which involved side roads and stuck to NZ1 to Wellsford, then went along Hwy 16 to Helensville. In Kaukapakapa, I stopped for an ice cream cone – triple decker, and that helped. It melted so fast I had to ask for a cup to put it in. By 11:30AM, I was in Helensville where the ferry that wasn’t in season would have dropped me off. That completed the long and hilly detour, one that many of the bloggers previously noted they avoided if the ferry wasn’t working by hailing rides around the mess. So in my own way, I justify my start as a full north experience – having gone due west 50+km and having done 50+km more than expected on the detour, I’m equal in kms to the official Tour.
With my Garmin bike GPS, I was back on the regular route and followed this 51km to Mt. Eden in Auckland. Within 25km of Mt. Eden, there was a flat cycle path that alternated between being a bike lane on a busy street or a bike-only path along a highway. The flatness and the wind at my back let me pick up my pace to 25km/hr or more. It felt great…until it didn’t. I hit the wall about 5km before the end. Perhaps I overheated. In any case, I sought shade, something surprisingly hard to do along the bike path in downtown Auckland, and eventually stopped at a few shops to pick up strawberry milk one place and an apple turnover in another. Anything for a little a/c. Rested for 45 minutes, getting out of the spanking sun, then I mostly walked my bike the 3km to the top of Mt. Eden. This was plausible and not too embarrassing as the incline was steep. Got a control point picture. Enjoyed the view; but only somewhat as I was still hot. With internet on top of the mountain, I made a lodging reservation within 3km of where I was despite it being only 4PM. I was spent and done for the day.
Ended up staying at a backpacker’s hostel called Oakland’s Lodge. Paid extra for my own room with shared showers and bathrooms. Locked up my bike in a shed in the back. Asked for a fan. Put it on me in my hot little hamlet and it felt good. Showered. Washed my clothes and hung them to drip dry. Had my wife call me as my calls out on Verizon have Germans talking in the background like some sort of 1940s rural party line. I bought some bananas and yogurt and a beer – a Super Charger APA from Panhead Brewing out of Wellington before having a lamb kebab dinner with salad and rice.
Sill dealing with jet lag. Awoke for good at 5:30AM, I was cycling an hour later. Biking is best done in these tropical conditions in the AM and the meat of the heat is at 4PM. Very hilly as was promised. New Zealand is far hillier than the US and more akin to the UK. Today was another 85/85 day - 85 degrees (29C) and 85% humidity with mostly full sun. It was smashingly beautiful with a deep blue that makes the mountains stand out in 4D, but being on the move is the part that is hard. As I head south, it will cool down and the heat will eventually break; but I don't have time to sit and wait it out.
I opted to not follow the official detour route which involved side roads and stuck to NZ1 to Wellsford, then went along Hwy 16 to Helensville. In Kaukapakapa, I stopped for an ice cream cone – triple decker, and that helped. It melted so fast I had to ask for a cup to put it in. By 11:30AM, I was in Helensville where the ferry that wasn’t in season would have dropped me off. That completed the long and hilly detour, one that many of the bloggers previously noted they avoided if the ferry wasn’t working by hailing rides around the mess. So in my own way, I justify my start as a full north experience – having gone due west 50+km and having done 50+km more than expected on the detour, I’m equal in kms to the official Tour.
With my Garmin bike GPS, I was back on the regular route and followed this 51km to Mt. Eden in Auckland. Within 25km of Mt. Eden, there was a flat cycle path that alternated between being a bike lane on a busy street or a bike-only path along a highway. The flatness and the wind at my back let me pick up my pace to 25km/hr or more. It felt great…until it didn’t. I hit the wall about 5km before the end. Perhaps I overheated. In any case, I sought shade, something surprisingly hard to do along the bike path in downtown Auckland, and eventually stopped at a few shops to pick up strawberry milk one place and an apple turnover in another. Anything for a little a/c. Rested for 45 minutes, getting out of the spanking sun, then I mostly walked my bike the 3km to the top of Mt. Eden. This was plausible and not too embarrassing as the incline was steep. Got a control point picture. Enjoyed the view; but only somewhat as I was still hot. With internet on top of the mountain, I made a lodging reservation within 3km of where I was despite it being only 4PM. I was spent and done for the day.
Ended up staying at a backpacker’s hostel called Oakland’s Lodge. Paid extra for my own room with shared showers and bathrooms. Locked up my bike in a shed in the back. Asked for a fan. Put it on me in my hot little hamlet and it felt good. Showered. Washed my clothes and hung them to drip dry. Had my wife call me as my calls out on Verizon have Germans talking in the background like some sort of 1940s rural party line. I bought some bananas and yogurt and a beer – a Super Charger APA from Panhead Brewing out of Wellington before having a lamb kebab dinner with salad and rice.
1/30/20 - Private Mineral Springs Whirlpool Soothes the Sore Spots
On the road at 7AM, I followed the Garmin GPS through a much tougher route out of Auckland than the Northwest Cycle Path that took me into the city yesterday. Without the Garmin, I would be in a world of hurt. As is, I still managed to get lost and added an extra 5-8km in following a cycle path that led to a waterfront. Just not the one I was looking for on the outskirts of Auckland past the airport.
In trying to “find” the route, the Garmin sucked up a lot of battery power and became confused. So I turned to my phone which did a better job, to a point. The phone kept cutting to advertising for some weird reason which slowed my progress. Eventually the combo of both devices got me back on the right path but did route me on the direct access and not the coastal access to Miranda Hot Springs. The coastal route was noted as being lovely while the hilly route was “Baaaaaaaa” in a good way…as it cut through forests and offered sun cover in spots, lots of cows and even some vocal sheep.
I re-provisioned only once today, early on at a grocery store where I picked up an L&P lemon lime soda – a liter for only NZ$1, and some muffins and breads. Having a hard time finding electrolytes. Took a rest break at about 90km in the heat of the day when my water supply was fading and my Garmin was almost out of juice. Recharged the Garmin and laid down by a stream. It was here I lost my helmet visor.
On the outskirts of Miranda, I stopped at a small shop and bought a funky apricot cucumber and drank some free cold water. Oh that felt good. People were coming into the open-air store, whining about the heat and humidity. Try biking in it for eight hours. More gravel roads led me to a Bookings.com house stay in an apartment tied into the main house. I arrived early (3PM) and hung out until the guests arrived with their two parrots, a family of brown cows, a mother hen and eight chicks and lots of pesky flies.
So today’s wrap is about 115km and probably only 900 meters of climbing. It was an easy day in terms of wind and terrain sans the heat & humidity. With limited services in the area, I unpacked, jumped naked into my own mineral springs whirlpool perched on my private deck outside. There’s a public version of a springs bathing complex about 5km off, but this equally soothes my chaffed spots. The apartment is lovely. Mini-kitchen, lovely bathroom, great views of the water and surrounding mountains and interesting animals. I had some tea while doing some planning, then went back into the whirlpool after darkness settled in to enjoy views of the stars.
On the road at 7AM, I followed the Garmin GPS through a much tougher route out of Auckland than the Northwest Cycle Path that took me into the city yesterday. Without the Garmin, I would be in a world of hurt. As is, I still managed to get lost and added an extra 5-8km in following a cycle path that led to a waterfront. Just not the one I was looking for on the outskirts of Auckland past the airport.
In trying to “find” the route, the Garmin sucked up a lot of battery power and became confused. So I turned to my phone which did a better job, to a point. The phone kept cutting to advertising for some weird reason which slowed my progress. Eventually the combo of both devices got me back on the right path but did route me on the direct access and not the coastal access to Miranda Hot Springs. The coastal route was noted as being lovely while the hilly route was “Baaaaaaaa” in a good way…as it cut through forests and offered sun cover in spots, lots of cows and even some vocal sheep.
I re-provisioned only once today, early on at a grocery store where I picked up an L&P lemon lime soda – a liter for only NZ$1, and some muffins and breads. Having a hard time finding electrolytes. Took a rest break at about 90km in the heat of the day when my water supply was fading and my Garmin was almost out of juice. Recharged the Garmin and laid down by a stream. It was here I lost my helmet visor.
On the outskirts of Miranda, I stopped at a small shop and bought a funky apricot cucumber and drank some free cold water. Oh that felt good. People were coming into the open-air store, whining about the heat and humidity. Try biking in it for eight hours. More gravel roads led me to a Bookings.com house stay in an apartment tied into the main house. I arrived early (3PM) and hung out until the guests arrived with their two parrots, a family of brown cows, a mother hen and eight chicks and lots of pesky flies.
So today’s wrap is about 115km and probably only 900 meters of climbing. It was an easy day in terms of wind and terrain sans the heat & humidity. With limited services in the area, I unpacked, jumped naked into my own mineral springs whirlpool perched on my private deck outside. There’s a public version of a springs bathing complex about 5km off, but this equally soothes my chaffed spots. The apartment is lovely. Mini-kitchen, lovely bathroom, great views of the water and surrounding mountains and interesting animals. I had some tea while doing some planning, then went back into the whirlpool after darkness settled in to enjoy views of the stars.
1/31/20 - Hanging out in Hobbitland
Today was my longest day of the ride to date at 147 kilometers achievable by the flatness of the terrain. The start was mostly on the Hauraki Rail Trail, about 60km of true flatness, partially within a wetlands area. That took me into Paeroa where the iconic three-story L&P soda bottle was a chance for a stop, a scone and some pictures (another control point picture stop).
The next stretch of 22km was to Te Aroha, which started me heading south. Stopped for lunch as the only customer in a pizzeria downtown and enjoyed the sodium, sweetness and tangy combo of an apricot chicken pizza. New Zealanders do more with apricots than any place I’ve visited (except perhaps Iran). While it cooked, I bought some supplies and did a walkabout to pay respects at the war memorial clock. As with the UK, most small towns in NZ have memorials for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in WWI and WWII. Both the Kiwis and Aussies proportionately suffered higher losses than the Brits and Americans in both wars.
The heat was picking up and my liquid consumption increased dramatically in the afternoon. 35km later and I was on the outskirts of Matamata where I stopped for 15 minutes at the Firth Tower Museum before riding into a Hobbit hole. The town’s tourist office (called i-SITE here) is constructed like a Hobbit hole. I had biked into Tolkien territory and was the Lord of my Rings if you consider my gear cassettes rings. Snapped a pic at another of the 30 photo control points that signify the Tour Aotearoa route. I never Lorded over the movies or books and chose not to partake in the pricy tours of film sights. Labored on 25km more to go to my farm stay south of Tirau. I did have a 6” sub at Subway and a glass of ice water. The condiments included beets which I gladly partook of. The water was really nice. First ice water in New Zealand I believe, made all the more precious since all my bike-laden liquids taste like hot soup.
At the A1 Trout Farmstay near Tirau, the lodging was lovely. Room that is, as the building was non-descript. The environs weren’t as stunning as those of yesterday, but once I showered, washed my clothes, chilled the beer and cleaned and refilled my water bottles, I went for the walk the owner lady recommended in the fields, past cows and their poop pies and gated fences, up and down several hills and to an overlook where the valley dropped to a vista of a meandering trout stream with a backdrop of limestone cliffs and funky looking trees that we don’t have in the US. There I had my chilled beer and communicated with a baby cow in the valley below by the river who appeared lost.
Back at the room by 8:30PM, I wrote in my diary and ate the “breakfast” the owner provided me for my dinner. This was ideal as I wanted to be on the road early…the fruit, bread, juice and milk hit the spot before bed at 10PM when my internet ghosted on me.
Today was my longest day of the ride to date at 147 kilometers achievable by the flatness of the terrain. The start was mostly on the Hauraki Rail Trail, about 60km of true flatness, partially within a wetlands area. That took me into Paeroa where the iconic three-story L&P soda bottle was a chance for a stop, a scone and some pictures (another control point picture stop).
The next stretch of 22km was to Te Aroha, which started me heading south. Stopped for lunch as the only customer in a pizzeria downtown and enjoyed the sodium, sweetness and tangy combo of an apricot chicken pizza. New Zealanders do more with apricots than any place I’ve visited (except perhaps Iran). While it cooked, I bought some supplies and did a walkabout to pay respects at the war memorial clock. As with the UK, most small towns in NZ have memorials for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in WWI and WWII. Both the Kiwis and Aussies proportionately suffered higher losses than the Brits and Americans in both wars.
The heat was picking up and my liquid consumption increased dramatically in the afternoon. 35km later and I was on the outskirts of Matamata where I stopped for 15 minutes at the Firth Tower Museum before riding into a Hobbit hole. The town’s tourist office (called i-SITE here) is constructed like a Hobbit hole. I had biked into Tolkien territory and was the Lord of my Rings if you consider my gear cassettes rings. Snapped a pic at another of the 30 photo control points that signify the Tour Aotearoa route. I never Lorded over the movies or books and chose not to partake in the pricy tours of film sights. Labored on 25km more to go to my farm stay south of Tirau. I did have a 6” sub at Subway and a glass of ice water. The condiments included beets which I gladly partook of. The water was really nice. First ice water in New Zealand I believe, made all the more precious since all my bike-laden liquids taste like hot soup.
At the A1 Trout Farmstay near Tirau, the lodging was lovely. Room that is, as the building was non-descript. The environs weren’t as stunning as those of yesterday, but once I showered, washed my clothes, chilled the beer and cleaned and refilled my water bottles, I went for the walk the owner lady recommended in the fields, past cows and their poop pies and gated fences, up and down several hills and to an overlook where the valley dropped to a vista of a meandering trout stream with a backdrop of limestone cliffs and funky looking trees that we don’t have in the US. There I had my chilled beer and communicated with a baby cow in the valley below by the river who appeared lost.
Back at the room by 8:30PM, I wrote in my diary and ate the “breakfast” the owner provided me for my dinner. This was ideal as I wanted to be on the road early…the fruit, bread, juice and milk hit the spot before bed at 10PM when my internet ghosted on me.
2/1/20 - Zorbing in Rotorua
I deviated from the Tour today, heading to the hot geothermal area of Rotoroa for some touristy stuff. From there, so long as the heat wave sticks, I will pick and choose a southerly route with close proximity to water and some interesting sights and lodging along the way over the more rustic and less supplied official Tour route. Too dangerous to deviate from services in this weather.
The lodging lady nicely brought me scrambled eggs this morning for an extra breakfast. She also apologized for turning off the internet at 10PM as her two pre-teen sons otherwise wouldn’t go to bed. Riddle solved on why I lost communication last night.
Today was an “off day” for biking with only 49km (31miles) before 10:30AM to get me into the touristy hot springs trap of Rotorua where I saw the natural stuff and Māori culture scene my family saw in 2004. The ride started out hard with 550 meters of climbing in the first 20km. In American, that is 1,700ft in 12 miles. Thankfully it was cool and the sun was not yet high enough to make a difference. Then the last 30km was mostly downhill. With a tailwind, I made good speed for my fat bike, averaging about 19km/hr.
