NZ South Island Meander

[rifraf]

Currently in Christchurch after crossing the Cook Strait to Picton and after spending a couple of days there due to weather, riding southward to Renwick.
After a night it was off towards the Wairau Valley, following Highway 63 to ST Arnaud taking a couple of days.
From ST Arnaud it off down the Rainbow Rd, which is a rough dirt road continuing into one end of the Molesworth on the way to Hamner Springs. Frankly the road is for masochists applied with just enough scenery to stop you turning around to go home.
Yes some of it is epic, but that rough corrugated road will have you longing for some tarmac or even some more hospitable singletrack. Memorable moments include a sandfly bloodbath attack at Coldwater Creek and two heavy frost mornings at Lake Tennison.
Arriving at Hamner for the night and heading off the next morning to Culverton.
From there it was off to Leithfield and the next day getting to my friends house in Christchurches northern suburbs.
I enjoyed achieving its culmination but would struggle to recommend it to un-power assisted cycles, especially those with tires less than 2.35 inches wide tires.

[rifraf]

I’ll try to get a couple of pics up in the next few days.
I’ve not much and they are only from my iPad I think due to my phones battery giving up the ghost during the colder hours.
Keep in mind Winter arrives earlier in NZ than Oz
Oh and you will need an extra-wheel trailer to haul the well needed deet.

[rifraf]

Someone please let me know how to add some pics to the thread with an iPad mini

After spending some time with old friends, hereabouts, in Chch, I intend to head down to Otago to check out any perceived benefits to living down there.

[RonK]

G'day Aidan. Glad you enjoyed your sojourn on the Rainbow Road. It's been on my agenda several times but I was thwarted each time by rain, bushfires, or farm work closures. Still intend to do it sometime, and the Molesworth road as well.

I had both my knees replaced last month, so working my way through rehabilitation. I don't have enough flexion to cycle yet but I'm getting there slowly.

You know that Otago has been one of my favourite haunts, and I can think of any number of places I'd like to live. Although more correctly in Canterbury, I really liked Geraldine and Fairlie. In Central Otago there are the tourist towns of Tekapo and Wanaka. Busy and expensive but I really like the vibe of both. Very small but there is something about Omarama that keeps calling me back there. But probably the place that appeals most is Cromwell (apparently the hottest and coldest place in Otago), and there is some attraction in having Sam Neill as a neighbour in nearby Bannockburn. And fantastic cycling around there too. The little towns of Alexandra and Lawrence have their charms as well.

To add pics you'll first have to upload them to a photo site (I use Imgur) and then you can copy a link to the forum.

The link looks like this -

Code: Select all

[img]https://i.imgur.com/OcgZg95.jpg[/img]

And displays like this -



My latest toy

[rifraf]

G'day Aidan. Glad you enjoyed your sojourn on the Rainbow Road. It's been on my agenda several times but I was thwarted each time by rain, bushfires, or farm work closures. Still intend to do it sometime, and the Molesworth road as well.

I had both my knees replaced last month, so working my way through rehabilitation. I don't have enough flexion to cycle yet but I'm getting there slowly.

You know that Otago has been one of my favourite haunts, and I can think of any number of places I'd like to live. Although more correctly in Canterbury, I really liked Geraldine and Fairlie. In Central Otago there are the tourist towns of Tekapo and Wanaka. Busy and expensive but I really like the vibe of both. Very small but there is something about Omarama that keeps calling me back there. But probably the place that appeals most is Cromwell (apparently the hottest and coldest place in Otago), and there is some attraction in having Sam Neill as a neighbour in nearby Bannockburn. And fantastic cycling around there too. The little towns of Alexandra and Lawrence have their charms as well.

To add pics you'll first have to upload them to a photo site (I use Imgur) and then you can copy a link to the forum.

Hi Ron
Thanks for the photo hosting and the location tips.
Yes it was your mention of the Molesworth station leg of your tour intentions some time ago that inspired me to look into the general location. When a somewhat recent couple of rides on CGOAB made mention of the Rainbow I decided it needed further investigation given I didn’t currently feel up to the mandatory minimum daily mileage requirements of the Molesworth having struggled with some health issues that have seen me little riding of late.
Likely the most physically demanding journey in recent memory I’ve accomplished, I was well under way and kilometres in before I understood quite the amount of effort required to complete it or I’d have been tempted to backtrack in search an easier route.
Glad to have chalked it up, but frankly it wasn’t one of my favourite legs.
I was due to head off southward today after a very pleasant catchup and stay with some old friends from Northland whom now reside in Chch. Way too much reminiscing and imbibing though a great time has been had.
Tomorrow I intend to once again hit the pedals and attempt to burn off a week of idleness in my journeying to Waitaki.
This single digit typing takes some getting used to and I miss not having my keyboard.
The pics and a more cognisant reply will have to wait till I have access to a computer, likely Oamaru library, some days yet away.
Best wishes with the knees by the way and I hope the replacements serve you well.
Oh and your toys just keep getting better and better making me wonder if I’ve anything in my wardrobe that might complement my current shade of green (with envy)
Hi to Boofie and happy spinning

[stevenaaus]

Have a good trip. Never done any NZ touring, but have had a decent few road and mtb rides there

I use Flickr, and find the image location by clicking the download button, then right click which image size and 'copy location'

[rifraf]

Have a good trip. Never done any NZ touring, but have had a decent few road and mtb rides there

I use Flickr, and find the image location by clicking the download button, then right click which image size and 'copy location'

Thanks for the suggestion.
I’m yet to organise the pic side of things finding myself very busy since arriving in Oamaru some time ago now.

