Sixteen Days Astride a Saddle (The Great South Island Cycling Trip)

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SIXTEEN DAYS ASTRIDE A SADDLE It all started a couple of days after Christmas OWEN R. delight, before we leapt astride those saddles when 5crazy WTMC'ersa and one even crazier and cruised off down the Buller gorge to Aucklander decided of their own free will to PUB. Westport. En route to Punakaiki, Louisa spend sixteen daysoftheirvaluablel holidays pedalled with such vigour, that her crank fell cycling in the South Island. off-hangingont toherfooto onlyl bya at toec clip. Gale force northerlies howled as we JU Rain greeted us as we lay under our newly boardedtheferryandlurchedacrossCook termed "rain fly". ("How cute", said the Straittowards Picton.] Intheburningheat American cyclists, "we must tell the kids that welcomed us, we tied on loaves of back home." ) Rain also greeted us in bread, hung bags of mushrooms off Greymouth. Next day it also rained as we pannier straps and headed off towards farewelled Mathew who was heading Pelorus Bridge. Starved of good old further into the depths of the south, and homel baking,Johnny and Robyn raced afteralargemealofstufiedl bakedpotatoes, off to the cafe and engulfed great cycled a whole 30 km offt to Lake Brunner amounts of scones, jam and cream and Moana and the luxury of a cabin. before BEWARET settling down for the night. Early next day (well, once. Rhonda had The next day was a rest day playing woken up), we headed off mini golf and cycling through the bush enthusiastically for Nelson. The heat walks without panniers oh bliss! ofthel Rai and saddles were eased Chocolate cherry bavarian and another somewhat when Mathew's (our coupleofhoursint thepub preparedi lusi sfor metropolitan tourist) parents drove up the next day Arthur's Pass. from behind waving orange juice and shortbread from the windows. (We Up with the sun and over towards the spared no thought for Jonny and R, Great Divide. Up Otira Gorge - - oh the waiting patiently at the top.) Onwards sweat and tears on these steep hills!The and upwards we headed to Nelson. view from Arthur's Pass of Mt Rolleston Camp was in the corner of a andback downtheg gorge wasjustperfect. carefully flattened hay paddock And whoever said it was all downhill next to a riveri in Brightwater. We from there onwards and upwards even had thei nerve to buy milk off we climbed I for the next 40 km until the owners of that carefully we reached Lake Pearson - - where we flattened corner. MURCHISON slept. After plucking every last cherry plum off the The next day loomed into perspective with the tree and attempting to straighten thei flattened promise ofaniced downhilly rideinto Christchurch. hay, we cycled off to Nelson Lakes and St After 70 km of uphill, we reached Porters Pass, Arnaud to be greeted by a ranger saying there were no campsites left. No problem, this is New Zealand. Wej pitched the fly under the trees anyway and had our second free night. New Years eve was spent at Murchison after a mid-afternoon stint at the Owen River pub along with every other creature on 2 wheels. Thankfully D.I.Cin charge of a bicycle doesn't seem to exist down south.. After a relatively tiring evening we crawled into our pits and were asleep by 9.30 p.m. Too bad about the New Year celebrations would have to wait. a We enthusiastically welcomed the New Year at 6.30a.m. the nextday, much to thei motor camp's In The. Square, Christchurch

The Great South Island Cycling Trip Dec. 28 1989 - Jan. 12 1990. Aclorus Pichon a LNelson Blenheim -St. Arnaud Westport Murchison Tennyson Punalcai ki A D Hanmer Greymoutth S moana Spnings Brunner (Arthnurs Pass A Poriers Pass Christunsch Mn, KEY: Cycle route Rainbow/Molesworth station Bus A Camping where we finally went downhill. Then we battled house in Merivale. After a horrendously huge yeta anotherl headwind for 60km until wer reached meal we slept in her lounge. the place we had dreamed of Addington Racecourse Motor Park. Next day we separated and Johnny, Rhonda and Louisa caught a bus to Hamner. Thank you We left quickly as we could the next day and to Railways who considerately forgot to charge headed off to the luxury of Robyn's friend's them for their bikes. Richard and Robyn weren't so lucky, but we reached Hamner on another bus later in the day and rescued 3 shrivelled bodies from the hot springs. After an enjoyable night under the pine trees halfway upJacks Pass, we, mounted those saddles and panted to the top of the Pass. Oh the shock as Louisa leapt from the cab of a bee keepers truck and loaded her bike off the back. Now we were really into mountain bike territory unsealed roads, sweeping valleys "The long and winding road... P (Lake Tennyson in Rainbow with scree covered mountains - as we Station). followed the Clarence River to Lake Tennyson. hours in the blazing sun. Having taken details, I pedalled furiously toward Tophouse to raise Next we cycled on to the Rainbow the alarm and catch the others Station where Richard found who miraculously figured an old couple who that something was thought they were amiss. The old in Molesworth couple were Station 201 km rescued by away! IWe came Airforce Cadets. - across al licence A plate lying in Record speeds the middle of a DCE for evacuating bridge in the a sleeping bag middle of A à were reached nowhere. A on our last day. Zz N Z. LETUNG good start. As L 2 Richard's we pedalled famous dehyacross a venison stew had massive slip the reconstituted old couple, itselfi inside our complete with stomachs. bogged-in car, hove into view. Having revived our They were both RICHARDS FAMOUS poor bodies, we retired, had no DEHY VENISONSTEW! cruised off down the idea off their actual Wairau Valley 70 whereabouts and had told nokm in 21 hours with a tail one to expect them. They could literally wind - - stopping to eat at a craft have been there for days. The other 4 pedalled shop/cafe, where we stunned the owner with on leaving me to fend for myself. A serious lack how much we ate. Lunch was at Blenheim of tools and manpower added to a fruitless 4 under the clock tower where Richard kindly left his watch on the steps for the street kids. Island Saddle, close to Lake Tennyson. (Photo: Louisa Crissold) We reached Picton and ate yet another meal while we waited to board the ferry home. Thanks to. Jonny (everyone is making demands ofme) Waghorn, Louisa (sprockets) Crissold, Rhonda (sleepy) Catchpole, Richard (rubber legs) Ferguson, Robyn (let's take the kitchen sink) McGettigan and Mathew (let's take a photo) Lawrence. We're all planning another cycling trip for next year !!