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Tour Aotearoa is one of the world’s great bikepacking trips: stretching 3,000 km from Cape Reinga to Bluff it follows a combination of cycle trails, tracks, paths and lanes connected by the most enjoyable country roads available.

Ultra Distance Biking

Occasional blog of an long distance cyclist

Tour Aotearoa – ‘land of the long white cloud’ – New Zealand end to end – March 2020

(Note – click on small photos to enlarge – depending on your device)

Riding the roads, gravel and trails of New Zealand was always going to be a bit special – and so it turned out to be. Tour Aotearoa follows the paths less well travelled and is one of the worlds great Bikepacking trips. Stunning landscapes, friendly communities, magical sunrises and sunsets greet you every day.

The TA route stretches 3000km from Cape Reinga at the northern tip of North Island to Bluff in the south of South Island. In between the route follows cycle trails, tracks and paths all connected by relatively quiet country roads. These are roughly one third sealed road, one third gravel road, and one third cycle trail (gravel usually) with some beach riding, serious single track and a few ferry crossings thrown in.

The Bike – Mason ISO

The most common bike used for the TA is a 29er mountain Bike. With the variety of terrain and surfaces my ideal was more than a gravel bike but not a full mountain bike. As luck would have it Dom Mason of Mason bikes had just designed a machine that hit the spot perfectly. The Mason ISO – In Search Of – was conceived for just such adventures. As Cycling Weekly put it “The Mason ISO will take you into territory where a dropped bar bike has no right to be”

I arrived in Auckland a week before the start and spent time with my brother and his lovely family and combined that with all the last minute preparation. I always find it virtually impossible to decide on what to pack. I have a habit of packing far too heavy – pack this – just in case – no not that – but then what if that happens? And so it goes on.

Its a fair journey from Auckland to Cape Reinga but luckily my sister in law had family living up north in Cable Bay and we headed up together a couple of days before the start and spent some relaxing time there.

Riders of the Tour start in blocks of 100 per day and each group start is timed to arrive at 90 mile beach on a falling tide. Towards high tide the firm sandy beach is under water and bikes would have to take to the soft sand and the dunes. Get the timing wrong or face a strong headwind will occasionally result in an overnight camp in the dunes.

Our start time on March 3rd was 0700 and I was booked into the organised camp at the remote Tapotupotu Bay the night before – a short ride to the Cape.

Luckily the afternoon before was clear and bright so we went to Cape Reinga to take some photographs. For Maori, Cape Reinga is the most spiritually significant place in New Zealand. It is here that after death, all Maori spirits travel up the coast and over the wind swept vista before travelling underwater to the Three King Islands where they climb to the highest point of the Islands and bid their last farewell before returning to the land of their ancestors.

Day 1.

I woke early after a restless night in the tent and scrambled around in the dark packing bags and grabbing some breakfast. A thick mist hung over the camp as I set out riding to the Cape. It was only a few kilometres but a steep climb to over 200m in the dark and mist coupled with clouds of gravel dust when the occasional truck passed made it a tough start to the day. I did wonder if this was some kind of omen!

Nervous anticipation was tangible among the eclectic group of riders milling around on Cape Reinga carpark. Ahead lay 3000km to Bluff as we set off at 7am, following the road for 15km before riding down the Te Paki Stream, the only access to 90 mile Beach.

Te Paki Stream and 90 mile beach had been weighing heavily on my mind having read about riders wading through flood water in the stream and battling prevailing headwinds on the exposed sand and getting caught by the rising tide. As it turned out we were a lucky group of riders that day. The stream was a bit sticky in parts and the beach benign with a developing breeze caressing our backs and pushing us along towards Ahipara. The actual ride on the hardpan sand is 55 miles. Stories suggest its misleading name resulted from early settlers relating it to three days of horse riding which on average was 30 miles a day.

Arriving in Ahipara at the end of the beach ride I was just in time for some much needed lunch after taking advantage of the bike wash station generously provided by the local holiday camp. Salt and sand don’t mix well with drivetrains!

The beach ride was special and I was happy to make the first 100km by lunchtime but started to think about the night stop and the 2 to 3 hour Kaipara Harbour crossing that lay 250km ahead. There was only one ferry a day leaving late morning. Tomorrow’s ferry had spaces but the day after was fully booked so if I didn’t make it tomorrow I would need to ride the tedious road alternative adding loads of km and missing out on one of the iconic experiences of Tour Aotearoa.

The day had warmed up and I pushed on riding sealed and gravel roads towards a short ferry crossing that got me to Rawene late afternoon and onto Opononi at the mouth of Hokianga Harbour arriving in the dark and found a bed for a brief sleep at the holiday park.

So Day one was 193km of beach, gravel and sealed road with 10 hours of riding and quite a few breaks and the short ferry. My dynamo power converter had packed up which was a worry because I used it to charge my Wahoo Element Roam for navigation and phone charging. Luckily I had a spare but it was at my brothers house in Auckland, a few km off the route, so if I made the Kaipara Ferry I could divert and stay tomorrow night in Auckland.

I got riding just after 0200hrs and had 150km to make the late morning ferry. About 50km was gravel roads and there were a few good looking climbs. The first task was to reach photo control point 3 in the Waipoua Kauri Forest. This was Tane Mahuta – Lord of the Forest and one of New Zealand’s tallest trees. Sadly it was night when I arrived.

There is always something magical riding through the night and slowly emerging into the dawn. I made good time, even on the gravel sections where the 2.4 WTB tyres gave me comfort and confidence. Five hours and 80km later I arrived in the small town of Dargaville as the residents were awaking for the day and found some good coffee and breakfast.

The ride to Pouto Point was another 70km with 25km of gravel which was slippery after some rain but little climbing and I arrived at the point in good time for the ferry and found another half dozen riders waiting.

Three hours on the Kaipara ferry was a good time to snatch a little sleep and recharge for the ride into Auckland for a night at my brother’s house to replace the power converter. Helensville was a good stop for food followed by easy riding south towards Auckland Harbour and Photo control point 5 at the top of Mt Eden overlooking the city. Its a steep climb to the top of the extinct Volcano and it was great to find a cardboard box at the top marked for TA riders and full of goodies including a cold beer!

A busy evening ride followed but thankfully Auckland has an impressive network of cycle paths so it felt pretty safe. I headed past the airport and in the failing light across the City to my brothers house in Howick after 20 hours plus on the road. It turned out to be my biggest day of the Tour with 246km and 3,300m of climbing. I slept well!

Seemed a little strange, but a nice bonus, to be at my brothers house so soon after he dropped me off up at the Cape. I sorted the replacement power converter and after a good breakfast set off at the relaxed hour of 0930. I made my way through the morning traffic to the TA route where I had left it the night before. I headed on the inland course option towards Miranda Hot Springs on the Firth of Thames. I had ridden the coastal route before but the inland route resulted in some good climbing and heavy localised rain showers so after an hour or so regretted my route decision! Progress was slow and my legs felt heavy and it took me to early afternoon to reach Miranda and the coast but found a great lunch stop a few km inland. The Stray Dog Cafe had great food and probably the best stained glass window made of bottles in an outdoor brick shit-house – anywhere in the world!

The rest of the day was really easy as I rode the beautiful Hauraki Rail trail along the bottom of the Firth of Thames to Kopu before re joining the trail turning south towards Paeroa where I had booked a B and B stop taking day 3 as a bit of a recovery day. I often find day three is the hardest of any long distance ride and this was no exception.

The day ended in a great pub after an easy 146km in 7 hours.

My lovely host offered a great cooked breakfast so although I wanted an early start it was too good to miss! I got away at 0830 and headed on down the rail trail to Te Aroha and on to Matamata where there was a photo control point at Hobbiton HQ!

After 25km of sealed road from my coffee stop in Matamata the route turned onto the Waikato River Trail and real fun began. One of the NZ classic rides which included a real mixture including some serious single track – well serious for me having limited MTB skills!

We all had to take a diversion onto sealed roads just after Arapuni and then rejoined the trail on the final section to Mangakino where I had booked a B and B – interesting set of rooms built in a shipping container!

Timber Trail day! I got going at 0500 in the dark and got a little lost following the local trails alongside the Waikato but soon found my way and steadily climbed with a mixture of gravel path, sealed and dirt roads for the next 50km.

At 35km the photo control point no 8 was a marker for the Centre of North Island.

Leaving the sealed road the Timber Trail climbs through cloud forest to Mt Pureora at nearly 1000m. One of the great NZ trails it has 73km of single track and 7km of old logging road and crosses many river gorges with spectacular swing bridges which sway and induce some dizzy unnerving moments when you are glad not to suffer vertigo.

The end of the Timber Trail at Ongarue was followed by a lovely evening ride along a gravel back road to Taumarunui.

Into Town after 153km and 2500m of climbing on a hot day I was glad to find a motel and more important a fabulous Thai restaurant.

A quiet Sunday morning and I got going just before 0600 hrs and rode along the main street alongside the rail tracks hoping for breakfast and hey ho – MacDonalds had just opened! A Mac breakfast is as good as it gets. Lucky because there was a tough day in prospect heading towards the famous ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ and the Jet-boat ride down the Whanganui River.

The first few hours were gravel riding to Owhango and then the Oio Road to Whakahoro where I met up with Tony again at the Blue Duck Cafe for a second breakfast 67km into the morning.

Six km after the Blue Duck Cafe the single track begins – the Kaiwhakauka Track – described in the guidebook as a tough challenge – expect walking.

I had pre-booked the Jet Boat and made good time. I was lucky to have such a good day. The following day it rained and the papa mud on the stock road is notorious – a soft blue-grey sandstone turns to cement like sludge.

The Bridge to Nowhere across the Mangapurua Stream was built to serve the farming community but landslips and flooding saw the demise of the community in 1942.

A short winding path leads to Mangapurua Landing – the pick up point for the Jet Boat. The great Whanganui River is spectacular and made all the better for the 28km ride down to Pipiriki.

So a spectacular day finished at Pipiriki after 106 km of riding that took just short of eight hours in the warm but dry conditions. Riders had a murderous time in the mud the following day. I shared a hut with Tony at the local campsite and joined up with Andrew and Davide for supper and a couple of beers.

We had asked for an early breakfast and were well looked after before setting off at 0700 heading down the beautiful Whanganui river valley towards the ‘big city’ on the coast. A few rain showers came through but quickly cleared away.

I arrived in Whanganui around lunchtime and found some great food in a restaurant attached to the Tourist Information Centre on the riverfront. I had broken my only pair of reading glasses and asked the lady at the Information desk where I could find a shop to buy some. She asked how strong I needed them and said to “try these”. I hesitated, she insisted, and they were perfect – she said have them you are doing a great ride – I tried to pay – we had a polite argument but she insisted! So I won some glasses from a very kind lady.

A quirky exit from the city followed. Crossing the river the route takes a 200m tunnel to an ancient lift operated by a lift attendant. Rattling and banging it climbs 66 meters to Durie Hill. Thoughts now turned to catching the ferry to South Island in a couple of days time and that meant two 200km plus days were needed to set up a shortish run into Wellington.

Sixty km of sealed road got me to Hunterville by mid afternoon and a useful stop for food. By now I was sharing the road a lot with Andrew and Davide. Andrew had found a good night stop at a remote farmhouse a few kms after Apiti. I arrived at dusk and shared a good evening with great food with the friendly host and my two travelling pals. The day was 203km with 2700m climbing over 10.5 hours and so the first week of the adventure was complete with 1228km.

Up before 0600 and on the road by 0640 after a good breakfast. Ahead lay 35km of gravel riding and now we were heading due south towards Wellington. Two and a half hours into the day riding through remote cattle and sheep country and a few rain showers I arrived at Pohangina to be flagged down at the side of the road by a lovely lady Mary – a Trail Angel – offering coffee and muffins – oh what joy!

Next was Ashhurst and the large town of Palmerston North. Along the way Davide’s rear tyre got a bad puncture which the sealant couldn’t repair and he was forced to divert to the town to make repairs.

I pushed on and planned to stop at Martinborough for the night. The roads were fairly easy going with short gravel sections and late afternoon I diverted into Masterton and found a great self service Chinese Takeout. Bliss after 12 hours on the road.

I arrived in Martinborough late evening and found my way to the Holiday Park where they had left a chalet key for me taped to reception window. A long day of 238km and 12 hours in the saddle.

A good day in prospect with an early afternoon ferry booked to South Island but it needed an early start so I was up at 0400 and away by 0440. Andrew’s wife had kindly booked our ferries. To my surprise I found a bakery open and had a great breakfast – they open at 0300 in this small town – night owls rule!

After a few kms I joined the Remutaka Cycle Trail – a spectacular trail following much of the old rail track and rising to 340m.

After the rail summit tunnel it was pretty much down hill for 65km taking in the Hutt River Trail along the way and then full steam ahead for Wellington.

The run into Wellington was a little busy but I arrived in good time for the BlueBridge Ferry at Waterloo Quay. Andrew’s wife, who worked for the company, had booked tickets and it was special to get welcomed with some food and drinks – nice.

The crossing takes three and a half hours and was a great opportunity to get some rest so I got into a cabin and grabbed a shower and a couple of hours sleep. We docked in Picton early evening and I headed out to reach Havelock about 35km away.

Night fell before I reached Havelock but I found a small motel after a short riding day of 133 kms on the bike. Great to be in South Island.

I got riding at 0700 but not before finding a fabulous breakfast in Havelock that set me up well for tackling the Maungatapu Track and it turned out to be a tough old day.

Pelorus Bridge at 19km soon turned to a gravel road and then the challenging Maungatapu Track that climbs to 740m over 20km.

Out of the hills and into the city of Nelson and some easy riding on great cycle trails along the coast to Richmond and onto Wakefield. The rest of the day was pretty much gravel cycle trails and took in the interesting Spooners Tunnel.

I arrived at the small settlement of Tapawera just after 5pm and called it a day after 125km. I found a rustic campsite that had a spare cabin and a short walk for some good food and early to bed.

