Blenheim to Wellington
An easy, flat, short 28 km to the ferry today, right! By mid morning the north wind was howling down the road between the hills, straight into our faces. The road seemed ever upward except for about 1 km out of Picton when we had a nice downhill. All others had their cycling clothes on except me. I figured that for a 7 hour journey with 1 hour of riding it was not worth staying in spandex all day. Mind you I look better in spandex than some of the others but Rita was with me anyway so what was the point.
We arrived in Picton well before the ferry loading time so that we could repackage our stuff. We had already managed to get all the luggage and food into the trailer and so now we had to put 5 bikes into the van. Kirk’s was already strapped to the top of the trailer and after removing the front wheels from 4 more we got them into the van. This meant that we didn’t have to pay extra for each of those bikes to go across. After all this was done we went to the bar to have the usual, flat white coffee.
The ferry crossing was smooth sailing and we enjoyed the scenery from the perspective of the water. One picture shows the bikes strapped down in the ferry and the other some of the ladies on deck.
Wellington is a fairly large city, in fact the largest that we will be cycling in. The road to the hotel passes right through the downtown area and it was late Saturday afternoon at this time, busy traffic. Since Rita and I had explored the city while waiting for the ferry on the journey south; we led the way for all the rides and the van to the hotel. All went well except for U-turn between two one-way streets where I ended up on the wrong side of the road and all others followed.
Tonight’s hotel is right in the downtown area; an old city hotel which has both hotel and backpacker accommodations. Kirk prepared his bike for the trip home and was sorry to have to go back home. Because there is no place to keep the bikes we put 5 into the empty trailer, 4 into the back of the van and laid the tandem across the seats. We will take the tandem out tomorrow and put it in the hotel room when we use the van for taxi service to church.
The backpacker’s kitchen here is rather small and crowed but we enjoyed a meal of beef stroganoff all the same.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Some more on Berlins
Berlins
The Berlins Hotel and BBH was established in the 1800’s during the gold rush in this area. The north part of the west coast from Ross to here was mined for gold. The rivers still give up flakes and nuggets after a storm. People still have claims that they work from time to time.
The Buller River has quite a volume of water running in it with the typical shallow areas but also some deep up welling areas. They have earthquakes in this area since there is a major fault line running through here. They also get slides coming off of the hills along the gorge. The river has become blocked at times like this and major floods have occurred. In 1968 it rose over 11m above the normal level. Local photos of earthquakes show the roads ruined with large cracks running down them.
The Town of Berlins now consists of 1 hotel, all the other buildings have disappeared.
Our hostel tonight has 16 beds, 1 room with 3 bunks, two rooms with 2 bunks and 1 with a double bed. This is a normal arrangement for these smaller backpackers places.
The Berlins Hotel and BBH was established in the 1800’s during the gold rush in this area. The north part of the west coast from Ross to here was mined for gold. The rivers still give up flakes and nuggets after a storm. People still have claims that they work from time to time.
The Buller River has quite a volume of water running in it with the typical shallow areas but also some deep up welling areas. They have earthquakes in this area since there is a major fault line running through here. They also get slides coming off of the hills along the gorge. The river has become blocked at times like this and major floods have occurred. In 1968 it rose over 11m above the normal level. Local photos of earthquakes show the roads ruined with large cracks running down them.
The Town of Berlins now consists of 1 hotel, all the other buildings have disappeared.
Our hostel tonight has 16 beds, 1 room with 3 bunks, two rooms with 2 bunks and 1 with a double bed. This is a normal arrangement for these smaller backpackers places.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
St Arnaud to Blenheim
As I awoke it was starting to get light out, I thought I could see the outline of a mountain out of the big picture window. It was not raining so that was good. As the light level increased I discovered that it was a branch on the tree not a mountain outside but the rain was gone and that was the main thing. It is quite amazing what a hard ride will do. Usually is up and eager to eat, make lunch and be off but not today. It was around 8:30 by the time everyone was seriously preparing to leave. The lady who ran the place was quite insistent that we should not leave town without going down to the lake. Rita and I took the tandem down quite a hill and then of course had to pedal back up again. The first picture today is of the lake. You can see there is still a lot of cloud just above the hills.
When we got on the road it was quite warm and very humid so the first thing we did is take off a layer of clothing. After about 8km we were over the top of the divide and going down hill basically for the rest of the day about 730m and another 90 km of road. Average speed for the day was over 30kph for us and all the others were also enjoying the downhill ride. The road follows the river valley and more and more farms both dairy, sheep and toward the end vineyards. We decided to take a tour though one and that is another of the posted pictures. Everyone managed to ride after the tasting, even in a straight line.
Accommodations tonight are quite luxurious and tomorrow is an easy ride for the six day of consecutive riding, the longest week of the tour.
When we got on the road it was quite warm and very humid so the first thing we did is take off a layer of clothing. After about 8km we were over the top of the divide and going down hill basically for the rest of the day about 730m and another 90 km of road. Average speed for the day was over 30kph for us and all the others were also enjoying the downhill ride. The road follows the river valley and more and more farms both dairy, sheep and toward the end vineyards. We decided to take a tour though one and that is another of the posted pictures. Everyone managed to ride after the tasting, even in a straight line.
Accommodations tonight are quite luxurious and tomorrow is an easy ride for the six day of consecutive riding, the longest week of the tour.
Berlins to St. Arnoud
Jessie yelled "seven kilometers to go" out of the van window as he passed the other way. These where welcome words. My odometer had quite working due to the rain we had experienced for the last 70km. We had been on a very flat stretch of road for about 1/2 hour working on the last 25km stretch for the day after eating a late lunch. We had now been on the road for 5 hours, the wind was in our face and the sunshine we had experience in the rainy part of the South Island was now gone as we entered the dry east side of it!
