Draft 1 of The South

The South Chris, Geoff and John

At Nelson Sunday 30th January to Saturday 5 February

John and I flew to Nelson on Sunday 30th January with Geoff and Gill arriving with the bikes two days later.

I enjoyed swimming in town and at Cable Bay. Weather conditions have delayed the start of the adventure.

Our hosts have been generously hospitable for these extra days. Eg today, Thursday we’ve tramped through the soggy Nelson streets, starting to get cabin fever, or biking withdrawal symptoms Hoping for a sunny Sunday start. Gill will transport us to Greymouth on Saturday.

Beautiful Cable Bay, at low tide (left and middle) and very high tide on the right

Saturday 5 February - Nelson to Greymouth, via Blackball The West coast weather delayed the intended start time and enforced a longer stay in Nelson Saturday, travelled to Greymouth by motor vehicle.

The Plan

Day 1: Sunday 6 February 2022, Greymouth to Kumara - 32km Sunshine, heat and stunning views of Mt Cook.

A shakedown first day ride to Kumara. Accommodation for the night, in 3 bedroom cottage. Part of the Theatre Royal Hotel – a Hot Spot in the 1800’s gpld rush days.

Following on from my UK Coast to Coast walk tradition, we’ve each taken a white pebble from our first beach to carry with us then cast into the sea at Bluff to symbolically end our journey. (ok us Brits are nuts)

Day 2: Monday 7 February - Kumara to Hokitika Sunny, hot and very little wind on the grunty Wilderness Trail via Cowboy Paradise. So good we pushed on to bustling Hokitika to meet up with Gail and dine at the excellent Pioneer pub.

Everywhere we’ve looked up to spy Mt Cook bathed in sunshine.

Day 3 - Tuesday 8 February, A ride to Ross and back Taking advantage of this good spell of weather we made an early start to get in a ride to Ross ( 27km south of Hokitika). After arriving back it was breakfast at Cafe 92 - Eggs B / 3 egg Omlette / Blueberry Waffles for sustenance.

Rain is forecast again for the West Coast, so we’ll choose to hunker down somewhere, till it’s over, before taking on those Big Hills.

Day 4 - Wednesday 9th Feb, Hokitika to Fox Glacier by car Currently holed up at Fox Glacier waiting for better weather.

Here’s pics from y’day and brekkie this morning.

Best from us, just hold those food parcels for now as we’re ok-have porridge for 2 days.

Oh, temp yesterday 29.9°C! Attached pics The 4th major road repairs encountered going to Fox, this one - tree trunks slumped over road. Also highway slipped away in places.

Best homemade Museli in town ‘HOKITIKA’ beach sculpture John’s pic- dappled sunlight in the forest Super old Empire Hotel at Ross, Open Mic monthly on Fridays

Ross Beach

Day 5 Dropped off at Fox in the pouring rain.... and all night too, pretty dismal. What to do the next day with a tight schedule to cross the steep, high Haast Pass in promised good weather?

We studied the TV, radio, on line forecasts but no joy ... rain most of next day and night. But waking .... blue sky! Which turned into our best cycling day ever.

Superb gently undulating roads, stunning mountains, forests, rivers, vistas, with only one car an hour. All best enjoyed on a bike at 20km an hour with all day to get there.

The Salmon Farm provided lunch before rolling into accommodation at rustic Lake Paringa before 2pm and a day early! How hadn’t we let them know? Did no one read their letter of instruction? But Caretaker Smokey got us sorted and assisted us in making our own dinners.... packet of flavoured pasta into which we dumped tuna and left over cheese for our one colour, one pot basic meal.

Later we sat on the evening- stilled lake pontoon, slept well, cooked and consumed hearty bowls of our own one colour porridge*and set off in good heart for another truly beautiful day’s riding to Haast.

Hooray for Southland. *In Slovenia Jo and I learned how the children must insist their Mums serve their evening meals with Five Colours on their plate, a precept we’re attempting to follow in our cooking........ but dismally failing so far!

Evening, Lake Paringa.

(No mobile coverage here so no log yesterday. )

Lunch at the salmon farm.

Still working on the roads.

I've cracked how to get us all in the frame together.

Day 6 Lake Paringa – Haast 58km Another stunning sunshiny day with no wind, stopping off at Knights Pt and Ship Cove.

Pictures: Morning at the Lake Huge river scouring.

Knights Point Board walk at Ship Cove incredibly beautiful wetlands’s trees Gulp! Makaroa tomorrow -over the Haast Saddle The mighty Haast River..

Made it at last! And thanks to John for the pic

Day 7 Saturday 12 February – Haast to Makurora - 83km Up 6.30, brekky7.00 and off 8.00 for the dreaded Haast Pass 600 m, 1,800 ft.

Tough but hey with our batteries, that large bowl of muesli and a couple of hard boiled eggs we made it to the summit then Zoooomed down the other side on another sunny wind free day.

