Day 22- Ride from Bach to Reefton
We had an early start today rising at about 6.00 am with Chris working hard making cheese scones for breakfast and lighting the pizza oven to ready it for roasting a leg of lamb for dinner.
The cheesy scones hit the spot ahead of our 44 km ride back to Reefton for another round of coffee, hot cross buns and peppermint slice.
The ride into Reefton was very pleasant indeed with an initial climb of 250 metres to the highest point then it was a steady downhill to Reefton!
The weather was ideal with a temperature of 9 degrees at the start of the ride, rising to 21 by the time we arrived at Reefton.
The day looks like being a car ride back to the Bach then lunch and a rest for the day ahead of a roast lamb dinner.
I am doing this blog at about midday so so I can post it before getting out of internet range
I will post any other information relating to the rest of the day on the next blog
Today’s pics are:
Early morning at the Bach
The route to Reefton
Waterfall on the side of the road
A view of the swing bridge
A view of the river beside the road
Day 21 - Rest Day at the Bach
Yes finally a rest day after a few biggish days of riding. The day started with a sleep in until about 7.30am.
At breakfast we said goodbye to Graham at about 8.00 am as he was to make his way further on his journey towards Bluff.
After breakfast it was on to Reefton by car to enjoy coffee at the cafe…. Great coffee and hot cross buns and peppermint slices. Wow what a treat!
After reconnecting with the internet and making a few calls back home it was back to the Bach for the rest of the day… and when I say rest, it was that for me!
I had a sleep and watched Chris going about some mowing of the area around the house. It looks great!
Steve went for a short ride …. I stayed inside resting!
The only work I did during the day was a clean on my bike and preparing the meat for dinner!
After dinner I was in bed by 9.00 pm after a good day of rest.
Today’s pictures are:
Peppermint slice at coffee
Memories of the Big River Waiuta ride…..a horror story for me last year
Farmer Jones mowing the grass
Ian’s wonder cream that helped my sandfly bites!
Day 20- Rotoroa to The Bach ( Springs Junction)
Today was another early start with us waking at 5.30 am and having breakfast at the house and being Lon the road for a long day of riding by 7.00am.
We started the ride by having a short detour to see lake Rotoroa which was delightful as you can see from the picture.
After this it was on to a long and difficult climb on a gravel road. The difficulty with this was the loose gravel which made for slow travel. I ended up walking for some extended periods of time.
After this we were on a sealed road through to Murchison which was delightful after the start!
Arrived at Murchison it was a bit like “ old home week” as we were able to reunite with the lovely cafe e visited last year on our NZ ride. It was still as busy as before and the coffee and muffins were a welcome sight!
After coffee Chris left the ride to travel by car to the Bach to attend a board meeting by zoom… so John was in charge of getting us through the remaining part of the ride!
John did a great job of looking after us !
After purchasing our lunch to have on the road it was off to tackle the Maruia Saddle. The first 20 kms was on sealed road which was great as we travelled through a lovely valley. The sealed road gave way to a gravel road which was quite flat and undulating until the climb started. We reached the start of the climb at 1.15 and had lunch being sandwiches purchased at Murchison. Then it was on to the climb up to the top of Muruia which tops out at 580 metres above sea level. We checked out Chris’s sign he erected at the peak and it was in fine shape as you can see from the pictures!
The climb up was quite good and only required me to stop to cross a couple of river ford crossings. My feet got wet at a couple of these crossings unfortunately…. All part of the ups and downs of the journey!
The climb from the base to the top took us about an hour which I thought was quite acceptable.
The ride down the hill was quite good but steep in places. I took it rather slowly as the twists and turns were frequent.
Then the gravel road was reasonably undulating until we reached the main road at the 73 km point.
I digress slightly here as I am reminded we did the ride from this turnoff to Murtchison on our NZ ride last year. To be frank the way we did it this year was better and perhaps less challenging as the climb had better grades in the Murchison side…… worth remembering if I do this again.
The ride along the main highway SH65 was to be done as quickly as possible as there was a lot of traffic. It was largely downhill which was pleasing so traveling was okay. There were instances where cars and trucks passed us with minimal room which was a little scary! The road shoulder was also quite narrow.
At the 92 km point we made the turnoff to Springs Junction. The 15 km ride to Springs Junction was Steve’s time to “let it fly” and he was off into the distance!
John and I had a great time chatting along what was a flatish gravel road which was good for me as my legs were getting tired after 90 plus kms!
At Springs Junction Steve and I had a soft drink purchased from the petrol station to get some refresh for the 7 km ride to the Bach.
We arrived at the Bach at 5.30 pm after travelling 113 kms and climbing over 1200 metres.
Although it was pleasing to finish the ride I was genuinely satisfied that a significant challenge had been met in what had been achieved.
At the Bach we met Ian and Graham Allen who were in the process of cooking up a “storm” of spaghetti bolognaise for dinner! Just the ticket after the day!
After dinner it was off to bed at 8.30 pm. Despite the itching from many sandfly bites I managed a good night of sleep knowing that tomorrow would be a day of rest!
