Three more riding days! I had been looking forward to today’s ride for a while, because it takes in one of my favourite climbs, the Crown Range. When I say it’s one of my favourite climbs, I’ve only ridden it once, 15yrs ago,  but it left an impression!

After leaving Lake Hawea there was a nice cycle track following the river. The checkpoint photo was at the Hawea River bridge, 11km in. 
It was a fast, flowy gravel trail with amazing views all the way to Wanaka. The autumnal colours are my favourite, with the golden hues of poplar trees as they begin to drop their leaves. 

I made it to Wanaka in good time, so enjoyed another second breakfast at a local cafe. 
From there, a gentle climb along the Cardrona valley took us to the Cardrona hotel, an iconic picture stop (and second control point photo for the day).

The climb to the Crown Range started from the hotel. The initial 10-12km was fairly gentle, slowly rolling upwards through the incredible landscape. It wasn’t until the last 3-4km that the gradient started getting steeper, and then with 1-2km to go it became rather pointy upward. 

I was riding my 29″/100mm setup instead of 125mm or 150mm cranks. Back in 2007, I climbed over Crown Range from the Queenstown side on 36″/110mm. It was not only a massive total gear ratio, it was also a very heavy wheel, not the feathery carbon 29″ I’m using now. No way was I switching to long cranks…I’m competing against my younger self!  The gradient kept getting steeper, probably over 10%, but I slowly pedaled my way up without stopping. Finally, the summit came into sight, legs were burning, job done!

A fast downhill, then gravel section took us to Arrowtown. There was another cycle trail that would take us all the way to Queenstown.  I was getting pretty tired by then, and was looking forward to a Ferg burger (Ferg’s is a Queenstown institution). I finally arrived, had a quick shower  then went down to get a double beef burger at Fergs. Gotta be eaten to be believed…it was very tasty.  There is one more checkpoint photo, this time it can be anything in Queenstown. Hopefully my burger counts as a ‘thing’. 

Today’s ride over the Haast pass was something I had been looking forward to. There is nothing like a good road climb on a unicycle, and I remember a hair raising descent in the rain when I rode this pass in 2007. What’s fun going down must be equally fun going up!

It was going to be a long day, so I left at 0700 on the dot. The days are getting shorter, with daybreak coming about 7.15 instead of 7.00am. 

I was blasted by a strong headwind as the road took us into the hills. This time, I was bothered by it, as I wanted to make good time due to the distance. Unfortunately, unicycles have the aerodynamic properties of a flying brick wall, so it was bit of a fight. A few riders started close to me, so I tucked in behind for a draft. 
The wind stopped as soon as we entered the hills. Must be some sort of funneling effect!

It was a gentle rolling climb following the Haast River for the next 40km or so.  I was enjoying my ride, as the landscape become ever more spectacular.  The only downside was the significant road camber, which required effort to compensate. 

At the 50km mark, the road went skyward, we’d reached the aptly named ‘Gates of Haast’. It was a 350m climb over about 3-4km, then a gentler climb for 5km, then another kick upwards for the final km.  

I considered switching to 125mm cranks, but was doing OK with the 100mm, so it saved a few minutes fiddling with pedals at each end.  The 29″/100mm climbs well to about 5% gradient. It becomes a stand-on-pedal grind at 10%. Nevertheless, I passed a number of TA riders. A unicycle is light and has no drivetrain, so is very efficient at converting energy into motion.  

We reached the summit at 564m. Not a particularly high pass, but comes with a pretty solid climb. I took the checkpoint photo then spun my way down the hill, while the TA bikers whizzed past on their fancy schmancy freewheels!

Lunch stop was the Makarora Country Cafe at 82km. Seems the place to be, with over 20 TA riders sitting there having an extended break. 
I tucked into a very cheesy ham toastie, drank the chocolate milk, then went on my way.  The final 50km took us along Lake Wanaka then Lake Hawea, before turning in to the Lake Hawea township.  It was very picturesque and there were many unicycle photo stops along way. 

It was another beautiful day for a ride. We had been expecting rain on the West (aka wet) Coast, yet so far there had only been  light drizzle, which barely required a rain jacket. Not that rain is a bad thing- it brings out the colours, the waterfalls, the mist and adds to the experience. 

The famously voracious West Coast sandflies were fewer than usual, possibly due to fine weather, but nevertheless good insect repellent is essential. My best discovery as a result of TA is the non-DEET insect repellant picaridin. It doesn’t work quite as well, needing a larger amount to be applied, but that’s a small price to pay for something that doesn’t dissolve plastic. Given the amount of equipment that could be stained by DEET, it’s worth a try if you are riding in the West Coast. 

The kms ticked by quickly. I reached the Salmon farm in time for a second breakfast, then sped off for more of the same. 
I took in the scenic Knights Point lookout (checkpoint photo of the day), and the Haast DOC information centre (interesting and worth a visit), and still completed my ride before 3.30pm.

There are only four more riding days, but with a fair bit of climbing and distance. All set for the final push to Bluff!

The ride from from Whataroa carried on with more stunning scenery. The highway was lined with ferns, going through native forest and farms, misty mountains in the distance.  If there is one road trip every cyclist should do in NZ, this is it. 

I rode with a group I’d stayed with at the Whataroa hotel. It was a good pace for me, cruising at 17-20km/hr. We got to Frans Josef glacier about 10am. It was either a second breakfast or an early brunch, but either way, we tucked in hungrily at the local cafe. 

There were three fun climbs and descents between Frans Josef and Fox glaciers. Enough to give the legs a workout but not enough to require a change of crank length. 

