Pioneer trail - Friday 19 July and trip comments

This is not shaping up to be a pleasurable day biking; a long straight haul down the Wairau and on to Picton, hopefully not into a head wind.

It's light enough as I leave the lodge (and another group of Kayakers gearing up) just before 8. The sun is casting dusky pink light on the top of Mt Robert and there's a wee bit of frost in places. Low mist follows the contours of the farm land with the sun catching the top as it starts to crack through above Tophouse saddle. From the intersection with the Golden Downs Road it's new biking territory for me.

The road drops from the saddle and it's into long flat straights for the next few hours. Not much else to say really; the sun shines up the valley and there is mercifully little wind.

The vineyards start a lot further from Blenheim than I expect but it's quite a while before I see any names I recognise. About three hours after starting I roll into Renwick, buy lunch and eat it in the sun outside a vineyard. It's a busy work day with teams out amongst the bare vines whereas I'm just soaking up the sun. Afterwards I think to check the ferry timetable and regret being quite so leisurely. The 1.05 looks off the cards but the 2pm Bluebridge should be a goer (including a wee stop and taste at the Makana chocolate factory).

Despite a firmish head wind up the valley towards Picton and the usual brutal traffic, it's a little after 12.45 when I enquire at the counter and the chatty woman says yes there is room for a skinny bike and rider on the 1.05. She asks if I felt the 5.7 earthquake centred off Seddon earlier but although everyone else from Christchurch to Wellington seems to have, I didn't.

There's time to sit in the sun and dry sweaty clothes before boarding. After all the rush the boat eventually gets away 40min late. And that's pretty much it. A smooth sunny sailing with food and snoozing as the main past times then the last few Ks home along my usual commuter route in time for the weekend; after a good long soak in the bath that is.

No photos today so here's where I went on Saturday with Angela

Comments

Great fun; some dramatic and isolated countryside without ever being that far from civilisation. A good amount of gravel and off road entertainment although the last day on seal down the Wairau was a little tedious.

Being midwinter meant limited daylight and having to carry heavier gear for the cold, although bar the one windy day the weather was not too bad.

Initially I slightly under-cooked the gear needed to keep feet and hands warm (despite having over booties and mitts). The highest point was only 980m on the Porika track so it was all below the bushline.

I was happy to fork out for roofed accommodation on a number of nights. However, if you were of a mind, many of the forested areas had plenty of scope to find an off road camping spot. Bear in mind though that there are also long stretches of farm land where your tent might not be quite so welcome.
It would have been possible to have done the whole trip without a tent but with the added pressure of having to get to a specific destination each night. For a lighter, faster trip a fly would be viable (bearing in mind the rainfall and flesh eating insects you can get out West).

As with accommodation I was happy to buy food on the way. I carried four days of food but in the end there were plenty of places to buy meals so used most of the breakfasts, little of the lunch snacks and only one dehy dinner.

The bike set up worked fine. The aero bars got good use, particularly on the long straights on the last day. The tent on front was ok and only really affected steering on the very windy day. Slicks weren't a problem on gravel and over the Maungatapu and Porika tracks although if there had been rain
it might have been more interesting.

The two Kiwimaps road maps I carried were ok and covered my whole route but lacked useful detail. I would recommend carrying National park or 1:50,000 maps for off road sections.

Distances

Daily distances were somewhat limited by daylight and cold but a week was plenty of time to not feel rushed. Total Ks on 2 wheels was 704 km from Friday to Friday (with the first Friday as a work day and a day and a half off).

Daily break down:

Friday: Home to work and from Ferry to Aussie Bay; about 30km
Saturday: Aussie to Nelson; 81.4km
Sunday: to St Arnaud; 88.7km
Monday: to Muria; 123.2km
Tuesday: to Westport; 140.7km
Wednesday: Driving day
Thursday: Half day to St Arnaud; 96.8km
Friday: to Picton and Home; 143km

Pioneer Trail - Thursday 18 July

Pete has very kindly agreed to drop me up to the Denniston Plateau for a head start on the Denniston short cut. We leave in the dark and drizzle just after 7am and drive through a Westport that is sending the next shift up to Stockton.

The road climbs steadily and steeply up the ridge away from Waimangaroa, with the coastal plain opening grey and wet in the gloom below. The odd coal truck rumbles down the hill.

We don't pause at the top but the various relics of old settlements are scattered along the route. The landscape is shrouded in clag and it doesn't take much imagination to picture a fairly bleak existence up here. The road branches and winds getting rougher and we're pretty pleased to be in the Hilux. Eventually we get to what must be pretty close to the top, the drizzle has let up so I shake hands with Pete and pedal off into the clag as he executes a u turn.

