Mini Brevet

I hadn't even heard of a 'brevet' until earlier this year.  If you want a definition you can click here to check out the Wiki page on Randonneuring (also known as Audax).  Suffice to say it involves long distances on bicycles.

There are a few domestic examples, probably the most famous of which would be the Kiwi Brevet around the top of the South Island and the Great Southern Brevet around MacKenzie country/lakes/Central Otago.  Both are in the vicinity of 1,100 km of on and off road riding.  You pretty much fend for yourself and can stay in anything from 5 star hotels to roadside drains.  I think the purists tend to say that you shouldn't use any support that is not available to other riders, so staying in your mate's lakeside mansion in Queenstown is possibly frowned upon in some quarters.

The idea of doing one has been tickling the inside of my skull ever since I heard about them and accordingly, in a few cycle trips earlier this year I picked up sections of the Kiwi Brevet to see what it might be like.  So ... an item on a bike shop website for a 'Mini Brevet' starting from Petone as a bit of warm up training for the two fore mentioned classics stirred my interest.  A few enquiries elucidated that details were sketchy and organisation seemed pretty casual - also that it was the weekend after Taupo.  I shelved the idea while focussing on Taupo.

Taupo safely out of the way (see previous post) my interest in the Mini increased as the memory of lactic acid in the legs faded during the week.  By Thursday the only thing that was really putting me off was the horrendously windy weather forecast.

The original proposal was to follow the coast from Petone to Wairarapa, cross to the Pinnacles on the road to Ngawi, head up through the Haurangi crossing to Waikuku lodge (not as flash as it might sound), eventually emerging in Martinborough, take the main roads to Featherston then down to Cross Creek and over the incline and down the river trails to Petone again.

Unfortunately, despite the PM opening the cycle track, the owners of Orongorong station clearly hadn't read the news and are still being sticky about access.  The route was therefore amended to head up the valley and take the hilly option into the incline before continuing as before.  All up about 255 km with the option of caning it in one day or staying wherever the fancy took you (both drains and hotels being in the offing).

The organiser, Barryn, sent me a cue sheet with pretty good blow by blow instructions during the week so all that was left was to front up on the day.

The plan

Initially I had an idea of trying to get around in a day but if I was too knackered then to bivvy up somewhere (forecast was consistently predicting 15degrees night time temperature) or get a bed in Martinborough.  Another likely possibility is that I find that I haven't recovered from the previous weekend's exertions as well as I might have thought so I could ring home command for a strategic extraction.  Anyway, I figure I can get away without lugging a sleeping bag and tent around.

Start

The starting point is less than 3km from home so I potter down on the bike in good time.  I see a bike by a van (good sign) but nothing else.  Then a tall chap with wild hair wanders over, it's Barryn and he is most definitely not dressed for cycling.  It turns out that he's recovering from some historic damage and wont be riding the trip with us.  Slowly more bikes turn up until we have about 12; some of which have ridden from the other side of Wellington (apparently there were also one or two late starters).  The weather forecast seems to have scared off a fair few shrinking violets.

There's a real mix with some loaded for action and a few as light as me.  I'm pleasantly surprised to see Julie and Thomas turn up but there's no-one else I recognise.

We chat until just before 8am when Barryn decides he may as well set us off more or less on time.  After a group photo we set off in single file up the river trail and into the teeth of a fierce nor-wester (which pretty much maintains its enthusiasm throughout the trip).

12 fine specimens

Cross Creek

The Hutt river trail is pretty familiar but has it's interesting moments.  Including the delightful passage past Stokes Valley and a couple of sections I hadn't seen before in Upper Hutt.  Anyway, they keep us off the road until a brief stint up Plateau road to tunnel gully where we join the old railway route at Station Drive.  As we are traversing the incline twice this weekend, Barryn has decided to turn us right and over the hill at the end of Station Drive.  We grind up to the top then fly down the other side to join the main track.  It's a bit drizzly at times and windy but nothing worth getting a jacket out for.

