Author: Amanda

167km, 3000m of ascent, 9:49 moving time!

The good: I thought 9 hours moving time was my limit…

The bad: little hills but millions of them. Feet! Moved cleats (again) tonight. ‘Why is this fun’, thought a number of times between 10am and 2pm.

The ugly: deep fried chicken burger mingling with energy drink and chocolate milk in stomach while going up large hill.

Goals for tomorrow: Taumarunui and remove Wonderland from repeat.

Kilometres: 178

Good: mostly felt strong, river trail through Hamilton unexpectedly beautiful and fast, including trail angels (Dad!). Arrived here at hotpools 5.48, before self imposed cut off 6pm but still decided to stop. Early start tomorrow. Also rain stayed away.

Bad: most expensive and worst muffin in NZ at Putaruru, mildly annoying left foot numbness by end of day, many dairying vistas.

Ugly: Brendan, writer of excellent blogs, being taken out of the event by a magpie.

Song on endless repeat in head: Taylor Swift’s Wonderland

A 730 start time had been decreed, so I was up early to get breakfasted and packed. Somehow this process has slowed down rather than speeded up over the course of the Tour. I shared some strong coffee with Col and Kieran (at no point have I regretted bringing the Jetboil and its coffee plunger attachment!) and we gathered outside the hotel in the misty dawn.

Andrew joined our trio train today and we travelled along very close to the prescribed cycle trail. Tarmac felt so much better than those silly stones. The fog meant you couldn’t see far ahead, which was probably a good thing given the boring flat plains with extremely straight roads.

Gerard and Col set cracking paces driving the train, which Andrew and I did our best to emulate. We averaged nearly 30kph the first two hours riding – it was net downhill and a very slight tail wind. The cold air meant I was wearing jacket and leg warmers again. The forecast morning rain thankfully did not eventuate!

We reached an intersection where we could deviate from the route for coffee – the vote was unanimous! Centre Bush had good coffee, excellent bacon and egg butties, and chocolate-coated liquorice, which mingled happily on my tummy.

Our pace increased after the refuelling, and we powered towards Winton, zooming through without pausing for refreshment. We were generally travelling on roads that paralleled the main highway, so traffic was light. The flatness – and the straightness – continued but the pacelining meant you maintained momentum rather than getting discouraged. I reflected on how different (and how much slower) this experience would have been on my own.

The next food stop was Wallacetown, where the general store had the usual eclectic range of sandwiches, cakes, takeaways and groceries. We sat outside in the sun and caught up with Nick and Vic, and Pete.

After a bit more riding, there were more houses and we realised we were on the outskirts of Invercargill! The route skirted the town and took us through an estuary, along a nice flowing cycle path.

At the end of the path, a stop was called and we assembled some sandwiches. We were slightly ahead of schedule for Gerard’s and Andrew’s welcoming parties but no one really wanted to sit around too long.

The next section of highway to Bluff is very unpopular with TA riders. But (as with the Pahiatua track so long ago), we were fortunate to be doing it on a Saturday, when truck traffic was much reduced. It zoomed by pretty quickly.

I was trying to reflect on the end if the journey but was slightly distracted by wishing I had removed the warmers from my now-too-hot legs and regretting not going to the loo at the last stop. I decided this was probably quite appropriate to the journey overall! It was hard to think about having cycled here from Cape Reinga – too big for my tired brain to take in as a real fact. The secret of TA is taking it one day at a time – and not looking too far ahead – so to comprehend the whole seems a bit unnatural.

We flew through Bluff and then approached Stirling Point. I’d been here many years ago and remembered it as a signpost in a car park. But it’s been significantly improved in the past 25 years! A nice platform and screened area, though a few too many tourists. But they kindly let us monopolise the sign while taking photos.

We adjourned to the restaurant nearby, sitting down with a beer. I felt like I had in Wanaka – joyful and peaceful and thankful. Ready to stop but not regretting any of the time taken. Not necessarily feeling a massive sense of achievement but feeling content and strong.

I might do some more retrospective/reflective blog posts next month, but for now I’m looking forward to a week sleeping, relaxing and being offline! If you want to read an hilarious TA blog, check out Captain Underpants’

When I woke up and looked in the mirror (not a common recent occurance), my eyes were so puffy I wondered if I’d accidentally left my contacts in. I spent 5 mins trying to figure this out, in my sleep-deprived state, before seeing the shrivelled blue lenses on the sink.

I’d arranged to meet my friend Roz for breakfast/coffee and it took me too long to get out the door despite the easy pack up. Luckily I’d misread when she’d be there so I was in fact early. It’s interesting how your mental faculties decline over this kind of event! Even simple addition becomes a logic puzzle.

I zoomed down the hill to Queenstown (much quicker in this direction!) and located the busy cafe where we would meet. I’d realised this morning I was absolutely out if snacks (having eaten my last hideous OSM when I got to the motor camp last night) so when I ordered my eggs Benedict I also bought a brownie and a scone, interesting labelled white chocolate and pistachio (definitely a mistaken flavour combination, it later proved).

After breakfast Roz and I swung by a nearby convenience store, and I spent $40 on a small pile of calorie-filled items. A few familiar faces were waiting at the Earnslaw; we secured our bikes downstairs then were off! The voyage was another chance to fuel up (hot chocolate and pastry, plus a chocolate milk) and take some photos of the stunning day. Yesterday’s snow looked beautiful on the mountains especially when you weren’t in it.

At the other side, I put on some sunblock and again rode with Gerard and Col, though we often leapfrogged Johan, Andrew and Tony, who’d also been in the boat.

The first 40 or so km were stunning – pretty flat and amazing views of the lake and mountains. The three of us had a quick rest after a while, and Col kindly shared pieces of ginger crunch, which definitely ticked all the cyclist food group boxes. When the climb started, it wasn’t too bad and before long we were at the 700m top – our last real hill! The down hill was great though a southerly headwind now sprung up.

During the descent I saw Geoff and Maureen who’d I’d stayed with in Hawea. I’d known they might be in the area but didn’t recognise them quickly and my kegs just kept peddling. Then I spent a while feeling bad for not stopping, it’s like my comprehension/mental processing is sitting permanently at about half drunk.

Just before this I’d been following Andrew a bit too close and as he went through some fresh cow dung, it sprayed up all over me…

The day soon turned worse, with the road after Mavora Lakes recently graded. This meant very difficult, soft gravel, which slowed us down and demoralised. Eventually we reached the end of the road section and turned off to the round the mountain cycle trail.

Like the Hauraki trail, this appears to have suffered from lack of consultation with actual cyclists, rendering it straight, flat and with no points of interest, combined with an annoying gravel surface. I’m not sure why cycle trail designers think cyclists want to ride on packed gravel. They do not. When you’ve done nearly 3000km, it’s very jolty on your tender bottom.

The three of us were counting down kms till the end and finally we reached Mossburn. The pasta at the pub defeated me, my stomach has clearly shrunk with all this dense high calorie food.

One more day! So weird.

Crazy day! It started well eating breakfast with the lovely Maureen and Geoff. With little packing to do, I was on the road by 8. Unlike yesterday, where I wore contacts due to rain, I decided to return to my sunnies again as I was conscious that my eyes were not fond of the unshielded cold wind.

It was raining and cold when I set off – I was wearing leg warmers for the first time in the Tour, and they would stay in all day! Plus full rain gear and my unstylish helmet rain cover. I really enjoyed the ride to Albert Town, a gravel path alongside the clear river. When I crossed the river (and took the requisite photo) I was on familiar ground, having stayed in the area last year when we went to the NZ Mountain Film Fest (highly recommended!). As I zoomed along I heard someone call my name – Gerard and Col were staying right by the track and invited me in for a coffee and second breakfast. We chatted for a while in the nice warmth, hoping the rain would stop as forecast. Luckily I did not keep waiting as I would still be there!

I set off, having 16km more than them at the end of the day to reach my accommodation. I continued among the now very familiar track to Wanaka, feeling a bit cold and resolving to purchase some full-finger gloves before I headed up the Crown Range.

In Wanaka I headed straight for my favourite cafe and ordered a hot chocolate and caramel slice. Sitting outside (but under cover) eating it, I felt very happy. Lucky to be here, appreciating all the amazing people I had met on the Tour, and thinking about seeing my loved ones again soon. I smiled and ate my caramel slice.

