Category: Daily post

Yay: felt better today after better sleep; doing the endless gravel hill before Wairoa in the cool of the morning; bakery in Wairoa; climb after that having plenty of trees; ice cream at Morere and feeling great on the next hill – where Brendan and Pete paid me a surprise morale-boosting visit; the sunset and the stars at the end! Three days!! Wasn’t sure that was possible:)

Boo: Guy pulled out due to knee; crazy driver nearly spinning out on gravel as they passed me: rumble strips I hate them; Brendan did save the steepest climbs for last.

Thankful for: having put the 24t on the front – would have been walking many of the last hills otherwise – totally worth the (large number) of chain fall offs. My favourite podcasts the Hidden Athlete and Irenicast. Richard picking me up at the end!

Yay: Te mata peak just after dawn was pretty cool. Brent C came to ride with me near Napier for a bit, awesome surprise! Last part of day I enjoyed, feeling stronger. Also appreciating in retrospect that yesterday I felt really good all day! Kindnesses: people gave us some water (after we had crawled under electric fence to filter from a stock pond); neighbours camping at beach invited us to their fire.

Boo:11am to about 3pm was tough, hot and a giant gravel hill, it felt like a struggle. Guy’s chain was playing up but he did get it fixed. Guy’s knee is playing up and he might pull out.

Waikawa 630am 15 hardy riders ready to journey 540km to Mahia peninsula…

Yay: lots of familiar friendly faces at the start line; strong southerly tail wind!; awesome sunny fast section on beach; pizza and Powerade in waimarama and feeling good on subsequent hill! (Also a hose there to wash bike of mud… see boo) Finding Guy on that hill and then finding an awesome campsite tucked away by the river at 715pm. Also yay, whenever I changed to small chain ring and chain didn’t fall off. Yay doing 190km.

Boo: cold showery southerlies most of day; many chain failings off; me falling off (blown off) and gravel rashing me; heinous cold rainy ride up through farm with mud that paralysed my bike.

Song: no songs only busy mind with work and renovation/imminent homelessness. Also refrain of ‘how can I stop chain falling off’ and ‘what is that mysterious noise’.

Good: we made it!! Rolled into Seymour square at 9am, well inside our 10am 7day deadline. We started riding at 520am, beautiful in the darkness and as the sun came up. Was some of the riding I’ve enjoyed the most in this event! Last night’s total wreckedness had luckily receded. Once we’d done the first 22km in an hour, we knew we’d make it. Awesome to see Rachel and Mark both waiting at the finish to cheer us 🙂 and then we were able to cheer Yvonne not long after. Very good food and service at cbd cafe.

Bad: slog back to Picton! But we made it.

Gear appreciation: couldn’t have done this event without aerobars and compeed plasters.

Gear hating: newish Isadore shorts going in ‘commuting only’ bin. Also thinking about buying another saddle (sorry Richard!)

Thanks heaps to Scott and Jo for organising a gruelling but awesome event! And too all the amazing people I met, especially riding companions from day 2 onwards David and Gareth, and also Rod and Yvonne and Jared who we repeatedly hung out with along the way!

Will try and do a proper write up as so much happened that these little entries don’t do justice.

Good: finished another hard day!! Camden accomodation highly recommended, Kelly is lovely. Beautiful sunrise climbing out of Hanmer. Nice cool temps in the morning. Brevette-r Gary playing trail angel in the Molesworth with ice cold coke 🙂

Bad: Awatere is a killer, especially in the heat. We’re all wasted and a bit sunburnt. But going to have another early start tomorrow… Unfortunately looks like we’re going to have to bike back to Picton after our attempt to finish at 10am (67km we shall see!), but thanks Richard for trying the shuttle companies!

Songs: need new ones. Also new legs

Good: feeling 5 million % better in the saddle thanks to some creative first aid and double shorting. Amazing conditions today – 15 degrees, no real wind. Really enjoyed the last 36km to Hanmer and was able to tow the guys for once. Also the very first part of the day was beautiful in the sunrise. My snack hoarding cane in handy in the lean couple of hours before culverden, esp for David!

Bad: those first 50km from the hut took hours. Over every hill, another set of hills. A tough day yet only 148km.

Song: the Gone medley continues.

Good: arriving at nice warm hut with Rod and Yvonne inside after their unfortunate accommodation adventure last night. Wharfdale track beautiful but see below. I ate 1.5 very welcome pies in Springfield (I hate pies)

Bad: it’s not all down hill after Arthur’s pass. Especially in a rainy cold headwind. Saddle sore sore, trying not to sit on saddle for last part of day which made for challenging riding. We all crashed in the wharfdale – Gareth ended up down a bank, David had a few sideways offs in a row and I did two stupid clip out failures in quick succession, adding to parade of bruises on right leg.

Gear appreciation: merino buff (bought in memory of crown range descent with bullet-y snow), GE helter skelters, dishwashing gloves.

People appreciation: nice wave and smile from cop after porters pass. Car loaded with coast to coast bikes waited for me to get through one way bridge when they could have gone. Plus much continued appreciation to David and Gareth!

Songs: battle of the “Gone”s continued.

