New Zealand - Nov 19 & 20

2 Rest days in Fox Glacier

The little town of Fox Valley Glaciers is surrounded by mountains, nature walks and pristine woods...

This is the valley that leads to the Lake Matheson nature walk.

The walk took us through woods with ferns and plants that seem to have come from the dinosaur age.  

This fern tree appears to be dead except for the one curly growth that is springing to life.  When you are up close to the growth it looks as if it is a cocoon holding a number of caterpillars awaiting their day.  It is surrounded by little brown hair like growths that are as soft as puppy fur.

 

This was a sign along the nature trail that sums up the thoughts as we sat among the beauty that nature served up...

The beautiful lake where we sat silently and listened to the sounds of nature.  You could hear the wind and see it as it rippled the water gently with its hand.  You could see it in the movement of the trees.  Each moving differently as the wind touched them creating as someone said... a scene as graceful as the trees dancing to a soulful tune.

The moss and ferns grew on everything.  One of our group mentioned that we should keep moving or we might start gathering growths.  😊

We took several walks along trails that were so beautiful.

This is the Fox Glacier...

It is in fast retreat with the warming of the earth.  They had pictures of 2008 compared to today... a dramatic difference.

This is the valley that over time the Fox Glacier carved out of the mountains.

And lastly, the river that is fed by the melting glacier.

On one of the walls there was this bridge over a creek which held a dark hollow underneath it.  You could almost imagine a troll living just inside the hole there.  I went to check it out just in case...  😉

New Zealand- Nov 18

Hari Hari to Fox Glacier

It was another beautiful summer day in New Zealand.  Can't quite figure out when the summer part is going to kick in as it was 5C or 39 degrees F this morning.  

This is the group as they started the ride. Several said... they had on every piece of cycle clothing to stay warm.  I drove the van again today as the cold had given me just that... a really good cold and cough.

So I drove support and had to do the grocery shopping for the group.  For those that know me well, know that I'm the last person you want doing the shopping if you want a really good meal that consists of something greater than meat and potatoes.  Chick peas?  Beetroot?  Feta cheese?  Really?!  Well I did the best that a meatatarian could do. 😊

The day took us through some awesome scenery as we drove through the Franz Joseph glacier valley.

A perfect little farm house nestled in a green valley surrounded by majestic mountains.

This was our accommodations the night before.  A converted outhouse to sleep 10.  Just kidding, our accommodations have been good.  This scene just captured my eye and I had to take it.

Snow capped mountains rose above the rest as we neared Franz Joseph Glacier.

This is the town of Franz Joseph Glacier.  It is a quaint little village tucked in a sliver of a valley leading to the gourge of the glacier.

Our lunch stop with an alpine view...

The Franz Joseph Glacier.  You can see it up between the peaks.  It used to extend all the way down to the valley floor.  But since Al Gore invented global warming, it has retreated significantly. 

And lastly a pristine alpine lake...

New Zealand - Nov 17

Hokitika to Hari Hari

Today I was the van driver doing support for the group.

As you can see from the photo, today was the first day where we saw blue sky at the outset of the day.  It turned out to be a lovely day with the sun actually showing its warming face.

The beauty along the way was distracting as I had to focus on driving.  They drive on the wrong side of the road down here.  It was tough to educate them as to what side they should be on.  But after a couple of games of chicken, the other drivers learned they were on my side of the road... 😊

The mountains began to show their peaks as the clouds rose off their tops.  Some had a blanket of snow.  As the attendant at the petrol station told me... the mountains got a coverage of snow from the storm last night.  She also said there was...  "Ale az beeg as ur paulm" (hail as big as your palm) fell last night.

I decided the best course of action to the driving on the wrong side of the road was to just follow the car in front of me.  Luckily he was going to the same place as me...  😊

The mountains formed a ring around the valley and an alpine stream flowed through it...

And lastly, a cool crisp sunset to top off the day...

All in all a beautiful day even though I did not have a bike under me.

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...

New Zealand- Nov 15

Westport to Greymouth

Today was predicted to be torrential rains with brutal winds as a low front was coming in off the Pacific.  So we set our expectations to be tortured by Mother Nature.  And low and behold she withheld her fury and treated us to a cloudy misty day.  Seems strange when you say a cloudy misty day is a treat but it actually was.  There was a low fog most of the day.  But it was a fantasmigorical day (ok, so I made that word up but it fit).

It really was a great day.  We headed out of Westport with no rain and a ....  TAILWIND!!!  Yes, that's right, a tailwind!  At one point we even saw a patch of blue through the clouds, imagine that.

We cycled along through the countryside until we came down over a hill and there was the coast again.

The waves were huge and powerful.  It reminded me of the north coast of Hawaii.  It looked like it would be a surfers paradise.

We cycled along the coast and came to a national park.  It was the Pancake Rocks park.  As you can see the rocks are layered like a stack of pancakes.  