Bernie and John were ahead of us with all the others well back. The others had stopped for an extra break. The ride up to this point had been hard in a different way, up and down and more up as we rode along the
We had no idea what the last 25k would bring as we had lunch but we knew we had to go up another 280m. As we got into the ride the road plateaued and this is the straight as a prairie road we were on now. We couldn't get the bike over 20kph (before my unit crapped out) No brake on, Rita claimed she was working, I certainly was; so it had to be the wind and incline of the road, steadily climbing. The rain kept coming and going.
A light rain is no problem, the heat from your body keeps you somewhat dry and warm but if it picks up a lot you do get chilled. It was the "longest 7 km" Rita had ever seen but eventually we got there.
All the others arrived in due time tired and wet. Kirk had to give up for the day because of the continuing knee problem he has been having. A bowl of warm soup was waiting for the riders and then a warm shower. Several riders had flat tires (the rain always makes it worse).
We are in a ski area, just about on the divide for the
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Greymouth to Berlins
It was a grey day when we set out shortly after 8 AM on this somewhat long day of 135 km.
The ride was along the coast for at least 1/2 of the day but quite hilly as the road went up and down along the coast. We stopped at Pancake Rocks and took lots of photos of this unique spot (sorry I can't post from here tonight).
After we left the coast we started a steady climb along the buller Gorge (also some pictures for later posting). The place we are staying in is along the river with the cliffs behind.
I haven't mentioned Sand Flys yet but these little critters are all along the West coast here. They are worse than Manitoba Mosiquetoes. Rita and I stopped once and were almost eaten alive . They are about the size of fruit flies but suck your blood like mosqitoes.
Anyway I have to go now. Will try to post tomorrow again. Bill
Monday, March 26, 2007
Franz Josef to Greymouth (2 days)
Kakapotachi River to Greymouth
This perfect weather is really getting boring and we are over budget on sunscreen! Three riders had left early in order to get a couple of bike repairs done in Hokitika before we arrived. Adrian and his brake/rear shifter and Ton with an alignment problem with his rear shifter still not right after the accident with the trailer. It was already 17C when we left at 9:20. No major climbs today and after the town of Hokitika it followed the ocean about 300m away from it but close enough to hear the waves on the beach.
The lunch stop was in Hokitika. On the photo you can still see the snow capped mountains just above the white van. This seemed like a nice town with the main industry being the gold panning in the nearby rivers for the tourists and making/selling jewelry to those who didn’t have the time to pan.
The afternoon ride was uneventful along the flat straight road along the ocean. We have noticed an increase in traffic from yesterday and some change in vegetation.
Franz Josef to Kakapotahi River
As usual breakfast was finished at the scheduled starting time, riders eager to go. The first group left at 9, air still cool but only light cloud and little wind. We pulled out 15 minutes later. Everyone felt strong after a day off. The first stop was 32 km away and it turned out there was a nice coffee shop there. We all arrived within a few minutes of each other as planned. Coffee here is always fresh, no such thing as a pot. You order a short or long black, a flat white or a latte. It is then freshly made and brought to your table when ready. It tastes good but is not cheap, usually $3.50NZ or about $3 CDN.
The ride for the day was 90km so 1/3 was down, another 30 to our lunch break, but in order to get there we had to climb Mount Hercules which rises about 250m above the surrounding area. This was the main climb for the day and of course we had to go up the steep side. The wind never blows on these climbs in the trees and your going slow so you don’t create your own breeze. My glasses come off so that I can wipe the sweat off of my brow before it reaches my eyes. I had orders to take it easy on this stretch since the first section had turned into a bit of a fast ride, averaging over 30 kph.
Most of us left at about the same time for the third section, and after a while a line 5 bikes formed behind the Tandem. A few hills broke up the group with 2 going ahead and one dropping back. Everyone had a good ride today.
Old Church Backpackers, is an old church; which was moved to this site and renovated to become a hostel. It is nicely situated beside the river in which some of us dared to wash. The water temperature is less than 10C since all the rivers here come from the ice fields.
This is a very nicely kept place and all are enjoying the facilities in this somewhat rustic setting. We have 5 separate bedrooms so most couples will have their own space tonight.
This perfect weather is really getting boring and we are over budget on sunscreen! Three riders had left early in order to get a couple of bike repairs done in Hokitika before we arrived. Adrian and his brake/rear shifter and Ton with an alignment problem with his rear shifter still not right after the accident with the trailer. It was already 17C when we left at 9:20. No major climbs today and after the town of Hokitika it followed the ocean about 300m away from it but close enough to hear the waves on the beach.
The lunch stop was in Hokitika. On the photo you can still see the snow capped mountains just above the white van. This seemed like a nice town with the main industry being the gold panning in the nearby rivers for the tourists and making/selling jewelry to those who didn’t have the time to pan.
The afternoon ride was uneventful along the flat straight road along the ocean. We have noticed an increase in traffic from yesterday and some change in vegetation.
Franz Josef to Kakapotahi River
As usual breakfast was finished at the scheduled starting time, riders eager to go. The first group left at 9, air still cool but only light cloud and little wind. We pulled out 15 minutes later. Everyone felt strong after a day off. The first stop was 32 km away and it turned out there was a nice coffee shop there. We all arrived within a few minutes of each other as planned. Coffee here is always fresh, no such thing as a pot. You order a short or long black, a flat white or a latte. It is then freshly made and brought to your table when ready. It tastes good but is not cheap, usually $3.50NZ or about $3 CDN.
The ride for the day was 90km so 1/3 was down, another 30 to our lunch break, but in order to get there we had to climb Mount Hercules which rises about 250m above the surrounding area. This was the main climb for the day and of course we had to go up the steep side. The wind never blows on these climbs in the trees and your going slow so you don’t create your own breeze. My glasses come off so that I can wipe the sweat off of my brow before it reaches my eyes. I had orders to take it easy on this stretch since the first section had turned into a bit of a fast ride, averaging over 30 kph.
