Tour Aotearoa: South Island
Bike
2 Mar 2024
Moving from New Zealand’s North to South Island on the ferry dropped me in Picton, a busy port town set into the coves of the top of the island. The crossing takes around four hours, and is busy with tourists on big trips, locals on weekends away and freight moving across the country, plus at this time of the year, a lot of TA riders!
The North and South Islands differ a lot, across geography, climate and culture. The North Island is known for its’ warmer temperatures, picturesque beaches, geothermal spectacles and strong Māori influence. Plus, with multiple larger cities it houses three-quarters of the country’s population, and with it a very welcoming sense of Kiwi hospitality. The South Island is larger than its Northern counterpart and is well-known for its many mountains, rivers, lakes, fjords, glaciers and rugged coastline. With this brings dramatic relief and severe weather patterns. Its population is sparse a has large areas of uninhabited land.
From Picton the TA route would see me wiggle southwest over to the West Coast, passing through remote and rugged backcountry. After riding south down the west coast south for several hundred kilometres, the route crosses diagonally to the southeast, finishing at the southern tip of the island in Bluff. There are far fewer people, big mountains and large areas with no phone reception, altogether meaning more consideration and self-sufficiency is required.
If you haven’t already, it’s worth checking out my previous Journal page on the North Island half of the TA. That is the first half of the ride, so will give you some background info on this route, New Zealand and how I got on making my way down to Picton by bike. I spent twelve days riding the length of the North Island, and after a rest day whilst travelling on the ferry from Wellington, I’m ready to continue rolling south again.
As I continued south and moved through into March, the temperatures dropped quite significantly. The island is far more rural, passing through small townships with very few people. This meant prices were very low and I could often stay in a bed for less than the price of a campsite on the North Island. So, with that in mind, plus the changeable weather down here, I looked for a cabin or bunk room indoors each night, before defaulting to camping. Most places were $30-40 dollars per night, with one just $25, and were more than enough for a quick overnight pit stop.
By this point in the ride, around two weeks in, the brevet had really got under my skin and I loved the camaraderie and social aspect that the format enabled. I’d planned to ride casual days before setting off at the start, but found myself going further to see other riders and stay in or within reach of a group. It was motivational and really added a fun aspect to the ride. There are also multiple points in the ride where there are options for the route you can take, so looking at the map and tracking of others helped inform you of which option could be best given the conditions, or based on the type of bike they were riding.
I’d spent much of the north island riding solo, albeit chunks of every day with different people, and reoccurring couples and small groups I’d see every few days this suited me well and meant I could ride my own pace and to my preferred schedule, but still saw the same faces and had company most days.
Top of the South
Day 14: Picton - Tapawera. 175 km | 2400 m+ | 10/12 hours
Day 15: Tapawera - Reefton. 217 km | 2400 m+ | 11.5/13.5 hours
Day 16: Reefton - Ikamatua. 59 km | 1090 m+ | 6/7.5 hours
My first few days in the top of the South Island saw me riding coastal tracks, through vineyards and valleys. Leaving Picton, heading for the city of Nelson, I took several alternative singletrack options above the road, looking down on the harbour. Before Nelson though, the Muangapura Track looms. The short but punchy section is spoken about a lot amongst riders, and is one of the cruxes of the whole TA.
A gravel access road winds to the base of where the Track begins, signified by an old, worn sign. Initially the track climbs gently before getting increasingly loose and rocky, eventually becoming unrideable on a 35km loaded bike. I rode around 80% of the uphill, surrendering the final few kilometres which were far more efficient to walk and push up than ride and go into the red. The morning’s fog and mist hadn’t yet cleared, and I ascended into chilly temperatures. For me, this is classic New Zealand riding - rugged, challenging and the feeling of being remote, but once through, having quick access to a township or city and its various amenities.
From the summit the downhill is steep. Fortunately for me, I’m riding a bike that eats up this kind of terrain, and a number of ledges made me thankful for my dropper-post. I passed quite a few riders here who weren’t on a mountain bike and had a tough time of it. It wasn’t pretty riding and a grunt up and a grunt back down the other side, with a few more smaller hills to tackle before popping out the other side in Nelson, but it was engaging and fun. I’d left Picton at about 06.30 and got to Nelson, where I’d planned to spend the night, at 14.00. I was enjoying the riding too much to stop this early, so considered options for where to aim for next. Having traversed west to the coast, I’d now ride south, but due to the warm summer weather and lack of rain, the fire risk was high so Spooners Tunnel was closed. The detour skirts around and rejoins the route at Tapawera, where there’s a campsite with some bunks. This seemed like a good second target. In the hot afternoon sun, I headed off through Richmond and Wakefield on smooth, flat cycleways which allowed quick progress.