Next stop Outside Sports where I made a very quick gloves purchase. In retrospect possibly too small but they stretched throughout the day! I started up the road to the Crown Range, which seemed to get colder and colder. The last 30mins before Cardrona were very chilled and I started to think about what I could do, particularly about my icicle feet, running through all the items I had with me. My feet were already in plastic bags and shoecovers but it wasn’t enough. Then I thought of cutting my emergency blanket in half and using this instead of the plastic bags!

At Cardrona hotel I ordered a soup and hot chocolate, and warmed up. I then had a second hot chocolate and muffin, then enacted my emergency blanket plan to the slight bemusement of the neighbouring American tourists who had befriended me. In the meantime, the rain outside turned to giant snowflakes! This was not exactly welcome.

I started off again and my feet felt much much better. I swapped the plastic bags to my gloved hands and this really helped them stay warm, though operating gears became more of a challenge. It took me maybe another 90 minutes to reach the top, with a few stops. My legs were a little weary and while my temperate was good, I needed to keep up food and fluid. I also had to stop and put contacts on as my glasses were filled with snow and I couldn’t see. I also put my camera in my pocket, hoping body warmth would get one last bit of life from its fading battery!

I kept pondering – and becoming increasingly annoyed by – the fact that only about half of drivers had their lights on despite the terrible conditions. Not great when as a cyclist your reflective things need light to be seen. Some bad driving but generally better than yesterday.

The last 500m was a grind and I might have walked if the lack of shoulder hadn’t made it stupidly unsafe. But reaching the top felt surprisingly triumphant and I shouted a woohoo to the sky. I pulled into the rest area and managed to snap a few photos on the resurrected camera. I didn’t want to stop too long as I knew the descent would be brutal. This meant I decided not to spend time digging out and putting on extra clothes.

Screaming down a hill at 55kph in needly sleet is not recommended. I thought maybe this was what laser dermabrasion of your face felt like… I stopped every five mins on the descent to thaw my face and wished for a scarf or buff to cover it with. But then the descent levelled off and things were much better. I took the turn off to the gravel road, glad to be away from the impatient drivers, and made my way down to Arrowtown.

I was aware I was getting too cold and needed to rewarm. Probably because of my chilled brain, I had difficulty finding the Main Street despite having been there many times, and went round in a big circle with Google being very unhelpful. Eventually I spied the shops and went inside the first thing I saw – a pub. Do you have any hot drinks, I asked? I ended up with a lemon and ginger tea to which I added two sugars! I also nipped off to the bathroom and put a dry thermal layer next to my skin. And then had some lovely soup. The kind bar manager asked if I wanted to move closer to the fire but I was keeping one eye on my bike! After a while even though I wasn’t exactly warm, I knew I needed to go.

I headed back to the trail and there encountered Tony, who’d just come over. We swapped some stories and bike chat, and it stopped raining for a bit. This trail section was surprisingly hilly and took longer than I expected, though it was very nice. We had a break and I pushed on alone as Tony wanted to take it a bit easier. Even though I was trying to go fast, it was still 8pm before I reached Queenstown. I’d decided I’d have dinner and then head to my accommodation, which was out of town. The first thing I saw was a hipster burger joint so I leaned my bike against their sign and ordered the first appetising thing on the menu. Dithering needs to be avoided when you’re chilled! I quickly ate my burger while regularly casting glances at my bike. Queenstown seemed very busy (as had Wanaka) after the isolation of the past week.

I hopped back on the bike and headed up an annoyingly hilly, dark and fast-car-filled 5.5km to the Top10, where I was excited to see my unit had a bathroom and kitchenette. Doing a lot of camping on this trip has given me a renewed appreciation for plumbing and hot water.

Thankfully tomorrow is a bit of a sleep in before the 10am Earnslaw.

There was a bit of snoring early in in the cabin last night but I had a surprisingly good sleep! It was very pleasing to hear the rain start at 4am and not be in the tent.

Despite the indoors accommodation it was not a quick pack up – I lost one of my gloves for a while (it had fallen in the rubbish bin, thanks Gerard for finding!) and then as we finally rode out, doing my usual wallet/phone/camera check I realised my wallet was (probably) still in my off-bike shorts. So I unpacked my seat bag for the second time (the first time being to look for the glove). As we started off (again) there was something weird going on with my gears… I looked down and saw my underwear, obviously having fallen out of my dry clothes bag, had wrapped itself around the cassette and was meshing with the chain, arghh.

After that inefficient start, it turned out to be a great morning. I was riding with Gerard and Col again, and our 830am departure coincided with a break in the rain that followed us for the next 45km. Interestingly for everyone else it rained all morning!

It was still pretty warm, and awesome seeing all the streams and waterfalls in full flow after the rain. We had a quick break in a shelter then pulled jackets on as the rain started again. With the drafting, kms flew by quickly and it was only when we hit the steep part of the climb that it felt tough.

There were several traffic lights for road works through the steepest section – impossible to get through with a bike on the green cycle, but plenty of room in the closed lane! This pinch was quite tough and with a higher ratio granny gear than the other, I had to go slightly faster. But thankfully it eased off, and with Gerard and I chatting about training regimes and riding partnerships, the rest of the climb seemed fast and painless.

We were at Haast Pass and took the requisite photo before putting on more layers and plunging down the hill. I took off first and managed to get up to 70kph before my cycle computer had its usual ‘wet die now’ response. It wasn’t long to Makarora, where my food-eating capacity and willingness to buy wifi perplexed the others.

And the rain now stopped! We bowled along in patchy sun, even getting warm, till we encountered several cruel but short climbs around the Neck, where you cross over to Lake Hawea. The southerly has arrived and the sky ahead looked grim. We persevered and just before Hawea, the rain started again.

But thankfully I was staying in Hawea, with Geoff and Maureen, two lovely wave one riders who had offered accommodation. It’s funny how the knowledge they had done TA removed any hesitation I had about staying with strangers. It was a very good call, with lots of laughter and stories shared (the broken down boat, the cyclone, the fascinations of riding group dynamics…) over some excellent pasta, beside a roaring fire.

Hearing the rain pour down outside made me very glad (again) not to be in the tent! In fact I’m not going to get back in it on this trip, having booked a room in Queenstown tomorrow (I’m concerned that with the southerly and forecast snow I’m going to arrive very cold) – and then a last night to look forward to at the Mossburn hotel.

So tomorrow it will be on with all the warm layers. Today was of note for bad driving – quite a few passing attempts came close to head on collisions, plus we saw a tourist actually filming with his phone while driving… here’s hoping the Crown Range will be better!

Waking and packing up inside was very novel after a week in the tent… it was however not substantially quicker. I ate my breakfast with Russ and Barb, then packed up all the now-dry things festooning my room. Great to start the day with everything clean and dry!

I headed off just before 830, taking the small detour up a nice piece of singletrack to the photo point at Fox Glacier. The road was closed – which was not displeasing! – so I didn’t have to go too far to get the control point photo.

As I got back on the bike, I decided a bit of music would be good – I’d come this far and hardly listened to my TA playlist (just to note – you can still hear cars coming up behind you, and the main danger is when oncoming and passing cars coincide, so you develop a reflex look-behind when an oncoming car is at about 80m to judge whether you need to hit the verge!). In a reversal of yesterday, I thought I was the last rider to leave town this morning, but as I left the photopoint Pete was arriving. Heading back down the singletrack was twice as fun as coming up.

I enjoyed bowling along and even doing a bit of singing with no one to hear. It continued unraining, which was very pleasing, and the road was super fast. In hardly any time, I’d covered the 45km to Bruce Bay and was pulling into the coffee caravan. Hot chocolate and hot cross bun!

A few other riders congregated, including Andrew who I’d last seen outside the oyster farm in Clevedon about a million years ago. After my snack I headed off, followed not far behind by Gerard and Col. When I stopped to take a photo not long after, they invited me to join their train.

This was a fast train, and came complete with helpful drafting tips. We took turns at the front every 5km or so – it was cool to alternate spells of hard effort with easy coasting. In no time we were at the salmon farm where another rider reunion, including Brent, Barb and Russ, and Andrew and his wingman, took place over lunch. Nice salmon bagel, average muffin.

The train continued on, still under a rainless sky to everyone’s surprise. There was a short sharp climb to the photo control at Knights point, and then more speedy riding to Haast, where we arrived at 4pm! By far the earliest I’ve stopped in this trip but still having covered 129 with over 1300m of climbing. Average speed of 23.7kph!

