Wanaka to Queenstown (1st visit)

Cripes! That was an excillerating trip from beautiful Wanaka (well up there with my favourite places ever).

The mood was bouyant among the group at breakfast, as we munched on our muesli mountains.

The sky was clear blue with the promise of no need for rain jackets. Slightly cool air to start, which soon warmed as the first miles ticked by. It looked remarkably more brown on the mountainsides and made me think about some pictures mum used to have of the grand canyon. Steve was also thinking it was somewhat like Nevada. 

I had Bonanza in my head, mixed in with Indiana Jones. Plus of course Phil Collins, who was back with a vengence after hearing Monsieur Godof at breakfast time❤️

Today was 'Crown Pass' day, essentially a climb and descent if you happened to skim your eye over the daily profile.

It was all very gradual for the 15miles to our coffee stop, the only place en route so we made ourselves comfortable in the garden at the wild west style hotel:

It was actually so pleasant I almost started thinking I could stay all day sat there, as if?!?!

So after that the steepness picked up, resulting in the need for 'out of the saddle' mode on quite a few occasions and a nice amount of huffing and puffing. Twice mother nature laid a soft hand on my back and gently blew me up the hill😄

At the end, what a view!!!! I think it thoroughly outdid the Galibier for wow-ness:

We all re-grouped, felt pleased with ourselves at the top and anticipated a quick whizz down as we spied Queenstown nestled far away in the distance next to the vivid blue water.

Layers on and we were off but oh my life how scary were those miles down?! The wind was very strong and gusty and while the heavier members of the group had no issues, some of us were everywhere!! I honestly considered calling Steve to drive back up and put me and my steed in the van, that shows how scary it was!!

Thankfully cars were patient as I wove a path in the middle of the road to allow for gusting movements (as did the other adventurers).

Between Jan and I if you had a dollar for every 'f' word you could fly to New Zealand.

Eventually we reached flatter road but the wind was still unrelenting and I pushed on to reach the motel, soaking up the stunning aquamarine colour of the Lake:

What a completely magnificent country this is from top to bottom. 

42miles today.

Makarora to Wanaka

Talk about save the best bits til last!

Well, to begin at the beginning we woke in our little hobbit holes to the sound of some most extraordinary bird calls, what a great way to start the day.

It was chilly, during the night there'd been some rain (as we found out during our middle of the night calls of nature-no loos in the A-frames!) But up on the mountain tops this had fallen as snow so we were greeted with the most fantastic views as we set off along wonderful Highway 6. 

I wasn't prepared for how spectacular it would be today and the wow-ometer was almost off the scale as I chopped along.

It was another ride where I had to stop every half a mile to try to capture the journey on film. 

After about 10miles we started to skirt some of Lake Wanaka and the contrast of the blue water, green hillside and snowy peaks was a bit mind blowing to be honest. I think I resembled an owl on a bike, twisting my head this way and that, trying to take it all in.

After Lake Wanaka we approached Lake Hawea, simply stunning with the sun sparkling on the water.

It really is impossible to take a rubbish photo here!!

It was a short day mileage wise, 40miles of absolute quality!

So, arriving at our Wanaka motel (right near the lake) in good time, I unpacked as usual then meandered off to find some tasty fuel. It was windy by the lake and the snowy peaks unexpected according to the locals I chatted to.

Bought a few souvenirs, procrastinated a bit, then it was time to get in my trainers. Jan and Phil went off for a long walk to Mount Iron (powered up by the carvery he'd sneaked in at Hawea and Jan fuelled up on a record 5 cups of tea, in one sitting). I think she'd also coaxed him along with the promise of me having nothing to do with the route, hehe😄

I'd asked in the i-site about where I could run out and back without getting lost and the lovely girl phoned her boyfriend, a runner, who then came in and talked me through the route! 

It was actually impossible to get lost as the track followed the shore line mostly and what a route! 9 miles out, then back. The wind had dropped and the temperature risen rather a lot so I was over-dressed. Had to strip off somewhat, leaving myself at the mercy of the blood-suckers!

The track wound its way along beaches, mountain bike trails, through trees that you only get in hot countries (!) and then I ran out of Lake and it became a very blue river. I got to Albert Town then turned back. By now the sun was going down and the shimmer on the water was magical, I'd already had to impose a limit on photo stops to every mile:

Got back to base at 18.15, not long after the others and just time for my favourite post-run routine and second of the month:

Good night everyone😃

Haast to Makarora

I'm writing this sat on the grass at the base of Mount Shrimpton, awaiting my fellow climbers return.

The ride was only 48miles today so we were here at our destination, installed in our A-frame cabins by 2pm:

Steve described them as a shed, but I've never slept in a shed before so it's all rather exciting! Jan has her own hobbit hole at last!