Terrifyingly turbulent rocky river, huge number of side waterfalls culminating in The Gates of Haast. I tipped my hat to all my friends who’d made it before us with push bikes, one couple with dog on the back!

Once over we transitioned Westland with stern mountain bush covered scenery to gentle, warm and welcoming Otago , softer rivers and hills..... and Makarora’s A frame accomodation neat and comfortable. Arriving at 3.00pm John persuaded us to speed another 4 km down the road to The Country Café discovered on an earlier trip, and making it before closing were greeted by Annette and Ewan, treated with that special Southern Hospitality - lunching well, and on hearing we had no cooking facilities offered to bring us fish and chips at 6 o’clock.

Yippee! This ridin’ sure makes us hungry.

It was delicious!

I asked my companions what was most special about the last few days biking.

Geoff: ‘Oh it’s those ancient and very tall old trees we’ve been biking between on these narrow,straight, quiet Westland roads’.

John talked about the abrupt change on summiting the Pass into Otago. It feels warmer, is flatter and is lot more gentle. I like it’.

Gosh a challenging day with a surprise ending!

Day 8, Sun 13 Feb Makarora - Wanaka 80km A southerly buster... fiercest of headwinds all the way, so head down and battle it out! Thank goodness for our ebikes giving us that extra grunt all the way along Lake Wanaka and for our kind restaurant’s brimming breakfast bowls of homemade muesli with fruit, yogurt, cream - which many cafes now offer. We’ve become breakfast gourmets.

There’s a nasty hill at The Neck – a saddle between Lakes Wanaka and Hawea and 20km from lunch at Hawea township, where Mally and Les had been looking for us.

Geez it had been a hard slog and we ate up big.

Happily from here to Wanaka everything changed, as now we cruise along a network of pleasant, sheltered gravel tracks Hawera River track, Outlet track, then Wanaka Lakeside track into town and our motel where we crammed our bikes together inside to plug in and complete their five hour recharging - an every night necessity.

Malley and Les joined us for a cheery restaurant dinner in the warm evening sunshine. Wanaka is a magnificently picturesque town set between lake and rugged powerful mountains.

We’d arranged a much needed rest day here to go off in our own directions, with one of us having battery probs and needing bike shop advice.

I’ll head for Glendhu Bay where our family picnicked in 1983 . But will I get in for a swim?

We’re staying fit and healthy, enjoying every moment of our magical journey in the South Island. So fortunate.

Powering up with brimming bowls of muesli

Lake Wanaka which we followed all the way

At The Neck, crossing to Lake Hawea Here he comes!

The welcome network of off road trails .... bringing us to good ol’ Wanaka!

Day 9, Monday 14 February

In Wanaka ???

Day 10, Tuesday 15 February, Wanaka to Arrowtown, hot and sunny.

Up and away over the top.

'Excuse me’, I asked the counter lady who had served us our breakfast muesli, ‘But what day is it today?’

‘Tuesday’ she responded looking slightly puzzled.

‘Hey Guys, it’s Tuesday again!’

Yup we’ve been off line on our trip for days and you kinda lost track of time.

But today was the Last Big Hill, over the Crown Range, 1,076 m ... what’s that in feet... 3,300?

But our e-bikes were up to the task with the steep climb and followed by the ziggy saggy descent.

John now in his home territory, was keen to show us the wonder of the Queenstown districts innumerable fine bike tracks.

We were soon at Debbie and John’s new home with a four day stop here to explore them all.

Day 11 Wed 16 Feb - Riding around Lake Hayes After conquering the Crown Range yesterday this was meant to be a rest day. Some hope with the abundance of wonderful bike trails and places to see and explore around here!

The sun was shining, no wind, superb Queenstown trails to explore with cafes aplenty beckoned.

So a leisurely 2 coffee stops and lunch venture.

There’s 130 km of well signposted gravel trails rugged and grunty.

Need to have good ebike and trailriding skills.

Today Mally and Lesley from our Sunday biking group joined us ... great to have you along guys, thank you for your company!

Images: top to bottom Morning coffee

Lunch time in the shade NZ flag proudly snapping in the wind as we prepare to ride on

Far right: the ride map

A darling little cottage beset with roses and flowers, straight out of Spencer the Rover(Copper family video) to which he returned ‘to his children’s prittle prattling stories, to chase cares away’

Lake Hayes

Day 13 – Friday 18th February The Lake Dunstan Trail Yesterday we hiked the trail to Gibbston Valley. Coffee at the vineyard where they have a 70 m long tunnel packed with wine filled barrels. Which of course required exploring to ascertain its acoustic quality - ‘b..... good’, so sang a few songs sounding like Paul Robson’s bass voice.

Today John kindly lent us his car and with Geoff driving, I was able to bike the fabulous Dunstan Trail. Scenic, historic, geologically interesting, challenging hairpins and everywhere the rich scent of Thyme as experienced in Spain.