I was up just after 0300 and away by 0400 with 60km of mixed sealed and gravel road to Lake Rotoroa. I had seen photos of this beautiful lake and arriving at the beach was not disappointed.

The next 30km to Murchison took in the beautiful gravel Braeburn Track, a good climb of 650m to the Saddle and crossed by several fords – lucky it was dry!

Murchison to Springs Junction is 80km mostly gentle climbing on gravel up and over the Maruia Saddle.

Next was a 6km climb to the Rahu Saddle and then a 30km downhill that just kept on going all the way to Reefton my night stop after 215km and 12 hours in the saddle. I found a motel and joined Andrew and Davide for supper. We had a long conversation over supper about the following day where the Tour route took in the Big River trail. Mud and rock with up to 5km of bike pushing had been reported after heavy rain and we decided to opt for the easier road bypass. Difficult decision to miss one of the classic trails but I am not a good MTB rider and as the endgame played out a few days later it was a good decision.

Davide and Andrew were riding the Tour together and I bumped into them so often since way back on the Kaipara Ferry on day two that we decided to ride the last few days together. The three amigos – a Kiwi, an Italian and a Brit – got to be a joke there somewhere!

And so we headed out at 0600 along Highway 7 and headed towards the coast arriving at Greymouth late morning after 80km. We found a super little coffee shop on the seafront road and dived in to refuel and take a rest.

A gravel cycle trail took us 25km along the flat coast and inland to Kumara through sand dune country. This was the start of the West Coast Wilderness Trail and over 150km of trail riding lay ahead.

The trail heads inland, literally into the wilderness, and is great riding with a variety of off road surfaces. Bizarrely half way around the trail loup inland we came across Cowboy Paradise run by a crazy sort of guy (check out Trip Advisor reviews!) We took some refreshments but worried about his attitude and the pole dancing pole in the middle of the room! Seemed out of place!

We headed back towards the Tasman Sea with Hokitika our destination for the night. The clocktower was a photo control point and we found a good hotel with a busy restaurant and we went a bit overboard with the food! A great day of 176km and 9 hours in the saddle.

We were away by 0600 heading south along the beautiful West Coast and marvelling that we had not had a drop of rain in this notoriously wet part of NZ.

We arrived at Fox in the late afternoon and booked into a Motel and had a little trouble securing the bikes, locking them together around the back of the building. One of the few places that did not allow us to have the bike in the room. But before that we carried on a few kms and turned towards the mountains in the hope of seeing Fox Glacier. Sadly with global warming the glacier had retreated and we hardly got a glimpse!

Another magical day of 172km finished off in style with some good food and beer.

Another 0600 start and a beautiful day ahead but a bit brass monkey for a few hours until the sun arrived. Dawn’s early light is always special on these rides.

Leaving Haast Village we headed inland to climb the Haast Pass (564m). A steady gentle climb of 50km got us to the steeper section over the pass.

After Haast Pass there was an nice descent of 20km to Makarora where we found a chalet at the tourist centre after 200km and another day to remember.

Some surprising numbers came out of the day. I improved my FTP – functional threshold power – which is the maximum power you can ride for an hour. Not something you would expect to do on day 14 of an ultra ride but suggests I was not too knackered!

All change – Plan B

There was no phone signal at the Tourist Centre and only a very weak wifi in the building. We had been watching the development of Coronavirus for the last couple of weeks and late in the evening I suddenly read that Air New Zealand were going to stop all international flights at the weekend. Panic! How will I get back to the UK because I was booked on Air New Zealand to London via Los Angles in ten days time.

No phone signal but I managed to get an internet call into my brother, John, in Auckland. The hero – he stood on the phone calling Air New Zealand until the early hours and eventually got through and was able to book me on the penultimate Air New Zealand flight to London in two days time. I got the “good” news in the early hours trying to get an internet connection in the freezing cold outside the Tourist Centre – lucky it was not switched off!

Sadly there was now no prospect of finishing in Bluff so the plan was to get to Queenstown the next day and fly back to Auckland the day after to catch the flight home. It was an strange feeling – having to curtail the ride – but given everything that was happening it seemed irrelevant and of no importance or regret. I was happy to finishing in Queenstown – one hard days ride from Bluff. Still an amazing adventure.

Day 15 – Final Day

Up early and we were on the road by 0545 in some chilly conditions. We were soon riding alongside Lake Wanaka.

By the time we got to Albert Town after 65km we were in desperate need of coffee and food – it was so cold.

After Wanaka we faced a 40km climb to cross the Crown Range at 1076m – the highest point of the TA course. The famous Cardrona Hotel at 25km into the climb was a good stop to refuel at the cafe opposite.

The climb to the summit was pretty relentless at times with the heavy bike but the arrival was good because in the far distance we could see Queenstown.

Despite the fact we could see our destination we still had over 50km to go and it turned out to be an variable mix of tracks and trails after the quick descent off the Range to Arrowtown. It seemed to take an age – “are we nearly there yet?”

We called into the small Queenstown airport as Davide and I were flying back while Andrew was determined to crack on and finish the following day which he accomplished in style. We needed to get a couple of cardboard bike boxes and after a bit of hassle we got two and paid a taxi driver to deliver them to the hotel.

Arriving in Queenstown felt like a different world. Busy streets, bars and restaurants humming with the good, the bad and the ugly! We found a hotel and set about packing the bikes and kit ready for the flight to Auckland in the morning. We had a good supper together and Andrew got to bed early. For him there was a long day in prospect, water taxi across the lake and big ride to Bluff. Chapeau Andrew. He finished at 8pm.

In Conclusion

A big thank you goes to my brother John, his wife Net, and their lovely family who met me on arrival, took me to Cape Reinga and had planned to pick me up in Bluff at the finish. He then ended up sorting my early flight home to UK to beat the lockdown – a close run thing – a couple of friends waited 8 weeks to get home when the flights stopped and it cost them a fortune. Love you guys.

Kennett Brothers

The TA route has to be one of the best ultra distance rides anywhere in the world and great thanks go to the Kennett brothers who organise the ride, provide the route and the Spot Tracking system. They have developed the parcours since 2016 when 250 riders christened the route. Over 1000 riders signed up for TA 2020! Big thanks too to the New Zealand Cycle Trail Organisation for many of the spectacular trails. Chapeau the Kennett brothers.

Kiwi Kindness

Like most TA riders I experienced a lot of kindness and friendship along the way. Apart from the odd aggressive, impatient Kiwi driver there were numerous occasions when people went beyond the call of duty to help and it was lovely to see the ‘Welcome’ signs along the road side in towns and villages. Thank you Kiwis.

Mates along the way

I shared the road along the way with some good mates, especially Andrew and Davide. Andrew from Auckland and Davide from Italy were great company on the bike and generous mates – we enjoyed some good meals and beer together. Cheers to you amigos!

The bike is one thing but its still needs an engine and big thanks goes to Rob Wakefield of Propello Cycling. A great coach based in Barnstable, Devon who got me into good shape for the ride with a good plan and loads of encouragement. Thanks Rob.

The Bike and Kit

Of course us addicted cyclists always believe its about the bike. Well I reckon I had the perfect machine for the job. The Mason ISO – In Search Of – worked so well in all the conditions.

It was so well set up with Apidura Bags and a carbon Tailfin rear carry rack. The beautiful little front mudguard can carry a couple of kilos too. My tent sat on that and to my shame I never used it – there always seemed to be a B&B or motel that called louder! Well I am 71! Wimp I hear you say!

I ran with WTB Ranger 2.4 tyres on Hunt 29er wheels with a SON dynamo. Comfort was enhanced with a Cane Creek eeSilk seat post together with Redshift Sports Shockstop stem. The Aero-Bars were essential and were stacked 50mm high off the drops for comfort. I probably spent over 50% of the ride on those bars.

The 1x Deore XT Di2 with an Oval chainring worked perfectly and I was able to recharge the battery from the onboard power converter.

Navigation with a Wahoo Element Roam was flawless with downloaded (Ride with GPS) route maps on my phone for backup. My Spot Gen3 Satellite Tracker worked well and allowed friends and family to follow my ‘dot’. All the photos and video were taken with my iPhone 10 with a lanyard attached and kept for quick access in the top-tube bag.

There are three key elements to enjoyment and comfort on long multi day rides – feet, backside and hands – the three points of contact. I’ve tried many saddles and now ride the Selle SMP Lite 209. My feet always hurt until I found Lake wide-fit shoes. (thanks Richard from Salt Dog cycling) Perfect feet now! As for hands the Aero-bars have done the trick. Rest the hands, relax the shoulders, different position on the saddle and of course little more aero – whats not to like?

Mason Cycles

Finally, a special mention is needed and a big thank you to Dom Mason, Cal, Alex, Matt and the team at The Barn nestled in the Sussex Downs. They make some great bikes and have given me top support. Thank you guys.

The Numbers

Fifteen days averaging 183km per day. In the saddle moving averaging 11.6hrs a day. A total of 2,757kms and 39,300m of climbing.

A final thought

Not many long distance cyclists have managed to ride their big events in 2020. So many were cancelled. I was so lucky to get to New Zealand and ride the TA. Lucky to get home in the nick of time. Lucky to be able to ride locally here on the beautiful Isle of Wight and compared to the heartache of many in these Covid times a very fortunate man.

As Captain Sir Tom says – “Tomorrow will be a good day”

PEDAL ON – KIA KAHA

Published by Rob Packham

Hello. I started cycling in late 2012, aged 63, with the intention of gaining a little fitness and losing weight. I slowly extended the rides with Lands End to John O'Groats in 2013 the first long one. Each year produced new challenges with local Sportives and trips to France for a couple of Etape du Tours and Tour du Mont Blanc. Every winter we headed to Morocco for a couple of months in the Campervan. A beautiful warm winter training ground for biking. My first real ultra distance ride, apart from LEJOG, was the 2017 London Edinburgh London. I warmed up for that with my third Ride Trafalgar Way and went for the Colossus ride of 500km from Falmouth to London within 24hrs. I have raced in five Bikingman Races over recent years, Corsica, Taiwan, Oman, Inca Divide and Portugal. Completed the TransAtlantic Way in Ireland twice and Bikepacking adventures in the Taunus Hills of Germany, in Morocco, France and New Zealand. I live on the Isle of Wight and ride with the West Wight Wheelers - a great group of mates. Rob Packham View all posts by Rob Packham

5 thoughts on “ Tour Aotearoa – ‘land of the long white cloud’ – New Zealand end to end – March 2020 ”

Great write up of a great event. I rode the TA in 2018 and your blog brought back many memories! I’m now enjoying your other blogs.

This was a great blog, Robert. Met you all briefly at the end of the Whanganui River. You were riding in one day what took me three days! I restarted my journey this year from Greymouth.

Hi Jonathan. Thanks so much for that. Such good memories of last year and been great but mixed with envy following riders progress this year. Who knows we might be very distantly related? Back in 1852 my Great grand uncle Samuel Packham sailed to Melbourne from Brighton – was part of the Bendigo diggings gold rush!!

Really interesting to read about your journey through NZ, Rob. I’m planning on riding the TA in 2021

Thanks for publishing this Rob, it’s a great read.

A Box of Chocolates: 2020 Tour Aotearoa

Cliff Clermont Ride Report

By Cliff Clermont

Welcome to New Zealand

Driving to LAX, flying to New Zealand and arriving the day before the start of the tour wasn't the optimal approach to an athletic event, but it was how things worked out. The 12-hour flight into Auckland was complicated by a bad case of diarrhea that was likely caused by the over consumption of far too many plates of curry while hanging out in the airport lounge. Subconsciously I knew that proper meals were not in my future so I always seem to want to make up for it beforehand. On the flight itself, the dude in the aisle seat seemed to have a bladder the size of a small pool. He just never got up! As a result, the numerous visits the restroom were inconvenient and difficult to disguise. The upset stomach also made the rental car retrieval and bike build in the parking lot of a yet to open bike shop quite “uncomfortable”. After the bike build, packing the case with personal items, changing into some "throw away clothes" and shipping the case to Wellington I was on to the 5-hour drive to Kaitaia with only the essentials and severely swollen ankles stuffed into my mountain bike shoes. Apparently, you shouldn't wear calf compression socks on a plane. You need the entire compression sock. Rookie compression sock wearer mistake.

Once in Kaitaia it was time for last minute shopping for dinner, breakfast and riding supplies. Rental car return and then staring at my kankles occupied the eve before the start. The 3:00AM alarm would see me toss the street "throw away clothes" into the bin and don my one and only cycling kit. It was “on”. I only had what I’d be riding with and this seemed to signal the beginning of it all.

The van and its owner for the 1.5-hour lift to the Cape was found at 4AM sleeping in his filthy dank and stinky van out in front of my hotel. After he found his wallet which was lost in the war zone inside the van, the good man got the job done. I arrived at the start with ample time to visit the lighthouse at Cape Rienga in the wee hours predawn.

After a brief speech by Paul Kennett, one of the three Kennett brothers [organizers], we rolled just prior to the official start time of 7:00AM. There was no containing the 100 riders in Wave 1 for another 3 minutes. After months if not years of anticipation we streaked southerly in the early morning light. The 2020 Tour Aotearoa was on!

After 15km we turned down the gravel road that led to and then down Te Paki stream. This is where everyone takes a sandy bath as we charge towards 90-mile Beach. It was soft sand riding, stream navigating and some dry sand jogging all the way to the Tasman Sea. Bikes sounded like shit as the sand ground through our drivetrains before we even commenced the 54-mile ride on the wide and desolate beach.

A front group of seven of us formed as we battled a light head crosswind. This would be the only time I would ride with anyone during the entire 3,000 km journey to Bluff.

I soon noticed my non-drive side crank creating a sickening creaking / cracking noise. My shifting was also misbehaving. WTF? Ugg! I knew this BB would fail me. A fair number of miles on the bearings including the 2019 Italy Divide. Damn it! I pedaled on listening to those bearings creating a cracking and grinding noise that could melt your brain. The thought of damaging my frame's carbon BB shell even crossed my mind. The sound was that bad. That wouldn't be good. It sounded nasty but the only chance for a replacement was a full two days of riding away.