Today’s pictures are:
Today’s route
A lovely picture of Lake Rotoroa in the early morning…. Great to see ahead of the climb ahead!
2 pictures of the scenery and road surface on the way to Murchison
At the cafe in Murchison…. Familiar territory as we have been here before!
2 pictures on the gallop the the Muruia climb and having lunch at the base of the climb
…. At the top! Inspection of Chris’s sign completed!
A photo of Steve and I after completing 1000 kms!!!! Significant milestone achieved!
Day 19- Wakefield to Rotoroa
We had another early start this morning being awake at 5.30 am with an aim of having breakfast and being on our way by 7.00am.
We had a big day ahead with 98 km of riding and a total of about 1000 metres of climbing.
The early part of the ride was a continuation of the Taste Trail which was good riding on a great surface and on an old railway line. Although we were climbing for most of this part of the ride it was gentle gradients. This combined with better fitness as a result of the accumulation of riding really made the ride for most of the day quite enjoyable.
An interesting part of the ride today was navigating Spooners Tunnel which is 1.35km tunnel. We all walked the tunnel as it was pitch black inside.
The railway was started in the 1880’s and completed in the 1930’ s and was part of a planned broader railway network in the South Island. Unfortunately it was never fully developed as it became uneconomical as road transport became the norm.
All this makes for great riding on the rail trail!
After navigating Spooners Tunnel our next stop was Tapawera for morning coffee. We had travelled about 35 kms at this stage and a coffee and muffin was certainly appreciated! The coffee was purchased from a coffee van parked on the side of the road and muffins and sandwiches from the cafe…. We had been warned not to buy coffee from the sandwich shop!
After this break it was on to it next stop for lunch at Kawatiri at the 80 km mark.Most of this ride was on a quiet road with about 50% surfaced and 50% on gravel.
During this part of our ride Steve and I passed the 1000 km mark on this ride…. Worth celebrating!
Just before lunch we were back on the state highway which was quite busy and you guessed it….. we had a head wind!
Lunch was great timing and the sandwiches were delicious together with a slice of “lollie slice”. Sounds awful but it was just the ticket for me for the 20 km push to our final destination at Rotoroa.
I really enjoyed the last 20 kms of riding where we had a slight tailwind which climbing at a steady 3-4% for most of the way. We arrived at our destination at about 3.15 pm which is great riding doing 98 kms and climbing nearly 1050 metres.
Accomodation tonight is is a house which is the height of luxury compared to a lot of the earlier accommodations we have had on this trip.Chris is to be congratulated on his choice here!
The weather today was ideal for riding with a cool start of 6 degrees rising to about 22 degrees during the day. Apart from a 10 km piece on the main highway the wind was not an issue.
The photos today are:
Today’s route
2 photos of Spooners Tunnel showing the information board and the tunnel entrance
A view of the valley we travelled through on the Taste Trail. Lots of hops grown here!
A lovely church alongside the road
Lunch at Kawatiri
The last rail bridge built on the old railway line..
Our luxurious home for the night Rotora
Day 18- Canvastown to Wakefield
Last evening I had a look at the proposed route for the day on the Maungatapu trail and looked at the gradients including one huge ascent and descent and said I would go by car with Ian on the road. Steve agreed with me!
The lady who owned the pub also was saying the trail was very difficult which also put me off.
On this basis as Chris and John were to do the trail they were to leave early at around 7.00 am and Steve and I could have a welcome “sleep in “.
So we were up and about at 7.30 am and after some mucking around with the bikes we were on the road to Nelson.
The road into Nelson was quite busy with trucks and cars but we made good time getting there by around 11.00 am.
We had coffee and muffins at the River View cafe which is a road bikers meeting place for coffee. I reckon there might have been 50 or so cyclists there having coffee and something to eat.
After coffee we had to search for an optometry shop for Steve to undertake some running repairs on his glasses. This was done at Spec Savers in no time at all.
Steve and I then unpacked the bikes from the trailer and proceeded up the road to meet Chris and John after their epic ride on the trail. We met them after travelling about 11 kms and they seemed ok despite the real challenges on the trail, particularly the steep downhill!
Good to see that they were all okay after this big effort!
We all then proceeded back to Nelson along the same route we had taken to meet them. The downhill was delightful!
Along the way Chris met up with a friend, Marsh who joined us on the ride back to the River View and to have lunch.
Marsh was an interesting guy, who was born in Australia and moved to New Zealand. He now lives in Nelson and rides regularly. In earlier days he competed in the cross island challenge with Chris and produced the bib of the Challenge to prove his credentials. He and Chris competed in the same year and trained together.
After a lovely lunch we then left Nelson for the 30 plus km ride to Wakefield. Most of this ride was on the Taste Trail which goes through the wine growing and fruit bowl areas near Nelson. Certainly very pretty country although it looks pretty dry!
The tempo in the afternoon was around 25 degrees and for most of the run into Wakefield we had a tail wind….. hooray!