My plan for Rotorua was to see some of the touristy sights in the afternoon and evening. I had not booked lodging as there was plenty of availability. Before securing a mediocre 1950s-like motor inn close to downtown, I passed the Zorbing attraction my youngest son and I did in 2004. A Zorb is a massively oversized golf-ball of clear material with a whole in the center. To go Zorbing, you are taken to the top of a hill, crawl into the ball and get set free. I chose the zig-zag ove the straight descent course. Dressed only in my biking trunks, I rode a van to the top of the hill. Jumped into the clear ball and sat in four inches of warm water. Given a Go Pro camera, I filmed myself on the way down (so I could purchase it later if desired for NZ $50 along with some still photos). It was too windy for me to be released, so I waited five minutes in the Zorb until things mellowed enough for me to go. I asked to be strapped down with the provided interior straps so I could have the full body rollover effect. They refused. Too many folks vomited their apricot chicken pizzas, so I was stuck sloshing around with my butt on the bottom of the zorb.
After finding lodging and some food, I went on a long, 24,000 step walkabout. It got hot, quickly. Normal highs are 75F this time of year. Today it touched 89F. The sun was relentless as well. Conditions are drought-like dry which took the fizz and pop out of the thermal attractions like the mud pots and geisers. I did manage three more attractions after the Zorbing:
I deviated from the Tour today, heading to the hot geothermal area of Rotoroa for some touristy stuff. From there, so long as the heat wave sticks, I will pick and choose a southerly route with close proximity to water and some interesting sights and lodging along the way over the more rustic and less supplied official Tour route. Too dangerous to deviate from services in this weather.
The lodging lady nicely brought me scrambled eggs this morning for an extra breakfast. She also apologized for turning off the internet at 10PM as her two pre-teen sons otherwise wouldn’t go to bed. Riddle solved on why I lost communication last night.
Today was an “off day” for biking with only 49km (31miles) before 10:30AM to get me into the touristy hot springs trap of Rotorua where I saw the natural stuff and Māori culture scene my family saw in 2004. The ride started out hard with 550 meters of climbing in the first 20km. In American, that is 1,700ft in 12 miles. Thankfully it was cool and the sun was not yet high enough to make a difference. Then the last 30km was mostly downhill. With a tailwind, I made good speed for my fat bike, averaging about 19km/hr.
My plan for Rotorua was to see some of the touristy sights in the afternoon and evening. I had not booked lodging as there was plenty of availability. Before securing a mediocre 1950s-like motor inn close to downtown, I passed the Zorbing attraction my youngest son and I did in 2004. A Zorb is a massively oversized golf-ball of clear material with a whole in the center. To go Zorbing, you are taken to the top of a hill, crawl into the ball and get set free. I chose the zig-zag ove the straight descent course. Dressed only in my biking trunks, I rode a van to the top of the hill. Jumped into the clear ball and sat in four inches of warm water. Given a Go Pro camera, I filmed myself on the way down (so I could purchase it later if desired for NZ $50 along with some still photos). It was too windy for me to be released, so I waited five minutes in the Zorb until things mellowed enough for me to go. I asked to be strapped down with the provided interior straps so I could have the full body rollover effect. They refused. Too many folks vomited their apricot chicken pizzas, so I was stuck sloshing around with my butt on the bottom of the zorb.
After finding lodging and some food, I went on a long, 24,000 step walkabout. It got hot, quickly. Normal highs are 75F this time of year. Today it touched 89F. The sun was relentless as well. Conditions are drought-like dry which took the fizz and pop out of the thermal attractions like the mud pots and geisers. I did manage three more attractions after the Zorbing:
- Te Puia – the Maori culture, Geothermal wonder, kiwi exhibition and tourist trap all wrapped into one. I liked the mud pots and sole shooting geyser. The kiwi house was my chance to see kiwi, but the heat and humidity were so intense that the viewing glass was too steamed up to see anything. The guides profusely apologized. “This doesn’t happen here!” they blatantly blasted.
- The city’s Redwoods Visitor Centre where I did a 2.5 mile loop through some massive redwoods interspersed with ferns and other native NZ trees. Easy, level walk and well shaded, so it felt pleasant in the woods.
- After taking a bus back to the city center, I walked to the free Kuirau Park where there were some non-descript mud pots and boiling caldrons equal to the ticketed versions around the area.
2/2/20 - Only Lift of the Ride
Hugged civilization within grasp of H20 today, doing 115km with 950 meters of climbing to wrap up at 3:30PM in the small lakeside village of Hatepe. The roads were very narrow along lakes and bluffs. After reading some bloggers recommendations to skip this segment out of safety concerns, I hailed a cab to take me the last 20km into town. That proved a challenge. The first cab company I called from Taupo said the price would be NZ$30 and there would be someone there in 30 minutes. I waited an hour before calling, only to find I was misquoted on the price and it should have been NZ$175…plus there would be another half hour wait. I reluctantly agreed as I had secured non-refundable lodging in Turangi. Ten minutes later the company called and said the pickup was pushed back another 75 minutes. I was keeping my B&B hosts informed and the male in the couple said he would come get me. He did, quite nicely, and I paid him far more than he asked for but far less than the elevated cab fare. That put me in the B&B close to 7PM which didn’t leave much time to shower, wash my clothes, plan for the next day.
Back to the ride…today featured headwinds which is deflating. I stopped for some sights, food and to buy new sunglasses. The sights included Huka Falls and the Crater of the Moon geothermal area. The falls were only a 1.2km roundtrip detour off the road, were free and were worthwhile. The Crater stop was almost a 4km roundtrip detour with a nasty hill and entailed a two-mile hike after having locked my bike and stored my packs behind the admissions desk. Though there were a few noisy blowholes, there wasn’t much other activity. Too dry here. The last ‘attraction’, if one could call that, was the ride south of Taupo along the lake. The path was paved for about 10km right by the water and entailed crashing waves, nice people watching and temps that stayed below 80F for a change.
My food stop was at a large store in Taupo where I bought a 1kg tub yogurt (that’s 2.2 lbs, a gross amount of sugar but also plenty of protein and calcium and probiotics) and two packs of hot cross buns. The latter, along with scones, have been my NZ staple to date as much as Pop-Tarts were on the cross-USA trip. I’ve given up looking for a replacement bike visor. Instead, I used my Badger baseball cap which works well under my bike helmet. It looks super dorky, but it takes the glare off and protects my nose which is dealing with a bad sunburn.
I tallied my km to date and it is in just under 800kms for seven days of biking. That’s not great and I need to be a little better than that to finish in time unless I take more shortcuts. I may; but tomorrow I will try a 130km day to get back on the official Tour Aotearoa trail.
Hugged civilization within grasp of H20 today, doing 115km with 950 meters of climbing to wrap up at 3:30PM in the small lakeside village of Hatepe. The roads were very narrow along lakes and bluffs. After reading some bloggers recommendations to skip this segment out of safety concerns, I hailed a cab to take me the last 20km into town. That proved a challenge. The first cab company I called from Taupo said the price would be NZ$30 and there would be someone there in 30 minutes. I waited an hour before calling, only to find I was misquoted on the price and it should have been NZ$175…plus there would be another half hour wait. I reluctantly agreed as I had secured non-refundable lodging in Turangi. Ten minutes later the company called and said the pickup was pushed back another 75 minutes. I was keeping my B&B hosts informed and the male in the couple said he would come get me. He did, quite nicely, and I paid him far more than he asked for but far less than the elevated cab fare. That put me in the B&B close to 7PM which didn’t leave much time to shower, wash my clothes, plan for the next day.
Back to the ride…today featured headwinds which is deflating. I stopped for some sights, food and to buy new sunglasses. The sights included Huka Falls and the Crater of the Moon geothermal area. The falls were only a 1.2km roundtrip detour off the road, were free and were worthwhile. The Crater stop was almost a 4km roundtrip detour with a nasty hill and entailed a two-mile hike after having locked my bike and stored my packs behind the admissions desk. Though there were a few noisy blowholes, there wasn’t much other activity. Too dry here. The last ‘attraction’, if one could call that, was the ride south of Taupo along the lake. The path was paved for about 10km right by the water and entailed crashing waves, nice people watching and temps that stayed below 80F for a change.
My food stop was at a large store in Taupo where I bought a 1kg tub yogurt (that’s 2.2 lbs, a gross amount of sugar but also plenty of protein and calcium and probiotics) and two packs of hot cross buns. The latter, along with scones, have been my NZ staple to date as much as Pop-Tarts were on the cross-USA trip. I’ve given up looking for a replacement bike visor. Instead, I used my Badger baseball cap which works well under my bike helmet. It looks super dorky, but it takes the glare off and protects my nose which is dealing with a bad sunburn.
I tallied my km to date and it is in just under 800kms for seven days of biking. That’s not great and I need to be a little better than that to finish in time unless I take more shortcuts. I may; but tomorrow I will try a 130km day to get back on the official Tour Aotearoa trail.
2/3/20 - First Century Ride in NZ
Today proved an impromptu longest day of the Tour so far – 178km and 1,900 meters of climbing. I went from Turangi to Whanganui in a south by southwesterly route. I had intended on breaking off the highways at Raetihi and had permission to stay in a Catholic convent in the small hamlet of Jerusalem (not a joke), but this would have left me 55km more to get to Whanganui tomorrow in what was going to be a full facial wind. So I biked…and biked…from 6:30AM until 5:30PM with only a few breaks.
Sights today included passing through Tongariro National Park – a dual world center for its Mauri and volcanic sights. I only stopped to get a picture. The neat stuff was far off the trail. Apparently it is the Mountain of Doom for Lord of the Ring fans. I did three quick breaks for sights near Hwy 47 or NZ4:
Apart from these short stops, I broke a few times for liquids or food, increasingly as the day wore on and the heat ramped up. I fought a headwind much of the time that came out of the south to southwest. Most of the general terrain was pretty but not your typical NZ setting…big, bare brown hills absent of vegetation.
In Whanganui (NZ city names are often Mauri making them hard for me to pronounce, spell and remember. When in doubt, add an “i” and you will be alright), I biked past the first set of motels along the river’s edge, intent on staying in the city center area to do some shopping and treat myself to a dining experience. I got close to the i-Site before getting an internet connection and searched on Bookings.com for a place to stay. Found “The Grand Hotel”, a historical venue within walking distance of the happenings. Didn’t book – went to the hotel directly and they gave me NZ$10 more off, bringing the price to NZ$99 with breakfast. For the first time this trip, I was on the first floor (which is one floor up from street level) and got permission to bring my bike up to the room after petitioning that leaving the bike by the dining room as the attendant suggested was not a good idea.
I showered, washed my clothes and then set out for food and the only microbrewery in town. The Turkish place I chose had a kebab that was small and lacked needed veggies. Another km walk to Mothership, the local brewery, had a rather drab basement appearance for a ground level establishment with low ceilings. Had a flight with the pineapple beer winning out over the IPAs due to its refreshing crispness and sweetness. After acquiring more groceries, I went back to the room, updated my diary and planned the next few days. Didn’t get to bed until 10:30PM.
Health check: I’ve lost most of the feeling in the pinky and ring finger of both hands. Bummer. My right shoulder is okay if I am not pushing my bike. Sunburn on my nose and some soreness on my bottom from the first week of riding. Otherwise doing well and spirits are high.
Today proved an impromptu longest day of the Tour so far – 178km and 1,900 meters of climbing. I went from Turangi to Whanganui in a south by southwesterly route. I had intended on breaking off the highways at Raetihi and had permission to stay in a Catholic convent in the small hamlet of Jerusalem (not a joke), but this would have left me 55km more to get to Whanganui tomorrow in what was going to be a full facial wind. So I biked…and biked…from 6:30AM until 5:30PM with only a few breaks.
Sights today included passing through Tongariro National Park – a dual world center for its Mauri and volcanic sights. I only stopped to get a picture. The neat stuff was far off the trail. Apparently it is the Mountain of Doom for Lord of the Ring fans. I did three quick breaks for sights near Hwy 47 or NZ4:
- Opotaka – the remnants of a Mauri settlement that involved some archaeological excavation…though they took everything out from a reconstruction perspective, so apart from a beat up sign, there was nothing but clumps of dirt.
- Mauhuia Rapids – a pretty set of wedding cake falls and rapids with no signage whatsoever.
- Raukawa Falls – a pullover in the heat of the afternoon that offered a respite from the 30C heat. Falls were off in the distance. Here I met more friendly, bike-curious tourists. Kiwi’s and those who tourist here are a social lot with lots of questions.
Apart from these short stops, I broke a few times for liquids or food, increasingly as the day wore on and the heat ramped up. I fought a headwind much of the time that came out of the south to southwest. Most of the general terrain was pretty but not your typical NZ setting…big, bare brown hills absent of vegetation.
In Whanganui (NZ city names are often Mauri making them hard for me to pronounce, spell and remember. When in doubt, add an “i” and you will be alright), I biked past the first set of motels along the river’s edge, intent on staying in the city center area to do some shopping and treat myself to a dining experience. I got close to the i-Site before getting an internet connection and searched on Bookings.com for a place to stay. Found “The Grand Hotel”, a historical venue within walking distance of the happenings. Didn’t book – went to the hotel directly and they gave me NZ$10 more off, bringing the price to NZ$99 with breakfast. For the first time this trip, I was on the first floor (which is one floor up from street level) and got permission to bring my bike up to the room after petitioning that leaving the bike by the dining room as the attendant suggested was not a good idea.
I showered, washed my clothes and then set out for food and the only microbrewery in town. The Turkish place I chose had a kebab that was small and lacked needed veggies. Another km walk to Mothership, the local brewery, had a rather drab basement appearance for a ground level establishment with low ceilings. Had a flight with the pineapple beer winning out over the IPAs due to its refreshing crispness and sweetness. After acquiring more groceries, I went back to the room, updated my diary and planned the next few days. Didn’t get to bed until 10:30PM.
Health check: I’ve lost most of the feeling in the pinky and ring finger of both hands. Bummer. My right shoulder is okay if I am not pushing my bike. Sunburn on my nose and some soreness on my bottom from the first week of riding. Otherwise doing well and spirits are high.
2/4/20 - Birds over Rugby
I was very grateful for a strong tailwind for over half the ride today. Absent it, I would have struggled doing the meager 89km to get to Palmerston North. In summary: I started late, it was 31C by noon and I lacked energy and enthusiasm. Thankfully, I was at the Palmerston i-Site before 3PM. I got some tips on what to do and then relaxed in the air-conditioned building before deciding to call it a day on the bike. I had contemplated jumping over the mountain to get to the next city (30km away) but thought the better of it as I was not biking smartly and fatigue had settled in.
My late start was partially caused by having gone to bed later than normal and waking a few times during the night with a revisiting of jet lag. Had a big breakfast at the lodge that featured fruit cocktail and big bowls of muesli cereal and yogurt. I was still hungry an hour later.
I detoured from the Tour today, taking a more direct route to Palmerston North than recommended. I used Google’s routing which had me mostly off NZ highways. The minor roads were busy enough and required care. No stops of note today until settling into Palmerston, or should I call it Palmerstoni. I opted for another historical establishment close to downtown called The Masonic Hotel where I lugged bike and gear up in two trips to the “first” floor. Fan only, again. Did the trick however as the heat doesn’t linger here at night with a window open and the fan on. I like downtown lodging and sacrifice size and amenities for location. Can store my stuff before walking to get supplies and finding places to eat. I also like to meander about to see what calls to fame these smaller settings showcase.
