We encounter a geologist’s dream of noteworthy formations, including visible terracing on the hillsides above Lake Ohau that were created by a glacier as it repeatedly advanced and retreated along the valley. At the end of the lake are some of the world’s best examples of terminal moraines – 18,000-year-old piles of debris that mark the glacier’s furthest advance.
Following the Waitaki Valley towards the coast, we plunge into a dramatic world of limestone gullies that harbour a treasure trove of remarkably well-preserved fossils, including the jawbone of a 25-millon-year-old baleen whale that’s on display near Duntroon.
Fuel for the ride.
There’s evidence of Maori activity here too, particularly at Takiroa, a limestone cliff bearing red ochre and charcoal rock art dating from about 1400AD. Unfortunately, a lot of it has been removed for display in museums and what’s left is a little underwhelming. Or, as one booming American announces on his way out, “That’s the most disappointing cave art I’ve ever seen.”
Still, the combination of the valley’s Maori heritage, notable fossil record and unique geology was enough to convince UNESCO to declare it Australasia’s first Global Geopark, in 2023.
Guiding lights
Shepherding us through this remarkable landscape are guides Sam Prior and Henry Conquer, who alternate between cycling and driving the support van. I’ve done several trips with Adventure South and am always amazed at how passionate, knowledgeable and capable the guides are, particularly ones like Prior and Conquer, who are both in their early 20s – an age at which I could barely tie my own shoelaces, let alone explain complex geological formations and reverse a van with a trailer attached.
Each day we rendezvous with the vehicle at regular intervals, including morning and afternoon tea, which is served with an impressive assortment of fresh fruit and sweet treats. Lunches are normally a takeaway sandwich savoured in a scenic spot, occasionally accompanied by a breath-stealing dip in a glacial lake. Dinners are hearty regional feasts in a local restaurant with a glass or three of excellent local pinot.
E-bikes make the trip less painful.
Of the 11 people in the group, six of us are using e-bikes, which have the obvious advantages of making the ascents less painful and allowing people of different abilities to cycle together. Two less-publicised disadvantages are that you tend to eat the same amount as if you were on a normal bike (so don’t expect to lose any weight) and you’ll still need to spend about six hours a day getting intimately acquainted with a backside-tenderising saddle (so don’t skip the pre-trip training).
On average, we cover about 60 kilometres a day on either quiet backroads or well-maintained gravel bike paths. Most of the more challenging single track sections are optional, but they’re also the most exciting and scenic parts of the trip. Despite celebrating its 10-year anniversary last year, the trail is still evolving, and in December 2020, a dramatic section was opened through Bog Roy Station that traverses high above the emerald waters of Lake Benmore. It’s arguably one of the finest pieces of single track in the country and naturally Rowan is at the front of our group.
Given the popularity of the Alps to Ocean trail, I’m amazed we don’t see more people on it. Part of the reason is that the departures of the big tour operators are strategically staggered to keep groups apart. The other factor is that very few people attempt it in reverse (cycling the “Ocean to Alps” has an alarmingly uphill ring to it), so you scarcely encounter anyone coming the other way. As a Kiwi I meet at a lookout one day overlooking Lake Benmore puts it, “It feels like we’re the only ones on the planet, eh?”
Regional gems
One of the great joys of a trip like this is the intriguing small towns you visit along the way. Once the terminus of a now-defunct railway line, Duntroon is a classic example of a place that’s enjoying a new lease of life thanks to the trail. During a coffee stop at the Barbie-pink Flying Pig Cafe, there’s time to explore the town’s improbable bounty of attractions, which include the Vanished World Centre, a museum containing hundreds of fossils collected by local farmers (including several giant moa bones); a working blacksmith’s; a spooky, mannequin-filled restored jail; a fantastic wetlands walk full of native plants and quite possibly New Zealand’s fanciest public toilets. Not bad for a town of 96 people.
Oamaru is a beautifully preserved Victorian shopping precinct.
Our end point of Oamaru is a much more established tourist drawcard. The largest town in the Waitaki District, it’s known for its beautifully preserved Victorian shopping precinct, radical steampunk museum and colony of adorable little blue penguins.
For us, it marks the end of an almost 300-kilometre journey from the foothills of the Southern Alps to the foreshore of the Pacific Ocean. We celebrate with a group photo at the official finish marker, a giant photo frame overlooking Oamaru Harbour. All in all, it’s been an epic trip – perhaps the most enjoyable multi-day cycle ride I’ve ever done. Even if it wasn’t all downhill.
The details
Fly
Air New Zealand and Qantas both fly to Christchurch. See airnewzealand.com.au; qantas.com
Tour
Starting and ending in Christchurch, the six-day Alps to Ocean Classic trip includes five nights’ accommodation, most meals and full vehicle support, from $NZ2895 ($2690) a person. Guests can bring their own bike or hire one for $NZ180 ($NZ600 for an e-bike). See adventuresouth.co.nz
Source link : https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/new-zealand-s-longest-and-most-popular-cycling-trail-is-truly-epic-20240607-p5jk3i.html
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Publish date : 2024-08-06 00:11:14
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