Most of us left at about the same time for the third section, and after a while a line 5 bikes formed behind the Tandem. A few hills broke up the group with 2 going ahead and one dropping back. Everyone had a good ride today.
Old Church Backpackers, is an old church; which was moved to this site and renovated to become a hostel. It is nicely situated beside the river in which some of us dared to wash. The water temperature is less than 10C since all the rivers here come from the ice fields.
This is a very nicely kept place and all are enjoying the facilities in this somewhat rustic setting. We have 5 separate bedrooms so most couples will have their own space tonight.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Franz Jozef
Franz Josef
The morning sun was out by the time we got up. The first picture is of the ever-present glacier and tourist business in this town. It is all tours and adventure experiences of every kind.
We had our own church service; since neither the RC nor Anglican buildings in town have regular services, ably led by Bernie and Anna. We continue to be in awe of the beauty that is around us and gave thanks again to our creator for it.
At 12:30 we went on a glacier walk and the other posted pictures are of that. The Franz Josef glacier is one of the fastest moving in the world advancing about a foot per day at the bottom. This is because of its steepness and allows it to exist within the rain forest; which surrounds it. The top of the mountain receives some 25m of snow per year; which feeds this glacier. Unlike some other glaciers this one has actually been growing since 1983 after receding since it was ‘discovered’ in the 1750s.
Tomorrow we resume our bike trek northward along the west coast of New Zealand. There is no official internet available in the place we are staying but I will try to post from the hostel’s computer, but no guarantees.
The morning sun was out by the time we got up. The first picture is of the ever-present glacier and tourist business in this town. It is all tours and adventure experiences of every kind.
We had our own church service; since neither the RC nor Anglican buildings in town have regular services, ably led by Bernie and Anna. We continue to be in awe of the beauty that is around us and gave thanks again to our creator for it.
At 12:30 we went on a glacier walk and the other posted pictures are of that. The Franz Josef glacier is one of the fastest moving in the world advancing about a foot per day at the bottom. This is because of its steepness and allows it to exist within the rain forest; which surrounds it. The top of the mountain receives some 25m of snow per year; which feeds this glacier. Unlike some other glaciers this one has actually been growing since 1983 after receding since it was ‘discovered’ in the 1750s.
Tomorrow we resume our bike trek northward along the west coast of New Zealand. There is no official internet available in the place we are staying but I will try to post from the hostel’s computer, but no guarantees.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Haast to Franz Josef
Haast to Franz Josef
Everyone knew that this would be a hard day. The prospect of riding 145 km with about 700m of climbing in the last 20 km was daunting for some and enough to be taken seriously by all. I had warned the group the night before to eat constantly throughout the ride. The support crew had bought extra snack bars and bananas. Breakfast was set earlier than normal at 7:30. Alarms started going off at 6:15 and as usual people were eating breakfast ½ hour before the set time. Most people had an extra helping of porridge. Lunches and breakfast were all finished by 7:30. Peter brought to our attention a brochure he had found which said that the distance was 165 km not 145 and broke this good news to us during breakfast.
Most riders have nervous stomachs before such a ride and so the bathrooms are quite busy in preparation for the day.
Outside it was quite foggy and cool so early in the morning and near the ocean. The first riders set off just after 7:30, the last riders –Rita and I- set of at 8. We had decided not to have any official lunch stops today so that people could make their way at their own pace. We set out with leggings and jackets on.
The first road sign we came to, just a few kilometers into the ride, said that indeed our destination was 142 km away. I’m sure that as each rider went buy that sign they felt relieved.
About 20 km into the ride we had to climb a series of large hills, as the road swung away from the coast, with a total climb of about 200m. By that time the fog had lifted, the sun was out and there was no wind. I had decided to stop about every hour in order to eat and give our rear ends a rest. This time came at the top of one of these hills; which overlooked the ocean.
I wanted to take a few movies today of the downhill rides. I got some good footage here but the lighting was poor and affected the quality as I found out later in the ride so I would have to wait for another 110 km before being able to try again.
On route we met a group of American tourist who were on a week long professionally organized tour. The group consisted of about 20 people but it was easy to tell that they were not true cyclists. They did however give us the unofficial name of the climbs at the end referring to them as “triple bypass”. The ones we talked to had been bussed to a point past the climbs.
The second break was at Lake Paringa, the 3rd and 4th river bridges. Rita was feeling quite full at the last stop but since I knew what lay ahead I insisted that she eat more. This 4th stop was about 35 km from the end or 10-15 from the serious climb. A little further along we had a Power Gel, carbohydrate electrolyte blend with Double Latte flavour. Then we waited for the climbing to start and waited and waited. I thought don’t tell me I read the chart wrong and the small incline was the hill! As we passed though the town of Fox Glacier there was a sharp turn in the road and the climb lay ahead or so we expected. We had been riding for 5 and ¼ hours by this time with another 20km to go. The road led into the ever-present forest, so unlike the previous Crown Saddle climb where you could see a long way up the hill, here you could not get a sense of what lay ahead. After a couple of turns we knew that this was it but never the extent of the climb. Because of the constant trees on both sides of the road there was very little breeze but often-full sun. Neither could you see down the hill as we continued to climb the first of the three peaks. As we crested this 410m peak we headed straight down again for 200m, the road followed the mountain contour and so was very curvy. This is where the posted video was taken. At the bottom the road went up for another 200m as quickly as it had dropped off at the top. Then one more saddle followed but this was only a 50m climb before dropping off about 200m. One more climb before reaching Franz Josef put us on the river plane. The view crossing the Bailey bridge was spectacular and certainly worthy of the posted photo.
