Unfinished Business

Next week I'll be heading back to the South Island of New Zealand for a month long tour around the southern highlands. I was considering the North Island Tour Aotearoa route, but ultimately decided to return to the south. I have unfinished business there and it is the reason for building my Salsa Fargo. I'll tackle the north another time.

I have as previously alluded, ridden some of this route before. It's partly (mostly) on the Great Southern Brevet course. I found it was not easy to ride on a heavily loaded touring bike with skinny tires, so I had to leave out some of the more rugged stages I'd planned. And I was a bit concerned by the weather at times with snow falling on the high country. I've had a bit more experience with snow since and won't let a little of the white fluffy stuff put me off. But I swore to return and complete the ride, and have built a bike to do it. I'll just have to hope there will be no blizzards.

The itinerary is very ambitious but flexible, so I can easily shorten the route by cutting a day or two if for any reason I don't make good progress. And with the new bike I've changed my touring mode to bikepacking and I will carry only ultralight essentials to keep the riding as easy as possible.

I like to ease into a tour gently and build my trail fitness during the first week. So I'm taking the Taieri Gorge Railway out of Dunedin because the exit up Stuart Street is a very steep climb right from where I'm staying in the city centre. It's seemingly only a little less steep than the infamous Baldwin Street, and much longer. I don't want to risk fatigue or perhaps a pulled muscle from a cold start on the very first day. There will be plenty more climbing to do in the days that follow. Besides, the gorge is spectacular so the train ride is well worthwhile.

Pukerangi is the start of the Otago Central Rail Trail - or really Middlemarch, about 20kms away is the official start. But it's as far as the train goes on week days.

From there I'll ride the first half of the rail trail to Ranfurly, turn north and cross the Kakanui Mountains via Dansey's Pass to Duntroon and Kurow. Then continue north up the Hakataramea Valley and across the Grampian Mountains via Hakataramea Pass to Tekapo in Mackenzie Country, which will be the northernmost point of my ride.

From Tekapo I'll take the alternative start and ride part of the Alps2Ocean trail to Lake Ohau and on to Omarama, where I'll cross the Ewe Range via the Omarama Pass. This will take me through the Oteake Conservation Park back into the Central Otago region known as the Maniototo. There I'll rejoin the rail trail briefly, before crossing back over the Dunstan Range via Thomsons Gorge Road and on to Wanaka.

From Wanaka I'll take the Crown Range Road up through Cardrona to Arrowtown and on to Queenstown, where I'll take a ferry across the lake to Walter Peak Station or Mt Nicholas Station and ride the Von Road to Mavora Lakes, the location of Nen Hithoel in the Lord of the Rings movies, then follow part of the still to be completed Around the Mountains trail to Garston.

From Garston I'll ride up the Nevis Valley across Duffer's Saddle to Bannockburn, rejoin the rail trail again briefly to Alexandra, from there take the Roxburgh Gorge and the Clutha Gold trails to Lawrence, and back to Dunedin via Milton.

So, there will be lot of mountains and many passes to cross, with a mix of pavement, gravel roads and bike trails. It will be hard work, no doubt with a bit of hike-a-bike. The weather will be cool and I'll be surprised if there isn't a least some snowfall. But it will be rewarded with spectacular landscapes.

And as usual my freeloading buddy Boofle will be along to keep me company and make sure I eat my crusts (or else he will).

The Route

Pukerangi to Queenstown

Mt Nicholas to Dunedin

Elevation profile - there are plenty of hills...

The Von Road passes through Mt Nicholas Station on the way to Mavora Lakes.

Dunedin - done, not dusted...

It was a smooth flight and a rough landing before I arrived at my hotel in Dunedin very early yesterday morning. After only a few hours sleep it was daylight so I got up and headed off looking for a Vodaphone store to get travel sims for my phone and iPad.

Mission accomplished it was back to the hotel, where I spent the best part of the day assembling the bike and attaching the bike bags.

 

The weather forecast has not been looking good. The north of the country has been swiped by the tail of Cyclone Debbie, and there has been heavy rain and flooding. The bad weather is expected to extend to the south today and heavy rain and strong winds are predicted.

So it was with some trepidation that I awoke this morning to the sound of the wind, and looked out the window at a wet world.

But by the time I had breakfast, packed, loaded and was ready to roll the rain had all but stopped and I reached the railway station still relatively dry.

The ornately tiled interior is a sight to behold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The trip through the upper gorge was stunning but it was difficult to photograph with light rain falling.

The train only runs to Pukerangi on week days, so I had a 20km ride to my overnight stop at Middlemarch - the official start of the Otago Central Rail Trail.

I set off in light rain and straight up a hill - paying my penance for sitting in the train all morning. But the hill was soon crested and the rain stopped. I rode through a strange landscape of eerie limestone outcrops, and with the wind gusting behind me reached Middlemarch by early afternoon. I'm staying at the Strath Taieri - a cheap and cheerful country pub, and after a warm shower I'm ready for a cold drink.

 

Riding the rail trail...

It was cold during the night and the heater in my room was not working. I awoke to see a heavy frost outside my window. But soon the sun came out and the temperature began to rise.