After a few hours on the beach we got to enjoy some hilly tar seal prior to the gravel cut over section to the first of the boat trips, a ferry to Rawane.

The ferry comes at 104 miles from the start and operates on or about the hour. Steve Halligan had already separated himself from everyone and I found myself riding with Paul(?) As we approached the ferry. I noticed we were going to have to hammer the last 5kms to have any chance of catching the ferry. Missing it would mean waiting at the dock an hour. We made it by only seconds! There sat Steve greeting us with a friendly smile. Before we could finish catching our breath, we had long left the dock. Three riders made the first of several boat trips, a 2km crossing, of the 2020 Tour Aotearoa. At 7hours for 104 miles, with loaded bikes, two refuel stops, sand and hills. Not too bad.

Upon disembarking and after a brief stop at the Four Square in Rawane the three of us pedaled off. I was soon dropped on a pesky hill. As I watched the two of them disappear up the climb, I knew these boys were going to go all in. Tonight, that meant riding until the 1AM mark for the mandatory six-hour break and repeating this all the way through the country. I on the other hand was aiming for the town of Dargaville, a good feed, shower and bed. By 8:00 PM or so I arrived, exhausted but mission accomplished. It's not a race.

172.3 miles with 9,632' followed by a 9.5-hour stop

Got it rolling just prior to 6:30AM to take the "Detour of the Harbor". The detour would add 100km to the other option of taking a boat across the harbor which most people do and as I had done in 2016. The detour left nothing to chance such as a broken-down boat as happened in 2018 but it came with a penalty. It was hard. Plenty of corrugated and soft gravel roads to make the progress sluggish and slow. By the time I rejoined the route north of Auckland I was also already smoked and sick of Kiwi drivers whom slow down for nothing.

Auckland would be my next resting place. As I approached the northern suburbs on dedicated bikeways a gaggle of hipsters greeted me with high fives and congratulations. That was cool. I was hoping for a bacon hand-up. “Bacon?....Bacon?” – I asked. Nope, just some love and high fives. Must be an American thing. I soon grabbed some Indian takeaway and found my accommodation.

139.6 miles with 9,826' followed by a 8.5-hour stop

4:30AM would see me pedal off in a successful attempt to extract myself from Auckland and the burbs before most folks got in their cars. I reached Mount Eden predawn, hit a café near the airport and was into the countryside not long afterwards. I had memories of this section from 2016 and my failed 2018 ride to reflect upon. I knew I wanted to get well beyond the wee town of Matamata. This is where I DNF’d in the “cyclone” edition of the Tour Aotearoa in 2018.

My stomach issues were back in full effect this afternoon. I was forced to jump off trail to do my business. However, I was prepared with toiletries to keep tidy. I carried on fueled by warm temperatures and cooled by ice packed into my sun skins and my knotted-off under-liner. I plowed forward on the rail-trail portion of the day. Yet another nature break at a proper loo trail-side and after grabbing a couple Subway foot longs and the photo checkpoint at the Lord of the Rings site, I was through Matamata and eventually onto the river trails. I'd take a twenty-minute break, laying on a picnic table near the trailhead to gather my thoughts and recover a bit. I chatted with some locals out to walk their dog. They offered me their home if I needed a shower and bed (which I did), but I declined. Once rolling again it wasn't long before I reached the recently added mandatory detour around a portion of the river trail due to some non-TA-riding knuckle heads who had entered private property and left the spicket on draining the owners supply of fresh water. It was on this detour that I'd have my first outdoor night in the bivy sack and in keeping with a horrible tradition of mine, I chose a shitty location. It was on slight slope with enough small rocks to drive you nuts. I simply could not find anywhere better to that point. The spare Subway sandwich was soggy as. It was a messy operation, but I forced it down. It was a cold and restless night and little recovery would be had.

179.9 miles with 6,371'. 6.5-hour stoppage

Another 4:30 AM start and yet another mandatory trailside emergency bowel movement. When would my stomach come good? - I wondered. Eventually I groveled to and around the tiny community of Mangakino. Once I realized that I had passed this wee little town I became frustrated as I didn't intend to bypass it. I was forced go off course and backtrack in order to do a very critical refueling there. I knew the next section was going to be remote, long and challenging. A bonus 10 kms to complete the refueling. It's the only section on the entire 3,000km gpx'ed route that bypasses a key town center and it's among the most critical. That should be fixed.

The famous Timber Trail has super cool swing bridges and flowing single track. Plenty of memories from my 2016 night ride through there, but most weren't pleasant. On this day, exhausted as I was, it was epic, and it was Daytime....but it was hard going.

On one descent I slammed through a hole hidden in the shade. A loud CRACK! erupted from my bike. Oh shit. I rolled to a stop and inspected my head tube and wheels and performed a general look over. Seemed all good. I carried on.

Soon my crackling non-drive side crank arm was accompanied with a new noise. A noise I had never heard a bike produce in my entire life. I could not figure it out. A few hours later when my Fred Bar along with my sleeping system and Garmin tore off completely, I knew that the CRACK was the initial break and the mystery noise was the aluminum further failing and ultimately tearing off.

This is a huge issue for me. An endurance cyclist knows that comfort and position are key factors to repeated long days on the bike. My comfort and position were now greatly compromised. As I pedaled into Taumaranui I even considered withdrawing. Yes, DNFing yet again. Why was I thinking this way? Stop that nonsense. I called my mate Jeff in Wellington. He is an experienced and well-informed cyclist and bikepacker. We both began reaching out via the FB forum to see if there was a Fred Bar in NZ and when I could get it. After much back and forth a Fred Bar was located and would be taken from a bike shop deep down in the South Island from the town of Wanaka to a shop in Wellington for my pickup. Rad. Really rad.

Once in Taumaranui I rigged my aerobars, Garmin mount (thanks to four Zip Ties) and sleep system such that I could carry-on in a secure, but all be it compromising and aggressive position. I also called and booked a jet boat for 4:00 the next day.

117.3 miles with 10,056' followed by a 12-hour stop

This was a key day for me. Getting to and then around the Bridge to Nowhere track and onto the jet boat without issues. Logistics of scheduling the jet boat and relying on this service is something I don't deal to well with. Being forced to bivy at the boat landing after missing the pick-up time was not desired. However, if I gave myself ample time to arrive at the pick-up location it would allow me to relax and have an enjoyable ride there.

The hotel owners from where I slept in Taumaranui, we super helpful. I used their tools the previous night to help sort out my setup and they had a nice storage shed. The owner, Alan, did tell me he'd gotten to the jet boat landing in 6.5 hours and I had even rough calculated the same exact duration of 6.5 hours while back in Carlsbad. So why not give myself 8.5 hours? I'm tired. I don't want any stress. Things can go wrong and it wouldn't matter. So, I left about 8.5 hours before my scheduled jet boat ride. I noodled down the long gravel road. Grinding slowly up the climbs and safely navigating the descents. Chilling. Easy as. So, when I arrived at the last tiny outpost the "Blue Duck Station" just prior to noon you can imagine my absolute horror when I was told by a café employee that it would take 6.5 hours from HERE to get to the landing! I went into full panic mode. That hotel guy said 6.5 hours from Taumaranui NOT from the beginning of the track! "Now you are saying it's 6.5 hours from here?!?", I repeated. DAMMN IT!! I quickly sorted my shit out, food, water and a visit to the loo. 12:00 on the nose I left for my 4:00 boat. Stressed.

Another TA rider also set out ahead of me after he'd heard the news. He however was scheduled for a 6pm boat. Was his boat full should I miss mine? These jet boats take kayakers and casual cyclist whom are not part of the TA up and down the river. Folks whom just want to enjoy a boat ride up the river, cycle the 3km climb up to the infamous bridge, have a picnic and return. Not Tour Aotearoa “crazies” coming in via the 100kms of gravel roads and the difficult track from the Blue Duck Station. The jet boats could be full to capacity in which case I'd be forced to sleep on the ground until the next day. Panic stations. So, there I was in TT mode, XC race style and full hammer session. I'd soon catch and drop the other rider. The track is infamous for being shitty. It's really driven by the weather as much of the surface was clay. Today however was mint. I hammered the big climb wondering how my time would compare to Steve Halligan's on STRAVA. Fellow STRAVA users can imagine my horror when I noticed my GARMIN appeared to have been stopped. I freaked out, pissed as hell, as I was really feeling and going great. I was now bummed I missed recording my ride through this iconic track. Riding with anger and fear can really get me going. Without the Garmin recording I wouldn't ever know how I did. OK if I am not getting credit for the Bridge to Nowhere track effort with all the elevation gain then I'm going to record the jet boat ride. It won't make up for the lost portion, but it will account for something.

Several "CYCLIST MUST DISMOUNT HERE" signs warned of the dangers. Last year a rider had lost their life when they fell off the edge of the track. I'd later learn that four separate helicopter rescues where carried out during the 2020 Tour Aotearoa in which riders had broken legs, ribs etc. For me the conditions were good. Riding within my capabilities and not looking anywhere but straight down the trail I’d ride everything. The exposure did not get to me as I was hyper focused on getting to the boat landing.

I made it around the entire track in a swift 2 hours 58min on my watch and with ample time to catch my boat. Very relieved. Several days later I'd check STRAVA - I would have taken the KOM from thousands of riders. Sure, there was no “real” riders whom have hammered it but you get the idea. Oh well it's like my triple Nate Harrison ride back in San Diego when my GARMIN shat itself. I have only but my own fond[?] knowledge of it.

One other TA guy, Jason, was already there at the landing waiting. Then the other rider, herein known as "Racing Guy", arrived 25 minutes afterwards and was able to join the 4:00 boat versus his scheduled 6PM one. Jason was also giving the tour a strong tug but he’d said he only had so many days in his holiday break to get it done. As a result, I never felt as though he was racing anyone but his timeline.

The boat ride itself was quite fun and a real key moment for me in the TA in part due to the shitty events of 2016.

After a quick refuel near the boat off load the three of us carried onward with me leaving s few moments behind. A new development in that the brutal BB creaking had now spread to both cranks while my shifting continued to suck. I'd been finessing the shifts for days. This became really annoying when trying to maintain my momentum. I couldn't diagnose the shifting issue and I think highly of my bike mechanical skills. It was frustrating. One of the riders, Jason, heard my bike creaking after we disembarked the jet boat and simply said "THAT would do me in."

Crossing over the last big climb on the road into Whanganui, I passed Racer Guy whom was stopped and likely booking a hotel as this was our first area of proper phone reception in 8 or so hours. I rolled onward and soon pulled into an old hotel/pub on the side of the road. The local drunks haggled me a bit about my get-up and inquiry, but I wasn't listening. No accommodation was the outcome. As I quickly returned outside Racer Guy rode by. I got rolling and catch up to him, but I kept him at about 100 meters ahead and I think this annoyed him based on his riding speed and style. As we neared town, I didn't need him as a distraction and was happy to see him take a turn that was different from where I wanted to go. I'd soon afterwards roll into the center of Whanganui and found a hotel. Got a couple Subway foot longs after listening to the very chatty Subway manager, eventually rolled to my accommodation, got sorted and hit the hay. BTW these were my last two Subway sandwiches. There just are not enough calories in those things to fuel my body.

112.3 mile with 6,763' followed by a 12-hour stop

Based on prior knowledge I knew I was two days out from Wellington, the end of the North Island portion and more than half the distance. The more that I would ride today, the better and easier the ride into Wellington the following day would be.

At the start of the TA I booked a "Flexi Fare" ticket on the Bluebridge ferry across the Cook Straight and to the South Island. Today I would change my boarding date/time for the third time. Accepting my pace and ridding without recovery was not my plan for 2020. My first booking was entirely too optimistic, and I'd been tweaking it since. Now with the Fred Bar set for pickup at the bike shop I was able to reschedule to a noontime sailing two days away.

Unfortunately, this morning was met with cold rain. It took me a bit to get going and the rain was meant to lighten up as the day progressed. A visit to a second cafe' for a second long black was necessary...and lucky I did. Turns out a few folks were keen on the TA and we enjoyed a chat. Afterwards one gentleman wanted to have a look at my bike. "Lift it up" I offered. So he picked it up commented on its weight and sat it down. That's when a heard a "clonk". WTF? Rear wheel problem for sure. Well it turned out to be my freaking skewer. Loose as hell. Falling out loose. Four-plus full turns to tight!!! How in the hell did that happen?! Who knows but in less than 30 seconds I fixed my bottom bracket AND the crappy shifting! After five full on days of my bike sounding like it was cracking to pieces my BB was as quiet as a mouse and my shifting was spot on. The five days of riding with the loose skewer and the resulting misaligned wheel did take a huge toll on my rear brake pads. They were so unevenly worn out, but I was too tired to change them. I decided I'd favor the front brakes for a while until I had the energy to change them.

I'd finally get rolling, rolling straight into a cold rainstorm. I soon got soaked and very cold. I was hoping the pub in Ashurst that I had left a VM with back in the morning did in fact save me a room for that night. No luck, when I finally I got there, and they delivered the bad news. I ordered some food, restocked at the Four Square and eventually got going again. Surely Palmerston North a much bigger town 20kms further on, a city to some, would have vacancy. No luck. How is that possible? Palmy North?!? Who the hell goes there?

The rain had stopped but it was still cold and threatening. I just had to keep moving. I must try and cross the Rimutuka Range and get down the other side to find a patch of grass in a park or something.

The early slopes over the Rimutukas have a really steep pitch in them. Night had long since fallen and I ground my way up the hill, paperboy-ing. Near the top of this section a "Hey Cliff!" Came from nowhere. A guy named Roeland, a yet to start TA rider in a later wave, offered me access to his guest house for the night. Bed, shower and laundry machine - HELL YEAH! We chatted quite a bit and drank an alcohol-free beer as he'd also gone on the wagon in preparations for his TA. A huge savior for sure.

