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2026 Kiwi Capers
  • The World on Two Wheels
March 2025

2026 Kiwi Capers

In March 2026 thirty five Ghostriders will be travelling to New Zealand to complete a series of rides on some of the most spectacular trails in the South Island. This is the story of that trip Read more
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  • Trip start
    March 6, 2025
    The World on Two Wheels2026 Kiwi CapersThe World on Two Wheels

    Three Weeks to Go

    February 13 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Another adventure is looming large. In three weeks time I will be in Auckland, New Zealand, ready to start the trip that has been so long in the planning.

    Normally, at this close to starting such a trip, I would be packed and just about ready to go. That is certainly not the situation this time. My travel bag has been moved a spare room. That is where it now sits - empty.

    At least I have made a list, so I guess that is some sort of a start. I have the best intentions of actually starting to add items to my bag over the weekend. I wonder if that is what will happen.

    Although the packing is still at a standstill, I have checked and rechecked all bookings, flights, tickets, etc. I have a folder, proudly labelled "New Zealand 2025" where all the important documents are stored. This is how I have approached every previous trip, and nothing disastrous has ever happened on any of them. I have been through this process so many times, that you might think that I could do it blindfolded. Maybe so, but somewhere in the back of my mind, there is always that little nagging voice telling me that I have forgotten something. I hope it isn't true.    Read more

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    The Baby is Coming at Last

    March 3 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Over the past 17 years I have put together over 50 overseas adventures. Each one of these has begun as an idea, then slowly evolved over a long period of time before being shared with the rest of the group. That is by no means the end of the process, since there is usually around a year between the sharing of the details and the actual adventure taking place.

    The Kiwi Capers Cycling Adventure followed a typical long gestation period, but now we are finally on the eve of the trip actually getting underway.

    Due to some family issues, my own preparation and packing has been lagging behind, but I am now finally starting to make some real progress. At least my main bag is (almost) packed and weighed, The fact that my luggage scales chose now to break down could be due to the excess wight of my bag, or it is more likely that they were the cheapest ones I could find on eBay.

    So now I don't know how much my bag weighs. At least I can still lift it off the ground at my age, so it can't be too heavy. What is that they say about "what you don't know can't hurt you"? I guess I will find out if that is true.

    In just a couple of days we will be picked up by the airport shuttle in the middle of the night and taken to the airport, along with 6 others from Group 1. At that point of time another adventure will be starting.

    At an age where many of the people I know are incapable (or not willing) of doing much at all, I am forever grateful that we have the chance to share such incredible experiences surrounded by our close friends.

    I have often heard it said that we become like the people we spend our time with. If we surround ourselves with naysayers and negative people, we will inevitably absorb the same attitudes. On the other hand, if you spend your time with positive, happy, adventurous and active people you will be enriched as a result.

    Before we start our cycling in Queenstown, we will first be flying to Auckland in the North Island, so that is where my next footprint will be created. I invite you to share another adventure with me.    Read more

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    Hello Auckland

    March 6 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    It's not easy getting up at 1.30 am in the morning. It's even harder when you have only had about 30 minutes sleep since you went to bed. Although we were both very tired, sleep just would not come for Maggie and me.

    And so I tossed. And turned, And tossed again. Every now and again I would glance at the clock. Ten o'clock came and went. So did eleven o'clock, and midnight. I tried every sleeping trick I could think of (apart from counting sheep), but without success.

    Finally at about 1 am, I must have finally fallen into a troubled sleep, only to be woken by the blaring alarm a few minutes later. It was too late to try to grab any more time in the Land of Nod, so I staggered out of bed and began a very long day.

    We had arranged for the airport shuttle to collect us at 3.45 am, and he turned up right on time. Kerry had also joined us for this part of the trip. After piling our luggage into the bus, we drove the short distance to Greg and Andrea's house where we were joined by Gordon and Sue and Gael.

    The drive to the airport was quiet and uneventful and gave us a rare chance to see Melbourne's roads when they are not choked by thousands of cars.

    We arrived at the airport a little earlier than anticipated, but this gave us a chance to enjoy a coffee before checkin., Maggie was not feeling hungry, so just ordered two slices of plain toast (no butter, nothing, zilch, nada) and a cup of coffee. I nearly had a stroke when we were charged over $23 for the meagre snack. When I queried it, I was simply told "This is the airport".

    That certainly got me off to a poor start. I can accept a range of inflated airport prices, but that was way beyond the pale. It was daylight robbery. When I decided to push my query a little more actively, the guy finally admitted that a mistake had been made and I was refunded $8. It was not just about the money, a principle was at stake,.

    Boarding time arrived and we were treated to a panoramic tour of the airport in a very crowded airport bus. I started a dialogue with a Māori guy who was clutching the handle near mine. "This is the strangest plane I have ever flown in", I commented. Immediately a small child picked up the conversation "Mummy, is this a plane ?" he asked.

    Over the next 10 minutes the conversation became sillier and sillier as we wondered whether the bus driver really knew the way to New Zealand, or indeed whether he knew how to drive.

    We finally reached the waiting Air New Zealand plane and climbed the steps in drizzling rain. At least it was dry inside the plane.

    A short time later we were on our way and cruising smoothly across the Tasman to New Zealand, where we landed about 2.30 pm. We were greeted by warm sunshine and a very quick transit through baggage collection, immigration and customs. There were no queues anywhere.

    The walk to the hire car depot was not quite so smooth, especially when I found myself walking along the middle of a busy highway, dodging speeding cars and trucks.

    We did eventually find the depot and proceeded to collect our cars. The process would have been simpler if Greg had not left his driving license at home. Since he was going to be the driver of the second vehicle, this was something of a giant hiccup.

    I have however learned that problems are made to be solved, and a few minutes later all was sorted and we were on our way.

