An overcast morning greeted me after some light rain the night before, so I packed up my wet tent and went into town for the earliest of second breakfasts. There was nothing between Twizel and Tekapo, so I ate up and got some lunch supplies for the 56 kms ahead of me. This was my eighth day of cycling without a rest day and that’s three or four days too long. I would have stopped earlier, but hadn’t found anywhere that I’d like to spend more time.
56km isn’t far, but when it’s on gravel roads and single track with a howling headwind for the last part, then it’s an exhausting day.
The start opened out to a vast plain with the snow capped mountains in the far distance. It was terrain that I hadn’t been through before, so it was fun. It ended at Lake Pukaki which was absolutely stunning. The next 10kms hugged the shore of the azure lake and it was hard to focus on the trail while gawking at the view. Mt. Cook / Aoraki was in the background covered by clouds and while the clouds looked to be clearing for a while, it never happened.
That was the end of the fun for the day unfortunately. The trail turned away from the lake and ascended a big hill to a hydro canal, and that’s what I’d follow until the end of the ride in Tekapo.
The start of the canal contained a long line of fish farms, and there were lots of seagulls and other birds who just wanted to get at the fish. For them, it must have been as confusing as it was frustrating.
Following the canal was ok for some time, but then the wind got up and the last 10-12 kms were ridden into the headwind on a loose gravel road. It was hard work and the wind just got stronger by the minute. … but everything is transient, and the pain stopped as I neared Tekapo and found a place for a sandwich and a coffee.
Again, I was pleased to finish. I say that all the time, but today it was especially pleasing. Tekapo is a nice place, but this is a long weekend and it’s crawling with people. I may stay here for the whole three days of the weekend so I can avoid the traffic.