Total riding time was 6 hrs and 45 minutes at an average speed of 21.4 kph when we arrived at the Glow Worm Cottages almost 8 hours after leaving Haast. The hot tube was well used by our group. All the riders came in on their own except Rita B. who rode farther than she had ever done but the series of hills at the end was just too much. Adrian had a brake/gear shifter come apart on him and jury-rigged a piece of fence wire so that he could brake coming down the steep grades. Kirk came in with a swollen knee, which had been bothering him for several days now but not as much as today. My Rita had never ridden this far either nor had I on the tandem. She likes to say that it is I doing all the work but there is no way that is possible. She definitely pulls her own weight. The most common complaint from the riders at the end was “oh my sore butt”
Tomorrow is a well-deserved day off after 4 days of riding. We are now 559 km into our 2200 km journey or ¼ of the way. Next week we ride for 6 days straight before a day off in Wellington.
Everyone knew that this would be a hard day. The prospect of riding 145 km with about 700m of climbing in the last 20 km was daunting for some and enough to be taken seriously by all. I had warned the group the night before to eat constantly throughout the ride. The support crew had bought extra snack bars and bananas. Breakfast was set earlier than normal at 7:30. Alarms started going off at 6:15 and as usual people were eating breakfast ½ hour before the set time. Most people had an extra helping of porridge. Lunches and breakfast were all finished by 7:30. Peter brought to our attention a brochure he had found which said that the distance was 165 km not 145 and broke this good news to us during breakfast.
Most riders have nervous stomachs before such a ride and so the bathrooms are quite busy in preparation for the day.
Outside it was quite foggy and cool so early in the morning and near the ocean. The first riders set off just after 7:30, the last riders –Rita and I- set of at 8. We had decided not to have any official lunch stops today so that people could make their way at their own pace. We set out with leggings and jackets on.
The first road sign we came to, just a few kilometers into the ride, said that indeed our destination was 142 km away. I’m sure that as each rider went buy that sign they felt relieved.
About 20 km into the ride we had to climb a series of large hills, as the road swung away from the coast, with a total climb of about 200m. By that time the fog had lifted, the sun was out and there was no wind. I had decided to stop about every hour in order to eat and give our rear ends a rest. This time came at the top of one of these hills; which overlooked the ocean.
I wanted to take a few movies today of the downhill rides. I got some good footage here but the lighting was poor and affected the quality as I found out later in the ride so I would have to wait for another 110 km before being able to try again.
On route we met a group of American tourist who were on a week long professionally organized tour. The group consisted of about 20 people but it was easy to tell that they were not true cyclists. They did however give us the unofficial name of the climbs at the end referring to them as “triple bypass”. The ones we talked to had been bussed to a point past the climbs.
The second break was at Lake Paringa, the 3rd and 4th river bridges. Rita was feeling quite full at the last stop but since I knew what lay ahead I insisted that she eat more. This 4th stop was about 35 km from the end or 10-15 from the serious climb. A little further along we had a Power Gel, carbohydrate electrolyte blend with Double Latte flavour. Then we waited for the climbing to start and waited and waited. I thought don’t tell me I read the chart wrong and the small incline was the hill! As we passed though the town of Fox Glacier there was a sharp turn in the road and the climb lay ahead or so we expected. We had been riding for 5 and ¼ hours by this time with another 20km to go. The road led into the ever-present forest, so unlike the previous Crown Saddle climb where you could see a long way up the hill, here you could not get a sense of what lay ahead. After a couple of turns we knew that this was it but never the extent of the climb. Because of the constant trees on both sides of the road there was very little breeze but often-full sun. Neither could you see down the hill as we continued to climb the first of the three peaks. As we crested this 410m peak we headed straight down again for 200m, the road followed the mountain contour and so was very curvy. This is where the posted video was taken. At the bottom the road went up for another 200m as quickly as it had dropped off at the top. Then one more saddle followed but this was only a 50m climb before dropping off about 200m. One more climb before reaching Franz Josef put us on the river plane. The view crossing the Bailey bridge was spectacular and certainly worthy of the posted photo.
Total riding time was 6 hrs and 45 minutes at an average speed of 21.4 kph when we arrived at the Glow Worm Cottages almost 8 hours after leaving Haast. The hot tube was well used by our group. All the riders came in on their own except Rita B. who rode farther than she had ever done but the series of hills at the end was just too much. Adrian had a brake/gear shifter come apart on him and jury-rigged a piece of fence wire so that he could brake coming down the steep grades. Kirk came in with a swollen knee, which had been bothering him for several days now but not as much as today. My Rita had never ridden this far either nor had I on the tandem. She likes to say that it is I doing all the work but there is no way that is possible. She definitely pulls her own weight. The most common complaint from the riders at the end was “oh my sore butt”
Tomorrow is a well-deserved day off after 4 days of riding. We are now 559 km into our 2200 km journey or ¼ of the way. Next week we ride for 6 days straight before a day off in Wellington.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Makarora to Haast
First let me explain that email was not available last night and tonight the system will not allow uploading of photos. Tomorrow night in Franz Josef facilities are supposed to be better and I will catch up Sunday sometime with the photos and preveous days story.
Today was another spectacular day going throught the rain forest. The Suiside hill was pretty steep but we were going down it. I applied the drag brake prety well to the max and used bioth caliper brakes to control the descent on this curvy piece of road. I had no time to take my hands off the brakes to take a picture. The other day I used my chin to click the picture on the way down but I didn't get things ready in time to do that today, besides I was not sitting in a low position using my body to catch some wind and help slow down.
The problem with any photo in this area is that the views are so large that a camera can not possibly take it all in. We stopped at several falls, well more like catracts but pretty never the less. The river valleys are wide and as always filled with rounded stones as show in one photo.
The climb up to the top of the pass was not a steady climb but a bit down and more up following the river.
Everyone made the whole ride without a lot of trouble today even thought there was a stiff west wind in our face for the last 15 km. We are now on the Tasman Sea between Australia and NZ. You can feel the cool breeze coming off of the ocean.