    Our first target was the nearby Naumi Airport Hotel, where we would be spending the first night. It was a vast place and the walk from the reception to our room was almost as long as the walk from the airport to the rental car depot.

    At least the rooms were large and clean and the prospect of sleep was overwhelming me. Tomorrow we head to the Bay of Islands.    Read more

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    Paihia Pandemonium

    March 7 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    Some days are somehow always going to be more eventful than others. Today was one of “those” days.

    On paper the plan seemed pretty straightforward. All we had to do was drive our rental cars from Auckland to Paihia, in the beautiful bay of islands. It was supposed to be around a 3 hour drive, meaning that we would arrive around lunchtime. It didn’t work out that way.

    It certainly started out well. The breakfast buffet at the Naumi Airport Hotel was absolutely wonderful, with a vast array of hot and cold options to choose from. It tasted even better when we discovered that we did not need to pay for it. Apparently, it was included in our room tariff.

    You can imagine our amusement when we later found out that David and Carol were told that it would cost them an extra $39 per person per day for breakfast. That was enough to make David cry poor and head out for some meagre offering from the nearest supermarket. For some reason, David was not happy when we described to him just how fantastic the (free) breakfast was.

    After checking out of the hotel we spent (ie wasted) some time trying to get Android Auto working on the rental car. We failed miserably and decided to head off with just the mobile phone navigation to guide us out of the city. This is always a sure recipe for marital disharmony.

    At least I had the wisdom to bring along a set of walky talkies to maintain communication between the vehicles. With only one button to operate, you would think it would be simple to grasp the basics. “Press the big button to talk and take your finger off to listen”. How hard could that be ? Apparently for a female, that is just too complicated.

    We spent the first couple of minutes with Maggie pushing buttons at random, while apparently Andrea repeated the process in the following car. “Just PRESS the black button to talk” I yelled. It was still too complicated for her. “This thing is dumb” she replied. Well something is dumb, but it wasn’t the walky talky.

    With this ridiculous charade being played out in both vehicles we made our way into the peak hour Auckland traffic. Within the first kilometre there was no sign of the second car. Then followed a flurry of mobile phone calls between the vehicles. “Turn left, go ahead, right lane, where are we? , I can’t see you, etc, etc”. It really was hard to listen to.

    Somehow we finally managed to emerge unscathed on the northern side of the city and the two vehicles formed a mini convoy. The women had finally (almost) managed to work out the one button communication system, and things looked like they would go smoothly from that point on.

    About an hour out of Auckland our nerves were all so shot that we knew that it must be time for a coffee stop. The first likely opportunity arose when we reached a small town with the unpronounceable name of Kaukapakapa. Like many similar towns in New Zealand, it appeared to be frozen in time, somewhere in the 1950s.

    We all walked into the General Store and were met with an old circular dining table, several upholstered chairs and various other pieces of old furniture. The girl seemed both surprised and delighted to see so many customers and made sure that we were welcomed with coffee and cake. Such places might still exist somewhere in Australia, but certainly nowhere where we were ever likely to visit.

    After morning tea we had a (very) long walk to the toilets, but were delighted to discover that they were spotlessly clean. I made the observation that they were actually much cleaner than our own toilet at home. For some reason that did not go down well.

    After a spectacular drive along a winding road we found ourselves gazing in amazement at some rugged islands just off the coast. This was worthy of a stop to take some pictures. We pulled over into a roadside viewing area. I climbed out and started walking to the top of the vantage point.

    Suddenly my attention was diverted by Maggie yelling something at me. Although my hearing is perfect, it took me some time to decipher her shouts. Apparently in my hurry to see the view I had accidentally locked Gael in the back seat of the car. She had been banging on the window trying to get someone’s attention. Oh well, these things happen sometimes.

    Rather than walk all the way back down to Maggie, I threw the car key to her. I did not take into account that a strong wind was blowing. It took hold of the keys and blew them straight over the electric fence at the side of the path. Sorry Gael.

    The keys were eventually retrieved and Gael was released from car captivity. She managed to get a brief glance at the view before it was time to get rolling again.

    Soon afterwards we started to get hungry and thirsty. It was already 1.30 pm and well past lunchtime. By this time Maggie was driving and I was looking out for a bakery. I saw a likely looking place and told Maggie to pull in. It wasn’t that simple. To get there we had to go round a roundabout and then drive about halfway back to Auckland to do a U Turn.

    The previous evening Kerry had suffered a mobile malfunction while trying to insert the travel SIM into her iPhone. She forgot to put the SIM into the little tray and managed to lose the SIM into the internals of the phone instead. This was not a good outcome, so I promised that we would be on the outlook for a mobile phone repairer along the way. Easier said than done.

    It was not unto we reached Whangerei that Google told us such a repair facility existed there. We made a detour. When Kerry took the phone inside, the guy said it was simple job and he could have it done in only 2 hours. We headed to Harvey Norman instead.

    The eager sales guy did his best to sell her the latest $1500 iPhone, but she opted for the $77 model instead. It should be OK to get her through the next couple of weeks.

    At least the time spent in Whangerai was not wasted. I finally managed to get Android Auto working, meaning that we had real GPS navigation for the rest of the drive.

    It was now about 4.00 pm and we still had a hundred km to drive. Some short drives are like that. We finally rolled into Paihia soon after five, only to discover that the hotel could not find our reservations. At such times, the rule is to NOT PANIC. As it turned out the reason for the lack of reservations was simple – we were at the wrong hotel !

    It was a real relief when we finally reached the correct hotel and were able to check in to our rooms. Andrea said that she would bring the second walky talky to our room so that I could charge it for the next day. About an hour later, she still hadn’t appeared.