We arrived at the hotel at about 4.30 pm after doing about 55 kms… feeling ok. I am sure Chris and John were feeling the effects of the big 80 plus ride and after climbing in excess of 1000 metres! A great effort!
The hotel we are staying at at Wakefield is very comfortable and the shower was delightful.
Another good day of riding with fine weather and a tail wind!
Today’s pictures:
The route for Steve and I took…. The shorter version!
Nelson has a lot of hanging baskets in the street… they look great!
These bike racks are incredible… we should do this in Melbourne
Meeting John ( on the right) and Chris on the trail…. Pleased to see they are okay!
At lunch at the River View…. Great food and coffee
Arvo tea with an ice cream
Steve at the Wakefield hotel
Day 17 -Wellington to Canvasstown
Today was another early start so we could catch the ferry across Cook Strait to Picton.
So we were up at about 5.30am. I had an interrupted night of sleep firstly due to a guy in the room we had at the Youth Hostel who said insisted on reorganising his luggage for a couple of hours whilst we were trying to sleep….also I was probably a bit over tired which somehow makes sleeping difficult for me.
The weather in Wellington was cool but clear with temperatures around 14 degrees.
After breakfast at the Youth Hostel we made our way to the ferry as we had to be there by 7.15 am .
We boarded with our bikes and they were in the car storage areas on the ship. I guess there were about 20 bikes and riders including ourselves. Interesting that most were international riders from places like the UK and we even met a guy from Brazil.
The sailing time on the ferry was about 8.30 am and it took about 3 hours. The ferry was quite comfortable and we managed to get coffee and snacks .
The scenery of the coast line and the Cook Strait was quite stunning and we were reminded regularly that “we got a good day “to do the crossing.
Anyway we arrived at Picton at around 11.00 am and getting off was quite easy.
The plan was to meet John and Ian our 2 mates from last years NZ trip in Picton for lunch. They had driven from Christchurch to meet us but were delayed due to roadworks along the route.
We ordered lunch just as Ian and John arrived which was great timing and after a hello and bite of lunch we sorted out bikes for the trip ahead.Traveling on the South Island is going to be somewhat easier with Ian driving a car as our support vehicle which means no bags on the bike!!!!
What a relief!!!!
So after sorting all this out we began our 40 + km ride to Canvastown.
The ride started on sealed road then went on a track. I was not comfortable on the track so Steve and I did most of the ride on the road whilst Chris and John did most of the ride on the track. It worked well for us all this way.
The scenery along the route was quite stunning really and I took a number of pictures which hopefully gives some idea of what we saw. Steve and I arrived at the meeting point at Havelock to wait for Chris and John. Fortunately the ice cream shop was open for us to enjoy a delicious ice cream whilst waiting for the others.
It is interesting that Havelock has produced 2 quite outstanding NZ scientists. One was Ernest Rutherford and William Pickering. Rutherford was famous in the field of atomic and nuclear physics whilst Pickering was famous as an aerospace engineer helping with the development of rocket engines.
The ride from Havelock through to Canvastown was quite pleasant and we got into our Houston about 6.00 pm.
It was a good day for us all in what is very striking scenery.
The hotel we are staying at tonight is a traditional old style pub with a great host who has gone out of her way to help us enjoy the stay. They organised our washing, provided a lovely meal and breakfast…. All great for us to enjoy the trip.
I want to say at this juncture that although you may read my blog and believe that I am not entirely enjoying the ride… you are wrong in believing this!
I am having a great time seeing a lovely country and doing it in the company of some great mates. For me the most important part of this is the way you respond the daily challenges that are presented to you and the exhilaration to get when you meet and exceed the challenges presented.
Today’s pictures are as follows:
Route maps in Wellington and from Picton to Canvastown
Several shots of the scenery along the ride including the timber loading facility
Our pub for the night
Day 16- Masterton to Wellington
Today was essentially a non bike day as we needed to make up a day as a result of the muck up earlier in the trip where we had problems with the transport to the start of a bike trail at Taumarunui.
So the plan was set for an early morning wake at 5.00 am to catch the 6.20 am train from Masterton to Wellington.
The issue for us we thought was getting our bikes on the train as there were limited spaces. No worry for us as we had plenty of room thankfully.
The trip on the train was delightful. In the early part of the trip we were able to observe the sunrise over the snow capped hills. The train stopped at various stations along the way to pickup commuters going to Wellington.
The trip was about an hour and a half.
Arriving at Wellington we then rode to the bike shop so a could get my bike fixed. The issue was a stretched gear cable!
The guys in the bike shop (EVO) were very good to fit me in as they had a big backlog of repairs.
After dropping off the bike we then undertook a tour of Wellington courtesy of Chris who in his early career spent a lot of time living in the city.
Yes…. You guessed it… our first stop was a coffee shop for Steve and I. We took the opportunity to have a morning tea with scones for me.
Then it was off to the Museum which is located on the harbour…. Lovely site really!
