With quails nesting in the tree above, I had a far better sleep – but still with plenty of stargazing interspersed, bliss – and was last to rise again. At least this time, Guy and Eileen were still packing up their tents. Having less gear to wrangle into bags than the tented, we left our little riverside spot together for the short stretch to Tarras.
As the sun rose, it was pleasant riding on some flat gravel.
A good start to the day as we caught a few others. Only the stretch of Highway 8A I’d ridden a few times before, and always into the wind. It was no different today, in fact it was worse as the norwester had strengthened and continued to do so. The thirty-odd flat kilometres north to Hawea was the worst wind of the week and took us two hours, during which there were plenty of pauses for snacks, booking the first boat leaving Queenstown the next day, and a cue for my bottom bracket to develop rather ominous noises.
Finally, Lake Hawea was there in front of us – we just had to pedal downhill to reach it.
White caps galore, what a surprise.
Definitely time for a cafe stop in Hawea and a break from the wind. Now with the wind behind us, Eileen and I made good time to Albertown before rounding into the wind for the Outlet track. Wanaka for lunch, I split to a bike shop (no help, but thought bottom bracket would make it through – if I could bear the noise) and then went about a few hours off the bike to catch up with family and friends. Wonderful to see David and Mary and to share recent news.
A huge lunch was most welcome too, even if I’d only just had brunch.
Trying to organise to catch up with Cat, why not nap in the sun out of the hot wind? Photo: Dave King
Unable to quite arrange to meet, I started heading out of town around two. I soon became convinced that there was no way my bottom bracket was going to survive, and with remote sections to come – this was the best opportunity to get it sorted. A different bike shop was far more helpful (and concurred that it was terminal), had the part and did the work in less than two hours from my first phone call. Much respect to Black Peak Cycles. By that time, schedules aligned and twas lovely to catch up with Cat and somewhat meet a newborn.
Eventually I had to leave town, with eighty-odd kilometres and the Crown Range to rattle off and five hours of daylight available. It worked brilliantly, with the wind behind me (mostly) it was the easiest ride up to Cardrona and over the Crown that I’ve had. Pleasant temperatures (absolutely froze one early-March morning on TA16, and that day on the last GSB was a bit of an epic) and little traffic was ace. No wind at the top and the blast down to Arrowtown was exhilarating to say the least. The tedious loop of Arrowtown made no sense and was hard to figure on the coarse GPS track (those low resolution files about my only gripe all week).
Summit getting closer as the road finally kicks a little.
Thirty or so kilometres of familiar and mostly-benign cycle trail into town got done, legs holding up for the occasional short pinch climbs. Wonderful evening and time of day to be riding into town – warm, quiet. I needed lights for the last ten minutes of the pathway into town, the only time all week. Queenstown far quieter than once, as expected, I was happy to find a pizza joint open before spinning up the hill to the motel Guy had booked. Tales of the day shared, pizza half gone (some left for inevitable mid-night snack), body and clothes clean again…another cracking day. Some challenges overcome (that wind, and working through sudden bottom bracket peril), plenty of food, good riding company, taking a few hours rest out of the heat and wind, seeing loved ones and topping it off with a gorgeous solo evening ride.