Wednesday, February 8th - Rest Day in Queenstown and SHOPPING!

A rest day in Queenstown is just what the doctor ordered. We spent our day off the bike touring and doing a bit of shopping. We began with a trip up the mountain on a gondola. At the top we had a bird's eye view of all of Queenstown Bay, Lake Wakatipu and the surrounding mountains.

Mountain bikers ascending for a fast ride down.

 

 

This is the Crown Range that we crossed yesterday on our bikes. 

 

After enjoying the views we added a bit of spice to our adventure by riding the luge at the summit. We were worried a bit about Hilary meeting the size limitation, but luckily she eclipsed the height requirement by a few inches. 

 

We had to take a ski lift even further up the mountain for our luge adventure. 

 

 

Bungee jumping and a giant swing opportunities are also available to be enjoyed, but I decided to save that for the much heartier souls. 

 

I also found the perfect sandbox for Bob at the summit and snapped a photo. 

 

No shortage of things to do in Queenstown. I understand that there are very few lawyers in New Zealand so people can do lots of crazy things and the vendors have little fear of being sued. 

 

 

 

I spent a few pennies shopping in Queenstown for T-shirts and a few other clothing items and knick knacks and luckily there were plenty to be found in this very touristy town. 

 

And of course, there's always room for jewelry! 

Had to have this lovely sterling silver NZ Jade ring. Thanks Bob!

 

Here are a few shots taken this evening from the harbor.

 

 

 

I end my blog today always reminded by this sign that Bob is always with me on this journey and his way is usually the right way! We may not have much Internet access for the next few days, so stay tuned and thanks for following along on my journey. 

 

Tuesday, February 8th - Waneka to Queenstown, One Tough Climb!

50 Miles ridden, Elevation gain 3960 

 

I was so bushed last night I just couldn't write the blog. Since this was only 50 miles I thought it would be a fairly short day. I knew it was going to be one long uphill, but how tough could it be? However, I did start out pretty tired because I had woken up at 3:30 and could not go back to sleep. Oh well...

We left Waneka with a short stop in the local park to snap a photo of the pretty cool tree growing out of the middle of the lake. And within just a few short km we had an 11% climb out of town, my legs screamed just a bit as they were just not warmed up.

 

Most of the day we had a bit of a headwind but it was not terrible and riding with Margaret we just kept changing the lead to make it a bit easier. Our first stop was at The Cardrona Hotel for a coffee. Right before we got there we saw an interesting fence loaded with bras - not sure why, but it was quite a collection. 

 

The hotel is very old and probably pretty much looks the same as it was when it was built. 

 

 

A great collection of flat whites ordered here.

 

Then up the hill we went. The climb was slow and steady averaging about 6-7% but doable for 15 miles and then we hit the tough part. We had the 6 miles of 9-16% grades and lots of turns. This was one tough mother! I even had one of those - "I'm doing this why" moments.

At our last stop our guide told me it would be about 6 miles up so I was surprised when it was half of that prediction. And it really did not come too soon either as I didn't know if I had another three in me. 

 

 

Kudos to all at the top and we had a well earned killer-fast downhills 

 

Here's a view of a portion of the twisty downhill and if you look closely you might see our bikes on the road. 

 

We had lunch in the vey tiny and quaint village (and tourist trap))

 

Last 12 miles in were low and lovely. Glad to have a rest day! Last night it was laundry, dinner and a face plant into bed for a very well-deserved sleep. 

Monday, February 5th - Makaroa to Wanaka, Lots of Hills and Sweeping Vistas!

Miles ridden - 41, total elevation 2800 feet.

 

While this was booked as a short riding day, it was a bit of a tough one. Rain was on the menu and the ride profile showed lots of rolling hills with significant climbing ahead.  Once again we kitted up in all of our rain gear, me in my Margaret declared "dweeb outfit." However, the wind gods were with us and even though we had light rain we had 15-20 mile an hour winds at our backs.

It got even better as about 20km ahead the rain stopped and we did a quick clothing check removing all the excess gear. You can see the force of the wind as Andrea removed her jacket.