The tour through the museum was quite interesting with many excellent exhibits depicting the history of New Zealand from many aspects such as the volcanic origins, the Māori origins, European settlements etc. We did this for about 4 hours including a break for lunch. Then we made a trip on the cable car to the lookout and walked down through the Botanical Gardens. Quite enjoyable to walk instead of riding!
As it was about 3.30 pm it was time to pick up my bike from the repair shop so to get there we caught a public transport bus which was very clean and efficient.
The bike was ready so after having a chat with the technician it seems the problem I had was with the cable as thought and this was replaced… I feel a bit disappointed in Andy back in Melbourne who said he replaced the gear cables! Anyway I will talk to him about this when I get home.
After picking up the bike it was off to our accommodation at the Wellington Youth Hostel which is quite comfortable and quite near the harbour which makes an easy get away tomorrow to catch the ferry to Picton.
We have just finished an entree of prawns and salad ahead of dinner later this evening.
Today was a good day for me after the events of yesterday and I feel comforted that my bike is now fixed for the days ahead….my only question mark is whether I can manage any and all of the more difficult trail rides.
The pictures today are as follows:
Today’s ride from the station in Wellington to the bike shop
Early morning at Masterton station
My bike at the Wellington Station at the end of the train trip
A view of the harbour
Graffitied treaty of Waitangi in the Museum
The view from the top of the cable car
3 photos outside the house of Parliament….note the “Beehive “ is an administrative office. The older grey building is the House of Parliament
Day 15- Palmerston North to Masterton
Well what a day!!
It started early with us on the road to the coffee shop at 7.30am. Trying to find a coffee shop in Palmerston North was almost impossible as the place was deserted except for the Subway shop.
The coffee there was quite good surprisingly!
After this it was off to Masterton and a big day.
The night before our ride I looked at the weather and it indicated a tail wind…. Well that forecast was out by 180 degrees as we had a head wind for most of the day! The last time I look at the weather forecast!
The day then started with a 10 km climb which despite having a coffee, proved to be most difficult. The first part of the climb was at gradients of 16% which meant for me it was a walk with the bike…
The rest of the climb was at lower grades but for most of it grades of up to 10% were not uncommon. Reaching the top was a real achievement for me.
The only thing was this was the first of 6 climbs for the day ….into a headwind with gusts you can see from the photo below from the weather map.
The day was to be broken up into 3 sections of roughly 40 kms each which gave us a lunch stop at Pahiatua and Eketahuna.
Travelling into the wind became a real slog so we did 1 km drafting for most of the day which worked out reasonably well. There were times when the wind gusts were so strong that on the flat we were in the lowest gear still struggling!
The lunch break was good and I had a sandwich and coffee to refuel and it was off again!
During most of the day we travelled through rolling hills except for the brute out of Palmerston North.
At the afternoon tea break at Eketahuna I noticed my chain was very dry and gear changing was difficult so an applied so lubricant to the chain…. This proved to be an unsatisfactory fix to the problem as we resumed the ride after the break. My rear derailleur was not allowing any gear changes and I was stuck in the highest cog! Bugger!!!
Fortunately we had been chatting to a lovely lady outside the cafe who offered to help us as she was on her way to Masterton… we said at the time that we were ok …. But now I was in desperate need of assistance. I made my way back to the cafe and luckily her car was still parked outside the cafe. Luck appeared to be on my side when she returned the car as she said she could transport me and the bike to our accommodation at Masterton. Chris and Steve continued on the journey on their bikes knowing I had a good outcome to continue the journey.
So I had a new best friend now. Her name is Diane Chesmar and after packing the bike in her car the final 40 kms of the ride were in the luxury of the car with no headwind to worry about.
I arrived at the motel at around 4.45 pm and I agreed with Di to meet again for a thankyou drink and meal. At this point Di left and I had a shower and clean up and gathered my thoughts on the whole cock-up of the mechanical problem and not finishing the ride to help them battle he wind on the last leg.
Tracking Chris and Steve proved to be easy with Garmin tracker and they seemed to be making good progress so I waited for them to arrive at the motel. They were buggered frankly after a big day of 113 kms and climbing 1262 metres!
After a recovery shower and drink ( cup of tea for Chris) we agreed to have dinner at the Lone Star restaurant in Masterton which was quite pleasant and the food was good. I shouted Di her dinner as a thank you for all her help. She was full of interesting information about her bike riding and exercise regimen and told us about her wonderful family and home. A truly wonderful lady who was a great help in my time of need… thanks Di and all the best !
After a day like today it makes you realise that these trips are as much about the journey as the destination and how you respond in challenging circumstances.
The pictures today are as follows:
The map of the entire route for the day that Chris and Steve completed
My shorter route
At the up of the first climb
At a rest point battling the wind!
The weather map at the afternoon tea break
A bad selfie of my new best friend Di and myself at the end of the trip….last 40 kms by car
A celebration and thank you to Di at the Lone Star restaurant
Day 14-Whanganui to Palmerston North
We had another early start this morning being up at 6.00 am then breakfast and packing the bikes. We were off from the Youth Hostel at about 7.30 am and in to Whanganui for a coffee.
