Month: March 2022

Boo: nothing really, maybe accidentally pulling the bike down on to me after i got into in my bivy last night doh, and then accidentally drinking all my water during the night.

Yay: only took 45 mins to find some water and I enjoyed a nice hot coffee, glad to have brought stove. But then surprise coffee cart in Eglinton valley! Stunning scenery that just gets better. What an awesome road ride, esp with v little traffic. So glad i wasn’t the intended day faster, even if I’ve struggled with that at times along the way. That tunnel is so fun to ride! And then downhill just gets more superlative. Richard waiting for me at the end (having passed just before the tunnel) so cool to share this with him. Sad to end but happy to rest and seriously sleep deprived. Glad to have a couple of days to wind our way home.

Heaps more stories from this ride and I will do a proper write up ( also necessary therapy to transition back to current grim reality!)

Yay: awesome descent from the hut to Garston into the dawn. Unexpected coffe cart! And great cheese rolls at 5 rivers. At mossburn was locking my bike outside cafe when I looked up and there was Richard! Randomly stopping at that same cafe. We were both totally surprised to see each other, such an awesome unlikely fluke of timing. Really liked round the mountains from garston to 5 rivers (despite the numerous gates)… lovely of Ken’s wife to find me outside te anau supermarket and encourage me.

Boo:… but really hate the rest of rtm trail. Slow surface, often beside highway, random wiggles. But then comes incredibly hard/stony or fresh gravel roads with 100kph locals. Into massive head or side wind. 6pm at te anau became 730 as wind really slowed me down. But pushed on still. Seal after te anau felt blissful. Found cosy bivy in beech trees. Looking forward to mford road!

Yay: misty zoom to Alex then pharmacy and bikeshop success new shorts!! Nevis fine esp after putting on new shorts halfway up climb. rest gorgeous esp after dusk. Loved the evening. No one at hut yay. So many stars. Dunstan trail exquisite but…

Boo: ….mayhem esp with literally hundreds of riders, many novice, had curt words with 2 people who steered right into me that I spent hours regretting. Also regretted being a bit rude to nice Alex bike shore owner by leaving my bike inside his shop while I went to supermarket over road when he clearly wasn’t keen. (At least had chance to apologise for that one! Made supermarket trip extremely quick.) Morning felt slow with the jobs then crowdedness.

Boo: couldn’t face the 530 alarm so had another 30 mins. Spent another 20 mins sewing shorts pre departure…

Yay: after getting going, mood lifted, sunrise up awesome mtb track with fun descent. Cafe stop in omarama before heading towards saddle. Weather stayed friendly, not toot. Lots of walking up saddle but good for knees. Loved descent and many many river crossings, much bike carrying over them, great to ride standing for a few hours assisted by strong tail wind. Pub people in Oturehua greeted me by name which was lovely, keen dot watches. Got me nachos in 10 minds. Beautiful calm last hour through dusk into lauder where had reunion with nick and Vic from TA18 🙂 really enjoyed today with pressure off as needing to hit Alex shops in opening hours.

P

Yay: awesome to briefly catch up with Ellen and Catherine heading out of Geraldine. And then Jonathan and Bronnie with a whole lot of people at Phil’s treat station. Bit less clock watching than yest with legs feeling strong. Weather still nicely chilled. Great decent off Mackenzie pass! Love a2o in evening, nice to see in light after ttw darkness. Sunset on Aoraki at Lake pukaki ❤

Boo: weird headwind just after twizel blew me off a few times. But dissipated for v fast lovely single track round lake thankfully. 1130 bit late had hoped for 11. Shorts v worse for wear but couldn’t face v resewing at midnight though spent a while washing off the compeed that had dissolved into them.

Thanks for the messages 🙂

Boo: first hour v slow into strong head wind, chance of making Geraldine to get back on target seemed remote. Much fresh grave! Rain from late morning. Shorts contine problematic.

Yay: Colder temps really helped. Bought some chafe cream alternatives from v helpful pharmacist in Oxford. From Oxford started feeling some power in legs again, happier too! Hungry and eating well. Decide near Methven to back myself and booked motel in Geraldine. Kind woman at mt somers showed me the water tap, had been doing for lots of us. Fast evening into Geraldine, apart from surreal last 30 mins in drizzle along muddy mtb track at 10pm,hard to see with glasses misted but wouldn’t take off as sore eyes since day2, some treefall to avoid!

Boo: 3 spoons of dehy for breakfast was all I could handle. Felt would have to scratch.

Yay: Hanmer and food I could keep down, had 2 servings of eggs/toast. Kept going! Felt better as day went on and ate more. Nice motel in Amberley, shower! (But third resewing of shorts before could sleep….)

Boo: pretty much literally no sleep despite mega tiredness. Awatere beautiful but kind of despise it. Spent another hour sewing shorts as torture device. Couldn’t stomach food all afternoon, got slower and slower. Ended up walking every hill on the molesworth. Rough and slow. Could only eat 1 spoon of dinner actually dry retched.

Yay: sunrise only good part of day. Very welcoming and kind wardens at Acheron. Late to acheron but at least before dark!

Yay: gorgeous morning on Queen Charlotte. Great to chat to Bob at Anakiwa and Bernie and Keru at Renwick. After 3 weeks WFH lovely to see more people! Felt great riding into night. Awesome surprise to see Brendan and Linda towards the pass for a brief chat.

Boo: shorts. Last weekends alterations a failure. Spent 45 mins fixing them during the heinous push after Torea. Perhaps mistake doing full QCT, most people in wave did the road. ?Hunters ?spotlighting shined their headlights on me for 10 mins at 1030pm as I was trying to get water. Dropped one tub of chafing cream.