ALPS TO OCEAN BICYCLE TOUR - The village of Kurow, New Zealand

Westmere Cottage, Kurow

Kurow.....what can I say but that it is an absolutely charming little village in the Waitake District. Three of us were domiciled for the night in Westmere cottage built around 1895, just a little older than the author but who's counting. I think the owners got a little bit more than they bargained for, opening the door to three bedraggled, weary cyclists. The first thing that took my attention, was the beautiful white carpet and as I didn't think it would be appreciated if I entered wearing my cleats, I duly took them off.

 

The interior of the cottage was like walking into a museum except there was not that musty smell associated with some museums but certainly they had a collection of bygone relics that would keep an avid collector in awe for hours.

 

 

 

I think my room must have been the bridal suite, it had that feel to it, but do you know that when I asked around if there was anyone interested in sharing the bridal suite with me, I had no takers, in fact, all I heard was "In your dreams!". Quite deflating it was.
 

The view from the window of the emerald green fields contrasting starkly with the brown barren mountain range in the background was like looking at a cinematic view in an English period drama.

We must have behaved ourselves because our hosts were up bright and early to farewell us or maybe they were just checking to see that the family heirlooms hadn't mysteriously departed during the night. If I was the proud owner of this beautiful cottage, that would have been my procedure and I think I would have been justified had I been confronted with three cyclists that for all the world looked like and could have been deserters from the Kelly gang.




Kurow, NZ

The above photograph was taken by our esteemed leader, Ken  who at the age of 79 climbed to the top of a rather steep hill overlooking Kurow and snapped this view, not bad for a guy in his third stage of life. His attitude and dedication to fitness should see him continue his adventurist spirit for many more years.

Later in the afternoon, our guide Fiona picked us up and deposited us outside the Kurow hotel which as soon as I walked in I could see that it was a favourite of the locals. Having finished work for the day, the workers had called in to tell a few stories over an ale or two before venturing home.

Across the road from the hotel was a bakery/cafe called The Valley Cafe and Bakery, owned by Steve Hotton and his wife Sandy. Steve is a former New Zealand International Rugby player who also happened to train as a baker and chef in France, Italy and Canada and specialises in French Charcuterie which is the technique of smoking and curing foods primarily from pork such as bacon, ham, terrines, etc.  We were guests of the Hottons for both dinner and breakfast the next morning. What can I say about it, well! to me, it was what I would have expected  in a major city,  served with flair and obviously very proud of their product and deservedly so. To find out more please open the following link...http://www.whattoseeanddo.co.nz/south-island/the-valley-cafe--bakery.php

 

 

In the morning as we cycled away from Kurow, I was struck by the juxtaposition of this low lying stream of cloud bisecting the alps from the cultivated fields

In my next post, I will describe the ride between Kurow and Oamaru


I really appreciate receiving good, constructive and polite comments.

Cheers and safe riding,
Jimmy Bee
 

ALPS to OCEAN BICYCLE TOUR - Day 4 - Kurow to Oamaru, New Zealand





As we were cycling along admiring the views, we came across a sign that said "Vanished World Trail" and with a mokka like that, we just had to stop and investigate. Wow! what a place, not only did we learn that we were at the bottom of an ancient sea bed where the relics of ancient life had been discovered and studied by eminent Anthropologists, Archaeologists and Geologists from around the world but we could feast our eyes on some of the earliest Maori cave drawings.

This is what cycling tours are all about, you take the time to explore places which normally if in a car, you would simply drive past without giving a second thought.

Duneden, NZ

Mexico.......no, actually the complete opposite, a cafe in Duntroon, on the South Island of New Zealand. It did however, on first sight conjure up thoughts of Mexico which I hadn't been to since the early 70's. I think it was the colour that struck me and perhaps the wooden barrel because, as I remember it, driving in from the airport to Mexico City we passed through some poor neighbourhoods which it would seem, jazzed there lives up by painting the buildings in vivid, purples, pinks, yellow, green and blue, the views of which were implanted deep in the hidden vaults of my brain, only to be resurrected when confronted with the above scene.

 

My editor, who on a slack day masquerades as my wife, told me the other day that I was attempting to write a cycling blog and therefore, it would be nice to add some bicycles and wanting to please my editor, as writers do, I obliged with the above photo, not only was it a bespoke model of bicycle but I was rather taken with the basket with nicely presented bread, which as a photographer of sorts, took my fancy.

