It will be fun they said. An iconic part of Tour Aotearoa they said. Mountainbikers love it, they said….

Big River trail certainly has a lot to live up to.  It’s only a 56km section, but when the guidebook says it’s challenging, and the guidebook is written by the Kennett Bros, you’d better believe it. 

Technically there are two options- the 26km road ‘easy’ option along State Highway 7 to Ikamatua, or the 56km ‘Big River’ track, through an old goldfield, to Ikamatua.

If you’re riding a unicycle, you might as well pick the hard option. The other reason is that one of the photo checkpoints is on Big River. If you miss it, you’ll always wonder what it was like. The track is officially closed due to a landslip, so some took the excuse to ride the (sensible) road option.

I set off before daybreak at 6.45am, not knowing what I’d find. The first 9km was a gentle climb to the Big River track, then it went rough, rougher and rougher still. 

Big River would be better off being called the Big Rock track. There was 15km of climbing, along what mostly resembles a rock garden. Big, chunky, garden variety rocks that would look good among the cactuses or lining a riverbed. 
Some of it is rideable, if you don’t mind bouncing around and burning lots of energy. Most of it isn’t.

You know it’s tough when only 3 bikers catch up to you (there were over a dozen on Big River trail today).
I carried a lot of water with me (3.75L), which made the climb more challenging. The track was used in mining operations during the 1800s, but the abandoned goldmines left a nasty legacy- toxic chemicals used in the extraction process. Don’t drink the water, they said…

When I finally reached Big River Hut, I wrote in the visitors book ‘tough climb, look forward to the downhill!’

Well, the downhill was equally gnarly. At one point we were crawling down, up  and across a rocky stream bed. The rest was rooted, rutted, narrow and rocky.

The checkpoint photo and Waiuta boardwalk was a highlight. My legs were pretty stiff from the climb, so I had to take the downhill conservatively. Better to walk the fun bits if it means you get to the finish, instead of down a bank with a unicycle on top of you. I’d love to ride the track properly, with fresh legs and without a pack.

There was a massive slip which required creative negotiating. I helped some other TA riders get across….a 5kg unicycle is easier than a 25kg fully loaded touring bike. 

I was relieved when I completed the Waiuta track.  There was a quick descent along a gravel road, past the abandoned Waiuta ghost town.  

After reaching Ikamatua, I carried on a further 30km to the town of Blackball, arriving to stay at a historic goldmine era pub/hotel, ‘Formerly The Blackball Hilton’.
Steak, chips and ice cream sundae to help those achy muscles recover. 

It was another early start, with a big breakfast provided by Phillip at Murchison Lodge B&B. It’s such a lovely place, surrounded by native bush even though it’s walking distance to town…if only I wasn’t in such a hurry to leave! 

Each day is hard, but there are several things which make the difference between a tough day and a horrible one:

1) leave early. Riding in the dark at 6am is easier than riding in the dark at 9pm

2) try to plan the ride so the toughest part (eg Maungatapu Saddle) is at the start of the day rather than the end. 

3) never turn down an opportunity to eat

4) eat lots 

5) minimize rest stops. A long lunch is a rest break, it’s not recovery time. Recovery is when you put your feet up at the end of the day. 

6) look after the body. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables. Stretch those aching muscles. Take plenty of short ‘bum’ breaks to avoid saddle sores. 

7) Be efficient. As soon as I arrive, I shower, wash clothes, charge lights/phone/powerbank, eat, phone home, blog, eat some more, brush teeth and sleep. 

With the above routine, I’ve mostly got the psychological and physiological battle sorted. 

Anyway, I digress…today’s ride was awesome! Leaving just as dawn broke (7am), the valleys were shrouded in mist, the air was crisp, and there was hardly a soul about. The only activity came from milking sheds I cycled past. 

Unicycling is a meditative experience. As the wheel is fixed, every stroke is transmitted into motion, and every bump and road texture is felt by the rider.  The effortless spin, the hum of my tyre on gravel, and the beauty of motion are what I love about cycling, and unicycling in particular. 
(At the other end of the day, it’s a different kind of meditative experience- the Kung Fu monk sort. When your arms hurt, your legs are tired and you have major butt pain, it’s all in your head!)

