Needing to get over to Naseby for the following day’s kayaking-race trip (not mine), I could have borrowed a motor vehicle. But I had a perfectly good bike for the hundred-plus kilometre journey. Add a gravel road that I remember kindly, despite or because of the many hills, and the excesses of Christmas celebrations – I was hardly not going to ride.
Ramrock Rd was familiar from my first summer back in NZ, now five years prior (where did that go?!), and I was keen to reacquaint myself with it. Naturally, there was but a few farm vehicles on the road and soon the hills started in earnest after the drop down to Bucklands Crossing. I knew it was hilly, but was surprised to find I’d ascended a thousand metres within the first twenty kilometres. Thankfully it flattened out a little, undulating between five and six hundred metres above the Pacific as I enjoyed the solitude and pastoral views. Further afield there were hills, bigger ranges, Waikouaiti itself and the ocean.

Previous map studying had piqued my interest with plenty of dead-end gravel roads and many unformed legal roads begging for exploring. Another time, I had somewhere to be.

Dropping down past Nenthorn before turning north.

Pausing for a late lunch, I contemplated roads-new-to-me ahead – much gravel.

I was pleased to see that road’s name was for real. None the wiser to the origins, I still ponder. Was there a small diary and poultry farm? Seems fitting for a Pheasant.

Reaching seal, I turned right to check out Macraes where brother-in-law James (the kayaker, coincidentally) is ably employed in finding more gold to add to the five million ounces that has already come out of various holes in the ground. Alas, the pub was closed so no more lunch for me. Heading west out of the village, it was quite the grovel into the wind and up a steep hill over to Hyde. To my delight, at the summit there was a gravel road off to the right that took a much longer and interesting route looping around through sheep farms, providing an unexpected view of the pit and a thrilling descent into the wind.

I got a good view of the Rock & Pillars over the Taieri valley. As strong as the wind was for me, I was very pleased not to be up there – it’s notorious, and I’d had more than enough of almost being blown off Central Otago ranges for one year.

Over the river, I was soon at Hyde – where the shop/cafe is very much still shut. I arranged for James to pick me up in Waipiata as that coincided with his drive home from work nicely. It also coincided much less pleasantly with a howling headwind – as is often the case, a little excursion of mine on the Otago Central Rail trail involved a concerted, character-building, struggle against the wind. James arrived a minute or two before me, and most unbelievably of all the closures of the day – the Waipiata pub was shut (we assume for the annual local rodeo) and there were no famous pies to be had.
Excellent little day ride over many hills, some new roads and under big skies. Sure beats driving.