129.2. miles with 7,815' followed by a 7.5hour stop

Leaving just before 5:00AM meant the traffic would be light as I groveled over the remainder of the Rimutaka pass. It was.

The first half of this day is not my favorite. It's a mix of exposed [to wind] country roads and soft gravel roads, but light winds kept my spirits up and I worked my way to Martinborough. When I eventually arrived, I was beyond stoked. I declared "I AM SO HAPPY TO BE HERE!" to a woman walking her dog. She smiled and waved. I just could not contain myself. I was ahead of my arrival time from 2016, familiar with the area, knew which cafe I'd hit, we're the Four Square was and what laid ahead - mostly off-road tracks and paths all the way to Wellington.

After the refueling I jammed it over the Rimutuka Incline, down the Hutt Valley and I was way ahead of schedule. John and Carolyn were going to put me up for the night and I was getting excited to see them.

As I wound my way through the Petone waterfront I hear yet another "Hey Cliff!". There is this guy, Rich, holding out the Fred Bar he'd brought up from Wanaka! No need to go the bike shop first thing in the AM. AWESOME! We chatted a bit, learned we had some mates in common and decided to sort out payment later. It was then I realized I could change my ferry to the South Island to the morning versus the tomorrow afternoon one I had scheduled. At least I hoped. I called Bluebridge and it was done. 8AM sailing and a cabin for a nap!

Jumping on to a passing e-bike along the motorway made the battle with the headwind easy and soon I was at John and Carolyn's. I got sorted. Replaced the rear pads, which was a bit overdue, and gave my bike a once over. I decided to hold onto the Fred Bar until "later". I had ridden a few days without it after all. I nearly left it there in Wellington. You know, it's bulky and it has mass. Why carry it? Very glad I didn't I leave it behind I'd later realize.

John and Carolyn are great hosts. Carolyn had picked up four instant Uncle Ben's rice packs and some Pics Peanut Butter slugs (like gels, but better). After catching up over a 0.0% beer and eating like a pig I was off to bed. I also got to launder my kit!

156.8 miles with 6,795 followed by a 16.5-hour stop.

I rolled downhill to the ferry just prior to 6:00AM to be the first to check in. I was to meet Jonty at the McDonald's at 6:15. He’d pinged Jeff Lyall as well and I was grateful to catch-up with both of them over a warm breakie. It's nice to chat with fellow cyclist whom understand your situation and are willing to both encourage and hassle you in the same sentence.

Soon afterwards I was onboard and napping away as the Bluebridge ferry made its way across the Cook Straight.

11:30AM I rolled on to the pier in Picton and was again back on very familiar roads and tracks. Similar to 2016 I knew how the first few days on the South Island could roll. I stopped early in the day in 2016's first day on the South Island but today I really wanted to go much further.

I reloaded at the Four Square in Havelock which included some Vaseline and fresh rags for bike maintenance. Then later down the tr sealed, but very busy road, a section I don't particularly like, I decided to celebrate the fact of it being over with by grabbing a Coke and some chippies at the Pelorus Bridge cafe'. Problem was the queue was moving so slowly I finished both by the time it came time to pay. I got a wee chuckle for this accomplishment between the two gals working the register. Efficient use of my time I say.

Next up was the major obstacle of the day, the Mangatapu Pass which is a 4-wheel track that gets steep, loose and chunky. With an unloaded bike it's tough to clear. I'm exhausted and laden. I’d walk much of the upper portions. The loose rocks were sharp and risking a cut sidewall seemed ignorant. The same approach applied to the descent. Safely and wisely was my approach. STRAVA would confirm I'd taken it super easy, 35 minutes slower up to the top than my ~90-minute best.

Once in Nelson it was cruisey riding to Richmond were, unlike in 2016 were I stopped for the night, I'd refuel and press on. In 2016 I stopped in the late afternoon, which is very early by bike packing standards. This was likely due to the efforts I'd already done on the North Island. 2016's decision to stop in Richmond had left me with a hard 300 kms to Reefton. I wanted to shorten the ride to Reefton this time down. Into the night I rolled.

Spooner’s Tunnel at over 1 mile in length was pretty cool as were the cruisey bike paths that followed afterwards however, the sleeping monster loomed heavy. Around 10:30PM and shortly after the tiny and sleeping town of Tapawara I was keen to find a spot to bivy. Amongst the tall hops grove was my decision. Before I'd find my exact spot, I witnessed the massively impressive satellite train streak across the night sky. The nighttime sky in New Zealand is incredible. Seeing this high-tech man-made creation against the clear Milky Way behind it was surreal. But yet again a bad choice for bivying as the ground was lumpy enough to make sleeping a chore.

Waking numerous times in the night as I struggled to get warm and comfortable. My bivy was lined with condensation and my sleeping bag was becoming moist and clammy. I opted to pack up, and just after the bare minimum 6-hour required stop-time I was rolling once again. That night sucked but since I rode further than in 2016, I knew I didn't have to sell-the-farm and time trial to get to Reefton before the shops closed. Another good accommodation and refueling in Reefton would allow me to get sorted and rested.

101.3 miles with 6,883' followed by a 6.5-hour stop

It was a sincere struggle to get going this morning, at 4:30AM, in the dark and cold morning air. The hops hedges hadn't been kind to me. Rough nights like this always led to sluggish mornings. My effort across the day would also suffer but I soldiered on knowing that if I kept my forward progress, I'd stroll into Reefton with ample time to reload at the Four Square, which closed at 7PM, and sort my damp kit out for the following day.

A relatively non-eventful day filled with some longer climbs and the not so much fun tar seal towards Springs Junction was finished by the grind over the pass westward to Reefton. A couple more Cokes and packs of peanut M&Ms became my routine during refueling stops. Looking at the time, I was still ahead of schedule and the light winds allowed it to stay that way. I reached Reefton and soon I was able to rinse my kit in the sink of my accommodation and was able to dry it along with my puffy and sleeping bag in the late afternoon sun. I hit the Four Square for supplies and diner provisions.

I contemplated heavily on the next day. It was the Big River section. A section I lobbied for inclusion in the TA back in 2015 when the final draft course was being completed by the Kennett Brothers. Ironically the contemplation was on whether to ride it or take the detour around. The detour was a foul weather/touring bike/I'm-not-a-mountain-biker kind of option. I fit none of these categories.

130.8 miles with 7,251' followed by a 13-hour stop

Continuing my contemplations from yesterday.... Rationalizing, I did however take the “Harbor Detour” several days ago in Northland which added the 100kms of solid riding, while I had never detoured Big River. I'd in fact ridden Big River a few times even as recently as less than one year ago and I knew I'd merely be walking a lot of the descent. I wanted to take the detour. Not to avoid the climb, as I actually like that climb, but rather to avoid walking. Walking during this TA has served to really aggravate my right knee which I badly injured years ago. If I go via Big River and completely jack my knee up, I'd be devastated.

So, to give some time back to my forward progress as a "good faith" gesture to the racers about me, a self-induced penalty if you will, I opted to wait for the local bakery to open in the morning, enjoy a coffee & muffin and wee moment of reflection. Later, with a bit of disappointment, I rolled this detour. My knee thanked me.

Having peaked at the forecast I knew the West Coast was a day away from being hammered by a rainstorm with up to 3"+/hour rainfall intensities. The timing could not have been worse. The next town was Greymouth and a good opportunity to get a real rain jacket and a few bits to get me through it. A gentleman greeted me as I crested a we hill just before town. He handed me a mint as I streaked by, hopped in his car and led me straight to a well-stocked bike shop. Very good thing I got the jacket then I'd soon learn. The “Mint Guy” was performing video interviews and I agreed to do one as I prepped my gear outside the bike shop. After all the standard questions you could expect in a situation like this such as "How has it been?" and "What gear are you using?" something caught my eye. The LENTZ IS MORE sticker on my frame. A fucking sticker. I told him my mate was killed. I choked up. I couldn't speak. A God damned fucking sticker. I don't want this sticker. I struggled. The interview ended. I carried on.

After Greymouth, the West Coast Wilderness Trail would dominate the day. A mint day, the calm before the storm, on a very epic track. Everything rolled well and I found myself in Hokatika early in the evening. I could have ridden a lot more, but I opted for a solid recovery and full mental preparations for the pending rainstorm across the West Coast. Three days left. I wanted to attack it hard, trim the fat from my 2016 effort and get this sucker done.

The West Coast road had been closed earlier this year already due to slips and road failures caused by heavy rains. If this storm caused similar damage I could be screwed. I really wanted to get beyond the areas of potential damage and not get trapped. There was an Inland Detour developed to address such a circumstance, but I simply could not wait here to see what would happen. Once committed however I'd long pass the turn off for the Inland Detour and I'd effectively be trapped. Only then would a massive backtracking to the Inland Detour, if even possible, would allow me to continue or simply being stuck deep down the West Coast - forced to wait out the roading repairs.

110.6 miles with 4,173' followed by a 10-hour stop

In 2016 I had ridden from here, Hokatika, to Paringa Lake Lodge, a small lodge in the middle of nowhere. This time as I prepared to leave Hokatika, I was preparing to do whatever it took to go beyond Paringa Lake and make it to the outpost of Haast, the last stop on the TA's West Coast journey at nearly 300km away. This meant largely getting past all the previously damaged roads and bridges that were still being repaired. I even dreamed of possibly getting over Haast Pass as well, an additional 50kms. One can dream foolish dreams.

Leaving Hokatika at 2:45 AM was challenging. I was struggling to focus and keep my eyes open. The plan was to get coffee and grub along the way keeping my ballast with just enough to get to the next town. This was particularly the case from Franz Joseph Glacier to Fox Glacier. There are three hard cracker climbs between the two points, and I didn't want any extra weight to haul up the hills.

Once I'd reached Fox Glacier I had to load up. Part of the reason I had to stop at Paringa Lake Lodge in 2016 was that I didn't bring enough food. I wasn't going to let that happen again.

The server weather forecast came to fruition and would have me battling heavy winds and cold rains as I limped into Haast. I was absolutely soaked to the core and freezing. The foolish dream of crossing Haast Pass was confirmed, and I was beyond relieved to find accommodation, food and a warm shower.

173.7 miles with 7,976' followed by a 36-hour stop

As the 36-hour stoppage noted above would suggest I took today off. The rain was cold and heavy, the skies were grey, low and stormy and the wind was howling. If I had made the Pass this would all be behind me. Had I not stopped early as in Hokatika, this would be behind me. Sticking to my "Safety and Finish" goals as well as "You are not going to race it again." philosophy kept me grounded. Plus, now I could smell the finish line. I knew I was only two days out. That's it. Two big days and I got it in the bag. I'd nearly made the finish in 2016 from even further away, only stopping short at Winton due to what would have been a late evening finish without transportation out of Bluff or any accommodation. The only goal I set now was to finish during daylight hours two days from now.

0 miles with 0'

Rolling just after 4AM I had the jump on my 2016 effort in time, distance and recovery. It also afforded me the chance to climb Haast Pass in the quite early morning without traffic and nor pace. I nearly made it over the top without a single car coming by. I was 200 meters short. The rainstorm had passed and only left wet roads and a few felled trees across the road. It also left the streams, rivers and waterfalls rushing at capacity. It was a magical sunrise yielding epic vistas and visuals to what had only been till then sounds of raging waters.

Road would be much of the theme for the first half of the day and I made great time as a result. I made Wanaka ahead of my conservative schedule. After settling up at Outdoor Sports for the Fred Bar and reloading provisions at the New World I set off for the much hated drag up to and over the busy Crown Range Pass. All up the winds were light and the vehicles were not all that douchey even though they, by in large, didn't slow down a bit. Once at the top, mid-day I couldn't help but punch the air with relief and elation. The day was now trending away from cars and onto cruisey tracks all the way to Queenstown. The finish was nearing. I could feel it. I knew it.

A brief stop in Arrowtown to refuel and a quick call to Colleen. I was really feeling excited. Feeling the accomplishment. It was not far away now. I wanted to share this moment with her. Colleen had been great all throughout this adventure. Though she may not have realized it her voice and encouragement were welcome and often very much needed.

The last small hurdle, if you will, was getting across the lake to Walter Peak Station. One last damn boat ride. It was 4:30 in the afternoon and I was reasonably certain that there was little chance that I'd find my way across and I'd be forced to spend the night and wait for the AM sailings After dodging hundreds of tourist and locals out enjoying the late Saturday afternoon sunshine I rolled up to an tourist "Activity" kiosk on the crowded waterfront. "Can we help you?" the gal proclaimed. "Yes, is there any way to get to Walter Peak Station this afternoon?". "There sure is!" she replied. I threw my hands into the air with relief and excitement. Upon learning of what I was up to and what I was trying to accomplish the staff working the kiosk got all stoked for me. However, it would prove difficult as it turned out. But after a few phone conversations, one with me begging for permission, I was able to join the “Dinner Cruise” to Walter Peak Station. Yes, a dinner cruise! Once we would arrive on the other side of the lake at Walter Peak Station there was to be a massive 4-star buffet. "Hell yes I'm willing to pay for the dinner!" - I told the gal on the other end of the phone. The gal worked for the Earnslaw steam vessel and couldn't get it outta her head that a cyclist whom intends on doing the Around the Mountains cycle trail would be interested in the dinner cruise.

It sailed at 6pm so I had some time to gather food and drink for the following day as I would be in the middle of nowhere for the first few hours of my day. I also got a nice Merino wool T-shirt from the MACPAC store to change into for diner. I'd also pull my Ice Breaker Merino long undies on over my bibs. I didn't want to look too outta place amongst a hundred non-Tour Aotearoa riders that had dressed up for the occasion.

The diner was off the charts and I managed to eat three bulging plates of real food. I was stuffed. Proper real food! OMG that was good. Before others had finished their dinner and drinks I snuck off and onto my bike to get a few kilometers in before night fell.