The weather for the ride today was ideal with clouds and a tail wind for most of the trip. The temperature was around 20 degrees for most of the day.
The ride consisted of sealed roads, some main highway riding but mainly secondary roads. There was a lot of traffic on the roads being a Saturday.
Our first stop was Marton for an early lunch which consisted of sandwiches and an apple cake for me. The food was excellent and I washed it down with a cappuccino and some juice.
The next stop for afternoon tea was a lovely cafe at Fielding. I had a milkshake which was enough to top me up for the 20 km ride into Palmerston North.
We arrived at our destination at about 3.30 pm after riding about 91 kms and climbing about 650 metres.
There were 3 “categorised “ climb’s today. The first out of Whanganui was toughest as it was at the start of the day. The other 2 were quite okay but required some effort to complete.
All in all it was a good day of riding for us all.
There is minimal pictures today.
The route
Our motel for the night
Day 13 - Pipiriki to Whanganui
We had a bit of a sleep in this morning and we were awake at 7.00 am!
Breakfast was in the camp dining room and was light as we were planning on getting something more substantial on the road at about 20 kms.
The weather again was overcast initially but as the clouds burned off it became quite hot at 32 degrees.
The route today was basically beside the Whanganui River and includes 3 climbs.
The road surface was bitumen fortunately which really suited me especially for the 3 climbs!
At 23 kms we stopped at a lovely cafe at Matahiwi and had coffee and 2 muffins which were delicious and the right food for the day ahead.
Charged up, it was onwards to or destination with very little to report other than the scenery along the valley was very good.
We had one stop for a recovery drink and I was designated to go to the farm house to fill water bottles. I had a delightful chat to the 2 older folks in the house who were cleaning their son’s house. The views from the house were stunning and I had a great chat to them…. Much to the chagrin of Steve and Chris who were on the grass verge on the road!
We stopped about 10 kms from the end of the ride to have a milk shake which was great!
The last 10 kms in to Whanganui was on a bike path which was delightful and we arrived at the youth hostel at about 3.30 pm.
Given the heat, Steve and I had a cool drink ahead of a shower. Feel great today after the challenges of yesterday.
We did about 80 kms today and climbed about 970 metres .
The pictures today are as follows:
Today’s route
Several shots of the valley where we travelled
A photo of the new bridge at the start of the bike trail into town
Our home for the night at the Youth Hostel
Day 12 - Ōwhango to Pipiriki
Today was one of the hardest days of riding for me!
The only day which was harder was practice the Big River ride last year!
The day started with an early wake up at 5.30 am to be ready for the bus trip to the Blue Duck camp for the start of the ride.
This took above an hour so we were away on a 40 km ride at 9.00 am. We thought this would leave us plenty of time to meet the 3.30 pm jet boat to take us to our accommodation at Pipiriki.
So the start was in cloudy weather in the mid teens but as the day wore on the clouds lifted and the temperatures too!
The first part of the ride was fantastic good and I was coping reasonably well. The track started to deteriorate during a long climb of about 10 kms which had a total ascent of about 650 metres!
It was slow going for me and it involved a lot of water with my bike!
We reached the top of the climb at about 1.30 pm and after a quick bite it was the long descent to the Whanganui River.
The early part of the descent was quite good and steep but required some skill in navigating the right course on the track.
Then it got quite hard with several muddy spots . At one point I managed to do a flip off the track over the side and fall about 10 metres into some ferns. Luck was on my side and I had not injuries and the bike was ok. Hauling it back on the track was a bit of an effort which was done so o could continue on my way.
The next issue was the 7 bridges which were quite narrow and required us walking the bikes after taking off the front box. It was a real pain to do this particularly as we were now under pressure to meet the jet boat.
Finally at about 3.15 we reached the “bridge to nowhere “ which gave us a chance to reach the boat. After a quick photo we finished the ride at the jet boat mooring, arriving shortly after the allotted departure but with Stephen arriving before both Chris and I it was okay for the boat to wait a bit.
To say I was glad the 40 km ride was over would be an understatement!
We were on the bikes for 6.5 hours and I was buggered!
The trip down the Whanganui River was a real thrill on the jet boat.
Several times along the way the driver stopped the boat to give us all a bit of history on the region.
We arrived at our accommodative at the Pipiriki camping ground at about 5.00 pm .
This is very comfortable place for us all after a long day. Showers and a bike clean were first tasks after a drink and ice cream.
The dinner tonight was a hamburger and salad to refuel for the days ahead.
Unfortunately there is limited internet connectivity so I can’t send this blog off in the normal day of ride timeframe it will be done tomorrow.
The pictures of the day are as follows (out of order) :
Several shots on the Jet Boat
Our accommodation at Pipiriki
Route taken including the jet boat trip
Early morning sunrise at Ohango
Chris at the top of the climb…if a shot had been taken of me it would have been shocking!