I packed my gear and found an open cafe for breakfast and a takeaway for lunch, then headed to the start of the rail trail.

Well, the start for me, but most riders start at the other end of the trail, so for them it's the finish. The rail trail is very popular even this late in the season, and I passed many riding the other way.

I reached the halfway point at Hyde and discovered that the cafe where I had expected to get a coffee and a snack had closed down, but there was a self-service offering and I made myself an instant coffee to go with a muffin.

Soon after crossing this bridge the trail entered a tunnel, then crossed a high viaduct and descended into the Taieri Gorge. For several kilometres the going was very scenic. Then the landscape changed to farmland all the way to Ranfuly, where I arrived, cold and weary in the late afternoon.

A big day in the mountains...

It's going to be a big day today. I don't usually plan mountain passes on only the second day of a tour, but it is in between where I am and where I want to be so there is no choice really. 

The former Ranfurly railway station is now the tourist information centre.

The hotel made me a nice cooked breakfast but the coffee was terrible. Luckily the cafe next door was open early so I called in for a decent cappuccino and got a great big muffin for later. 

I headed off through farmlands again to the foot off the Kakanui Range and after a brief stop to eat my muffin at the old Kyeburn Diggings reached the remote Dansey Pass Hotel just after midday.

     

     

I lingered only long enough for a coffee and cake, as I knew the hard work was about to start. It's an 11 kilometre climb up to the pass, followed by a brief but steep descent, then the sting in the tail - a short but impossibly steep hill to really test tired legs. I managed both with little walking, but many, many rest stops. 

     

 

Eventually I arrived at the Dansey's Pass Holiday Park just as the sun dropped behind the hills. The temperature was already down to 8 degrees as I arrived. Just in time too - I could barely stand when I got off the bike.

Cruising to Kurow...

An easy day for today after yesterday's leg breaker. I had a restless night with aches and pains all over, but surprisingly the legs felt ok in the morning. It was very frosty again, but with only a short day planned I lingered in bed until the sun rose high enough to warm things up.

Eventually I packed up and headed off. It was mostly downhill for the first hour, then after Duntroon a tailwind pushed me all the way Kurow where I arrived mid-afternoon. The cafe fed me a huge burger and cappuccino, and recommended which of the two hotels was best to stay at.

There was a group cycling the A2O route having lunch at the cafe, and when they saw my bike they had many questions. What was I doing? Where was I going? Where did I start from? Why was I going in the wrong direction?  When I explained that I was planning to cross the Hakataramea Pass their guide was adamant the the A2O route beside Lake Aviemore was much more scenic. The way my legs are feeling, I may take her advice. I've crossed the Hakataramea before, and although the way is through a pretty valley, it is not at all spectacular.

My room at the recommended hotel turned out to be one of the nicest I've had at a country pub, and the meal I was served at dinner defeated even my hungry cyclist's appetite. After a pint of the local beer to wash it down I retired to my room to ponder a route change.

Around Lake Aviemore...

Last night I went to bed wondering whether to change my route. The itinerary I planned was always an ambitious one with two passes in the first few days, and my legs are not adapting as quickly as expected. But I had anticipated this could happen and have built plenty of options into the route.

I deferred the decision until this morning, and over a generous breakfast opted for the scenic A2O route. A little north of Kurow I reached Lake Waitaki, the first of a series of dams build to provide hydro-electric power.

Soon after I reached Lake Aviemore, and crossing the wall to the opposite bank, found my self on a flat, smooth, and all but deserted road.

The road wound its way along the lake shore, with dozens of camping sites scattered amongst the trees just starting to show the colours of autumn. The A2O guide was right - this is a fabulous ride.

At the end of Lake Aviemore there was a stiff climb up to the wall of the Benmore dam, and after crossing to the other side an exhilarating descent. The entrance to the power station is marked by a section of the penstock pipe. 

The actual penstock pipes are framed dead centre. 

It was an easy cruise the last few kilometers into the little lakeside holiday town of Otematata. There were not many accommodation options but I quickly set up in a nice is somewhat expensive room.

And around Lake Benmore...

It's only a short day today into Omarama. The catch is, there is a big hill in the way. But with only a little over 20 kilometers to cover I packed up later than usual and had a leisurely breakfast at the local cafe. The hill starts immediately on leaving the town, and it's 6.5 kilometers to the top. But my legs finally feel like they are coming good. I crested the hill with only a few stops for oxygen, and was rewarded with a stunning view down the valley over Lake Aviemore. When I got my camera out a passing A2O cyclist kindly offered to take my photo. And of course Boofle had to get in it too.

After a screaming 50 kph descent I reach Sailors Cutting on the shore of Lake Benmore, and stopped to enjoy the scenery and eat the muffin I had hauled up the hill.

For the first time I rode the actual formed A2O track, and it was another stunning ride along the lake shore, which was fringed by trees developing their autumn colours. Just after midday I reached Omarama. I'm having a lay day here tomorrow to wash my clothes, do some bike maintenance and of course give my legs a rest. And it is timely as NZ is about to be swiped by another cyclone and rain is forecast.