Tomorrow is the longest and toughest ride yet in the tour and the 2nd or 3rd hardest day of the tour. The major climb is at the end of the day. Tune in again. Bill
Today was another spectacular day going throught the rain forest. The Suiside hill was pretty steep but we were going down it. I applied the drag brake prety well to the max and used bioth caliper brakes to control the descent on this curvy piece of road. I had no time to take my hands off the brakes to take a picture. The other day I used my chin to click the picture on the way down but I didn't get things ready in time to do that today, besides I was not sitting in a low position using my body to catch some wind and help slow down.
The problem with any photo in this area is that the views are so large that a camera can not possibly take it all in. We stopped at several falls, well more like catracts but pretty never the less. The river valleys are wide and as always filled with rounded stones as show in one photo.
The climb up to the top of the pass was not a steady climb but a bit down and more up following the river.
Everyone made the whole ride without a lot of trouble today even thought there was a stiff west wind in our face for the last 15 km. We are now on the Tasman Sea between Australia and NZ. You can feel the cool breeze coming off of the ocean.
Tomorrow is the longest and toughest ride yet in the tour and the 2nd or 3rd hardest day of the tour. The major climb is at the end of the day. Tune in again. Bill
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Addendum To Crown Saddle
A few statistics for you which I missed yesterday. The total climbing for the day was about 850 m. Going up the saddle at 6-7 km /hr is like jogging up a ski hill 2x higher than Blue Mountain, or about 900 ft, with a 30 pound pack on. The winds on the way down are quite normal as the prevailing westerlies make their way through the passes. We can expect more of the same as we continue in this direction for the next 3 days.
We are heading out of town now and I am not sure of how much internet access we will have over the next few days but stay tuned. Bill
We are heading out of town now and I am not sure of how much internet access we will have over the next few days but stay tuned. Bill
Queenstown to Wanaka
Queenstown to Wanaka- The Crown Saddle
Last night after giving a summary of the choices for today’s ride; Adrian suggested we all try the BIG climb and those who couldn’t make it could get a lift up with the van. It can take 3 bikes and riders so we figured we could manage. All the riders agreed some with reservation but all were in.
I managed to get some missing parts for my camera holder mount for the front of the bike before the ride. I figured that I would need it today and it sure came in handy. It allows me to take pictures as I ride without fumbling with the camera. All the shots posted today are taken with the camera mounted on the bike.
We set off at 9:30, a rather civilized time –not like the Sea to Sea- but it was cool. The early part of the ride was to be the easy part but turned out to have a lot of short but fairly steep hills in it. Then we came upon a detour, the start of which is shown on the first picture, and a very steep hill. Several riders walked a good part of it. This new route added 3-4 km to our trip. By the time we reached Arrowtown- a former gold mining town now restored so the tourist will have another place to spend their money-everyone was ready for a coffee or break. Many of the people we talked to in this town knew or had been on the HILL and so were telling us more about it and encouraging us. We toured down Main Street (2nd photo) after that and set out for the hill.
As we approached the HILL we could see cars snaking their way to the top. Well not really the top, let’s say until they went out of sight. Turing off of the main highway we saw signs –not recommended for cars with trailers, no heavy trucks-good in one way but another testament to how serious a hill this is. The Crown Saddle rises more than 600m above the valley in 3 stages over an 11km distance; 3km steep, 5 steady but not steep and then a final steepest section of 3.5 km to the top.
The front changer on the tandem was working fairly well and it was a good thing, we started at 3 gears from my lowest and switched between this bottom 3 depending on the grade. The sun was out; visibility was excellent as you can see from the pictures and there was very little wind. John, mountain man from Calgary led the way up. Riders were stretched out so we really couldn’t see anyone. Ton (nearly 72 years old), who thought that maybe he wasn’t in good enough shape made it all the way without stopping. Bernie thought that he had stripped his rear ratchet mechanism ended up taking a ride to the top then it seemed OK again so got a ride back down and then rode up on his own. He and John were up in about an hour; Rita and I didn’t stop either and took about 1hr 8 min. All the other took breaks as they came up. Only one rider took the van other than Bernie. So it was a great effort by all and a great confidence builder.
The route down is not as steep but is straighter so it would allow more speed, BUT there was a wind howling up the canyon of 40-50 km/hr. This means that the bike and rider are experiencing about a 100km/hr wind if doing 50km/hr going down. I had the drag brake on fairly strongly (this is a hub brake on the tandem which can be adjusted to a given setting and stays there). We hit 60kph on the first steep downhill, but after the road leveled out somewhat the bike seemed to slow down even when I released the drag brake. I was not in my highest gear and working pretty hard trying to maintain 40kph. I finally stopped to check that this brake was not stuck on. Finding it OK I finally realized that it was the strong wind doing it even on this fairly steep hill. All the riders experienced this disappointment in not being able to go as fast as the road would allow because of the wind. I explained to Rita afterward that this is supposed to be the reward after climbing a hill, the thrill of coming down.
In this case there was another reward in the form of a nice hotel/pub 15 km down the hill where we had agreed to meet up again. All the riders who came in while we waited were beaming. Dora, who doesn’t like downhill riding, was especially happy that she had made it all the way up and down without walking (although she did take a few breaks). The downhill on this side is 40 km of pretty much all downhill but the wind did not let up so it was work to maintain 30-35kph. The remaining 25km was very nice and all the riders rode in a straight line too.
Margaret and her assistants went to town looking to buy dishes/cutlery/pots and such since the kitchen here didn’t have any of these. The dinner minute was changed to accommodate the last minute surprises and we all had a great meal with enough to eat.
Everyone agreed that we had a great day coming over the highest pass in New Zealand, the Crown Saddle
Last night after giving a summary of the choices for today’s ride; Adrian suggested we all try the BIG climb and those who couldn’t make it could get a lift up with the van. It can take 3 bikes and riders so we figured we could manage. All the riders agreed some with reservation but all were in.