Again, the more I moved forward the less I had to do on my last day. I desperately wanted to finish up in daytime. Exhausted, I just kept moving forward. It was slow going and the temperatures were falling.

One of the concerns with allowing me to join the dinner cruise in the first place was that I was planning on cycling the Around the Mountains cycle trail. The operators of the Earnslaw steam vessel are informed that cyclist aren't meant to free camp along its route and therefore allowing me to cross the lake with my intentions meant I had to promise them that I'd either camp at the site near Walter Peak Station or cycle the 50k to another designated campsite. No worries for me but they didn't understand who they were dealing with. They get countless weekend warriors on hired mountain bikes getting in over their head and doing stupid shit like starting campfires in unsafe locations and leaving random evidence of camping across the landscape. So, it took some convincing back in Queenstown to get the ticket to join the dinner cruise but now that I was across the lake, I was free to fly. Now It's all on me to get to the finish tomorrow before sunset.

This was actually my third time on this segment. I had ridden through here during the 2014 Great Southern Brevet and the 2016 Tour Aotearoa so I was pleasantly surprised to find these recently installed 3-sided shelter kiosks about every 15km. Purposely built as part of the Around the Mountains cycle trail for cyclist traveling the route. I didn't make the campsite at 50km because after I had reached the second kiosk, I was just exhausted. It would be my home for the night. I was smoked.

173.4 miles with 10,910' followed by a 9.5 hours stopp

Bivying the night well into the Around the Mountains cycle trail meant I'd set up my final effort to the finish quite well. In 2016 I was having a cooked breakfast and warm coffee in Queenstown at 8AM. Back then I was riding with a few mates [long story] and we had already ridden two hours in the wee hours of the morning into town from our bivy site in Arrowtown. Now however I was across the lake, up the major climb and stuffing M&Ms down my pie hole at dawn. Keep this thing upright and rolling and I'd have my daytime finish long before Day 14 comes to an end. "Stay on your bike Danny!"

My best bivy of the TA, which isn't saying much and by no means all that restful as it got cold. The early miles were tough. The gravel in this section was heavy, loose and not enjoyable. My fingers were freezing and numb. I’d vigorously rub them on my thighs and breath on my knuckles for nearly an hour. After a slow few hours I was pleased to reach Mossburn to refuel and eventually get onto some tar seal. I settled into time trial mode and made great progress. After a few more hours I rolled into Winton, where we stayed in the Pub back in 2016. I saw two TAers coming towards me on the edge of town and back onto the course. Here the town center required a bit of an out and back to reach. It was a necessary refuel for me, and apparently for the other two as well.

The two riders did not acknowledge me. No wave. No knod. This kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Sure, they may not of noticed my bright yellow sun skins but that didn't matter to me. I was going to crush them to the finish. It's not a race, but now I got something to focus on. The end was calling and putting the hammer down seemed like the thing to do anyway. Empty the already very empty tank.

After a flash refueling, I was on the case, the catch and the drop. Individual time trialing with everything I had left. Everything. Bluff was on the horizon and it came slowly. Finally, once I had reached town emotions flooded my head. I thought of my wife, my life, Kevin and this incredible adventure. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I couldn't contain bursts of weeping. I had done it! I had cycled the length of New Zealand, again! I had made good of what had gone wrong in 2018. A very lucky and happy man!!!! I had proven a lot to myself. After nine of these style of events in New Zealand, Italy Divide and a few in the USA, I truly know my limits. I'm proud of who I am. I had suffered, smiled, cried, laughed, freaked-out, chilled, enjoyed, hated but persevered through it all. This ride was truly a box of chocolates. A box in which you must eat every single freaking chocolate, even the nasty ones.

Total time: 13 days, 8 hours (2016 total time: 11 days, 20 hours)

My kit for the 2020 Tour Aotearoa:

Bike and bags:.

TREK Procaliber 29er hardtail
DT SWISS MT1200 carbon wheelset
FOX 120 mm fork
Bontrager 2.0 X1 tubeless tires, with STANS sealant
SRAM XX1 EAGLE 38X10/50
SHIMANO XT brakes and XTR pedals
Stealth frame bag
Apidura fuel tank
Relavate feed bag
Apidura bottle bags
Sea to Summit Event compression bag
Alpkit feed bad (mounted to seat tube)

SLEEPING SYSTEM:

Marmot Plasma 40d sleeping bag
Thermarest X Air mat
Ice Breaker Merino wool long underwear
Cocoon air pillow
MACPAC bivy sack
Coureur team kit by ELIEL cycling , one kit
MACPAC puffy w hood
MACPAC lightweight rain jacket
Shower Pass hooded rain jacket
Bontrager sun skins
Kiwi cycling socks, one pair
Pearl Izumi short finger gel gloves
100% shades with transition lenses
Lazer Z1 helmet
ELIEL under-liner
GIRO Teraundo shoes w Bontrager insoles
Two reflective ankle straps

MISCELLANEOUS GEAR:

NITERIDER Micro 850 light, 2 each
Bontrager flare tail and front lights
Ass Savor mini seat fender
Stealth small handlebar bag
8,000 & 10,000 milliampere battery packs
Essential cords, micro and type C
Blackburn MTB mini pump
Dyno plug with spares
One spare tube and patch kit
Presta to Shaffer converter
Duck tape, a couple rubber bands and a knife
Toothpaste and toothbrush, dental pick
A single strand of floss, ear plugs
Spare 12 speed link
Shower cap and a plastic bag
Spare spokes, nipples and spoke tool
Lube and rag, Rock n Roll YELLOW for much of it
Spare shifter cable
Emergency gel
Spare seat clamp w/ bolt
Spare derailure hanger and custom 20mm wrench
Chamois Butter
Sea Summit 27g backpack
Toilet paper
Three water bottles

RANDOM FACTS:

Pre ride a trained weight of 184lbs, finish 173lbs
No saddle sores
After the finish, it took some effort to clean all the cow shit from my gear
3$ USD can get you two loads of laundry done and folded for you in Invercargill
Two bee stings (one good one, bleeding, in my forehead)
One day I got a few sun blisters from not applying sunscreen
Four numb fingers, two each hand
Never used my backup NITERIDER light
Never used my backup 8,000-ma battery pack
Brought along a second pair of socks which I wasn't using so I tossed them as I needed all my packing capacity
Having the Sea to Summit backpack was essential
Had 20psi too much in my fork for the duration, limiting the travel to 2" maximum
Brain capacity and functionality compromised, (See previous observation on my fork as an example)
Only a couple very minor navigating errors
Peanut M&Ms and SNICKERS eaten, countless
Numerous Cokes, Powerades, long blacks and plenty of water
Total weight of bike 38-44lbs depending on water and food quantities onboard
148.2 miles was my daily average miles
10 hours was my daily average stoppage time
The last few M&Ms in the packet never ever want to come out without a fight
Wouldn't change much
Zero equipment failures
Carrying ample toilet paper is essential

5 Responses

May 11, 2020

Only you Clifford. Once again living vicariously thru you!

Bravo Mate!! What a way to start my day, cup of coffee and reading your ultimate accomplishment. Purely motivating.

I read every word. You are amazing. Will you do it again?

Thank you @puregravel.com It is hard to capture the “ride” when writing a story….I hope this encourages others.

Oli Brooke-White

What a wonderful achievement Cliff, outstanding effort! So pleased to see you knock the bastard off again after your tough 2018 attempt. Really proud of you, mate.

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Quinnies tour of Aotearoa trip

On Monday 22 February 2021 I set off to ride the Tour Aotearoa. Riding with me on this adventure was my wind breaker and hero/hubbie Brynn Gilbertson, and my adventure cycling buddy and MTB expert Janet Spilman. In this piece I’ll write a bit about what the TA meant to me, give you a sense of a few of my personal highlights, some information on my set up in terms of equipment and preparation as well as a few helpful resources.

First, a little about the TA. Reputed to be one of the best bike packing adventures anywhere, the TA covers 3000 km of our beautiful country here in Aotearoa from Cape Reinga in the far north to Bluff in the deep south combining some of the best NZ Cycle Trail Great Rides, Heartland Rides, tracks, paths and lanes connected by quiet back country roads and the odd piece of main drag. Huge kudos must go to Jonathan Kennett as the TA designer who along with his brothers Paul and Simon have been figuring out routes, writing guides, publishing cycling books and promoting cycling for more than 3 decades (see: https://www.kennett.co.nz/ )

Launched in 2016, the TA “embraces the complete kaleidoscope of Kiwi terrain from beach, bush and mountains to forests, farmland and riverbanks, with lots of small settlements, some towns and a couple of cities along the way”. The TA Brevet is organised in alternate years starting in mid-February when riders set off from Cape Reinga in waves of 100/day. This is a self-supported ride, some TA hitters carry tents and cooking stuff and camp out every night while others, like us, took advantage of the excellent array of motels and eateries along the route.

We were blessed with generally good weather and experienced many precious moments of joy. From the beauty of the stunning scenery to the chat with locals to the company of other TA riders/treasures such as the lads from the Waikato, Bob from Gissie and his mate Chris from Tauranga. I’ve been asked the question “What was your favourite day?” a lot. It’s a really hard, if not impossible, question to answer because I have so many favourite moments so here are some highlights:

The simple joy of riding a bike day after day; the thrill of replying to the question “Where you headed?” with the answer “Bluff”; the challenge of riding 3000kms unsupported over all sorts of challenging types of terrain; the Aroha, the land, the Maunga, the Awa, Te Tangata, Te Tangata, Te Tangata (the people, the people, the people).

Trail angels: these are some of NZ’s finest from local lad Jesse in Northland who rode up beside us on a deserted gravel road north of Dargaville and offered us home grown watermelon and grapes to Mary out of Pohangina (Manawatu) whose picnic, to me, rivalled High Tea at the Ritz and our Southern trail angel Colleen who was roadside out of Winton with watermelon and words of encouragement, just what we needed towards the end of a really cold, wet day with just over 70 km to go to Bluff.

Defining my Tour Philosophy. For me this was about the individual and the collective, it was about riding your own ride and being true to self, whilst also being respectful of others: it’s my TA though it’s also their TA, I loved that.

I’m a really visual person and have a great love of nature and the outdoors: post TA I realise how much this means to me. Pre TA I enjoyed the pleasure of a simple bike ride, post TA I relish it

Day one: riding 90 mile beach isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it’s long and straight and sand is really hard to ride on especially with a loaded bike and with wind, yep there is often a tricky breeze, but I loved this day. There is something pretty magical about a group of 100 people starting on an adventure together, there was energy and excitement in the air and I found joy in taking time to ponder the challenge ahead and the people around me.

Day two: Tane Mahuta: a majestic tree and a real highlight, such a special place in our land. To ride to this point of the Tour, through the beauty of the Kauri forest and by foot to the foot of Tane Mahuta was very humbling. Taking a moment to pause in wonder at the majestic sight of this king amongst kauri reminded me of the immense challenge I had undertaken. Having taken inspiration from this giant, we rode on.

Pouto Point Ferry: arriving at the ferry was a day 3 highlight as getting there signalled our first real goal in sight, to get back to home in Auckland for the night after 3 days of riding. The ride out from Darvagille towards the ferry is currently a gnarly rough gravel grind and quite hard work just to stay upright so to arrive at Pouto Point, in one piece, in time for a shower before the 2.5hour cruise over the Kaipara Harbour was delightful. On the ferry there is a chance to pause, take a breath and chat to new friends and TA companions.

Stop over at home: stopping in Auckland was full of highlights. Getting off the ferry with about 80 odd others called for patience in the offloading of bikes and repacking. We set off towards home (Central Auckland) around 7:45pm which meant a bike into Auckland in the pitch black of night along roads which are poorly lit. Janet and I were pretty over this section when a couple of treasured friends who had been waiting patiently for Janet with bars and drinks met us at the side of the road close to 9pm and escorted us with their car lights until we met the bike path at Triangle Rd. (I definitely feel #forever indebted to Rose and Lance for this act of kindness). The next morning we dragged ourselves out of our lovely home and towards Maungwhau (Mount Eden). Our fabulous friends Rose French and the Point Chev Coffee group dropped by to MEC and the café next door to give us hugs and send us on our way. MEC gave our bikes a touch of Aroha and a once over and kicked us out the door and onwards South. Our son Theo stopped in for coffee and drew me to tears as we said farewell to him. Tears of joy and challenge were a common occurrence amongst TA riders we met along the way, the emotional impact of starting this challenge, returning to home and leaving again was significant for many of us.

Finding joy in the seemingly dull sections: funny as it sounds this was a highlight for me. Whether it was by popping in my headphones and listening to some favourite Spotify tunes or simply finding mindfulness in the moment, I enjoyed these times.

The beauty of riding at dusk: riding between 5-7:30pm isn’t something an Auckland resident finds true delight in so to be able to cycle at dusk along country trails was a real treat. Riding into the Timber trail lodge at 7:30pm on a Saturday evening was pure joy. This track is an example of TA royalty.

Elegantly described by 2016 TA rider Adam Lee as “ the most incredibly lush trail you’re likely to ever ride. It astounded me from the first moment I entered. The bright green moss and ferns, the bird calls and the soft loamy soil all made it more like riding a magic carpet in a dream than riding a bike. It’s a special place. The trail climbs up and around the side of Mount Pureora, in which lives a dense forest of 1,000 year old podocarp trees. It quickly became one of the most remote and isolated sections of the Tour. The trails weren’t overly technical, but they weren’t easy…”

Attempting and often failing to find joy in the more challenging sections: I have coined these highlights as I’m too much of a Pollyanna to call them low lights but I’m still pretty poorly skilled at any MTB level above a grade 2, so I did often struggle. Funnily enough though, one of the hardest sections from Blue Duck Lodge through part of the Nga ara Tuhono Mountain to Sea Route and onto the Bridge to No Where was a real highlight of a day for me. This 38km section with 22km of single track, took about 5hours including stops. I must have hiked my bike for a solid 2 hours but I didn’t crash and ended the day with a heart full of aroha and joy at the world we live in, the vistas and the people. A particularly joyful moment of this part of the day was a cup of tea courtesy of Bob and his billy, as we were waiting by the side of the river for our jet boat taxi, so satisfying. The trip down the Mighty Whanganui River by jet boat to Pipiriki was a real highlight, time off the bike to ponder the adventure so far, saviour the stunning vistas and enjoy the unique opportunity to order lunch via the onboard radio through our knowledgeable driver as we took off. Arriving to find yummy toasties ready to eat, bliss. After cleaning our bikes, we had another 4 hour ride to finish the day in Whanganui, it was a blissful afternoon spin topped off by another TA Rider Rowan’s wife and buddies, waiting at the top of the “Gentle Annie” climb with treats galore which they shared with us.