Duntroon, NZ

Looking at this view of Duntroon, it could have been taken in the USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand and the cafe from this angle looks nothing like Mexico and this is how a simple image can be  manipulated to give a different impression.

U3A's Cycling For Pleasure Group

What a raggedy lot of reprobates and no-hopers. They deserve to be in the inside of the Duntroon  Gaol not posing in front of it. Like all scoundrels, there is a small streak of humanity in them which is usually brought out when sampling New Zealand wines in a dimly lit, dilapidated bar to be found mainly in the back streets of some country town, where the hiding of ones identity is paramount.

Elephant Rocks

Elephant Rocks

Elephant rocks are a scattering of large limestone formations which may or may not resemble elephants depending on your imagination or frame of mind at the time. I can understand this being  sought after as a film location and in 2009, was one of the locations used to film the movie, The Chronicles of Narnia. We had a great time roaming around both the rocks and the decaying film set.

The film set of The Chronicles of Narnia - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, (2005)

The Chronicles of Narnia was written by C.S. Lewis of which three have been made into film. The "Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" was filmed here and coincidentally, "The Voyage of the Dawn Trader" was partly filmed on Cleveland Point in Queensland, Australia close to where I live.

 

 

Elephant Rocks

What a magnificent vista. I remember taking this shot and thinking what a location to have a wide angle cinematic view of two opposing mythical armies thundering towards each other on horseback, sword blades flashing in the sunlight and blood curdling screams sending shivers down your spine. In stark contrast to my imagination my thoughts turned to thinking that someone actually lives here and leads a normal life grazing cattle and probably takes this magnificent scene for granted as he/she has seen it thousands of times.

 

From film set to the ocean, all in a good day's cycling. After spending what felt to be so long in the alps to suddenly be back on the coast was rather perplexing. Snow covered peaks one day and sand and surf the next. This country is amazing, such diverse scenery in such a small area.

Our two guides did a splendid job arranging picnic locations and this one was not to be outdone, perched high on a hill, overlooking ice blue water, waves breaking onto a sandy beach with the odd piece of driftwood and to top it all off, a fine, sunny, autumn day. Lunch was superb and I just loved those New Zealand mussels.

 

 

 

After lunch, we were back on our bikes again, riding the coastal road, heading for Oamaru. All up, I think we rode approximately 72 km this day being far more than some of our people ever imagined riding in a single day.

I really appreciate receiving good, constructive and polite comments.

Cheers and safe riding,
Jimmy Bee

ALPS to OCEAN BICYCLE TOUR - Day 3, Twizel to Kurow, New Zealand



Mackenzie Country Inn

 

Last night was spent in Twizel*, where we were accommodated at the lovely Mackenzie Country Inn. After relaxing over a couple of beers with my room mate, Murray, we headed off to Shawtys Restaurant* and bar to catch up with the rest of the mob. It is always pleasant to finish a day of riding/sight seeing with friends sharing a meal in nice surroundings.

 

The town of Twizel, designed on a Scandinavian theme,  was specifically built to accommodate workers on the massive hydro project being constructed in the Mackenzie Basin in New Zealand. This project took 18 years to complete.

 

Having a resident population of 1200, this trebles during the summer months with holiday makers and tourists.

 

Being a favourite haunt for the fly fishing fraternity with enough lakes, rivers and streams to fish new waters for 6 years, or, so they say. Sounds impressive doesn't it? More information can be had through opening LINKS at the bottom of this post.

 

Gearing up for a back roads ride along the canals

 

Twizel Loop

 

No boarding a bus this morning, it's straight into the ride, an 18km loop heading out from Twizel where we ride along a country road before turning and following the canal to Lake Ruataniwha with more picturesque lake views and then turning to head back into Twizel where we stopped and had a well deserved coffee at Poppies Restaurant.

 

 

The endangered Kaki (Black Stilt)

After coffee, we were back on the buses to be driven a short distance to the Department of Conservation's  intensive breeding program to learn all about the endangered Kaki* and how a dedicated small band of professionals and volunteers are doing their damnest to prevent them from fading into oblivion

 

The Kaki (Black Stilt), the whole 40cm of it  is the rarest wading bird in the world and an intensive, captive breeding program is under way to ensure this bird doesn't follow other species into extinction.

