bikepacking, bikes, friends, national park, NZ

Half-Heaphy – James Mackay Overnighter

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With the forecast looking amenable to a pleasant day on the Heaphy, we hastily prepared for a trip in to James Mackay Hut – weather didn’t look so great on the way out, but that was a risk worth taking for time on such a track. Repacking done, the slow drive to Karamea (plenty of roadwork on the winding road) over, and a remarkable pie at Vinnie’s Cafe devoured and we were at Kohaihai trying to evade the sandflies late-morning.

Kohaihai itself not a bad spot, ignoring the insect bites.

All my riding seems to be at a leisurely pace currently, but that’s ok – the Heaphy is wonderful and worth savouring. Far more details and photos from past visits here.

Tom leaving the first beaches and Kohaihai Bluff.

Certainly was looking like a great late-autumn day.

Into the nikau groves.

Rachel emerging from forest on to one of the many swing bridges.

Snacks at Katipo Creek Shelter probably weren’t necessary, as Heaphy Hut is so close, but it was getting warm – I was bewildered to be delayering to summer riding kit. The trail opens up a bit here, in no time we were lunching outside the hut amused by the antics and fighting of the cheeky wekas. It looked as though there were a lot of pigs around, such was the damage to the big lawn in front of the hut – but no, just the wekas ripping up the turf hunting for tasty morsels.

Last time I was through here with Pete, there was the bridge over the Heaphy River had been swept away in a flood – so I was keen to see the new bridges (one crossing the Heaphy below the confluence with the Lewis and the other crossing the Lewis).

This is unusual – quite the convoluted ramp structure to get on to the true left side of the bridge.

Impressive.

The new bridge is much higher above the river. A deceptive incline on the true right side, quite unusual for a swing bridge in the NZ backcountry.

It’s a short section of new trail to cross the Lewis – that bridge not so big, but also more of a climb at the other side than one expects. Another break at the weird Lewis Shelter, because snacks are necessary – especially with a steady two-hour climb next.

The shelter has been closed in, albeit in a rather temporary-looking fashion.

At least that door-of-sorts will keep some weather out.

I suspect this was done for the bridge building, there was a stack of mattresses outside – they weren’t there when the shelter was newer. I pottered on up the climb, nice not to have to spend twenty minutes clambering over a big slip as on last visit. We settled in to a quiet evening in the hut, two other hikers our company. Again with such a large hut and few people in it, it’s difficult to heat – especially with coal no longer supplied and a ropey wood supply.

Supposedly there was some weather to get ahead of on our return, but it sure didn’t look like it. Rachel wanted to go a bit beyond the hut and we were happy to oblige. Fun to attempt slightly more challenging trail – scoured out rocky bits.

We found some rocks and climbed them.

The aforementioned slip about halfway down the long descent to the rivers seemed a good spot to regroup – read: for the others to make sure I’d not gone off the side of the mellow trail – and snack.

Nice to have this bike for the trail riding.

Crossing the Heaphy again. Freewheeling down that bridge, it’s alarming just how much speed one picks up. Hitting an upright definitely to be avoided at that pace.

Pausing in the sun (the weather certainly didn’t come in) to make sure we didn’t carry excess food out, I took the opportunity to wander to the beach – which I’d never had time or bothered to do before. Lovely. At sea level it was warm again, I spent even more time in short sleeves than the previous day. Plenty of time to appreciate the ride out…

A very pleasant two half-days of riding in a beautiful spot (the coastal section always feels like it is somewhere more tropical), we were back at the truck rushing to cover skin and load-up to avoid the bites. Back for another pie in Karamea.

And look at the real estate listings; alas, this has been sold.

bikes, friends, GPS, NZ

Lady Lake and Lake Brunner loop

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A later start for a less ambitious ride today – a nice gravel loop out of Moana. Recovering from the Paparoa, Pike29 loop I did have the planned advantage of being on a faster, rather than slower, bike than the others – life was a lot easier trying to keep up on the road! I see now that most of the loop was on roads I first rode in my first bikepacking event – the Kiwi Brevet back in 2015, I think about that day every time I drive over Arthurs Pass now. Past the little house at the old Kotuku School, the road turned to gravel as we began the climb to Bell Hill – not a particularly big climb, just the biggest of our day.

Farm land for a bit, looking back towards Lake Brunner, Mt Te Kinga (left).

