Return to Aotearoa: New Zealand - The Land of the Long White Cloud...

August 2012 

 

In October 2010 I made my first cycle tour of New Zealand. I arrived in Christchurch shortly after a severe earthquake, and was shocked to see the damage wreaked upon this charming provincial city. So I vowed to return and try to make some contribution, however small, to the economic recovery of the region. Little did I to know that far worse was to come - a second major quake devastated large sections of the city, many homes and many of the historic buildings that gave the city its charm and character were destroyed, including the iconic Christchurch Cathedral, and sadly, many lives were lost.

My first attempt at a return visit in 2011 was thwarted by a volcanic eruption in Chile - the ash cloud from the eruption circled the globe, and my flight to New Zealand was cancelled at the last moment. Now, two years later, I'm preparing once again to tour.

This time, I'm going fishing. My fishing gear is packed, and I'll be taking to the back roads in search of  a trout or two. Wish me luck - I've never fished for trout before and have no idea if I'll catch any, but I'm going to give it a try.

So, return flights to Dunedin are booked, leave is approved, and a new expedition touring bike awaits. I'm ready to roll...

Maps and Information: Hmmm - there are a lot more hills...

Useful Links

New Zealand has become adept at marketing itself as a tourism destination, and a quick search of the internet will reveal a plethora of information for intending visitors.

A great place to start looking is the Tourism New Zealand web site, while the cycle tourist will find much useful information on the CycleTour New Zealand website.

An excellent guide book is Nigel Rushton's "Pedallers' Paradise", and the NZ Camping guide has a comprehensive listing of camp grounds and accommodation. I ordered the electronic version by email and installed it on my netbook. A handy Dunedin Cycling map is also available.

If you prefer a transfer from the airport to your accommodation the Super Shuttle service uses mini-buses with baggage trailers and is very economical.

Bookings for the scenic railway can be made on the Taieri Gorge Railway web site. Information about the Otago Rail Trail is available here.

If you are interested in fishing, you probably know that New Zealand has some of the best trout fishing anywhere in the world. Get a fishing licence online from Fish and Game. Find information about where to fish from NZ Fishing. And look to Bish & Fish for a wealth of tips about fishing techniques and gear. These are just a few pages amongst a plethora of sites about NZ fishing.

The Route

Starting in Dunedin I'll make my way to Middlemarch, at the start of the Otago Rail Trail, which I'll follow as far as Naseby. Here I'll head across Dansey's Pass to Kurow, then on over the Hakataramea Pass to Lake Tekapo. I visited here on my last tour, but it's a lovely spot and well worth another look.

Leaving Lake Tekapo I'll turn south, and follow the Tepako canal. It's here that I expect to find my first fishing opportunity - the Mt Cook Salmon farm near the penstock pond attracts the wild trout with it's abundant feed, and it's reputed that the trout here are big...

From the canal I'll skirt round the bottom of Lake Pukaki and take the side road to Mt Cook. I'm going to spend a day here to visit the Tasman Glacier.

Then I'll continue south to Omarama, where I'll take to the back roads through the Oteake Conservation area over Little Omarama Pass to Falls Dam, where I hope to have a second fishing opportunity. Then I'll rejoin the Otago Rail Trail as far as Omakau, where I'll head off into the back blocks again along Thomsons Gorge Road to Cromwell and on to Wanaka.

Wanaka is one of my favourite destinations, and I'll have a lay day there to soak up the beautifully scenic landscape. Then comes one of the highlights of the tour - the ride up the Crown Range Road through Cardrona. It's the highest main road in New Zealand, and at the top of the road the panoramic views from Coronet peak over Arrowtown and Queenstown to The Remarkables are breathtaking.

I'll spent a day in Queenstown, then take the steamer TSS Earnslaw across Lake Wakitipu to Walter Peak, and then follow the Von River road to Mavora Lakes, where I have another chance to catch a trout, before continuing to Te Anau.