I showered, washed and set out my clothes to dry and then visited the Te Manawa museum which included some historical stuff on early colonialization (not exciting), a display on wildlife including some stuffed birds (better) and an art gallery (so-so). It was somewhat air-conditioned, which was probably the best part. The attendant was surprised I chose birds and history over NZ’s national rugby museum located in the same building. Sick of water and soda, I had a tasty Tuatara Hazy IPA at BreweryApprentice.com before venturing back outside in the muggy conditions for a long walk along the Victoria Esplanade Gardens by the river. Bought supplies, then takeaway chicken biryani from an Afghan place near the hotel.
I walked past the hotel on the way back. Surprisingly, the bar part of the hotel on the first floor, which had been lively in the early afternoon, was all locked up. Only by chance did a man leaving the place see my confusion and tell me that the room key also unlocked the main door. Weird. Anyhow, back in my room, I did some planning for tomorrow and forced myself to go to bed by 9PM.
I was very grateful for a strong tailwind for over half the ride today. Absent it, I would have struggled doing the meager 89km to get to Palmerston North. In summary: I started late, it was 31C by noon and I lacked energy and enthusiasm. Thankfully, I was at the Palmerston i-Site before 3PM. I got some tips on what to do and then relaxed in the air-conditioned building before deciding to call it a day on the bike. I had contemplated jumping over the mountain to get to the next city (30km away) but thought the better of it as I was not biking smartly and fatigue had settled in.
My late start was partially caused by having gone to bed later than normal and waking a few times during the night with a revisiting of jet lag. Had a big breakfast at the lodge that featured fruit cocktail and big bowls of muesli cereal and yogurt. I was still hungry an hour later.
I detoured from the Tour today, taking a more direct route to Palmerston North than recommended. I used Google’s routing which had me mostly off NZ highways. The minor roads were busy enough and required care. No stops of note today until settling into Palmerston, or should I call it Palmerstoni. I opted for another historical establishment close to downtown called The Masonic Hotel where I lugged bike and gear up in two trips to the “first” floor. Fan only, again. Did the trick however as the heat doesn’t linger here at night with a window open and the fan on. I like downtown lodging and sacrifice size and amenities for location. Can store my stuff before walking to get supplies and finding places to eat. I also like to meander about to see what calls to fame these smaller settings showcase.
I showered, washed and set out my clothes to dry and then visited the Te Manawa museum which included some historical stuff on early colonialization (not exciting), a display on wildlife including some stuffed birds (better) and an art gallery (so-so). It was somewhat air-conditioned, which was probably the best part. The attendant was surprised I chose birds and history over NZ’s national rugby museum located in the same building. Sick of water and soda, I had a tasty Tuatara Hazy IPA at BreweryApprentice.com before venturing back outside in the muggy conditions for a long walk along the Victoria Esplanade Gardens by the river. Bought supplies, then takeaway chicken biryani from an Afghan place near the hotel.
I walked past the hotel on the way back. Surprisingly, the bar part of the hotel on the first floor, which had been lively in the early afternoon, was all locked up. Only by chance did a man leaving the place see my confusion and tell me that the room key also unlocked the main door. Weird. Anyhow, back in my room, I did some planning for tomorrow and forced myself to go to bed by 9PM.
2/5/20 - Attacked by a Giant Kiwi Bird
Today was the coolest day weather-wise so far on this trip. Though it sprinkled on occasion, the temps probably never got over 22C(72F)…over 15F cooler than yesterday. I didn’t tire as a result. It helped the terrain, after some heavy hills early on, was mostly flat with the wind more at my back than in my face. All in, it was the second longest distance day at 148km, ending up in Featherston.
I started out at 6:30AM sharp, taking 45 minutes to prep and move my stuff down from the first floor to the ground floor and out of the building. I followed the Tour trail again, using the bike Garmin to guide my path. When it works, I like it. It took me on a lovely gravel road, something my Trek 1120 is built for, and I glided without traffic past many fields of sheep and cows. Beautiful rolling and choppy hills, farms sprinkled throughout. Just lovely. Cooler temps mean I’m not fighting the elements and can enjoy things a bit more.
In the town of Eketahuna, I took the most iconic pic of the trip of me getting skewered by a giant kiwi bird in a very sensitive male organ. This was one of the 30 required photo shoots for the Tour (but since I missed the first one at the tip of the north island, I’m not axed to get all the rest). Almost left my water bottle behind here as it served as a backstop for my camera. I actually did leave it but noticed after a few km and biked back to pick it up. It was still there, resting on the post. That was one of my two Ride Across Britain 2017 water bottles, so it has sentimental spirit. Never mind that the nipple is getting frayed and probably past its useful life. It has a story to tell, and old folks like me respect that in a water bottle.
The only big stop of the day was Pukaha National Wildlife Centre. The attendant there was also super helpful in letting me stow my bike in a computer equipment closet while I spent an hour meandering through the woods and fenced areas to see birds. I clopped around in my red biking shoes on the wire-mesh covered wooden walkways, seeking birds in the forests and large exhibit cages. My clopping couldn’t have aided my bird sighting. I sounded like some Dutch dude from the 1800s. True to most TripAdvisor reviews, the place was so-so, The natural setting was so effective, most of the birds couldn’t be seen. Exception was the very white and surprisingly large northern kiwi which I saw through thick darkened glass in a setup similar to that of Rotarua but with less humidity and fogginess in the glass. So I bagged the only kiwi (animal version) of the trip. Also saw some eels and a few species of birds. Just nice to do a mid-day walk and not feel I was melting.
In Masterton, I found a grocery store and bought some food for lunch and my drink “cocktail” of the last two days – an energy drink mixed with diet ginger ale and some water in a 2.5 liter Diet Coke container. Bad, bad bad, I know, but the fizz and caffeine hit the spot given conditions. I soon tired of this mix and shifted to a healthier mix as my intake declined with cooler temps.
From Masterton to Featherstone was a flat, slightly downhill route that went by quickly. NZ2 has shoulder and there were several small towns that the highway bisected that made for a visual diversion and slowed up traffic. I stopped at a few other brown sign spots (noting tourist attractions like in the US) along the way if they were within a km or two of the road. One was on the largest WWI training camp for NZ soldiers and a site of a large Japanese POW camp. Several memorials there reminded me of how fortunate I am to have grown up without having to serve in the military and without witnessing an all-out world war.
In Featherstone at 5PM, The Royal Hotel was the only choice available in the downtown area and this 120-year old structure marked my third night in a row staying in centenarian quarters or older. In each case, I had a first floor room one level off the ground and got my weights workout lugging panniers, liquids and bike up the steps. The Royal is the most regal of the three. I took pictures as proof. It has a poofy Victorian B&B look to it, but missing all the cutesy knick-knacks and pithy sayings on the dressers and walls. I paid NZ$30 more to have a private bath so I could wash my stuff and not have a long groggy walk down a dark hallway during the night when nature called. Settled in, got the lay of the land and purchased food, ate and planned for tomorrow, including purchasing ferry passage for the south island and lodging for a partial night’s stay tomorrow night in Wellington.
Today was the coolest day weather-wise so far on this trip. Though it sprinkled on occasion, the temps probably never got over 22C(72F)…over 15F cooler than yesterday. I didn’t tire as a result. It helped the terrain, after some heavy hills early on, was mostly flat with the wind more at my back than in my face. All in, it was the second longest distance day at 148km, ending up in Featherston.
I started out at 6:30AM sharp, taking 45 minutes to prep and move my stuff down from the first floor to the ground floor and out of the building. I followed the Tour trail again, using the bike Garmin to guide my path. When it works, I like it. It took me on a lovely gravel road, something my Trek 1120 is built for, and I glided without traffic past many fields of sheep and cows. Beautiful rolling and choppy hills, farms sprinkled throughout. Just lovely. Cooler temps mean I’m not fighting the elements and can enjoy things a bit more.
In the town of Eketahuna, I took the most iconic pic of the trip of me getting skewered by a giant kiwi bird in a very sensitive male organ. This was one of the 30 required photo shoots for the Tour (but since I missed the first one at the tip of the north island, I’m not axed to get all the rest). Almost left my water bottle behind here as it served as a backstop for my camera. I actually did leave it but noticed after a few km and biked back to pick it up. It was still there, resting on the post. That was one of my two Ride Across Britain 2017 water bottles, so it has sentimental spirit. Never mind that the nipple is getting frayed and probably past its useful life. It has a story to tell, and old folks like me respect that in a water bottle.
The only big stop of the day was Pukaha National Wildlife Centre. The attendant there was also super helpful in letting me stow my bike in a computer equipment closet while I spent an hour meandering through the woods and fenced areas to see birds. I clopped around in my red biking shoes on the wire-mesh covered wooden walkways, seeking birds in the forests and large exhibit cages. My clopping couldn’t have aided my bird sighting. I sounded like some Dutch dude from the 1800s. True to most TripAdvisor reviews, the place was so-so, The natural setting was so effective, most of the birds couldn’t be seen. Exception was the very white and surprisingly large northern kiwi which I saw through thick darkened glass in a setup similar to that of Rotarua but with less humidity and fogginess in the glass. So I bagged the only kiwi (animal version) of the trip. Also saw some eels and a few species of birds. Just nice to do a mid-day walk and not feel I was melting.
In Masterton, I found a grocery store and bought some food for lunch and my drink “cocktail” of the last two days – an energy drink mixed with diet ginger ale and some water in a 2.5 liter Diet Coke container. Bad, bad bad, I know, but the fizz and caffeine hit the spot given conditions. I soon tired of this mix and shifted to a healthier mix as my intake declined with cooler temps.
From Masterton to Featherstone was a flat, slightly downhill route that went by quickly. NZ2 has shoulder and there were several small towns that the highway bisected that made for a visual diversion and slowed up traffic. I stopped at a few other brown sign spots (noting tourist attractions like in the US) along the way if they were within a km or two of the road. One was on the largest WWI training camp for NZ soldiers and a site of a large Japanese POW camp. Several memorials there reminded me of how fortunate I am to have grown up without having to serve in the military and without witnessing an all-out world war.
In Featherstone at 5PM, The Royal Hotel was the only choice available in the downtown area and this 120-year old structure marked my third night in a row staying in centenarian quarters or older. In each case, I had a first floor room one level off the ground and got my weights workout lugging panniers, liquids and bike up the steps. The Royal is the most regal of the three. I took pictures as proof. It has a poofy Victorian B&B look to it, but missing all the cutesy knick-knacks and pithy sayings on the dressers and walls. I paid NZ$30 more to have a private bath so I could wash my stuff and not have a long groggy walk down a dark hallway during the night when nature called. Settled in, got the lay of the land and purchased food, ate and planned for tomorrow, including purchasing ferry passage for the south island and lodging for a partial night’s stay tomorrow night in Wellington.
2/6/20 - A Five Tunnel Rails-to-Trails Experience Gets Me Into Wellington
Today featured the most interesting bike ride of the trip and a wonderful, rather compressed, afternoon in New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington that rests on the south end of the North Island. Great weather facilitated the positive vibes with warm but not hot temps. I left the Royal Hotel at 6:30AM after finishing off a 1kg container of yoghurt and having some cookies. Never ask me to curtail sugar or fat on long-distance bike rides…yet I needed more/better carbs as this lacked sustenance. I tired early but didn’t bonk given a short ride of 82km.
It began with the Rimutaka Rail Trail. The name sounds innocent enough and had connotations of Wisconsin’s Elroy-Sparta rails-to-trails route due to it being a former railroad track converted into a multi-use trail with rail tunnels. It was harder and more enjoyable at the same time…five tunnels added diversity as did a lovely long swing bridge over a gorge. The challenging part was a 350-meter climb over 6km that I managed without dismounting (except for the rail tunnels and to read some of the brown signs). Signs claimed this is the steepest grade of any railroad anywhere. I was proud of have not walked any part of it and feel my legs adjusting to the bike, the hills and the heat and believe I can start doing more kms. Even put on my knee pads and managed a little single track on the Rimutaka which is not easy laden with 50+lbs of gear and liquid weighted towards the back. Lovely trail. Part of the Tour. Made me regret a bit not having done a few of the mountain biking trails in the northern island like the famous Timber Trail. Still feel I made the right choice given the heat and the weight on my bike from the liquids.
After about 25km of the Rimutaka trail, I passed alongside the hamlet of Te Marua. From there, it was a tailwind that took me into Wellington. The route got increasingly congested due to it being a national NZ holiday – Waitangi Day – commemorating the signing of the treaty between the European settlers and 500ish Māori chieftains (including a dozen women) in the mid-1800s. It was the perfect day to be in Wellington for this holiday as it tapped into the significance of the interaction between native and transplant. It also was a bad choice as buildings I would have liked to have visited like the Bee Hive government admin office and an old church were closed for the holiday.
Anyhow, I opted to follow Google and not the Tour directions today. That proved wise. The Tour would have had me snake in and out of residences, mixing in elevation that I wasn’t in the mood for. The Google route stayed flat and followed the river as it flowed on a gentle decline to the ocean along multi-use paths stuffed with people enjoying the holiday and the pleasant weather. It was very nice. As noted, I was somewhat tired and took more breaks than yesterday to eat.
The only disappointing thing today was in my booking.com lodging experience. Last night I booked the only available ferry slot for an early 2:30AM departure and secured cheap lodging in the downtown area. For about $50 US, it was a double room close to the ferry service. My intent was to arrive in the late AM, shower and stow my bike prior to exploring the city before going to bed early for a few hours of rest before rising for the ferry ride. As it was, I arrived at noon and found the “hotel” a glorified hostel with a rough crowd on a busy intersection. They would not store my bike nor would they let me check in early. Instead, they told me to lock it up outside on the street, a likely ticket to it being stripped. Tried without success to get out of the booking without a fee. Lesson learned. I ended up at a 1950ish with a single level that looked suitable for bikes and cleaned up before going exploring.
The loss of two hours in pursuit of lodging burned two hours of daylight and I missed some experiences, including the Wellington Museum. Still managed 18,000 steps over six hours before settling in for a few hours rest prior to the ferry connection. Started with visiting Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. This was a wonderfully modern explanation of the Maori culture, their interaction with nature, religious beliefs and some of their cultural heritage. I enjoyed the holographic movies on how the “natives” came to New Zealand 750ish years ago. There was a unique meeting room recently carved that incorporated many religions that fascinated me. Reading about the Treaty that led to Waitangi Day was also worthwhile. That was all on the fourth floor. The sixth floor had good views of the city. The second floor had a very interesting exhibit of Gallipoli that featured huge manikins (for lack of a better word) of soldiers, nurses and mothers impacted. Very good stories – graphic pictures and movies, some in 3D, were engaging. Could have spent more time there – especially on the nature displays that I skimmed too quickly. People watched along the harbor, then meandered through the Wellington Botanical Garden as it snaked down to the city. Free garden. Not great as the drought and excessive heat and humidity is sucking the beauty out of floral sites. Walked through an old cemetery to the Bee Hive, New Zealand’s Parliament building. Outside viewing only, it was architecturally intriguing and I now understand what the buzz is all about.
With darkness settling in, I had a flight of beers at Tuartara followed by a mango chicken dinner at a Malaysian restaurant on lively Cuba St. Portions were dainty, so I ate tomorrow’s planned breakfast on the way back to my hotel. In bed before 9PM.
