Author: Deb

Oh dang, was it ever nice to wake up clean and dry in a room after it had rained the night before! There was a threat of rain all day today but it never really came down until after we got settled in Kumara.

We stopped in Greymouth for coffee before officially starting the West Coast Wilderness Trail that we will ride all the way to Ross.

And today we rendezvoused with the Tasman Sea!

We rode a good portion of her coastline on the North Island along 90 Mile Beach. Now we meet again along the West Coast Wilderness Trail.

The Tasman Sea is named for Dutch explorer Abel Tasman who in 1642 was the first European to site New Zealand. He first anchored at the top of the South Island however due to an altercation with Māori, left without further exploration.

Years later in 1769, James Cook circumnavigated the islands for six months and landed several times meeting with Māori as Cook had a translator.

Many migrations, agreements and settlements followed. Every country has a colonization story to tell and there are always multiple ways to tell it.

As we head south, the temps get a little colder, the views even better and the people ever friendlier.

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Tour Aotearoa Day 29: Springs Junction to Ikamatua, 47 miles, 1,608 feet elevation | One Does Not Simply

New Zealand lesson numero uno: One does not simply say “coffee” when asked what you would like to drink.

There isn’t just “coffee”; there is a coffee culture and it’s best if you know what to order when asked. The first couple times we looked at each other dumbfounded. We. Had. No. Idea.

Tom and I are simple people. We just drink “drip” coffee – even when visiting Starbucks so this has been a conundrum for us.

I mention this now because for the first time, there was just “black coffee” offered at a petro station we cycled to early this morning. It was in the low forties when we took down the tent at Marble Hill DOC and we were cold!

Great thing though… they also had Flat Whites which have become our fave coffee.

And just so ya know… french fries are chips, potato chips are crisps and pops are fizzies. You’re welcome.☺️

Easy day of downhill riding with just one little summit early in the day. We rolled into Reefton looking for a cafe and who do we see? Our friend Durell from South Carolina who was sheepishly holding a chicken pie. He’s been leapfrogging with us the past few days and he was still taking down his tent when we pedaled past this morning, so something was amiss.

How did he get there so fast, Tom asked. Well he explained in his southern drawl, “I was a little uncomfortable with the traffic so a pick up brought me and my bike to town. I wondered if I’d jumped from the frying pan into the fire with the speed he was driving and the fact that he pulled over and ‘rolled one’ on the way to Reefton.”

Good ole Durell… he makes us laugh and it’s a lot of fun bumping into him.

I really needed an indoor stay for the night (thorough shower, laundry and repacking required) and it wasn’t hard talking Tom into it.

We opted for the Ikamatua Hotel – lol and it’s a one stop shop with simple cabins, laundry and a food-serving tap room that was 💯

Finally, guess who rolled in off the Big River Trail about 6:30pm… our Canadian bebes! While we took on the Rahu Saddle and traffic they opted for the Big River Trail… big accomplishment for them!

We spent the rest of the evening catching up and chatting it up with others about what’s coming up on the West Coast Wilderness Trail and beyond in the Southern Alps.

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Tour Aotearoa Day 28: Murchison to Springs Junction, 52 miles, 3,448 feet elevation | Magical Maruia

Seldom is a climb UP as much fun as the descent on the other side but today was that day.

Riding up to the Maruia Saddle might have been our favorite yet due to its rideability, the views, and the sense of peace we experienced while riding up and over it. And oh there were six stream crossings going up. And NO traffic. 👍🏻

We didn’t take many pictures… they just didn’t seem to capture the zen.

There were smiles all day on this Sunday morning though.

Springs Junction is a tiny little town with only one motel (no vacancy) and camping available three miles out of town (opposite direction we are heading tomorrow). Dang it’s tough going off route to camp (in a headwind of course) but it was a great stay – especially with the sausage cigars and all.

Tomorrow we head to Ikamatua for a much needed indoor stay and proper shower.

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Tour Aotearoa Day 27: Tapawera to Murchison, 58 miles, 3,323 feet elevation | Lake Rotoroa

It was a two saddle day that included climbs up Tadmore and Braeburn Saddles along side Nelson Lakes and Kahurangi National Parks, but the real shining star was Lake Rotoroa. She’s lovely! The squadrons of sandflies that come with… not so much. 🤣

We started the day on pavement with recently milked cows and quirky county mailboxes keeping us company.

It wasn’t long until we were back on gravel with four stream crossings as we rode down the Braeburn saddle. It was a gorgeous decent (and rideable).

Just before we tackled the Braeburn Saddle, we stopped for a bit of lunch at Gowan’s and met sweet Louise who had a homemade remedy for keeping sand flies away. It might be radioactive but it sure worked!

Thanks for following along!

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Tour Aotearoa Day 26: Nelson to Tapawera, 40 miles, 1,607 feet elevation | Great Taste Trail

The common thread that wove the day together was The Great Taste Trail. It’s a 108 mile loop (we won’t be riding the entire route) that exposes riders to a “taste of” cafes, towns and lovely landscapes in the region. We road through so many vineyards and hops farms today!