Gerard and Col headed for the campground and I was thinking of camping – easier to contemplate when everything’s dry – but there was a cabin free so we decided to share it, and later Brent joined us too. It’s comforting to think that at least we won’t be packing up in the rain, even if it is pouring down when I start riding…

We headed to the characteristically odd local pub for an all-you-can-eat buffet dinner. They may not be making much profit from cyclists! Some washing was also completed, and now there is some very uncharacteristic leisure time, which is slightly confusing.

Tomorrow I’m heading for Lake Hawea – over Haast pass, which I’m really looking forward to climbing. Lots of awesome trees, like today, and Aspiring National Park is one of my favourite places.

Today’s post will be brief as I’m determined to have an early night! After a restless sleep last night, complete with 430am weka alarm call right next to my tent, it’s been another day of feeling pretty tired, which is definitely intellectually deadening!

I was the first one to leave the campground, heading down a gravel road parallel to SH6 for the first hour. My tired brain was reflecting on the Tour and also hoping for a cafe at the 20km mark. But it was closed! Luckily I’d already had a coffee with my breakfast OSMs…

I pushed on along SH6, stopping at the lake Ianthe photo point, which had its fair share of sandflies. I increased my tyre pressure a bit (having had it down slightly for the trail yesterday) and ineptly bent the rear valve core, which gave me a moment of swearing and worry. Especially as it was already slightly bent! But it seems fine.

The I focused on the next cafe in Hari Hari. Richard and I had stayed in this area in 2016 so it seemed very familiar. While I was having my snack (disturbingly I can’t remember what it comprised apart from definitely including a chocolate milk) a few other riders rolled in. Brian and Guy had been riding together since meeting on the beach on day 1 and I’d had a bit of a chat to them at the campground last night. Guy kindly invited me to ride with them for a bit and the three of us along with Frank headed away, drafting so that the rearmost people have decreased wind resistance (and much less work!). We had some turns at leading, I had quite a long turn and it was good to work off some energy and feel strong.

Next cafe stop was Whataroa, where a toasted sandwich and maybe another chocolate milk were consumed. Then it was on to Franz, I lead this bit too – I was keen to get to Franz before Kenneth my brother did as there weren’t exactly that many places to pull over and catch up! It started to rain in earnest 30 minutes before Franz, after what had been an amazingly non-rainy morning given the forecast.

We pulled into a cafe with an outdoor space heater and I temporarily suspended my disapproval of their energy inefficiency to bask in its rays. Had another snack and hot chocolate, and Kenneth and Blake rolled in just as Brian, Guy, Frank and Brent decided to depart. It was awesome to see them and spend 30 minutes hanging out before we needed to press on – them to St Arnaud, me to Fox.

By the time I left Franz I’d been there an hour and was pretty cold, so attacked the first hill in a bid to warm up. I knew there were three vicious climbs between Franz and Fox, and they lived up to their reputation. I kept thinking the car drivers must be feeling very sorry for (or bemused by) this drenched cyclist grinding up this steep grade in this heinous weather. But like any hard thing, each came to an end – and the following descent, at first a relief, became dangerously chilling. It took me 1.5 hours to get to Fox and I was very cold by the time I pulled into the holiday park. My tired brain was wondering if I should camp in my wet tent in the rain but my more sensible mouth asked if they had any cabins. So happily I have now dried out (and even washed/dried) all my gear, which sounds minor but makes a big difference to morale!

I had dinner with Brent, along with Col and Gerard, two riders I’d met briefly before Ross yesterday. Nice to have a beer (maybe only the second of the trip! and a burger and chat). Today’s been a good day – 132km with nearly 2000m of climbing (but still finishing before 5!), and some warm and friendly company along the way. Tomorrow maybe Haast.

The day didn’t start well, with a 430am rooster, then his friends with slightly later but still invasive alarm clocks. Josh and I continued along the West Coast Wilderness Trail, which became increasingly scenic. I was feeling a bit flat (and sleep-deprived!) and stopped to take a few photos, including what ended up being my last one of Josh as he sped away towards his family.

The trail was beautiful and I should have lingered (and taken more photos) instead of blasting through. Lots of native bush, panoramic mountain views and still, clear water. Plenty of other (nonTA) riders too, out enjoying this perfect Sunday weather. There were pairs, groups and guided tours, even some e-bikes. I’d love to come back here with Richard and appreciate it more.

But perhaps not stay at Cowboy Paradise, which is an odd little Western replica town half way round. I would have bought a snack – and I was very keen to buy some wifi and look at MAProgress – but there was literally no one to be seen, despite other potential customers also milling about. After 15 minutes I gave up and moved on, my mood certainly not improved!

Just before Cowboy Paradise there had been an excellent curvy single track down hill and it was great to sweep through the bends and around some tight switchbacks, though they’re still not exactly my strong point. During the next section I kept leapfrogging some day bikers – nothing like luggage to give you a bit of downhill momentum. Then quite a long gravel road section, where I realised my lack of eating and drinking today was not exactly helping, downed a couple of bumper bars and belatedly applied some sunscreen.

The trail transitioned into singletrack alongside a water race, with very clear water. The track was narrow at times and I did contemplate the likelihood of me joining the water race if I didn’t slow down! There were a couple of emergency stops to accommodate oncoming MTBers. And then it was back on the tarmac again, to roll into Hokitika at 1230.

This was much earlier than I’d been expecting and I had been thinking about pushing on given the good weather. I’d previously had an email from Debbie saying if the timing wasn’t right, I was welcome to just pick up the parcel and she wouldn’t be offended! So I headed to my favourite Hokitika cafe, downed a few calories, then made a beeline for Debbie’s place. I was sad not to cross paths (she was out tramping till the evening) but grateful for the chance to refill and restock from my parcel and briefly dry my tent in the Hokitika sun.

I headed out of town on the continuation of the trail, thinking about having a relatively easy rest of the day and hoping to bump into some other TAers. First the trail was interesting with nice native bush but then it was a fast, easy and slightly boring blat to Ross. One section was so flat, straight and quiet that I was able to chat to Richard on speakerphone for 10 mins! It’s novel to have such good mobile coverage after the patchiness of the past few days.

Just before Ross, Brian and Guy, who I remembered from the ferry, caught up, and also ended up staying at the lovely Top10 next to the beach. Johan was there too, and Frank the cycletourist from Colorado who’d also been on the ferry. It was great to see some friendly familiar faces – and then Barb and Russ turned up too 🙂

Trying for an earlier night tonight, thanks to stopping at 5 – and maybe an earlier start tomorrow to get ahead of the rain. The next few days are looking nasty. Also hoping tomorrow to cross paths with my brother and nephew who are driving up the Coast. Look out for my pink vest, I told them.

I’d set my alarm for 645 but I thought we’d be woken long beforehand by the light. But no, the call of the North Island Brown Kiwi jolted me into consciousness. Been great to have some better nights of sleep – drinking two rehydration sachets in the evening seems to help!

Despite the lack of tent packing it took a while to get organised, though we did give the hut a good clean before departure. At first the track seemed easier than yesterday afternoon’s effort, with a long boardwalk section (would not be so easy if you steered off the side but happily steering is generally at its best at the start of the day). And then it continued ok-ish and rideable, though uphill. Great, I thought, soon we’ll start going downhill and what’s the fuss all about…

But then, even though it wasn’t a repeat of yesterday’s big bad rocks, it became less rideable in its own way. There were quite deep mud ruts, plus many slippery routes, and the whole thing was off camber. This meant when you unclipped on the left to put your foot down and stop, your foot often found air. Unfortunately I have a strong preference for stopping/dismounting on the left so for me this was particularly non-ideal. While I’m experienced at the sideways fall over, gaining more experience doesn’t necessarily result in improved technique.

After a few falls, my mojo decreased and my fear of injury decided to take its place. So I did a bit of walking, though ironically I could still almost keep up with Josh who was riding nearly all of it. There was a lot of getting on/off the bike and this section took a long time and was pretty physically demanding.

But eventually we came to the end – and enjoyed being back on nonslippery and much more speedy-feeling gravel. It was a quick blast to Ikamatua with the word ‘cafe’ at the top of my mind. Sadly the pub cook was not yet on duty but we grabbed some supplies from the nearby store and sat in the beer garden.