     This was because she had lost the little gadget. Adrea and Greg had apparently searched their room, their luggage, the car and half the motel looking for the little sucker without success. It was only when Greg slammed the boot in anger that it slid from the roof of the car. So that was where they had put it !

    After all the excitements of the day, we all needed a nice dinner to relax over. After walking back to the town, we found a delightful café right on the waterfront. The food and service was excellent and it proved to be just what we all needed. With the arrival of David and Carol, our group has now grown to 8.    Read more

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    A Four Hour Cruise

    March 8 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Any baby boomer as old as I am would remember the wacky adventures of the crew of the SS Minnow and the others marooned on Gilligan's Island. The main purpose of our stay in the Bay of Islands was to indulge in a "four hour cruise" around the islands.

    As we looked at the meagre breakfast offering at the Paihia Pacific resort and Spa, we could not help but contrast it with the spread we had enjoyed just 24 hours earlier. This really was going from end of the spectrum to the other.

    The buffet consisted of a dispenser of tired looking Corn Flakes, some tinned fruit, yoghurt and cold coffee. The orange juice tasted like watery cordial. There was a toaster and some bread, but unfortunately no knives to butter the bread with. We all agreed that tomorrow we will go to somewhere in town instead.

    As we walked to the pier to catch our boat, conversation turned to Gilligan's Island and which of our team members would play each role. The choice of Gilligan was simple - it had to be Greg. The part of the Stout Skipper would be expertly played by myself. David and Carol were elected to be the wealthy Mr and Mrs Howell, Gael would be a good choice for Ginger, leaving Andrea to play the innocent girl next door Mary-Anne. Although Gordon was not with us, he would be a good choice for the Professor.

    With these thoughts floating through our minds we boarded the catamaran that was to be our transport for the cruise. Fortunately the boat looked seaworthy and the weather was absolutely perfect, with blue sky from horizon to horizon.

    The Bay of Islands is certainly a spectacular natural creation and the best way to observe the vast assortment of rugged islands is from the deck of a boat. The main highlight of the cruise was the famous "Hole in the Rock", which the captain managed to expertly maneuver the boat through.

    After safely emerging on the other side, we were surrounded by an untold number of fish. When the first Maoris arrived in this place, they really must have thought that they had discovered paradise.

    The boat took us to two of the islands and managed to safely dock without crashing and sinking. At around 2 pm we were back at the Paihia pier. All agreed that it had been a magical day.

    POSTSCRIPT
    After a brief discussion we all agreed to return to the same place we had dinner the previous night. With its brilliant location and great food, why would we go anywhere else ?

    As per the previous evening, it was a fantastic meal, accompanied by lots of laughing and non stop chatting. It was only when we went to leave that things took a turn for the worse.

    We only got a short distance up the road from the restaurant, before we were called back. Apparently someone had "forgotten" to pay their bill. Of course I knew that I wasn't the criminal. I have only once ever done a runner, and that was many years ago in Bangkok (but that is another story).

    After further investigation it turned out that the guilty party was David (aka Thurston Howell). It is a sad thing that those with the most money are always looking for ways to gain even more, but that is the way it is.

    A few minutes later David reluctantly settled his bill and we were finally free to return to the hotel.    Read more

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    Call for our Carers

    March 9 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Today should have been simple. All we had to do was check out of the hotel in Paihia and then drive the 250 km back to Auckland. What could possibly go wrong ? As it turned out, quite a lot.

    The day started off on an ominous note when Maggie woke up and promptly announced that she was feeling awful. That was not the news I was hoping for. "What sort of awful ?" I asked. "I feel sick everywhere", she answered.

    My mind immediately started thinking ahead to all the possible scenarios that could act out in coming days. Some of these were so unwelcome that I used my extensive medical knowledge to perform an immediate diagnosis. "I am sure you will feel better when you get up". She didn't.

    While the rest of the group went out to a cafe for breakfast (they couldn't face another appalling continental breakfast at the Paihia Pacific), I carried Maggie to the car and looked for somewhere to eat that was far enough away from the others that Typhoid Maggie would not bring her contagion to the whole team.

    She managed to get a take away bowl of muesli and sat on a bench seat in the main street eating it, while I sat in the cafe across the road. We then returned to the hotel to check out. I was not surprised to find no one at the desk, so I had to drop the key and leave.

    We then headed off towards Auckland in a convoy of one car. The rest of the team crammed into the other two cars. With Maggie feeling so unwell, we decided to make it back to Auckland as quickly as possible. There was however one stop she really wanted to make, and that was at the toilets in Kawakawa.

    To clarify, she didn't actually need the toilet, she just wanted to see it. The Hundertwasser Toilets are world famous for being the weirdest conveniences you ar ever likely to see. They were created by a local artist out of a collection of odd coloured tiles and whatnots. Personally, I thought they were quite hideous, but apparently that is because I am a Phillistine.

    After seeing (and utilizing) the famous toilets we were on our way again. The only other stop we made was a brief lunch stop at Waipu (now that would be a more suitable location for a famous toilet). We finally rolled into the Naumi Hotel at around 3 pm. The others arrived sometime later.

    It was only later in the day that I learnt exactly what else had been going on. Gael discovered that she had left her phone charger at the Paihia Hotel. That is now 2 phone chargers that have been left behind in the past two days.

    A couple of hours later I rang Gordon in Paihia and he told me an even sadder tale. He had left his computer in the previous hotel and had spent the entire day driving back and forth to retrieve it

    That brings the sad total of abandoned luggage to
    2 x phone chargers
    2 x luggage locks
    1 x laptop computer

    You could also add to this the iPhone that Kerry destroyed on the first day and the unpaid dinner bill from last night.