They were beautiful in a surreal kind of way.  Also, the ocean had weathered away parts of the lower layers of the rock and formed a unique set of hollows that created blow holes as the waves crashed in.

After the park we cycled on through lush tropical vegetation.  There were some steep climbs which led to great downhills.  

At one point there was a good long steady climb that my legs said...  Go for it.  So I attacked the climb which led to a fantastic downhill.  I reached 69 kph!  Once I got to the bottom I had found the "zone" and continued at a pretty good clip.  It felt really good to just let the legs do their thing and ride as fast as they were capable.  We only had about 15k left so I rode them until there was nothing left.  It was a great feeling to just fly along the road under your own power propelled by nothing more than your will...  😊

New Zealand- Nov 13

Murchison to Westport & Rest day

Today was a good day in that it rained only off and on with no real heavy downpours!

This was the scene as we set out on the morning ride.  The clouds laid upon the mountains as if they were trying to decide if rain was appropriate for the day... 😊

As we rode further along the sun popped out as a warming friend to chase away the morning chill.  A welcome one at that.  We pedaled through some awesome scenery and crossed the river that would guide us through the day.

We stopped for a break in a little town who's claim to fame was the earthquake of 1968.  Little did we know that the concept of earthquake would be a harbinger of things to come.  

We made our way to the coast and our finish for the day at the town of Westport.  It is situated right on the western shores of New Zealand.   The cape that juts ourt to the sea is aptly named... Foulwind. The winds whip in from the sea with great strength (a cyclists nightmare).

The path that led to a seal colony.

The shore is dotted with craggy configurations of rocks that have weathered the constant pounding of the wind and waves.  

The scenery along the coast was beautiful.

This is where we are at this time. 

Now to the earthquake...  If you look at the above map, the quake was centered at the N in New Zealand.  

At about 12:20 am we were awakened by a 7.9 earthquake.  The bed was shaking as if from a scene from the Exorcist.  It was bouncing across the floor.  Jumping off the bed to the floor to get off the bizarre bed ride I realized the floor and the room were moving all about as well.  We rushed outside and felt the actual ground shifting all about.  It was the strangest feeling I have ever felt.  The quake lasted for 2-3 minutes.  I have felt several quakes in California but nothing like this.  They say there have been 832 aftershock quakes since the big one.  And there have been 6 aftershocks with 5.6 to 6.3 ratings.  These are big in and of themselves.  Pictures of the damage is startling.  We are all ok.  We just hope all of our adventures will be ok in terms of roads.  We shall see...

Thanks for all the inquiries as to how I am.  Greatly appreciated.

New Zealand - Nov 12

Richardson to Murchison

It was day three of the rain.  It started raining about mile 10k of the 115 kilometers that we rode.  

It rained almost all throughout the day.  We stopped at a cafe at kilometer 39 where everyone got hot drinks and warm scones.  It was raining hard and the temp was 50 degrees.  The van carrying our suitcases was there and everyone changed into dry clothes and warmer rain gear to continue on with the ride.  I put on my rain pants for the first time ever...

 

I saw very little of the beautiful scenery as I was head down and pounding my way through rain and clouds.  I even had the fortune of breaking a chain.  It was fairly uneventful in that I repaired it and was back cycling within 5 minutes.  We have had the misfortune of riding through some unusual weather for NZ at this time of year.

We came upon this herd of deer that appeared to be kept in the fenced in area.

The road cut through the mountains.  As you can see the clouds and mist that was the source of the constant rain of the day.

New Zealand - Nov 11

Havelack to Richardson

The day started gloriously with no rain and fairly warm, only needed my light windbreaker versus thicker rain jacket.  As we left our hotel we turned a bend in the road and beheld an awe inspiring sight.  There was a bay surrounded by a valley of green fields that would make Ireland envious.  And the valley was enclosed by a set of forested mountains with wispy clouds of mist hanging in the hollows and resting upon their tops. Unfortunately, you will only have the mental picture I just painted as I did not have my camera out.  But that is ok because a picture would only pale in comparison to the beauty we beheld...

We traveled along in a pace line at a fair clip.  The scenery along the way was wondrous.  Fields and mountains and valleys and streams...

Then we came to a one lane bridge over a rushing stream.

It looked like a great place for a float trip. It was at this juncture that a decision was to be made.  Actually the group had already made the decision to stick to the road.  But there was a side trip that would route us through the countryside  and up over a mountain via an off-road path.  I thought it would be an intriguing detour worth taking.  This would be one of those fateful decisions that you live to regret.  One that resulted in potential disaster.  And the unfortunate part is three other riders decided to go as well.  I feel I led them down a disastrous path.

