Christchurch and The St James Cycle Trail

Our lovely outdoor dining area at H&R's.
The days are too hot to eat in the sun.  

Time is flying by as we continue our search for our elusive Motorhome and attending dental appointments.
The weather has been pretty good but the lovely huge trees around Christchurch are just starting to turn with autumn just around the corner.

Bill not happy Murray has made
himself at home.

       

Plenty of big equipment operating around
Christchurch with earthquake repairs and fiber optic.

I have been trying to loose a little
weight, but find chairs too big now!

We are still getting out cycling and walking plenty, as well as the important things in life such as socialising.
Don had casually mentioned riding the Saint James Cycle Trail behind Hanmer in the Kaikoura Ranges. Bill was quick to take up the suggestion and formulated a plan. They decided to do the 64km Trail over two days the following week. Although Bill didn't have the appropriate gear, Don had plenty to share. Food was sorted, and they were on their way. The plan was for two cars to go into the Molesworth up behind Hanmer, and leave one at a point where Bill & Don were to return and drive back to Christchurch the next day.

Bill surveying the vast landscape

 Marg & I travelled with them into the area, leaving them (Lycra clad and all!!!), their bikes, gear plus a car. And off they went, full of enthusiasm, energy, eagerness, exuberant, vivaciousness (Remember these words later).
Bill can now finish the tale....

We didn't get started till after 12ish what with bloody lattes and all at Hanmer so with the expectation we would make the second hut late afternoon for a relatively "easy out" the followinig day off we sped off on our adventure.
Ten minutes in and the first push up hill we met the Melling Pass. Oh Shite! Thats a big push and no lunch to boot, so halfway up we decided time for lunch and by the time we made the top we were having a serious talk about pulling the plug.

Don pushing across one of the two bridges transversed.

Once we were over the top there was no going back except by helicopter. Don had bought his "EPIRB" for an emergency extraction( probably almost as painful as my dentist). The downside of getting to the top of the Melling Pass was now one must go down and the significance of grade 4 & 5 bike tracks became apparent. In many places it was simply too steep to ride down for these two old guys, me having a slight advantage from my motorcycle days. And so on it went..... big walks up and big walks down, making for a long day with many breaks for breathers and sustenance.
 It was 8:30 and darkish when we finally made the first hut, a humble hut even by DOC's standards but we were pretty glad to see it with both of us well spent for our 8 odd hours of trekking.

Bills alluring comfortable thermals
Enough to make your blood boil me thinks.

The only real incidence being me going over my handle bars in "super slow motion" on a section so steep I had stopped. I was straddled and about to walk my bike down when the arse end flicked over my head and over the bank we went, with a stunning blow to my head to boot(thank goodness I was wearing my helmet on this occasion). I heard Don calling me but like a stunned mullet I was all but flapping on the ground, taking a few seconds to realise I wasn't floating above the world ready for departure.
The night was woefully short before once again we were up to do battle with the cycle trail, us with a new found respect for its challenges and the realisation this was not going to be the "easy out " we had glibly talked about only a few days earlier over a jovial beer.
The area was the same as we had experienced prior to our trip away overseas, having rafted it with our Canoe club, down the Waiau River.  Don in tow then as well. Stunning vistas of Big Country, isolated, yet accessible for everyone but no "madding crowd". But rafting is the way to go, this was turning out to be a grind of grand magnificence. On wards we went, covering vast tracts of land alternately walking and cycling as conditions allowed taking in the vistas but secretly wishing it would not go on for ever and ever.

It was a further 3 hours to the next hut which was a wake up call as to our slow but steady progress, it being our anticipated stop for last night. We carried on as best we could with one more final grunt up a hill and a most exhilarating fast 5km ride down to the St James Homestead to finish our epic journey.
Not a journey I will repeat soon and when I do we will take  3 days to savor the experience.Thankfully that was our only incident, and managed to make it back to Christchurch early evening for a well deserved beer!
Our time was coming to an end in Christchurch as Bill's last dental appointment was nearly here. We had a great catch up with "Flatmates" Helen & Ralph and their wonderful hospitality. Plenty of laughs and a few reds. See you next summer.

The day came, Bill had his Crown fitted to his front tooth, making him look handsome once again. (Not the scruffy toothless homeless guy he had been looking like for the past couple of months). Note no photo's on the Blog - too disturbing for viewers.

Travelling the back roads to avoid all the
 road works from
Christchurch to Nelson - Maruia Saddle

One of our last nights in Nelson
Fish & Chips with Joan & Vicki at Queens Park