Today featured the most interesting bike ride of the trip and a wonderful, rather compressed, afternoon in New Zealand’s capital city of Wellington that rests on the south end of the North Island. Great weather facilitated the positive vibes with warm but not hot temps. I left the Royal Hotel at 6:30AM after finishing off a 1kg container of yoghurt and having some cookies. Never ask me to curtail sugar or fat on long-distance bike rides…yet I needed more/better carbs as this lacked sustenance. I tired early but didn’t bonk given a short ride of 82km.
It began with the Rimutaka Rail Trail. The name sounds innocent enough and had connotations of Wisconsin’s Elroy-Sparta rails-to-trails route due to it being a former railroad track converted into a multi-use trail with rail tunnels. It was harder and more enjoyable at the same time…five tunnels added diversity as did a lovely long swing bridge over a gorge. The challenging part was a 350-meter climb over 6km that I managed without dismounting (except for the rail tunnels and to read some of the brown signs). Signs claimed this is the steepest grade of any railroad anywhere. I was proud of have not walked any part of it and feel my legs adjusting to the bike, the hills and the heat and believe I can start doing more kms. Even put on my knee pads and managed a little single track on the Rimutaka which is not easy laden with 50+lbs of gear and liquid weighted towards the back. Lovely trail. Part of the Tour. Made me regret a bit not having done a few of the mountain biking trails in the northern island like the famous Timber Trail. Still feel I made the right choice given the heat and the weight on my bike from the liquids.
After about 25km of the Rimutaka trail, I passed alongside the hamlet of Te Marua. From there, it was a tailwind that took me into Wellington. The route got increasingly congested due to it being a national NZ holiday – Waitangi Day – commemorating the signing of the treaty between the European settlers and 500ish Māori chieftains (including a dozen women) in the mid-1800s. It was the perfect day to be in Wellington for this holiday as it tapped into the significance of the interaction between native and transplant. It also was a bad choice as buildings I would have liked to have visited like the Bee Hive government admin office and an old church were closed for the holiday.
Anyhow, I opted to follow Google and not the Tour directions today. That proved wise. The Tour would have had me snake in and out of residences, mixing in elevation that I wasn’t in the mood for. The Google route stayed flat and followed the river as it flowed on a gentle decline to the ocean along multi-use paths stuffed with people enjoying the holiday and the pleasant weather. It was very nice. As noted, I was somewhat tired and took more breaks than yesterday to eat.
The only disappointing thing today was in my booking.com lodging experience. Last night I booked the only available ferry slot for an early 2:30AM departure and secured cheap lodging in the downtown area. For about $50 US, it was a double room close to the ferry service. My intent was to arrive in the late AM, shower and stow my bike prior to exploring the city before going to bed early for a few hours of rest before rising for the ferry ride. As it was, I arrived at noon and found the “hotel” a glorified hostel with a rough crowd on a busy intersection. They would not store my bike nor would they let me check in early. Instead, they told me to lock it up outside on the street, a likely ticket to it being stripped. Tried without success to get out of the booking without a fee. Lesson learned. I ended up at a 1950ish with a single level that looked suitable for bikes and cleaned up before going exploring.
The loss of two hours in pursuit of lodging burned two hours of daylight and I missed some experiences, including the Wellington Museum. Still managed 18,000 steps over six hours before settling in for a few hours rest prior to the ferry connection. Started with visiting Te Papa, the Museum of New Zealand. This was a wonderfully modern explanation of the Maori culture, their interaction with nature, religious beliefs and some of their cultural heritage. I enjoyed the holographic movies on how the “natives” came to New Zealand 750ish years ago. There was a unique meeting room recently carved that incorporated many religions that fascinated me. Reading about the Treaty that led to Waitangi Day was also worthwhile. That was all on the fourth floor. The sixth floor had good views of the city. The second floor had a very interesting exhibit of Gallipoli that featured huge manikins (for lack of a better word) of soldiers, nurses and mothers impacted. Very good stories – graphic pictures and movies, some in 3D, were engaging. Could have spent more time there – especially on the nature displays that I skimmed too quickly. People watched along the harbor, then meandered through the Wellington Botanical Garden as it snaked down to the city. Free garden. Not great as the drought and excessive heat and humidity is sucking the beauty out of floral sites. Walked through an old cemetery to the Bee Hive, New Zealand’s Parliament building. Outside viewing only, it was architecturally intriguing and I now understand what the buzz is all about.
With darkness settling in, I had a flight of beers at Tuartara followed by a mango chicken dinner at a Malaysian restaurant on lively Cuba St. Portions were dainty, so I ate tomorrow’s planned breakfast on the way back to my hotel. In bed before 9PM.
2/7/20 - Night Crossing into the South Island
Today started off early – duly noted, I set two alarms – one phone, the other trying out my Garmin watch. The watch alarm was inadvertently set for noonish, not midnightish as needed. Yikes! Thanks to backup plans. The phone woke me up at 12:30AM as needed to catch the 2:30AM Bluebridge Ferry service from Wellington to Picton. I slept surprisingly well for those 3+ hours and woke refreshed. I prepped quickly, put on a second layer of clothes for warmth during the voyage and biked with lights on, cautiously, along the waterfront path. It was surprisingly quiet for 1AM on a holiday weekend. Arrived well in advance, got checked in and updated my diary before boarding at 1:30AM. The staff were helpful in telling me where to strap up my bike amidst the cars and lorries on the lower level. Then took the steps to a floor several levels up and found a floor spot on a quiet level for reserved cabins that had an open hallway. I laid down out of the way under a padded bench and got a few more hours of sleep on the 3.5 hour voyage. Enough to not be tired the rest of the day. I am glad I didn’t pay for a sleeper cabin as paying for three nights’ accommodations for one evening would have been a bit much.
I rolled out of the ferry’s holding bay at Picton at 6AM. Bikes get to leave first, but as it was dark and the narrow road soon filled with anxious lorry and car drivers looking to make time, I let the ferry disgorge while eating bakery product at a highly touted bakery. On the road by 6:30AM, Today offered five distinct climbs for approximately 1,300 meters of elevation gain and 112km of distance. No real sights along the way, though much of it was along the northern bay of the southern island and the water views were strikingly pretty. Weather proved great again with highs of about 24C after starting out at 12C. Unlike the UK which had minimal temp fluctuations during the day, New Zealand has offered about 20F variability which requires layer adjustments. I stopped a few times for food and drink and took one detour off the Tour – a chicken reroute for those with touring bikes or afraid of an intense 2,000 ft climb on single track. I’m in that camp, so I stuck to Highway 6 and got in a fair amount of climbing but more gradual descents. Not once did I get off to push my bike.
In Nelson at 2PM. Pictorially, the last two day have been a British Admiral Oreo. The two cookies (Wellington & Nelson) sandwich a cream filling that was the overnight ferry ride. I did what I intend to do from here on in providing there is sufficient availability…check bookings.com the night before to gauge lodging supply at likely end destinations (factoring in weather conditions like wind speed and direction as well as terrain along with any diversion stops). If limited, I may have to book and roll the dice. If ample, visit establishments once on-site and see if my gear can be stored in the room and ask for the best price. Nearly always that price is $10-20NZ lower than the on-line price.
Approaching Nelson, I cycled past the motels on the outskirts and found the cheapest non-“backpacker” place with an en suite bathroom – it was the Wakatu Hotel in the heart of downtown, a little ratty and noisy, lacked a hot water heater and even a fan, but was convenient and only $48US. Did the daily routine and was fully set to explore Nelson by 2:30PM.
I first went to the i-Site office and waited 10 minutes for a host, checking out some brochures and the internet for popular things to do simultaneously. Chose the following set with a bit of help:
“Pardon?” I replied.
“All the BEAST” she said again.
“All the what?”
“All the beast on your bike ride!” I’m still getting used to these accents.
Done with the church, it was after 8:30PM and getting dark. There was much lively activity in the restaurants and bars, but I eschewed that in favor of prepping for tomorrow and updating my diary. Didn’t get to bed until 10:30PM. It was lively and noisy outside at this time but shut down like clockwork at 11PM.
Today started off early – duly noted, I set two alarms – one phone, the other trying out my Garmin watch. The watch alarm was inadvertently set for noonish, not midnightish as needed. Yikes! Thanks to backup plans. The phone woke me up at 12:30AM as needed to catch the 2:30AM Bluebridge Ferry service from Wellington to Picton. I slept surprisingly well for those 3+ hours and woke refreshed. I prepped quickly, put on a second layer of clothes for warmth during the voyage and biked with lights on, cautiously, along the waterfront path. It was surprisingly quiet for 1AM on a holiday weekend. Arrived well in advance, got checked in and updated my diary before boarding at 1:30AM. The staff were helpful in telling me where to strap up my bike amidst the cars and lorries on the lower level. Then took the steps to a floor several levels up and found a floor spot on a quiet level for reserved cabins that had an open hallway. I laid down out of the way under a padded bench and got a few more hours of sleep on the 3.5 hour voyage. Enough to not be tired the rest of the day. I am glad I didn’t pay for a sleeper cabin as paying for three nights’ accommodations for one evening would have been a bit much.
I rolled out of the ferry’s holding bay at Picton at 6AM. Bikes get to leave first, but as it was dark and the narrow road soon filled with anxious lorry and car drivers looking to make time, I let the ferry disgorge while eating bakery product at a highly touted bakery. On the road by 6:30AM, Today offered five distinct climbs for approximately 1,300 meters of elevation gain and 112km of distance. No real sights along the way, though much of it was along the northern bay of the southern island and the water views were strikingly pretty. Weather proved great again with highs of about 24C after starting out at 12C. Unlike the UK which had minimal temp fluctuations during the day, New Zealand has offered about 20F variability which requires layer adjustments. I stopped a few times for food and drink and took one detour off the Tour – a chicken reroute for those with touring bikes or afraid of an intense 2,000 ft climb on single track. I’m in that camp, so I stuck to Highway 6 and got in a fair amount of climbing but more gradual descents. Not once did I get off to push my bike.
In Nelson at 2PM. Pictorially, the last two day have been a British Admiral Oreo. The two cookies (Wellington & Nelson) sandwich a cream filling that was the overnight ferry ride. I did what I intend to do from here on in providing there is sufficient availability…check bookings.com the night before to gauge lodging supply at likely end destinations (factoring in weather conditions like wind speed and direction as well as terrain along with any diversion stops). If limited, I may have to book and roll the dice. If ample, visit establishments once on-site and see if my gear can be stored in the room and ask for the best price. Nearly always that price is $10-20NZ lower than the on-line price.
Approaching Nelson, I cycled past the motels on the outskirts and found the cheapest non-“backpacker” place with an en suite bathroom – it was the Wakatu Hotel in the heart of downtown, a little ratty and noisy, lacked a hot water heater and even a fan, but was convenient and only $48US. Did the daily routine and was fully set to explore Nelson by 2:30PM.
I first went to the i-Site office and waited 10 minutes for a host, checking out some brochures and the internet for popular things to do simultaneously. Chose the following set with a bit of help:
- Founders Heritage Park- an early 1900s recreation with 30ish buildings tightly packed together in a mostly open field. Attractive, but empty with no docents to interact with and offer stories. I liked the exhibit on early brewing. After the walkabout, I sat down and had “a” beer at the park’s on-site brewery. I was one of two clients. Liters were Happy Hour priced at NZ$14 – a good deal when most pints (roughly half the size) are NZ$11-$13. I chose the hoppiest IPA coming in at a manageable 4.8% ABV and sat in the semi-shade and did some planning for tomorrow. Beer went down easy and didn’t hit me. While there, one of the server ladies saw my Milwaukee Marathon jersey and struck up a conversation. The “where ya’ from?” “watcha doing?” stuff. When I noted my bike ride across both islands, she expressed admiration for folks who did that.
“Pardon?” I replied.
“All the BEAST” she said again.
“All the what?”
“All the beast on your bike ride!” I’m still getting used to these accents.
- I did a loop trail walk back to town, ascending via switchbacks up a steep hill to the “Geographic Center of New Zealand” in a spot offering great views of Nelson, its’ harbor and the surrounding mountains. Came back through another botanical gardens, this one called “Queens Gardens”. Meager, drought-diminished diaspora of daffodils mostly. The ducks and swans in the ponds were more interesting.
- Picked up food and ate dinner in my hotel room, then went back out for a six block walk to “Nelson’s Cathedral”. Set on a high hill overlooking the downtown area, this Anglican building combined austerity on the outside with beautiful stained-glass windows. It also included a labyrinth and most impressively, lit metal objects including stairs ascending to the ceiling, suspended on a thin wire from the top. I liked that the most, though walking the labyrinth was meditative. Almost like ascending into heaven.
Done with the church, it was after 8:30PM and getting dark. There was much lively activity in the restaurants and bars, but I eschewed that in favor of prepping for tomorrow and updating my diary. Didn’t get to bed until 10:30PM. It was lively and noisy outside at this time but shut down like clockwork at 11PM.
2/8/20 - Smart Biker Boys Know Their Geography
Today was hard. I managed 141km and probably 900 meters of climbing, but the winds were mostly fully facial at an average of 17km/hr with gusts up to 45km/hr. There were times on flats, despite earnest pedaling, I struggled to do 10-11km/hr (that’s 6-7mph). Unreal. I ended up being on the bike for most of my 10.5 hour ride today and was uncertain the end destination in Murchison was doable more than once. Oddly enough, it began to rain at 4PM for a half hour. This proved helpful as it cooled me off and gave me something apart from the wind to stew on. The shower was the only real rain I’ve had on this trip, attesting to the drought the country is going through. (postscript: I had no more rain until the day after I finished the ride). I was happy the last 30km today were mostly downhill, following a river that snaked between two mountain ranges on both sides.
The day started off a little late – departed at 7AM from the hotel. Had difficulties finding the Great Taste Cycle Trail coming out of Nelson. Friendly natives outsmarted Garmin today in getting me on the flattish cycle pathway. It took me through Richmond and Wakefield and in the direction of Tapawera. Back to names I struggle pronouncing. The zig-zag directions on the Tour were noticeable today given the winds.
As for highlights for the day, three stick out:
Once in Murchison, I mumbled a prayer of thanks for making it through nature’s challenges today and attempted to negotiate more benign headwinds in the future. I checked into my motel room, made some hot tea and then proceeded to do the post-ride ritual. Done with this close to 6:30PM, I walked the 1km to the Four Square grocery store in town for supplies. Instead of doing dinner out (there were options), I chose instead to capitalize on my room microwave, a less sure thing in New Zealand than much of the first world. I bought some frozen lasagna patties and three ears of local sweet corn, washed these down with milk and a big can of creamed chocolate rice pudding.
In Reefton at 3:30PM, I was hoping to catch a mining museum staffed by “three old bearded men” as the tourist info on the website proudly proclaimed. It wasn’t open. Hair today, gone tomorrow I guess. The i-Site closed at 2PM on Sunday and the rest of the town seemed sleepy. Maybe they were all out moving their cows around. Afraid I’d be shut out of supplies, I quickly checked into my room at the Dawson Hotel and did the cleanup routine before going on a walkabout. The large grocery store in town was closed, but a small one manned by a nice Indian gentleman a few km from the motel was open. I resupplied, taking food back to my room where I ate on a cushioned chair on my deck while a curious yellow bird with white eye rings kept me company and seemed to relish the naan bread I gave it.