Since I've cruised Milford Sound on a previous visit, this time I'm going to take an excursion to Doubtful Sound, then I'll continue through Manapouri and Tuatapere to Invercargill. The World's Fastest Indian of Hollywood fame is on display in E Hayes and Sons hardware store and is a must see. I'll make a side trip to Bluff and sample some of their famous oysters, then I'll follow the coast to Curio Bay and on through The Catlins back to Dunedin, where I'll round off the tour with trip on the Taieri Gorge scenic railway.


View Larger Map

Note that Google maps is unable to show the back country route between Omarama (O) and Omakau (P). It's roughly in a direct line between the two. I'm starting from Dunedin (I) and travelling in an anti-clockwise direction.

Itinerary 

This is the plan, but as always I'm prepared to be flexible if necessary. There are a couple of days buffer at the end in case of any delays -if they are not used I'll spend them sightseeing around the Dunedin area, and perhaps take a trip around the Otago Peninsula.

The detailed itinerary is here: Gone Fishin' tour of NZ

New Zealand Climate: Wet and wetter...

Eastern South Island

The climate of this zone is greatly dependent on the lie of the massive Southern Alps to the west. Summer temperatures are warm, with highest temperatures occurring when hot dry foehn northwesterlies blow over the Alps and plains. Mean annual rainfall is low, and long dry spells can occur, especially in summer. For much of the time summer temperatures are moderated by a cool northeasterly sea breeze.

Typical summer daytime maximum air temperatures range from 18°C to 26°C, but may rise to more than 30°C. A temperature of 42°C has been recorded in Christchurch. Winters are cold with frequent frost. Typical winter daytime maximum air temperatures range from 7°C to 14°C. Northeasterlies prevail about the coast for much of the year. Southwesterlies are more frequent during winter.


Western South Island

The climate of this area is greatly dependent on its exposure to weather systems from the Tasman Sea and the lie of the Southern Alps to the east. Although mean annual rainfall is very high, dry spells do occur, especially in late summer and during winter. Heavy rainfall occurs from the northwest. Summers are mild.

Typical summer daytime maximum air temperatures range from 17°C to 22°C and seldom exceed 25°C. Winter days often start with frost. Typical winter daytime maximum air temperatures range from 10°C to 14°C. Northnortheast winds prevail along the coast in Westport and Hokitika while southwesterlies prevail in coastal areas further south. Sea breezes can occur on warm summer days.

The bike and baggage: Ready for an expedition...

I have another new bike for this tour. It's a Van Nicholas Pioneer: a Rohloff-equipped titanium-framed expedition touring bike. If you are interested in the details, you can read about the building the bike in a series of posts on my whispering wheels web page.

Edit: While dismantling the bike for packing I discovered a problem that could not be fixed before departure. I've been forced to pack the bike I used on my last New Zealand tour, the Sabbath Silk Route. Because this is primarily a highway touring bike I will have to adjust my itinerary to avoid the rougher back roads.

This trip will be only a shakedown tour, for larger plans are afoot, including a tour of Patagonia, South America along the Carretera Austral, built by the infamous Augusto Pinochet.



Once again, my equipment is almost entirely lightweight gear - stuff which I have used extensively for bushwalking in Australia and trekking in Nepal, and on my previous cycling tours. My philosophy is to carry no more weight on my bike than I would on my back, that is, less than 20 kg, and preferably, no more than 15 kg.

Here are my gear selections and checklist. Touring Gear Checklist

Packing: It should be easy this time...

When I left on my last trip to New Zealand, I discovered that the airline baggage policy had changed and I was hit with excess baggage charges. So once again I was considering leaving my heavy wheeled bike bag at home and packing the bike in a cardboard box.

But just before I booked flights, the airline once again announced a change to baggage policy, which allows me to have an extra piece of luggage (23kg) for $25. This is a bargain compared to the $10kg excess baggage charge, and will let me use the wheeled bag and not have to be quite so scrupulous with my packing. So I'm very happy about that.

I have located a backpacker in Dunedin who will let me have a private room to assemble and store the bike, and will store the bike bag and any surplus gear while I'm on the road, so things are definitely coming together.


Where am I? - tracking my location...