I went for a peruse of the festivity’s last weekend, it being the annual Oamaru Steam Punk weekend.
Sorry but I didn’t take a camera with me but I thought it a great night out.
They block off the “Victorian Precinct” for the “fire n ice” winter festival and offer an “in” for fiver which is cheap as chips by way of an entry fee.

One mistake I’d share of my southward trip was due to my knowledge (or rather lack there of) of Christchurch geography despite having resided there for a year a couple of decades ago.
The earthquakes had deleted most of the local landmarks that I might have otherwise recognised.
Anyway I digress, as the potential bit of handy knowledge for those following similar tire prints is that the Chch suburban buses tend to have a front platform for cyclists to bring their bikes.
I was staying in the northern suburb of Parklands. I could have saved a central city journey southwards by slinging myself and the bike on the single bus journey to Halswell on my way towards Southbridge, a direction I took to take advantage of the free camping at Coes Ford, Lake Ellesmere, in order to put off some highway riding. Another offering, perhaps superior due to a drinkable water supply would have been the not too far away Chamberlain Ford. My through city ride was without incident to Coes Ford and I enjoyed a quiet evening.

I’m still here in Oamaru with no current inclination to head off anywhere else for the time being.

I have to close here due to some commitments but will try to leave a few more lines of a most enjoyable tour next time I’m at the site.

[RonK]

Hehe, I was wondering where you had disappeared to.

I really like Christchurch pre earthquake, and was shocked by the barren CBD last time I was there. I here much as been rebuilt so I'll have to visit again sometime.

Oamaru is a great little town with its proliferation of Victorian architecture, and the steampunk gallery seems to fit right in. It could be easy to sit back and never leave. And nearby Geraldine is another place it would be easy to settle in. But you should do a ride up the A2O while you're there - well, once the rivers subside.

I've had my knees replaced and I'm recovering well so hope to be back in NZ next year. Keep your whereabouts posted and maybe we can cross paths.

[rifraf]

Hope your new knees are working out well for you Ron.

I’m still in Oamaru currently.

I was knocked down last year at the north end of town, badly damaging the bike and leaving me with a hip fracture as the dominant injury.

X-ray failed to show the injury but a CT scan showed up the fracture as well as the presence of some osteoarthritis in my hips which I’d long suspected given my ever decreasing riding distances.
I’ve been back on my feet for a while now sans the crutches and have started to slowly begin the process of attempting to get the bike back on the road.

Got the wheels straightened as much as a LBS was able so far.
I’m about to order replacement crankset,pedals and BB.

These were all cactus’d in the prang where a woman failed to yield at a give way sign.

Huge saga, which I won’t bore you with, but the attending officer was less than helpful.
The insurance cleared my claim within approximately a week, ironic given it took many weeks to get any accident report details.

I’ll have a better understanding of the extent of any frame damage once I can obtain new parts, fit and take for a test ride. I imagine the nearest frame repairer will be in either Dunedin or Christchurch.

[stevenaaus]

Bummer mate.

I'm braving a week in Queenstown (ex Brisbane) shortly, but will probably stick to tramping. Might squeeze in a bikeway trundle though.

[RonK]

Hi Aidan. My knees are going pretty well, but I’ve had some unexpected delay with my recovery, so I struggle to cycle anything other than dead flat, and I’m finding it difficult to walk with a natural gait. Slowly improving do I get there eventually.
Sorry to hear you have been injured, but sounds like you are recovering. And your bike too, I know the time and care you put into it and hope the frame is ok. Handy that ChCh is not too far away though.
Couldn’t think of a nicer place to convalesce than Oamaru.
I penciled in a long flashpacking tour around Central Otago and the Southern Lakes to do now the borders are open but until I can pedal effectively it will have to wait. But I’ll try to fit in a side trip Oamaru when I eventually get there.

[rifraf]

Hi Aidan. My knees are going pretty well, but I’ve had some unexpected delay with my recovery, so I struggle to cycle anything other than dead flat, and I’m finding it difficult to walk with a natural gait. Slowly improving do I get there eventually.
Sorry to hear you have been injured, but sounds like you are recovering. And your bike too, I know the time and care you put into it and hope the frame is ok. Handy that ChCh is not too far away though.
Couldn’t think of a nicer place to convalesce than Oamaru.
I penciled in a long flashpacking tour around Central Otago and the Southern Lakes to do now the borders are open but until I can pedal effectively it will have to wait. But I’ll try to fit in a side trip Oamaru when I eventually get there.

My own gait still feels like there is an unnatural quality to it post accident, but I am at least now finally able to walk decent distances and durations. I’m now noticing more knee pain than I used to, especially on declines oddly enough. So yeah, I’m feeling most of the aftermath via the knees currently on a day to day basis though the hips are a little achy on the colder and/or wet mornings.
Certainly let me know if you make it over.
Just ordered a Sugino XD-2 lookalike replacement bare crankset from Spa Cycles in the UK this evening towards the rebuild/repair of the Ogre.
Fingers crossed the shipping isn’t as delayed as much as the local mail has been of late.

[rifraf]

Bummer mate.

I'm braving a week in Queenstown (ex Brisbane) shortly, but will probably stick to tramping. Might squeeze in a bikeway trundle though.

Make sure you’ve a decent sleeping bag as you can forget Jon Snows “winter is coming” line due to it having already arrived.
Fingers crossed you miss the Covid wave there in Queenstown, as they got hammered when they opened up to Auckland not long back and apparently the numbers there are still high.
Isolated tramping trips sounds like a great option compared to mixing it up with the infected.
I’m really glad I just got out of the campground I’ve been staying at and into more secure digs as the amount of obviously Ill people choosing to travel about was blowing my mind and the idea of isolating in a Macpac Minaret tent was causing me some concern