Today was hard. I managed 141km and probably 900 meters of climbing, but the winds were mostly fully facial at an average of 17km/hr with gusts up to 45km/hr. There were times on flats, despite earnest pedaling, I struggled to do 10-11km/hr (that’s 6-7mph). Unreal. I ended up being on the bike for most of my 10.5 hour ride today and was uncertain the end destination in Murchison was doable more than once. Oddly enough, it began to rain at 4PM for a half hour. This proved helpful as it cooled me off and gave me something apart from the wind to stew on. The shower was the only real rain I’ve had on this trip, attesting to the drought the country is going through. (postscript: I had no more rain until the day after I finished the ride). I was happy the last 30km today were mostly downhill, following a river that snaked between two mountain ranges on both sides.
The day started off a little late – departed at 7AM from the hotel. Had difficulties finding the Great Taste Cycle Trail coming out of Nelson. Friendly natives outsmarted Garmin today in getting me on the flattish cycle pathway. It took me through Richmond and Wakefield and in the direction of Tapawera. Back to names I struggle pronouncing. The zig-zag directions on the Tour were noticeable today given the winds.
As for highlights for the day, three stick out:
- TomTom cookies have been a staple on this trip for quick energy and spirit-lifting sugar highs. In Wakefield, some of my TomTom’s got so gooey they coagulated into a sticky thick brick. On eating, they attracted bees that were surprisingly aggressive. That was among the first experiences with insects on this trip which picked up with intensity the further I rolled down the South Island.
- I biked through Spooner’s Tunnel, the fifth largest railroad tunnel in the world, roughly 1,400 meters long and part of the Great Taste trail north of Wakefield. On my way in, I was reading some signs and some pre-teens on bikes came out of the tunnel biking towards me. The oldest, probably about 11 or 12 years old, looks at me and says, “Looks like we hyper-transplanted back to North America!” I was wearing my FHLB Chicago biking jersey with the words “Chicago” in big letters on the front. Smart kid.
- Right before getting on NZ6, I was snaking through some woods. Winds were blowing hard. I hear a loud “crack” and come to a stop. Lightning? Car accident in the distance? I look around. Nope. A large dead tree snapped apart and a widowmaker (a very large limb from this tree) fell off and came crashing to the ground about 10 meters behind me. Fortunate to have not been a wee bit further back.
Once in Murchison, I mumbled a prayer of thanks for making it through nature’s challenges today and attempted to negotiate more benign headwinds in the future. I checked into my motel room, made some hot tea and then proceeded to do the post-ride ritual. Done with this close to 6:30PM, I walked the 1km to the Four Square grocery store in town for supplies. Instead of doing dinner out (there were options), I chose instead to capitalize on my room microwave, a less sure thing in New Zealand than much of the first world. I bought some frozen lasagna patties and three ears of local sweet corn, washed these down with milk and a big can of creamed chocolate rice pudding.
In Reefton at 3:30PM, I was hoping to catch a mining museum staffed by “three old bearded men” as the tourist info on the website proudly proclaimed. It wasn’t open. Hair today, gone tomorrow I guess. The i-Site closed at 2PM on Sunday and the rest of the town seemed sleepy. Maybe they were all out moving their cows around. Afraid I’d be shut out of supplies, I quickly checked into my room at the Dawson Hotel and did the cleanup routine before going on a walkabout. The large grocery store in town was closed, but a small one manned by a nice Indian gentleman a few km from the motel was open. I resupplied, taking food back to my room where I ate on a cushioned chair on my deck while a curious yellow bird with white eye rings kept me company and seemed to relish the naan bread I gave it.
2/9/20 - Communing with Cows
I communed with cows today in managing an “easy” 120km today with two very large climbs, getting me from Murchison to Reefton. As the crow flies, it wasn’t a great deal of southerly distance as the Tour path, which I followed to a T today, went mostly in a northwesterly direction.
Started a little before 7AM in fog and cold with temps of 4C. That’s nearly a 50F temp swing in less than two weeks. I felt it with numb fingers from the cold to pile on to the nerve numbness I’ve felt since day five. The roads were quiet for a Sunday in the country, but I may have to re-think the early starts if that sort of cold awaits me.
My two large climbs were part of 1,300 meters of lift today (4,100 ft). I did some walking but mostly ground it out in my granny gear. Neither of the two peaks, known as “saddles” were noted – Maruia and Rahu. I figured there would be a sign giving me satisfaction of climaxing before the descent…but no. Before the first of six stream crossings on the gravel track start on the Maruia Saddle ride, there was a herd of cows in a field that must have been bored. Things looked dry and desolate, so perhaps they had weak internet with no streaming services in this part of the valley. They eagerly followed me as I paused and snapped a picture of the dangers in attempting this ride. So I “moo’d” at the cows. They moo’d back. Then they got quiet. I “moo’d again” and they responded in kind. Did this a third time and filmed it. Probably only Gary Larson and me will find this funny.
Also on the Maruia Saddle, I’m approaching a one-lane bridge and suddenly a pickup truck blasts around a curve yelling at me. He screams “Get off the road!” I oblige. Behind him were a half dozen of the biggest cows I’ve ever seen (and I’m a Cheesehead and can vouch for their udderly hugeness.) The cows were barreling at me, being chased by a lady on an ATV and a couple of sheep dogs that were barking like crazy. All were attempting to keep the cows on the road and out of the stream and within the fence line. The cows weren’t having it as a few of them jumped a fence right by me and the dogs went berserk. After ten minutes, the dogs won over the ATV lady as all were across the bridge and far enough down the path that I could pass.
The ride down from Rahu Saddle was blissful. Though the winds had changed from yesterday and now blew out of the northwest (the direction I was heading for the last 25km), I was rolling downhill and through a beautiful forest full of wildflowers and ferns. Divine. I stopped a few times, once for the Inargalus Swingbridge or Bridge of Death. It was a really old rickety thing that swayed with just me on it. It came with a descriptive sign showing more than five people and collapse. Do I proceed? What does my loaded bike weigh? Pause. Deliberate. Look around. No other crossing options in sight but there was a campervan by the river from the rental service Live Juicy. On the side was the slogan “The Glass is Half Full – And the Other Half was Delicious”. Message received. I proceeded and had no issues.
In Reefton at 3:30PM, I was hoping to catch a mining museum staffed by “three old bearded men”. It wasn’t open. Hair today, gone tomorrow I guess. The rest of the town also seemed shut down. Perhaps they all had a herd mentality and were shuffling their cows around. I secured a room at the Dawson Hotel, then quickly picked up supplies for dinner before the store closed as well. I have a microwave, not something found frequently at my price point in this first world country often, so I took advantage of it. Had dinner and a beer outside my room facing a courtyard, with a curious yellow bird with white eye rings that kept me company and seemed to like my naan bread in particular.
I communed with cows today in managing an “easy” 120km today with two very large climbs, getting me from Murchison to Reefton. As the crow flies, it wasn’t a great deal of southerly distance as the Tour path, which I followed to a T today, went mostly in a northwesterly direction.
Started a little before 7AM in fog and cold with temps of 4C. That’s nearly a 50F temp swing in less than two weeks. I felt it with numb fingers from the cold to pile on to the nerve numbness I’ve felt since day five. The roads were quiet for a Sunday in the country, but I may have to re-think the early starts if that sort of cold awaits me.
My two large climbs were part of 1,300 meters of lift today (4,100 ft). I did some walking but mostly ground it out in my granny gear. Neither of the two peaks, known as “saddles” were noted – Maruia and Rahu. I figured there would be a sign giving me satisfaction of climaxing before the descent…but no. Before the first of six stream crossings on the gravel track start on the Maruia Saddle ride, there was a herd of cows in a field that must have been bored. Things looked dry and desolate, so perhaps they had weak internet with no streaming services in this part of the valley. They eagerly followed me as I paused and snapped a picture of the dangers in attempting this ride. So I “moo’d” at the cows. They moo’d back. Then they got quiet. I “moo’d again” and they responded in kind. Did this a third time and filmed it. Probably only Gary Larson and me will find this funny.
Also on the Maruia Saddle, I’m approaching a one-lane bridge and suddenly a pickup truck blasts around a curve yelling at me. He screams “Get off the road!” I oblige. Behind him were a half dozen of the biggest cows I’ve ever seen (and I’m a Cheesehead and can vouch for their udderly hugeness.) The cows were barreling at me, being chased by a lady on an ATV and a couple of sheep dogs that were barking like crazy. All were attempting to keep the cows on the road and out of the stream and within the fence line. The cows weren’t having it as a few of them jumped a fence right by me and the dogs went berserk. After ten minutes, the dogs won over the ATV lady as all were across the bridge and far enough down the path that I could pass.
The ride down from Rahu Saddle was blissful. Though the winds had changed from yesterday and now blew out of the northwest (the direction I was heading for the last 25km), I was rolling downhill and through a beautiful forest full of wildflowers and ferns. Divine. I stopped a few times, once for the Inargalus Swingbridge or Bridge of Death. It was a really old rickety thing that swayed with just me on it. It came with a descriptive sign showing more than five people and collapse. Do I proceed? What does my loaded bike weigh? Pause. Deliberate. Look around. No other crossing options in sight but there was a campervan by the river from the rental service Live Juicy. On the side was the slogan “The Glass is Half Full – And the Other Half was Delicious”. Message received. I proceeded and had no issues.
In Reefton at 3:30PM, I was hoping to catch a mining museum staffed by “three old bearded men”. It wasn’t open. Hair today, gone tomorrow I guess. The rest of the town also seemed shut down. Perhaps they all had a herd mentality and were shuffling their cows around. I secured a room at the Dawson Hotel, then quickly picked up supplies for dinner before the store closed as well. I have a microwave, not something found frequently at my price point in this first world country often, so I took advantage of it. Had dinner and a beer outside my room facing a courtyard, with a curious yellow bird with white eye rings that kept me company and seemed to like my naan bread in particular.
2/10/20 - Rescued by a Nice Mann
I had an unplanned bike issue today, the first and fortunately the only one on the trip. The day started after my frequent staple of 1kg of yoghurt for breakfast Layered up with all I carry – the ark of the bike with two of everything to combat the cold. I was warm enough, once I got going at 7AM. Ride started well. Mostly a gentle downhill grade to the ocean and the wind seemed to be a non-event. Did 30km in 90 minutes, a good pace for me with this bike, when suddenly “pop/pooff”, my rear tire went flat.
Served me right for thinking I was in a grove and in control of things. I pulled over to the side of NZ6 by some railroad tracks. My pinky and ring fingers remain numb, but I was able to get the rear tire off the bike and the tube and tire off the frame. I rolled over a large serrated object causing a puncture to the tire itself that was 1.25 inches long and glaring in the size of its gap, nearly leaving exposed the tube. Never encountered that before and I lacked a tire boot or a patch kit that could address that size of hole. I deliberated as I feared riding on would likely blow out my two spare tubes. I suppose I should have rotated my tires, putting the slashed one on my front which was supporting less weight, but that came as an afterthought. Instead and with good cell reception, I called Mann Cyclery in Greymouth and they came out with new tires and helped me get things set up. It took two hours, time to call my family and check work emails.
The Mann man was very helpful. A Mann angel if you will. He charged me roughly $100US to come out and another $45US for a new 2.3” tire. That is skinnier than the 3.0” tire it replaced but my heavy gravel days on this ride are behind me. Also contemplated shifting the thicker tire to the rear, but that tire has about 2,200km on it and is showing some signs of wear. So the new one went to the rear and had it pumped up to 30psi (of a range of 25—60psi). Once on, I moved faster than previously on average due to less friction (more like 20km/hr vs. 18km/hr on no-wind flats).
I altered the day’s objectives and opted to stay in Greymouth, the self-proclaimed “largest city on the south island’s west coast”. That’s rather specific, but it was nice enough. I stopped once before the town at the Brunner Mine Historic Site where there were good displays of what once was the largest coal mining site in the country and witness to the largest work disaster in NZ history when 67 miners lost their lives in a single accident. I locked up my bike, crossed the river on a long drawbridge and walked the site, read the panels and ate my trail mix lunch.
In Greymouth at 1:30PM, I first stopped at the i-Site to get a map, directions and a few suggestions. I went to Mann’s to pay for my tire and also bought a brighter rear light as tourist traffic will pick up in the next few days. I went to Monteith’s Brewery to sign up and pay for their next open tour (taking place 50 minutes hence). Our family toured and tasted Monteith’s and Speight’s Breweries when we visited in 2004, and this place looked nothing like what it did back then. Hugely bigger and more modern. After booking, I sought out lodging, turning down a cute B&B about 2km away on the other side of town for a slightly more expensive single room in a one-story motel located four minutes’ walk from the brewery. One never knows how good the tour will be. Paid for my room, dumped my stuff, showered, washed my clothes, changed and walked to the brewery in time for the tour start. The Canadian transplant Austin guided us and I was the only person to get all his quiz questions right. Hmmmmm. Probably not something Mom would have been proud of gossiping with her friends. We got to taste one beer on the tour and try out three others afterwards (8oz glass, so not that much beer spaced out over a few hours). Without any fruity beer option that was my humid North Island mainstay, cooler weather had me favor the velvet stout this afternoon.
With the tour and post-tour beers done by 4:30PM, I went on a walkabout for two hours. Notched about 18,500 steps in walking to a Tour control picture point, a spot at river’s edge where it disgorged into the ocean. Sat perplexed, failing to grasp the significance of this site. A recently restored pillbox was nearby that was more interesting. As I played a WWII New Zealand soldier on lookout for Japanese submarines surfacing in the shallow waters of the reef, I managed to see seals in the distance. Another relatively rare glimpse of nature from this island.
Walked back into town (this was 3km each way) and had part of my dinner at Subway. Chose the sub of the day – a 6” meatball for NZ$4.99, and wolfed down two of them quickly. Normally meatball would be far from my choice. These sodium bombs have too much fat and I lean towards vegetarianism, but I looked the other way. Hope you can too. I like NZ Subways…they have beets and sun-dried tomatoes for toppings. I mentioned that to the server (complimenting Subway for its variety) and he said “I bet you have many more options in America.” “Actually no” I responded truthfully, Then I went to the Cornerstone chain grocery store and bought more food and drink for the next day. Back to the room after 7PM, I did some planning, diary writing, etc.
I had an unplanned bike issue today, the first and fortunately the only one on the trip. The day started after my frequent staple of 1kg of yoghurt for breakfast Layered up with all I carry – the ark of the bike with two of everything to combat the cold. I was warm enough, once I got going at 7AM. Ride started well. Mostly a gentle downhill grade to the ocean and the wind seemed to be a non-event. Did 30km in 90 minutes, a good pace for me with this bike, when suddenly “pop/pooff”, my rear tire went flat.
