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.