Greymouth was not too far away and we set a fast pace given our plan to make it to Kumara today. Going fast and feeling strong is awesome (even if it tends to ebb and flow a bit!). We covered the 54km to Greymouth by 3.30 and this time surely we could find a cafe. Josh’s homing instinct quickly lead to a very hipster establishment that seemed a bit out of place in the town I remembered. I had a BLT bagel, chocolate caramel slice and smoothie. By this point in the day, we had polished off every single OSM brought by Tim (though the hut mouse had some of Josh’s).

Before leaving town, we headed to Countdown to resupply for the next day. Even when you go in chanting ‘don’t buy too much’ to yourself, you inevitably emerge with a luggage capacity challenge. I did not buy any OSMs this time but Josh did!

After I had scoffed down the nectarine and chocolate that could not physically be fitted on the bike, we pedalled towards the Greymouth bar for one of our photo points. I had the uncomfortable feeling of having crammed far too much into a stomach that had shrunken to well below normal size, and this persisted for the next hour. But happily the riding along the West Coast Wilderness Trail was easy and flat. There were some lovely sections through native bush – a big improvement on some of the soulless ‘cycle trails’ we’d traversed farther north.

Quicker than I expected we were in Kumara, with Josh leading the way to a lovely hostel he’d stayed in with his family last year. Nice camping space, awesome kitchen and the best shower of the trip! After bike bottle washes the past couple of days it was great to experience the wonder of plumbing again.

Tomorrow we’ll head along the rest of the trail to Hokitika to stay with Debbie – an easier day!

During the night it rained and kiwi (possibly) called – and I had the best sleep I’d had since the Tour started. It was raining at 630 and we got ready slowly hoping it might stop – and it did!

After climbing the short distance to the saddle again, it was a lovely gravel downhill through the forest, to the main road. There was a bit of traffic as we headed towards Springs Junction but it was good to be able to cycle so fast on smooth seal. The route turned down a gravel side road and that was fast too – my legs were feeling strong and having the 48 hours off the bike in Wellington had definitely reduced achiness.

At Springs Junction we rendezvoused with Josh’s dad Tim who come out to ride to Reefton. I enjoyed an excellent date scone while Josh upgraded some of his gear. Tim had visited the Cookie Time factory and brought along a whole lot of OSM offcuts which filled up our snack bags. I may never want to ingest another OSM after this trip but they are definitely a convenient way of getting in vaguely balanced calories and my digestive system tolerates them well!

The three of us headed up towards Rahu saddle, then sped down a massive 37km descent to Reefton. I was riding a bit further back, mentally singing Four Seasons in One Day, as the weather changed from sun to rain to showers to sun during the 1.5 hours it took to reach Reefton. It was nearly all forest and I loved the feeling of speeding through the trees and the changing landscape.

In Reefton I headed to a cafe for some much needed sustenance after what was a pretty big ride with no breaks. I’ve definitely found on the Tour that I function better getting off the bike every hour or so, and prefer to ride faster with breaks rather than slower without.

I enjoyed an excellent vegan burger (though my veganisn is temporarily suspended due to risk of starvation), hot chocolate and hot cross bun while Josh farewelled his Dad, who had a long ride back up to Springs Junction.

We stocked up on dehy at the outdoors shop, where the very friendly proprietor was super positive about the Tour and the business it had brought to Reefton. Josh bought some hut tickets and we left town at 4pm, hoping to get to the hut in around 3 hours (as Ian had a few days previously).

I though of Ian heading up the rough, rocky 4wd track, as it must have been hell on a cross bike! It was hard enough with front suspension and 2.2 tyres – very physical with lots of big rocks to person-handle your bike over, while trying not to steer away from the best line and/or crash.

In a reversal of yesterday afternoon, I was feeling great while Josh was a bit low energy – soon cured by some OSMs but in the meantime lots of opportunities for me to lurk around corners taking action photos when Josh appeared. Steam crossings are particularly good for this!

It was pretty slow going and after a while my steering started to deteriorate and Josh re-found his mojo. Thankfully the last few kms were more fun – sweeping downhill banked corners.

Today was another day where I appreciated my choice of bike, even if I don’t always appreciate its weight. There was an awkward gate we ended up lifting our bikes over just before the hut, and mine was definitely heavier… I wondered if it was the heaviest on the Tour. A lot if people seem to have abandoned camping and cooking gear for the South Island.

Big River hut is massive but we were the only ones there. It was novel not to put up the tents and to have a fire, on what looks set to be a clear, cold night. Tomorrow we’ve got the most difficult section of this track to come, then will head to Greymouth and maybe Kumara for the night.

This morning lots of riders were getting ready and heading away between 730 and 8. Along the road we passed Toshi, Ellen and Brent – leapfrogging would continue for much of the day. Some people were slow and steady, others faster with longer breaks and it was fun to keep catching up.

We headed along a quiet back road with lots of hops growing, before coming out on a more main road, which became the even-busier SH6 after Kawatiri Junction. There was a stop/go for road works soon after, which meant a large line of cars then passed us… we did these few kms fast to spend as little time on this section as possible.

Turning off to Lake Rotoroa was a welcome respite with little traffic and a gentle 10kms or so to the cafe. Best muffin of the trip so far! Brent and Ellen rolled in while we were eating – unfortunately the sand flies then started to swarm.

After taking a photo of the peaceful lake, we headed along the Braeburn track towards Murchison. This was a beautiful ride, with sweeping gravel downhills through the beech. A bit more main road and we were in town – another cafe stop! It was only 230 and seemed too early to stop. We thought about heading for the motel in Maruia but it was full. Thinking that there might be camping possibilities in the beech or next to one of the halls marked in the map, we decided to press on despite the rain forecast.

It was another beautiful ride up towards Maruia saddle – good gravel, zero traffic and beech forest with views of the mountains. We were trying to outrun the bad weather we could see coming in but inevitably failed. About 5 I put my jacket on and we continued the climb, winding up through beech and across a number of fords. By 630, I’d been feeling tired for a bit and needed a rest (a little while back, I’d asked Josh how he was going, he said ‘great’!). I ate a whole cookie time bar (extremely unhealthy but massive calorie source) and some peanuts and steeled myself to go on. But Josh had been looking round and suggested this large verge area would be a good campsite. We knew the saddle was very close so biked there to see if it was better – no – then headed back to set up camp.

The light rain became heavier as we set up our tents and set Back Countries to rehydrate. I had a few hot drinks and washed my shorts knowing there was zero chance they would dry… we wondered if some other cyclists would join or pass us but no one did – sensibly tucked up in Murchison out if the rain! Hopefully it stops raining by morning. One motivation for going on today was it means we can aim to stay at the Big River hut tomorrow.

Last night Josh and I cycled from Picton to Pelorus Bridge – unfortunately not starting till 6pm as the ferry was late.

As we waited to get off, the American cycle tourist we’d boarded with told us he’d just had a phone call from home saying one of his mates had been hit and killed by a car while cycling. Sobering stuff and he was understandably feeling shocked and dislocated.

As Josh and I headed up the series of hills out of Picton, we were both passed extremely closely by a white people mover. As a Wellington cycle commuter, I experience this all the time but this was right up there with the worst – felt like 10cm clearance. About five minutes later, I saw the vehicle had pulled over to look at the view. Josh glanced at the car but kept going. I wrestled with my resolution not to engage in road rage with drivers and lost. But tried to remember the best way to go about this, which is to focus on how you feel rather than attacking them. The two young female tourists took my diatribe well, apologised profusely – and five minutes later passed us again nice and wide with a wave… hopefully they will continue this behaviour.

The third unfortunate happening yesterday evening was when, glancing down at my gears, I ended up in an extremely steep sided verge. My bike handling’s improved enough that I was able to slow down substantially before the inevitable impact – more bruises adding to the ones gained on day 3, plus a medium graze on my arm. First aiding occurred, and we continued without incident, riding through the dusk and into the full darkness. There wasn’t much traffic and I felt we were pretty visible with all our lights/reflectors. A police officer watched us go by and didn’t give chase!

Despite our 9pm arrival, we resolved to have an early start the today. 7am saw us heading down the road that leads to the Maungatapu track – a road that I’ve previously walked all 15km of, after tramping in the Richmond range, and remembered surprisingly well.

The Maungatapu track is notoriously difficult – steep and rocky on both sides. It was a slog up, made easier by the cool morning. Towards the top, we were both walking and as ever I found pushing the 25kg of bike plus gear an upper body challenge.

The descent was better than I expected – I rode most of it while Josh rode it all. My new brake pads are definitely bedded in.