Served me right for thinking I was in a grove and in control of things. I pulled over to the side of NZ6 by some railroad tracks. My pinky and ring fingers remain numb, but I was able to get the rear tire off the bike and the tube and tire off the frame. I rolled over a large serrated object causing a puncture to the tire itself that was 1.25 inches long and glaring in the size of its gap, nearly leaving exposed the tube. Never encountered that before and I lacked a tire boot or a patch kit that could address that size of hole. I deliberated as I feared riding on would likely blow out my two spare tubes. I suppose I should have rotated my tires, putting the slashed one on my front which was supporting less weight, but that came as an afterthought. Instead and with good cell reception, I called Mann Cyclery in Greymouth and they came out with new tires and helped me get things set up. It took two hours, time to call my family and check work emails.
The Mann man was very helpful. A Mann angel if you will. He charged me roughly $100US to come out and another $45US for a new 2.3” tire. That is skinnier than the 3.0” tire it replaced but my heavy gravel days on this ride are behind me. Also contemplated shifting the thicker tire to the rear, but that tire has about 2,200km on it and is showing some signs of wear. So the new one went to the rear and had it pumped up to 30psi (of a range of 25—60psi). Once on, I moved faster than previously on average due to less friction (more like 20km/hr vs. 18km/hr on no-wind flats).
I altered the day’s objectives and opted to stay in Greymouth, the self-proclaimed “largest city on the south island’s west coast”. That’s rather specific, but it was nice enough. I stopped once before the town at the Brunner Mine Historic Site where there were good displays of what once was the largest coal mining site in the country and witness to the largest work disaster in NZ history when 67 miners lost their lives in a single accident. I locked up my bike, crossed the river on a long drawbridge and walked the site, read the panels and ate my trail mix lunch.
In Greymouth at 1:30PM, I first stopped at the i-Site to get a map, directions and a few suggestions. I went to Mann’s to pay for my tire and also bought a brighter rear light as tourist traffic will pick up in the next few days. I went to Monteith’s Brewery to sign up and pay for their next open tour (taking place 50 minutes hence). Our family toured and tasted Monteith’s and Speight’s Breweries when we visited in 2004, and this place looked nothing like what it did back then. Hugely bigger and more modern. After booking, I sought out lodging, turning down a cute B&B about 2km away on the other side of town for a slightly more expensive single room in a one-story motel located four minutes’ walk from the brewery. One never knows how good the tour will be. Paid for my room, dumped my stuff, showered, washed my clothes, changed and walked to the brewery in time for the tour start. The Canadian transplant Austin guided us and I was the only person to get all his quiz questions right. Hmmmmm. Probably not something Mom would have been proud of gossiping with her friends. We got to taste one beer on the tour and try out three others afterwards (8oz glass, so not that much beer spaced out over a few hours). Without any fruity beer option that was my humid North Island mainstay, cooler weather had me favor the velvet stout this afternoon.
With the tour and post-tour beers done by 4:30PM, I went on a walkabout for two hours. Notched about 18,500 steps in walking to a Tour control picture point, a spot at river’s edge where it disgorged into the ocean. Sat perplexed, failing to grasp the significance of this site. A recently restored pillbox was nearby that was more interesting. As I played a WWII New Zealand soldier on lookout for Japanese submarines surfacing in the shallow waters of the reef, I managed to see seals in the distance. Another relatively rare glimpse of nature from this island.
Walked back into town (this was 3km each way) and had part of my dinner at Subway. Chose the sub of the day – a 6” meatball for NZ$4.99, and wolfed down two of them quickly. Normally meatball would be far from my choice. These sodium bombs have too much fat and I lean towards vegetarianism, but I looked the other way. Hope you can too. I like NZ Subways…they have beets and sun-dried tomatoes for toppings. I mentioned that to the server (complimenting Subway for its variety) and he said “I bet you have many more options in America.” “Actually no” I responded truthfully, Then I went to the Cornerstone chain grocery store and bought more food and drink for the next day. Back to the room after 7PM, I did some planning, diary writing, etc.
2/11/20 - The West Coast Wilderness Path...My Best Biking Day Ever
I’ve biked many places. Today was the most stunning and varied ride I’ve ever done. Hands down. The 132km West Coast Wilderness Path from Greymouth to Ross featured forests, flowers, mountains, roaring streams, canals, suspension bridges, birds, challenging hills, a series of over 20 switchbacks, etc. I’ve never seen anything like it. A sensory overload that still has me pumped and goosebumped as I wrap up recollections of the day this evening.
Some rides of distance offer brief “wow’s” for several miles interspersed by long sections of blandness. Nothing like this. There were small patches of on-road riding that were boring, but for the most part, over 100km of today’s ride was simply spectacular. It was the second time on the trip (the other being the long suspension bridge and tunnels) where I didn’t count the kilometers. It could have kept coming and coming. Billed as a “four-day ride”, I did it in a pleasant ten hours.
It helped the weather was Goldilocks’ perfect. A little too cloudy to start the day, but warmer than yesterday. The temps never crested more than 20C and humidity levels were low. This kept my total liquid consumption to under one full water bottle. Never cold. Just right. Baby Bear sort of porridge perfect. Wind was a little in my face, but it was mild and not an issue.
Top highlights? No one thing, but the stretch of ride in the bush with a fast-flowing canal on one side with ferns hanging over head and a roaring river on the other with palm trees in between probably topped things. It came after the halfway point at Cowboy Paradise near the signage that discussed the Alpine Fault that the trail followed. That setting stuck for a few miles. Inconceivable.
The last 10km was straight and flat. Part of the boring part, but it came at day’s end after my bike Garmin had run out of juice. Once I got into Ross at 5PM, I was winging it for accommodation and found The Ross Motel where the nice gentlemen gave me a deal for NZ$100. The room is pleasant with plenty of room and a kitchenette. Hot chocolate won out over beer tonight.
After cleanup and phone calls, I walked to the only store in town with a heavy Chinese influence. No bread-like products and I couldn’t discern the labels on most things as they were in Chinese. Resorted to acquiring what I could decipher which was a box of cereal and a can of rice pudding. Dinner was at “The Historic Empire Hotel”. A very downhome interior with money clipped to the ceiling (a step up from lingerie) and locals getting hammered on a Monday night. I ate out because this place featured a “NZ$25 all you can eat seafood buffet”. First buffet I’ve come across in NZ and there was no other eating out option in town. Oddly, the only seafood served was a chowder soup. Otherwise, pretty plain ‘trucker fare.” Lots of meats which I stomached but didn’t relish and also copious platters of overcooked, bland peas and carrots. It was forced feeding and not pleasant. Did a walk to Ross Lake where I filmed some ducks so big they reminded me of turkeys. Next I walked 2.5km to the ocean beach, drank a Pepsi Max Vanilla, my only caffeine for the day, and watched the sunset and listened to the waves crash around. Fitting end to the very nice day.
The restaurant guests included many motorcyclists on their own tour. They ran on gas (partially from dining establishments). I ran on TomTom’s, hot cross buns and pedal power. I haven’t pointed out other bicyclists in these writings because I don’t see many…it confuses me too. Before coming here, I was told New Zealand roads are not the most biker-friendly due to shallow shoulders (if at all). The Tour Aotearoa route tries to keep riders off the busy roads to appreciate the mountain biking and gravel highlights of this beautiful country. It does this well, but on both the trails and the main roads, the cyclists I see are mostly those on short rides from their homes and not tourers like me.
I’ve biked many places. Today was the most stunning and varied ride I’ve ever done. Hands down. The 132km West Coast Wilderness Path from Greymouth to Ross featured forests, flowers, mountains, roaring streams, canals, suspension bridges, birds, challenging hills, a series of over 20 switchbacks, etc. I’ve never seen anything like it. A sensory overload that still has me pumped and goosebumped as I wrap up recollections of the day this evening.
Some rides of distance offer brief “wow’s” for several miles interspersed by long sections of blandness. Nothing like this. There were small patches of on-road riding that were boring, but for the most part, over 100km of today’s ride was simply spectacular. It was the second time on the trip (the other being the long suspension bridge and tunnels) where I didn’t count the kilometers. It could have kept coming and coming. Billed as a “four-day ride”, I did it in a pleasant ten hours.
It helped the weather was Goldilocks’ perfect. A little too cloudy to start the day, but warmer than yesterday. The temps never crested more than 20C and humidity levels were low. This kept my total liquid consumption to under one full water bottle. Never cold. Just right. Baby Bear sort of porridge perfect. Wind was a little in my face, but it was mild and not an issue.
Top highlights? No one thing, but the stretch of ride in the bush with a fast-flowing canal on one side with ferns hanging over head and a roaring river on the other with palm trees in between probably topped things. It came after the halfway point at Cowboy Paradise near the signage that discussed the Alpine Fault that the trail followed. That setting stuck for a few miles. Inconceivable.
The last 10km was straight and flat. Part of the boring part, but it came at day’s end after my bike Garmin had run out of juice. Once I got into Ross at 5PM, I was winging it for accommodation and found The Ross Motel where the nice gentlemen gave me a deal for NZ$100. The room is pleasant with plenty of room and a kitchenette. Hot chocolate won out over beer tonight.
After cleanup and phone calls, I walked to the only store in town with a heavy Chinese influence. No bread-like products and I couldn’t discern the labels on most things as they were in Chinese. Resorted to acquiring what I could decipher which was a box of cereal and a can of rice pudding. Dinner was at “The Historic Empire Hotel”. A very downhome interior with money clipped to the ceiling (a step up from lingerie) and locals getting hammered on a Monday night. I ate out because this place featured a “NZ$25 all you can eat seafood buffet”. First buffet I’ve come across in NZ and there was no other eating out option in town. Oddly, the only seafood served was a chowder soup. Otherwise, pretty plain ‘trucker fare.” Lots of meats which I stomached but didn’t relish and also copious platters of overcooked, bland peas and carrots. It was forced feeding and not pleasant. Did a walk to Ross Lake where I filmed some ducks so big they reminded me of turkeys. Next I walked 2.5km to the ocean beach, drank a Pepsi Max Vanilla, my only caffeine for the day, and watched the sunset and listened to the waves crash around. Fitting end to the very nice day.
The restaurant guests included many motorcyclists on their own tour. They ran on gas (partially from dining establishments). I ran on TomTom’s, hot cross buns and pedal power. I haven’t pointed out other bicyclists in these writings because I don’t see many…it confuses me too. Before coming here, I was told New Zealand roads are not the most biker-friendly due to shallow shoulders (if at all). The Tour Aotearoa route tries to keep riders off the busy roads to appreciate the mountain biking and gravel highlights of this beautiful country. It does this well, but on both the trails and the main roads, the cyclists I see are mostly those on short rides from their homes and not tourers like me.
2/12/20 - A Foxy Glacier
Today is my oldest son’s 25th birthday. I called him this afternoon while walking to the Fox Glacier lookout and got voice mail. It is hard to stay connected with a 19 hour time difference.
I biked an equal amount to yesterday with more elevation – 131km and probably 1,200 meters of lift. The difference to yesterday was two-fold. Clouds stuck around all day and laid low, making the tops of the mountains obscured by what looked like smoke. The other was that it was almost all highway miles on NZ6 and no bush single track. Much less scenic. Thankfully, I had a small tailwind and my pace seemed a bit zippier, perhaps in part to a skinnier back tire.
There weren’t any attractions to see along the way. At least none within 10km of the highway. I stopped at every village for a restroom break and for food. It reminded me of the cross-USA adventure in part…biking along busy roads dotted with services, but NZ is far more scenic than the US. There were three “saddles” in 12km that involved almost 600 meters of lift. Being late in my ride and dealing with steep inclines, I capitulated and walked the bike three times.
I pulled into Fox before 3PM after roughly eight hours on the bike…enough to call it a good workout. My lodging manager gave me a lift the 3km to the Fox Glacier parking lot after I settled in. Once there, I walked the 6km return Fox Glacier South Side walk, admiring the rain forest feel of nearly all the trees having moss growing on them. Many of the trees were palms, quixotic given the cooler weather and latitude. The uphill hoof was a little hard on my feet as my red water shoes (my lightweight, non-biking spare pair) weren’t thick enough to buffer the sharp impact of the rocky path. Got to the Fox lookout. No glacier. Continued on to the Riverwalk another half km up the hill. No glacier there either. Global warming or was I just out-Foxed? So I walked back, detouring and taking in the Moraine Walk through some thick forest. That was a nice diversion. Headed back the 2.5km from the parking lot on NZ6 into town where I picked up dinner (an ear of sweet corn, some milk and brown rice and chili beans) and came back to the motel.
The proprietor offered to lift me the 6km to Lake Matheson, the iconic still lake reflection view of the mountain backdrop. I asked if it was worthwhile given the heavy cloud cover. He said no. I believed him but was disappointed as I love water reflection shots. Instead, I made and ate dinner, then took my tablet and walked back to town where I used my one free beer coupon from the Monteith’s tour at the Big Foot bar, choosing their custom-made Big Foot beer. It was light but thirst-quenching. Updated my diary while drinking it, then I took a final walk of the day just south of town – the Minnehaha walk, a quick 1.5km route in the bush that features glowworms late at night. I didn’t hit it late enough, but it was still a fine jaunt.
Either the beer, the heavy carb dinner or the combo of 82 miles and 18K steps left me very tired on the walk. I sauntered back to the motel, cleaned up my dishes and went to bed around 9PM. I’ve been exhausted twice before on this trip after long and/or hard days of biking, but never tired.
Today is my oldest son’s 25th birthday. I called him this afternoon while walking to the Fox Glacier lookout and got voice mail. It is hard to stay connected with a 19 hour time difference.
I biked an equal amount to yesterday with more elevation – 131km and probably 1,200 meters of lift. The difference to yesterday was two-fold. Clouds stuck around all day and laid low, making the tops of the mountains obscured by what looked like smoke. The other was that it was almost all highway miles on NZ6 and no bush single track. Much less scenic. Thankfully, I had a small tailwind and my pace seemed a bit zippier, perhaps in part to a skinnier back tire.
There weren’t any attractions to see along the way. At least none within 10km of the highway. I stopped at every village for a restroom break and for food. It reminded me of the cross-USA adventure in part…biking along busy roads dotted with services, but NZ is far more scenic than the US. There were three “saddles” in 12km that involved almost 600 meters of lift. Being late in my ride and dealing with steep inclines, I capitulated and walked the bike three times.
I pulled into Fox before 3PM after roughly eight hours on the bike…enough to call it a good workout. My lodging manager gave me a lift the 3km to the Fox Glacier parking lot after I settled in. Once there, I walked the 6km return Fox Glacier South Side walk, admiring the rain forest feel of nearly all the trees having moss growing on them. Many of the trees were palms, quixotic given the cooler weather and latitude. The uphill hoof was a little hard on my feet as my red water shoes (my lightweight, non-biking spare pair) weren’t thick enough to buffer the sharp impact of the rocky path. Got to the Fox lookout. No glacier. Continued on to the Riverwalk another half km up the hill. No glacier there either. Global warming or was I just out-Foxed? So I walked back, detouring and taking in the Moraine Walk through some thick forest. That was a nice diversion. Headed back the 2.5km from the parking lot on NZ6 into town where I picked up dinner (an ear of sweet corn, some milk and brown rice and chili beans) and came back to the motel.