For the non-unicyclists following my blog, an explanation on this. I am riding a ‘standard’ unicycle, which means no gears, no freewheel, and a fixed wheel size (29″). This is what I race nowadays. In the past, I raced unlimited unicycles, which can be geared, and be of any wheel size. The bigger the wheel, the bigger the gear, so most unlimited riders would use a 36″ wheel on the road. Likewise, many riders use hubs with shiftable gears (1:1 and 1:1.5 ratios). There are also freewheel unicycles, which are biggest thing in unicycling right now, but haven’t proven themselves in long distance touring yet. 

What I have,  a standard 29″ unicycle, is as basic as it gets. The drive is fixed. You pedal forward, you go forward, you pedal backward, you go backward. Brakes are allowed in standard class, but I figured that if I’m keeping things simple, I may as well leave them out. The only extra item I have is a handlebar. It’s the most basic wheeled vehicle (with the exception of ultimate and BC wheels), which is what appeals to me. If I wanted a freewheel or gears, I would ride a bike, which have better developed gearing mechanisms and ratios. 

That’s not to say my ‘standard’ unicycle is completely gearless. Unicyclists can alter the crank length to vary their cadence or their leverage. Short cranks allow you to pedal faster, while longer cranks allow more leverage at the expense of a lowered cadence/speed.  I am riding triple hole cranks, switching between 100, 125 and 150mm crank lengths by moving the pedal position and seat height. For the majority of TA, I have been on 100mm, except for off road sections (Timber Trail, Big River and coming down Maungatapu Saddle), when I used 125mm. I have not used the 150mm option. 

Back to riding…I arrived in Fox Glacier and rode up the track to the lookout. I was shocked at what I saw. Where has the glacier gone?  The last time I was here during the SINZ unicycle tour in 2007, we could walk to the glacier. Now it’s off in the distance, with warnings not to cross into the valley in case of sudden flood.  It’s retreating fast and perhaps my children will not get to see it before it’s gone. 

It was another 33km to my accommodation, the Pine Grove motel. It’s a rather random motel in the middle of nowhere, but handily located between Fox Glacier and Haast. The distance between the two towns is over 120km, which is a bit more than I wanted to ride today. 

Glenys and David were up early making sure I was well fed before setting off. Home made bread and muesli and a strong espresso, just perfect!

There was another 30km left of the excellent West Coast Wilderness trail, made up of more fun singletrack, followed by an old rail trail. It ended in the town of Ross, just in time for a second breakfast/brunch.  

I’ve been asked by other riders, do I crash much?  Unicyclists use a term known as ‘UPD’, an unplanned dismount, when they step off a unicycle (there is no such thing as falling off).  I had a few of those, but that is not the same as ‘crashing’, which involves some degree of rubbing yourself into the ground.  Today, after over 2200km, I report my first ‘crash’, on a very smooth, very straightforward trail, for no apparent reason. Gargh! I was steering off to the side. Next minute I was stumbling and sliding on gravel. Thank goodness for gloves! Limbs and unicycle intact, pride not so much, I took it easy for a few km. 

The riding today was mostly on sealed road, with a bit of gravel at the start. When you’re riding well, you get into the ‘zone’, where you contemplate life, the universe and politics, which I won’t bore you with. Either way, it made kilometers tick by very quickly.  Before I knew it, I was at Lake Ianthe, the photo checkpoint. 

The scenery today was stunning. Gushing  rivers, native bush, misty mountains (there was light drizzle)…it’s why the West Coast is one of my favourite places.  I unicycled the same roads exactly 15 years ago, going in the opposite direction (South -> North), so it brought back many memories from the 2007 SINZ unicycle tour.

Just before Whataroa I was met by Angela and her kids from Mt Adam Lodge, complete with freshly baked muffins.  Yummy! I made short work of one and tucked a couple more in the bag for the road. It’s so great having people out supporting TA, it’s really appreciated by the riders. 

I’m staying in Whataroa for the night, having done 109 ‘easy’ km. The legs are feeling good again. 

It was a further 22km ride from Blackball to Greymouth this morning. The legs were recovering from yesterday’s effort so I was hoping for an ‘easy’ day.  Once loaded up at supermarket, I went to the Greymouth bar for the photo checkpoint. 

The day’s ride would be along the ‘West Coast Wilderness Trail’, a grade 2 cycle track.  I had few expectations, but it was fantastic! The hard packed, smooth gravel track made for a fast spin, giving the legs a chance to loosen up after Big River.  It followed rugged coastline, before heading inland alongside a couple of reservoirs with pretty views, and through native bush. The birds were out singing, the friendly fantails came out to say hi, the equally friendly bumblebees did the same. There seems to be population explosion of bees in the South Island, all wanting to pollinate our TA riders. 

A gentle climb took me to the Kawhaka pass, followed by fun singletrack with lots of switchbacks, arriving at a replica Western town known as Cowboys Paradise. 

So a unicyclist walks into a bar….
“You’re doing the Tender Arse (TA) mate?”
Yep…straight shootin’, cowboy.

I cooled off with a beer (a ginger beer) then sped off down the dusty road. 

There was another awesome singletrack section around Lake Kaniere. Tight, smooth, fast singletrack is about the most fun you can have on one wheel.  With a single pivot point, the unicycle comes alive when things get twisty.

By the time I reached Hokitika, I was grinning ear to ear. It was a fairly long day (123km) but the well groomed trail kept me in better condition than yesterday. 

I took my second checkpoint photo, the Hokitika clock tower, to the bemusement of locals (it’s on a traffic roundabout). 

Tonight I get to stay with our friend Makaira and his parents David and Glenys.   They made me a lovely meal and made sure I was well fed before bed!  A perfect end to a perfect day. 

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).