The ride started with a gentle rolling climb for 30km, mostly on gravel, followed by a short hard kick to the Maruia saddle (580m).  It was a good gradient for my 29″/100mm setup, so I passed several other TA riders as we went upwards. I almost missed the photo checkpoint, but luckily there were a couple of riders who yelled at me to stop. It turns out the Maruia saddle is a tree stump, which I took a photo of. 

It was a fast descent followed by more gentle climbing towards Springs Junction. There was a stiff headwind which dropped my cruising speed from 17-18km/hr down to 13-14km/hr, but I didn’t mind- it was nice and cool. 

After a quick bite at the Springs Junction cafe, there was another nice climb to the Rahu saddle (696m), followed by a speedy, then not so speedy descent all the way to Reefton, surrounded on both sides by beech forest.

Reefton is a nice looking town- lots of 1800s heritage buildings, which unfortunately I have no time to check out.  It’s claim to fame being the first town in the Southern Hemisphere to have electric street lights!
It will be nice place to revisit when I’m not riding 100km+/day. 

Finally, the sad news for Tour Aotearoa. One of the riders in my start wave, Russell Cullen, passed away after suffering a heart attack at the Durie Hill elevator in Whanganui last week. I remember Russell but didn’t spend much time riding with him. My condolences to his family.

Today’s ride looked relatively nice on paper- there were a few climbs but they appear to be  unicycle efficient gradients. 

I left just before dawn- better to ride in the dark at the start of the day, than at the end when you’re tired, hungry, grumpy, and the shops are closed. 

The cycle trail continued as ‘The great taste trail’ meandering through various vineyards, cafes and galleries. It was smooth and fast gravel, with lots of twists and turns- my kind of riding. 

It led us up a gentle climb to the Spooners tunnel, which, at 1.4km long, is the longest decommissioned rail tunnel in the Southern Hemisphere. Boy, was it fun to ride!  I caught a couple of TA riders with better lights and rode behind them as we sped through the tunnel. It was like riding into the abyss, the highlight of my day. 

The trail then turned to gravel road, which was coarse and bumpy. I was powering through the climbs, and had done over 70km by lunchtime, a good boost to morale.

It was fun until we arrived at State Highway 6- a road with little shoulder and big logging trucks going past. It seemed to go on forever but finally turned into a quiet side road which took us to Lake Rotorua. It was then that I realised I’d been here before- camping with Anna and Gryffin last year! The sandlies are ferocious, but this time I was well prepared with plenty of insect repellent. I took the checkpoint photo then climbed up the steep track to the Braeburn saddle. It was all downhill from there but the legs and arms were getting pretty sore, so it was a slow ride in to Murchison. 

I was up early for an enormous breakfast at The Trout Hotel where I was staying…they certainly know how to feed hungry unicyclists!

There was a little bit of road riding to Pelorus. I’m very glad I swapped the orange Macpac bag cover for a fluoro yellow reflective Oxford cover when I was in Wellington. Paired with my Knog cobbler backlight, it certainly felt safer on the road.

After Pelorus bridge the TA took us up the Maungatapu track. On our course notes, it’s one big pointy hill which takes us from near sea level to 740m. The climb that fills many TA riders with dread. 

The first part was pleasant 4WD gravel, but then it went straight UP for the final 12km. Most riders push a good portion of this, which is an advantage for unicyclists.
I got to the top at the Maungatapu Saddle before the other TA riders, took the control point photo, then swapped to longer 125mm cranks for the ride down. It was as rocky and loose going down as on the way up, so required a lot of effort again. I am not riding with a brake, but this is one downhill where it would be useful. 

It wasn’t until the lower portion of the track at the Maitai Valley that it became smoother. I swapped back to short 100mm cranks to get my speed up. At that point I was joined by a former TA rider, Margot, and then a local unicyclist, Steve, who rode with me into Nelson. 
After a pie and chocolate milk stop (*chocolate milk is an amazing energy drink- something I discovered on TA), Margot guided me to Richmond, where I met another unicyclist, Julian, and wife Yvonne, who rode with me to Brightwater. It was great having company most of my way through Nelson/Richmond!