    I always knew it was not easy taking a group of geriatric Ghostriders overseas, but it was not meant to be this hard. I wonder what the next few days will bring ?    Read more

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    Queenstown to Wanaka

    March 12 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    I have finally gained access to good Internet and therefore I can start catching up on uploading some of the images from this part of the trip.

    Yesterday we arrived from Auckland to Queenstown, the adventure capital of the southern hemisphere. The setting is incredible, but the throng of tourists means that everything is just SO EXPENSIVE.

    This meaning we met our guides Tereza and David and were introduced to the bikes that will be our tools for the next week. We quickly made friends with both the guides and the bikes. The temperature was freezing and fresh snow had been dumped on the nearby mountains during the night.

    Soon we were off and riding a narrow trail to Arrowtown. The riding was a little more technical than we are used too, but fortunately no one crashed, We also had several quite serious climbs, which had everyone digging deep, even with the ebikes.

    After lunch in Arrowtown we continued through breathtaking scenery to the bridge where Bunji jumping was invented. We stopped for a short while to watch the thrill seekers willing to part with $320 for a near death experience.

    That was the end of the riding for Day 1. The bikes were loaded to the trailer and we were transferred by our bus top beautiful Wanaka. This surely must be one of the most amazing locations in New Zealand. The hotel was amazing too with huge rooms, spas and even a washer and dryer in every room.    Read more

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    The Hawea River Trail

    March 13 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    It was another freezing morning as we assembled in the Main St of Wanaka for our day ride. The first section took us right along the edge of Lake Wanaka. The trail was quite technical and made even more difficult by the fact that we were riding directly into the rising sun.

    The combination of narrow path, abrupt steep climbs and descents, and sun glare meant that one mistake could end up in disaster. The trail then followed the amazing Clutha Mata-Au River, apparently New Zealand's largest river by volume.

    A picnic lunch by Lake Hawea was absolutely delightful. By this time the sunshine was warm and there was not a cloud to dot the blue sky. It is times like this that make these rides so memorable.

    Another challenge we faced was crossing several narrow suspension bridges, high above racing glacial rivers. I had been doing quite well riding over these bridges, but the final one started playing a game with my mind. Once you take your eyes off the destination and start looking around, the nerves can really take over quickly.

    About half way across the front wheel started to shake from side to side. My heart started thumping and I felt concerned that I was about to go over the edge. Somehow I gave myself a stern talking to, and managed to wobble all the way to the other side. It wasn't pretty.

    We finished the ride about 3 pm. By that time the sun was really making its presence felt. It is so easy to sunburnt in these high altitudes and clean air.

    Tomorrow we ride the famous Lake Dunstan Trail. This is the trail that includes sections of cantilevered path attached to the cliff faces. How will we go ? Time will tell.

    Sorry no pictures due to the poor Internet.    Read more

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    Riding Lake Dunstan Trail

    March 14 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    Day 3 of our rides saw us tackle the impressive (and very scary) Lake Dunstan Trail. This trail is an enginerring masterpiece, with several cantilevered sections that are attached to the cliff faces high above the lake.

    Actually, they weren't the most scary bits. The most challenging was riding the very narrow trail, several hundred metres above a very steep rock wall. It was literally a situation where one mistake on a corner could result in very serious injury or death. It was so challenging that only 4 of our 11 riders actually completed it. It will be something to remember for a long time.

    And, as you can see from the photographs, the weather has continued to be almost perfect. This morning was warmer than the previous two freezing mornings, so layers were quickly dispensed with.

    Tomorrow we ride the famous Otago Rail Trail. Since it is a rail trail, we can relax a little, knowing that it will not be as technical or dangerous as the previous three sections.    Read more

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    Otago Central Rail Trail

    March 15 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    After the challenges of yesterday's Lake Dunstan Trail, it was somewhat of a relief to be riding a rail trail again. This is more akin to the type of sedate riding we do back in Australia, with no precipitous drops on the side and no ferocious climbs and descents. It should have been a doddle.

    The funny thing is, that after all the adrenaline rush, the rail trail seemed a little tame by comparison. Could we have all become thrill seeking adventure junkies in just a few short days ? The answer obviously was yes.

    Although the original plan was to start our ride at Wedderburn, somewhere along the line the plan was changed to include some extra distance. Thus we started our ride at Oturehua instead.

    Actually the change of start was not the only change we had. Apparently in New Zealand the guides and drivers need to be rested after each 4 days, so we awoke to see Snow outside our hotel. No, not the snow that falls from the skies, but a new driver/guide called Snow.

    Snow soon showed himself to be a real character, born and bred in the district and still living there 72 years later. Snow had been a local farmer for most of his eventful life, but was now using his unique local knowledge and skills to do tour guiding a couple of days each week. He certainly kept us informed and entertained with his stories - one or two of which might actually have been true.

    Since we were riding a rail trail, there was no way we could get lost, The smooth surface also meant that we could make maximum use of the unfamiliar speed of our ebikes. Once again, the skies were blue, and I was soon reliving memories of the previous time I had ridden this trail back in 2014.

    Although the riding was relatively easy, there is no doubting that this region can be tough and unforgiving. The exposed landscape can be bitterly cold in winter and searingly hot in summer, You are also liable to be assailed by brutal winds (fortunately we were not subjected to any of these challenges).

    After passing through a series of small settlements with historic names we arrived at our finishing point of Carro Creek. The ride had been a little over 60km, and I have a confession to make. The last few km were ridden with the ebike on the wonderful "BOOST" setting, and boy was it fun to fly along at over 30 kph.

    After loading the bikes to the trailer we were transferred back to the quaint Dunstan Lodge at Clyde. Since tonight's dinner was not included, I had a most interesting time trying to find something for Maggie and I to eat in a town that closes down completely after 5 pm. But that is a story for another time.    Read more

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    Lake Roxburgh

    March 16 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    As I have mentioned previously, Maggie had come down with Covid while we were still in the Bay of Islands. This was not something we had planned for, but had to just battle on, taking each day as it came.