On the hurtle down from the top tunnel I pass someone familiar coming up; turns out it was Barryn - didn't recognise him in the helmet; it seems he will be joining us at strategic points.  Also coming up are about 100 soldiers in little groups (there's probably a military name for them).  They scatter when one of their number calls "bike!"  Fortunately, they always get the message just in time as I'm flying with little prospect of stopping.  At the back is an older gentleman without a pack and carrying a walking stick - probably for beating recalcitrant recruits.

Pirinoa

From Cross Creek the route turns right and down beside lack Wairarapa, the wind is now blasting off the hills and pushing the bike sideways.  There's no other bikes in view until I catch up with a chap (Geoff) that started with us but has to be home tonight so is going to come back via the coastal route (sh!).  We say good bye at the East-West access road where I take the long and fairly boring road across the valley with the wind making it less than pleasant until the turn towards Lake Ferry (then we skip along).

Pirinoa is a tiny settlement (no - it's the "gateway to the coast") between Martinborough and Lake Ferry and a little before the road east to Cape Palliser and Ngawi.  It has a wonderful old-school general store that still sells petrol and has unfinished wooden shelving and counter.  It's quite sizeable with plenty of choice - well worth supporting.

As I pull in about 1240, the lead cyclist from our group (Dave) is finishing a pie, he's travelling lighter than me and is set on doing the whole loop in a day (as far as I know he made it).  He pushes off as I head in for an iceblock.  Simon and another Jeff and a few others pull in just before I leave and make a bee line for the pie warmer.

Haurangi Crossing

The gnarly part of the trip runs from near the pinnacles on the south coast up and down and up and down and up and up to about 750m then down to 240m then up again to 500m at the end of Haurangi Road (the saddle up the road from Waikuku Lodge - about 23km ride from the coast).  A fair proportion is too steep to ride and parts are a bit overgrown so it's basically tedious.  Anyone that tries to convince you otherwise is probably not your friend.

It's pretty hot but the wind keeps clouds scudding across and the temperature down. There's one spot where it's not clear where the track runs - I wait for a bit until a few other riders turn up and we have a good old confab until someone turns up that has been through before and points definitively in the right direction (the one that I had picked based on my topo map).

East from Haurangi crossing towards the Orongorongos

From the high point there is a rocky, bike bending downhill chute which has been known to eat trail bikes (i.e. mine).  A few ride it but I'm behind someone that stops so the choice is taken away.  It is followed by quite a nice section of track for a couple of kilometres along a ridge before the final plummet to Turanganui River East Branch.  At this point I am travelling with Andrew who decides to head left a few hundred metres to Sutherland hut where he intends to stay (as do a number of others in the end).  I follow the 4WD wrecked track up valley aways where I come across Barryn and Julie who have come in to meet us. 

Dave of course has long since disappeared into the distance.  A few of us team up and head out for Martinborough (Simon:  "I want to go somewhere that has beer").

By this time I'm feeling pretty knackered and know there is no chance of a late night arrival at home so revert to the 'find a bed in Martinborough' plan.  The wind pushes us around a bit on the way down the long gravel road but as it is a net drop of about 450m I can keep things ticking over and keep Trevor and Jill in sight.  I'm impressed with their level of energy and find out later that Jill has won the Coast to Coast four times.

The shadows are long beside us as we head into Martinborough but there is still plenty of daylight left at around 730pm.  Time enough for a few beers then sortie out to find the Thai restaurant as the best option for dinner.  "We" at this point is Barryn, Trevor and Jill (who turn out to be good friends of Barryn) and other Jeff.  

My digs are at the Top Ten camp site and I have a very comfortable cabin to myself.  As I check in around 9.45pm (as the proprietress is just about to go to bed) a dishevelled cyclist turns up - another one of our number who must have been doing it tough.  After 172km I'm pretty happy to wash the grime off and crawl between clean sheets.

