We wake up to a bright sunny day; promising to be our warmest riding day yet with highs forecast at around 30 degrees. After a tasty brekkie at the cafe next door, we have the novelty of riding straight out of our hotel. We’re quickly off the road and onto a single file gravel track. I usually ride at the back as I like to stop and take pictures without interrupting other cyclists, but, in my enthusiasm, I’ve ended up in the middle of the pack. We’re not too far into the ride when I make a bit of a fool of myself. We’re climbing a moderate grade and the two riders in front of me are going slower than I am so I start to run up the back of them. What the hell, I think, as I holler out and squeeze past the first cyclist on the narrow trail but when I try that again, I get caught in the deep soft gravel on the shoulder and it pitches me off the trail, straight into the grasses beside it! Fortunately, it’s as soft as landing as on a comfy bed mattress but I lie there on my back embarrassed as the other riders cruise past. No injuries, except my pride, but I picked up quite a few nettles. Back on the bike, I take my customary trailing position and we ride along the shores of the lake. It’s pleasant riding other than we have to stop and dismount several times to pass through metal bar barriers meant to keep motorcycles out. We have morning tea at picturesque Sailors Cutting beside a boat launch. Leyton tells us the next section is the favourite of Ian, the founder of Escape by Cycle. The next section climbs up around Lake Benmore and winds around the lake with expansive views over the lake - and sometimes big drops down to the lake as well! The sun is straight overhead and hot! We climb the steepest grades of the trip so far - despite having the e-bikes, it’s hard sweaty work! We stop at a high point and take another photo and then head down. When we get nearer to the water, we come across an elevated metal walkway along a cliff as well as a guard rail fence. It’s still a good drop to the water, at least 7-8 metres. There is a speed boat idling below and some boaters have climbed up and are jumping off the cliff into the water! Michelle, clearly the brave one of our group, quickly strips down to her undies and unhesitatingly jumps off the cliff. Leyton, our guide, rides up (the guides trail the group) and immediately strips and jump in too. Well, I decide right then I’m not passing on this opportunity. I quickly strip down to my chamois (padded cycling undershorts) and it’s not long until I’m making the big leap too! It feels like a long ways to fall but the water is refreshingly cool. Once we’re dressed, we’re off again cycling in the heat. I’m initially cool from my swim but soon I’m bone dry again. Supposedly, it’s a high of 30 degC but with no shade about and the sun reflecting off the rocks, it feels much much hotter. We soon pass over Benmore Dam, NZ’s largest earthen dam. It’s impressively massive and has a huge spillway which, in the rare times they spill the lake, must be a mighty sight to see. Coming off the dam, we ride downhill on a paved road to the stream below. I get up to 69 kph, which I reckon is the fastest I’ve ever been a bicycle! We fly into our lunch spot at a shady area along the river and, once again, our guides have assembled an awesome lunch. They do such a magnificent job of taking care of our group! After lunch, we have a long hot ride around Lake Aviemore. It’s pretty but a bit hot for me. I decide I have plenty of battery left for the remaining section so Lisa and I put the e-bikes into high mode and zip around the lakes at 30+ kph. The wind on our faces feels great! It’s still work but we can keep a speed some 7 kph faster than we typically achieve on the normal (middle) setting. We cross Aviemore dam, built in the 1960’s. The pipes feeding the generators, called penstocks, are huge! I learn later they are the largest penstocks in NZ at 7 metres diameter! We have a short break on the other side of the dam but there is absolutely no shade about so I’m keen to get moving again rather than baking while stationary in the sun! We’re soon cycling around the final lake, Lake Waitaki, of the long chain of the eight hydro lakes we have been riding along. It’s a very impressive green energy scheme, generating some 30% of the country’s power. We briefly stop for a view at the Waitaki dam, built in the 1920s during the Great Depression. The generator house is clearly Art Deco in style. From there, we follow the Waitaki River downstream to the small but quaint town of Kurow where we are staying, and eating, in a historic limestone block building at an establishment called Waitaki Braids. After showers, we assemble again and have a lovely wine tasking down the street at Valli’s cellar door outlet. I enjoyed all the wines but was quite taken with the Waitaki Valley Chardonnay which has exactly the oaky, big mouth-feel Chardy style I love - but at nearly $100/bottle is a bit above the house wines served at our residence! We finish the night with a lovely meal where we are joined by four other cyclists on a self-guided tour. It’s been another great day! Carl / Pilgrim #cycling #A2O