    It certainly was not easy for Maggie. In fact it was terrible. Although she did not suffer the fever and headaches often associated with Covid, it did manifest itself as a severe gastric flu. She had no interest in food and absolutely no energy. The only thing she really wanted to do was rest in bed, however that was not possible.

    By the time we reached Clyde, she really had hit the end of her endurance. She had not been able to do any of the previous riding and it now looked like my riding had also come to an end.

    After talking to Tereza (our guide), we were informed that there was a brand new clinic that had just opened in nearby Alexandra. After getting the rest of the team started on the ride, she drove Maggie and I to the clinic. Although she parked right outside the place, by this time Maggie was so weak that she struggled to even make it to the front door.

    Fortunately, the waiting room was empty and we did not have to wait long before she was examined and assessed by a doctor and nurse. I have to commend them on how thorough they were, even giving her a full ECG test on her heart. The doctor came to the conclusion that the main reasons for her weakness were dehydration and lack of food. She was immediately put on a saline drip and treated with anti-nausea medication. The improvement was quick and dramatic.

    After a couple of hours in the clinic, Tereza picked us up and took us to the hotel. By the end of the day, Maggie was starting to show an interest in food and was already looking so much better. It had been a very worrying time, but we finally started to feel that maybe she had passed the worst, and was about to start recovering her strength and energy.    Read more

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    The Clutha Gold Trail

    March 17 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    After the unfortunate events of the previous day, we were somewhat relieved to find Maggie feeling considerably better this morning. Although she was still lacking any sort of energy, she was at least able to walk short distances and enjoy some conversation with the rest of the group.

    After breakfast at the Lake Roxburgh Lodge we loaded back onto the bus for the transfer to the start of the ride. Today we rode alongside the Clutha River on the so called Clutha Gold Trail.

    The height of the New Zealand Gold Rush was a little later than the Australian gold rush, hitting its peal in the 1860s. The Clutha Gold Trail was built to follow the Clutha River through the region where the most gold mining took place.

    With Maggie feeling better, I was able to resume my place in the peleton, while she travelled in the bus. Our ride started in the Beaumont Gorge, and we quickly enjoyed the smooth flowing character of the trail. With the mighty Clutha River on our right and rugged mountains close by, it was a magical place to enjoy a beautiful ride.

    I am not sure if I have already said much about the bikes we are riding on this trip. They are ebikes manufactured for Adventure South by a company called SINCH. The bikes are equipped with Shimano motors (not my favourite), but are speed limited to 32 kph (not the 25 kph we are restricted to in Australia).

    It really was exciting to be able to ride without the artificial speed restriction, Since there were very few places were we could exceed 32 kph, to all intents and purposes it felt like they were completely unrestricted. The feeling was exhilarating. They also had plenty of torque for the often very steep gradients we faced. I would have loved to have taken mine home with me, I guess it is a case of the "other man's grass is always greener".

    One fascinating place that our guide David took us to was the famous grave of "Someone's Darling". At Horseshoe Bend, near Millers Flat there are two lonely graves. The first was the final resting place of an unknown female whose body was found by a local man. Here is the story:

    An anonymous grave at Horseshoe Bend, probably of an 1860s miner, was provided with a headboard by local man William Rigney, who added the words, ‘Somebody’s darling lies buried here.’ A new headstone, reproducing the words, was put in place in 1903. Rigney died in 1912 and was buried next to the earlier grave, his headstone marked with the words ‘The man who buried “Somebody’s Darling”’.

    This was a fascinating insight into an act of compassion shown by a man in a bygone time. We stopped by the graves for some time to reminisce on the story, before resuming our ride.

    After lunch in the quaint gold rush town of Lawrence, we resumed the ride up to the 440 metre long Big Hill Tunnel. Even with a headlight on the bike, it was almost impossible to discern the way ahead, and at one stage I found myself perilously close to the brick wall on the left had side. I swerved back to the centre of the path and narrowly averted disaster.

    Somehow we all managed to emerge uninjured at the other side and were amazed at how cold the air coming out of the tunnel was. It was a welcome natural air conditioner on a hot day.

    The Big Hill Tunnel marked the highest point of the ride and it was a gentle downhill the rest of the way to the end of the 60 km ride. We then loaded the bikes back on to the trailer for the transfer to our hotel in Dunedin.

    When we arrived at the hotel in Dunedin, I recognised it as the same place we had stayed at for our previous Ghostriders New Zealand Ride. I remember walking the steep street to the stop of the hill. Now, ten years older and with a sick wife, I decided to just look up the hill instead.

    We have been warned that a very severe weather change is about to hit during the night, bringing cold wind and rain. That might mean that we have reached the end of the warm weather we have been enjoying up to now.    Read more

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    What has Become of the Penguins?

    March 18 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    At this point of time I have both an apology and an explanation for the lack of daily updates for this trip. In fact there were two reasons for the apparent lack of activity. The first problem I was confronted with was very poor Internet connectivity. On several occasions I really tried to upload photos, but was met by an endless hourglass. It was just impossible.

    The second, and more serious , issue was that at about day 3 Maggie started to feel quite unwell. A RAT test showed that she had succumbed to the dreaded Covid. We suspect that it happened during our time at Melbourne Airport. Wherever it occurred, it really was not a good result.

    Maggie's condition actually worsened over the next few days, and by the time we reached Queenstown, there was no way she was going to be in any condition to ride a bike. This meant that she was confined to the bus for the entire duration of the riding sections. This was a huge disappointment for her, as she had played a huge part in putting this trip together.