Halfway along the trail you find two boats moored and serving up coffee and burgers to the numerous passing hungry and thirsty bikers.

It took me a leisurely four hours, taking time to enjoy all the delights and chat with others over tea and bikkies with caravanning new friendships at the end.

And at Cromwell bought up big on the super juicy stone fruit at a roadside store.

Tomorrow we’re on the road again with Mally and Leslie joining us for the Final Push to Bluff.

Oh. Heaps of rabbits everywhere.

Day 14, Sat Feb 19 Kingston-Athol-Mossburn -70k Heavy cold rain and wind.

The pics tell it all, miserable biking weather .... almost hypothermia conditions.....but riding on ex railway lines, now smooth compact gravel, was fast while passing through attractive farm land.

Having Lesley and Mally biking with is excellent support.

Cricky, these South Island trails are so good and plentiful. The food and accommodation is excellent. What a treat it is.

Sunshine forecast for tomorrow ... Yea! A good plate of John’s porridge has been wonderfully sustaining for these hard slogs we’re doing. And the creative Muesli dishes at cafes are equally so. The Mossburn Railway Hotel has a big tin of their muesli ready for us in the morning as we gear up for Otautau.

Day 15 Sunday 21 February - Mossburn-Nightcaps-Otautau 70km.

A bright and shining day. Wow, does the weather ever change fast. Biking Paradise here again now!

Yes, endless straight smooth roads, trout rivers, fertile fields of Southland, swedes, sheep, grass and end of summer hay bales, distant views of the Takitimu hills and always so few cars. We 4 raced along at 30ish in the windless warmth. Lesley following with the MallyWagon.

First up was the old coal mining town of Nightcaps with the sort of info board that Te Puke and Tauranga should have.

Lots of new houses and seems like everyone plays bowls here on Sundays.

Then OtautauHeart of Western Southland with it’s nice hotel, good meals and typical South Island ‘help yourself’ breakfast of juice, fruit, muesli and cereals, toast, tea n coffee, included in the accommodation cost. ( Food, food, just can’t get enough food inside us!)

Tomorrow is John’s friends at Riverton, then Invergiggle

Farewell to Mossbank

South Island roads – sooo good

Tidy farms and distant hills

Our ebikes were the key for the long distances and south island hills.

Flat out after an exhausting day

Nightcaps, ... with its interesting history

Day 16 Monday 21 February Otautau - Riverton Rocks 35k - RR - Invercargill 35k A great day today, speeding down the Aparima river (great trout fishing) valley at 30km av. and past the green and pleasant fields of Southland to Riverton Rocks. John’s friends from way back, Richard and Heather had invited us along as we were to be passing close by, so we diverted for morning tea- very welcome home made scones with jam and cream. Gee, beautiful there.

Then a very busy 35 km to Invercargill, a randomly found motel and fine dining at ‘Buster Crabbs’. Transported by Mally and Lesley - thanks heaps guys, it’s made such a pleasant difference to our journey.

Tomorrow’s a rest day before pushing on to our Bluff destination.

Our very best wishes - and happy biking yourselves! Cheers, John, Geoff, Chris+Mally too

Made it... and checking our stats.

View from Richard and Heather’s window with Mally Wagon

Fine view from Richard and Heather’s home.

Thank you for our morning tea!

Howell’s Point. Looking out at Bluff Hill and Stewart Island

A Day in Invercargill Tuesday 22nd February

John showed us Queens Gardens.

Geoff bought extension cord and 4 socket power point. And we must charge every night, 3-5 hours.

Tuatara as they grew 60 million years ago with the dinosaurs … and are still around today, tho somewhat smaller.

Right: This is Craig, he biked 230km, Fox Glacier to Makarora, in one session, including through the night. He's sending his bike and gear home in a box.

Wednesday 23 February - Buff and pebbles in the sea

Here we are ending our journey, epic adventure and exploration of the South Island’s quiet roads, magnificent trees and sustaining breakfast mueslis and porridges at cafes along the way.

Thank you for the encouragement from those in who’s tyre tracks we followed, and in turn encourage others to follow in ours.

I rode up Bluff Hill- having to use full battery power all the way. Impossible without!

Our thanks to you all for your good wishes and encouragement. A real team effort blessed with great companionship, near perfect weather and memories to last us all a lifetime.

Early morning start for breakfast ... and off to Bluff

Off road gravel tracks all the way, this part by the estuary First sight of our destination, Bluff and Bluff Hill which I rode up on full battery power

Bouquets are presented in the Tour de France, so thank you Gail for our Tour de South Island ones too.

Thanks for joining us Mally, and Transport Officer Lesley -adding so much to the fun and enjoyment along the way

I rode up Bluff Hill- having to use full battery power all the way. Impossible without!

Yay! Thanks for this one Mally

Stewart Island, Mt Anglem

Cheers from us...

Geoff and Gill, John and Debbie, Mally and Lesley, Chris and Jo Ann ..... and thank you for sharing our journey .....