We left Nelson and pedaled through Richmond, Brightwater, Wakefield and landed in Tapawera. Such a pleasant ride.

There are a collection of Great Rides included in the Tour Aotearoa that we have already ridden (The Timber Trail, The Waikato River Trail, The Remutaka Cycle Trail and the Hauraki Rail Trail). I also happen to think 90 Mile Beach is pretty unique but not certain it’s officially part of the collection. We are heading to The West Coast Wilderness Trail next.

There were soooo many hops farms today – more than we’ve ever seen in one place. Apparently there is a niche for growing them here in NZ.

We’ve also met a fellow American, Durell, from South Carolina who we seem to be leap frogging with. It’s fun to exchange stories of the day with others and Greenville happens to be one of our fave towns.

There was a little bit of everything as far as riding today but the highlight was the Spooner Tunnel. After a longish gradual climb that was NOTHING like yesterday, we reached the tunnel’s entrance.

The tunnel was started in 1891 and finished in 1893 with a 15 man crew working on each end to connect the train tunnel. When the tunnel met in the middle it was only 8mm out of alignment. Incredible! The railway was intended to connect Nelson to the west coast although it fell short before its completion.

It remains the fifth longest tunnel in the world open to cyclists.

There are magnificent mountains peeking out every now and then giving us pause once again be awed by the wonder of God’s creation.

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Tour Aotearoa Day 25: Pelorus Bridge to Nelson, 26 miles, 2,894 feet elevation | The Maungatapu Saddle

Woof! What a day! Straight up and straight down and it was steep. It was mostly hike-a-bike up, over and down ratched chunky rocks but…

It was a gorgeous day with bluebird skies. Though the sun was out all day, the temps were cool. And there weren’t any biting horse flies (hardly any on this tour at all!)

In fact, since New Zealand doesn’t have snakes or large land mammals, there was no need to worry about cougars tracking me when slogging uphill with a 55 pound loaded bike or sitting down to picnic by Mr. Snakey Snake.

The saddle is almost eight miles up, all off road, and winds up one side and down the other.

My rear brakes totally gave out halfway down the decent – nothing left of them. Tom had to replace the rear brake pads and adjust the front ones halfway down.

We ate so very little today and spent so much energy pushing loaded bikes uphill and then wrestling with them to get down without letting them get away from us.

We cruised into Nelson (great little town), checked into our campsite and then walked almost a mile (sans loaded bikes) into town for the biggest sandos we could find.

Easier tracks coming tomorrow and we’re chasing Amelia, Sarah and a new friend that has joined them for the South Island. Will we catch them?

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Tour Aotearoa Day 24: Wellington to Pelorus Bridge 37 miles, 2,057 feet elevation | Hello South Island

Today we left the North Island by ferry, crossing Cook Strait. It was a dicey bike ride on a semi dark rainy morning and we switched ferry companies at the last minute so it was a little helter shelter finding the terminal, but we made it!

We LOVED Wellington for its tasty food, craft breweries, laid back vibe and waterfront area. Tom scored stellar accommodations at an extremely low rate using Trip Advisor. We had an actual apartment with a washer/dryer combo, a full kitchen and living room and it was near the Wellington waterfront. Because the weather in Picton was forecasted to be stormy, we stayed an extra day and completed our self-guided walking brewery tour (7 in all!).

The ferry ride was very rough due to high winds. Lots of white bags in use 🤮. People trying to walk around on the ferry looking like THEY just finished a seven brewery tour in Wellington this morning.🤣

Sitting near the stern, sucking on ice chips and head down did the trick for many.

Once we arrived in Picton, the gateway to the South Island, we had a beautiful ride to Pelorus Bridge by way of Havelock which happens to be the best place to get green mussels.

We opted for ice cream instead but are sure the greenshell mussels are worth the hype.

We can tell already, the South Island is different. It’s vast and open. And it’s just lovely.

Tomorrow, we have just one thing on the agenda – get to Nelson. And this is the only obstacle in our way.

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Tour Aotearoa Day 23: Remutaka Summit to Wellington, 41 miles, 840 feet elevation | A “Well”ington Welcome

As tough as the gusty, wicked wind was yesterday, Wellington welcomed us with a calm, warm, sunny downhill ride.

Although Auckland is larger, Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand and the ending point of the North Island. We are half way finished with the TA!

What should we expect on the South Island? Everyone tells us it’s much less populated with spectacular scenery that includes fjords, glaciers and the Southern Alps. There is far less agriculture and grazing (going to miss the little four legged fluffball sheep).

Finally we think it will be colder as it’s early autumn here and we expect more rain.

The TA route guided us safely into Wellington on cycleways and we celebrated the finish of the North Island at Panhead Brewery with a celebratory bevvie.

So we are taking the day off tomorrow to resupply, rest, get a new water filter, file taxes and catch up with the bigs. And I’m sure we will scout a little more of the South Island as well while taking in a couple more local breweries.

We are so very grateful for this opportunity and lift our family, friends and neighbors up in prayer at the beginning of each day.

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Tour Aotearoa Day 22: Masterton to the Remutaka Summit, 51 miles, 3,132 feet elevation | Wicked Wind of the West