The loop is completed – we experienced it all!

What an adventure, 500 odd kms in 10 days, experiencing 120 km/hr winds, enduring sweltering heat to being surrounded by snow-capped mountains, and dressed for winter.  Cycling recently gravelled roads that tested our focus and endurance and hill climbs that tested our stamina! And along the way, we met some amazing people, especially some young men who are enjoying the outdoor life and didn’t mind spending time chatting to “two old sheilas”.  The last 10 days have sure been an epic adventure for us and we are proud of what we have achieved.

As I cycled back into Picton this morning from Blenheim (having completed the loop we started 10 days ago), along a smooth sealed road with no challenges I reflected on our journey and experiences.  It was also a good time to reflect on what I learned about myself – for better or worse.  But let’s go back to:

Hanmer Springs – Acheron Homestead Campsite (20 kms)

When we were in Saint Arnaud we meet Ben (cyclist from Auckland) and the one most valuable piece of advice he gave us was “to get the shuttle bus to drop you off at the top of Jack’s Pass,“.  If you don’t know Jacks Pass it is 5 kms of steep uphill, gravel surface with plenty of corrugations outside Hanmer.  We took his advice and consequently enjoyed an easy ride to Acheron Homestead with the Clarence River running on our left.  The Acheron Homestead was built in 1863, cob construction, and was used as an overnight carriage stop.  It is well worth the time to stop and check out this historical building and see the restoration that is taking place.

We spent a lazy afternoon exploring the surrounding hills on foot and eating fresh red currants and gooseberries.  Another first for me, eating fresh red currants – they were so tiny and oh so sweet even had some for breakfast the following morning.  The thought crossed my mind as to when they were originally planted.

No camping on Molesworth Station

When you travel through Molesworth Station there are gates at both ends and they are open from 7 am to 7 pm daily and no camping allowed anywhere in between.  Therefore for us, we had to cycle straight through, which we didn’t see as an issue.  At each end, there are park rangers (volunteers) who keep an eye on the traffic, weather etc.  Aroha was the interesting Maori woman at Acheron and we spent considerable time chatting with her about a variety of topics.

Cycling Molesworth Station Road – Cob Cottage (65 kms)

We started the day off bright and early, eager to be on the road after 1.5 rest days following the Acheron River now on our right.

We had suggested to Antony (in his big 4WD vehicle, owner of PigCivil, Piha) who we had met the previous evening if he wouldn’t mind taking our panniers to Cob Cottage at the other end when he drove through.  Anthony met us on the road and more than happy to help out.  He was one of the many delightful young men we have met during this adventure and he was off to cycle the Old Ghost Road by himself.

The scenery was eye-catching and peacefulness enveloped us.  We only occasionally had to make way for vehicles otherwise we had the place to ourselves – we were in our happy zones.

As so often happens the NW wind increased in velocity and gusts to a stage where both Sari and I were blown off the road!  We had to really concentrate to keep moving forward in a reasonably straight line and were very thankful we didn’t have our panniers – while the weight would have helped keep us on the road they would have also made our travelling speed a couple of kms slower.

Before we started riding the Molesworth we were regularly told that people would know where and what we would be doing as we travelled through.  Cycling along ‘Isolation Flat’ (wonder how that name came about) the station manager Jim stopped to make sure we were OK and asked “did we need help?”.  He commented about the fact we could have chosen a ‘better day’ with winds over 120 km/hr.

It was only a short time later another vehicle stopped and offered to ferry us and our bikes to Cob Cottage because of the strong winds and how dangerous it was on Wards Pass which was coming up.  We declined their offer but later as we were getting mentally ready to climb/walk Wards Pass another ute stopped.  Grant and his wife Sarah had been told (by the previous vehicle) to watch out for us and give us a lift over the pass which we gladly accepted. They happened to be carrying a bike rack in the back of their ute – how lucky were we?

It wasn’t long before Grant had our bikes loaded, and we were crawling our way up Wards Pass.  Grant and Sarah were from Twizel and off to Picton that night but not catching the ferry until the next morning, so had plenty of time to assist us.  We spent a delightful time travelling in their ute sharing experiences.

Cob Cottage – a welcome sight

When we finally arrived at Cob Cottage, we were welcomed by husband and wife volunteer rangers.  They’d been informed about us and were going to come and look for us if we hadn’t turned up by 3 pm.  It was so reassuring to know people did watch out for you and I felt quite lucky to be in our wonderful country.

After a welcome cuppa with the rangers, a short walk to view the surrounding mountains, and a delicious meal of dehydrated food (hearty beef stew and dehydrated peas!) we weren’t long out of our warm sleeping bags.

It rained most of the night and when we got out of our tents the next morning the atmosphere was quite chilly, no wonder all the surrounding mountain tops were covered in snow.  What a sight – it was stunning.  From warm winds to snow was remarkable.

Cob Cottage – Camden Cookshop (53 kms)

Today we’d be cycling down the Awatere Valley, a place I’d heard about but never visited.  We happily cycled off wearing full gloves and wind-proof jackets – it was chilly and the air was pure and crisp.  To be surrounded by snow-covered mountain tops was pretty magical – the scenery was dramatic and reminded me of my trip to North Pakistan.

We came across a mob of merino sheep being guided by a young shepherd with his highly trained dogs – they were impressive the way they kept the sheep moving forward around us.

We’d often stop at the top of hills (mainly to catch our breath) and admire the views and absorb the ambience.  Riding down the valley involved plenty of up and downs and the sight of Camden Cookshop was such a relief.  Rachel was very welcoming and we soon made ourselves at home enjoying a hot shower and washing our dirty clothes which were quickly dried in the strong warm NW wind.

Camden Cookshop is a high country station.  The accommodation is basic. You need to supply your own food, but there is plenty of kitchen utensils and pots and pans.

The children’s pet merino lambs wandered around waiting to be scratched and the pups poked their heads inside to check us out.

Camden Cookshop to Blenheim (via Taylors Pass) (68 kms)

On our final big day, if I’m honest I was starting to feel physically and mentally tired – the winds seem to drain me.  When I Googled our route the previous night,  we still had 586 m of climbing and 900 m of descents – so I guess we were heading downhill – though at times I did wonder.

Descending through Awatere Valley it gradually opened up and the ups and downs were less arduous.  We had patches of sealed road which were a pleasure to ride but short-lived!  When the vineyards started to appear we knew civilization wasn’t that far away but one more climb (Taylors Pass) before I could enjoy that much-anticpated cup-of-tea in Blenheim.

On our final stretch into Blenheim Sari remembered a new cycle trail running from the Taylor Dam alongside the Opawa River right into the centre of town.  It was a very pleasurable ride and a great way to end our high country experience.

Additional scenes of Molesworth and Awatere Valley

Home at last

What did I learn?

• Spend more time riding my MTB prior to the start of this adventure
• Need to reduce the weight/contents of my panniers (not sure yet how)
• My creativity is nil when I’m tired (when reflecting on the day’s adventures & experiences)
• When I have too many options it makes the decision-making process more difficult
• Need to improve rough surface MTB skills
• Pretty pleased with my mental and physical fitness
• Finally, thank you Sari for your companionship, drive, support and fun!  You are the ideal adventure companion  🙂

More adventures to come

On Monday I travel to Christchurch by bus to pick up a campervan.  I will be driving back up north visiting and exploring parts of New Zealand I haven’t seen and experiencing “campervan” life.

In the meantime, thank you for reading my blog, and my apologies for the technical glitch with regards to leaving comments on my last blog.  Take care GoldCard Gal 🙂