This tour I'm planning to explore some of the backroads - places where cycle tourists don't usually venture, and where there is likely to be little traffic of any kind. So as a solo traveller it seemed a sensible precaution to have a means of requesting assistance in the event of a mishap.

I started by investigating personal locator beacons - but soon found that PLB's are only capable of one-way communications, and are relatively expensive for devices with limited capabilities. So I investigated several tracking devices, and eventually settled on the DeLorme Inreach. If you want one, the Australian agent for the Inreach is Track4Ever.

The Inreach is a little cheaper than a PLB, but of course there is a catch - you must sign up to a service plan with the Iridium satellite service. However, DeLorme offer a seasonal plan where the service is active for four months and is then suspended until the following year. It's still expensive but the SOS service provides affordable peace of mind. Best of all it allows two-way messaging and tracking. And the Inreach synchronises with an iOS or Android smartphone to send and receive messages and to provide full GPS navigation using the DeLorme Earthmate app.

So my little free-loading friend Boofle will be coming along to help with the navigation, and you will be able find out where we are by clicking the link on the sidebar.
Where's Boofle
The link will take you to the DeLorme Mapshare page. You will need the Internet Explorer or Firefox browser to view the map.

On the way at last

It was quite an early start this morning, but the maxi taxi I had pre-booked arrived on time and the trip via the new Airport Link road was over quickly. The airport check-in area was very busy already, but my ticket class included priority check-in, so I avoided the long queue and was soon relaxing in the departure lounge.

The approach to Dunedin was cloudy and bumpy after a smooth flight from Brisbane. On the ground it was raining, and the temperature was only 5C.

Dunedin Airport is small, and there was a long queue at immigration control.  Then my bike and camping gear had to be inspected, so it took quite a while entering.

As I loaded my bike into a shuttle in the freezing downpour, clumps of slushy ice were sliding off the roof of the bus. Hmmmm – not a promising start for a cycle tour.

On the short ride into the city, I couldn’t help but notice that it was surrounded by hills. The shuttle driver informed me that the city has the world’s steepest residential street – Baldwin Street, and that there was no way out of the city that avoids the hills, except by train. This is the exit of choice for most cycle tourists – to take the Taieri Gorge tourist train to the start of the Otago Rail Trail.

The shuttle bus delivered me to my accommodation with time to check in and then take a short walk to the shopping precinct, where I was able to purchase a prepay card for my phone and get back on the air – great, I can get email again.

In short order I was able to locate the supermarket and the railway station, and check the route out of the city. It rises quite steeply just a few hundred metres from where I’m staying, so there is no opportunity to warm up before the climbing commences. The rail option is looking more and more attractive.

New Zealand is on daylight saving time, so it was still quite light at 7pm. I found a likely looking place to eat, had a huge lump of steak and my first NZ beer for the trip, then wandered back to my room and turned in early.

A day in Dunedin

Woke to fine but cloudy morning, and had a lazy lie-in…there’s no point hurrying, since the shops don’t open until 9am. It’s already much warmer than yesterday, and the weather is expected to improve, but as in Oz, the locals are a little mystified by the recent weather trends. Eventually I got going and wandered off looking for breakfast, finding a café open near the supermarket.

Finding what I wanted in the supermarket took a while longer.  Many of the brands are unfamiliar, but eventually I found most of what I needed.  New World supermarkets seem to be the local equivalent of Coles – I can recall the days of Coles New World supermarkets in Oz. There is no shortage of products here, and if anything the range is better than at home.

Next, a visit to a fishing tackle shop, to pick up a few more shiny lures and pump the locals for fishing information – and very helpful they were. I came a way with some goods tips and locations to fish.

After surveying the route yesterday, I’ve pretty well decided to take the train out of the city. My preference is to have a few easy days at the start of a tour. A steep climb on the morning of the first day invites a muscular injury and is to be avoided. So next stop the railway station to make a booking, then a quick turn around the city centre before returning to my room to assemble the bike.

The assembly went smoothly, and by mid-afternoon the bike was ready, my gear organized and bike bag put in storage until my return.