Turning south, the drop to Lady Lake through native forest was both beautiful and fun. Alas, no great viewpoints were obvious as we whizzed past. We did stop to drop jaws at the clarity and colour of Crooked River.

Wasn’t difficult to spot big trout in there too.

Te Kinga again.

Back on the seal for forty minutes to return to Moana, Richard sure showing signs of Tour Divide prep – keeping a fair clip on his hardtail up the rises. I enjoyed the fun and ease of a lighter bike. Rachel was keen to check out the new, not quite completed but open to ride, Lake Brunner Scenic Trial that starts in Moana and runs around the lake towards Mitchells. A previously existing bridge took us over the lake’s outlet – the Arnold River.

Difficult to believe that’s a river.

Past a few houses and across a grassy section, with a surprising sand trap, we found the trail. It’s a cracker, a credit to the community – it being managed and built by them. Following the edge of the lake through native bush, there are plenty of twists, turns and small rises to keep it engaging. Great fun at the front – with care, as already it’s a well used trail, plenty of others out on foot and wheel. The surface is already mostly good, just one section in the middle was, at the time, bone-rattling on a rigid bike.

After seven kilometres, the trail just stops – currently.

But it’s easy to see why.

It looks that once the Eastern Hohonu River is bridged, it’s not far to join up to the existing Bain Bay walkway back to Mitchells, and then it’s twenty kilometres of backroad to Kumara and the West Coast Wilderness trail… Alas, we had to turn and head back.

Not without stopping at Irishmans Landing, snacking and pointing at things.

Te Kinga again, really should get up there one day.

A fun few hours stretching the legs and seeing some different sights, we parted ways – some back to Christchurch and some of us to Westport for more time with friends and riding bikes.

bikes, friends, GPS, MTB, national park, NZ

Paparoa, Pike29 loop

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Not having seen Rachel since her last big bikepacking trip abroad, time was running out to get the Oteake crew back together for a more modest bike trip. The weekend long since decided, the location was only confirmed closer to the time as late-autumn forecasts considered. Andy and I were keen to ride the recently opened Pike29 Memorial Track, off the Paparoa Trail; Rachel was happy to ride it again – possibly as it meant she had the shortest drive. Richard (soon off to Tour Divide), Tom (recently reacquainted with on previous ride) and Ian made up our group assembled in Blackball Friday night. The plan was to ride a loop from Blackball, to and along the southern section of the Paparoa to the Pike29 intersection, the Pike29 and thirty-odd kilometres of road back to Blackball.

A very frosty morning, we were eventually underway after I’d sorted my car loaded for two weeks of adventures (and possibly two weeks of work) out. Getting up to the trailhead at Smoke-ho was an opportunity to warm a bit, but it wasn’t too chilly – even being the only one in shorts. The climb to Ces Clark hut is one of my favourites – an old mining pack track, I’ve always found it an achievable technical challenge on a loaded bikepacking rig. I was looking forward to the Paparoa on my unloaded trail bike; the climb seemed a lot easier – it seemed to have been sanitised in parts, but it was probably mostly the change in set-up.

A few bridges early on; the entries and exits the only non-rideable parts of the trail.

Frosty at the old hotel site, around 400 m elevation.

Ces Clark hut view down the lower Grey River valley.

As we reached the tops, the breeze picked up a bit – cooling things off a little. Despite a few prolonged stops, not many photos taken (previous trips here) as I was enjoying riding and being on the trail.

After lunch at Moonlight Tops Hut, it was into one of my highlights of the Paparoa – the goblin forest as you ride along the escarpment. My lack of time on the bike starting to show – I don’t remember there being so many little climbs! With all our stops, it was about six hours before we reached the top of the Pike29 track.

From the top end, the trail starts with a somewhat unexpected climb for half an hour – at my, now, slow speed having walked an alarming amount of it. You’d think I’d have dropped from the 32 tooth chainring by now, but no – at least getting a smaller one is finally in progress. 32t was manageable when I was in some sort of bike-fit condition and I’m definitely no longer that.

More, possibly even better, goblin forest at the top of the Pike29.

All were waiting for me at the final lookout at the top of the descent.

Finally, the long descent to Pike River – which was the main reason for bring the more-fun (on trail anyway) bike today. Wow, I don’t know of a longer downhill on an intermediate, built trail in the country. Dropping eight hundred metres over seven and a half kilometres, that was fun that continued for twenty+ minutes – little effort to give, I just enjoyed the descent twisting through the forest. For the time of year and location, the trail was remarkably dry (well-built and little used so far) – only getting a bit sticky on the lower parts near streams. An extraordinary trail, both in itself and the memorial aspect of it.