Today we cycled along the Haast Pass. 30miles of pretty much flat road, threading its way next to the Haast river before the climb up. It was steep to start but as we'd all psyched ourselves for longer, it was a pleasant surprise to see Steve parked up, telling us the worst was behind us. 

Apart from a few showers the weather gods smiled and we could enjoy some views down the gorge and the rainwater added to the gushing waterfalls, which were frequent en route.

Once over the pass the scenery opened out and the mountains around are vast and (as evident by our attempt to summit Mount Shrimpton) sizeable.

We didn't get to the top, despite 90minutes of sometimes very steep/vertical tramping! I don't think I've seen Jan in such a sweat and Phil's planned inner eyelid inspection has gone somewhat out the window! He may decide not to go with my choice of route in future?! Was a great wilderness path through the roots and trees though. 

Now back in our hobbit hole (the little tinkers took a short cut back at the end of the route, so bypassing me waiting, at the mercy of the sand flies) it's time for tea and biscuits, again! Happy days indeed (albeit a few rather itchy ones).

Fox to Haast

We left Fox with blue skies and the reassurance of the motel owner that his barometer was unchanged, no rain.

View last night:

The first 40miles to the salmon farm cafe stop was flat and smooth jungle-lined tarmac, much like some of yesterday.

This was part of the climb up into Fox we had.

It should have felt easy, but I had a nasty headache. Last night I had a telephone interview with an nhs manager in the UK at 21.45. Not the usual unwind routine before bed that my holiday brain's grown accustomed to. So it was a long time before I dropped off. Then out on the road the holiday bubble was under attack from work brain, suddenly engaged with alarming speed, calculating logistics and practicalities. The ache must have been the sudden change in tempo and content of thought. Come back coffee stop/ pedalling/ sore bum thoughts!

Jan then gave me a few choice words, alongside the salmon. Within a few minutes of additional enthusiastic cycle chat, with the new irish members of our group, aspirin were no longer required.

Steve then fixed my gears, so I can now get in my smallest gear (I was mostly thinking ahead, to tomorrow's beasty climb). Thank you Steve😄

The early morning damp mist had been burned off by the sun and what followed was then some lovely riding towards some coastal hills. Not as bad as we'd thought, but then the legs are without doubt stronger on the uphills now.

After whizzing up and down a few times we had a fast flat stretch to Haast, traversing the longest bridge yet on the trip. I managed to get a peace sign as I waved thanks for giving me right of way, or it could have been two fingers! Haha, oh well, no worries!

Sand flies are a pest here. Steve has complained of them prior to now but it seems they don't like or can't catch our usually moving targets. At our motel they are very much out in force so we've invested in some pungent insect armour. 

It's been great to arrive with a dry bum today, let's hope the rain that's beating down on the roof now toddles off before tomorrow!

75miles today. 

P.s glad this isn't my new job:

Fox To Fox

Today was our second rest day of the trip and several months ago we'd booked a guided walk up on the Fox Glacier (Jan is officially the most advanced planner I've ever known). As luck would have it, of the 200 rainy days a year here, this wasn't one of them.

It's a bloomin scorcher! Clear blue skies and glorious views of the mountains (I resist saying awesome, now referred to as the dreaded 'A' word).

The Glacier is pretty huge (12km long) and we ambled along a track to get to it, then donned our crampons and off we went; to see some crevasses, big rocks, how to use an ice axe and to explore some of the rugged glacier. We were so jammy with the weather, as yesterday it would have been very grim up there indeed.

I think the luck from the bird who plopped on me at dinner a few nights back is holding!

As it was I got rather chilly where we stopped for our snacks, a poor choice of position by our rather irksome guide Finn. So I made an oversize waterproof jacket nest, thanks to Uncle Phil and disappeared for a little while under it.

I re-emerged when it was time to move on to stomp along some more ice. It was a memorable experience to walk on the Glacier and is gonna help me understand a tiny bit more what my nearest and dearest is going through in May. But I'm now rather looking forward to the wind in my hair, my seat back wiggling on the saddle. I'm ready for my bike.

Back at our base Jan and I felt rather fatigued, but concluding that we'd have a good sleep tonight we made a plan. Jan and Phil cycled to Lake Matheson to then walk round and I popped on my trainers to run there. Well, that is well up there in my top 10 most memorable runs ever. The perfect skies allowed a rare view of Mount Cook on the way to and around the lake. That was AWEsome. I only had my camera and not my phone so am unable to share a photo here sadly.

Running on jungle lined trails is a fast-track to a runner's high and I smiled all the way round, feeling very much alive. 

Perhaps my aliveness was also in part due to not having just cycled 60 odd miles as per the other days?!

Jan was so excited to see me when our paths crossed on the way round she fell over backwards into some lichen! 

So now I think it's time to go and eat another steak the size of my head.

