once in middlemarch, the start of the otago central rail trail, it began to rain and i opted for a stop at the kissing gate cafe. along the upper taieri gorge the trail is crossing viaducts, leads through tunnels, and over some of the original bridges from the rail line. there is an informal camping… Continue reading otago rail trail
Author: mat
dunedin
my motivation stayed with me until dinner but was rapidly reclining within 5 minutes. washing up and brushing my teeth was all i could muster before crashing into bed. i got up once for breakfast the next morning but went back to bed immediately and stayed there until the afternoon. in the evening we enjoyed… Continue reading dunedin
the caitlins
we camped at another freedom camping spot in fortrose before cycling through the caitlins. we stopped at curio bay to have a look at the petrified forest and saw some yellow-eyed penguins sunbathing. the south island has a lot of scenic places but didn’t score with beaches so far. but the caitlins have that as… Continue reading the caitlins
southland
after two days on gravel it was a nice change to ride on a sealed road again. just at the junction for the von river road we met a swedish couple who sailed in fourteen month from their home to new zealand and found out about the best way to see the country and switched… Continue reading southland
von river road
the von river road is a gravel road which made the climb from the lake up the valley rather challenging. once on the high plateau the road is quiet flat, there’s hardly any traffic and the scenery of unspoiled beauty. we stopped at the mavora lakes in the evening. it was busy as it was… Continue reading von river road
queenstown
tagged as ‘the adventure capital of the world’ queenstown’s main road is a succession of adventure tours and thrill selling shopfronts. i called jens and laurence who were on their way back from a day trip to the milford sound. as their hostel was booked out, i pedalled out of town to the twelve miles… Continue reading queenstown
wanaka
jens and i were looking for a campsite, but the cheapest was not much savings compared to the price of a hostel. especially when we get the low emission discount at the yha which in this case has a direct view of lake wanaka and the surrounding mountains. after sorting out our luggage and our… Continue reading wanaka
scenic inland route
after cycling out of christchurch i realized that i forgot my maps in town. as i was already too far to think about turning back i got instructions from a local which were easy enough to follow without a map. it made me realize how much i depend on maps. not only for the obvious… Continue reading scenic inland route
world buskers festival
as central christchurch was still off limits after the earthquakes, the world buskers festival was happening in hagley park this year. which took away the street feeling of the performances but had the advantage that the audience could easily switch between the different stages. the shows included comedy, theater, stunts, acrobatics, music and more. one… Continue reading world buskers festival
banks peninsula
i stayed one night in christchurch before exploring the nearby banks peninsula. it is always a hazzle to get out of a bigger city and this time i not only wanted to get out but get out at a certain point, the start of the little river rail trail. like australia, new zealand converted some… Continue reading banks peninsula