Day 13 started with a stunning ride from Picton to Havelock around the Queen Charlotte Sounds and onto Pelorus Bridge. The Maungatapu Saddle between Havelock and Nelson though was fit solely for goats and was truly brutal for me. The combination of really loose dry rock and super steep tracks left me no rideable surface, I fell off in the first few metres and felt my confidence knocked and deflated from the bottom. Hiking my bike up 700 odd metres over 1hour 40minutes was hard but doable however I found the descent unnerving and even worse as my knees jarred and my feet slipped constantly, I couldn’t find any sense of stability and there was just no easy way for me to get down in cycle shoes. I was very poor company and shouted much abuse at the Maunga, I am sure it was pleased to see the back of me when I finally limped off and onto the gravel road into Nelson. We ate a lovely late lunch there and continued onto the Wakefield Hotel for a Saturday night entertainment bonus with Karaoke night! The anguish of the saddle slipped away as the evening unfolded.

Day 15: Murchison to Reefton over the gorgeous chalky roads of the Maruia Saddle, our very own Strade Bianche: 5 x river crossings, simply stunning. At this stage we had ridden 2000 km and climbed more than Mt Everest in height, we were humming.

Day 17: West Coast Wilderness Trail: another absolute cracker of a day riding from Kumara to Ross, raining cats and dogs for 4 hours but stunning riding and blessed by a hot green tea at Cowboy Paradise (definitely not paradise so please pause to read that detail, a place with a seriously weird vibe). Lunch of the tour at Hokitika, whitebait fritters and fries, now that was bliss. Onwards to Ross which was a delightful afternoon spin on a flat trail into Ross. A true highlight on tour must be the local chat in the Ross Tavern post our ride. So good.

Now to cover the measures I took to prepare for the TA. Firstly, I knew I needed to increase my MTB skills so about mid-year I booked a couple of skills sessions with Janet Stark, MTB coach, she is awesome. We rode in the Hunua’s and at Totara Park. I was pretty ‘road’ fit by the November prior. I completed 5 passes (4 days riding/racing from Chch to Hamner Springs to Greymouth to Arthurs Pass and back to Chch (600 kms and 6000 m of climbing). This gave me a good base. From mid-November I switched to my MTB: a Specialized Epic Hard Tail: I love this bike. Some TA riders go for a gravel bike for a bit more speed but for me, the Epic was awesome, ‘comfy as’ and it’s handling gave me more confidence on the off road sections. I rode at Totara Park, Riverhead the gravel loop at Puhoi a few times and rode at Woodhill once. I also rode the Timbertrail and a few other trails around Taupo. I rode about 300 km a week or so over Christmas and included a couple of rides to the Coromandel on my MTB with some load, not full but enough to get the feel of the bags.

In terms of equipment along with my awesome Specialized Epic, for bags I used the Ortoleb small saddle bag (drybags inside), the specialized harness system on the front with a mid-size drybag on the outside (smaller drybags inside), 2 x Stealth Stem pouches and a good sized top tube bag. I tried to use the top tube and stem pouches for everything I needed during the day and that worked really well for me.

Finally a few big thanks that I’d like to make. Firstly, thanks to Mark Taylor from MEC for inspiration and heaps of helpful advice (and all the amazing staff at MEC), to Emma Hadley (MEC Bikes - St Heliers) for inspiration and laughs, Rose French for inspiration, fab training chat and friendship, Brynn for the inspiration for this ride and for being so patient on Tour and for adventure cycling buddy Janet Spilman for all the help, advice and friendship, pre and during the tour.

Helpful Resources:

Tour Aotearoa Official Guides, spilt into North Is and South Is, 3rd edition latest update
Tour Aotearoa 2020 - Rod Oram 2020, blog
Rudy's Tour Aotearoa Poem - Rudy Baptist 2020

Mar 22, 2023

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TOUR AOTEAROA 2020

by Steve | Apr 1, 2020 | Cycling Adventures , Front Page | 6 comments

Here I am again up at the very northern tip of Aotearoa , Cape Reinga lining up for my third time for this increasingly popular brevet. I am super amped and looking forward to riding through this stunning country I now call home . I was starting in wave one this year, in 2016 I was in wave 3. This years edition had 13 start dates spread out between 17 February and 8th March .

I was up on first light down at the beautiful Tapotupotu campground , packed away my camping gear, and rode the short distance up the hill to the Lighthouse carpark, our journeys starting point . I could feel the excited nervous energy as riders gathered and made final adjustments . I chatted with some familiar faces then it was 7am and we were off . I always love when I finally get rolling on a big event or race . After all the training , preparations, planning etc, i m eager to start pedalling and get into my own rhythm .

The wind was favourable and Ninety mile beach passed without incident . I rode with a small group all the way down the beach, chatting at times or just riding with my thoughts. After a quick stop at the shop in Ahipara I found myself riding with old friend Cliff Clermont from USA and Richard Walsh, a Kiwi now living in Australia .

Some nice quiet country roads and 170kms from the start brought me to the landing to catch the ferry for the short crossing to Rawene . Cliff and Richard arrived soon after. Mostly sealed roads weaved past the scenic villages of Opononui and Omapere along the Hokianga Harbour. I was now heading towards photo control point 3 , the majestic Tane Mahuta , God of the forest , a giant Kauri tree in the Waipoua Forest , likely to be well over 1000 years old. Arrived in Dargaville about 8 pm for a Subway resupply with Richard before riding out as the sun set on a beautiful Day 1 on the tour. The decision was easy to ride the extra 100km around Kaipara Harbour instead of riding to Pouto point to catch the ferry as it was not due to leave until 3pm the next day . At 55km past Dargaville we stealth camped on the verandah of the Matakohe Museum for the 6 hour mandatory stop making it 333kms for the day.

I was feeling good on day 2 riding the rolling hills around the Harbour. I had noticed that my Tracker was not showing on the Maprogress website, turned it off and on, and continued . At Mt Eden in Auckland I spent some more time writing emails etc trying to sort out the Tracking issue. Richard rode out of the city and I followed soon after happy to escape the traffic .This time I took the alternate coastal route to Miranda and really enjoyed the riding on a stunning evening . 6 hour stop in Miranda at the end of my second day.

Somewhere on Day 3 my tracker issue were sorted, I was a moving Dot again so family and friends could follow my progress . Another minor technical issue was also happening for me, My Garmin Etrex is normally fed off a cache battery which is in turn is fed from my Dynamo Hub via my K Lite usb charger . This was now not working so I was having to put in lithium batteries instead. A lot of wasted time in Mata Mata and a new cache battery did not solve the issue .A battery with pass through facility is required !! I was about 6 or 7 kms out of Mata Mata and had to turn back to get more batteries. DOH !

I reached the next photo control point at the Centre of North Island after darkness had fallen and camped up further along the road around midnight with around 280kms done. Early the next morning , overcast with a heavy dew amongst the thick bush of the forest , Richard appeared. He had stayed further back at Pureora. We soon warmed up as we climbed into the Timber Trail . This section is rugged , remote and super fun with many epic swing bridges to take you across huge lush gorges. Richard had dropped back and I pushed on getting out to Taumarunui just after 11am. A decent stop , breakfast and coffee was required. I called the Whanganui River Adventures to organise the boat pick to take me from Bridge to nowhere to Pipriki . He said he would be at the landing at 6pm for pick up . By the time I got supplies and sorted myself out it was midday, meaning I had 6 hours to do the 107 kms to reach the jetboat . It was a time trail , I pushed hard , barely stopping , including some hike a bike up the Kaiwhakauka Track , a narrow, rooty steep section not long past Whakahoro. Thankfully the descent down towards The Bridge to Nowhere was dry and fast . I reached the landing at 6 .15 and was relieved to see the boat waiting . As it turns out we ended up waiting for Richard who arrived about 35 minutes later after himself putting in a huge effort . The trip down the river was beautiful in the evening light. A quick stop , bike clean and resupply at the pipriki river base and I was moving again as the light was fading . The fatigue was setting in on this stretch and I was grateful to get to Whanganui and get a room. I dried out my tent etc , still damp from the previous nights heavy dew and set the alarm for another early start .

Day 5 and 6 had me traverse the dry farming landscapes from the west to east of the lower north island.Some beautiful quiet country roads with very little traffic. I had really great weather so far , warm and sunny for the most part . I had a few people come out to cheer me on as I rode past and many small town businesses were excited to welcome the TA riders over the next couple of months . I can imagine some places getting inundated with riders. Day 5 was a 305km day finished with a nice stealth camp on the verandah of the rugby ground building just off course in Masterton. The next day I scored a cabin on the ferry which was great for a nice rest up. Time for the South Island.

Leaving Picton I had a gorgeous evening riding the Queen Charlotte road, past Havelock and Pelorus Bridge with no reason to stop until I noticed I was losing air from my rear tyre. I was now on the gravel road leading to the Maungatapu Trail. I had a quick scan , seen nothing so put a CO2 cannister into the tyre hoping it would re seal . Unfortunately after 10 minutes it was flat again. Further inspection revealed a nail sticking out of the tyre , how did I miss that ? I put a plug in, then I hand pumped the tyre as I only had the one CO2 . I did have to keep topping up every 30 minutes as it was not sealing completely , this was annoying ! This was not the first time i ve went over the Maungatapu in the darkness, although it was better conditions than in the TA 2016 when I was caught in torrential rains from a passing cyclone. A late night resupply in Nelson and I continued on until almost 2am , camping at the domain in Wakefied, this was a long day

The late night meant a later start than normal to accommodate the 6 hours stop . Coffee at the bakery in Wakefield and I was good to go .

The last couple of days I was noticing that my Di2 was shifting sporadically , looking like it was a problem with a wire connection in the headtube area. I was still having to top up my rear tyre with air also. A bike shop was now not available as I had passed through Nelson late last night . As I neared Tapawera , my shifting had almost completely ceased. A long stop here to fix this involved taking off my handlebars etc to get inside my headtube to find the di2 wires were crushed . Two tiny wires had to be stripped back , then twisted together and taped . I put it all back together and it was working and thankfully it continued to work all the way to Bluff . A Further 20 kms down the Tadmoor valley, I had to stop again. I decided to put a tube in my rear wheel as I was losing air more and more . This turned into a bit of a nightmare. I put a new tube in , beaded the tyre and started pumping, the air was coming straight out WTF ! I took the tube out and there was a big hole in the tube , Damn ! Stick on patches did not want to stick, sticky sealant was everywhere and it was super hot in the mid afternoon sun along the side of the road.A hot sticky mess ensued. Eventually after 1.5 approx I was moving after finally getting a tube to hold the air …The ride to Murchison felt long and my legs were flat as these mechanical issues drained some energy. Thankfully after some drinks and food I was feeling more energised again as I went over the beautiful Maruia saddle , eventually camping riverside by the west bank road turn off . Most eventful day of my Tour .

Day 8 was a fresh early morning ride over Rahu saddle and onto Reefton for coffee and food before heading into the epic Big River Section . Ive being through here 6 or 7 times now , its a tough section , not all rideable with steep rocky climbs and rooty singletrack , this is rugged mountain biking whilst on a loaded bike . From Ikamatua I called ahead to Mann cycles in Greymouth to say I was coming to get a rear tyre and tubeless set up again. They very kindly stayed open late to sort me out . I rolled out of Greymouth about 6pm with an intention of getting to Hokitika , 100kms away through the wilderness Trail. I arrived to to a quiet Hokitika sometime after 11pm.

The west coast involves lots of sealed roads, this is unavoidable for the most part as there are no other options. I d ont really mind the road riding so much as long as they are not super busy and this was the case . A big day of nearly 300km got me to Haast staying at the Backpackers .

Day 9 riding out of Haast up the valley on an overcast damp morning , i was feeling very average . My legs felt asleep and I wondered how I would climb Haast Pass at this rate. Thankfully as the day brightened, my body slowly awakened and I was feeling so much better with good energy to tackle this beautiful climb. The day did brighten into a stunning day that matched the scenery as I rode by Makarora , Lake Hawea and into Wanaka . How lucky am I to get to ride my bicycle through landscapes like whats on offer here in Aotearoa. Plans to get across Lake Wakatipu this evening did not work out meaning my tenth night was my longest stopped time , about 11 hours .

A 7 am charter across to Walter Peak on my final day on the Tour , Gravel goodness and a super tailwind , even a short spell of rain meant I made good time to Mossburn . At this stage I was hopeful of catching a flight out of Invercargill at 6.30pm. A headwind not long after Mossburn ,that persisted more or less until Bluff meant catching that Flight would not happen . As I neared Invercargill I even considered riding off course and going to the airport to get on the plane. After a quick chat to my good wife Mary Jo , my tired mind was put straight and I continued into the wind to finish this.

I arrived at Bluff , and was met by a friend Fraser who lives down there . I was delighted to reach the end of this journey after 10 days and 11 hours and about 231 kms for the last day. The headwind had definitely taken a bit out of me at the end but throughout the 3,000kms I felt strong and healthy for the most part. A few mechanical issues and a longer than planned stopover in Queenstown were the only things that disrupted my flow. Delighted to have completed another adventure. I stayed at Frasers that night , had a good catch up , shower and food and up early for a re arranged flight to Christchurch.