Despite having a pretty long first day on the South Island, the previous day’s rest had done me a lot of good, and I was feeling fit and legs were strong. Ahead of me lay another main crux of the route, the Big River Track followed by the Waiuta Track. Also ahead of me was some bad weather, so amongst the riders I was with, we had a decision to make, wait out the rain or push on to race it. Big River Track, as the name suggests, involves a lot of water, and in heavy rainfall is closed or you’re heavily dissuaded from taking it on. The alternative is a the road around, a short few hours on tarmac that cut out a whole day of riding in deep bush.
I set off from Tapawera unsure of exactly which option I’d go for, and would wait to see how much progress I’d made by lunchtime and then make the call. I ended up going for the option to race the weather and try to get over the Track before the rain set in, or take the gamble that the weather wouldn’t materialise as bad as the forecast predicted.
For the time being though, it was hot and sunny. The option to beat the rain still required some big, challenging miles, first picking up the Braeburn Track up and over to Murchison, then the Maruia Saddle, which turned out to be my favourite climb on the whole route. The ascent is long with gentle gradients, with an alpine-like feel on switchbacks through forest. It’s an enjoyable ride allowing you to settle into a rhythm to cover the 10 kilometres ascent in a relaxed and enjoyable fashion. From here the route links gravel tracks to Victoria Forest, the final hill before Reefton. It’s a long, 6 kilometre climb, but on tarmac and cuts straight through tall trees. The descent to Reefton stretches out over 38 kilomtres and temperatures dropped quickly in the shade of the trees. It was another long, hot and sweaty day, riding some cool roads and trails, with great weather and big miles.
The weather changes fast here, so I was still unsure whether I’d managed to get ahead of the storm. The riders I’d been with all stopped short of Reefton, meaning I was on my own for breakfast and so sat to continue debating the dilemma of whether or not to proceed.
I got itching feet after a couple of hours, so the idea of sitting around for a whole day didn’t particularly appeal, and the forecast was inconclusive, so I took the gamble and went for it. Thunderstorms were forecast but gazing up there were blue skies. I jumped on my bike at 11.00 after chatting to a local bike shop who gave me confidence and a dry spell arrived, so it was now or never. The weather tomorrow also looked wet so I’ll get rained on today or tomorrow, so I may as well get on with it.
The Big River Track weaves through a forest and involves river crossings and a lot of deep puddle hopping. The first few hours of riding were good, with dry or light rain and mostly ridable terrain. Then the rain got heavier and the track narrowed and steepened so I was on and off my bike constantly. Then, continuing up, the rain got really heavy. Lots of streams plus a river to cross, but I was pretty soaked by this point so it made little difference, my focus was on maintaining progress to stay warm.
I got to the DOC hut at 14.15 and I had left town at 10.50 so it took 3.5 hours to get there. Looking at the profile you’d think this was the halfway point, having covered the ascent and it woud be mostly downhill tracks from here.
I bumped into Doug who I’d shared the road with for many hours over the last week, and we laughed about the conditions. I jumped into the hut to sign the book and quickly get some calories in, hoping four apple muffins would do the trick til dinner, then headed out to take on the Waiuta Track. This half turned out to be more challenging than the first half, with many obstacles in the way of the track, downed trees to go over or around, steep sections to push up and wash outs to navigate.
I continued to get rained on and the slow nature of this riding meant it was hard to keep myself moving enough to keep warm, so I started to get cold. Progress was very slow and reaching 16.00 I was concerned about visibilty of obstacles as it started to get dark, with deep grey clouds in the sky and little natural light penetrating the tree canopy.
The final hurdle of the track is the most challenging. A huge fallen tree lies over the track, its trunk a good few metres wide, making it unpassable. A full strip of bags from the bike was needed, so I could shoulder the bike and climb around the tree. A second trip to return for my luggage, then repacking everything, made it a time involved obstacle. This was increasingly challenging in ankle deep, soggy mud and tipped this section of the route well and truly into type two fun.
