Otago trails, Red Dwarf, cloud porn and emerald rivers

Oamaru

I spend a lovely day in Oamaru having stimulating conversations with my hosts and spend some time helping them mow the lawns (yum freshly mown grass) and stack firewood. I cycle into town through the botanical gardens and walk around the pier and breakwater. I am sad to see no penguins, they come out at dawn and dusk apparently. I watch the resting fur seal bachelors for a while. I thought to come back in the evening but I am yawning all through the evening meal so straight to bed it is instead. Still no penguins spotted...

Central Otago Rail Trail

The next morning after another couple of hours of invigorating talk (food for my thirsty mind) about philosophy, nature, cycling and politics I leave for Dunedin and catch the afternoon tourist train through the Taieri Gorge. I find it full and stifling inside and escape to stand the rest of the ride between the carriages with my head in the wind. We (the 4 cyclists getting off at Pukerangi) and our luggage get a lot of interest from the train tourists who are heading back to Dunedin again. 

Central Otago - Pukerangi - end of the line - start of the cycling

Although Central Otago is supposed to be the driest and warmest region in the South Island I see no sign of it this afternoon. There is a stiff bitter cold breeze and heavy threatening clouds. The Australian cyclists, used to warmer climes I think, suit up as for a Siberian winter... I put on my windproof and buff and cycle away over the undulating road through a landscape of dark looming schist tors. The undulations keep me warm.

Central Otago - Pukerangi

I cycle together with one of the other cyclists on the train for a while and our ways part in Middlemarch. I go to the campsite and book a cabin for the night. And lo and behold I meet some people that I actually 'know' (a bit - we met in Wellington about a month ago). We have a pleasant evening catching up and exchanging stories and experiences. The campsite is deserted except for a bulldog puppy who is very playful and really wants to eat my merino jumper. I have to resort to eating standing up for a while... 

The next day I start on the Otago rail trail, a cycle route following the old gold transport railway. It is a beautifully sunny day but very cold so I cycle in New Zealand for the first time fully covered from head to toe, even wearing socks! Brrrr...

Central Otago Rail Trail

The trail is really easy cycling. Apparently I am ascending but I don't really notice. What I find hard about such type of trails is that the straight cycling can also become a bit boring in a way. The views are astounding though. After an hour or two the trail becomes more interesting because the trail climbs up on the side of the valley and cuts through interesting rocks. I have an excellent rest stop at Hyde hotel, where I sit (or rather slump, it was hard to get out) in a soft old couch on the porch having copious amounts of hot tea and chatting to the two Australian women who I met yesterday on the train and appear to have similar cycling route plans and speed. The sun and tea has heated me up enough to take off one layer and I enjoy the next bit of the trail which goes through the Upper Taieri Gorge. Better than the train ride from yesterday because now I can stop and enjoy the view whenever I want. 

Central Otago - Upper Taieri Gorge

The trail is dotted with workers huts. One of them is called "Red Dwarf Hut". Ha, that takes me back some years. For both nerd fans and (now mystified) uninitiated, here is an teaser quote from Rimmer: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself. Apart from pain. And maybe humiliation and obviously death. And failure. But apart from fear, pain and humiliation, failure and the unknown and death, we have nothing to fear but fear itself.” – Rimmer

Central Otago - Self proclaimed nerd excited about Red Dwarf Hut

The next day I 'climb' (still don't feel it) to the highest point of the rail trail in a blistering headwind. Apparently I am doing the trail the 'wrong way around'. Oh well, I like a bit of a challenge. The many e-bikers (without luggage) look surprised to see me slogging against the wind. Half of them ask me why I choose to cycle with luggage and whether I'm sure that I don't have an electric motor... Grr. I don't want to be impolite so don't ask them why they are cycling on e-bikes. I relish cloud porn all day, I take many photo's but none of them do the amazing cloud formations justice really. I just drink it all in. 

Central Otago - cloud porn everywhere (and the land of Rohan by the way)

I pass through another gorge of another river and have to go through some tunnels. I don't like it. Maybe I read to many scary stories recently but for some reason I feel a bit afraid of monsters in the dark all alone. I pedal quickly.

Central Otago - Tunnels

By the way kiwis are very pragmatic when it comes to naming practices for bridges and tunnels. Nothing fancy. Just say it like it is. This is tunnel 13...

The next morning the sunrise greets me and the world with its beauty. 

Good morning Otago!

