New Zealand - Nov 16

Greymouth to Hokitika

Today was a 100k ride along the West Coast Wilderness Trail.  It was a beautiful ride as the trail was all off road through a primordial forest and along babbling brooks with tons of waterfalls.

The only downside was as in the days past... rain.  It started raining just after we set out.  It was a driving rain that came down sideways at us.  There was an 18-20 mph wind that at times came at us as a crossing headwind.  In addition it was also a cold rain.  😳

The trail took us through the most beautiful woods that appeared to be out of a story book.  

There were ferns and plants that seemed to house the elements of the little people.  If you looked out into the woods you could almost imagine seeing little Hobbits darting about in the trees.

The streams opened up to fill tranquil lakes that mirrored the skies.

The streams and rivers led to some fantastic waterfalls, so many that you got conditioned to only focus on the most dramatic.

We also had several river crossings that added an element of danger to the days adventure.  This was one of two major crossings.  The water was so cold it darn near numbed your feet.

We pedaled along the Wilderness Trail through the most beautiful scenery.  We looked forward to a great lunch at the stop called Cowboys Paradise.  It was to be about midway at 55k.  The rain and the wind made for a chilly ride and we looked so much to warm food and a warm restaurant.  I even began to fantasize about getting two meat pies.  But 55k came and 55k went.  Then we checked and realized Cowboy Paradise was at 67k... so on we pedaled as the rain drove on.  Hill after hill and rain after rain increased our desire for warmth and hot food.  At last we came over a rise to see buildings spring up out of what was wilderness.  Our dreams of a dry warm rest-bit with hot food was about to be realized... or was it!  As we approached the first building it showed signs of a bygone era and an abandoned nature.  The second large building was a beginning stage remodel of what used to be the warm rest-bit and used to have warm food.  Instead of a functioning restaurant it was a some day will meet our expectations kind of place.  😳

The construction workers that were sawing away at the place seemed genuinely surprised that someone was cycling out there in the middle of nowhere in those rainy, windy conditions. 

Instead of getting my two meat pie lunch I settled for a one coke lunch.  But heck what does a cyclist need who is cranking out 100 kilometers but a can of carbonated, caffeinated sugar!?  

After the short stop and a photo op with an assortment of cowboy hats, we dalied on.  The cold shivering was replaced by caffeine shivers.  

As we descended down a great winding downhill, one person said well at least it isn't raining anymore.  No sooner was that statement floating in the air did the sky open up and the wind come up.  We rode on into a rushing headwind with the rain splattering like needles in our face.  Luckily the rain only lasted a bit less than an hour.  We finished the ride along an old gold mine sluice way.  The trail was narrow and winding as it led us through the hills.  It was a great ride.

All in all, if you take the cold rain out of the equation, it was a fabulous ride.  If it was a sunny warm day it would have been an all world fantastic right up there with the best ride ever...