And since I’ve now been here for two nights, it’s time I had some of those fush’n’chups.

Dunedin Railway Station

Boofle gets acquainted with poet Robbie Burns...


On the march: to Middlemarch...

This morning was the first time packing and loading the bike this tour, but it was all done by 8am, and I set of for the railway station, just a few minutes cycling away. The bike felt very heavy, but after a few days riding I’ll get used to it.

There’s a handy café across the road from the station, and it was one of the few operating early on a Sunday morning. It’s a funny thing but when you order a cappuccino, they ask if you want chocolate or cinnamon spinkles.

At the station the bike and gear was quickly loaded into the goods van, and we were soon on our way. The ride through the Taieri Gorge is indeed spectacular, and the railroad is an engineering marvel. Reaching Middlemarch there were many cyclists in the street – some arriving to meet the train, other about to depart on the rail trail.  I was surprised to see so many this early in the season.

The local pub was just across the road from the station, and seemed a likely place to spend the night. In no time at all I was settled into a homely room – country pub style, cheap and cheerful.

So tomorrow will be first day on the bike. I’m undecided whether to take the rail trail or stick to the road. I’ll give it a try over a short section to see how the bike handles it. If it too rough, I’ll take the road instead.

Dunedin Railway Station

Taieri Gorge

End of the railroad...

Makin’ movies: On the rail trail to Ranfurly

Distance: 64.25km. Time: 5:23 hours.

I settled in to the Middlemarch pub and spent the afternoon updating my blog. In the evening the pub was full of ploughmen, who were in town for the long weekend to attend a ploughing competition, and like most country folk were happy to share a yarn over a beer.

Overnight the temperature dropped sharply, and when I looked out my window this morning, there was a fresh mantle of snow on the hills.

Eventually I got my panniers packed and the bike loaded, and headed off to the station for a photo before the obligatory stop at the local café for a second breakfast – a cappuccino and an excellent steak pie. Then with a muffin for morning tea, I set off, with a cold and brisk southerly wind at my back.

The rail trail started just out of town. The surface looked reasonable, so I set off to see how the bike would handle the conditions. And it handled them very well. As rode along, I could see snow showers falling on the hills, and few of them caught up with me so I had to stop to put my rain jacket on.

After 15 kms the highway crossed the rail trail. At the junction a film crew (well, a cameraman and a cyclist), were making a video about the rail trail. I was the first of several encounters with them for the day. I soon met them again at a monument to a train disaster.

I left the rail trail and continued on the highway, which proved to be the much faster surface, reaching Hyde in time for lunch and my third encounter with the film crew, and was included in a scene having lunch with the actor/cyclist., and on his advice, returned to the rail trail for the next section through a narrow gorge where the highway climbed several steep hills.

This section included a tunnel and viaduct, and some great scenery through the gorge.  The film crew appeared several more times along here.

Clearing the section I returned to the highway for the last 20 km. For the first 5 km the wind was at my back, but then the road veered around and the wind blew in my left ear for the rest of the ride, with a few showers of sleet for good measure, and I was very chilled. It seemed the longest 15 km I’ve ridden, and by the time I reached Ranfurly there was no feeling in my hands.

The holiday camp was conveniently located near the town centre, and after a few minutes I was standing in a warm shower thawing out. The bed looked comfortable so I sat down on it for a few minutes, and promptly dozed off. When I woke up it was almost 8 pm so it was off to the pub for a beer and a meal, but I could hardly keep my eyes open, so it was straight back to the holiday park and bed. 

Boofle's keen to go...




On the Otago Rail Trail, at Hyde.
That cyclist across the bridge is being videoed by the cameraman behind the fence...



Kakanui Range - Danseys Pass is somewhere up there...


Waiting for good weather: a short cruise to Naseby...

Distance: 16.4km. Time: 1:33 hours.

Yesterday I could see my planned route over the mountains was covered with fresh white snow, and clouds and showers lingered. This made my plan to cross Danseys Pass seem very unlikely unless the weather improved significantly. I considered my options, but staying low meant cutting almost a week of my tour.

