Cycle Tour South Island

FavouriteAunt — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 03:59:23 GMT

Current revision posted to Tour NZ by bike – all you need to know by FavouriteAunt on 18/01/2009 4:59:23 p.m.

Its over 20 years since we did our cycle tour of the South Island, and sometime I'd like to have another go at it, or some of it. We did the Otago Rail Trail OTR) just a few years ago, that was great.

Back then, it was not compulsory to wear a cycle helmet. So we didn't. And I'm pleased to report that we came to no harm but going down the West Coast side of the Lewis Pass at speed made me think that perhaps the foreigners we met everywhere had the right idea. Please wear your helmets.

We met foreigners everywhere doing the cycling tour of the South Island thing. And that was really cool. But no Kiwis. I'd hope to meet a few more locals riding if we did it again now. On the OTR we were not the only Kiwi family but its still mostly visitors to our country. Get out there people and ride!

We rode on Morrison Monarch 10-speeds (thats 2 on the front and 5 on the back) - the first bike I ever owned and his first 'road' bike. The Morrison factory had recently closed down so we got good value on my brand new bike - the store owner assured us that the Suntour derailleurs were top-of-the-line and would outlast the Shimano ones. I must say I never had any problems with it from then to when my bike got stolen several years later.

One couple we kept meeting (English I think) had mountain bikes and we kind of envied their freedom to go on the rough back roads and tracks. But we got to see new scenery and meet new peole every day so I don't think we missed out on too much.

We were fairly well equipped for camping and coping with running repairs to the bikes. A good map on top of the handlebar bag was essential to planning each day's route and knowing where we were. We each had 2 big panniers on the back wheel, 2 smaller panniers on the front wheel, a sleeping bag and half the tent each across the back carrier and a handlebar bag that could be detached with money, camera etc. I had to walk the bike up some of the big hills.

We met a pair of elderly Canadian gentlemen traveling light and staying in motels. I think they just had one small pair of panniers each and had raced up the country from Invercargill to Blenheim in less than 2 weeks. The older gent was fuelled on pure alcohol but his friend enjoyed bacon and eggs for breakfast at the hotel.

Even though we had good quality waterproofing our sleeping bags and tent got thoroughly wet in a West Coast downpour so we spent a couple of days in a cabin until we got it all dry again. And we went by train over Arthur's Pass because it was raining so hard the roads were closed and I'm so glad we did.

Digital cameras and Internet cafes had not been invented back then so we posted our photos back to our parents each time we had a roll of film developed. Our album weighs a ton and only comes out rarely. We saw an album of a friend's overseas holiday recently. Made from their digital photos and their diary notes its bound in book form. Don't know how much it cost but surely a lot less than we spent on film and developing (definitely in real terms) and it was absolutely brilliant!

In summary - Make sure your bike and gear is in good order and safe. Have a first aid kit, a cell phone and a good map. Be prepared for rain or snow. Carrying all your equipment, extra food and cooking equipment means you can linger but it is heavy. If you have limited time plan your itinerary to include key places. Use buses and trains for part of the journey. Sometimes it offers the best views. Take lots and lots of photos and keep a diary. Share them with all your friends and rellies. Take as much time as you can afford and try to keep some options open. Have fun!