Good: Waiuta track mostly ridden! Not too hot (but see below). Excellent ham rolls at Ikamatua dairy. Conquering Arthur’s pass, especially riding up the viaduct. Another tough day where we made our plan! Hot shower at motel!! Great to also see Yvonne and Rod and Jared again at dinner.

Gear appreciation: helmet mirror for traffic, icebreaker singlet awesome for hot and cold, butt butter

Bad: Ikamatua to Jackson’s pretty dull and rain started at Moana. Realisation that I needed to push up the steep bit of Arthur’s pass (but then that was fine when I realised there was less than 2km to go!). Pretty cold and wet afternoon, total contrast to yesterday (possibly preferable tho!)

Songs: Your love is a song by Swithfoot, Gone by Switchfoot (annoyingly persistent, thanks mental DJ), Gone by Red (much better!).

Good: (surprisingly) ride into Big River as the light faded. Completed another big day! Less queasy in heat than yesterday. Mariua saddle lovely.

Bad: hot hot hot again. Horrible gravel road to start of Big River track with toasted legs. Also Rahu saddle – too hot, headwind.

Song: It’s my life by Bon Jovi. Uncool but surprisingly motivational.

Waiuta postscript: abysmal night’s sleep esp after realising have got a saddle sore. But great ride through to here, much more riding than last time 🙂

Good: rode all Maungatapu descent! And nearly all Porika. Great tailwind to Wakefield, unlike TA. Awesome riding with Gareth and David. Achieved a v big day as a team!

V bad: coffee filter lost prob in Blenheim. Tea towel does not work.

Bad: Tadmore saddle with unhappy stomach, which meant I didn’t eat enough and hit the wall a bit on the Porika track, which was also bad.

Songs: none, maybe a bad sign.

Arrived at Pelorus Bridge 530 but still stopped! Feeling good and didn’t want to disrupt that by heading up the Maungatapu.

Good: Nice guy at BikeFit Blenheim helping me tighten my headset. Finishing the Port Underwood road. Catching up with lots of familiar faces from other events. Swim and shower at Pelorus Bridge!

Bad: lots of granny gear gravel climbs are never good.

Song: mostly songless. But odd mash up of Burn by Ellie Golding (playing in cafe in Blenheim), On Fire by Switchfoot and Just like Fire by Pink. Thanks, subconscious.

Sitting on the Bluebridge, heading for another brevet. Maybe less nervous than before for Megagrind but also maybe less well trained!

What with recovering from the Megagrind and lots of house-related jobs, November and December were not training high points. I seized the opportunity to do the St James and Queen Charlotte over Christmas but my only long ride’s been (a very windy!) South Coast loop. Hopefully the legs remember what’s what.

January’s been a big bike maintenance month. Bottom bracket, headset bearing, brake pads, and tyres replaced plus associated servicing. Hopefully the new rear rim proves more durable than its two cracked predecessors.

I’ve also gone back to my old shoes, with a custom footbed, thanks to another bikefit from Capital Cycles.

Top worries about this event: heat, big days, traffic and wind!

Worry management strategy: start out easy (only aiming for Pelorus Bridge on day 1), new orange hot weather top, remember worries fade when you start!

Good: Misty, calm early morning along the (pinch climbs) of the Waikato river trail. Better with fresh legs! Zigzags better than I’d imagined. Lunch in Tokoroa that wasn’t an OSM. Erik bearing lollies on the Mamaku hill. Zooming into Rotorua!

Bad: Almond OSM for breakfast. By FAR the worst flavour.

Ugly: Those sweat marks on my riding top are not improving over time.

Songs: After Tokoroa, Wonderland came back on endless repeat.

Yay under five days, seemed like an impossible goal but we did it! Ended up riding with Brent P the whole way and we generally kept pace with the more experienced riders which was awesome 🙂

Might do a proper write up when I’ve recovered. No time for TA style blogging on this event!

Good: Made it to Mangakino and five days in sight 🙂 Great conditions, cool and not much rain. Timber trail much less muddy than it was in July. Awesome descent from centre of north island (new appreciation for how hard it is going other way). Nice to finish at 6 and have some time to relax! Coastal crew and Brent C and Nathan and Craig refuelled at Mangakino and determinedly headed on.

Bad: the climb to the timber trail summit is definitely harder this way round. Legs starting to wear.

Ugly: Brent’s tent pole fell off. He went back 3km up giant hill to look for it. Luckily Brent C had retrieved them. Meanwhile, I enjoyed a rest!

New song today rotating in head Just like Fire by Pink but Selena annoyingly hanging in there.

210km, 11:09 moving time!!

Good: Managed to start to 6! Great first three hours, route today much more beautiful and lots of bush. Felt much stronger today. Moving cleats was a good idea. Made it to Ongarue, beyond optimistic target 🙂 Most km, most ascent and most moving time ever for me!

Bad: couple of heinous hills between Ohura and Taumarunui. Shorts falling apart.

Ugly: people did give me wide berth in Taumarunui New World.

Wonderland now alternating with Wolves by Selena Gomez (chorus only). A step backwards.

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!