Category: Uncategorized

Keeps the MacKenzie in business

Rain, headwinds, broken spokes, zero road space, endless uphills, 100 km an hour traffic, huge articulated stock trucks.

True to form we finish with a hill. A big **’ing hill, with lots of steep red bits. And it was raining again. Amazing to be up in the misty clouds though and off course directed views

Although there was a bit of sand to wash off the bikes, and I’m sure that’s not the best for them, but it was worth it. We had a wonderful fast and free ride along Warrington Beach and peninsula at dusk. So fun.

We decided to try taking the bikes onto the beach. The sand was hard and it was a lovely feeling sailing along silently (no crunching of gravel or roaring traffic) with the sea alongside and then the big round rocks appeared!

Started this day with a 45 minute climb out of the Gorge. Some sections were probably the steepest yet.

Coats on for a breezy fast downhill hitting 57 Ks an hour.

Tea rooms at Palmerston for a pie and coffee and cake and a mint from the local police woman then Highway 1 with lots of 100k traffic until Waikouaiti for large custard squares and our own coffee. Another climb out of a town and then fast downhill until the turn off to Karatane.

A local told us about his recent family cycle trip in Portugal and Morocco and then another funny conversation with a woman who had canoes sticking out of her car window exhorting us to have a swim in the estuary. We had to turn her down because we’d had too many stops already and went straight into another steep hill overlooking an amazing bay. At the lookout we met Tarik from Australia who was very keen to know about cycle touring and keen to try it and we spoke for half an hour as it gradually got colder. Then we had a fast downhill hitting 60 Ks an hour and some rolling country roads until Warrington.

We were dreading another 15 km along State Highway 1 (logging trucks at 100 km per hour… Not fun) but it actually went much better this time as the shoulder was reliably at least 2 metres from the white line. Much less stressful. Then we entered Trotters Gorge, an amazing luminescent green forest valley, surrounded by limestone cliffs (big hill though) . The DOC camp site was in a reserve by a stream. So pretty, and amazing birdsong. Bellbirds everywhere and we were visited by an inquisitive Tomit.

Then went for a very steep and muddy bushwalk up out of the gorge, with incredible views around the valley. Stu did some scary rock climbing. It started raining when we got back to the tent, so it was indoor cooking and a cozy dinner tucked up in our sleeping bags

This morning I had to get my bike from Duntroon to Oamaru for a spoke repair and back, so that we could hopefully continue the final Alps to Ocean section. Steve (the caretaker of the Duntroon domain campsite) very generously put my bike on the back of his Ute and took me to the bike shop while he did his weekly shopping in town. Phew, it all went smoothly, spokes repaired, and with a few spares, we took off for the final leg of the Alps to Ocean by 1 pm. It has been another spectacular day-winding thru the limestone Elephant Rocks, serene green well irrigated farmland, and finally we spotted the sea!

First Wi-Fi in 3 days – posted from a cafe in Kurow, just before we discovered the broken spokes.

The day started with an uphill out from the campsite and across the Aviemore Dam meandering through fields and over many cattle stops.

We stopped for lunch at the fancy Kurow cafe then headed out for more meandering.

checking out rinse wobbly wheel we discovered four broken spokes which meant a much slower cycling to avoid the rocks and holes in the track and breaking even more. Kind of stressful ride and again with headwinds that pushed us hard and finally ended up at the Duntroon domain.

We made it to our intended camp spot, but there were so many places to choose from. The Waitaki Valley has heaps of casual camping areas all along the lakes. Long drop toilets sprinkled around, and hundreds of people camping comfortably, plenty of space and nice atmosphere in beautiful surroundings.

There was even a flush toilet! First one in days…

First evidence of Rens broken spokes

Today was yet another incredible day. Maybe the best so far?? We biked a challenging single track trail across 3 hills from one lake to another. Incredible views and quite remote