It started out nicely enough with great views and paved road.  That quickly changed to gravel at 1.5 kilometers.  At the turn off, 10k, where we left the "road" and began the "trek", the situation deteriorated significantly.  It reminded us of the goat tracks of the Ruta Maya, the Central America trip.  It was complete with a river crossing to continue on the "path".  The grades of the path were steep with loose rock and gravel.  Then the rains came.  Drenching rains that made the path slippery and muddy.  It became unnavigable.  We had to walk up the steep sections of the trail.  It took us a good deal of time, over 3 hours, to go 12k.  When we finally reached the summit there was an unexpected dilemma that presented itself.  According to the directions we were supposed to continue down the steep grade to get to the next town.  Instead, there were three roads!  Option A to the left, Option B straight ahead and Option C to the right...  Option B had a big sign stating ROAD CLOSED!  So the options were not good ones...

We stood there at the summit soaked to the bone, cold and shivering.  A decision had to be made.  The stark realization that a wrong decision could actually place is in serious trouble hung heavily over us.  If we chose the wrong option we would be heading further out into the middle of nowhere with no cell signal and no one knowing where we were.  There would be no hope of help or pick up from anyone.  It could mean real trouble.  So the decision to turn around and go back the way we came was made.  It was the only course of action where we knew the outcome.  But that meant heading down the steep washed out grade.  Not a great option...  It posed a good deal of danger as I had no front suspension and the wet slippery mud caused the brakes to only slow me and not stop me.  Needless to say, it was a harrowing experience.  It tough to hold the brakes on as tight as possible all the way down the 12k.  That all while it rained.  It was a disaster. 

Once we got back to where we had begun we tried calling for pickup.  We still had no cell signal.  We found a little cafe where we used their land line to call for pick up. There got some much needed food. 

Here is the lunch I had... A steak and Guinness pie, a steak and cheese pie, two cokes and of course a full shaker of salt.  Nothing ever tasted so good or went down so fast.  It was a fantastic warm and dry place to get out of the driving rain.  A day to remember or was it a day to forget?! 

New Zealand - Nov 10

Wellington to Picton to Havelock

What a fabulous day!  After I just wrote that I thought how could it have been a fabulous day...  it rained and was cloudy and a bit chilly.  But it was a fabulous day.

😊

To start we rode in the rain to catch the ferry at Wellington.  It started out as a mist then rain then mist.  It was a short ride so not too bad.  The ferry was a 3+ hour ride out into the open ocean.  The seas had laid down from the previous day which made the ferry ride smooth.  If we had experienced the wind enthusiastic, white capped wonder of yesterday's seas...  Ho boy there could have been a bit of the sea sick, green faced lot. 😳

The scenery was beautiful as we came into the land mass of the South Island.

The straits...

Picton harbor...

As we came off the ferry we were greeted by another round of showers.  This time it went past the gentle phase and went right to torrent.  But it was a warm rain... NOT!  It was a cold rain.

We stopped for lunch just after we got off the ferry and I got my second meat pie of the day.  Meat pie? What is a meat pie you ask?  It is a delicacy that someone specifically designed to meet my culinary tastes.  It is a stew that is encased in a pie crust.  I could just live on a diet of meat pies.  Like Australia, they have a plethora of selections of meat pies.  There are meat pies for every occasion.  And one meat pie leads directly to another.  It is hard to eat just one.  😊  

I know, a bit much on meat pies right.  But there are few places in the world where there is a direct alignment with my eating tastes.  And this is one.  Australia is two.

Once we left lunch we headed for a climb along the beautiful coast road.  It was a stunning ride.  Breathtaking scenery with a better view than the last around every bend and curve.  If this is just the start of it...  can't wait for the rest.

View down one of the fiords...

A bay with the mountains dressed in wispy clouds.

The hills as green as any in Ireland.

The rhododendrons with flowers as beautiful as any I have seen...

It was a day to remember...

New Zealand - Nov 9

Wellington - pre ride warm up day

Well I arrived safe and sound and the bike as well.  I was a bit fearful as the bike box showed signs of trauma due to the baggage handlers gingerly stacking of luggage atop my chariot.  But after unwrapping it and piecing it back together, my fears were unfounded.  It came together smartly and is operating as needed.  😊

The bike and I are eagerly awaiting the commencement of this New Zealand adventure!

We did a 32 kilometer warm up ride around Wellington today.  

As you can see in the picture of the sign for Wellington...  it is known for its wind!  As we rode around the bay and up into the hills we were being pushed about by winds that would have made the gales of west Texas look like a gentle breeze.  This seems to be the harbinger of things to come.  😳

It was a beautiful ride around the bay.  The temps were in the high 50s (14C).

The road was smooth and the scenery gorgeous.

It was a perfect day...  let's hope the rest will be similar.

Tomorrow we start out with a 3.5 hour ferry ride from the north island to the South Island. And the adventure begins with a 34 kilometer ride to Picton.  Can't wait!!!

New Zealand

The next adventure is coming up soon... 

I will be cycling the South Island of New Zealand with some good cycling buddies I have encountered on my travels.  It is going to be another epic adventure.  I can't wait!

Please join me on my journey and help me stay focused by sending me your thoughts and support with comments.  They are always appreciated.