We made our way to Nelson, starving and focused on finding a cafe. We sat outside on bean bags (next to the bikes as always), had lunch and decided Tapawera would be far enough.

The next section to Wakefield was for me one of the worst of the trip so far – a heinous headwind, boring cycle trail and very sore abs from the morning. At one point I had to have an emergency lie down!

Finally we reached Wakefield and a very welcome cafe. Maybe some of the ab pain was hunger related as it then went away. The next section was easier – a smooth gravel climb through forestry then a long descent, followed by lots of nice sealed road (as we had to divert around a logging road closure). We rolled into Tapawera at 7pm – 122km with 2100m of climbing made it a big day!

At the pub were Catherine and Brent, who I hadn’t seen since the early days – and then Ellen turned up. Great to have a mini reunion and share stories, and hopefully do some more riding together over the next few days.

Tomorrow maybe Murchison – we’re trying to time the weather right for the Big River section after Reefton though it’s hard to think that far ahead!

So much for ‘resting’ – the last day and a half has been a full on burst of activity. Sorting, cleaning, mending and repairing.

After sorting and washing gear yesterday morning, in the afternoon I gave my bike a good clean and it became clear the pesky squeak of the past two days was coming from the bottom bracket. My never-used bottom bracket tool now proved its worth! After taking the bottom bracket off with Josh’s help, its crunchiness on one side made replacement the obvious solution. So I was at Capital Cycles at 8am today, picking up a new one, serendipitously from Pat who always gives me a good discount!

With some guidance from Josh, the new bottom bracket was on and the bike was happy again. As well as being much cleaner, it’s sporting new brake pads, a new chain, an improved phone cover and a (hopefully now waterproofed) resurrected cycle computer. My clothes smell nice again, rips have been sewn up, and supplies replenished. It’s awesome to have everything clean and functioning well, though I feel a bit exhausted sitting on the Bluebridge right now. Not much sitting down over the past day and a half.

I didn’t add any more gear/clothes (apart from a few plastic bags!) or get rid of any. My choices seem to be working well. I’ve worn everything I’ve got at various times, and was ok in that Martinborough frosty morning.

Josh also cleaned his bike (more meticulously I suspect!), swapped in a newer rear tyre, replaced the rear derailleur cable and fixed the gear indexing.

Richard patiently endured yet more TA-related conversation and it was great to be able to introduce him to this stranger I’ve been hanging out with. The cats didn’t get the desired level of attention and made their customary attempts to seek and destroy chewable/clawable items like thermarests and bite valves.

We just made it to the Bluebridge check-in on time – but sadly it’s now running an hour late. We’re hoping to ride to Pelorus Bridge tonight, will see how we go with the light. At some point I’m hoping to catch up on some sleep!

The trip so far

The good

• Feeling chilled, happy and more extroverted than normal! Endorphins rock. Hard to describe how awesome this is.
• Meeting lots of really interesting TAers – and lots of interested locals. The people side of things has been a real highlight so far.
• Riding with Josh – who is the same pace as me and great company (as well as being a mechanic!)
• Excellent weather luck
• Bike and gear all performing well, tent definitely waterproof

The bad

• Not much really. Haven’t had to start repeating my motivational mantra yet! The lack of good sleep is the biggest challenge in terms of mental focus.
• Body wise, I have numbness in one finger that I need to watch. Rest of body doing surprisingly well!
• The bike thefts in Whanganui and Masterton leave me feeling heartsick for those riders and even more protective of my bike than usual (and thankful I am carrying a high spec lock).

Thanks to my nephew Evan for the drawing

Today dawned very cold after an intensely annoying night’s sleep. The people in the site next door returned at midnight, talked loudly for some time then had some friends roll in at around 4am, talk loudly and execute a many-point turn with a trailer. At one point I though they were about to run my tent over but was too tired to care (my bike would be another story!).

We left Martinborough at 7.30am, biking through the freezing cold air towards a vision of breakfast in Featherston (or as my GPS app says, Fea-therston). It was a chilly hour of riding but beautiful in the early light. A big breakfast at Everest Cafe and a triple-shot coffee made the world seem much friendlier and warmer!

Then it was down what’s now a very familiar road to the Remutaka Incline turn off. We reduced our tyre pressures and headed up the singletrack, then up the steady but good-gradient climb to the summit. Compared to the wind and rain the last time I was there in January, it seemed like paradise. At the summit and beyond, there were lots of other cyclists out enjoying the day. We zoomed past a few on the downhill.

Down through Tunnel Gully, Jackson caught up with us – we’d last seen him on the Timber Trail some time ago but he’d had a couple of easy days since. He’d had an unfortunate off at the end of the Remutaka trail and was sporting a few steristrips on his face. We cruised down to Te Marua dairy and had lunch – a chocolate milk and an icecream for me. Then it was back through the familiar world of the Hutt River trail.

Around Moonshine, a cyclist beside the road said my name and I quickly recognised Dirk, who’d kindly come to meet us and ride together down the river a way. It was great to chat about shared TA experiences (Dirk having completed TA16) and to see a familiar face. At one point, we found Jackson cycling back towards us, his day going from bad to worse – he’d realised he’d lost his phone. But after ringing it, he found a kind person had picked it up, and he was off to retrieve it from their house near by. Bikepacking being a small world, Dirk and Jackson knew each other.

Dirk peeled off home and Josh and I continued down the trail, with Jackson catching us again before long. We headed through the Hutt and towards Petone, where near the bridge some other familiar people were waiting to surprise us  – Dad and Lesley and my uncle John had come to offer homemade muffins and juice. It was lovely to have their support and congratulations for making it this far!

Soon the three of us set off again along the foreshore, dodging many pedestrians in the shared path, and down the terrible cycle path beside the Hutt road. Thorndon Quay continues to be a deathtrap even at weekends but we stayed alert. We waved good bye to Jackson, who was ending his TA journey in Wellington this time, and then turned right to head up past parliament. We stopped to turn off our spot trackers (although true to form, mine only got as far as Ngauranga), and then headed to Karori where Richard was waiting. While I’m used to my commute home, it was a slightly brutal last 6km uphill for Josh – notching up 106km for the day. We’re planning a day of rest and bike maintenance tomorrow, then heading south on the Bluebridge on Tuesday.

164km today! Definitely not the hardest day, even if was the longest so far. Powered by five separate cafe stops, comprising: triple flat white, eggs Benedict, hot chocolate, filled roll, muffin, hot chocolate, French toast, hot chocolate, brownie, muffin, pizza, ginger beer! Definitely making up for the overall calorie deficit today.

At 7am, we’d quietly slipped out of Anthony and Fiona’s, breakfasting at a local cafe. Then it was up over the Pahiatua track – a brisk and chilly climb. My dynamo was playing up (not charging my phone, which was quickly dropping towards zero, hampering navigation given that my cycle computer had died previously in the rain… luckily Josh’s GPS was functioning ok!) so that occupied my thoughts. Saturday was probably a good day to do this section, which others had described as the worst of the trip in terms of traffic and feeling at risk.

It was an awesome zoom down to Pahiatua (would have been good charging grr) and another cafe stop where we chatted with a whole lot of riders. I decided to test another cord in the dynamo – and it worked. Always good when the fault is the easiest part to fix!

We wended our way via back roads to Eketahuna and another (excellent!) cafe stop. On the way I saw the Tararuas, it felt like coming home. Then we wended our way, again very indirectly, to Masterton, via lots of sketchy fresh gravel.

After a cafe stop, we were back on very familiar turf, heading to Martinborough via Gladstone. I remembered all the other times I’d been through here lately, often with Ian, and was grateful for how strong I felt thanks to all that training.

It was a beautiful ride in the early evening light, powering up the small hills and swooping down the dips. We reached Martinborough quicker than expected, by 630pm, and headed straight for pizza on the square.

The morning dawned cold and still rainy. We packed up and were off by 740, not too bad. The first few kms to Rangiwahia were increasingly cold and bleak, as the rain continued and the southerly bit.

We pulled into the shelter of the hall, brewed a hot drink and ate lots of chocolate. I put on nearly all my layers, including hat and plastic bags in shoes… After the stop I felt much warmer and stronger.

We then did a fast hour or so to Apiti, where the pub was just opening for lunch (we were lucky it was a Friday!). Maybe a dozen TA riders gathered in the next hour and it was great to catch up with some familiar faces.