The landscape and clouds are again amazing... or awesome as they would say down under ;). Full of old hills dotted with aged schist rock columns, crumbling slowly, with names such as 'Old Man Range' (and yes there is also an 'Old Woman Range') and 'Rock and Pillar Range'. 

Central Otago - gorges and mountains and clouds

The wind is still here and picking up. Even though it is only a short distance into Alexandra my speed drops down to 8 km/h. I push my legs round and round against the wind while struggling to keep my bike upright and moving. I actually lose my temper a moment and scream in frustration against the uncaring wind. Luckily after the next bend the town appears and I settle down at the campsite where my quickly washed clothes dry up in record time with 60 km/h winds. Bonus! I also meet the Australian women again and we settle down comfortably by their cabin doing some companionable bike maintenance/cleaning while drinking wine, chatting and eating nibbles. 

Roxburgh Cycle Trail

I start on the Roxburgh section next morning. It is again chilly with frost on the ground. The trail is a lot of fun going up and down and winding along the gorges steep valley walls (no more train trails from here on). 

Central Otago - Roxburgh Cycle Trail

And the clear early morning colours are great. The Clutha river glitters and shines in the sunshine between the dry stony valley walls, then blue, then emerald, reflecting all that is around. 

Central Otago - Clutha/Mata-au river - Roxburgh Cycle Trail

The valley is very quiet and peaceful. I stop a lot just to stand still and listen and watch. The water has shaped the stone in the valley with beautiful features over the last hundreds of thousands of years.  

Central Otago - Schist shaped by water

I have booked a jet boat (no trail in the middle lake section) and our guide happily zooms us and our bikes (they get a free wash) around the lake showing us many historic gold digger sites and telling us cowboy and murder stories. The miners came and lived here in places called 'Dismal Swamp', unsurprisingly no-one lives there now. We see many remnants of stone walls for miner's huts and water races.

Central Otago - Roxburgh Lake - historic gold miner's hut

The lovely cycling trail continues winding up and down to Roxburgh Dam where I cross over onto the Clutha Gold Trail which follows the Clutha/Mata-au river further downstream.

Clutha Gold Trail

I feel the autumn in the rustling leaves on the path, the many patches of mushrooms (Lawyer's Wig amongst others, great name!), smelling mulch and the still warm sun. The crooked willows lean into the river banks like old men leaning into a pint, the tall russet poplars stand straight and proud and tall. 

Central Otago - Clutha river

I fully enjoy the river moseying about the next 2 days, wading in the shallows, taking photos, reading another book in the sun, listening to the gurgle and splashes of the water and just simply dreaming away. 

Central Otago - Clutha river - moseying about

My last night making a campsite meal, my (plastic!) spork breaks when washing up. Hmmph. I almost forgot to mention it but I actually had the wind in the back the last day of cycling, or as the english speakers would say "I had a tailwind" (what tail I wonder?!) The Dutch have a sensible wind in the back...

Dunedin and the Otago peninsula

My last days in Dunedin I arrange practical details such as a bike box and pack my friend up safely. I go on a wildlife tour (always accompanied by bad weather for some reason) on the Otago peninsula, where I take a boat ride onto the ocean (yeay!) to watch young Albatrosses in love, courting each other in the rain, and racing along the water's edge. They are so big! There is one couple smooching together that look like 2 sheep sitting in the water, all other sea birds are tiny compared to these giants. 

Otago Peninsula - Royal Albatrosses courting

The captain apologizes to me when I get a full frontal splash from the ocean swells. My waterproof jacket performs well, it is just a pity that I am not wearing waterproof trousers... I keep grinning though, I love the movement of the small boat in the big ocean and all too soon we go back to the land. 

We make another few stops and descend to a DoC managed beach where I see yellow-eyed penguins gliding in from the sea, and doggedly jumping over rocks and climbing up the steep valley. So happy to have seen them on my last night here!

Otago Peninsula - yellow-eyed penguin coming out

We wind our way back along the beach around some sea lions who are playing together. I shiver all the way back to Dunedin but it was worth it.

Otago Peninsula - sea lions

The end
I am not ready to leave yet, have no particular desire to go back to work, and there is so much left to see. Yet work is waiting and my planes are booked so I leave New Zealand, promising myself to come back. I write this last blog from the comfort of my own home. It is lovely to see and hug my friends and family again. So I am also happy to be back home. My cat has become so possessive that she has started sleeping and spinning on my head the last couple of nights. 

My next adventures on the bike will be in the Netherlands. See yah!