So I decided to press on and spend the night in Naseby, hoping that a forecast change in the wind would arrive, and the crossing of the pass would be feasible. And if the weather didn’t improve I’d continue along to the end of the rail trail where I could perhaps take a bus to Lake Tekapo.

With only 15 kms to cover, I didn’t rush this morning. After a late breakfast in a local café, I set out and after an easy ride reached Naseby just after midday, set myself up in a room at the local pub, and now I’m sitting by the fire in the bar to update my journal.

I should have been here yesterday, but as things turned out, that was an ambitious plan. Tomorrow will be decision day. If the weather is good I’ll head on up the pass, at least to the hotel, but on over to Dunstan or Kurow if conditions are favourable. Otherwise I’ll return to the rail trail and head for Alexandra, where I may decide to take a bus to Lake Tekapo.

Yep - the pass is that way...
A welcoming spot - 150 years pub at Naseby.


Danseys Pass: crossing the Kakanui Range…

Distance: 70km. Time: 6:46 hours.

This morning was decision time: to attempt the pass, or re-route along the rail trail. Looking out the window, the sky was cloudy grey, but there seemed to be no wind blowing – the trees where still. But the last night the TV weather service had warned that northwesterly gales were expected, with wind speeds up to 130 kph.

But I decided to go for the pass, and fueled up for the day with a big pub breakfast. Luckily as it turned out – it was going to be a long day.

Setting off from Naseby, the road immediately ascends a short but steep climb – my cold legs protested, and I found myself walking a short distance, but the road soon leveled, and unexpected opened onto a broad plain, with the hills some way off in the distance.  The gravel road surface was reasonable, with only occasional corrugations and rougher sections. But the loose gravel buildup meant care and concentration were required to avoid loosing grip with the front wheel.

I made good progress, and by 10:30am had arrived at the Dansey Pass Hotel, an amazing building built right on the edge of the road. Still feeling replete from my breakfast, I stopped only long enough for a brownie and a cappuccino, and then headed for the pass still some 13 kms away.

The climb proper began soon after leaving the hotel, and whilst it wasn’t overly steep, there was a place where I walked a short distance, and quite a few oxygen stops before reaching the pass. There was no sign at the high point, and the saddle is quite broad, so it was not until the road headed down that I realized the pass had been crossed.

Descending was not so easy either – hard braking was required to control my speed, and I developed severe arm pump and wrist pain. But eventually the road leveled and I stopped to enjoy the lemon muffin I bought in Ranfurly yesterday.

Thinking I only had to cruise down the highway to Duntroon for refreshments, and then on to Kurow, I continued downhill, and discover the route had a nasty sting in it tail – a second climb, shorter but steeper than the pass, and a killer for my tiring legs. Eventually after  three or four oxygen stops I crested the ridge and set off down to Duntroon, where I received another rude shock – turning west onto the highway I discovered the predicted gales had arrived. The Duntroon Hotel had closed down, the local café only opens Thursdays to Sundays, and the only sign of life was at the tractor shop., which could at least offer a can of soft drink.

The idea of setting up my tent at the domain camping ground in the gale didn’t appeal, so I set out to ride the final 20 kms to Kurow, straight into the gathering winds. I got no more than a few kms before realizing I my weary legs couldn’t make it, and stopped at a Maori rock art site, where I thought to pitch my tent behind a big boulder once the sun went down and I was out of sight.

But a short time later some geocachers arrived in a camper van, and the cache they were seeking was right where I had parked my bike. They offered to take me to Kurow, and I gratefully accepted. We crammed my bike and gear into the camper, and a few more geocaches later; I was delivered to the holiday park, where I have decided to have a lay day tomorrow and to review my itinerary.

The gravel road begins...

But the pass is open...

And so is the hotel...

No Boofle - you didn't do any pedalling...

The hotel is right by the road side...

Sorry, we forgot to put up a sign - that's the pass, back there (in the centre)...