I managed to get some missing parts for my camera holder mount for the front of the bike before the ride. I figured that I would need it today and it sure came in handy. It allows me to take pictures as I ride without fumbling with the camera. All the shots posted today are taken with the camera mounted on the bike.
We set off at 9:30, a rather civilized time –not like the Sea to Sea- but it was cool. The early part of the ride was to be the easy part but turned out to have a lot of short but fairly steep hills in it. Then we came upon a detour, the start of which is shown on the first picture, and a very steep hill. Several riders walked a good part of it. This new route added 3-4 km to our trip. By the time we reached Arrowtown- a former gold mining town now restored so the tourist will have another place to spend their money-everyone was ready for a coffee or break. Many of the people we talked to in this town knew or had been on the HILL and so were telling us more about it and encouraging us. We toured down Main Street (2nd photo) after that and set out for the hill.
As we approached the HILL we could see cars snaking their way to the top. Well not really the top, let’s say until they went out of sight. Turing off of the main highway we saw signs –not recommended for cars with trailers, no heavy trucks-good in one way but another testament to how serious a hill this is. The Crown Saddle rises more than 600m above the valley in 3 stages over an 11km distance; 3km steep, 5 steady but not steep and then a final steepest section of 3.5 km to the top.
The front changer on the tandem was working fairly well and it was a good thing, we started at 3 gears from my lowest and switched between this bottom 3 depending on the grade. The sun was out; visibility was excellent as you can see from the pictures and there was very little wind. John, mountain man from Calgary led the way up. Riders were stretched out so we really couldn’t see anyone. Ton (nearly 72 years old), who thought that maybe he wasn’t in good enough shape made it all the way without stopping. Bernie thought that he had stripped his rear ratchet mechanism ended up taking a ride to the top then it seemed OK again so got a ride back down and then rode up on his own. He and John were up in about an hour; Rita and I didn’t stop either and took about 1hr 8 min. All the other took breaks as they came up. Only one rider took the van other than Bernie. So it was a great effort by all and a great confidence builder.
The route down is not as steep but is straighter so it would allow more speed, BUT there was a wind howling up the canyon of 40-50 km/hr. This means that the bike and rider are experiencing about a 100km/hr wind if doing 50km/hr going down. I had the drag brake on fairly strongly (this is a hub brake on the tandem which can be adjusted to a given setting and stays there). We hit 60kph on the first steep downhill, but after the road leveled out somewhat the bike seemed to slow down even when I released the drag brake. I was not in my highest gear and working pretty hard trying to maintain 40kph. I finally stopped to check that this brake was not stuck on. Finding it OK I finally realized that it was the strong wind doing it even on this fairly steep hill. All the riders experienced this disappointment in not being able to go as fast as the road would allow because of the wind. I explained to Rita afterward that this is supposed to be the reward after climbing a hill, the thrill of coming down.
In this case there was another reward in the form of a nice hotel/pub 15 km down the hill where we had agreed to meet up again. All the riders who came in while we waited were beaming. Dora, who doesn’t like downhill riding, was especially happy that she had made it all the way up and down without walking (although she did take a few breaks). The downhill on this side is 40 km of pretty much all downhill but the wind did not let up so it was work to maintain 30-35kph. The remaining 25km was very nice and all the riders rode in a straight line too.
Margaret and her assistants went to town looking to buy dishes/cutlery/pots and such since the kitchen here didn’t have any of these. The dinner minute was changed to accommodate the last minute surprises and we all had a great meal with enough to eat.
Everyone agreed that we had a great day coming over the highest pass in New Zealand, the Crown Saddle
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Milford Sound
What a day off! Eight hours of driving and 5 of sightseeing. We saw some of the most awesome country today. A picture says a 1000 words but believe me this is one of those places where pictures do not come close, especially on my little camera. The drive to Milford sound is breath taking, again shown by some picture. When we got there the clouds were low in the sky shrouding the peeks but as the 2.5 hour cruise proceeded the clouds lifted. The boat followed a school of dolphins for at least 15 minutes. There appearance in the fiord is rare and so it was special to see them do flips to our cheers. The excommunicated young male sea lions were interesting too.
Everyone had a great day, the weather was very good for this area which get 28' of rain a year and a drought is no rain for a week.
Tomorrow we tackle the highest road in NZ, the whole group has decided to give it a go, a real test of mental and physical endurance. More on this tomorrow.
Everyone had a great day, the weather was very good for this area which get 28' of rain a year and a drought is no rain for a week.
Tomorrow we tackle the highest road in NZ, the whole group has decided to give it a go, a real test of mental and physical endurance. More on this tomorrow.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Getting There is Half the Fun by Dora VanderWoude and the other two reports here are out of sequence. Sorry
I was really looking forward to starting my holiday in New Zealand. Little did I know that there was an adventure waiting for me before I even got there! My flight itinerary for the trip was to fly from Ottawa to Toronto at 11 a.m. and then leave Toronto at 2:00 so I would be in L.A at 4:35 to meet up with the rest of the group. Our flight from L.A to Auckland NZ left at 10 p.m. Seems pretty straight forward but for circumstances beyond my control – it wasn’t! My flight in Ottawa was delayed because of engine trouble. So I was put on the next available flight; which was at 12:10 and arriving in Toronto at 1:10. I was assured this was plenty of time to make my connection. But the plane didn’t leave Ottawa until 12:35; which brought me into Toronto at 1:35. I had to get my luggage and bike and go through U.S. customs first before I could get on my flight to L.A. While I was standing in line at customs I told someone I had a connecting flight at 2:00 and she radioed someone about the flight. Then she told me I had missed the flight! (These words were going to become quite familiar over the next little while.) I was put on another flight to L.A. that would leave Toronto at 6:10 and arrive in L.A. at 8:35. Again the plane left later but the winds were favorable so we arrived on time. Again I had to get my luggage and bike and then find the Air New Zealand counter to check in. It was 9:40 by the time I was at the counter and I heard for the second time, you have missed your flight! By this time I was ready to quit and just fly back home. But I knew that wouldn’t be very sensible so I let them put me on another flight. The next available flight had a stop in Tahiti and another one in the Cook Islands and then on to Auckland. That sounds pretty good but when you are tired and frustrated it’s not all that great! However when I was actually there and it was nice and warm it was pretty good. By the time I finally reached Auckland I thought that now things are finally going right. I got my luggage and my bike, went through customs and found an Air New Zealand counter to check in for my flight to Christchurch so I could meet up with the rest of the group.