Two electricity utes come in the opposite direction as I start down a steep descent. At the bottom there's a bit of straight and I'm feeling uneasy about the direction of travel when a section of road clicks and I realise we came up this way. Sure enough a minute later Pete drives around the corner; "How the hell did you get here!" You can only laugh. The bike goes back in the tray and Pete performs another u turn.

The road executes a long loop and in the clag the power lines can't be seen to give a bearing. There are a number of turn offs that could be possible routes off the top. We end up checking a couple of duds including one that follows a new line a long way down. As a pylon service road there are regular side roads to each structure. Most are clearly minor but when you can't see the wires it isn't always obvious. 

Eventually we have the right one (it is marked with a loose rock cairn that you pass on your left) but Pete's not about to let his guest head off into the mist down the precipitous track so keeps going saying he'd better check out the ford at the Mackley River (officially: "Orikaka or Mackley River"). The track drops and winds and drops. It takes longer than either of us expected and is fairly steep in places with a few stiff climbs out of Stevenson and Mt Williams stream gullies.

The service utes are still in front of us somewhere so we know the route is passable (or that we will have company if not).

Eventually we drop to the river, it's sizeable with a bouldery approach but a good drivable line. The exit is via the mouth of Blue Duck Creek and looks undrivable. However we see the other utes have got through so we chuck some rocks in appropriate places then Pete launches his pride and joy at what amounts to a wet boulder pile. The Hilux bucks and bounces over the bank into the stream and attacks the steep exit. Pete's head is rocketing around inside like a blonde pinball but it carries through.

There's no way we're about to go back through all that so there had better not be any locked gates.

It's still a fair old way out and the service ute tracks we are following have turned up all the side tracks so there are a few intersections we have to check. However, after the climb from the river the track is smoother and less steep. There's old coal mine workings and eventually farm land at New Creek and a sealed road that takes us to the iron bridge over the Buller River.

At 11.30 I once again shake hands and say good bye to Pete feeling guilty about what we've put his truck through.  We're both a bit sheepish about the morning's navigation but it was a pretty good adventure.  He and Wendy get many visitors from off the Coast who are all treated to their generous hospitably so I'm also conscious I have taken up a day and a half of his time without the courtesy of a pre-warning.

The drizzle has cleared as I head up the gorge while Pete turns for a long but somewhat smoother trip back down the road to Westport, Cass and his Wekas.

Having time and supplies to get a bit lost for awhile, I was relaxed about the shortcut but there are a few lessons. Some of the written descriptions of the route are not easy to relate back to the landscape you see so I recommend taking the 1:50,000 map(s). The road is steep up and down and winds around the craggy ridges so it's very hard to keep a bearing in clag if you can't see the wires.

The trip up the gorge is straight forward. 2-3 K after the Iron Bridge is Lyell and the start of the Old Ghost Road then it is through the Upper Buller Gorge, past the fault scarp at White Creek, past the intersection with SH 65 and on to Four Rivers Plain (I assume these are the Buller, the Matakitaki from the south, the Matiri from the north and the Mangles from the south-east. The Rain has been through but the cloud is broken and there's occasional glimpses of sun. The tearooms in Murchison supply lunch again before the long stretch beneath the Blue Cliffs Ridge to Owen River.

There is no sun in the afternoon as I pass the Owens Junction pub, the Road beside the Gowan River to Lake Rotoroa and Kawatiri junction with the remnants of a failed railway link to Nelson. Last time I came through (1989) the pub was an obligatory stop for a beer and I ended up sleeping the night in the disused railway tunnel (nothing to do with the beer).

Kawatiri Junction; left to St Arnaud, right to Murchison

North from Kawatiri Junction is the long road over the Hope and Spooner Saddles to Nelson but today it's 25k to St Arnaud and maybe 20K further to the DoC camp site at Kowhai Point.

It's about 4.30 and starting to get dim as I ride into St Arnaud so I'm happy to call it quits. At the petrol station/store I have just discovered that the Takeaway wont be open today when a voice from behind asks; "Where've you come from today mate?" I turn and we recognise each other. Ashley is an erstwhile work colleague, a mad keen cyclist and an all round good bloke. He casts an expert eye over my set up, makes the right comments and enquires about my route in detail. He's coming up to the Lodge restaurant later so promises to shout me a beer.

I have a dorm room to myself again. After watching the pink light drain away west from the (now) sparse snow on the ranges there's time for a shower and to set sweaty gear to dry, all much better done in a room than a tent.

My blue cod and chips is generous and tasty, and with a glass of Neudorf Chardonnay cycling catering doesn't get much better than this.  Ashley pops over for a chat, as does mine host and before long it's time to turn in. I'm intending to head for Picton tomorrow and although there's no hills it could be a bit of an effort.