Day 11- Taumarunui to Ōwhango
We started early this morning with a wake up at 5.00 am to ready ourselves 6.00am drive to the start point of the ride…..or so we thought!
Well the vehicle to pick us up and our bikes turned out to be a small hatchback car which was totally useless for the task. Chris attempted on several occasions to get the driver to pick up a trailer to at least make some headway with the task but to no avail…. So it was now into plan B mode unfortunately.
This required rescheduling several of the routes and accommodation ahead into Wellington which took some time….. so much for the early start!
Finally when all this was sorted out we checked out of the motel! More about that later!
We decided on a shorter route to Owhango which would give us a ride of about 30 kms where we were able to get accommodation.
Finally after an early lunch and stocking up with food for the next day or so we were off at 11.30 am for the ride.
The weather by this time was cool and a little cloudy but as the day wore on the clouds evaporated and developed into a sunny day.
The first few kms of the ride were in gentle rolling hills on a surfaced road . This then gave way to a gravel road with 2 climbs. The first climb was short but the second was about 5 kms with about 450 metres of ascent. I was determined to do the climbing without stopping but unfortunately towards the the top there was a logging operation taking place on the road which necessary stopping. Bugger!
It was good to watch these giant machines doing there thing!
After reaching the top of this climb I waited for Chris and Steve. When they arrived I was met with the news that the motel we stayed at for the last 2 nights was charging us for a broken chair! This is complete rubbish!!!! We agreed to talk to the motel operator later after our ride.
The short ride into Owhango was uneventful and we checked into our new digs for the night. To say these are basic would be an understatement!
The hot water in the shower ran out so I had a cold shower, we do not have blankets on the beds and the house(?) we are staying in is fairly run down. The good news is that we have a bed for the night!
So today can be described as a day of challenges and so far we have made a great fist of it!
The pictures today are
The route taken today
At lunch in Taumarunui ahead of our ride for the day.
A drink break along the way … Chris and Stephen
Logging operation over the road towards the end of the big climb
At the top!
A view of Mt Ruapehu from the road.
Our accommodation for the night
Day 10 - Rest Day at Taumarunui
We are having a rest day today at the motel to do a bit of recovery after 8 days of riding.
The body needs a bit of a recharge ahead of the days ahead.
The weather today was cool and foggy to start then warmed up to the late 20’s by the end of the day.
In the morning after a lovely breakfast courtesy of good supermarket buying by Chris, Steve and I wandered downtown to get a cappuccino.
Then we gave our bikes a good clean and service. You can see the difference in the pictures below.
After a sandwich lunch, Chris helped me reload my Garmin after doing a factory reset. This hopefully will fix the bugs that have emerged over the trip!
After a rest we went on a short 6 km loop around the town to road test the Garmin which seemed to work perfectly! Thanks Chris!!!
Along the way we had an ice cream as the weather was rather warm.
Tomorrow we start on the next leg of the trip which will be an early start at 5.00 am for a van pickup to take us to the start of the trail. After riding on the trail we then take a jet boat to our next overnight.
Should be an exciting day!
Pictures today are
Map of short ride
Photos of bike before and after cleaning
Day 9 - Epic Camp to Taumarunui
We were awake from our tents at about 7 am and there was a real buzz in the campsite with families and groups getting ready gouge day of either riding the Timber Trail or hiking…. They call it “tramping” here.
The night was very pleasant under canvas although quite cool!
After breakfast, which was provided by the camping ground, we packed a lunch of sandwiches ( peanut butter for me) and 2 hard boiled eggs!
We were off at about 9.00 am. After May 1.5 kms I realised I left my phone behind in the tent so had to do a trek back to retrieve it.
After this it was on to the remaining section of the Timber Trail , about 45 kms.
There were 2 climbs on the trail which were okay but in some sections the track was a bit churned up so I was walking. All up I reckon I walked about 500 metres today which was not too bad for me.
There were many other riders on the trail today compared to yesterday as it is a national holiday here. It is Waitingi Day!
Once again today we crossed several swing bridges which were again quite spectacular!
One particular attraction was the spiral loop on the track as a fair bit of the track is on an unused railway line used to carry timber. Quite amazing engineering given that all this was built in the 1800’s.
There was a beautiful downhill of about 5 kms on a good surface which made for good riding.
At the final stage of the track the surface was not on the old railway track so riding was a bit slower. Also it was station get hotter and the two was in the low 30’s. The good news was there was no wind!!
At the end of the trail we had lunch in an area where many of the locals had parked their cars for the time they were on the trail.It was busy!
After our lunch it was on to Taumarumui on gravel roads at first the thankfully we then had made roads for the last 10 kms in to the town. As it was hot we made a beeline for the dairy to have a milkshake to refresh ourselves!
All in all we had a good day riding 71 kms and climbing 750 metres.
Today I felt a bit more comfortable on the bike on the trails which is pleasing!
Today’s pictures are:
The ride route
A view of one of the swing bridges
A general view of the country at the top of the climb…. Quite amazing
2 photos of the rail loop with Chris in the first photo
Day 8- Whakarmaru to Epic Camp on Timber Trail
Today was probably on of the most challenging days in all my years of riding.