The rest of the afternoon continued hilly and cold, though the rain mostly went. It was a headwind, which was a challenge! We ran out of water in Pohangina and asked a guy in a mobility scooter if there was a tap around – he kindly guided us to his house.

Tonight we’re staying at the lovely Anthony and Fiona’s (fellow whio predator control volunteers), in the awesome replica DOC hut they’ve built to host Te Araroa trampers. We did over 130km today in that cold and I feel absolutely wasted!

About 3am it absolutely bucketed down. I thought briefly about the river but then the rain became more normal and I went back to sleep. At 6am we started getting ready, and the rain had abated. However, the river level was now only a metre or so below our tent side!

The river was brown, massive and carrying whole trees – a spectacular site as we made our way down the Whanganui river road. It had been a pretty spartan breakfast (1 OSM) so we were looking forward to the promised cafe after 25km or so. One big hill was in the way but made easier by chatting all the way up.

Before I started TA, I though of it in the singular. But now I realise that everyone has their own TA. People just half a day behind us are having radically different experiences because of the weather (some stuck in the middle of the Kaiwhakauka track!). Whether you stay in hotels or camp makes a big difference to your experience, as does who and how you choose to ride. Riding alone would be a very different experience to the sense of being part of a team, which I’m really enjoying, in the same way I enjoy tramping more when I have companions.

Josh and I have noticed in the past few days, as we’ve been passed by the fast riders from wave 6, how they share a general intensity of focus and perhaps lack some of the joy of us mid-pack riders. They don’t have time to engage with the locals or sit for two hours on a beautiful lake shore eating burgers! But there are always exceptions, like Captain underpants aka Greg and his wingman Mark who I enjoyed chatting to at the Arapuni bowling green campsite – and the wave six riders we shared the jet boat with yesterday.

When we reached the cafe, we had the twin joys of hot chocolates and mobile contact with partners and the world, after what seemed a long time in the wilderness. I had the best ever French toast (but i was starving). We learned that the weather was causing havoc in a number of places and for a number of riders.

After the refuel, the remaining kms to Whanganui slipped away. We picked up some more food, some extra gas and BCCs, and some supplies from Ronnie’s bike shop where they were also kindly offering use of their toilet and track pump, plus water refills.

Then it was up the elevator and out if town. We even stopped to put on sunscreen – just before it started to pour down, which continued the rest of the afternoon. The southerly change meant it was a lot colder, so it was a struggle to keep up core temperature and my feet slowly became very chilled. It was a focused afternoon, with only one break to cower in a bus shelter. I also got my first tubeless puncture, which I was able to repair with my plugging tool, which was pretty satisfying!

It seemed like an eternity but eventually we were in Hunterville. The kind proprietor of Cranks cafe let us bring our bikes inside and we had a hot chocolate and some early dinner – fish and chips for me plus a toasted sandwich. We chatted to the proprietor, and also a woman who was trying to meet up with her TAing daughter and was a bit stressed out. After picking up a few extra supplies, we left town on SH2, heading for Vinegar hill. The traffic was pretty good and we completed the short section quickly, pulling into the campground in light drizzle.

As we set up our wet tents, a neighbouring camper came to offer us a sit down under his awning, next to his nice fire – and then extended this to a hot shower! This was too good to pass up and we appreciated John’s kindness and hospitality as we attempted to dry ourselves and our wet clothes. We could have tried to find (indoor) accomodation at hunterville but instead we had one of those unexpected encounters that is making the trip so awesome.

Today started early. At first I thought someone’s spot tracker was misbehaving (they flash sporadically) but then I realised it was lightning. From my vantage point inside our three-sided (and very spacious) shelter I could see the flashes on the horizon coming closer.

It was about 4am but I wasn’t sleeping well anyway, sore legs and probably dehydration. Soon it started to rain, then pour, then the thunder started. The decision not to camp had been an excellent one! When the alarm went, we packed up and had breakfast in our nice dry space, and we could also bring the bikes inside to load them.

We’d meant to leave at 630 but it was still pitch, so we waited till 7. It was still pretty dark so we walked the bikes for the first 30 mins, when some others who’d set off early from blue duck lodge caught us.

Then we started to ride. I was relieved to find it was much easier than last night, with more friendly mud despite the rain, which continued to pour. My granny gear sounded like a concrete mixer but I persevered and we wound our way up to the summit.

It felt pretty surreal riding in these hideous conditions – but though wet, we were lucky that it remained relatively warm. We started the descent, which was long, muddy, watery and at times sketchy. I was running very low pressure in my rear tyre and I felt very thankful for its relatively aggressive tread.

Generally I followed Josh, who rides his bike like it’s an extension of his body, following his lines apart from when they didn’t work! Some puddles were so deep you lost all momentum and risked coming off. Some of the stream crossings were growing serious and we worked together to get the bikes across.

We had booked the 11am boat – thanks to Ian we knew it had taken him about 4 hours on his cross bike, so we were hopeful our more mtb-like mounts could manage the same time even in these conditions. We didn’t feel rushed but we only had very short snack breaks.

It was a very focused four hours. The rain was continual and towards the ends there were some serious slips, one newly grown where Wayne, who had passed us, had nearly taken a serious tumble down. As we approached he was just clambering up with his bags, and warned us to be very careful.

Eventually we made it to the bridge to nowhere, and we knew the pick up point was only 15 mins away. We rolled into the shelter at 1102, and Ash, who we hadn’t seen since the climb, was two mins behind us!

The boat soon cane and our assembled group of seven helped load the bikes. The river was massive, brown and full of debris. And unfortunately something quickly snagged in the intake and wouldn’t clear. We had to beach the boat and take all the bikes off so the driver could get at the engine… eventually we got to Pipiriki, about two hours after we got in the boat, and I was pretty chilled.

We cleaned our bikes and I had a quick shower, both free thanks to the support the company’s giving to TA riders. They cooked us a burger and we considered what to do next. By now it was nearly three but the weather had improved. Josh and I decided to head on but agreed Whanganui was too far, we wouldn’t have got there till 8 or 9 and it had been a long day already!

We pulled into a very basic DOC campsite at 6, finding two tent sites down the bank in the trees. This proved smart as a massive wind soon came up. We were grateful for our excessive food purchasing in Taumarunui and shared cheese, tuna and a BCC for dinner, plus chocolate.

An extremely talkative Canadian cycle tourist showed up and we walked for a bit. He tried to entice us into further chat by offering red wine, but we told him we were over-serious cyclists with an early start planned. We were both feeling pretty wiped out by the day’s adventures and it was great to get to bed a bit early for once on this trip!

I’m not normally one for a cooked breakfast, but wolfed down the eggs, bacon, hash browns and beans prepared for us this morning. It was a quick, flowy mostly gravel ride to Taumarunui, the biggest town we’d seen for some time, though it’s definitely seen better days.

I picked up the parcel I’d posted myself from Wellington – toiletry refills and a few good things – and then we had a stock up at New World. Always hard to judge what to buy when you are hungry and catering for two days! Took a while to stuff it all into my various already full bags.

Both Josh and I bought and drank 750ml bottles of chocolate milk on the spot – something I would have previously said was impossible! I felt really good for quite a while after that.

The afternoon seemed to go really quickly as we wound our way up and down gravel hills, deeper into the country. Highlights included another bit of repair work on Josh’s tubeless tyre (after a puncture sustained and successfully plugged last week). Always good to lend a mechanic a tool! A few vehicles passed, but always at opportune times rather than when we were screaming down a hill. We had a few showers but nothing torrential.

Today we were aiming to get as far as we could down the river – ideally the first shelter on the Kaiwhakauka track proper. Ian had emailed me his times for each section, which was super useful for planning. I’d phoned ahead to the Blue Duck cafe to make sure we could get some dinner there, with the idea that we’d be there at 5, and then push on for another couple of hours.

It was great to arrive at the cafe – around 4.30 – eat our lasagne and have a break before tacking the next, difficult section. It started with a 4wd track that was insanely muddy. The kind of mud that coats your tyres, gums up your derailleur and fills your pedals with glue-like clay. Some walking occurred, and some cleaning of bikes with sticks. We had to remind ourselves not to keep trying to clean them as there was plenty more to come. But you felt bad when your drivetrain sounds like a concrete mixer.

Then it morphed into a single track with more rideable sections. Still plenty of mud but better than I expected. Towards the end, Josh bumped his rear cluster on a bridge and it seemed like the gear cable had snapped. Not good as neither of us was carrying a spare.