And Home

Up at 6 and on the road by about 6.50.  Breakfast consists of a chocolate OSM crumbled up and soaked in milk in the fridge over night then microwaved.  It is not quite as revolting as it sounds and much better than eating it straight.

The nocturnal noises are borne out - the wind is fierce.  It's a long slog across the valley into it but that's why they invented aero bars.  I spot Barryn, camper van and company by the Ruamahanga river and later he toots as he drives past half an hour later.  As expected he has stopped in Featherston so we chat for a bit.  He notes that Simon and Jeff left earlier and that as there is no welcoming committee in Petone this will be the last I see of him for this trip.

Turning south at Featherston it's the familiar trip down to Cross Creek with the brutal cross wind.  Still, should be used to it by now.  From here there's the long grind up the incline into rainbows and light drizzle.

I catch up with Jeff shortly after the top tunnel and we scoot along at a good clip.  This time the route mercifully does not take us over the hill but around the more traditional route to Station drive and through to the last tunnel to Maymorn where we have the final (and fortunately very short) hill.  Here we catch up with Simon giving him a hell of a fright.

Rejoining the river trail is a signal that it's getting close to the home stretch.  Simon finds another gear and skips ahead around Avalon while Jeff and I continue at a more reasonable pace (he is riding back to Wadestown).

About 4 hours after leaving Martinborough I wheel through the gate with water having run out some time ago.  It's great to rest weary, filthy legs.

Post Script

We head out for lunch at Mike and Angela's and on the way back see Andrew heading along the Hutt road and another one of the group just coming off the bridge over the river.  I assume Julie and Thomas got out from Sutherland hut okay.  The following day Barryn confirms he thinks everyone got home.

All up it was quite an experience.  It wasn't a route I had thought of trying in a weekend and I have to say I wouldn't choose to do the Haurangi crossing again owing to the amount of pushing. However, once the coast road is open it will create some interesting possibilities for round trips.

A weekend riding in the Wairarapa

Angela and Andrew plus support crew
22-23 June 2013

An enthusiastic southerly had given Wellington a bit of a beating so what better time to get away from the storm damage for a couple of days?  Also I made a promise to my knees to lay off the hills for a weekend or two. 

At 8am it looks pretty horrible out; there's still a bit of wag in the tail of the storm and it is cold. Rather than leave us to catch the train to Upper Hutt, Mike good naturedly agrees to drop us out to Maymorn via a certain fast-food chain for breakfast.

Out of the car it's cold and wet but there's not much wind.  Mist is smoking through the pines and there is a distant thrum in the air.  The noise builds until somewhere out of sight the Wairarapa train emerges from the long tunnel and rounds the corner.  It's just about empty but there are a few curious passengers that glance out at the wet landscape and the pair of bikers dressed for the cold.

We are away by 9am and head up to the first tunnel.  The surface is good which is lucky as we have both left our road slicks on.  The wind is behind so it is pleasant riding despite the rain.  There are also few people about although a few minutes after passing through the Kaitoke car park we see a chap being dragged on a buggy by a couple of dogs then two women so wrapped up just their noses are showing.

There is a bit of storm damage but nothing serious, just branches and a few rocks on the track.  We take a short stop for a photo at the Summit.

Bedraggled but cheerful at the top

The normally small trickle across the track before the top tunnel looks the same but has carved an interestingly deep channel which just about sees Andrew into the track.  Through the tunnel the steeper descent has more water damage but again, nothing dramatic.  The stream in the gully at Siberia is up and has washed away parts of the track but we ford it without any trouble.

A few goats get a bit of exercise as they rocket ahead down the track but we don't see anyone until a couple and a lone man with dogs coming along the delightful single track before reaching the car-park around 11:15.

We get a couple of K towards Featherston before the support crew arrive with hot soup, road bikes and the necessary kit.  A giant old Macracapa provides shelter from the rain while we change and try to warm up.  All too soon its back in the saddle and onwards in the rain which stays reasonably constant and cold, occasionally getting heavy but what wind there is is mostly from behind.