An annual release of young birds bred in captivity and a program to control introduced predators such as ferrets, hedgehogs and feral cats appear to be making headway in achieving this important goal.

 

On conclusion of our educational session on the Kaki, we were back on the buses heading for another lake. Pip and Fiona our two guides chose the location for lunch well and put on a scrumptious picnic and as we were all feeling hungry due to the cool, fresh alpine air we were ready to devour just about anything. Of course, in their usual competent fashion, these two ladies managed a lunch that would be worthy of a spread in a lifestyle magazine.

Waiting for lunch to be prepared, gave us a great opportunity to explore this part of the world and although I'm the world's worst and most impatient fisherman, I did have a hankering to drop a line in to try my luck at catching a trout or salmon for which this region is renowned.

 

 

Lake Aviemore, NZ

With the inner man happy, we were back on our bikes riding along the banks of Lake Aviemore. This is a man made lake built as part of the Waitaki Hydroelectric Scheme. Completed in 1968, it is renowned for it's salmon and trout fishing as well as being popular for wind surfing and sailing. As can be seen in the above map, we were actually riding between pristine clear water on one side and rugged mountains on the other. The ride was smooth and the time went so quickly that I was quite surprised to see the dam wall at the end of the ride come into view when it did.

 

I know that my passion is recreational cycling and in particular day touring albeit....in comfort but  one thing I would really love to do is to return to the New Zealand Alps and do some trekking and canoeing. There is something about this beautiful country that reaches out and insists that you return.

It was but a short drive to the village of Kurow and our accommodation for the night.

I use Map my Ride for simplicity and elevation information. Become a member (free) and find similar rides within the area and elsewhere.

I really appreciate receiving good, constructive and polite comments.

Cheers and safe riding,
Jimmy Bee


For more information please open the following links:
*
Shawtys Restaurant and bar....http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Restaurant_Review-g612499-d812326-Reviews-Shawty_s_Cafe-Twizel_Mackenzie_District_Canterbury_Region_South_Island.html

The town of Twizel.... http://www.twizelnz.com/about-twizel-nz.html

The endangered Kaki (Black Stilt)...en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Stilt

LakeAviemore...http://www.waimatedc.govt.nz/Waimate/Accommodation/WaitakiLakesCamping.htm

ALPS to OCEAN BICYCLE TOUR - Day 2 - Tekapo to Twizel continued, New Zealand

The new Zealand Alps

Continuing on from my last post where we had an off road adventure cycling around part of Lake Pukaki, we received the message that Aoraki (Mt. Cook) was beckoning us to come and pay homage to this beautiful mountain. There is something about magnificent mountains which goes way beyond the spiritual, almost like a siren from the deep. The Maoris who call this 3724m. mountain Aoraki,  (meaning cloud piercer in their language) have always known of the spiritual significance of this mountain. To learn more about the legend, open the following link http://goaustralia.about.com/cs/newzealand/a/aorakilegend.htm



On the way to Mt. Cook (Aoraki)

The best seat on the bus was in the front next to the driver and as it was my turn, I had the privileged position to capture the alps as we approached.

Mount Cook National Park covers approximately 700 square kkilometres with the alps running some 450 km north to south with 16 of the mountains exceeding 3,000m.

Those of you who live in or visit regularly Alps in other countries, will probably be thinking , "nice pictures but not much snow and ice", and I agree, but these photographs were taken in early March and that is the very start of Autumn in this part of the world. Imagine, what it is like in the depth of winter. A lot of readers would not know that these alps run in a range some 450 km long and cover most of the south island of New Zealand.

 

It is said that the mountains are still growing by 5-10 mm per year....awesome!

 



There are also some 3,000 glaciers larger than 1 hectare (2.2 acres) covering 40% of the entire area of the Mt. Cook National Park. The information on Mt. Cook National Park courtesy of Wikipedia. For more information on the subject please open the following link -http://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Aoraki/Mount_Cook_National_Park

 

Each day, our lunch breaks were different and comprised of either having a picnic by a lake, overlooking the sea or at a restaurant. Having preordered lunches was a blessing as we didn't have to waste valuable time browsing menus or waiting an eternity for everybody to receive their meal. 

There is nothing quite so rewarding as sitting in front of an open fire after first having satisfied the hunger pains and then consuming a nice hot cup of coffee before hitting the open road again.

These eager pilgrims were climbing a hill to secure the best position to view and photograph the Tasman Glacier. Their efforts would not be in vain.