I already had my boarding pass for the flight so I thought all is well. The man at the counter looked at my card and said those dreaded words; you have missed your flight. Apparently an hour is needed to process the check-in and I was there only about a half hour before. So I had to take a 12-minute walk to the domestic flight terminal so they could put me on another flight. I was supposed to arrive in Christchurch at 4 p.m. and now it would be around 4:50. I was in tears by this time and the man at the counter was very nice and phoned the place where we were staying to let Bill and Rita ( I didn’t think to mention another name from the group) know when I would be arriving. He was told they had checked out. I forgot they were driving the van to our cycling starting place and the rest of us would fly there the next morning. So I thought I was going to arrive in Christchurch and not know where to go from there. (Can it get any worse?) I was prepared to sleep in the Christchurch airport overnight because I knew the rest of the group would be taking a morning flight from there to Invercargill to start cycling. But finally something went right and Peter was at the airport to meet me. I was overjoyed! I had been in 5 countries over 2 days. I told the rest of the group that I decided to take the scenic route. I was able to get a good nights rest and start cycling the next day to start my next adventure. Before we flew to Invercargill I warned everyone there might be a slight chance that we could miss the flight!!!!!
The First Day on the Bike
The wind can be your friend or foe on a bike. In the parking lot it is your foe if you are putting bikes together. The photo shows the assembly area but not the wind. All went well on the trip from Christchurch to Invercargill, the van arrived before the plane and the plane was on time. We set off around 1 PM after the group photo was taken in front of the airport. The wind was at worst from the left side and at best in our back; which was a welcome relief for our first day. The land was fairly flat with only one steep longish hill. The end of the 80km ride was a welcome sight for all the riders. The dinner of noodles and meat sauce when down real well.
At the end of the day most riders could feel that they had been off the bike for a while. There was incident where Kirk and Adrian showed too much affection and knocked shoulders but no one went down. A few needed A535 to get going in the morning.
Day Two to Kingston
What was a nice morning changed to showers and serious rain during breakfast so we stretch it a little. By the time the pre-agreed pullout time of 10AM came, the rain had stopped and although it was windy at least it was dry. I put the sunscreen on as instructed and sure enough the sun came out. From the pictures you can see that it was still cloudy, but also the lovely scenery as we rode up the valley between two ridges. The views reminded John of Alberta only with rain, Trish thought she was in Ireland but without the rocks, others just enjoyed New Zealand. The wind was mostly in our back so the gradual upward slope was hardly noticeable. Kingston is located on Lake Wakatipu; which is well over 100km long. Tomorrow we bike along it all the way to Queenstown. Dinner tonight consisted of; sausages and chicken done on the barby, potatoes, coleslaw and green beans. We had our own mini worship service after dinner and broke up early for a good rest. A light drizzle persisted through out the evening.
I already had my boarding pass for the flight so I thought all is well. The man at the counter looked at my card and said those dreaded words; you have missed your flight. Apparently an hour is needed to process the check-in and I was there only about a half hour before. So I had to take a 12-minute walk to the domestic flight terminal so they could put me on another flight. I was supposed to arrive in Christchurch at 4 p.m. and now it would be around 4:50. I was in tears by this time and the man at the counter was very nice and phoned the place where we were staying to let Bill and Rita ( I didn’t think to mention another name from the group) know when I would be arriving. He was told they had checked out. I forgot they were driving the van to our cycling starting place and the rest of us would fly there the next morning. So I thought I was going to arrive in Christchurch and not know where to go from there. (Can it get any worse?) I was prepared to sleep in the Christchurch airport overnight because I knew the rest of the group would be taking a morning flight from there to Invercargill to start cycling. But finally something went right and Peter was at the airport to meet me. I was overjoyed! I had been in 5 countries over 2 days. I told the rest of the group that I decided to take the scenic route. I was able to get a good nights rest and start cycling the next day to start my next adventure. Before we flew to Invercargill I warned everyone there might be a slight chance that we could miss the flight!!!!!
The First Day on the Bike
The wind can be your friend or foe on a bike. In the parking lot it is your foe if you are putting bikes together. The photo shows the assembly area but not the wind. All went well on the trip from Christchurch to Invercargill, the van arrived before the plane and the plane was on time. We set off around 1 PM after the group photo was taken in front of the airport. The wind was at worst from the left side and at best in our back; which was a welcome relief for our first day. The land was fairly flat with only one steep longish hill. The end of the 80km ride was a welcome sight for all the riders. The dinner of noodles and meat sauce when down real well.
At the end of the day most riders could feel that they had been off the bike for a while. There was incident where Kirk and Adrian showed too much affection and knocked shoulders but no one went down. A few needed A535 to get going in the morning.
Day Two to Kingston
What was a nice morning changed to showers and serious rain during breakfast so we stretch it a little. By the time the pre-agreed pullout time of 10AM came, the rain had stopped and although it was windy at least it was dry. I put the sunscreen on as instructed and sure enough the sun came out. From the pictures you can see that it was still cloudy, but also the lovely scenery as we rode up the valley between two ridges. The views reminded John of Alberta only with rain, Trish thought she was in Ireland but without the rocks, others just enjoyed New Zealand. The wind was mostly in our back so the gradual upward slope was hardly noticeable. Kingston is located on Lake Wakatipu; which is well over 100km long. Tomorrow we bike along it all the way to Queenstown. Dinner tonight consisted of; sausages and chicken done on the barby, potatoes, coleslaw and green beans. We had our own mini worship service after dinner and broke up early for a good rest. A light drizzle persisted through out the evening.
