Four seasons in one day

Or maybe more realistically four seasons in a few days! For anyone who knows the music of one of New Zealand’s most famous musical exports (Crowded House) and has also been to NZ, you’ll know that the song title ‘Four Seasons in One Day’ is very apt. Whilst we’ve overall been pretty lucky with the weather in NZ (definitely more so than in Australia) the further south we travelled, the less lucky we got.

But I need to re-wind! I last wrote of our exploits cycling down to Ross, including a very special two days on the West Coast Wilderness Trail. Everything was going so well in fact (including the weather at this point) that we decided to… take a bus! Yes – a bus (not to be confused with a lift from Adi, our other journey of shame on the South Island). Whilst everything was going well – we looked into buses when we realised that the only option for continuing down the West Coast would have been cycling the highway – which is fine for a few kilometres but 500km of it is not what we’re here for. Of course, the highway in NZ isn’t a four lane behemoth – in this part of the South Island it’s one lane each way (with no hard shoulder) wending its way through some spectacular scenery. But it’s still a highway and this means sharing the limited space with cars, buses, motorhomes, cars towing caravans etc. We’ve driven it a couple of times in our campervan and so whilst we know it’s beautiful we’d already ‘seen’ it and didn’t need several days of defensive cycling to ruin our chilled out vibe.

So feeling very chilled out with buses booked, we were happy to board successfully with our bikes at Ross, bound for Fox Glacier township that evening, with the plan to get the Wānaka bus in the morning. We were very chilled out on the bus too until Matt started patting down his pockets in a slightly frantic manner. I wasn’t frantic as this has happened before and all is normally well. But this time – it wasn’t. Matt was looking for his phone, which wasn’t in any of his pockets, or any of his bags, or on his bike. It was on the picnic table outside the Ross General Store, where we had boarded the bus. We quickly realised that we needed to take joint responsibility for this fairly significant issue (yes it’s Matt’s phone, but I had said that we had everything when we boarded the bus).

Once we’d realised that we didn’t have the phone, I called the General Store – and (because it’s New Zealand) – before I started to explain the situation they said ‘we have the phone!’ Well that’s a relief! Not only did they have it but they offered to post it on for us, so we quickly booked a spot at a campground in Wānaka, gave the Ross Store the address, and kept fingers, toes and everything crossed that somehow a miracle was about to happen!

The journey was otherwise uneventful and we arrived into Wānaka to blazing sunshine. We knew we needed to stay a couple of nights so settled in with a bit of chill time by the pool, a barbecue and a lakeside cycle to explore the stunning area.

Two nights became three as Matt’s phone didn’t arrive on the Tuesday but – it did on the Wednesday!! He had been checking the campground’s letter box every couple of hours and at about 3pm he ran back to the tent holding it aloft. We were both delighted. Phewph. The worst had happened and NZ kindness had rescued us!

The next day we packed up with the plan to cycle over to Queenstown – not particularly far but NZ’s highest paved pass was in the way topping out at just under 1,000m and taking us over the Crown Range via the famous Cardrona Hotel.

It was a steady climb (apart from the last bit which was a bit too steep) and a descent on the road before we joined the Twin Rivers trail, one of the many off road options near Queenstown.

This was a beautiful and peaceful route – and provided the perfect opportunity about 15km from Queenstown for a break to book our steamer crossing for the next day over the phone (yes Matt used his). After a bit of discussion over what the best time would be, I carried on as we were keen to keep moving to maximise our time in Queenstown (and I’m nearly always slower than Matt). A while later and he catches me up, we’re all booked on to the 3pm the next day. Brill. Except hang on, he’s patting down all of his pockets again. Uh oh.

So the worst hadn’t actually happened because it’s happening now – Matt has left his wallet by the side of the trail – containing bank card, driving licence and $150 in cash. He about turns and zooms back to the spot and of course, it’s not there. In the meantime I rush onto Queenstown to get to the Police Station before they close to see if anyone has handed it in. We reunite at our camping spot in Queenstown – Matt is very glum and kicking himself. I’m wondering if this means I have to pay for everything from now on?! (Jokes, we have a joint account in case anyone’s wondering how we could possibly be keeping track of who owes what at this stage in proceedings).

No time for jokes though as not only have we got normal camp admin to do, I need to report the lost property online as advised by the cops and we need to say a big Kia Ora to Charlotte – a British friend of ours who lives here in NZ and was on a tiki tour of her own around the South Island (Queenstown leg accompanied by friend Cheryl). I say ‘our’ friend as we think she is more ‘our’ friend now – but actually she’s Chris and Ney’s friend originally (Matt’s brother and sister-in-law). After everyone had got over the fact that Matt is now effectively penniless (but not phoneless) we enjoyed a lovely evening with Charlotte and Cheryl – including pizza, ice cream and a stroll around town/along the lakefront.

The next morning (before catching our boat across the lake) was also lovely – except for the torrential rain which started during the night and carried on… all morning. It was cold, wet and miserable (as forecast) and the beginnings of our ‘four seasons’ phase as it turned out.

Luckily it brightened up a bit for the steamer ride which took us across Lake Wakatipu to Walter’s Peak station and the free DOC campsite there.