Taking a break: in Kurow

After yesterdays epic ride, and the final struggle with the wind, I’m taking a break in Kurow to do my laundry and rest my weary legs before attempting to cross the Hakataramea Pass.

I’m at the Kurow holiday park, which would have to one of the nicest I’ve seen, and by the size of it, a very popular place in peak season. The walls of the park office are adorned with photos of some huge salmon and trout taken from the Waitaki River, which bounds the park to the north.

So with the laundry under way I wandered in to the town centre, where I picked up supplies to cook my dinner, and then stopped at the café for the giant hamburger I had been promising myself all day yesterday, but never got.

Back at the park, I finished the laundry and then rigged my fishing rod and wandered over to the riverbank to see if I would have any beginners luck. I got a little bushed in the maze of channels, and didn’t find the good fishing pools. I had some casting practice but caught no fish.  But it was a welcome diversion for a few hours.

For dinner I cooked up a huge pot of spaghetti bolognese, and somehow managed to devour the lot.

Boofle feeling at home here...

Looking across to the Wataki River...





A long way to the top: hacking the pass…

Distance: 56 km. Time: 5:00 hours.

The crossing of the Hakataramea Pass looked to be a challenge. It is 107 kms from Kurow to Lake Tekapo, and I had allowed two days for the crossing, although I optimistically hoped to do it in one day.

After my customary bowl of oats I packed up and headed into the town centre, where I had a second breakfast and gathered lunch supplies, then headed off over the rickety looking bridge across the Waitaki River. Immediately after the bridge, the road began with a sharp climb, which once again had my cold legs protesting, but after a few ups and down the road leveled out and headed up the beautiful Hakataramea Valley, an area of rich farming land. It was a lovely day for cycling, and the air was redolent with the scent of newly-mowed hay.

The road continued dead straight and level for kilometre after kilometre. Then after 34 kms the gravel section started, and it was quite different to the Danseys Pass road, with heavy drifts of loose gravel laying on the surface. This made for slow progress and demanded constant concentration to avoid a front wheel washout.

After a brief stop to devour the huge pork sandwich from the bakery in Kurow, I continued on the seemingly endless straight road, by now looking out for a suitable place to set up camp. Eventually, at around 5 pm I reached the base of the climb to the pass, and spotting a grassy patch next to a stream, set up my camp for the night. 

The Waitaki River bridge looks like it is ready to fall down...

Boofle eyes my pork sanger...

Looking for somewhere to camp...



And finally finding it...
By the Dalgety Stream...



Shut up legs: battling the winds once again…

Distance: 52.6 km. Time: 6:42 hours.

During the night the temperature dropped well into single figures, but I was snug and very pleased that I’m using a four-season tent. By morning, as I ate my oats and packed, a wind had started blowing down from the pass, and I realized the day would not be easy. I probably should have expected the wind, as one of the ploughmen I met in Middlemarch had mentioned that the pass was well known to be very windy.

Setting off meant immediate climbing, and the road surface had deteriorated and was quite rough in places, so between the wind, the grade and the road, I did quite a bit of walking.  There were also quite a few streams to ford, and I had to remove my shoes at several to make the crossing.

Since I had camped a mere 6 km short of the pass, I had expected to reach it in little more than an hour, but it was 11:30 by the time I crossed, so it had taken more than two hours. The wind was howling over the pass, and it was all I could manage to take a photo before quickly turning my wheels downward.

I had hoped that the wind would ease once clear of the pass, but it was not to be. I battled against it across the wide flat Mackenzie Country all the way to Lake Tekapo, and it grew steadily stronger throughout the afternoon. It took three hours to complete the last 10 kms. Jens Voigt's famous utterance "Shut up legs" was repeated time after time.

So for the second time I’ve arrived in a state of near total exhaustion after battling the wind. But I returned to the place where I stayed last visit, and got the same comfortable room. After a hot shower and dinner over a couple of pints, I hit the sack and slept like a log.

On the Haka Pass, after battling all the way up against the howling wind...

Time out: in Tekapo...