    By Sunday 16th March, she was so unwell that we decided to take her to the modern new clinic in Alexandra. Being a Sunday, there was no waiting and the attention she received was quite amazing, She was thoroughly examined and tested, and found to be very dehydrated. So much so that they put her on an intravenous drip for an hour. The improvement over that time was nothing short of amazing. With 48 hours she was eating again and starting to feel much better. By Monday evening the RAT test showed she was no longer infected and was finally able to stop wearing a mask and rejoin the rest of the group.

    Overnight the weather in Dunedin underwent a dramatic transformation. Whereas yesterday had been hot and dry, with a top temperature around 30C, we awoke to a completely different world, The temperature had plummeted to less than 10C, the wind was blowing a gale and rain was falling steadily,

    This morning was supposed to be our final ride of the trip, but the awful conditions quickly persuaded the majority of the group to stay in the bus instead. Only 4 riders were brave (ie silly) enough to climb on the bikes for the ride around Dunedin Harbour. By this time the wind was ferocious, and the rain was still sleeting down. We could only feel sympathy for the riders in Group 3 who were doing their first ride today.

    After the freezing ride, we all climbed into a small motor launch for a cruise across to the other side of the harbour. The wind made sure that the cruise was probably more exciting than it usually would be.

    After morning tea in a delightful pub across the harbour, we all climbed back into the bus for the long, long drive to Christchurch. Our lunch stop was at the fascinating, and somewhat whimsical town of Oamaru, This place has a rich history and is full of an eclectic mix of second hand shops and art and craft businesses,
    It continued to rain heavily for the entire 5 hour drive and was still raining heavily when we arrived at our hotel in Christchurch. It was a relief to finally reach somewhere warm and dry, It was also a very fortuitous discovery when we found that each room had a washing machine and dryer,

    Tomorrow is our free day in Christchurch, and a great way to relax after the busy schedule of the past week,    Read more

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    Inundated in Christchurch

    March 19 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    It was quite a relief to awake to a significantly improved weather situation. When we tried to venture out last night for dinner, the wind was blowing so hard that it immediately blew our umbrellas inside out. As well as the wind, we also battled freezing rain. It was so bad that we just couldn't help laughing at our comical situation.

    When ordering dinner, I somehow thought I was ordering a pizza, when I was actually in a hamburger restaurant, Little wonder the guy looked at me weirdly when I asked him whether they were big enough for two people. He probably thought I was an escapee from the Institute for the Criminally Insane.

    This morning Maggie and I walked from the hotel in search of a place to buy a warmer coat for Maggie. We walked and walked and she got a little excited when we saw a sign with the familiar TARGET label. "They will sell clothing" she exclaimed. The problem was that, when we arrived, we discovered that the New Zealand Target only sells lounge suites. Not exactly what we were looking for.

    Fortunately Maggie is recovering her walking legs. It is amazing what a little retail therapy does for the female health. Later in the day we found a Kathmandu outlet. Sometime later she emerged with a big smile and a warm jacket. I emerged with a significantly lighter wallet.

    As the day wore on the weather steadily improved. The wind dropped, the temperature rose and we even had some bursts of sunshine. Maggie did not seem to care what the weather was doing, as she just kept telling me how warm she was.

    By the end of the day our watches reported that we had walked over 10000 steps. What a huge improvement on two days ago when she struggled to walk even 50 metres.

    Tomorrow we leave Christchurch to ride the Transalpine Express to Greymouth.

    Side Note - When we arrived back to our hotel room in the afternoon, we found that the room had flooded. A corner of the room was soaking wet, saturating Maggie's case and everything in it. There had obviously been a serious leak in the wall. The manager was very apologetic, but explained that they had no spare rooms to switch us to. The next couple of hours were spent drying the contents of the bag. The carpet is now covered with towels, Not exactly ideal, but we don't think that anything has been ruined.    Read more

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    Doing the Trans Alpine Doddle

    March 20 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    I have always had something of a love affair with trains. Over the years I have been fortunate enough to have the chance of riding some of the most famous trains on the planet. These include the "Train to the Clouds" in Argentine and all the alpine trains in Switzerland. I have also ridden on Australia's Puffing Billy and the lightning fast "Grand Vitesse" trains in France.

    Up till now there had been one world famous train that I had not ridden on, and that was the famous Trans Alpine Train from Christchurch to Greymouth in New Zealand. Today I was going to tick that one from my bucket list.

    We arose early (we always do), packed our bags and met our shuttle driver at 7.00 am. He took us to the Christchurch Railway Station where we checked in our luggage and boarded the famous train. At the appointed hour, it took off with a roar. Actually that is not quite correct, it took off at walking pace.

    I thought that the slow speed might have been so that they didn't wake the sleeping inhabitants of Christchurch. It wasn't. It maintained the incredibly slow pace all the way from Christchurch to Greymouth. Seldom did it get over 60 kph, and for long periods it was much slower. Sometimes we stopped altogether for coal trains to pass from the opposite direction. Other times we stopped for no apparent reason.

    Our journey was frequently interrupted with announcements apologizing for how late the train would be arriving in Greymouth. At least the carriages were comfy and the scenery really was amazing. It was a pity about the throng of Chinese tourists in our carriage who were making as much noise as about 200 children fueled with a diet of concentrated red cordial. It took all my self control to stop me from standing up and telling them to shut up.

    The train finally crawled into Greymouth about 2 pm, and by that time we were all glad to get off. David had arranged for two rental cars to be waiting for us at the station, and there they were waiting for us.

    Although we are generally heading south, we decided to take a 60 minute detour north to the famous Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki. Maggie and I had visited them 30 years ago, before they had become a tourist hotspot and we wanted to see them again.

    When we exited from the van at the crowded car park, there was a lot of excitement. "Look a kiwi", Maggie shouted. We all got excited. It looked like it might be a kiwi, calmly wandering around the carpark. We later found out that it was a Weka, not a kiwi. Oh well. It could have just been a wild chicken.