The proprietor offered to lift me the 6km to Lake Matheson, the iconic still lake reflection view of the mountain backdrop. I asked if it was worthwhile given the heavy cloud cover. He said no. I believed him but was disappointed as I love water reflection shots. Instead, I made and ate dinner, then took my tablet and walked back to town where I used my one free beer coupon from the Monteith’s tour at the Big Foot bar, choosing their custom-made Big Foot beer. It was light but thirst-quenching. Updated my diary while drinking it, then I took a final walk of the day just south of town – the Minnehaha walk, a quick 1.5km route in the bush that features glowworms late at night. I didn’t hit it late enough, but it was still a fine jaunt.
Either the beer, the heavy carb dinner or the combo of 82 miles and 18K steps left me very tired on the walk. I sauntered back to the motel, cleaned up my dishes and went to bed around 9PM. I’ve been exhausted twice before on this trip after long and/or hard days of biking, but never tired.
2/13/20 - Getting the Sandfly Itch
I got the itch last night…sleeping poorly due to either bedbugs or the sandflies. Kept me up scratching for a few hours. As I head further west and south of the equator, it remains lighter later and doesn’t brighten up as early which delays my departure time. Today it was 7:10AM. For breakfast, I had most of a box of cereal with skim milk which placated me until 10AM. Did 123km, getting done before 3PM in pulling into Haast Township where I have a detached cabin to myself for the night.
Conditions were pleasant at the start – no need for a jacket but I wore one the first 20km anyway for visibility. It was cloudy until noon, detracting from a scenic tree-lined mountain view on both sides of the road. Today was a no-thinking ride – all on NZ6. There were no towns of substance that had services between Fox and Haast. I stopped for only one attraction – a 20 minute, 1km meander through the swamp forest at Ship Creek. That was lovely – quite like the walks yesterday at Fox Glacier.
Chilled quietly for the evening after resupplying without much of a walkabout.
I got the itch last night…sleeping poorly due to either bedbugs or the sandflies. Kept me up scratching for a few hours. As I head further west and south of the equator, it remains lighter later and doesn’t brighten up as early which delays my departure time. Today it was 7:10AM. For breakfast, I had most of a box of cereal with skim milk which placated me until 10AM. Did 123km, getting done before 3PM in pulling into Haast Township where I have a detached cabin to myself for the night.
Conditions were pleasant at the start – no need for a jacket but I wore one the first 20km anyway for visibility. It was cloudy until noon, detracting from a scenic tree-lined mountain view on both sides of the road. Today was a no-thinking ride – all on NZ6. There were no towns of substance that had services between Fox and Haast. I stopped for only one attraction – a 20 minute, 1km meander through the swamp forest at Ship Creek. That was lovely – quite like the walks yesterday at Fox Glacier.
Chilled quietly for the evening after resupplying without much of a walkabout.
2/14/20 - In the Thick of the Scenic South Island
I had the same itching sensation last night for a few hours and label it a sandfly infestation as these little critters overwhelm me at any pullover stops. After the 1kg tub of yoghurt breakfast, I rolled out at 7AM, biking from Haast to Lake Hawea Township which comprised 131km and about 1,400 meters of climbing.
Weather was sunny and a bit warm. Modest (7km) headwind made it a little harder than normal as did the hills at the end. There was one large walk-up climb to the top of 570-meter Haast Pass. I was expecting worse. What caught me unawares were the hills in the last 30km that snaked between Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. Wrapped up at 4:30PM, struggling to find my Airbnb in this sleepy village. In retrospect, perhaps I should have pushed on another 25km to the more lively town of Wanaka, but I did a decent distance and it was enjoyable resting with a beer and cereal for dinner on a hill overlooking Lake Hawea in the early evening.
As for sights today, there were several – all natural and most revolving around waterfalls:
All but one were visible from the road or a short ride on the bike. The only bike ditch & hike stop was a half-hour round trip jaunt to the Blue Pools. It went through a pretty forest and across a few swing bridges to a rocky pool next to a river where the water looked aqua blue from a top down view. The rest of the day had some nice views of the mountains and plenty of water (rivers early on, then lakes later). Thinly habituated with no cities of note.
Human traffic, the touristy kind with campervans, has picked up and is the most I’ve encountered on this trip. Pullover parking lots were full, so while some tourists seemed frustrated they couldn’t find a parking space, my transport had no issues.
I had the same itching sensation last night for a few hours and label it a sandfly infestation as these little critters overwhelm me at any pullover stops. After the 1kg tub of yoghurt breakfast, I rolled out at 7AM, biking from Haast to Lake Hawea Township which comprised 131km and about 1,400 meters of climbing.
Weather was sunny and a bit warm. Modest (7km) headwind made it a little harder than normal as did the hills at the end. There was one large walk-up climb to the top of 570-meter Haast Pass. I was expecting worse. What caught me unawares were the hills in the last 30km that snaked between Lake Wanaka and Lake Hawea. Wrapped up at 4:30PM, struggling to find my Airbnb in this sleepy village. In retrospect, perhaps I should have pushed on another 25km to the more lively town of Wanaka, but I did a decent distance and it was enjoyable resting with a beer and cereal for dinner on a hill overlooking Lake Hawea in the early evening.
As for sights today, there were several – all natural and most revolving around waterfalls:
- Roaring Billy Falls
- Pleasant Flat campground views
- Thunder Creek Falls
- Blue Pools Track
- Fantail Falls
- Boundary Creek Campsite views
All but one were visible from the road or a short ride on the bike. The only bike ditch & hike stop was a half-hour round trip jaunt to the Blue Pools. It went through a pretty forest and across a few swing bridges to a rocky pool next to a river where the water looked aqua blue from a top down view. The rest of the day had some nice views of the mountains and plenty of water (rivers early on, then lakes later). Thinly habituated with no cities of note.
Human traffic, the touristy kind with campervans, has picked up and is the most I’ve encountered on this trip. Pullover parking lots were full, so while some tourists seemed frustrated they couldn’t find a parking space, my transport had no issues.
2/15/20 - New Zealand's Adventure Capital on the Eve of a Cyclone
I rose early, loaded up quietly due to guests in other rooms of the house and got on the road by 6:30AM. Too early to be on highways, but suitable since I started on the flat gravel people-powered path of the Hawea River Track which hugged the Hawea River. It was nice seeing the pink hues of the sky and the reflections of the sun’s first light on the tree-lined mountains. I chose a shortcut, bypassing the Outlet Track in a circuitous route to Wanaka and took the NZ6 for a straight shot into this happening city. Crossed several establishments this way which gave me reasons to buy bakery multiple times which I ate with my surprisingly cold fingers in 10C conditions.
In Wanaka, there was a large bike race taking place which required a re-route. Serves me right for recently commenting on the lack of bicyclists on this route…so it was slow progress despite the early departure. I went 115km today with 1,100 meters of climbing. Took until 5PM before I rolled into Queenstown. Along the way, I made three big stops:
These stops had me biking in the late afternoon heat the last 40km after Arrowhead into Queenstown. New Zealand temps continue to amaze me with their variability. Though I rode a series of “river” trails, there was more elevation gain than I assumed and I was a little beat on finishing. The weather, which started out very sunny, grew ominous with dark clouds that were all puff but no pour. Pulled into the waterfront of Queenstown and did my usual check on bookings.com for lodging. Little availability, so I settled on a glorified hostel that gave me a double room for myself for NZ$145. Roughly $100US is pricey for a hostel, but this is the most touristy part of NZ and in high demand. I am twice as old as anyone else on the property and the attendants look at me with a little quirkiness like I’ve lost my way or my mind. ‘Enjoy your stay, you cusp of Gen X geezer’ they telepathically tell me. Bathroom is down the hall. It will work. Very much in the thick of downtown. As importantly, management let me stow my bike in my room. I forgot to prearrange for that, so I was greatly relieved.
After my post-ride routine, I tried to figure out how to cross the large puddle in my path tomorrow (more like a large lake). Schedules are iffy as there is a cyclone coming tomorrow. Will need to wait. Not good at that. Am a man of action. Lies do not become me. I picked up dinner at a Turkish place, getting the one staple in this country that seems to suit me – a kebab dinner with salad and rice. Ate it on the main drag and people watched. Meandered some more, then came back to the hostel’s bar where I had not one but two of the local NZ$5 beer – it was an IPA and tasted light and refreshing. There was a man playing cover songs on the guitar and the vibe suited me.
Body check update – as I near the end of the ride, I’m feeling well. The heat and sun issues of the north (sunburnt nose and chapped legs and butt) have improved. My shoulder has behaved. The finger numbness remains but hasn’t been impactful to the riding except when it is cold. Oddly, my pinky fingers want nothing to do with the ring fingers – they seem to have separated when at rest. Odd. If my stuffed dog French Fry were here, he would straighten things out…but as is, he has stayed home for the second international ride in a row. Given the lovely scenery and the lack of rain, I regret not bringing him along for the ride.
I rose early, loaded up quietly due to guests in other rooms of the house and got on the road by 6:30AM. Too early to be on highways, but suitable since I started on the flat gravel people-powered path of the Hawea River Track which hugged the Hawea River. It was nice seeing the pink hues of the sky and the reflections of the sun’s first light on the tree-lined mountains. I chose a shortcut, bypassing the Outlet Track in a circuitous route to Wanaka and took the NZ6 for a straight shot into this happening city. Crossed several establishments this way which gave me reasons to buy bakery multiple times which I ate with my surprisingly cold fingers in 10C conditions.
In Wanaka, there was a large bike race taking place which required a re-route. Serves me right for recently commenting on the lack of bicyclists on this route…so it was slow progress despite the early departure. I went 115km today with 1,100 meters of climbing. Took until 5PM before I rolled into Queenstown. Along the way, I made three big stops:
- The historic Cardrona hotel – another control point picture which looked non-descript on the outside, classically western and posh on the inside. This was a nice half-way hill climb stop and good break to inhale a humongous blueberry muffin.
- Crown Range lookout. This was the peak of the climb at 1,075 meters above sea level that gave beautiful views but was also exposed and quite windy. Great stop for a few scones, a reward for only dismounting to walk twice.
- Arrowtown. This historic 1870s town, restored as a tourist trap, was still worth a walkabout. I locked up my bike and toured the Lake District Museum and its collection of local nostalgia. It was well done, affirming its billing as one of the best small museums in NZ.
These stops had me biking in the late afternoon heat the last 40km after Arrowhead into Queenstown. New Zealand temps continue to amaze me with their variability. Though I rode a series of “river” trails, there was more elevation gain than I assumed and I was a little beat on finishing. The weather, which started out very sunny, grew ominous with dark clouds that were all puff but no pour. Pulled into the waterfront of Queenstown and did my usual check on bookings.com for lodging. Little availability, so I settled on a glorified hostel that gave me a double room for myself for NZ$145. Roughly $100US is pricey for a hostel, but this is the most touristy part of NZ and in high demand. I am twice as old as anyone else on the property and the attendants look at me with a little quirkiness like I’ve lost my way or my mind. ‘Enjoy your stay, you cusp of Gen X geezer’ they telepathically tell me. Bathroom is down the hall. It will work. Very much in the thick of downtown. As importantly, management let me stow my bike in my room. I forgot to prearrange for that, so I was greatly relieved.
After my post-ride routine, I tried to figure out how to cross the large puddle in my path tomorrow (more like a large lake). Schedules are iffy as there is a cyclone coming tomorrow. Will need to wait. Not good at that. Am a man of action. Lies do not become me. I picked up dinner at a Turkish place, getting the one staple in this country that seems to suit me – a kebab dinner with salad and rice. Ate it on the main drag and people watched. Meandered some more, then came back to the hostel’s bar where I had not one but two of the local NZ$5 beer – it was an IPA and tasted light and refreshing. There was a man playing cover songs on the guitar and the vibe suited me.
Body check update – as I near the end of the ride, I’m feeling well. The heat and sun issues of the north (sunburnt nose and chapped legs and butt) have improved. My shoulder has behaved. The finger numbness remains but hasn’t been impactful to the riding except when it is cold. Oddly, my pinky fingers want nothing to do with the ring fingers – they seem to have separated when at rest. Odd. If my stuffed dog French Fry were here, he would straighten things out…but as is, he has stayed home for the second international ride in a row. Given the lovely scenery and the lack of rain, I regret not bringing him along for the ride.
2/16/20 - The Penultimate Ride
Up at 6AM for the usual stretching, setup and scrounging for sustenance. Did not depart at the customary 7AM as the ferry service getting me from Queenstown to Walter’s Peak wasn’t offered until 10AM, at best and somewhat weather-dependent today with the cyclone in play. Hung out in my room, coming down for the 8AM breakfast to find nothing there but a bunch of kids really. I was a grandpa among babes, so I skipped it. Instead, I went two blocks uphill to a bakery for some day-old delights and noticed the world famous FergBurger joint that had a line of 40 people last night was serving animal flesh encased in bread at 8AM. So I had zero wait in ordered a burger for breakfast. It cost NZ$13, pricy for US standards but a fair deal here. Tasted fine. I’m not a fan of meat anymore but desire the protein. Adjacent to this was the FergBakery where I bought a jumbo pretzel and ate about a third of that as well before biking. Managed three breakfasts in one morning letting my metabolism catch up to me and still comfortably fit into my size 29 pants.
One more check at the NZ govt office on weather and road conditions. Was given an unequivocal non-committal from staff on what to expect before confirming the 10AM ferry service. The challenge was that few services exist at the ferry’s drop off point for 50+km, so a cyclone storm could have made for a miserable day. As it was, fortune shined today as only a few drops of rain fell plus I benefited from a massive tailwind.
I took the historic coal-powered ferry, the TSS Earnslaw, to Walter Peak Station. It was a 45-minute ride on a boat stuffed with tourists from China, Korea and Japan. The overcast skies made the scenery blah. I was glad to leave Queenstown. Too commercial; too busy; too intent on selling adventures like jet boat rides or bungy jumping or guides hikes to peaks I’ve been biking. The one thing that appealed to me – a Milford Sound cruise, has been out of commission for over three weeks due to high rains that left some guests stranded for days in lodging at the cruise northernmost stop.
After having the morning off and loaded with carbs and sugar, I disembarked and biked with vengeance, hoping to out-pedal the cyclone. The sparsely travailed gravel road was called the “Around the Mountains Cycle Trail” that ran almost to Mossburn. Much of it was well surfaced and smooth, though the last 15km along a winding river was washed out in places. Not the kind of bike a few meters off the trail washout but the dismount from the bike and carry it over gully sort of adjustments. There were just enough potholes and excessive gravel dumped on the trail that my eyes remained glued to the ground in front of me with little time to lift up and enjoy the pretty vastness of the mountains on both sides. The route was slightly uphill the first 35km, beyond the Von Hill lookout. Then it was mostly downhill and a straight shot for the next 40km. The tailwind was intense. Coupled with the general descent, I was able to go 30km/hr for long stretches where the surface was sure. The pace was blissful.
I pulled into the very tiny town of Mossburn before 5PM. Staying at The Railway Hotel, an historic building with an attached bar and restaurant. After cleanup, I went for a walkabout around the barren environs where the only real eatery was the restaurant at the hotel. Had a large chicken apricot pizza, my personal favorite of the trip as it was loaded with ingredients and the delectable mix of creamy cheese, sweet apricots and chewy chicken filled me up for a good hour. It wasn’t long after, while planning for the next day, I started nibbling on my TomTom cookie stash.