17TH February Depart Cape Reinga at 7am 27th February Arrive Bluff 6.55pm

Overall I really enjoyed my ride down the country . I was privileged to be part of this Brevet with hundreds of others taking part. I do not know of any other bikepacking event worldwide that has gained such interest . Talking with small business owners on course , I was told that many people are riding the route or parts of it at times other that the TA. This is really cool. A huge amount of gratitude must go to the Kennett Brothers for their tireless efforts in creating this route and keeping it updated .

Anyone thinking about riding this course should definitely do it. If you can make the time you will not regret it. Hundreds and hundreds of magical stories are created by taking on challenges like this. Adventures like this revive your spirit and revitalise your soul, and then you will want to continued exploring . Its very likely that I will once again line up to ride the Land of The Long White Cloud in the years to come . In the meantime i ve got lots of other adventures to keep me interested.

More Gratitude and love to my supporting wife , Mary jo. Our business and my sponsor Vibrant Living Retreat , and the team Chara and Josefiina who all looked after everything brilliantly as I followed my joy riding my Bicycle over long distances through breathtaking vistas. Thank You, Thank You , Thank You !!!

https://www.vibrantliving.co.nz/

A little side story to all this was that I was on a mission to get to Bluff between 10/11 days as I had tickets to a concert in Auckland on the 28 and 29th Feb. TOOL , my favourite band for many years were playing two shows , and there was no way I was going to miss this . I met Mary Jo in Christchurch , we flew to Auckland and had an awesome weekend. TOOL were simply incredible in case you were curious 🙂

KEEP PEDALLING 🙂

Thanks for posting, great read!

Thanks for reading Aaron !

Cheers Steve for what sums up an incredible ride. I too did the TA this year (a leisurely 26 days). My first toe dip into the world of brevet. A true test of mental and physical stamina. Thanks for sharing.

Hey James, Thanks for reading , hope you enjoyed your first Brevet, experience, you picked a goodie thats for sure. Keep Pedalling . Cheers

I enjoyed following your dot and now the story behind it. By the way, what tyres are you running?

Hi Bruce , Thanks for reading. I was using Continental 2.2 Race Kings, front and back with side wall Protection for the Tour Aotearoa. Cheers

halligan.steve

A few thoughts on my summer bicycle ride

I made it! That is the most important reflection on my 3,400km summer bicycle ride. It was such a great adventure that I am now looking forward to other similar adventures, the short list is already growing!

I have to admit that I was a sceptic around this time last year when I purchased my manual Trek mountain bike. Up to that point, I had viewed hills as a major obstacle to an enjoyable bike ride and given that there was more than 30,000m of them to traverse on a ride through Aotearoa, that was a very significant factor that was likely to kill my ambitions.

During the ‘test’ ride from Kerikeri to Cape Reinga , I did not completely conquer my aversion to hills but I identified the problem and started to deal with it. It was my mental attitude. I was focussed on the gradient ahead of me instead of simply dropping the bike into its lowest gear, switching my mind to neutral and pedalling. It is amazing how quickly, despite the near pedestrian speed, that the terrain will pass by. Along the way, enjoy the views that hills afford, have a deep conversation with yourself about anything and the savour the downhill run on the other side.

My winter ‘training’ rides encompassed plenty of climbing and by the time I got into some serious climbing in the South Island, hills were just another part of the ride. As the weather warmed, it was the heat that was the biggest issue on the climbs. With low speed, you lose that self generated breeze that helps to keep you cooler, even on a hot day. When I hit the North Island hills, in high summer, with high temperatures and high humidity, overheating was an issue – alleviated by plenty of stops and fluid. I came to enjoy the hills and found riding for extended periods on flat terrain (not many days like that) a little boring, plus, you have to pedal all the time.

Riding unsupported and on my own for most of the trip seemed like a daunting prospect pre departure. However, in the middle of nowhere, with no cell reception and little signs of habitation, it was not at all disconcerting and actually quite refreshing. All of the madness that is going on in the World seemed, well, like a World away. The real challenges were around the very limited food and accommodation options in some of these more remote areas. Businesses that had survived pre-covid had either closed or now operated on very restricted hours. I quickly realised that I needed to be a little more self sufficient than I had planned.

There were quite a few risks associated with riding during a pandemic . In the South Island in late spring, the risk of lockdowns was always present although I felt these were rapidly diminishing as vaccination rates increased. In the North Island during the beginning of the Omicron wave, the risk was in being a close contact and having to isolate and the associated logistical problems that would entail. The flip side of these risks was the rare opportunity to ride through Aotearoa sans tourists and even kiwi travellers. The South Island ride was amazing from this perspective, I felt that I was the only one travelling around the Island and I probably was one of the very few, well especially on a bicycle. While it was a little busier in the North, unlike the South Island, the route through the North had few sojourns onto State Highways.

Was I too old to pedal a manual bike over such a distance? I certainly had plenty of feedback from others on that topic and most of it was not encouraging. I guess like Putin, negative feedback tends to make you ‘double down’ on your determination to do something. Having completed the ride with no real issues, I would certainly encourage any other septuagenarian to ‘give it a go’. I think the important factor is that you are happy with your fitness by the time you leave and, of course, have no underlying health issues that could become a problem when the going gets tough or remote. Having good communication options such as cellular and satellite devices also give you, and those worrying about you, some comfort.

If you are riding the Tour Aotearoa route and read blogs by other riders or follow the tour forum on Facebook be aware that those who are providing the feedback are usually riding the Brevit which they attempt to complete in 30 or less days. To do this, you need to be averaging 100+km per day which means that you will be on the bike for at least 6 hours a day and probably more on most days. I see videos of people biking in the dark and wonder – why – might as well sit on an exercycle in a dark room. For me, that was not a pleasant thought. I wanted to enjoy the journey through the Country, not find it a grind. Sure there was the odd day that was a little tougher – I had two rides of more than 100km, but overall, I tried to keep my daily rides in the 60-70 km range and was particularly mindful of the climbing and surface types for each ride. The highest cumulative elevation that I tackled in day was around 1,300m and unfortunately, due to logistics, that was also an 85km ride, early on the Kauri Coast section and, ‘Murphy’s Law’, it was a hot and windy day. That was my most exhausting day of the entire journey. Covering 120km on predominantly flat state highway was not a challenging as 40-50 km of hilly single track.

I quickly learnt to forgo ‘rest’ days . If the weather was favourable, I rode. On some days I had a relatively short ride and they would became a ‘rest’ day. These were usually to avoid an unduly long ride on one of the following days. However, after a while, I grew confident that I could complete consecutive longer rides if I had to. I covered the section from Fox Glacier to Wanaka in three days, from memory, that was about 280 km. However, after about 80km, my backside starts protesting. I aimed to get to a destination between 2-3pm giving me time to get washing done and relax a little. Furthermore, I usually enjoy a more ‘relaxed’ start to the day. I say relaxed because unless it is a short ride (less than 50km), I still aim to be on the road between 7:30-8:00am to beat the worst heat of the day.

The best advice that I can give to anyone is that, once you get on the bike and start pedalling, the adventure ‘kicks in’ and any reservations that you had melt away with the kilometres. I tried to ease into my journey and had to be reasonable flexible around my plans in the interests of making my journey much more enjoyable.

I get asked about the highlights. What was the best part? What was the hardest? etc. Each day delivered something special, whether it was vistas of snow capped mountains in the south, dramatic virgin native bush, encounters with rare native birds or spectacular sand dunes in the north to unusual sculptures spotted on farms in the Wairarapa. The overriding highlight was the simple privilege of being able to experience so many parts of our country that most people do not get to see or if they do, ‘experience’ it at a speed of 100-120kph. I could simply stop the bike when I wanted to take in the surroundings!

I will let the selection of pictures do the talking:

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Wow Cliff, what an amazing journey. And such interesting insights. Wonderful to read all about it. Thank you. John and I are definitely too old to do such a thing now ( and with various health issues), but I agree with your view that you are there to enjoy “the moment” and not the race to get there. I look forward to reading about your next venture. Cheers, Desiree

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Thanks Desiree – investigating the Sounds to Sounds (Ships Cove to Milford) and Cape to Cape (East Cape to Cape Egmont) for next summer – just investigating at this stage.

This is fantastic Cliff! 3400 km of interesting area and wind on your nose! plus drops of sweat presumably 🙂 I admire how you planned it, trained for it, and executed it – plus transmitted the joy in doing it! One of my favourite ideas for cycling at home (for those who are not so stable on a bike) would be to have footage on a screen in front of you, as you are pedalling, corresponding to your speed. Is that do-able at all? Technically, I mean? Cheers, Inge

Thanks Inge – what you suggest in probably possible with the right setup. I have a basic GoPro camera mounted on my handle bars – recoded about six hours on footage and have condensed down to a two hour highlights package of the tour.

Tour Aotearoa (New Zealand) by unicycle

Hi everyone, I’m unicycling the length of New Zealand (3000km) as part of Tour Aotearoa starting on Friday 25th Feb. You can track my progress on the Tour Aotearoa website, or follow my blog on www.adventureunicyclist.com

Cycle Trails 20160129 TOUR AOTEAROA Route

Best of luck in all regards GizmoDuck. An ambitious ride for sure. I see you don’t have a brake also. More calves and quads for you! Great load out and nice packed weight.

Is that a ti framed uni?

Enjoy beautiful NZ and stay safe.

Almost 700kms done in 6 days. I’m now in Arapuni, 1/3 of the way down the North Island.

Check my position on map progress. Zoom in and look for red coloured markers- these are the riders in the first start wave (25th Feb), which includes one unicyclist.

https://touraotearoa2022.maprogress.com/

My blog of Tour Aotearoa is now up to date. 1600km ridden in 2 weeks!

@GizmoDuck Congratulations for completing the TA. It’s been fun and inspiring to follow the daily updates on your blog for the last month. From planning, the choice of unicycle and additional gear to the finish in Bluff.

I’m amazed that you did it… it still seems very unreal to me that this is even physically possible.

For me just riding the distance you did in flat terrain on your shortest days would be an achievement.

Just out of curiosity how many punctures did you have on the ride? I don’t seem to recall that you mentioned ever having a flat on the blog. Just that you changed the tire and bearings approximately half way through the ride.

Enjoy the holiday with your family!

Thanks! Probably none. There was one day where I thought the tyre was squishy and could have a slow leak. I stopped to replace the tube as I was close to a bike shop. In hindsight, I think I’d let too much air out when I was on rough gravel, rather than an actual puncture.

The Mezcal was an excellent tyre both on and off road. I probably should have run tubeless with sealant for some added puncture protection.

The full length of Aotearoa in 10 days by bike - well that was the plan!

In late February of 2022 I set off on an adventure I had been wanting to do from the time I first heard about it. Tour Aotearoa. A 3000km the length of New Zealand cycle taking on some of the best trails, tracks and roads. My goal was to make it to Bluff in 10 days. I did not make it but had a great time trying. I made it as far as Springs Junction - the 2000km mark in 7 days 4 hours, just behind the average speed required to make it in 10 days. This is where I made the decision to stop as my health was failing. If you are interested in the full story and journey I sat down with Craig Giltinan and talked about it on his podcast - Individual Wellness Evolution:

Hugh Bootten talks about his Tour Aotearoa (its worth a listen)

If you are more interested in the bike and gear-tech below is a breakdown of the bike and equipment that I used. The bike is based around a Jefferson bike frame. Jeff Anderson custom made the bike for me to take bike-packing and bike-pack racing. It is a mix of Columbus and Reynolds steel with a Ritchey adventure fork. Jeff is a good friend of mine and there is something nice about having a strong connection with your bike and the hands that made it. I sat down with Jeff and over a few beers talked about what I wanted to achieve on the bike and some of the characteristics I wanted it to have. Jeff then crafted the frame to fit me and my needs. It was at this point that he invited Harm from Dancing Moose Adventure Supplies into the project to make a frame bag to work perfectly with the frame. All of the fixings for the bag are internal, removing the need for straps around the frame.

I used a Salsa Woodchipper drop bar with a set of aero-bars and Shimano Ultegra drivetrain. This is not what most people do as most participants use hardtail 29er MTBs. I did this on a piece of advice I was given that has stuck with me - build a bike to improve your weaknesses not improve your strengths. I am a confident mountain biker and love a good hill climb but cross winds and long flat roads are not my thing. This is why the bike looks more like a TT bike than an MTB.

The wheels used are Nextie rims on a Swiss DT350 rear hub and a Son dynamo front hub running a USB charger to keep my lights and Garmin running without the need to stop and charge them. For navigation I used a Garmin 1030 with my cellphone and paper clue sheets as back-ups. This was adequate and I never ended up using the back-ups. Something that I had not considered and became very useful was the climb-pro function on the Garmin. This is where at the base of a hill it gives you information like the length of climb, gradient, estimated time to top and distance to the next climb. This really helped with timing of food efforts and my mood being able to mentally prepare for the climbs.

I had a small amount of spare parts and maintenance equipment with me including a small rag and Biomaxa chain lube. I would clean and lube my drive train each night and perform a bolt check and only once did I stop and re-lube during the day. This was day 2 from Parakai - Matamata - 340km. The only other maintenance I had to do was changing tire pressures to suit the terrain I was on.

I also had with me a good multi-tool, electrical tape, cable ties, chain quick-link, a set of brake pads, a gear cable, 2 tubes, 2 spokes and nipples, a cleat bolt as well as a few M4, M5 and M6 bolts and a spare chain ring bolt.

To help maintain me as well as the bike I had a small amount of kit. I had a toothbrush and paste, a small pack of baby wipes and hand sanitiser. I also had Biomaxa Pro-Ride chamois cream and got into the habit of rinsing out my bike shorts and re-applying a few times a day. As the ride went on and I got more tired I was not doing this as regularly and ended up paying the price. Skinnies sunscreen is also another great New Zealand product.