    The rugged rocky cliffs were certainly spectacular, and so was the $6.50 I was charged in the tourist shop for a small bottle of water. However it had been a long and quite hot day and our energy was flagging rapidly.

    We climbed back into the van for the return journey back to Greymouth and then to Hokitika, our home for the night. Tomorrow we continue heading south to the Franz Joseph glacier (or what is left of it).    Read more

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    Hokitika and the Disappearing Glacier

    March 21 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    After breakfast at the bakery in Hokitika, we drove out to the impressive Hokitika Gorge to do a delightful walk through the rain forest. The abundance of life in the forest was astounding, clear evidence of just how tenacious and unstoppable the life force of nature can be.

    We then returned to Hokitika for lunch by the waterside, before driving to Franz Josef. When we were in this spot 30 years ago it was possible to walk right up the valley floor to the foot of the glacier. To our dismay, we found that this is no longer possible. The combination of retreating glacier and changing river paths now mean the walk has been declared as unsafe.

    We did walk to the limit of the " viewing area" only to see ---- nothing. Well that is not really correct. It is still quite a dramatic and wild scene, but as for the glacier, it was not visible at all. Apparently if you want to see it now, a helicopter flight is the best option.

    Maybe we will have better luck with the Fox Glacier tomorrow.    Read more

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    The Fox Glacier and Lake Matheson

    March 22 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    When we were doing the cycling part of this trip, David Parsons (our cycling guide) told us about the incredible scenery we would find at Lake Matheson. He produced some stunning images showing reflections of snow capped mountains in mirror smooth waters.

    Such tales were enough to stir some of the photographers in our group to make the decision that we really needed to be underway by 8 am. And we were. I have to admit that the early views of the mountains from the car park of our motel were something of an appetite whetter.

    The drive to Lake Matheson was quite short and we arrived in still conditions, while the last wispy long clouds were just lifting from the mountain tops. A few days ago Maggie was struggling to walk about 5 metres, now she was the one ordering that we all set out on the longer walk option. We were promised we would be rewarded with something called the "Reflection Island" and the even better sounding "View of Views".

    OI must admit that the walk was quite enjoyable, even if it had some climbs and descents (and even staircases). When we arrived at the scenic points, we discovered that about 1000 noisy ducks and geese had arrived there before us, While I have nothing against water birds, all their activity was creating ripples and waves which were disturbing the water somewhat. While we still got to see the reflections, it was not the perfect image that David Had shown us.

    Towering above the region were the snow capped summits of Mt Tasman and Mt Cook. Even though the glacier was quite a distance away, it was still the closest view we were going to get on this trip.

    After our time at the lake, we climbed back in the vans for the long drive to Haast, our home for tonight. Apparently, it is also home to an untold myriad of stinging sandflies. We were advised to saturate ourselves in insect repellant. Charming.    Read more

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    Back in Wanaka

    March 23 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    11 days ago we were in the town of Wanaka after completing the first day of our bike rides. At that time we were all staggered at the natural beauty of this place. The only problem with such astounding scenery is that is does attract hordes of visiting tourists. Wanaka is no exception.

    We left Haast this morning in continual heavy rain. The rain continued for several hours as we made our way down the west coast, only clearing when we reached Wanaka.

    On our first visit here we had lunch at a lovely bakery at nearby Albertown. We thought it would be good to go there again. Obviously about 500 others (mostly cyclists) had the same idea. When I walked to the counter I found that everything in the bakery had been sold. I am not kidding; the entire display cases were empty. Some days are like that.

    We had no alternative other than to continue to Wanaka and see if there were any pies or sausage rolls to be had there. Fortunately the Wanaka Bakery still had adequate supplies, so we did not go hungry after all.

    After lunch we checked into the Haka House Backpackers Hostel. I was a little apprehensive that I might have made a big mistake and that we would find ourselves in some huge dormitory full of drunken and noisy backpackers. It was not like that at all. We found the place was brand new and very modern Our room even had a private bathroom and we did not have to share our bed with the other backpackers after all.    Read more

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    Taking the Hobbit Bus to Milford Sound

    March 25 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    One of the main reasons we had decided to head back down the west coast to Te Anu was to take a day trip to Milford Sound. Maggie and I had visited this incredible fjord back in 1994, when we travelled the length of New Zealand in a Maui campervan with our three young children. Now, thirty years later, it was our chance to visit it again.

    Rudyard Kipling famously described Milford Sound as the "eighth wonder of the world", and there is very good reason why this is the case. The combination of steep, towering mountains and deep, dark water is startling. Apparently it took, not one, but several ice ages and many millions of years for nature to carve out this masterpiece.

    Our group of travelers got up in the dark to be ready to be picked up by our bus at 7.20 am. We waited in a huddle outside the hotel waiting for our large bus to arrive, When it did arrive, to our dismay we discovered that it was not a large bus at all. It was a tiny squeezebox. We did our best to climb on board, fumble for the seat belts and try to find some sort of comfortable seating position.

    If that was not bad enough, we were then told that they still had several hotels to visit to collect the rest of the passengers. About twenty minutes later, every single miniature seat was taken. Somehow four people were shoe horned into the back seat, each having to take turns with their breathing. If two of them had inhaled at the same time, the consequences could have been disastrous.

    Maggie and I were squashed together a little further up, where I had the added pain of a large pillar pressing into my right shoulder. It was going to be a LONG trip, but at least it was not as long as it could have been if we had started at Queenstown, instead of Te Anau. We faced a 2 hour journey each way, most of which I managed to sleep my way through in some sort of coma.