There's a lot less traffic when we turn left at Martinborough and head towards Ponatahi.  The road is not too hilly but it seems to get colder and the rain heavier so it is very good to see Mike in the support car with more hot soup.  The support contingent has settled into the Solway and are enjoying the café and heated swimming pool.  We stand in the cold rain wrapping ourselves around the hot cups and trying to ignore the weather.  Somewhere on the nearby hill is the Wairarapa Stonehenge.

After one low rise the road is flat all the way now, it's just a question of enduring those long straights.  But at last we turn onto SH2 and the last few Kms to Masterton arriving at 2.45.

We both discover that we have wicked cold rash and it takes a considerable time in a hot bath to thaw out. 

The hotel has something for everyone; café, swimming pool, air hockey, pool even a golf driving range but I'm more interested in a snooze before dinner.  Aidan and Janne have joined us so it's a social affair made more entertaining by watching participants turning up for a local school's ball.  Vehicles vary from trucks and muscle cars to a tractor and a fire engine.

After a generous and good value dinner we watch the All Blacks just beat France and turn in.

Sunday

After a big breakfast we kit up for a late start.  There's a light southerly and although cold it could be clearing to the east.  We head off towards Gladstone and the back road to Martinborough.

The sun breaks out for longer periods and it's an enjoyable ride through pretty country.  Eventually we reach bell tea corner and as we stare off the bridge at the swollen stream, the support crew turns up.  Today we don't need soup so after a chat we head off for the last 13k to Martinborough.  And into the rain.

The rain is just clearing when we pass through road works just before Martinborough which ensure the bikes are thoroughly filthy.  At the wine centre we hope the muddy roster tails up our backs are not too obvious as we tuck into more good food.

Angela elects to join the support crew in the car whilst Andrew decides for a pick up in Featherston after a few more Km and another shower or two.  In Featherston the car is loaded with four bikes and five people for the trip home. 

Review

The incline is always good although the weather was a bit of a challenge this time.  Starting at Maymorn is a good option giving a longer ride (about 26 instead of 17K).  The roads we took out of and into Martinborough were good riding with relatively little traffic.  We will be back as there's plenty of scope for short or long loops.   Overall it wasn't a long ride but a very successful piece of research.

Rimutaka Incline and Ocean Beach - MTB

Solo weekend MTB trip

Corner Creek looking across to Lake Ferry

For a while I have been interested in setting my MTB up for combined on and off road weekend trips. I had been picking up bits of suitable kit but was yet to tie it all together. Easter and the prospect of winter weather reducing the opportunities was the impetus to finally get on with it.

The original plan to tour Port Underwood gets scuppered so a plan B is hatched. The Corner Creek DOC Campsite on the south Wairarapa Coast looks like a likely candidate to reach via the Hutt river trail, Rimutaka Incline and the road down the west side of Lake Wairarapa.

The bike set up being trialled for this trip is a Kathmandu bike bag strapped to a cheap seat post mounted carrier, a sleeping mat bungeed to the handlebars and a light backpack. In theory this comprises sufficient gear to keep body and soul together whatever the conditions.

It's 8.30am on Easter Sunday when I finally roll out the gate and head for the Hutt river bank. The day is cloudy and threatens (and delivers) scattered showers starting around Silverstream and carried on a strongish norwester.

The route follows the riverside trail about 27 Km to Harcourt park; with no road travel required. This is pretty cool when you consider that you travel through two (modest) cities on the way. From the harbour to Kennedy Good Bridge it is asphalt and from there pretty much all a good gravel surface with a particularly pretty single track section from Stokes Valley to Silverstream.

At Harcourt Park there is an option to cross the river by the foot bridge and continue on the single walking track to the Akatarawa / Hutt river junction. It's a nice enough ride but I decide to skip it today and take the road. A right turn onto Gemstone Drive links through to SH2 and a short stretch dodging traffic before the right turn at the Te Marua Dairy.