Kingston to Queenstown
The rain from the preveous night had dissapeared, replaced by sun and broken cloud, a nice day for cycling except for the wind which was blowing straight down the lake from the direction we were going. Today was a short ride with the road following the lake edge but going up the side of the mountain now and again. I would call it short but tough. At one point I was taking pictures while riding and the batteries fell out of my camera, we stopped and soon a bunch of others stopped too. I wasn't having much luck finding the green batteries, since I'm green colour blind and Rita was in the bushes doing other things which need to be done, but the the others found them and we all carried on. Ton wanted to get to Queenstown and get his bike into a repair shop. The night before the trailer accidentally rode over the rear of his bike bending the wheel, luggage rack and gear changer. I managed to straighten the changer and with the brake baked off he was able to ride for the day. The shop worked overtime to fit his bike in and was able to straighten the wheel so he is ready to go again.
Queenstown is a bit like Cannmore Alberta a real adventure sport town and just as touristee, construction is booming, real estate is expensive, you can ski in winter and have the lake in the summer. The holiday park we are in is very nice, we have a lodge unit for all 16 of us and pretty much have the communal kitchen to ourselves.
Queenstown is a bit like Cannmore Alberta a real adventure sport town and just as touristee, construction is booming, real estate is expensive, you can ski in winter and have the lake in the summer. The holiday park we are in is very nice, we have a lodge unit for all 16 of us and pretty much have the communal kitchen to ourselves.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Moderator Update.
Hello everyone. This is your friendly moderator. Just a note regarding the photos. They can be found to the right by clicking on the 'Flickr Photos' link. Also, when you are viewing a photo, it can be enlarged by clicking the 'all sizes' link above the photo. Cheers.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
The East Coast of South Island
We had a gorgeous day today driving down the coast from Blenheim to Christchurch. The photos attest to the fine weather and the scenery speaks for itself. We did turn inland for a while where we encountered more narrow twisty roads but not as challenging as yesterday. We do not ride the bikes along this side of South Island which is the flatter and drier side because the prevailing winds are from the west. If I had to describe it to anyone in Canadian terms it would be the Alberta foothills with the Cabot Trail shoreline with a few seals thrown in.
Tomorrow we pick up the group, drop them at the hotel and drive another 5 hours south.
Tomorrow we pick up the group, drop them at the hotel and drive another 5 hours south.
The Trip South
As we endured another gust,fighting with both hands on the wheel,I checked to make sure that the trailer was still upright and following me. Sheets of rain being rain at us for awhile and then sun but always wind.
Rita is thinking. "What have I got myself into? Riding in this is impossible, this will be the end of me!"
Then she says out loud "well I'm not impressed with New Zealand weather so far!" An hour earlier she was not impressed by my laughing as we spent what seemed like a half hour climbing Rimutaki Hill. I was laughing at the shear glee of imagining what it would be like to climb and descend this 500m high "hill" on the tandem. In Ontario we use the term mountain rather loosely, not to say that climbing Hamilton Mountain or Blue Mountain is not a tough ride but these are only 150-200m of climbing and usually a straight wide road, this is a continuous curve, hugging the side of the hill and about 7m wide. It will surely test the legs on the way up and the brakes on the way down. I can smell them already.
We spent last night in the Napier Jail. It was intentional as it now a hostel and the group will be here in about 3 weeks for a night. From Napier to Wellington and Ferry is a 3 day bike ride. We gather it is usually windy at the top of "The Hill" and we saw a wind mill farm on the mountains near where we passed which although impressive is never a good sign for a cycilist, but the locals told us that the weather today was exceptional, exceptionally bad that is. The papers said they were expecting wind gusts of 130kph. Tomorrow is supposed to be nicer.
As we endured another gust,fighting with both hands on the wheel,I checked to make sure that the trailer was still upright and following me. Sheets of rain being rain at us for awhile and then sun but always wind.
Rita is thinking. "What have I got myself into? Riding in this is impossible, this will be the end of me!"
Then she says out loud "well I'm not impressed with New Zealand weather so far!" An hour earlier she was not impressed by my laughing as we spent what seemed like a half hour climbing Rimutaki Hill. I was laughing at the shear glee of imagining what it would be like to climb and descend this 500m high "hill" on the tandem. In Ontario we use the term mountain rather loosely, not to say that climbing Hamilton Mountain or Blue Mountain is not a tough ride but these are only 150-200m of climbing and usually a straight wide road, this is a continuous curve, hugging the side of the hill and about 7m wide. It will surely test the legs on the way up and the brakes on the way down. I can smell them already.
We spent last night in the Napier Jail. It was intentional as it now a hostel and the group will be here in about 3 weeks for a night. From Napier to Wellington and Ferry is a 3 day bike ride. We gather it is usually windy at the top of "The Hill" and we saw a wind mill farm on the mountains near where we passed which although impressive is never a good sign for a cycilist, but the locals told us that the weather today was exceptional, exceptionally bad that is. The papers said they were expecting wind gusts of 130kph. Tomorrow is supposed to be nicer.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Start of the Journey
This is a trial posting from the LA airport. It took me a while to sort out the codes but we are on a roll now. We have nice lounge facilities here so the 4 hour wait is not too bad. Air Canada and Air New Zealand are right beside each other so no switching of terminal either. We had a surprise at the check in in Toronto, they charge $50 for bikes now. The weight limit is 50 pounds, the bike weighed in at 51 but they were real nice and just charged me the $50.
Next posting will be from NZ in 3 days.
Next posting will be from NZ in 3 days.
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