This is one of the lakes that used to be fed by the melting glacier but now is no more than a mere pond whose emerald green colour is due to the green algae which thrives from the warm rainwater now feeding the lake.

The contrast of colours in this enlarged version of the lake with it's etched pink borders of stone makes for wonderful photographic subject.

In this photograph, you can see the forward face of the glacier at the top of the lake. It is retreating back to the mountains at a fast rate somewhere between 477 and 822 metres each year and has retreated about 180 metres a year on average since the 1990s.

 

There are large chunks of the glacial ice floating in the lake particularly up closer to the face of the glacier but it is difficult to distinguish these from the tourist boats except that the boats are yellow in colour.

  

Looking at the above photograph, it is quite easy to see where the glacier has been and retreated from in the near past.

This picture of the three tourist boats in formation on the grey glacial lake makes a nice contrasting photograph. The size of the boats also puts into perspective, how high above the lake I was standing when taking the picture.

 

Having done the tourist bit it was time to get a little exercise so off came the bikes and we were soon on our way, leaving the Southern Alps and heading towards Twizel. Down hill they said, an easy ride they said, strange sense of humour these Kiwis have. They seem to take great delight in telling you that it's all downhill, well maybe a little undulation but nothing to worry about they chorused, grinning from ear to ear. However, we were a little wiser as we had heard it all before when we had our little jaunt around Hawkes Bay last year. All downhill they said but conveniently forgot to add that first you had to climb up this bloody great mountain and then you could cruise for miles down the other side. What they refer to as mere hills, we refer to as mountains here in Oz.

 

Actually, the climbing under normal conditions would not have been so bad had it not been for a biting headwind of some 20 -25 km per hour. Personally, I don't mind climbing the hills because you know there is an end to it and you can pace yourself but riding into a headwind that's another matter, it's soul destroying, it's relentless and just when you feel it is easing, it hits you again and again and again, never giving up and so it was for the next 40 km. For every negative, there is a positive and for us it was the spectacular views to be had at the top of each hill and of course, not to be dismissed, the glides down the other side. Pain is a funny thing though, the memory of it tends to diminish with time.........I would do this ride again to-morrow if I had the chance.

 

Another thing, a good hard ride deserves a good hard thirst and I could feel a nice cold beer coming on and as soon as we got to Twizel, I headed to the local supermarket to buy some beer. A strange thing happened......they wouldn't break open a carton of local beer to sell me a 6 pack but they would sell me a 6 pack of Australian VB.......I don't know how they work that into their local economy but I do know that it tasted really good.

I use Map my Ride for simplicity and elevation information. Become a member (free) and find similar rides within the area and elsewhere.

I really appreciate receiving good, constructive and polite comments.

 

Cheers and safe riding,
Jimmy Bee

ALPS to OCEAN BICYCLE TOUR - Day 2 - Tekapo to Twizel, New Zealand

Having had coffee, we drove to where the Tekapo Canal exits into Lake Pukaki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Pukaki where we mounted our bikes  for our first ride of the day. Initially the ride was on a sealed road. At the 5.8 km mark we diverted onto the LakesideTrail which was a gravel road  narrowing into an almost single track in parts and was the type of off road cycling I really like and do whenever I get the chance. We followed the trail for 11 km along the edge of Lake Pukaki where we boarded our buses and headed for The Hermitage, Mt. Cook



Lake Pukaki

Nothing like climbing a hill off road to make you feel alive



Lake Pukaki

A couple of Jimmy Bee's cousins enjoying nature

Lake Pukaki contrasting with an array of alpine grasses

Lake Pukaki

In past posts, I have alluded to from time to time, how the marriage between cycling and photography works extremely well and with a little imagination and skill that photography can be expressed in an art form. The photograph below of a single Scotch Thistle flower with the help of Picasa  http://picasa.google.com.au/ and a little tweeking, a simple photograph becomes a piece of art. I might even have it placed on a piece of canvas for my own enjoyment.



Scotch Thistle flower



As there was so much involved in day 2, I have decided to pause here, and then in the next post, I'll tell you about Mt. Cook and the Tasman Glacier as well as our undulating descent down to Twizel.


I use Map my Ride for simplicity and elevation information. Become a member (free) and find similar rides within the area and elsewhere.

I really appreciate receiving good, constructive and polite comments.


Cheers and safe riding,
Jimmy Bee