We walked the last km and were pleased to see an awesome shelter that removed the need to pitch tents. And Josh’s cable was just pulled out of the pinch bolt, not snapped. Which was very happy news.

An hour or so later Ash joined us and after a bit of bike washing and chat, we all agreed on a 515 start tomorrow to try and get the 11am boat.

Today was my favourite ride so far. Me and Josh did the full length of the timber trail – 80km to Ongarue, nearly all single track. I felt very glad to have a solid, stable front-suspension bike with relatively wide tyres!

After a slow start given last nights 11pm lights out, we started the gentle climb up. The first 10km took a while as we climbed to the trail’s high point, with a couple of mechanical adjustment stops along the way. Josh is a mechanic so I’m learning some useful stuff!

There was mobile coverage briefly at the top – nice to check into the world again and make sure dinner would await us.

The rest of the day was lots and lots of mountain biking downhill. I was pretty pleased with how I did, given where my skill level was six months ago. It was exhilarating to confidently zoom down, picking a line and avoiding obstacles. As the day wore on, back, shoulders and hands got increasingly sore. It was a physical day even if not draining in terms of climbing/cardio. And amazingly beautiful weather, though nice to be in the trees where it wasn’t too hot.

We made it to Ongarue at 630pm – this tiny town has embraced TA, with special meals at the bowling club, where we’re also camping, and solar showers.

Looks like the weather might be on the turn so tomorrow it’s to Taumarunui then as far as we can get along the river trail…

The next section of the trail was closed due to logging, so it was an easy cruise along quiet Sunday morning roads. We passed a trail bike event where I scored a cookie and muffin for $2 each (today definitely represents a nutritional downturn).

After a rest at Waipapa dam, where Russ and Barbara caught up with us for a chat it was on to an ‘advanced’ section of the trail. I was grateful for my bike choice and its forgiving nature in this kind of terrain – and relieved the mtb skills I hadn’t practised since Christmas weren’t lost. I managed some tricky switchbacks and a very rocky, steep down hill that made me very proud!

It took a while to do this section and it was pretty intense energy wise. When we approached Mangakino, food was number one priority. We headed down to the awesome bus stop cafe by the lake, where I inhaled a smoothie and a fish burger, and took the chance to dry my tent. We sat here for a while, it was so beautiful and people kept coming up to chat about the event. And I had another burger. After heading to the shop to restock for the next two days, we finally headed out of town around 230.

The next hour was a bit grim with all that digesting food, though the trail was easier. Then we were back on rural roads, trending uphill, and it was super hot. My lower back was getting sore due to tight hamstrings so many mini stretch breaks were needed.

Then we headed into even more sketchy dirt roads, and a very tight swing bridge where I was grateful to have a riding companion as we worked together to get the bikes across. Then it got pretty tough – a narrow, rutted dirt road that reminded me of that difficult walkway in the Gravel Grind.

Time was ticking on but we were confident we would reach the campsite at Pureora before 8, even with our slow pace. There was a lot of climbing and the ks seemed endless. But finally we reached the centre of the north (bit anticlimactic) and then the top of the climb!

The last 10km were awesome mostly down hill in the dying light. Many beautiful majestic trees and finally a decent surface. We touched base with the valley girls (aka Russ and Barb – I only figured that out today!) and then set up camp. Definitely the toughest day so far – only 105km but nearly 8 hours actual riding. Planning a little sleep in before we tackle the whole Timber Trail to Ongarue in one day tomorrow.

Sharon our host made me nice poached eggs for breakfast (I won’t mention the instant) and then we headed off along the rail trail again. Pretty samey with lots of cows. It was a novelty to see other non TA cyclists going for a Saturday ride.

I spotted a cafe from the trail as we headed out of Paeroa and was hopeful of better quality caffeine. One flat white and one date scone later, life was good.

The trail continued, a bit cross windy, and then we were on a relatively busy road where the winds were even less friendly. After a while I spotted another cafe at the side of the road and we had a break. I had a massive vegetable stack in an effort to inject some more nutrients. And an awesome piece of fudge. The proprietor was very friendly and knew someone who had done TA previously. We had quite a long chat and she offered to fill our water. It’s amazing how helpful people will be if you take the time to engage with them.

Josh got some chips to eat while he rode but confessed ten mins later that they were all gone! More roads, though quieter, and more unfriendly cross winds – and then we were at Matamata. Home of the hobbit hole shaped isite.

We were a bit wasted by now and dithered around about what/where to eat, settling on expensive but large smoothies from Tank, continuing the day’s nutrition theme. At the same time, we had a look at the rest of the day and the next day, as soon we’d be entering a more sparsely settled part of the route and would have to carry more food. But we could get dinner at a cafe tonight in Arapuni, which I texted ahead to confirm.

We had a little stock up at countdown then headed out of town, on roads but finally with a tailwind! There were a couple of busy sections, and we got close passed by an Intercity – thankfully the shoulder was wide.

I ate the salad sandwich I had stashed from one of the morning cafes, suddenly feeling starving. We arrived at the start of the Waikato river trail (I ate a banana and a peacherine) and it was great to be away from traffic again.

The trail was more interesting and flowy than the rail trail, with a few ups and downs, including some brutal ones near the end! We arrived at Arapuni around 530 and went to see if we could camp at the backpackers. The owner wasn’t keen on that but he did agree we could have a shower for $5, which was awesome. I wanted to start camping again given all the energy I’m spending transporting my camping gear around, Josh likewise, so we decided we’d pitch our tents at the bowling club where we knew TA riders were welcome.

Before that though, we set off for dinner at the cafe, which has had rave reviews from other riders. We met up with Barbara and Russ, who were staying at the backpackers, having come from Te Aroha today. We all enjoyed awesome burgers (a vege one for me, continuing the theme) and I had a Magnum for dessert.

While we were there, two speedy riders from Wave 6 arrived, and they’ve now camping at the bowling club too (after copying our shower idea!). Captain underpants and wingman, aka Greg and Mark. They’ve promised they won’t get up at 430!

So today was 120km, 6.5 hours of actual riding – interesting to think whether all the food items listed were sufficient! Maybe not but hard to eat more. At least I tried to drink more today so will hopefully sleep better. We’ve decided to head for Pureora forest tomorrow, so we’ll need to do a big food stock up Mangakino mid morning.

It was probably good thing I was too wired to go to bed early as someone was doing burnouts in the hotel car park right outside my room at 1030pm…

Thankfully it wasn’t another 430 wake up. I was pretty pleased to be woken by traffic noise and see it was already 630! Took me a while to pack up in my still tired state and by 8 I was sitting outside a nearby cafe having a filled roll (it wasn’t the world’s greatest cafe) and a triple shot.

I looked at the trackers and saw Josh wasn’t that far away, despite having stayed last night in Auckland! So I had a leisurely first hour or so, keen for some company again. He’d started at 530 and made really good time.

We rode around the coast, it was a bit windy but not a direct headwind. At one point we bought a giant bag of grapes for $3, then had a nice stop in Kaiaua eating them. I also had an ice cream. Not exactly a well balanced lunch but what I felt like at the time! I did stash a toasted sandwich for later.

We saw the massive damage the recent storm had done to the shoreline – lots of sand and shells everywhere, road eroded down to single line in one place. A local told us she watched the devastation from her house up the hill, and it had happened in a single surge.

We reached the start of the hauraki rail trail and had a think about where to go that night. We’d passed Miranda at only 130 – too early to stop! Someone had posted to the TA fb group about a nice pub/hotel in Puriri, and with camping options nonexistent for the next 60km that seemed like a good bet so I rung up and booked some beds.

The next section along the trail was a test of endurance – a headwind, a poorly done gravel surface and extremely mundane views. In fact I hardly took any photos today!

Finally we turned a bit of a corner and the wind became a bit less heady. We made it to Kopu and ducked into a service station to buy some dinner supplies, as we weren’t sure what awaited us.

The last 8km was better surface, views and tailwind, though we were pretty jaded and counting down the kms. Thankfully it was easy to find the hotel, where we were welcomed warmly and told to bring our bikes inside (always a good sign!). And it looked like they served food, even better.

My room was half the price of last nights and much much nicer… as was the ambience in the pub. We were offered laundry facilities and I was able to hang my tent out to dry (after two days rolled up wet from dew). We managed to ingest a few vegetables at dinner along with the carbs and protein – it’s always a challenge managing nutrition in events like this.