Harihari to Fox

After hosting breakfast in our little house (we're taking turns each day) we were off just after 9am. The forecast promised better weather later in the day where we were heading, so the intrepid explorers set off. 

It was rather amusing how diligently Jan and I ensured all our kit was dry, for it to then be soaked through within 10minutes. Nice to be dry for breakfast anyway!

The first section to Whataroa was flat, well it looked flat but there were quite a few false flats today and it felt harder. Legs felt more tired today, partly due to a bit of a rubbish sleep. Perhaps caused by a bit of pining for my kiwi🐦

Donna was back on her bike, confidence restored albeit with a somewhat sore body.

Graham was left with Steve at Harihari, awaiting news of his bike repairs back in Greymouth.

Still no news and it's 3.45pm, perhaps Steve and Graham decided to sack in the cycling lark and chill out with the rather laid back hosts of our motel there?!

So anyway, fingers were crossed there were no other issues among the other riders today.

After Whataroa we pushed on, catching Kim, who never stops at cafes (only on the roadside to eat her snacks). I try my best not to give her a fright each time I go past but to no avail. Whatever volume I say hello with makes her visibly jump from her reverie.

We cycled past Mount Cook I think but he was lost in the rainclouds. On into Franz Josef , again mostly lost in cloud but a welcome bit of shelter from the continual deluge and a very tasty cheese scone.

I was pretty soaked to the skin now and knowing my body, realised the only way to inject some heat was to get the pistons engaged and the central heating back on, I prayed for a hill, a big long one!

Well the next 14miles were that, 3 hills of increasing steepness and it didn't take too long for my fingertips to turn back from purple to happy pink. 

On approaching the last climb a workman smugly told me it was the steepest one yet. Good I said. Take that! After pumping away out of the saddle for a couple of miles the summit was reached and time to whizz down into Fox. 

The hotel lady seemed less than pleased by my drowned rat appearance and velo! There's 4 more to come I said, haha!

So now we are in our room, warm and showered but nothing to wear except a towel til Steve arrives! 

All is calm chez nous but there's only enough milk for one more cup of tea.....then there's no telling what Jan might do...

Wet Sherwood!

Greymouth to Harihari

Well just in case we were getting a bit blase after a week of sun it was time for some rain. The west coast is notorious for it so yesterday lady luck was clearly smiling on us.

Jan and I were feeling casual and were up for a bit of holiday mode cups of tea in bed and chitchat and a later start. The motel was really nice and there was always the chance it could brighten up?!

Phil was in agreement.

The others left not long after 8am as usual, perhaps with the mindset to get it over with.

At 9.15 Steve was called by Donna who had fallen off, an uneven bridge surface to blame. So Steve zipped off pronto to the rescue.

We scrabbled ourselves together and were off. The flat road went close to the coast but not on it, before winding in through some thick forest. 

For all the days for wet and cloud this was probably the best one for it to fall on as the greatest scenery is to come.

So the ride turned into essentially a 3 part time trial. After 23miles we had our first  pit stop. Phil was keen to visit a shop in Hokitika so we called in and who needs much persuasion on a wet day for yet another cappuccino?

Well, the universe works in truly magical ways as walking into the cafe I hear my name and it's my Auntie Mary and Uncle Rex, on holiday in NZ touring around!!!!!

What are the chances of that?!?! I've not seen them for 7 years:

That has to be well up there with the biggest coincidences of my life.

So, after some catching up and amazement, as well as hearing some good tips about where we'll be visiting in the coming week we parted ways.

Mary has your email now mum too!

Time for time trial part two which took us to 43miles. I was keeping a not hanging around 20mph.

At the second stop we caught up Steve and Donna and Graham. Unfortunately in the slippery bridge incident Graham had also come off and as well as being rather sore had broken the electric gear shifter. Doubly unfortunate as at the local bike store in Greymouth they'd not even heard of such a thing.

We'll see what solution is found, Jan and I have come up with several ideas Steve!

So after a toastie (and mince on toast for Phil!!) back out into the wet.

Lost my 20mph average after a few miles as we had to traverse an unmade road. Agh not keen on these! I held up all the traffic tottering along praying for no punctures. The cycling gods answered my prayers!

Then it was time to put my feet down and push on to Hari Hari, our destination.

Still no let up in the rain but Jan and I now have a very cosy little house to stay in, which we are turning into a shoe flavoured tropical subclimate, with the aid of a fan heater.

And look at who came to the window to proudly show us her babies:

If two weeks ago someone had said I'd enjoy 67miles cycling in the rain I'd have been somewhat cynical. But today was as much about connecting with humans, as previous days have been about nature. In our three we've always kept smiling and it was nice of Phil to say I have enough chirp for everyone. 

Having discussed the rare feathered inhabitants of NZ with mum this morning, I realise I have my own kiwi at home: very cute to look at, part-nocturnal, rare and my mate for life❤️