New Zealand - Wanaka to Queenstown and Around the Mountains Tail 2025 (#3/3)

 14 March 2025

Standing on the side of the road outside the town of Franz Joseph, a French guy named Micheal stopped to give me ride. Originally he drive right past me, then told himself, "Don't be so French!" and turned around to pick me up. His English was rough and my French was remedial but we laughed our way through the mountains. When we stopped for coffee, I jumped out of the van, my legs buckled, and I fell to the ground. Micheal came around the side of the van and doubled over in laughter. "Oh! Oh! Oh!" He said, "I see! Zee bike is not zee problem, YOU are zee problem!" He shook his head, walked away, then realized he left me on the ground, quickly ran back over to ask if I needed help, chuckling and shaking his head the whole time. 

The ride over the mountains was lovely, the good company made time fly, and all too soon Micheal dropped me off in Lake Hawea. I decided instead of heading back to Christchuch, I would make a run south to Queenstown and catch a flight back. I stopped along the river to soak my legs and watch the water. No humidity, and no sand flies on the east side of the southern Alps! A group of young guys came to surf the play wave and I watched for awhile, shared my bag of chips with them, and then freaked out that maybe I was giving off cougar vibes and had to leave. The trail led me to a free camping area along the river at the edge of Waneka where I pitched my tent next to a slack line strung up between the trees.

I was thinking that my meals of top ramen were not giving me enough protein for my legs to recover. Just then, some dirt bag looking climbers (these are my kind of people) stopped by and asked if I would like to share some lentil curry and rice dinner left over from the sustainability fair that they were catering. Turns out one of the guys loved climbing in Index, Washington so we talked about climbing in the Cascades while sitting in the New Zealand sun. 

15 March 2025

Riding along Lake Dunstan was flat and hot. I put on a new shirt and immediately smeared melted chocolate  all down the front. I stopped riding early at 3:30 in afternoon, but only because I found the most perfect place to camp along the Kawarau river and just could not pass it up. I spent the rest of the day jumping into the freezing water and warming back up on a sunny sandy beach. My technical single track trip has morphed into golf cart and e bike cruiser paths.

18 March 2025
Through the trendy, aesthetic little town of Arrowtown and down to Queenstown all on bike paths and easy single track, unbelievably pleasant. After doing laundry, eating doughnuts, and restocking food, I got the last spot on the 7am staff boat across the lake to start the Around the Mountains Loop. Its nice to start the day not smelling like old socks for once. 

The biggest climb on the Loop was a steady 1,000' climb that I did side by side with a 74 year old man who just had his hip replaced, hip knee 5 years before, and was planning on getting his second knee replaced next year. With an e-bike we were doing the same ride which gave me hope that I can continue to travel like this forever. 

I took a small side trip to I could camp at Lake Mavora, where some filming for Lord of the Rings was done. As I was talking to another camped, he told me that those films are over 20 years old now and I immediately felt ancient. My camp came with a feral kitten who abandoned me for the next camp once I finished my dinner. 

The next day was cool and clear, perfect riding weather. I watched some men with muster dogs moving a herd of cows with whistles and hand signals. With no headwind and smooth dirt roads, I made great time and was able to camp in the town of Athol. After setting up my tent. I wandered around and did all the Athol things I could think of. Went to the Athol Garage, the Athol gallery, even the school of Athol.

I knew I didn't have many miles left to go so I spent the day thinking about how much I love traveling by bike. Its hard, crazy hard and sometimes its just an exercise of managing discomfort. But the trade offs are well worth it. 

On a bike I get to feel the pace of the day incrementally change. From seeing my breath in the morning to hoping for a river to jump into by the afternoon. I can smell the landscape as I pass through it. Sometimes it's roadkill, but sometimes it's a draft of air bringing the scent of cool eucalyptus from high in the mountains down through a gully as I ride past. I love getting crushed by heat and hills, then having a brief conversation with a total stranger that lights me up or seeing a hard earned vista that makes me feel like I am living the absolute best life possible. I have had some depressing, dreary camps, but I have also gotten very, very lucky.

21 March 2025

The last 30 miles but fortunately 15 of those miles were back on the single track trails surrounding Queenstown. No more hostels for me, I checked into LaQuinta, found a bike box, and spent my last day packing, showering, and assimilating into civilization. 

The airport was only 1.5 miles away, very casual, with a sidewalk that led right to the front door. I almost stole a baggage trolley so I could walk my bike to the airport the next morning, but I decided I would splurge, act like an adult, and pay the $10 taxi to the airport from my hotel. I'm getting soft.