Mountain Biking

New Zealand, South Island, Alps To Ocean, A2O, Cycling

Waitaki District, Canterbury, New Zealand

time : Mar 2, 2025 9:00 AM

duration : 6h 5m 3s

distance : 69.5 km

total_ascent : 425 m

highest_point : 481 m

avg_speed : 17.6 km/h

user_id : gstreet

user_firstname : Carl

user_lastname : Greenstreet

We wake up to a bright sunny day; promising to be our warmest riding day yet with highs forecast at around 30 degrees. After a tasty brekkie at the cafe next door, we have the novelty of riding straight out of our hotel. We’re quickly off the road and onto a single file gravel track. I usually ride at the back as I like to stop and take pictures without interrupting other cyclists, but, in my enthusiasm, I’ve ended up in the middle of the pack. We’re not too far into the ride when I make a bit of a fool of myself. We’re climbing a moderate grade and the two riders in front of me are going slower than I am so I start to run up the back of them. What the hell, I think, as I holler out and squeeze past the first cyclist on the narrow trail but when I try that again, I get caught in the deep soft gravel on the shoulder and it pitches me off the trail, straight into the grasses beside it! Fortunately, it’s as soft as landing as on a comfy bed mattress but I lie there on my back embarrassed as the other riders cruise past. No injuries, except my pride, but I picked up quite a few nettles. Back on the bike, I take my customary trailing position and we ride along the shores of the lake. It’s pleasant riding other than we have to stop and dismount several times to pass through metal bar barriers meant to keep motorcycles out. We have morning tea at picturesque Sailors Cutting beside a boat launch. Leyton tells us the next section is the favourite of Ian, the founder of Escape by Cycle. The next section climbs up around Lake Benmore and winds around the lake with expansive views over the lake - and sometimes big drops down to the lake as well! The sun is straight overhead and hot! We climb the steepest grades of the trip so far - despite having the e-bikes, it’s hard sweaty work! We stop at a high point and take another photo and then head down. When we get nearer to the water, we come across an elevated metal walkway along a cliff as well as a guard rail fence. It’s still a good drop to the water, at least 7-8 metres. There is a speed boat idling below and some boaters have climbed up and are jumping off the cliff into the water! Michelle, clearly the brave one of our group, quickly strips down to her undies and unhesitatingly jumps off the cliff. Leyton, our guide, rides up (the guides trail the group) and immediately strips and jump in too. Well, I decide right then I’m not passing on this opportunity. I quickly strip down to my chamois (padded cycling undershorts) and it’s not long until I’m making the big leap too! It feels like a long ways to fall but the water is refreshingly cool. Once we’re dressed, we’re off again cycling in the heat. I’m initially cool from my swim but soon I’m bone dry again. Supposedly, it’s a high of 30 degC but with no shade about and the sun reflecting off the rocks, it feels much much hotter. We soon pass over Benmore Dam, NZ’s largest earthen dam. It’s impressively massive and has a huge spillway which, in the rare times they spill the lake, must be a mighty sight to see. Coming off the dam, we ride downhill on a paved road to the stream below. I get up to 69 kph, which I reckon is the fastest I’ve ever been a bicycle! We fly into our lunch spot at a shady area along the river and, once again, our guides have assembled an awesome lunch. They do such a magnificent job of taking care of our group! After lunch, we have a long hot ride around Lake Aviemore. It’s pretty but a bit hot for me. I decide I have plenty of battery left for the remaining section so Lisa and I put the e-bikes into high mode and zip around the lakes at 30+ kph. The wind on our faces feels great! It’s still work but we can keep a speed some 7 kph faster than we typically achieve on the normal (middle) setting. We cross Aviemore dam, built in the 1960’s. The pipes feeding the generators, called penstocks, are huge! I learn later they are the largest penstocks in NZ at 7 metres diameter! We have a short break on the other side of the dam but there is absolutely no shade about so I’m keen to get moving again rather than baking while stationary in the sun! We’re soon cycling around the final lake, Lake Waitaki, of the long chain of the eight hydro lakes we have been riding along. It’s a very impressive green energy scheme, generating some 30% of the country’s power. We briefly stop for a view at the Waitaki dam, built in the 1920s during the Great Depression. The generator house is clearly Art Deco in style. From there, we follow the Waitaki River downstream to the small but quaint town of Kurow where we are staying, and eating, in a historic limestone block building at an establishment called Waitaki Braids. After showers, we assemble again and have a lovely wine tasking down the street at Valli’s cellar door outlet. I enjoyed all the wines but was quite taken with the Waitaki Valley Chardonnay which has exactly the oaky, big mouth-feel Chardy style I love - but at nearly $100/bottle is a bit above the house wines served at our residence! We finish the night with a lovely meal where we are joined by four other cyclists on a self-guided tour. It’s been another great day! Carl / Pilgrim #cycling #A2O