The day started at the guest house with breakfast at 7.00 am and on the road by about 7.45 am.
The day was a perfect on for tidy with virtually no wind and clear skies. The temperature started in the teens and got up to around 25 degrees on the afternoon.
The road out from Whakarmaru was good then we started on the timber trail with a climb of 16 kms climbing about 650 metres.All quite doable in theory but the track was quite challenging. We started the climb at 11.00 am and finished it at about 1.00 pm!
It was then on to the second climb 10 kms with 650 metres of climbing which took us to 970 metres above sea level.
To be frank I was knackered at the top but enjoyed the trip down.
We also saw the plaque showing the centre of the North Island of NZ
Then it was on the Camp Epic where we are staying the night and to be frank the last 10 kms were a real struggle for me as I was getting tired and my concentration lapse was a constant concern. I had one minor fall and was ok thankfully.
We finally reached our destination at 7.55 pm after riding 72 kms and climbing 1500 metres.
Unfortunately my Garmin played up again which is a real bummer!
The pictures today are as follows:
The map of the ride
Bridge at the start of the first climb
Sign post to centre of the island
The centre of the island
At the highest point of the climb…bit tired!!
Couple of shots of swing bridges. Wonderful structures
Home for the night under canvass at camp epic
Day 7- Rotorua to Whakarmaru
Today’s word for the day is WIND!!
… and boy was there plenty of it blowing in the wrong direction which neater had a headwind for most of the day.
We started the day waking at 7 and were away to have breakfast ahead of the ride in Rotorua. Breakfast of bacon and eggs really hit the spot together with a cappuccino!
We were on the road by about 9 and for the first 30 kms approximately it was on roads winding through the foothills near Rotorua. The main farming through the whole area we road today was dairy.
After the first stage of the ride it was on to unmade roads which included one long climb of about 5 kms which was a challenge but great once w reached the top!
During this time we experienced rain showers which made riding a little more challenging. The rain showers continued for most of the rest of the day.
We had lunch on the dam wall of the Ohakuri power station which was good to have a break!
After this it was on to the Waikato River trail which was quite pretty along the banks of the river.
I am starting to feel a bit more confident on trails now and although progress is a bit slower than Chris and Steve I feel much better on them.
We arrived at Whakarmaru at about 6.00 pm which made for a big day of riding.
My Garmin data stuffed up so the distance is wrong.. we rode 83 kms climbed about 1000 metres.
The accomodation we are staying at tonight is guest house style homes which were workers accommodation in an earlier life when they were building the dam and power station at Whakarmaru.
Seems we have a few challenging days ahead of us now with climbing and trail riding….hopefully the practice up to now serves me well!
Picture’s today are as follows:
Today’s ride map
A view of the dairy country in the early part of the ride….sky is blue!!
View of spillway flows to take off excess water from the power station dam along the river with the power station in the next photo
A general view of the Waikato River
Steve and I climbed up 108 stairs to this view platform which was terrible as the trees had grown …. Chris wisely did not do the climb preferring to looks after the bikes… he said!
Day 6- Putaruru to Rotorua
After the best night of sleep for the whole trip it was up at around 8.00am to get ready for the ride.
The hotel we stayed at last night was somewhat out of the 1930’s and not much had been done to it since opening. As a result the rooms were comfortable but very basic with lots of period items including a razor blade shute… see the picture. Not sure where the blades end up as there was no sign of a collection bin!
Anyway after rising and packing it was off for breakfast and a coffee at a local cafe which was delightful… compared to dinner last night which was average to say the least!
After breakfast I made a visit to the chemist to get some cream for the nether regions as the last few days were quite painful! Seems to be working thankfully!
The initial part of the ride was on made roads with one long 6 km climb which had a constant 5% gradient. The Garmin said there was some flat spots and even a short downhill but I am certain it was lying!
After the climb it was on to a bush logging track which was through the pine forest. Quite pretty really although for me there were some challenging parts requiring me to walk. After getting advice from Chris about riding on tracks I let my tyres down substantially which made a big difference. I feel I am getting more confident on the really rough parts of the tracks now… in some ways that experience on Big River Wialuta ride still haunts me!
After emerging from the woods we stopped at Mamaku for lunch which consisted of toasted sandwiches we bought at breakfast.
Then it was on to Rotorua which was a great decent with the wind behind us! Lovely riding to end the day!
We are staying at the backpackers tonight which is very comfortable.
The days ride was 59 kms and we climbed about 750 metres. The weather was cooler today thankfully with clouds so much appreciated by us all.
Today’s pictures are:
A picture of the trail we rode on with local flowers
The ride route to Rotorua
The razor blade shute
Some strange hills sticking up from the ground… must be something to do with volcanic activity in the past.
A bad picture of Lake Rotorua from the road on our decent… there was a better view back 1.5 kms but I was not going back!