Popping out of the forest onto tarmac I was pleased to have a straightforward run on tarmac into Ikumatua, where I needed to find somewhere to warm up as soon as pos. The descent was longer than I wanted though, and my soaked and soggy hands froze in the wind as I freewheeled down the road. Thankfully I quickly passed a pub and cabin in the township. I sprayed off my bike and hung all my kit out to dry, whilst reflecting on my decision to tackle the Track that day. Whilst it turned wet and cold over the last few hours, the riding, scenery and epic nature of the days riding did have me smiling and thankful I didn’t take the easier option. That was what I’d come to New Zealand for.
West Coast
Day 17: Ikamatua - Ross. 184 km | 1300 m+ | 9.5/11.5 hours
Day 18: Ross - Pine Grove. 171 km | 1725 m+ | 8.5/12 hours
Day 19: Pine Grove - Haast. 87 km | 685 m+ | 4/5 hours
Leaving Ikumatua early the following morning, I was thankful the rain had cleared and the skies were blue. I was on my way to Greymouth and was meeting Robert from Quebec as I’d found his iPhone on the trail yesterday and was returning it. After breakfast with Robert, I’d begin my journey down the island's west coast, which would be my riding for the next few days. The weather on the West Coast is probably the most changeable and severe in all of New Zealand, so despite just drying out, I knew it was only a matter of time until I got soaked again.
I spent the rest of the day on the West Coast Wilderness Trail, which was incredible. It’s around 130km of purpose built trail, in very good condition, and had everything. All types of surfaces, plus switch backs and climbs, all on gentle gradients so was kind to a loaded bike and still fun. Riding up Kawhaka Pass inland to Coboy Paradise then back down and along the coast to Ross was a highlight. My first and only puncture of the ride put a slight dampener on the end of the end of the day, otherwise it was many hours of fun riding whilst grinning ear to ear. My evening in Ross was spent at my favourite accommodation of the whole trip, at the Historic Empire Hotel, where I got a bed and an all-you-can-eat buffet for fifty bucks. The character and feel of the hotel was special and I recommend it to anyone passing through.
From Ross the riding had me looking up at the mountains of Mount Cook National Park to my left, and out to the Tasman Sea to my right. Blue skies shone but it much colder down here, so jacket, gloves and sunglasses needed.
Theoretically riding down the coast is a nice day riding. But in reality, the volume and speed of traffic on the Glacier Highway makes for tense and uneasy riding. On the plus side, the sealed roads were in good nick and fast rolling, so I made quick progress. That was until I got to the three decent climbs to get to the town of Fox which were steep and long. 15% and 25 kilometres, but after this it was easy rolling down the road to Pine Grove.
For a welcome and my first short day on the South Island, I rode the last of the west coast to Haast and took cover before heavy rain battered the coast. This area is exposed and there’s not many places to stay so I took the opportunity to stay dry and spent the afternoon catching up with calorie intake and ride admin.
Southland
Day 20: Haast - Queenstown. 238 km | 3020 m+ | 13.5/15.5 hours
Day 21: Queenstown - Mossburn. 110 km | 8300 m+ | 7/10 hours
Day 22: Mossburn - Bluff. 140 km | 150 m+ | 6.5/7.5 hours
With a short day yesterday, my plan was to make up the lost ground, which would mean a pretty chunky day, including two huge climbs - Haast Pass and then Crown Range. Leaving Haast I had a 40 kilomtre warm-up before Haast Pass started ramping up. The Pass is 10 kilometres and steadily gets steeper but has no major steep sections. From the top, the descent was steep and long, and super cold. I had a dream ride from there on, with warm blue skies and surrounded by mountains and lakes on all sides. I still had a lot of riding to do and kept getting delayed from stopping for photos which I felt necessary, but hampered me getting into a rhythm. Pushing through Lake Hawea and Wānaka and up again through Cardrona to Crown Range summit. I then hit the Crown Range road during peak Friday afternoon traffic, which was far from ideal, the only positive was the gentle tailwind helping me along.
The climb dragged on for a long time, and I’d had in my head I could descend from the summit all the way to Queenstown and it wouldn’t take too long. However, going over the top I pedalled straight into a headwind which made the descent almost a difficult as the ascent. Beyond the first kilometre or so I escaped the wind and shot down into Arrowtown, and then weaved in and around the airport whilst gazing up at a stunning sunset. A few hours later I rolled into Queenstown, got a kebab, then headed for a shower and bed in a hostel.