I contemplated going to the bar for a beer and an opportunity to socialize with the locals. That is the one thing I’ve slighted on this trip. Personal interaction. Yet going self-supporting, my post-ride time is occupied with feeding, supplying, washing clothes, maintaining communication with my family and planning for the next day or two. Also had problems with my Garmin Edge Touring Plus bike computer today where it stopped working completely and spent an hour getting it fixed. Without that, the ride would be far harder.
Up at 6AM for the usual stretching, setup and scrounging for sustenance. Did not depart at the customary 7AM as the ferry service getting me from Queenstown to Walter’s Peak wasn’t offered until 10AM, at best and somewhat weather-dependent today with the cyclone in play. Hung out in my room, coming down for the 8AM breakfast to find nothing there but a bunch of kids really. I was a grandpa among babes, so I skipped it. Instead, I went two blocks uphill to a bakery for some day-old delights and noticed the world famous FergBurger joint that had a line of 40 people last night was serving animal flesh encased in bread at 8AM. So I had zero wait in ordered a burger for breakfast. It cost NZ$13, pricy for US standards but a fair deal here. Tasted fine. I’m not a fan of meat anymore but desire the protein. Adjacent to this was the FergBakery where I bought a jumbo pretzel and ate about a third of that as well before biking. Managed three breakfasts in one morning letting my metabolism catch up to me and still comfortably fit into my size 29 pants.
One more check at the NZ govt office on weather and road conditions. Was given an unequivocal non-committal from staff on what to expect before confirming the 10AM ferry service. The challenge was that few services exist at the ferry’s drop off point for 50+km, so a cyclone storm could have made for a miserable day. As it was, fortune shined today as only a few drops of rain fell plus I benefited from a massive tailwind.
I took the historic coal-powered ferry, the TSS Earnslaw, to Walter Peak Station. It was a 45-minute ride on a boat stuffed with tourists from China, Korea and Japan. The overcast skies made the scenery blah. I was glad to leave Queenstown. Too commercial; too busy; too intent on selling adventures like jet boat rides or bungy jumping or guides hikes to peaks I’ve been biking. The one thing that appealed to me – a Milford Sound cruise, has been out of commission for over three weeks due to high rains that left some guests stranded for days in lodging at the cruise northernmost stop.
After having the morning off and loaded with carbs and sugar, I disembarked and biked with vengeance, hoping to out-pedal the cyclone. The sparsely travailed gravel road was called the “Around the Mountains Cycle Trail” that ran almost to Mossburn. Much of it was well surfaced and smooth, though the last 15km along a winding river was washed out in places. Not the kind of bike a few meters off the trail washout but the dismount from the bike and carry it over gully sort of adjustments. There were just enough potholes and excessive gravel dumped on the trail that my eyes remained glued to the ground in front of me with little time to lift up and enjoy the pretty vastness of the mountains on both sides. The route was slightly uphill the first 35km, beyond the Von Hill lookout. Then it was mostly downhill and a straight shot for the next 40km. The tailwind was intense. Coupled with the general descent, I was able to go 30km/hr for long stretches where the surface was sure. The pace was blissful.
I pulled into the very tiny town of Mossburn before 5PM. Staying at The Railway Hotel, an historic building with an attached bar and restaurant. After cleanup, I went for a walkabout around the barren environs where the only real eatery was the restaurant at the hotel. Had a large chicken apricot pizza, my personal favorite of the trip as it was loaded with ingredients and the delectable mix of creamy cheese, sweet apricots and chewy chicken filled me up for a good hour. It wasn’t long after, while planning for the next day, I started nibbling on my TomTom cookie stash.
I contemplated going to the bar for a beer and an opportunity to socialize with the locals. That is the one thing I’ve slighted on this trip. Personal interaction. Yet going self-supporting, my post-ride time is occupied with feeding, supplying, washing clothes, maintaining communication with my family and planning for the next day or two. Also had problems with my Garmin Edge Touring Plus bike computer today where it stopped working completely and spent an hour getting it fixed. Without that, the ride would be far harder.
2/17/20 - Finished!
I finished the Tour Aotearoa today! Biked 169km from Mossburn into the southern terminus of Bluff and then backtracking to Invercargill where I was staying for the night. I stopped around noon after 100km in my first pass through Invercargill, checked into Living on Dee to lighten my load, dumped my gear and proceeded the final 35km one-way push to Bluff before doubling back.
After breakfast at The Railway Inn, I set off at 7:15AM with a gentle downward slope, partially on a new trail not described in the maps that managed to avoid the one remaining 200-meter climb. I had a tailwind almost into Invercargill, making quick work of Winton and Wallacetown, the two habited pieces of civilization along the way. Opted to push on, relishing being able to say I crossed New Zealand in three weeks while having taken several short ride days to tour cities and sites. It also adds some flex to the rest of my southern schedule.
The last 35km with a light load into Bluff started with scenic estuary gravel biking but turned too soon into the busy Bluff Highway for the last 25km. The tailwinds turned heady, but I knew for out-and-backs, the piper would be paid and would dividend back. So while I struggled getting to the end of the line at Stirling Point, the riding was easy returning to base camp in Invercargill.
There were no scenic stops along today’s route. Most of it was farming country denuded of trees; the hills less majestic and the views more distant as the landscape flattened out. It could have passed for my home turf around rural Walworth County, Wisconsin except the fields were for grazing animals and not for corn or soybeans. There were some massively tall hedge rows that lined the road in spots. In addition to the wind and heavier than normal traffic, today’s odonata challenge were the bugs, not the biting kind but the kamikazes that enter through the mouth and nose. Inhaled more than my share today as I am a mouth breather when biking.
As the end approached, I experienced joy mixed with apprehension as I wanted a safe finish. Tried hard to stay focused. The whippy winds forced my focus as the loads of lorries created wind pockets as they passed that shimmied my bike around at times. I reached Bluff’s Stirling Point by 2:45PM and paused by the yellow sign that noted Bluff’s location and the distance in km’s to other famous sites, including Cape Reinga at 1,406km away as the crow flies. My route was more like 1,750km with zigs and zags.
I had some folks snap pictures of me by the sign before ascending the hill to the café overlooking the site and paid NZ$10 for the “Cape Reinga to Bluff” medal. It is a large silver circle with the words “Made it…Cape Reinga to Bluff” next to a picture of the country. The café lady let me write in the scroll of honor and took my picture. I noted in the comment section of the book “Great Scenery, Great Course, Great People. You can keep the sandflies however!” Then I had a few more pictures taken of me with the medal before I started biking back.
A stop in Bluff at the Four Square for a kombucha and a sleeve of cookies for the ride back and a rest room break in one of New Zealand’s talking, music playing public toilets preceded the quick ride back to
Invercargill was quick. I took a different route once near Invercargill, stopping at Demolition Zone, a quirky collection of building with manikins and lots of animals. Billed as making something of other people’s trash, it was a freebie, an Atlas Obscura sort of destination, worth the fifteen minute detour. At the i-Site store, I inquired on things to do in this “closest English-speaking city to Antarctica in the world.” There’s not much.
Back at my lodging, I did some quick planning. My flight back to the US was not for another eight days as I was told to allot a month for the ride which took only three weeks. No worries…I aimed to make the most of the free time and split it up in three chunks:
I finished the Tour Aotearoa today! Biked 169km from Mossburn into the southern terminus of Bluff and then backtracking to Invercargill where I was staying for the night. I stopped around noon after 100km in my first pass through Invercargill, checked into Living on Dee to lighten my load, dumped my gear and proceeded the final 35km one-way push to Bluff before doubling back.
After breakfast at The Railway Inn, I set off at 7:15AM with a gentle downward slope, partially on a new trail not described in the maps that managed to avoid the one remaining 200-meter climb. I had a tailwind almost into Invercargill, making quick work of Winton and Wallacetown, the two habited pieces of civilization along the way. Opted to push on, relishing being able to say I crossed New Zealand in three weeks while having taken several short ride days to tour cities and sites. It also adds some flex to the rest of my southern schedule.
The last 35km with a light load into Bluff started with scenic estuary gravel biking but turned too soon into the busy Bluff Highway for the last 25km. The tailwinds turned heady, but I knew for out-and-backs, the piper would be paid and would dividend back. So while I struggled getting to the end of the line at Stirling Point, the riding was easy returning to base camp in Invercargill.
There were no scenic stops along today’s route. Most of it was farming country denuded of trees; the hills less majestic and the views more distant as the landscape flattened out. It could have passed for my home turf around rural Walworth County, Wisconsin except the fields were for grazing animals and not for corn or soybeans. There were some massively tall hedge rows that lined the road in spots. In addition to the wind and heavier than normal traffic, today’s odonata challenge were the bugs, not the biting kind but the kamikazes that enter through the mouth and nose. Inhaled more than my share today as I am a mouth breather when biking.
As the end approached, I experienced joy mixed with apprehension as I wanted a safe finish. Tried hard to stay focused. The whippy winds forced my focus as the loads of lorries created wind pockets as they passed that shimmied my bike around at times. I reached Bluff’s Stirling Point by 2:45PM and paused by the yellow sign that noted Bluff’s location and the distance in km’s to other famous sites, including Cape Reinga at 1,406km away as the crow flies. My route was more like 1,750km with zigs and zags.
I had some folks snap pictures of me by the sign before ascending the hill to the café overlooking the site and paid NZ$10 for the “Cape Reinga to Bluff” medal. It is a large silver circle with the words “Made it…Cape Reinga to Bluff” next to a picture of the country. The café lady let me write in the scroll of honor and took my picture. I noted in the comment section of the book “Great Scenery, Great Course, Great People. You can keep the sandflies however!” Then I had a few more pictures taken of me with the medal before I started biking back.
A stop in Bluff at the Four Square for a kombucha and a sleeve of cookies for the ride back and a rest room break in one of New Zealand’s talking, music playing public toilets preceded the quick ride back to
Invercargill was quick. I took a different route once near Invercargill, stopping at Demolition Zone, a quirky collection of building with manikins and lots of animals. Billed as making something of other people’s trash, it was a freebie, an Atlas Obscura sort of destination, worth the fifteen minute detour. At the i-Site store, I inquired on things to do in this “closest English-speaking city to Antarctica in the world.” There’s not much.
Back at my lodging, I did some quick planning. My flight back to the US was not for another eight days as I was told to allot a month for the ride which took only three weeks. No worries…I aimed to make the most of the free time and split it up in three chunks:
- Took three days in a rental car to tour the Catlins in the southeastern corner of the South Island. Did this while getting my bike re-boxed. Had a lovely time moving without pedal power.
- Flew to Auckland with my bike which I stowed at my last night hotel in Auckland before taking another flight to the Cook Islands where I spent three days of R&R on the beaches, doing some snorkeling, hiking and chillin’ on the islands.
- Back in Auckland with a full day before the return flight set to Chicago through Los Angeles, I visited many of the museums and sites downtown in far more presentable weather than from a few weeks earlier.
POSTSCRIPT - Recollections & Closeness to Covid
How do I feel about finishing? A strong sense of accomplishment and pride coupled with relief it came together after the lost bike episode and the heat and humidity at the onset. Relative to the US and UK, New Zealand was consistently more scenic. It was as elevation-intensive as the UK where I did a supported tour with 40-50lbs less in gear and food/drink. The West Coast Wilderness Path topped the charts as my favorite day trail ever. It was just one of many awesome off-road rides. The weather, notwithstanding the tropical conditions of the north, was generally very bikable with only an hour of rain the entire trip and mostly sunny skies. The people were also great. Warm, friendly to a fault and courteous.
The other sidenote…I planned my Tour Aotearoa adventure three weeks before the official start of the every-other-year official self-supported Tour which draws upwards of 1,000 riders that stagger start over a few weeks. Did this because I am a softie and prefer a climate-controlled room with a comfy bed. Turns out I didn’t camp once, helpful since I had lost my sleeping bag in Fuji. I didn’t want to compete with other bikers for limited lodging by being part of the official herd and that played out well. The tradeoff was more heat & humidity in the North but less chilly conditions in the South.
The other unplanned bonus: The early start allowed me to finish, take a long week to tour the Catlins and Cook Islands and still get back to the US about two weeks before NZ shut down for more than two years. One story sticks out…after my ride, I went for a haircut in Invercargill while getting supplies for my beach stay. The nice lady who cut my hair and I got to chatting. She asked me what I thought of this virus that was the talk of China. I hadn’t heard of it. She had a friend in the NZ Health Ministry who said it was going to be real bad. Like REAL BAD she repeated. I asked her what she thought. “I don’t think it will amount to much.” We moved on in the cut and the conversation.
At the time, I thought nothing of it…until I arrived stateside in LA, collected my luggage for rechecking on the domestic flight to Chicago and passed through customs. There were tables set up in the halls between customs and check-in offering information on contagious diseases but no pressure to stop or get tested. Once home, I went to the office the day after returning. Within two weeks, I was working from my kitchen table as we were all locked down. Many of the international Tour Aotearoa participants that year failed to finish, having to go home before the borders were closed. How quickly things changed.
How do I feel about finishing? A strong sense of accomplishment and pride coupled with relief it came together after the lost bike episode and the heat and humidity at the onset. Relative to the US and UK, New Zealand was consistently more scenic. It was as elevation-intensive as the UK where I did a supported tour with 40-50lbs less in gear and food/drink. The West Coast Wilderness Path topped the charts as my favorite day trail ever. It was just one of many awesome off-road rides. The weather, notwithstanding the tropical conditions of the north, was generally very bikable with only an hour of rain the entire trip and mostly sunny skies. The people were also great. Warm, friendly to a fault and courteous.
The other sidenote…I planned my Tour Aotearoa adventure three weeks before the official start of the every-other-year official self-supported Tour which draws upwards of 1,000 riders that stagger start over a few weeks. Did this because I am a softie and prefer a climate-controlled room with a comfy bed. Turns out I didn’t camp once, helpful since I had lost my sleeping bag in Fuji. I didn’t want to compete with other bikers for limited lodging by being part of the official herd and that played out well. The tradeoff was more heat & humidity in the North but less chilly conditions in the South.
The other unplanned bonus: The early start allowed me to finish, take a long week to tour the Catlins and Cook Islands and still get back to the US about two weeks before NZ shut down for more than two years. One story sticks out…after my ride, I went for a haircut in Invercargill while getting supplies for my beach stay. The nice lady who cut my hair and I got to chatting. She asked me what I thought of this virus that was the talk of China. I hadn’t heard of it. She had a friend in the NZ Health Ministry who said it was going to be real bad. Like REAL BAD she repeated. I asked her what she thought. “I don’t think it will amount to much.” We moved on in the cut and the conversation.
At the time, I thought nothing of it…until I arrived stateside in LA, collected my luggage for rechecking on the domestic flight to Chicago and passed through customs. There were tables set up in the halls between customs and check-in offering information on contagious diseases but no pressure to stop or get tested. Once home, I went to the office the day after returning. Within two weeks, I was working from my kitchen table as we were all locked down. Many of the international Tour Aotearoa participants that year failed to finish, having to go home before the borders were closed. How quickly things changed.