We were joined at this incredibly beautiful spot by several other cycle tourers who were also planning to tackle some of the ‘Around Mountains’ trail over the next couple of days. As it turned out, all eight of us ended up at the Mavora Lakes site the following night which meant we got to know the two Canadians and four Germans and enjoyed spending time with other people on bikes again! (Bike friends…)

The forecast as we set off from Walter’s Peak was a bit ‘changeable’ but we were in high spirits as the scenery on the dead end station gravel road was sublime. Huge mountainous vistas in all directions. Wowzers! Even the first river crossing didn’t dampen our mood despite faffing about taking shoes off to avoid getting them wet as we waded through (made more fun by having Canadians Paul and Robin for company.)

Moods did dampen just a teensy bit though as we climbed Von Hill – the ‘big’ ascent of the trail. On this occasion it wasn’t the bigness, or even the steepness that was the problem. It was the Antarctic gale force wind from the south that picked up as we went up, which was soon joined by torrential (and very cold) rain which then proceeded to turn into hail. Our bike computers registered -1 degrees (without wind chill) and we were both soaked and freezing as we dropped down the other side. Not fun.

We pushed on as there was absolutely nowhere sheltered to stop as it continued to hurl down, until thankfully we came to one of the trail shelters where Matt immediately (and very smartly) got the stove going for hot drinks and I tried to warm up rather than keeling over (it really was bad!) Once we’d warmed up we were joined by Robin and Paul who had had a similar experience to us – just potentially with more hail than rain. They were delighted to join in with the hot drinks and we all set off again together with a shortish ride to the campground, eventually in the sunshine somehow!

Only a bit more rain followed that afternoon so we enjoyed the complete peace and beauty of the spot including a wash in the stream (potentially the most beautiful wild swim ever, albeit freezing) and a camp fire later on and once joined by Rouven and Lisa from Hamburg and Benny and Jenny from Berlin. Seven of us enjoyed a game of Uno (Jenny won) whilst Benny earned a nickname from Matt – ‘Benny the Burner’ as he made the fire bigger and bigger until the cold of earlier in the day was a distant memory. Until we put the fire out before bed and got into our tents and realised that yup, it’s still cold.

Us and the Germans were setting off for Te Anau the next day (we soon lost track of them as we were all heading to different accommodation) and Robin and Paul who we had loved spending time with ended up pushing to north of Invercargill as they neared the end of completing the full Tour Aotearoa (end to end – well done guys!)

Unfortunately the ride to Te Anau whilst still stunningly beautiful continued with the mad weather theme as we endured more hellish wind, this time from the side. Arriving into the Fiordland hub of Te Anau was a relief and we enjoyed an afternoon by the lake sheltering from the wind and somehow avoiding the rain which seemed to be hanging in the mountains all around us.

We had originally planned to do an ‘out and back’ ride to Milford Sound, or at least an ‘out’ with a bus back. However, the forecast showed the wind was going to spin around and come from the North (so totally different, just retaining the gale force for consistency). We didn’t fancy battling gale force on this busy tourist route so instead jumped aboard the tailwind for a zoom down to Tuatepere via Manipouri. Once the wind picked up that day, it really did – I don’t think we’ve ever ridden with such a wind on our backs which was brilliant but also a little scary as coming to a stop and even staying stopped was challenging. I’m still wondering what happened to the female cyclist who we passed who was riding in the opposite direction…

Tuatepere was… quiet. But it was home to the best Four Square (local grocery shop) yet so we made the most and purchased a homemade lasagne for two (each). Our excuse was that we knew rain (lots of it) was forecast for the next day’s long ride to Invercargill so we needed the sustenance.

The forecast turned out to be right again as whilst we avoided the rain for the most part in the morning (I was definitely smug until Riverton) it soon started to tip it down. Really really tipped it down.

Post Riverton the scenery became increasingly dull, we became increasingly wet and the stunning alpine and Fiordland views were all too soon a distant memory (I don’t want to be down on Invercargill and surrounds here… but yep. Not somewhere I plan to return to in a hurry!)

What was lovely about the South Island’s most southerly city though was the cabin which we booked for two nights at the campground on the outskirts of town. It was a godsend – once we had peeled off our soggy layers we could relax on the comfy bed and watch NZ television with only a short dash to the amenities block for all the essentials as the rain continued to pour. Heaven!

The wind came back to the fore the next day but after a bit of faffing we decided to go ahead with our plan to cycle to Bluff (what most kiwis consider is the bottom of the South Island) and back.

Whilst not actually the most southerly point of NZ – it still felt symbolic to reach this spot and turn back. As, well – it doesn’t get much further from home than this does it?

So I guess we’re on our way home now 🙂

Hang on a minute though! What about Matt’s wallet? How will he get home without it? Well amazingly, the good news is that Matt will be reunited with it in Christchurch when we see Charlotte again – as it was handed in at the police station in Queenstown a couple of days later, complete with all of its original contents (including the cash!) They contacted Matt and then handed it over to Charlotte, no questions asked. Well done NZ – yet again you have outdone yourself.