Cooked...

Cyclone Cook-ed that is. It's been raining more or less continuously since I arrived in Omarama, except for a few brief periods when I managed to perform some bike maintenance and get my clothing washed and dried.

Last night the rain was really heavy, but this morning it stopped, and the sky began to brighten. After spending yesterday cooped up in my tiny hut, I had cabin fever and wanted to to get moving.

By the time I got my gear packed and was ready to roll it was raining again. I hung around the cabin hoping it would stop, but eventually had to choose - stay another night or ride in the rain. I chose to ride.

Easter in NZ is just like back home - everybody gets in their car and rushes off somewhere for a four-day weekend. So I spend the morning sharing the state highway with a constant stream of traffic, in drizzling rain and road spray. 

Eventually I reached the turnoff for my destination for the day, and had immediate relief from the traffic. Soon after the rain stopped, and a few feeble rays of sun pierced the clouds, allowing me to capture this panorama of Lake Ohau.

Finally I reached the lakeside lodge and was able to get warm and dry. But it's raining outside again and I've just read in the NZ weather report that Cyclone Cook hasn't actually arrived yet. I dunno what tomorrow is going to bring

Wanaka - the easy way...

Dinner at Lake Ohau Lodge was an interesting affair, with many of the guests cycling the A2O route by various different means, some in organised groups, other solo or in family groups. There was much to talk about.

The rain returned during the night and in again briefly morning. Knowing the track was already muddy I elected not to ride the A2O section back to Omarama, and returned by road, crazy with Good Friday traffic.

Now I was in a quandary - because the of condition of the back roads and fords in the high country after all the rain, and the continuing poor weather, it was risky for me to ride the route I'd planned for the next three days. But I couldn't bypass it either since Wanaka, my next destination was so busy with holiday makers that even the camping grounds were booked out. I had no choice but to stay put until the end of the busy Easter holiday.

And it is a 125km ride to Wanaka, across the Lindis Pass. I've done it twice before and was not feeling motivated to do it again, especially in Easter holiday traffic. 

So I have booked a cheap room in the local pub for a couple of nights, and bought a bus ticket to Wanaka. I will resume riding from there.

On the Crown...

After a string of idle days my legs should be fresh and riding should be easy, right? Wrong. Not when the route crosses the Crown Range, the highest sealed road in New Zealand.

For once I got an early start and after fuelling up with a big breakfast and a last look around the beautiful Lake Wanaka shores, I headed off. At first the route took me through a wide valley, with open farmland and pastures, but the mountains slowly closed in as I climbed gradually to Cardona. At the historic pub I stopped for a bowl of wedges - more fuel for the climbing. Sadly the old car that has long been a feature of the pub was not there - it had been damaged and taken away for restoration.

 

 

 

 

 

After some procrastination I set off to face what was to come - a winding climb up the gradually steepening valley, becoming very steep and narrow in the last few kilometers.

 

Here the road became almost impossible to ride - there was no wobble room for a cyclist travelling at little more than walking pace, and the roadside was littered with rockfall. I walked and pushed the bike for perhaps two kilometers before the grade eased near the saddle. Finally I topped the last crest and rolled in to the lookout. There were cheers and applause from some tourists taking in the stupendous views down the valley to Queenstown as I arrived.

 

Boofle insisted on getting into the picture, but I can tell you that he didn't help with the climbing at all.

Next came the descent - by now it was late afternoon and the temperature was falling. The descent was even steeper and more winding than the ascent, and a brisk wind was blowing on this side of the range. I put on my jacket and warm gloves and set off, but before long my fingers were numb and it was a struggle to keep the brakes applied.

About halfway down I turned off onto the back road to Arrowtown. In the late afternoon light I had a fantastic view over Lake Hayes to Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu in the distance. 

 

The back road led me to the rough and extremely steep Tobins Track, which descended to the Arrow River. It was so steep I though I would be tossed over the bars. Eventually, bitterly cold and with aching hands from gripping the brakes I reached the river, and crossing the footbridge was right in the centre of the town. I quickly found the holiday park, had a warm shower and heated some food before collapsing into bed.

To Queenstown...

After yesterday's gut buster I had only a short ride today. So after a leisurely start and a lingering breakfast in Arrowtown and a cruise down the historic lane I set off on the back road to Queenstown.

The hills above Arrowtown are aglow with autumn splendour.

 

Under the Coronet Peak ski fields this helicopter seemed to be inspecting the power poles. It nearly blew me right off the road.

 

I was expecting this road to be downhill, but frustratingly it was slightly uphill most of the way, with a steep descent right at the end. I could feel the fatigue was still in my legs, so the ride was not as easy as expected. But eventually I rolled into the town and went straight to my favourite shop down by the lakeside for a cup of hot chilli chocolate, and watched the steamer docking nearby.

Only a short way down the lakeside I found my motel, complete with a stunning view across the lake.

It will be an early start tomorrow. I'm taking a cruise boat across the lake to Mt Nicholas Station, where I'll be riding back roads again down to Mavora Lakes.