Go to blog for Friday; homeward bound

Pioneer Trail - Monday 15 July

At 7am it's dim outside but the wind has dropped. Clouds are gathered about the ranges and it's cold; snow flakes are drifting through the village.  

About half eight I leave the kayakers gearing up for a short jaunt up the lake before returning to Wellington. With very little skin showing it's on to the highway and a quick trip down to the Howard Valley turn off (about 16km and well signposted).  The snow thins out and the sun occasionally peeks through.

Howard road is gravel and recently graded but not too bad. After about 5km the start of the Porika track (470m) is easy to find and not so looked after; a sign absolves the Council of the risks you might take. There's ice on the track as it winds up through beech before crossing a stream and skirting farm land.  From here it climbs through beech forest with occasional huts by the way. It's good 4WD track quality and the gritty rock makes traction fine on slicks.

After 4km there's a road on the right, the track veers left and levels off at an area marked for gold fossicking.

Arr, there's gold in ...

Flat at last, note the crowded but serviceable aero bars

The kilometre of flat travel to a clearing and a memorial is welcome before it climbs again and steepens with occasional flakes of snow filtering through the canopy.

"...When the Lord sits in judgement,
I hope there will be a place for me
Somewhere in the Howard Valley..."

Towards the top it gets a bit rough but is ridable for the determined; I push the last 200m to the top (980m, about 7km from Howard Valley Road).

And then the descent (500m down in 3.5km); there are no views at the top so no point stopping. It's steep and a little rocky in places just enough to make it fun but not scary. There's enough granite about that the track is quite grippy despite the grade.

South along Rotoroa to Mt Misery

Part way down a corner opens a view down to and up Lake Rotoroa, at the head the snowy peaks around Mt Misery are emerging from or disappearing into snow cloud. This side has been hit by the southerly judging by the debris on the track. Towards the bottom the track gets a different type of interesting; patches of softer earth have been rutted by 4WDs making steering on road pressure slicks interesting.

Half way down looking west towards the Braeburn track

At the bottom there's a half K cruise to the bridge over the Gowan River. Part way along there's a road to the left with the ubiquitous DoC kiosk for registering to camp (location noted for future reference). The fancy lodge on the right just before the bridge is a little incongruous given some of the other rustic buildings. The bridge itself provides a view up to the tranquil lake, the outlet is deep and green and looks like any number of West Coast lakes. The whole place is peaceful and looks like a great holiday spot.

Straight off the end of the bridge the Braeburn track starts climbing from 460m on a well formed gravel road. The climb doesn't last too too long (650m) before it rolls into a delightful fast downhill. The tyre tracks are well compacted so the only speed limit is the unlikely event of a vehicle.  The Te Wiriki Stream valley is narrow and the road follows the stream through forest. At four points shallow fords present no problems. Soon enough the valley broadens and flattens, sun floods in and the ice starts to disappear.

The junction with Tutaki Road marks about 11km from Rotoroa and 21km to Murch. 4k down the road a right turn into Mangles Valley and its back on seal. Mangles Valley narrows and gets quite cold with ice appearing again. State Highway 6 is welcome despite the traffic and the 5k flick quickly by to be in Murchison shortly before 1pm.

There's a bit of choice for lunch but the tea rooms win out for nostalgic reasons. Hot chicken and bacon soup replenishes liquids, electrolytes and takes the edge of hunger, perfect. A pie finishes the job. The stop protracts somewhat with texts and a call from home followed by a stock up at the supermarket.

It's nice to turn off SH 6 again to travel south up the Matakitaki valley. It is quiet and sealed until just after 6 Mile Creek (where there is an interesting looking hydro scheme walk). The gravel road is wide with the middle lane giving the best riding. Vehicles are sporadic.

The sun warms my back and the wind although head on is not strong. Its mostly farm land but with some extensive beech forest. After a tiring section of fresh gravel the road drops through a rock cutting to a short bridge across the Matakitaki river. The short gorge below is, well ... gorgeous. It's about 15-20m down through sculpted rock. Up stream is sunlit farm land with icy peaks in the distance (Ella Range?). 

East up the Matakitaki

Upstream

Downstream

Silly bugger

After the bridge the road follows the river back up for about 3k crossing side streams and the imminently swimable Glenroy River before narrowing and diving up beside the Warbeck Stream towards Muria Saddle (7k to climb from 300m to 580m). The track is one lane with a grass middle strip at the start. It's pretty travelling and all ridable. The stream crossings are all low key but look like the water sometimes rips through. The top is unmarked but the 3k downhill starts emphatically. It's fast and any thought of finding a tent site is abandoned.