A lovely picture of the 1800 built Museum
Our home for the night
Day 5 - Matamata to Putaruru
Being a shorter day of riding we were awake a little earlier later than yesterday at about 7.00 am. After packing up and breakfasting at a local cafe , we were on the road by about 8.00 am.
The weather today started with a cloudy sky and temperatures on the high teens. As the day progressed the clouds were burnt off by the sun and it heated up to around 28 degrees. This wind also increased as the day unfolded. Initially we had a headwind for the ride on the main road… state highway 1. There was plus traffic on the road with many B-Double trucks. The wind and traffic meant for slow traveling.
Shortly after leaving Matamata we stopped to visit a friend of Chris’s on his farm. The husband and wife are keen bike riders and enjoy long rides and even competitive riding. It was great to meet Robyn and enjoy the chat and have some juice.
After negotiating the roads we were on to the Waikato River trail which runs beside the Waikato River. The trail was good but provided some challenging terrain for me. We ended the trail ride at Arapuni where we had lunch at the Rhubarb Cafe. This cafe seems to be a hub for cyclists travelling through the area.
After lunch it was off for the short ride to Putaruru with a tail wind ….. finally we had a tail wind the first time on the trip so far!
We made great time and reached our destination at about 2.00 pm!
This early arrival gives us time to do washing and rest.
The total distance of the ride was 52 kms … for some reason my Garmin only recorded 45kms… so much for technology!
Today was interesting for me to get some more experience on trails which were a bit more challenging… the great news being there were no falls!
Today’s pictures are of:
The ride route excluding 7 kms due to stuff ups on the Garmin
The Hobbit House in middle earth at Matamata. The Hobbit movie was filmed around here.
The bike statue outside Chris’s friends place at entrance to the farm. Very impressive farm!
A view of the Waikato River along the trail..lovely area.
Day 4 - Miranda to Matamata
With a long ride planned for the day we agreed to start at about 7 am so we were up at 6.00am.
The ride for the day was reasonably flat with a climb of a little over 200 metres.
The weather was reasonably hot again with temperatures in the high 20’s and it was quite humid!
We rode for about 20 kms before having breakfast at a roadside cafe called Bugger! The breakfast was great and we were fueled up for the day.
Initially the ride was on a rather busy highway with lots of traffic but shortly after breakfast we were on the Hauraki rail trail for the rest of the ride to Matamata. The surface was very good to ride on and the countryside was primarily dairy farming but as we got to Matamata the farming was primarily that of horse studs…. Very impressive properties!
The only issue for us was the heat and the fact that there were very few trees! The heat was oppressive which involved us making many stops for drinks and the let the heat in our bodies dissipate.
For me the heat was ok but later in the day it made me very tired and I looked forward to reaching our destination!
We made several stops in towns and cafes along the way which were a welcome relief!
The 111 km ride to over 11 hours and my bum is rather sore as a result… hopefully it will recover for the rides ahead.
The pub we are staying at tonight is an old world pub but very comfortable for the 3 of us.
The pictures today are
The ride route
Breakfast at the Bugger cafe
Crossing the Waihou river
Waiting for cows to cross the trail after milking
Me at Paeroa where we had lunch and 2 bottles of the local brew… non alcoholic!
This lovely house on the way in to Matamata
Day 3 - Auckland Airport to Miranda
We had a start from the hotel at 8.30 am with Chris picking us up after riding from the CBD.
The weather at the commencement of the ride was fine, virtually no wind and temperature of about 15 degrees. As the day progressed the temperature increased to the mid/ high 30’s which proved to be challenging.
The ride today was 88 kms for Steve and myself and over 100 for Chris.
The early part of the trip was on a bike trail from the airport which was well signposted and relatively flat.
After completing this trail it was heavier going out of the Auckland foothills including a time on a mountain bike trail!
I had one fall on the trail… no injuries but a dent on my pride.
After leaving the greater Auckland area we made our was in a south east direction through the hills that are the water catchment for Auckland.
There was one particular road called rather interestingly Jones Read…( Chris’s surname) which was quite challenging with gradients in excess of 20%! I walked this as the mere weight of the bike with the full racks was just too much.
After this the road followed undulating country with the odd hill. Interestingly we climbed about 950 metres during the day.
As the ride went on the heat played real have with all of us. Both Steve and Chris had intermittent cramps and towards the end of the ride I was feeling light headed.
We all went though a lot of with regular bottle filling par of the day.
We arrived at Miranda at a little after 5.00 pm and luckily for us the office was open to buy a cool drink and pizzas for dinner.
The temperature as I write this blog is quite good in the early 20’s with a lovely breeze!
I was quite pleased with the ride today as this is the longest ride I have done in almost 12 months and although I am rather tired I recovered after a shower and are feeling ok for the 100 plus ride tomorrow on a relatively flat road.
A good bit challenging first day
The pictures today are the ride route, all of us ready to go from the hotel, the view of greater Auckland at the top of one of the climbs, morning tea at a golf course, Chris having a rest recovering from cramp ing , our home for the night at Miranda.