I completed my ride in Wakefield, an 81km day. Shower, dinner, wash clothes, charge lights/phone, blog then bed. It’s a big day tomorrow- I will be aiming to get to Murchison (128km).

I didn’t get much sleep last night trying to figure out my South Island plan, so slept in slightly. I had a hurried coffee and said goodbye to Anna and the kids. 

I live in the Northern suburbs, so it is a 13km time trial to get to the Bluebridge ferry checkin at 7.15am, which I made in the nick of time. It turned out there was no need to rush- the ferry was delayed almost an hour. 

There were a lot of riders from the second and third start waves getting on the ferry today, so it was a big procession of bikes into the vehicle bays. 
I got my checkpoint photo (Cook Strait crossing), then settled in for the 3hr trip. 

Once into Picton I headed straight to the bakery for a quick pie and custard buns before hitting the road.  What a road! It’s many years since I last rode Queen Charlotte Drive…a very picturesque and fun ride, with rolling terrain and sweeping turns over the sounds. 

My unicycle, complete with new bearings, new tyre worked flawlessly. Better still, the extended handlebar relieved much butt hurt and arm/hand strain. I could ride this setup all day!

After stocking up in Havelock I rode a bit further to a place called Canvastown, which seems to consist of one pub/hotel with half the locals enjoying a night out.  It’s a pretty cute place, and they serve an amazing burger and chips…just what I need before the big climb tomorrow.

Today was my first proper rest day. It was tempting to keep going, but there was a bit of work to do.
As in work- I caught up with paperwork from my day job. My colleagues are under a huge amount of pressure due to Covid, and we are down staff due to the virus.  They are doing an outstanding job covering me while I’m on this crazy pursuit, for which I am eternally grateful.

Anna has managed to keep the houseplants alive, as well as being amazing support while solo-parenting/ kid wrangling without me.  Mum came over and gave me a massage with some smelly Chinese medicine.  Feels good. 

The unicycle finally got the maintenance it needed. I dropped by Johnsonville Cycles, where Ben looked at my crunchy bearings and shook his head. Not going to get you another 1500km mate!  Luckily I had a spare set of bearings which we managed to reset into the axle.   I also changed the handlebar setup (my cut-down racebar was too short for long distance comfort, so I swapped it over to a regular KH T-bar.  The bottle cage which was held on by cable ties are now secured with hose clamps.  Finally, I got a new fluoro yellow Oxford raincover for better visibility. The Macpac cover really doesn’t show up at night, despite being orange.

All set for the ferry tomorrow!

I was feeling good about today- the legs were at 80%, but it was still almost 150km to get home to Wellington. I thought I might need to stop at Upper Hutt and stay the night there.
The rolling Wairarapa roads are some of my favourites- I’d done many rides when I worked in Masterton.  On the unicycle, I was cruising well, about 18km/hr, which would see me all the way home if I kept it up.

The TA route took us on backroads with little traffic, so it made for a very enjoyable ride. As I approached Martinborough, an ex-TA rider, Matt, rode with me on his recumbent bike. My family were having a picnic at the Martinborough square, so I had a quick lunch with them before setting off to see if I could make it all the way home.

As I rounded Featherston, my friend Kelly and her daughter Juliet were out with the entire South Featherston Primary cheering me from the side of the road!  I was feeling decidedly sluggish at that point- it was getting rather hot, so that was just the boost I needed. I sped off with renewed vigour to tackle the Remutaka Rail Trail.

The rail trail is a track I have ridden many times over the years, I consider it part of my home trails. I made short work of the climb to take my control point photo at the summit tunnel, then had a blast shredding the gravel all the way down the rail trail. This was the most fun I’ve had on tour- it’s a very fast, sweeping gravel trail.

By the time I got to the Te Marua dairy, it was 5.30pm. Enough to ride home, even if it gets dark. The Hutt River Trail is also familiar, but the Upper Hutt section is new to me. It took longer than expected- Upper Hutt is long! I finally hit the Lower Hutt portion of the river trail, and started pedaling as fast as I could.
It was getting dark by the time I arrived at the Petone foreshore, but it wasn’t much further to make it back to Wellington!  The only problem with living in the Northern suburbs is that it’s up a very big hill. I had one final grind up the gorge and then further climbing up to my house. It was a wonderful sight to finally see the Grenada Village sign!

