We've be on the road nearly two month...yes, time flies. Most of us know this. Kate and I have spent the better part of the last few weeks in the Otago region of New Zealand. Open spaces, lovely weather (finally!), and roadblocks full of sheep! We took a four day mini-trip in between races from Queenstown to Milford sound via the TSS Earnslow Ferry and Mavora Lakes Road.
The ferry was an eventful 45 minute trip across the S-shaped Lake Wakatipu. Eventful in that the boat is a super old, super cool steam ship. Otherwise, uneventful. No stormy weather or rogue waves or anything like that.
The boat dropped us off at Walter Peaks Station where the unsealed road meandered nicely through the mountains and farmlands. One of my life-long dreams to snap a photo of a scene like the one below! Glad to check that off my to-do list :) Heaps of sheep, open space and empty roads make for picturesque photos. They were being guided from behind by the farmer guy in a truck (aka ute, here) and his herding doggies. And off they went. Leaving doo-doo tracks that we would immediately be riding through. YES!
See, lots and lots of open space.
We camped a night (incredibly cold - but cloudless!) at Mavora lakes and befriended a french couple cycling on an odd contraption - it's a tandem...not so odd...but the front seat is a recliner style - I forget what they are called. The concept of this style tandem is good, the french couple explained, but the mechanics of it still needs some work, they said. The concept is that the person in the rear only sees the back of the front person on a regular tandem and potentially misses out on heaps of sights so having them in a reclined position up front gives both parties views to enjoy. Hopefully the small german company that designed it will edit it and make it more user friendly.
Eventually Kate and I made our way to the sealed roads to Te Anau - a gateway town to the Milford Sound. We camped the night at a freedom camping spot known as Queen's Reach before taking off the next day to Lake Gunn. Long day due to a late start, but the sunny sun sun was out for a record three days in a row!
We are so far south, and Autumn has arrived so the nights are for sure getting longer - this only means shorter days of riding as well.
The following day ranked up there as one of the most beautiful riding days of my life - the ride from Lake Gunn, through Homer Tunnel (a lightless, narrow, 1.2 km tunnel through near vertical Fiordland mountains), and out the other side to Milford Sound is indescribably stunning, even in a midst of chilly drizzle. Pics won't do it justice, so I suggest you just go there yourself!
See, I'm super happy to be in Milford Sound!
On the bikes again tomorrow for a 7 hour race in Queenstown - we're doing it relay style. It's 7 hours on a 7 mile lap course. Then off to the Otago Rail Trail or the Catlins before a half marathon back in Wanaka the last weekend of March! We agreed to volunteer at registration the day before, so we get our entries waived. I will also hopefully hunt down a winter job and work for accomodation as well while in town. Wish me luck!
Aloha!
No comments:
Post a Comment