Posts Tagged ‘Westport’

Day 4. 100km. Westport – Karamea

Posted: November 8, 2024 in Cycling, New Zealand
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When the rain is steady, the cyclist’s mind turns inward. The kilometres are mind games, punctuated with sudden thoughts – look outward. Live in the now. Look at that fern. That bird. The crashing sea shrouded in grey. The west coast is wet.

The crashing sea

I wanted to get to the start of the Heaphy Trail. The weather forecast is constant rain for the coming days, so waiting it out wasn’t an option. With no reason to dawdle and check out the sights on the way, I ventured out into the rain.

A picnic lunch in the camp kitchen at Mokihinui and then a climb and drop in the rain was the order of the day.

The climb
View from the top

The rain eased for the last hour enough for me to put in my earbuds and listen to the US election. Trump it is.

Tomorrow the Heaphy Trail.

Day 3. 65km. Lyell – Westport

Posted: November 7, 2024 in Cycling, New Zealand
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‘Have you just come or are you going?’ the lady asked at the entrance gate to the Old Ghost Road.

‘ I have just changed my mind,’ I replied. Today, I took my heavily laden bike on the main road and not on the steep, narrow mountain bike route. My gut feeling was that this was the safest thing to do.

The start of the Old Ghost Road

I was at the entrance gate with the German, Fritz, when a mountain biker came out of the little hut next door.

‘I don’t want this to sound bad, but are you sure you want to do this?’

Yes. I knew it was steep. And narrow. I’d have to carry my luggage up the steep bits separately. He went on, and I realised that my super heavy bike just wasn’t the right tool for this task. I checked out the first 500m of the trail and turned back, disappointed but sure I had made the right decision.

I continued on the main road westwards to join the other end of the Old Ghost Road. As the weather got wetter and more miserable, I was happy I wasn’t 1000m higher on an exposed mountain ridge.

Buller Gorge

I was planning to have lunch in Westport but my drowned rat instincts decided it was time to call it a day. Tomorrow morning there is a short break in the rain. I might try to do some kilometres before I get too wet.

Day 2. 64km. Rotoroa Lake – Lyell

Posted: November 6, 2024 in Cycling, New Zealand
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The sky was pink behind the snow capped mountains, a band of cloud hovering around waist level. The water was still, reflecting the sky. The ducks were calling, and then a black swans swam by, with a little baby – a shabby white, following. The morning was peaceful and beautiful. Lake Rotoroa.

Sunrise at Lake Rotoroa
Sunrise at Lake Rotoroa
Black swan

Today saw a steep grunt over a small shoulder and then a trip following another river down. There was even 4 water crossings, shin deep.

River ford number 2
River ford number 3

Today was a tranquil meander along the backroad to Murchison – the only town for 80km, and the only town I’d see for days. I stopped, ate, drunk and charged my external batteries.

Towards Murchison
Towards Murchison

I saw the Germans again at the camping ground at the start of the Old Ghost Road and had a nice dinner together before a very early evening.

I also saw a weka – a New Zealand bird that always fossicks around. It even steals socks. I hear. My smelly socks were banished into the tent.