After yesterdays epic, I'm having a lay day in Lake Tekapo to get my laundry in order and to give my legs a rest, before heading down to the Tekapo Canal tomorrow and trying my luck with the fishing.

So today I occupied myself with chores, and a wander along the lake shores. It's such a scenic place, and I was happy to spend the time here after just a overnight visit last time here.

Today would have been a perfect cycling day - sunny, warm, and no wind. Here's hoping that tomorrow will bring more of the same.

A vertical turbine wheel from the hydro power station...

A scenic panorama of the lakeside...

View from my lunch spot...

Boofle has a natter with one of the locals...

The Church of the Good Shepherd is a local icon...

MacKenzie Country: on a perfect cycling day…

Distance: 86.5 km. Ride Time: 5:23 hours. 

This evening I am in Omarama, after what has been the nicest day I’ve ever experienced in New Zealand.

For once I was packed early, fueled for the day and on the road by 8:30. And it was a glorious start to the day – cool, clear, and windless. I set out for the Mt Cook Salmon farm on Tekapo Canal, and had easily covered the distance by mid-morning. Setting up my fishing rod, I spent more than hour casting into the canal, but with no success. Eventually I got a tangle in my line and called it a day.

So I resumed cycling to Twizel, where I had planned tentatively to stay, arriving at around 2:30. But after a short break to refuel, with excellent riding conditions and my legs feeling fresh, I decide to continue on the extra 30 kms to Omarama.

Like the Kurow holiday park not far from here, the Omarama holiday park is one of the nicest I’ve ever visited, and I had no hesitation in returning.

Tomorrow I tackle Lindis Pass – not of itself particularly difficult, but it’s about 125 kms to Wanaka, and the only services, a café, are at Tarras some 80 kms away. It was a big day last visit, this time I may break it as I have located a camping ground along the way. Well – maybe…

Yeah, that's Hakataramea Pass away in the distance...

Not many Irishmen to be seen though...
Boofle's full of fishing advice...

Lake Pukaki panorama with Mt Cook at the head of the lake...

Best view of Mt Cook I've ever seen...
The moon rises over Omarama...

Over the top: and a long way to Wanaka…

Distance: 115 km. Ride Time: 8:49 hours.

Knowing a long day was in store, I was packed and ready to go this morning when the local café opened for breakfast. I fueled up and stocked up with lunch and a bottle of Powerade, and set out for the pass in the cool morning air. The was a hint of breeze blowing on my back, but the day promised to be another fine clear day much like yesterday. after only a short distance I stopped to remove arm and leg warmers for only the second time on this tour, the first time was yesterday afternoon.

The route climbs just over 30 kms to Lindis Pass, but the grade is gentle but for the last 7 kms or so. Even then it’s not overly difficult gaining the pass, and I reached it a little after midday, and stopped for my lunch break.

The descent into the Lindis Valley was long and fast, and even after the road leveled out the going was mostly downhill and easy pealing with a tailwind. By mid-afternoon I had covered 70 kms and had reached Cluden Hill, the only other real climbing on the route, and by now had decided to push on to Wanaka rather than set up a bush camp.

Once over Cluden Hill it was an easy roll down to Tarras, which I reached just after 4:00 pm, and stopped for an ice cream and another bottle of Powerade. There were just 30 kms to go to Wanaka, but I knew from past experience that these would be the hardest.

Soon after leaving Tarras the road turned westward, into the wind for the first time today.  Fortunately it was not too strong, and I was able to maintain a steady pace, but had to work quite hard at it. With not much left in my legs, a couple of small hills had me walking for a short while, but finally I made it into Wanaka at around 7:00 pm, and checked in to a backpacker hotel, where I will stay for an extra night.

My tired legs could hardly carry me to a nearby restaurant, where I treated myself to a proper dinner after such a long day in the saddle, then it was back to my room and out like a light. 

The original plan was to cross Little Omarama Pass and rejoin the Otago Central Rail Trail

But instead we will to Lindis Pass (just over Boofle's shoulder)...

You don't get a view of the pass until the final kms...

And then, before you know it, the job is done...