After my parents enjoyed a relaxing ride around the quiet, shady, tree-lined streets of Arrowtown on the Motom and Matt’s bike, we ate a final lunch together before they left to check out Doubtful Sound. The six days together went very fast, and we greatly appreciated their company and support for our riding. We planned…
Our rest day was a great idea, with a relaxed start to the day, visit to the magnificent Aoraki (Mt Cook), some work, and dinner out with Brian and Barbara (parents) at a Thai restaurant. While sad to farewell Twizel where we had magical days, we have time limitations with other trails to ride. I’m…
Recreational riders facebook users advised that Ōhau to Omarama was likely to be too narrow and rough for the Motom, and a sign cautioned that the track needed repairs, so we sensibly skipped this part of the A2O. Feeling a little sore, and tired after our great Dark Skies experience at Tekapo the previous night…
With a forecast high of 29 degrees, we decided on a morning ride for our Twizel to Lake Ōhau leg of the A2O. Country roads, roads beside the canal, and a gravel track alongside Lake Ōhau were the key features today, with the best views at the end of the ride. We met more cyclists…
What a contrast to the West Coast. Lush green forests and forest bird song have been replaced by golden grasses rippling in the breeze, vast tree-less plains, distant white-capped mountains, brown hills and the song of sky larks. The only similarity is the stunning turquoise blue we saw in the Hokitika gorge expanded now into…
We couldn’t leave the West Coast without the ride to Cowboy Paradise, an infamous stopping point. What superlative do I use now, when I must be running out? Matt said it’s the best riding he’s done so far – given our enjoyment to date, that’s quite a claim. This was a short ride as we…
Our West Coast visit in October ran out of time for the Hokitika Gorge, so we prioritised it this time. We were so pleased that we did. The turquoise water was stunning amid the rocky sides of the gorge and surrounding lush native bush. The 2 km loop track says photograph me every few minutes….
Today we did an out and back on the West Coast Wilderness Trail, starting at Taramakau on an old tram trail from gold rush days. Another wonderful trail, this one meandered through podocarp forest, past dairy cows, past a display of rusting aged farm and domestic tools, past the Kapitea Reservoir, on a boardwalk over…
After four fun rides, we were due for a less successful ride or two. The 2.5 hour winding drive Foxhill to Reefton was beautiful, full of dark greens sometimes almost closing in on us as we followed the Buller River on the edge of Kahurangi National Park (impressively large at over 5,000 km2). We knew…
Yesterday’s rest day saw us working while enjoying fabulous views, followed by an evening with Aunt Louise and her husband, Mack, watching an enjoyable Sicilian detective TV series. This allowed recovery from our fast-paced Sunday cycle, ready to explore a new part of the trail today. This is the Tasman Great Taste Trail and yesterday…