Leaving Melbourne

Like all of our previous overseas adventures, this one started when 13 Ghostriders met together at Melbourne Airport, early on Sunday morning. We were about to head off for our first cycling adventureRead more
Like all of our previous overseas adventures, this one started when 13 Ghostriders met together at Melbourne Airport, early on Sunday morning. We were about to head off for our first cycling adventureRead more
After the short flight from Melbourne, we touched down at Christchurch Airport, where we were met by the lady who was to be our guide for the next two weeks. I would like to be able to remember herRead more
We awoke early to begin a morning hike to the stunning Hooker Glacier. Although many people had warned about the cold and wet weather of the South Island, we were relieved that so far we had seenRead more
This morning we had an option to visit the nearby DOC Black Stilt recovery centre to learn about one of NZ’s most endangered bird species. The black stilts are under pressure from the invasiveRead more
Our third day of cycling was our toughest yet. Although the distance was a moderate 60 km. the howling gale from the ocean made the going incredibly tough. At times we felt like we were pedallingRead more
Today was our "rest" day in Dunedin, although we all did much more sightseeing than actual resting. There is a pronounced Scottish influence in this region, and it is even possible to buy tartan kiltsRead more
This morning we took the spectacular Taieri Gorge train to Middlemarch. The 58kms of rail travel from Dunedin is rated as one of the world’s great rail trips. The 2-hour route traverses the TaieriRead more
After crossing the highest point of the trail at Wedderburn we rode via the Idaburn valley to the Poolburn gorge with its tunnels and rail bridges. With the willow tree edged gorge below the trail andRead more
Our final day on the Otago Rail Trail was a relatively (and partially downhill) ride of about 45 km to Clyde, Up to now we had escaped the legendary bad weather, but we could all sense that a changeRead more