It's easy to follow the road past the houses to farmland and the railway underpass by Maymorn station. A left turn and it's off road again. The track through to tunnel gully starts with a short steepish uphill quickly turning into wide, easy going trails and pretty soon, the first old railway tunnel. The tunnel is straight and the floor even so there is no need for lights. But more about tunnel technique later.

The tunnel emerges at the bottom end of the park at the start of the climb up Mt Climie (a 4WD drive track which takes you up to get unparalleled views across the Lower North Island - I really must write that trip up). From here the track follows the access road for a short distance to Station Drive on the right (actually straight ahead as the seal road takes a left turn). It's a wide 4WD track apparently following the original railway.

Looking back at the first tunnel; Tunnel Gully

Station drive ends at a T junction. The sign says turn right for the Rimutaka Incline, the Kennett's guide book recommends left (basically flat). As usual you should follow the Kennett's advice but I am inclined to explore so turn right and prepare for a bit of climbing. There are a few steep climbs on a well formed logging track and only one unmarked turn (left and down or right and up - I take right as I figure it will bring me out further along the Incline road, fortunately I'm correct). There's a bit more distance through the forestry block than I am expecting before suddenly encountering an interesting descent to the Incline itself.

The new carrier bag wags the back of the bike a bit and unweights the steering. I make a mental note to redistribute the heaviest stuff and pull the bag tighter in to the seat post. However, it's plain sailing from there to the top so no sense worrying about it now.

The Rimutaka Incline trail really is a fantastic asset. There are plenty of family groups about and you always seem to come across people that are having their first tentative go at getting off the seal on two wheels. It's very well maintained and perfect for families and first timers or if you want to hammer through at a cracking pace. Despite many trips across, joining the trail always brings a sense of familiarity and satisfaction.

The top is about 10-11 Km from the car park (the usual starting point) and today a chance for a first stop and OSM. It's still a bit inclined to be showery and the (very helpful) wind is on the firm side. A father and son are sitting out of the wind in the old shelter having come up from the Wairarapa side (Cross Creek), we exchange experiences of the day before I head off for the top tunnel which is about 700m long.

Tunnelling technique on the Incline involves the basic choice of light or no light. I have a head torch in my pack somewhere but don't bother. The short tunnels tend to be on bends and on the Wairarapa side they can have rough floors which can be a bit disconcerting. But they're short and fine if you take them slow and let people know that you're about. The long top tunnel is a little more intimidating, you can see the other end so it's just a question of keeping your eye on it and keeping up sufficient pace not to wander into one of the walls. I have a bell and keep tinging it as walkers are not always visible against that small dome of light in the distance. Then it's just a question of pedalling and hoping there are no washouts.

After the top tunnel the incline proper starts. This is where the Fell Engines operated and is a lot steeper than the Kaitoke side. A lot of people turn back at the top as this side is also rougher and there is a section where you have to walk your bike into and out of the gully at Siberia.

With a loaded bike and road pressure tyres it's a more circumspect descent than normal. Even so the bumps cause the carrier to rotate and rub on the back wheel a few times (knocking it back in line by flinging one foot back seems to work but gets annoying). Clearly some adjustments needed to improve the clamp grip.

There are less people this side of the hill but still a few about including a fully laden tourer just starting to sweat his way up.

At the bottom the old Cross Creek area is worth a stop but not today. The single track from here to the road end has been upgraded and is a nice smooth cruise. Just a short section of gravel and on to Western Lake Road.

I'm sorting out texts and sunscreen before heading south on the seal when a cyclist from Masterton stops to chat. He's heading through to Kaitoke to camp with friends and has basically a road bike set up with panniers. We compare notes about wind resistance (I prefer the bag behind the seat, he likes the weight low) before going our ways.

The cross wind is quite strong now and plays havoc with the light steering but eventually it swings more in behind making for a fairly quick trip down beside the lake. Even so the road seems quite long beside the featureless lake and through farmland. The short climb away from Lake Onoke seems higher than it really is and is completed in what is now fairly consistent drizzle.