I arrived home just before 10pm. It had been another long day, but well worth it. Hot shower, comfy bed, home with my family after 2 weeks riding from the top of the country to the bottom of the North Island. Bliss!

Today’s ride started with a nice climb over the Pahiatua track. The body was feeling better, and sore bits less sore, but the legs were still lacking in power. The climb was worthwhile, with fantastic views of the Manawatu and an up close view of the wind turbines at the Tararua Wind Farm.

What goes up, must come down. There was a cool sweeping descent which put a big smile on my face. Even more so when I came across another TA supporter, Helen, who was waiting at the bottom with a drink and hot cross bun. Yum! Just what I needed. 
The ride today along rolling country roads were among my favorites so far. I passed through Pahiatua, then stopped at Eketahuna for lunch and to take the checkpoint 13 photo of a giant kiwi statue.   

Onward to Masterton…it was getting pretty hot but the rolling terrain suited me. I was cruising comfortably at 16-18km/hr until I reached Masterton. 

I had spent a lot of time working in Masterton Hospital as a house officer, so it’s a town I know well…it was almost like riding home.  Anna and the kids were staying at the holiday park so I also get to spend another night with them. 

Everything hurts today! I had pushed a little too hard yesterday. After a big breakfast at Bridget and Jim’s, my family saw me off for a ‘shorter’ ride. 

The muscles were stiff, my arms were hurting, my hand couldn’t get in a comfortable position, my bum was sore and my feet hurt. It was going to be a long recovery day, so I kept the pace fairly gentle. 
There were a few yummy apple trees on the side of the road, so I had several apple stops. 

Anna was meeting me for lunch at the river by totara reserve. It was a lovely spot to have a picnic. I stayed almost an hour watching my kids play.

Some local riders came out to meet and ride with me as I arrived into Palmerston North. It was great having company from Richard and Neil.  As I approached my destination, my son Gryffin was out there waving the Adventure Unicyclist flag!  It was pretty cool riding the last km or so with Anna and Anthea on the buggy, and Gryffin on his balance bike!

I was well rested and well fed after the  night at Matahiwi cabins. Host Marlene and her daughter Shantel saw me off as I rode out along Whanganui River Road. 

It was a beautiful ride as the sun rose The gently rolling road follows the Whanganui river for another 40km or so.  One of my favourite riding experiences so far.  My legs were feeling good and I was spinning comfortably at 18-20km/hr.
I finally reached the highway and turned toward Whanganui. After crossing a bridge it was onto cycle path all the way into Whanganui. A local rider, Paul, came out to say hi and rode with me into town, then the Whanganui Chronicle caught me for a quick interview as I scoffed down my lunch. 

The photo checkpoint for today is the Durie Hill lookout, accessed via a tunnel and an elevator. Unfortunately both were shut so I had to lug my unicycle up a huge flight of stairs to get to the hilltop, with sweeping views of Whanganui and the river. 

It was a long ride today- I was heading for Hunterville (114km), but my legs were feeling good. My wife Anna, 3yr old Gryffin and 8m old Anthea were staying with our friends Bridget and Jim in Rangiwahia, the next town on the Tour. It was a further 41.8km, and they were going to meet me tomorrow.  I was missing them terribly, so figured that I could do the extra distance and get there tonight.

 It’s just a marathon between me and my family, which a top unicyclist on a standard unicycle can knock off in 1hr40. Add a bit extra for the 500m climb and the 11km gravel road, and I thought I could do it in 3hrs. 

I arrived in Hunterville at 4.30. Still 3hrs daylight….so decided to push on. Suddenly the legs which felt great at 80km didn’t feel so good at 114km. Anyway, I’d made up my mind. 

The road just kept getting harder, until I hit the gravel section. It was a slow, painful grind but I’m getting to my wife and kids even if I have to grind gravel all night! There were some big climbs but I finally made it to Bridget and Jim’s. It had been a 14hr day. The body was feeling pretty broken, but I made it!

They fed me an enormous mountain of curry and rice- that hit the spot!