 

There were dark clouds and definitely was a storm at our backs but we managed to somehow stay ahead of it with the winds pushing us along. While the climbs were tough with 9-16% grades, it is amazing what a wind lift can do to make it manageable. 

We were also now moving inland and spent the majority of the ride alongside two lakes; Waneka and Hawea. We were treated to sweeping landscapes and breathtaking views.

 

 

Henry makes it to the top of one of the highest peaks.

 

Buddies, Toby and James (see James, you DID make the blog!)

 

We arrived in Waneka ahead of the rain with plenty of time to tour the town, checking out the local bike shop for a bit of retail therapy. Margaret, Uta, Henry and I all bought matching shorts. Stay tuned for a fashion update in the next few days.

 

Even though this was a dinner on our own day, the group decided to dine together at Francesca's, a local Italian and highly rated restaurant. We were all delighted with our selections with many of us enjoying their delicious wood-fired pizza.

 

And of course there is always time for ice cream with friends!

 

Sunday, February 5th - Lake Moereke to Makarora

Rode 4600 feet, 111 km, 69 miles

 

The entire day was basked in sunshine and blue skies. There was hardly any wind - a great day to ride! But it promised to be a very BIG riding day!

We rode most of the day with our friends Joe, Andrea, Henry and Uta. Hilary, Christopher, James and Toby also joined us for some miles as well. The day started right from our lodge with a few challenging climbs.  This took us to King's landing overlooking the Tasman sea (aka the "Pacific Ocean, aka the "big ditch" between NZ and Australia.) 

 

 

This lookout commemorates the completion of this highway in 1965. I can't even begin to imagine the bush whacking it took clearing the land for the road.

Heading inland took us alongside the Haast river and through the lush rain forest. A multitude of birds and cicadas serenaded us all day along our route. We were treated views of snow capped mountains, numerous waterfalls and of course the Haast river. 

 

The group stopped for a few photo opportunities along the way. 

 

This route had us crossing many one-way bridges. The cars actually take turns crossing and most of the bridges are fairly short. However today we crossed the Haast river on the longest one lane bridge in the Southern Hemisphere. It had a few cut outs that allow for vehicles to pass. Magnificent!. At 737 metres (2,418 ft) it is the longest one-lane road bridge in New Zealand, and the 7th longest New Zealand bridge overall.

 

 

 

After the big crossing our first stop was at the very small village of Haast where sandwiches were selected and popped into the cooler in the van for transport to our picnic area. And of course there was time for a rest and coffee.

 

We rode on another 20k with the same group to Roaring Billy Falls for our lunch. After a quick bite we took the short trek through the forest to the river and the falls.

We found Hilary in this tree trunk on our walk. Was she visiting family down there and is she perhaps really a hobbit?

 

The river and falls were on full display due of recent rains. We were all thrilled to be basking in the sunshine!

 

LEFT TO RIGHT - Christopher, Gail, Hilary, Uta, Henry, Jochen, Andrea, Margaret 

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It was now time charge up the mountain for our the BIG ascent up Mt. Aspiring and Haast Pass. This first segment included 1,000 feet of climbing in approximately nine miles. We all agreed to go at our own pace and meet at the top. 

It was a VERY steep climb, especially the first five to six miles. It just seemed to go and on and up and up with no end in sight. I could see elevation gains being reported on my Garmin of 11% to about 16%. However, I quit looking after a few miles as I was too busy staying focused. The road had lots of curves and and traffic ranging from motorcycles to tour buses, and was quite narrow.  To be certain. It was tough and steep. I stopped twice to catch my breath but made it to the summit and celebrated with all the others who completed the climb. 

 

Overall this was the most challenging but successful day. We were so lucky to be blessed with good weather and supportive and fun riding companions. 

By the time we reached our cabin/hut at the Makaroa Tourist Centre we were ready for a cold beer while we were doing our laundry. Both our bodies and especially our legs were pretty well toasted. Dinner and bedtime were calling!