I woke at first light and made a few cafe stops in Queenstown to load up on caffeine, pastries and doughnuts, filling pockets up to eat on the fifth and final boat trip of the ride. Leaving town at 09.00 on the TSS Earnslaw to cross Lake Wakatipu, I was lucky to enjoy another bluebird day with little wind. This would be my penultimate day of riding, taking me from Walter Peak on the other side of the lake south on a long and gradual gravel climb up and over Von Hill. The days scenery was probably my favourite of the whole ride. It was cold though and my eyes streamed and my toes felt the chill set in, made worse by a couple of small but deep river crossings of fast flowing meltwater. In just a few hours I’d gone from New Zealands’ most touristy town to feeling very remote, surrounded by the Eyre mountains and the Mavora Lakes, with bright blue skies, it was incredible. I rode with Jessie from Canada and we both had smiles plastered to our face. Nearing the end of our rides now, we both had many stories from the road to share with each other, from as far back as the Cape three weeks ago. We’d both heard some horror stories of riding this section of road in wind and rain, which would be tough. Instead, we had the opposite and were both encouraged to ride on further as the feeling of the end felt close. We toyed with the idea of pushing on to Bluff, but wanted to finish feeling fresh and in daylight. The riding profile was deceiving today, and the downhill from the top of Von Hill didn’t allow any freewheeling at all, so I pedalled all the way down to Mossburn for dinner and was most certainly looking cosy cabin for the night, it was cold this far south and my one season sleeping bag was well out of its comfort zone.
My final day of riding on this long journey was thankfully on gently downhill rolling quiet roads, across the southern plains and into a small fishing town. This setting felt familiar to me, similar to riding through English countryside, with rolling hills, surrounded by agricultural land and animals. The dips in the road had patches of frozen fog lying in wait for me, but feeling sleepy they kept me awake and pedalling on to keep warm. I got to Stirling Point at 14.30 and went from spending the day riding by myself in the cold to suddenly being at the dead end of a road packed with many cyclists and hikers celebrating the finales of their personal journeys. There was such a buzzing atmosphere, everyone supporting and celebrating with each other. I was so pleasantly surprised, the mutual feeling of appreciation and respect for each other was great to see.
I sat in the sun and drank a beer with Martin and Glen and a few others, and watched more hikers and cyclists roll in. I let the accomplishment and feeling of satisfaction and contentment wash over me. Three weeks on the road had flown by, but also I’d packed so much in it felt like I’d been on the road a couple of months.
Stirling Point, Bluff
Additional thoughts
I had plenty of time to reflect on my journey, as after finishing, I rode 230 kilometres back to Queenstown over a couple of days, and hung out there so I could gently reintroduce myself to normal life. I flew home to Wellington from Queenstown and continued to feel content and pleased I was able to spend three weeks being solely concerned with pedalling, eating, drinking and sleeping. Now for my return to reality!
I was pleased I’d been able to cover the route in a fairly relaxed, civilised, manner, riding within myself and comfortably. I’d accomplished what I’d set out to do, exploring and immersing myself in the country I now call home and becoming more familiar with the towns, terrain and people and places of New Zealand, from top to bottom.
As planned from the off, I stuck to riding in daylight, give or take a few hours, and to the conditions. Sometimes this looked like steady riding for 10 hours, sometimes this was riding harder for shorter or longer, and several times this looked like walking and pushing my bike for numerous hours. The variety in conditions and days on the bike kept the ride interesting and my brain active, considering options and how best to proceed, all the way to the end.
I’m pleased to have ridden all of the more challenging options on the route, without too much difficulty, as these sum up the riding for me here in New Zealand. Rugged and natural, a brute of a climb or descent, but close to a town or civilisation despite feeling remote. In the North Island, this was mainly the Hunua Traverse, but also the section of forest single track into Mangakino, which caught quite a few off guard. In the South Island, this is the Maungatapu Traverse and then the Big River Track and Waiuta Track.
This ride took me to some cool parts of the country and I met some very cool people, reinforcing my decision to move here and feeling excited for more adventures in New Zealand!
Further info
See more at: touraotearoa.nz.
Useful links: Tour Aotearoa General Forum, Going your own way: Two months across New Zealand.
Related reading:
- Tour Aotearoa Official Guide - South Island, The Kennett Brothers
- Bikepacking Aotearoa, The Kennett Brothers
- Grand Bikepacking Journeys - Riding Iconic Routes around the World, Stefan Amato
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