I had a lot of trial and error with camping equipment. Knowing I was going to sleep out most nights I needed something quick to set up and pack down and be reliable. I ended up using a bivi-bag, sleeping mat and sleeping bag. To speed the set up and pack down I left it all together and rolled it all up. All of the clothing and camping kit I was carrying was under 2kg and in 2 drybags in the fork of my bike. If I was to do the trip again the only thing I would change in the way of clothing would be to change bike shorts more often.

The ride was an amazing adventure, I would love to have another go at it. A big thank you to everyone that supported me in training and the event - especially Church Corner Cycles, RaceBikesNZ, Biomaxa and my wife, family and friends. Without the support of all of you I would not have made it to the start line.

Stay tuned for the next adventure.

Hugh.Man.Cycle

Biking Pheasant

Tour aotearoa 2016.

Buoyed by my completion of the Kiwi Brevet in 2015 , I, not thinking it through too much, signed up for the inaugural Tour Aotearoa. It seemed a good idea at the time – as a way to see a whole lot more of the cycle trails of this country I had long neglected, get out of my comfort zone and meet people. Considering this was my largest attempted ride to date, preparation was understated to say the least. Three overnighters and regularly riding the flat commute to work is as about as far as it went; on the gear front I also did very little – firmly in the camp of making do with what I’ve got and generally bored by gear-obsessing.

In a similar vein to the Kiwi Brevet, and countless other bikepacking events around the world, this was another unofficial event that consists of a fair few nutters on bikes (most were on mountain-bikes) riding self-supported for x number of days. In this case, it was from Cape Reinga to Bluff – from the top to the bottom of New Zealand, about 3000 km (1875 miles). The route tries to tie together many of the national cycle trails in a logical way, connecting them using quiet backroads where possible. There are also five boat trips (all bar one I’d never been on) to provide some of the connections where water rather inhibits cycling – ranging from the ferry across Cook Strait, to a steamer across Lake Wakatipu, small local ferries across harbours up north and a jet-boat ride down the Whanganui River.

As with most events, these type in particular due to their length and the variety of terrain and climate, I’d no idea how this would pan out and how far I’d make it. Naturally, I expected to make it to Bluff – but so much can happen physically, mechanically, meteorologically, and emotionally I just had to take it a pedal stroke at time and see how it went. Probably my biggest concern was how well I’ll be able to feed myself/fuel the pedalling in the more remote areas – my diet was very different to normal, after a bit of an upset early on I got it sorted and was able to eat excessively and sufficiently.

What a ride it was – I quickly overcame the initial little bit of illness and was right into the groove and surprising myself with some very big consecutive days (for me at least). I was very pleased to finish in sixteen days; the biggest challenges being the illness at the start, the incessant rain from Greymouth for the next three hundred kilometres and the wind on the final run into Bluff. The whole experience was definitely one of the best I’ve had on a bike – and that beats out a lot of competition in New Zealand and around the world.

Writing the whole experience up in my usual style has ended up taking much longer than the ride itself – which probably is both a testament to my long-windedness and how incredible the journey was. Here are the posts from each day and a few other pages that cover some of the most common questions I’ve been asked since returning to normal life.

Biking to go places, going places to bike.

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2023 Tour Aotearoa

February 15, 2023 @ 7:00 am,  new zealand,  1864mi (3,000km).

Next Event Thu Nov 9, 2017

Next Event:

Actif Epica 2023

Tour Aotearoa is New Zealand’s longest bikepacking event. Stretching 3,000km from Cape Reinga to Bluff it follows a combination of cycle trails, tracks, paths and lanes connected by the most enjoyable country roads available.

Date: February 15, 2023

Time: 7:00 am

Event Website

Organizer: Jonathan Kennett

Cape Reinga

Cape Reinga , New Zealand

Tour Aotearoa is a 3,000km bikepacking adventure from Cape Reinga at top of New Zealand, to Bluff a the bottom. Riders must finish between 10 and 30 days. It is a brevet, not a race. Riding conditions vary from rough single track, to beaches, to dirt roads, gravel roads, sealed roads, cycle lanes, trails and paths, and 5 boat trips.

The Tour Aotearoa route is designed to highlight the best New Zealand Cycle Trail Great Rides, Heartland Rides, and quiet back country roads. The route was/is designed by Jonathan Kennett, a New Zealand cycling guidebook writer. A Tour Aotearoa Brevet event is also organized in February each year. The 2023 event starts in waves of 100 people per day. Riders are supposed to take no more than 30 days to finish. There is no entry fee, but you must make a donation of $100 to a charity of your choice to enter.

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Wednesday, August 08, 2018

Tour Aotearoa 2018

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The Tour Te Waipounamu bikepacking race was held in Aotearoa New Zealand, starting on February 14th 2021, it covered 1300 kilometres of rugg...

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Tour Aotearoa [2024]

116,925 ft

1.1 Cape Reinga to Rangiora Ferry Terminal

1.2 rangiora ferry terminal to rawene boat trip, sign up to discover places like this.

Get recommendations on the best single tracks, peaks, & plenty of other exciting outdoor places.

1.3 Rawene to Dargaville [2023]

1.4 dargaville to pouto point (boat pickup), 1.5 optional kaipara harbour bypass, 1.6 kaipara harbour charter boat trip, 1.7 parakai to auckland, 2.0 auckland to taumaranui, 2.1 hunua traverse weekday entrance, 2.2 clevedon to kaiaua via coast, 2.3 optional 500m side trip to ongarue store 001, hawkes bay trail segment - closed 2022, 3.1 taumaranui to mangaparua landing, 3.2 whanganui jetboat trip, 3.3 optional mangapurua track to raetihi to pikipriki, 3.4 pipiriki to wellington ferry terminal, 3.5 optional durie hill elevator bypass (hill climb), 3.6 optional wgtn ferry to bluebridge ferry terminal, 3.7 cook strait boat trip, 4.1 picton to greymouth, like this collection, questions and comments.

Collection Stats

Distance 2,126 mi
Duration 270:48 h
Elevation 116,925 ft

IMAGES

Tour Aotearoa Photos
Discover and Ride Tour Aotearoa 2020
Tour Aotearoa
Tour Aotearoa: Sound to Sound
2020 Tour Aotearoa
Aotearoa Tour

VIDEO

Tour Aotearoa 2023
Tour Aotearoa 2023 Tony Geange Days 21 to 29
Our Aotearoa
Mark & Steve's Tour Aotearoa 2023

COMMENTS

Tour Aotearoa: Home
The Tour Aotearoa route is designed to highlight the best New Zealand Cycle Trail Great Rides, Heartland Rides, and quiet back country roads. The route is designed by New Zealand cycling guidebook writer Jonathan Kennett. A Tour Aotearoa Brevet event is also organised in February each year. The 2024 event starts in waves of 100 people per day.
Tour Aotearoa
Hello. I started cycling in late 2012, aged 63, with the intention of gaining a little fitness and losing weight. I slowly extended the rides with Lands End to John O'Groats in 2013 the first long one. Each year produced new challenges with local Sportives and trips to France for a couple of Etape du Tours and Tour du Mont Blanc.
Route
We're roughly following the route of that tour, which has a bunch of official checkpoints shown on this map: Our route is still in progress! See below for our planned stops and route. Date. Start. Stop. Miles. 12/31. Cape Reinga.
Tour Aotearoa Countdown 8: It's All About the Bike
30 October 2021. By Ollie Whalley, Anja McDonald, Tristan Rawlence & Scott Emmens. The Tour Aotearoa invites endless requirement, excuse and opportunity to research, anguish and indulge in a new bike plus screeds of hi-tech gear and clothing to enhance your tip-to-tail adventure. The pragmatic reality is that the best TA bike may well be the ...
My Tour Aotearoa
The sun is out and I know I'll get warm on the rest of the climb. When I arrive at the top the Crown Range I take a moment. This is the highest point of the route at 1076m and is the penultimate climb. The wind keeps snatching all the warmth I picked up on the climb and I start zipping up my layers.
Tour Aotearoa
The Tour Aotearoa brevet has been held every two years since 2016, with 2020 attracting a full field of 500 riders and many on the waitlist. From 2021, it's been an annual event! ... Check out our Introduction to Bikepacking blog and the Kennett Brothers' Bikepacking Aotearoa guidebook which provides detailed advice and 20 suggested routes.
A Box of Chocolates: 2020 Tour Aotearoa
Three riders made the first of several boat trips, a 2km crossing, of the 2020 Tour Aotearoa. At 7hours for 104 miles, with loaded bikes, two refuel stops, sand and hills. Not too bad. Upon disembarking and after a brief stop at the Four Square in Rawane the three of us pedaled off.I was soon dropped on a pesky hill.
2022 Tour Aotearoa
"Unfinished business" is what I would tell people who asked me if I had done the Tour Aotearoa (TofA), a 3,013 km brevet which runs the length of New Zealand from Cape Reinga in the far north, to Bluff in the deep south. ... In 2016 I was going to ride the inaugural TofA with my… Chris Bennett's Bikepacking and Triathlon Blog. Adventures ...
Quinnies Tour of Aotearoa Trip
Quinnies tour of Aotearoa trip. On Monday 22 February 2021 I set off to ride the Tour Aotearoa. Riding with me on this adventure was my wind breaker and hero/hubbie Brynn Gilbertson, and my adventure cycling buddy and MTB expert Janet Spilman. In this piece I'll write a bit about what the TA meant to me, give you a sense of a few of my ...
Tour Aotearoa Countdown 6: Eat to Ride; Ride to Eat
Eat at least once an hour. And imbibe half a litre per hour. More when it's hot. It's important to stay ahead of the bonk. Eat a little often - and before you actually feel hungry. As the ride down the country progresses your metabolism speeds up (you need more and more). Plan to feel over-full - even a tad sick - when fuelling up.
2024 Tour Aotearoa Rigs
Cynthia Carson Wins 2024 Atlas Mountain Race. Our special Reader's Rig of the week showcases an assortment of bikes that will be taking on the 3,000-kilometer Tour Aotearoa across New Zealand, traversing both islands from Cape Reinga in the north to Bluff in the south. Find rig and gear details from nearly intrepid 20 riders who'll begin ...
2022 Tour Aotearoa
The Tour Aotearoa route is designed to highlight the best New Zealand Cycle Trail Great Rides, Heartland Rides, and quiet back country roads. The route was/is designed by Jonathan Kennett, a New Zealand cycling guidebook writer. A Tour Aotearoa Brevet event is also organized in February each year. The 2022 event starts in waves of 100 people ...
Tour Aotearoa
Tour Aotearoa is one of the world's great bike-packing trips: stretching 3,000 km from Cape Reinga to Bluff it follows a combination of cycle trails, tracks, paths and lanes connected by the most enjoyable country roads available. The Tour Aotearoa route is designed to highlight the best New Zealand Cycle Trail Great Rides, Heartland Rides ...
TOUR AOTEAROA 2020
TOUR AOTEAROA 2020. by Steve | Apr 1, 2020 | Cycling Adventures, Front Page | 6 comments. Here I am again up at the very northern tip of Aotearoa , Cape Reinga lining up for my third time for this increasingly popular brevet. I am super amped and looking forward to riding through this stunning country I now call home .
A few thoughts on my summer bicycle ride
If you are riding the Tour Aotearoa route and read blogs by other riders or follow the tour forum on Facebook be aware that those who are providing the feedback are usually riding the Brevit which they attempt to complete in 30 or less days. To do this, you need to be averaging 100+km per day which means that you will be on the bike for at ...
Tour Aotearoa
Tour Aotearoa. 4,906 likes. Cape Reinga to Bluff by Bike - A 3000 km brevet the length of New Zealand
Tour Aotearoa
Tour Aotearoa is an annual cycle tour event and cycling route in New Zealand. The route travels 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi) from Cape Reinga to Bluff. Tour Aotearoa's debut event in 2016 included about 250 riders. The event was organised by Jonathan Kennett, a manager of the New Zealand Cycle Trail project. Kennett said that as the Cycle Trail ...
Tour Aotearoa (New Zealand) by unicycle
My blog of Tour Aotearoa is now up to date. 1600km ridden in 2 weeks! | - 20 Feb 22 TA 2022 | Tour Aotearoa is a 3000km ride of the length of New Zealand from Cape Reinga at the top of the North Island, to Bluff at the bottom of the South Island. I will be doing this ride in Feb/March 2022, aiming to complete the tour in under 30 days.
The full length of Aotearoa in 10 days by bike
Tour Aotearoa. A 3000km the length of New Zealand cycle taking on some of the best trails, tracks and roads. My goal was to make it to Bluff in 10 days. I did not make it but had a great time trying. I made it as far as Springs Junction - the 2000km mark in 7 days 4 hours, just behind the average speed required to make it in 10 days.
Tour Aotearoa 2016
Day One - Cape Reinga to Ahipara - 107 km. Day Two - Ahipara to Waipoua Forest - 122 km. Day Three - Waipoua Forest to Helensville - 126 km. Day Four - Helensville to Matamata - 263 km. Day Five - Matamata to Timber Trail start - 160 km. Day Six - Timber Trail start to Kaiwahakauka Trail - 180 km. Day Seven ...
2023 Tour Aotearoa
The Tour Aotearoa route is designed to highlight the best New Zealand Cycle Trail Great Rides, Heartland Rides, and quiet back country roads. The route was/is designed by Jonathan Kennett, a New Zealand cycling guidebook writer. A Tour Aotearoa Brevet event is also organized in February each year. The 2023 event starts in waves of 100 people ...
Tour Aotearoa 2018 ~ Jeff's Bike Blog
Tour Aotearoa 2018. On February the 28th 2018, the last group of riders set off in the Tour Aotearoa, leaving from Cape Reinga, at the tip of the North Island of New Zealand. 1 hour and 10 minutes later, Wellington massage therapist Pat Hogan reached Bluff, 3000 kilometres away at the bottom of New Zealand, finishing the journey that he started ...
Tour Aotearoa [2024]
The Tour Aotearoa 2024 route spans approximately 3,000 kilometers, guiding cyclists from Cape Reinga to Bluff. Updated GPX tracks provided by the Kennett Brothers offer detailed paths across the North and South Islands.