From the top of the hill the road dives off onto a terrace and then down again into a gully turning to gravel on the way before a bridge and the turn for the beach. I ignore the sign towards Wharekauhau and the luxury lodge and ride into another world.

The Southern Wairarapa Coast can be a bleak and forbidding place. At its most harsh a grey sky and grey sea lash southerly storms onto the grey beach and ragged forbidding greywacke hills behind. Scattered along the base of the terrace are ramshackle baches in various stages of repair and tenacious scrub. Blasted by wind, rain and sharp edged grit they show all the scars the harsh environment can inflict.

The starkness of the landscape is however the attraction. It is a magnificent place to be when nobody is about and a storm is demonstrating just how little you matter in this setting.

Between the baches and the beach is a shingle highway. Although the baches look rough, each one has at least one SUV parked alongside. I can't believe the number of people and start thinking that Easter isn't the smartest time for my visit. It's a pretty easy and short cruise along to Corner Creek DOC campsite with two small (today anyway) stream crossings. The Campsite is on the right after the boat tractors and is easy to find.

From Corner Creek, terraces with baches below

At the risk of starting to sound whiny I have to say it is not the best DOC camp I have seen. There are two pretty good long drops and a shelter with sink, rain water tap and an impressive slab table. The areas marked as being campsites are mostly rough and sloping and very old litter hasn't been picked up.

Its 1.40 when I arrive and it takes a while to find a flat, non-rocky spot; they've all been snapped up it seems although it is nowhere near capacity. I pitch my tent hopefully and congratulate myself for strapping a sleeping mat to the handle bars at the last minute.

The last good spot

I guess if you go anywhere with baches at Easter you shouldn't be surprised by the press of humanity. There are many quads buzzing about, periodically motor bikes howl up and down the beach or send thundering echoes out of one of the shingle gullys. A procession of 4WDs drive up, nose around the camp site before grinding off elsewhere.

The clouds are streaming off the Orongorongos behind but across the bay Lake Ferry and Ngawi are bathed in the afternoon sun. If I wasn't so tired I would strike camp and head somewhere with a few less people. However, nothing to be done but hunker down and hope the seasonal locals don't stay up too late.

Away from the terrace, the hills are steep and eroding, scree slides of greywacke of various hues fan out of the gullys. The beach is of the same tone; grey to match the sky behind the hills. The stones on the beach are rounded but the scree is angular suggesting it hasn't come far (or for long).

The norwester whips spray up in the bay but it is still relatively warm, the rain has disappeared and the worst of the wind is missing the area at the bottom of the hills. The odd gust comes marauding down the slopes though and I put a couple of storm guys on the tent.

About 5pm the view has provided all the diversion it can for now so I head further along the coast. The road has signs indicating it is for serious 4WDers only and it crosses a number of active slips. The surface is variable but only the sand traps that build up quickly on the lee slopes interrupts the ride.

A flat concrete platform beside the track catches my eye. It turns out to be a memorial to the first drovers to bring stock along the coast (before earthquakes raised the land forming handy terraces). A bronze plague bears the names and story; it is set in a concrete pavement and across the concrete the prints of a dog, horse and a flock of sheep. I figure it is just short of Mukamuka stream which would likely have been a significant milestone in an incredibly rugged journey. Someone has done a burnout on the plague in an attempt to obliterate the letters.

Looking further along the coast the road skirts the bottom edge of the Orongorongos and out of sight, eventually reaches the Wainuiomata River. After that there are options to travel around to Eastbourne. It is very tempting to try to travel this way but last time I checked one of the intervening land owners was being less than accommodating about access. Seeing the damage from inconsiderate visitors I can understand their position but regret the loss.

I do have some memories of passing this way before though. One long weekend in the late '70s Dad threw a selection of the kids into the Mazda 808 station wagon to see how far we could get. We camped under flies (our one canvas tent got blown to shreds) and fished from the rocks. At times we would have to build up sections of road or dig the car out of a sand trap but eventually we turned up at the Orongorongo station's locked gate. They seemed somewhat surprised to see a car load of grimy children but I guess they didn't have much choice but to let us out of their property.

