November and December Missions

November brought slightly warmer but windier conditions!

Helen and I spent a long weekend in Hanmer Springs, rolling around the local tracks while I am rebuilding my confidence on technical mountain bike tracks, the leg has healed fine and is strong and getting stronger ... well ... the head is taking a bit longer!

We also snuck over into the big country to ride the St James Cycleway, I love this ride!!! The big mountains, the huge valley, the sense of remoteness it has so much going for it! It is an adventure! And the riding is great too! What more could you ask for!

We park at the St James Homestead, rode the 20 kms up the Clarence Valley to Mailing Pass (head wind all the way!) dropping down into the Waiau River along that lunch at the swing bridge, back up over Charlies Pass, with a quick bite to eat and a hot brew at Charlies hut before riding out to the car, the last 5 or 6 kms are such a blast, smooth flowing track ... what a way to finish! Just under 9 hours for the 86 kms including stops.

But wait there is more!

A Marlborough Loop ... 

With four days up our sleeves, we left Helen's flat in Nelson and rode up to St Arnaud, a warm day which climbs steadily to Nelson Lakes National Park, we found a cold beer to quench our thirst to watch the drizzle set in ... nice timing!

The next day brought a forecast of westerlies ... a whole day with the wind at our backs and it was down hill! St Arnaud to Blenhiem to spend a lazy afternoon in a cafe, before riding out to Rarangi on the coast to camp.

The third day brought hills and wind ... the eleven hills through the stunning Port Underwood and a very strong headwind (yes! it was still blowing a westerly and we were now heading west!) from Picton to Pelorus Bridge ... bloody tough going but just had to suck it up buttercup!

Between our camp and home was really only one hill ... the mighty Maungatapu ... 8 kilometres, 1 hour 35 minutes of climbing, just you ... your bikes smallest gear ... and the hill! But what a downhill ... wahooooo! just a little sketchy at times on a fully loaded bike haha!

Finally Christmas arrived and we were able to sneak in a couple of hours down the Hutt River Trail from Upper Hutt to Petone, then onto into Wellington and around to Island Bay to finish the month off!

Catching up - October Missions!

Shite! I haven't written anything since August ... talk about being lazy! Although I do have an excuse ... just not a very good one!

After surviving the winter riding with Anja's High School cycle team once a week during July and August, I received notice that the surgeon had a slot where he could remove the two screws from my knee which were bothering me, so in I went for the afternoon and out came the two screws!

Well that laid me low for most of September ... October soon rolled around and fitness was quickly coming back.

Along with redundancy and searching for a new job!









Helen and I headed out onto Banks Peninsula for an overnight excursion, leaving home we rode up over the Port Hills to Lyttelton caught the ferry to Diamond Harbour and meandered our way through Port Levy, Pigeon Bay, the Summit Road camping the night at O'kains Bay.

The following morning we headed back up onto the Summit Road dropping down to Little River and followed the Rail Trial home.

Overall a successful wee trip to test the knee out and fitness. I was a little slow on the up hills but knew that would come with more riding.

Late October brings a long three day weekend ... and we headed up to the Marlborough Sounds to join Gordon and Sharon and Gordie and Jill. Three of them are joing in the fun during febuary and March and are riding the Tour Aotearoa, Gordon will be completing the double as he has already walked Te Araroa Trail!

Day One, we left Havelock and rode through the Queen Charlotte Drive to Anikiwa where we joined the Queen Charlotte track popping out at portage for lunch then following the road around the northen side of Keneperu Sound to Hopewell Lodge ... this is a very special place to come and stay ... peaceful and friendly, great hospitality and pizzas to die for! Not to mention the mussels!

Day Two, we left reluctantly left Hopewell heading out through Crail and Ellie Bays to Monaroa up over the hill back into Keneperu before ending the day at Punga Cove for the night.

Day Three, we left Punga Cove and rode back along the Queen Charlotte track to Anakiwa back along the road to Havelock. Helen and I had decided that we would complete this trip with all our gear for the Tour Aotearoa, which meant we were fully loaded, by the time we got to Te Maihia my leg was giving me enough gip for me to pull the pin. I had found out how much climbing I could do before it became too much. with that in mind I was only going to get stronger from here.

October was rounded out by celebrating my 50th!