I waited for five minutes at the carpark, time to rest, look around and consider some of what had happened here in the previous fifteen years. Realising, as the slowest one on the road, I was wasting time I began what can only be described as a plod thirty kilometres back to Blackball. With big, slow-on-the-road tyres and little energy to push them it was only twenty-five minutes before I was caught and fairly unceremoniously dropped. The rest of the way being character building and good training for something. Thanks to Ian for picking me up just before the final climb to Blackball! A grand day out on two excellent trails.

around home, bikes, event, GPS, NZ

Macraes to Ocean 2024

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I spied the Macraes to Ocean ride some months before I was due to finish working in Napier on the pulpmill’s Cyclone Gabrielle rebuild. Conveniently timed the week after my last day, it was a good incentive to not prolong the journey home too much. In an area I became familiar with when I returned from living abroad nine years ago (parents had moved nearby; also I was getting into bikepacking and riding in more remote areas), this fundraising ride would show me some new places as it involved access to two large farms. That the ride was fundraising for a cycle crossing of the lower Waikouaiti River (would be most welcome, the highway bridge is nasty on a bike) sealed it.

Grateful to Adele for a drop-off in Macraes village we were not sure what to expect; we arrived to scores of bikers milling around. Having been home just a day, my only serviceable bike was my gravel bike – I thought I, and it, would cope on farm tracks, gravel roads and then be glad for it on the last fifteen kilometres of sealed road. To our surprise, there were about 150 people ready to ride on a fresh, clear morning. Ninety-nine percent on mountain bikes, I’d say about half were on e-bikes – which was great to see as it opened up what would be an adventure for far more people. We were pleased to see some unexpected Naseby faces to chat with.

Happy, as usual, to linger at the back the crowd set off, stretching out along a straight, gently climbing gravel road. A new place, there was a new part of the landscape puzzle of the local area to fit in one’s mind. Rocks aplenty in the fields.

Off the road and onto farm tracks, a short downhill was fun to blast down before a longer climb led to an hour or so on fairly flat terrain with expansive views west to the Rock and Pillar Range. It was so vast, there was little point in trying to capture much on my phone – so I enjoyed the views and chatting with obvious-bikepackers, we seemed to gravitate towards each other. A fast section through fields of turnips soon gave way to a steep descent – much fun bumping and barrelling down it and past plenty of people. A short climb brought us to the feed station – very well put on as another fundraiser, this time by a local junior rugby club. Community events are great.

This was a good time to pause, chat and admire the landscape. I was pleased to discover we were very close to one of my favourite gravel roads – Ramrock Rd (not just because of the name), one I’d enjoyed riding bits or all of years ago.

Our track continuing across the hill behind the hut.

Food time.

Back on the bike, it was mostly down and became progressively steeper (this hill we were warned about at the briefing) to the El Dorado farm gate and buildings.

Down to the north branch of the Waikouaiti, and the end of Mt Watkin Rd – no new terrain for me from there. Mt Trotter in background, the road of the same name didn’t quite take me to its upper slopes a couple of years back.

A twenty-five minute grovel up from the end of the road showed up my lack of fitness, I was pleased to have plenty of gears and easy-rolling tyres. The highpoint being going past Mt Watkin, amusingly the only time I wished for a mountain bike over a gravel bike was on the next section of gravel road! A long fast, extremely corrugated descent shook me up far more than any of the farm tracks.

Down to the Waikouaiti outlet at Karitane, left of shot.

Across the highway, soon through Karitane on Coast Road the steep climb at Puketeraki the last remaining challenge before the gentle ten kilometres to finish at ARC Brewery with a few dozen riders – most others opted for the shorter option, ending the ride at Waikouaiti.

Always worth stopping at the turnout at the top of that climb.

A fun outing around lots of people, it was good to chat a bit more in the warm sun. I was surprised when Tom came up and said hi, I’d not ridden with him since meeting him a couple of years ago as I joined a group of people I didn’t really know to ride the Lake Dunstan Trail for the first time.

With casual remote working for the rebuild project ending last week (officially unemployed again, huzzah!), here’s hoping I can return to writing a little of recent modest outings, get some condition back and go on some bigger trips.

Biking to go places, going places to bike.