    When we emerged from the bus at Milford Sound, I was finally able to get some feeling back into my legs, but to my horror the place was already awash with hundreds of tourists from other (much bigger) buses. We were rapidly shunted through the terminal, while being handed a boarding pass and a rather sad looking bag lunch.

    At least the boat was comparatively comfortable, with enough seats for everyone. For the next two hours we cruised the fjord and gazed at the sights all around. The cruise took us all the way to the Tasman Sea and at time came perilously close to the sheer rock wall. I had thoughts of the ill fated Costa Concordia. Perhaps ship captains of all sizes take pleasure out of giving their passengers a thrill.

    After the cruise it was time to face the challenge of cramming back into the bus again. I could not help but think it was like trying to put toothpaste back into the tube. At least we insisted on people changing seats so that the pain could be equitably shared around. The American passenger who had grabbed the comfortable front seat, however did not seem to see the fairness of changing seats and ensured that he had the most comfortable seat on the bus for both journeys.

    In spite of the pain of the journey, the magic of the cruise did make the day a day to remember. Tomorrow we head back to Queenstown. That will be the final stop of our New Zealand adventure.    Read more

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    Back to Queenstown

    March 26 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    It has now been 20 days since we arrived in Auckland to start this trip. A lot has happened during that time, including the added challenge of having to deal with Maggie's serious illness. There were times that she really felt the trip would have to be abandoned and we would have to return to Australia earlier than planned.

    I am relieved to say that Maggie is now making steady progress. Although she is still feeling very fatigued at the end of every, her appetite is improving and she has finally been able to make some good memories.

    So now we are nearing the conclusion of our travels. This morning we left Te Anau for the 170 km drive to Queenstown. Since this is where our cycling began, it was like a case of deja vu as we again drove through several locations that we had ridden through a couple of weeks earlier.

    We arrived in Queenstown around lunchtime and most of us went to get lunch at the food caravans near the hotel. While we were eating we could see the daredevils hang gliding from the top of the nearby mountain. Although it was impossible to tell from such a distance, two of those thrill seekers were Sue and Andrea, who had both decided that they would confront their fears and take the leap of faith.

    The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing and wandering around the edge of the lake, Tomorrow will be the last full day of our adventure, but at this stage we had no definite plans on how we would spend it.    Read more

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    A Wet Day in Arrowtown

    March 27 in New Zealand ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    It was the last full day of our trip, so I asked Maggie what she would like to do. When we had been in Queenstown the first time, back when was still suffering badly from Covid, she had been too unwell to see anything. I wanted her to be able to take some good memories back to Australia.

    She thought for a while before saying that she would like to spend the day in nearby Arrowtown. This is a small town about 20 km from Queenstown. It is famous for the collection of lovely historic shops and buildings. Since the weather had turned cold and wet, there was little we could do in Queenstown, so Arrowtown seemed like a good alternative.

    Fortunately we still had the rental van, so transport was not a problem. The drive took about 25 minutes and went by without incident. After we arrived in Arrowtown, we emerged in quite steady rain and set out to explore the place. Although I had been here during the riding part, Maggie had never seen the place before, and she was immediately captivated by the quaint shops and beautiful autumn colours. She immediately went to work with her camera, catching the unusual angles she loves so much.

    After spending about three hours there (including two coffees, a sausage roll and a cake), it was time to climb back in the bus and return to Queenstown. We were both feeling tired by that time, so decided to head to the bowling alley across the road from our hotel for an early dinner.

    Back in the room, we packed the bags for the final time, knowing that by the same time tomorrow we would be back home in Melbourne.    Read more

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    Home Again to a Nasty Surprise

    March 28 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    The final day of any long trip is always filled with mixed feelings. On the one hand there is a relief that all the planning work that had been done over the preceding year had paid off. It was another quite complex trip, with three groups all starting and finishing on different dates. In spite of the logistical challenges, all the arrangements worked perfectly.

    On the other hand there is also a feeling of sadness that the whole adventure is drawing to a close. Soon we will all be back in Australia and the trip will be added to all the previous overseas rides, with only our memories and photos to remind us of what we had experienced.

    There is absolutely no doubt that the trails in New Zealand are vastly different from those we have in Australia. The magnitude of the mountains is on a completely different scale from the modest little bumps we have over here. As well as the different terrain, we were also able to enjoy riding ebikes that were not encumbered by the ridiculous 25 kph speed limit. It is obvious that New Zealanders have a more realistic approach to what an ebike should be.

    On our final day in Queenstown, we awoke early, packed our bags for the final time and then headed off on the short journey to the airport. The airport in Queenstown is delightful and modest sized, reminding me of Maroochydore Airport in Queensland.

    We were able to check in our luggage immediately, even though our flight was not due to leave for about 4 hours. That left us plenty of time to relax, chat and drink coffee.

    The flight itself took off on time at 3.20 pm and soon we were smoothly flying across the Tasman. The three hour flight gave me just enough time to watch the new Conclave movie, before we started our descent to Melbourne. If you haven't seen it yet, you really should.

    After landing at Melbourne, turned on my mobile phone to check my email. There was one message that I did not want to see. It was from the New Zealand police force, informing me that I had incurred a speeding fine while driving the hire car in the North Island. Although I sincerely doubted the accuracy of the speed recording, I did not want to run the risk of being extradited, so decided that I would just have to suck it up and pay the thing. It was not the homecoming surprise I was looking forward to.

    At least the airport was quiet, and we were able to clear immigration and baggage collection without delay. Soon we were met by the shuttle van we had arranged before leaving Australia and we were on the final leg of our journey.

    Although it was the notorious peak hour on a Friday night, the traffic was very light and we made it home quite quickly. Unlocking the front door always brings a strange feeling, but it is always nice to be back home in familiar territory again.    Read more

    Trip end
    March 28, 2025
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