The baches are well behind me here and it's possible to enjoy a sense of isolation, however the light is fading so I reluctantly head back to SUV paradise. On the way I find an exploded bike rear light which looks exactly like the one that turns out to be missing off the back of my bike. Once reassembled it still goes but I decide that maybe it doesn't need to be mounted for now.

Back at the campsite it’s after 6 and time to think about dinner. My penny stove does the business and I settle down for dehy nasi goreng. Some heavy showers come through and there are more frequent freight train like gusts that can be heard approaching off the slopes and through the trees. The secluded site I had carefully chosen gets buffeted as much as anywhere else and I'm less than impressed with the dust that it deposits in the tent when the flap is open.

A couple and son sit and chat as I eat. There is clearly something about the spot that brings all these people year after year and his talk of the sea food they have caught and exchanged over the past few days provides the answer. This is a slice of New Zealand going about their leisure and pleasure with which I seldom make contact.

Suddenly their tent blows down and they scamper to check nothing is broken. I beat a retreat to check my own and do not get another opportunity to talk with them.

At 8pm the sound of a generator, numerous vehicle movements and the cheerful shouts of neighbours are only eclipsed by the next freight train gust. I lie in my small tent jotting a few notes and remembering a white canvas pup tent in a very similar grove of trees getting shredded about 35 years ago.

A short wander onto the beach just before turning-in gives a view of large chunks of the Milky Way between clouds and the lights of Lake Ferry, Ngawi and the baches along the base of the terrace. At last all but one of the vehicles have stopped.

During the night the crags and gullys of the Orongorongos throw a constant barrage of wind bombs down on the campsite without pause. It’s a sleepless night waiting for the tent to collapse and imagining what cycling into this in the morning will be like.

At 6.30 it’s just light enough to get up and pack. The predawn sun is catching the wind sculptured clouds overhead and without the people there's a taste of what the area could be like.

A windy sun rise

Getting the tent down in the wind gusts is a little tricky but eventually it’s all done including breakfast and I'm the only one on the road at 7.45. The wind is enough that little or no pedalling is required along the beach highway. The two stream crossings are easy and soon it’s the climb over to Lake Onoke.

Over the next hour 45 minutes to Cross Creek, the wind is mostly cross so doesn't slow things down that much and there are only about 5 cars. I take one stop to check out a lake side reserve which would have been a better overnight proposition, it doesn't actually say no camping and there is a tent beside a single car.

The turn into the hills is also into the face of the strong wind. It's a slow grind up the Incline to the top battling the gusts the whole way. A few bikes plummet past in the more sensible direction. In the top tunnel there's a couple of new water channels crossing the floor which cause a bit of a surprise but no difficulties. A couple are just venturing into the tunnel are a bit surprised when an unlit bike hurtles out of the black maw preceded by cheerful tings of its bell.

Despite the dull day there are many family groups at various points, mostly on the way to the summit. It's quick riding to the car-park and then to the access road and back to Station Drive. There's a moment of uncertainty finding the access to Station Drive. It wasn't marked but is reasonably obvious; I would however recommend working it out on Google earth or similar beforehand.

Station Drive is a fast easy downhill and soon Tunnel Gully and the tenth (I think) and last tunnel section for the weekend is behind.

The last tunnel

I take a different route back to the river trail; over Mangaroa hill (a short climb from this direction) and through the centre of Upper Hutt to the first bakery I can find for a pie, slice and chat with an elderly Dutch woman. Joining the trail again at the river road bridge it's a familiar haul to be home by 1 and a long, hot soak in the bath.

A few tweaks will be required to the bike set up but the combo worked well and stood up to a bit of rough treatment. The Penny stove did its job, as did the Macpac tent on its first outing. Next time I come through Corner Creek it will either be on foot via the Mukamuka stream or hopefully there will be an opportunity to close the loop around the coast road.