I haven't checked the map but figure that Muria (and the motel) can't be far from Muria saddle. However it is about 18k along SH 65 (the road linking Springs Junction and the Lewis Pass road to the Buller Gorge road about 10km west of Murchison) into deepening dusk before arriving at 6pm in the dark. An Indian chap with a mellifluous voice answers my knock. I don't ask the price ($100) and he shows me to a perfectly adequate unit. Warming, hydrating and eating fills the next couple of hours.

It's been a long day covering 146K over a good amount of gravel and off road through some mighty fine countryside.  It's a pretty happy biker that crawls into a toasty bed.

Go to blog for Tuesday: Muria to Westport 

Pioneer Trail - Sunday 14 July

It's a lot more comfortable on the lounge floor than in the tent and in the morning the Nelson sun warms Claire's verandah.  Consequently it is a leisurely start at 0920.  On the way up Waimea Road a succession of vintage cars rattle past then its on to the old rail way through Stoke and more suburban streets until emerging at the roundabout for the Appleby Highway.  Travelling up SH 6 to Wakefield into a mild southerly more vintage cars pass, some of which had passed earlier.

It's good to turn left out of the fast (and not so fast) traffic into Eighty Eight Valley Road just on the South side of Wakefield (I could have had a bit less main road travel if I hadn't missed the Higgin's Road turn off in Brightwater).  Eighty Eight Valley Road is a quiet country road following valley flats before a few low hills. About now the wind turns from mild to firm and it starts to be hard work, the clouds gradually squeeze out the sun and it gets cooler. A group of 12 motorbikes roar past but otherwise traffic is light.

It gets a bit busier after the left at the T junction at Hiwipango.  This is also the start of a steady climb into a wind that is gaining in strength. Over the top (429m) there's a cruise west down Reay's Valley to turn south (up the Motueka River) at Golden Downs (290m). The wind is now strong with some gusts causing a bit of grief with the steering; the tent roll catches the wind and flips the bars towards the ditch or the middle of the road.

After 4-5Km the road leaves the Motueka River and starts another climb up Long Gully to 641m and a drop to Kikiwa (487m) to follow up the Motupiko River and finally climb to Tophouse saddle at 726m.

During these hops between catchments, various good reasons start presenting themselves for a stop; adding more layers, a drink, a nibble, and at one point a bit of a lie-down using the carrier bag as a pillow. The long flats become a struggle into the wind and the hills an interminable grind. On the positive side the sun comes out and does it's best to warm my back. Although this stretch of road is regarded as a good ride my memories will not be favourable. With the head down there isn't much time to look at the scenery and when I do there seems to be is a lot of forestry and farming. But the tops draw the eye; there's snow on the near hills and in the distance the Travers and St Arnaud Ranges are pure alpine beauty (and apparently the source of the cold wind).

Traffic is steady but not a problem and is boosted by the vintage cars returning from wherever they've been. The closer to Tophouse, the stronger the wind gets. There's small and not so small branches on the road, twice I hear trees crash down in the distance and once I see from the corner of the eye something large topple in the bush nearby. The wind rises further and after being blown off the road and into the middle it is clear that riding is downright dangerous so the last 2K to the intersection are a trudge beside the bike, having to stop and brace periodically. Hearing the sound of the wind roaring through the row of trees at the junction it is amazing that they can stand up to it.

With the change in direction it's a chance to try riding again. The run into St A's is erratic, varying from scooting in front of the wind, occasional unexpected forays into the rough or middle and frequently stopped and braced waiting for a gust to pass. At last roofs come into view and it's a cruise to find a hot meal and investigate accommodation options (I don't fancy either testing the tent or the noisy night this would entail).

The Alpine Lodge is the first thing to catch my eye, it has a pack backers and I'm happy to be sole occupant in a 6 bed dorm room (incl shower token) for $29. The hosts are very welcoming and noting my condition suggest a hot stew in the bar. Perched by the fire the stew warms the parts the fire can't reach and a shower finishes the job.

Looking southish to St Arnaud Range

There's a kayaking group in and the corridor has that smell that you hope isn't coming from your feet (the row of wet suit booties may have something to do with it). A short lie down turns into a nap then it's time to pop across to the bar for a Sprig & Fern IPA and light dinner (Kofkas). These are good and any fears that there wouldn't be enough is dispelled as soon as they arrive; 4 tasty sticks with herbed yogurt, two flat bread wedges served on a simple salad and couscous ($14). There isn't even a grain of couscous left lurking under the cutlery by the end. The hosts are amazingly polite, attentive and the up sell is done with grace and no pressure. And they only have craft beer on tap!

A short yak to the kayakers before bed before 9. They had meant to go up Lake Rotoroa but the wind made it impossible. There is also news about how fierce the weather has been in Wellington however my room is comfortable and warm (and smells less than the corridor).

Go to blog for Monday: St Arnaud to Muria