It was also good to chat with David who arrived about then and joined us in the pub. Like Josh he’d come from Auckland today (150km!) while my day was a more moderate 100km. Today I was trying harder to eat and drink more but it’s a real challenge getting enough fluid and calories. Something to work on tomorrow!

I thought today would be easy, especially compared to the last two. Like a rest day, kind of.

But it was pretty soul sapping. Maybe because I though it was about 85km to Clevedon when it is 105km – or maybe because spending nearly a whole day crossing a busy city is tiring and mentally draining.

Unfortunately it was another 430am start – I knew some speedy people were going to get up and leave the hall we were sleeping in early, but when we’d arrived in Parakai it was late, and raining, and another night tenting lacked appeal. The hall was the simplest option – and the pizza next door and the shower was awesome. The snoring less so.

Even though I was awake, I didn’t bother to get up till 7, since it seemed smart to avoid the rush hour into Auckland. I had a nice cafe breakfast with Taylor, and we caught up with Alan and Ray, two super inspiring brothers who aren’t exactly spring chickens. Ray’s a sponsored athlete and the NZo van dropped by to give him some new gear!

So it was over the rolling hills towards Auckland. Yet again I managed to (briefly!) go the wrong way. But then navigation into the city from the north was pretty simple thanks to the signposted northwestern cycleway. There was a pesky headwind though, and many more little climbs than I expected.

Eventually I ended up in Mt Eden, where I caught up with Russ and Barbara. We pushed our bikes for a bit to stretch our legs while we chatted. They’d gone on the shuttle instead of the boat over the Kaipara harbour – and their stories of bikes in a heap and pedals stuck in spokes made me doubly glad I’d opted for the ferry. After that bus ride north I am even more paranoid than usual about potential bike damage and it was certainly a factor in my choice!

One of the most exciting moments of my day was walking into Mt Eden Cycles and buying their last bottle of Rocknroll Holy Cow. It’s not always easy to get hold of – especially in Wellington – and I had very low expectations of being able to get more, though it had become glaringly obvious my little bottle was way insufficient. I’m officially a bike lube snob – Finishline green no longer cuts it.

When we got up to the top of Mt Eden, it was cool to see Josh had beaten us there! Taylor also turned up, and the lovely German couple. All the tourist looked a little puzzled at our loaded bikes and our guzzling of food.

After lunch, Taylor and I decided to team up and take on the maze that was the route south. This turned out to be an excellent idea, with my app’s verbal cues and Taylor’s reading of the cue book working well together. But it still took ages! The rain came and went, and when it rains I need to put my phone away, which makes it harder to hear my deadpan Australian woman voicing the cues…

Taylor was doing the Hunua route, and at about 515 we finally reached the route split and parted ways, grateful for the teamwork especially in the heavy traffic. Turning towards the coastal route, I only had 7km to go to Clevedon – yay! – where I’d booked a room at the pub. My second happy moment of the day was successfully influencing the duty manager to let me take my bike into my room, where it can rest under my beady eye.

I was awake at 430 so didn’t need the alarm I’d set for 445! It was a speedy pack up then along to the camp cafe for the promised 530 breakfast – and we were off by 6 as planned.

The first hour of riding was in the dark, through the forest, mostly in silence, climbing gently. Then a cool, twisting gravel descent just as the sun rose. I was riding with Josh and we knew we needed to keep a good pace all day to make the boat.

About half an hour before Dargaville, we came across three lovely young trail angels who were handing out sliced melon and icy water, and super keen to chat. Everyone was stopping and very appreciative. Heart warming stuff 🙂

A lot of us caught up together in Dargaville for a quick food restock and a phone confirmation that the ferry would run at 4pm. It was hot; it’s continually hard to drink enough and stay properly hydrated.

Pushing on – after a few stretches to the amusement of a friendly local – we headed down the peninsula, having joined up with Lance who is doing a very cool vlog everyday for NZ Mountain Biker mag. While we were having a water stop, Ellen caught up and the four of us diced with the logging trucks and cross winds together for a few hours.

It was a great afternoon, I was feeling good and appreciating how much of a privilege it was to have this epic adventure in the company of like-minded people. Apart from the last hour or so, that is, when it started to rain, the gravel got really rough and there was always another hill around the corner that we’d thought marked the top.

I took a fall on one particularly rough corner but unclipped in time to avoid real injury. Later we learned others weren’t so lucky, with Nick and Ian now sporting some pretty serious wounds from a high speed wheel touch.

We got to Pouto at 315 – me, Ellen and Josh were the last to make it! And then it was the tricky task of loading the boat in a rough sea. We joined about 40 people, some from wave 4 and some fellow wave 5s we hadn’t seen since the start! Now we’re sitting on the ferry and get into Parakai around 730. Priorities for me will be dinner and shower!

I’ll probably take it a bit easier tomorrow, after two hard days and not much quality sleep. It’s great having plenty of time up my sleeve. Feeling pretty good though. Had a chat with Simon Kennett just now who is travelling with his daughter Miro on a tandem – inspiring stuff!

Today was awesome. I didn’t exactly take off early, leaving Ahipara around 745. There were lots of gentle ups and down and pastoral scenery, before a gravel road section. My bike’s good on gravel and my climbing legs were feeling sprightly. It was a nice zoom to the where the vehicle ferry goes across the harbour. I was on my own all morning though did a bit of leapfrogging of Sam and his riding companion.

After Rawene, where there was a nice spontaneous regroup at the public toilet, I headed off alone but quite soon started riding with Josh, for the rest of the day our paces were pretty well matched and it was good to have someone to chat with up the (now big!) hills. We climbed 300m up into the kauri forest

Eventually after a few stops (and an emergency gel) we were at Tane Manuta. I loved the kauri forest but it was sad to see dead and dying trees every now and then – the creeping tragedy of dieback.

Then there was a mindblowing downhill, weaving through the forest. And we arrived at Waipoua forest camp, where the lovely (and enterprising) owner is catering dinners and breakfasts for TAers. Lasagne and salad and ice cream!

And I’ll be there for the 530 breakfast tomorrow – going to try and make the 4pm boat, if it’s running. This morning I’d entertained the idea of going past Waipoua today to make tomorrow easier, but by the time I got here at 530 that had ceased to be an option! Will have to post this in the morning – the cafe has coverage but the campsite doesn’t.

I spent quite a lot of last night trying not to think about my tyre and the damage inflicted by the bike trailer yesterday. Of course in my mind during the course of the night, this damage grew substantially in size and scope. These thoughts were interspersed with the realisation I had no idea where the bag with my lights was. Not in the tent with my other stuff…

Finally morning came and I could get ready for the final stretch of our bus journey, 30 minutes more to the Cape. Just before I finished packing up, I found my lights, in the special pocket where I had put them for safe keeping the previous day… A happy moment.

Finally we were there and everything now needed to be on the bike and ready! Just when I was nearly sorted, I noticed a guy standing near me, and following my resolution on this trip to be more open to talking to strangers, had a chat. The talk turned to my tyre concerns. I said, maybe I’ll get the mechanic in Dargaville to have a look at it. He said, I’m a mechanic. So it was awesome to have some reassurance that it’s just rubber rubbed off the sidewall and the casing doesn’t seem to be damaged, which is the key component. Visions of exploding rear tyre receded.

So we went, it was fast down sealed hills to start with, then very crunchy sandy stream bed. Crunchy in that that was the noise from the bike! Thankfully Ian had warned me not to ruin my brake pads by braking too much.

Then 80 km of long flat sandy beach. Luckily conditions were good and you could average 20kph. A bit of the time I rode alone, sometime had chats with others, then for the afternoon rode with Nigel (who I had met at the Gravel Grind) and Catherine, who we had both just met, and chatting definitely helped the time pass by.

The last hour was a headwind and tougher! But we got here to Ahipara pretty early, time enough to give the bike a good clean, swap in a new chain, wash clothes, have takeaways and do stretches.

I feel so much better now than last night, when my mind was filled with what could go wrong and why was I doing this actually. Turns out most other people slept badly too.

I’m on a bus with nearly 40 other TAers heading from Auckland to the Cape. Hoping my bike is surviving the travel well!

There’s heaps of variations in bikes, experience and time expectation but everyone seems enthusiastic about the challenge ahead. And probably happy to have stopped organising and preparing, and be about to ride.