Cycling New Zealand's West Coast Route

• Distance               46km
  
• Max Elevation      152m
  

The rain was constant during the night, but not as heavy as we feared. The morning news was full of reports of the worst floods in over 100 years. Roads to Nelson, Golden Bay and the West were all closed due to flooding and land slips. Luckily our route up the Motueka valley was unaffected. The river was enormously swollen, carrying huge tree trunks and other forest debris downstream.

• Distance                 57km
  
• Max Elevation        710m
  

On the way out of Tapawera we stopped at the museum housed in a tiny shed (actually the old "Kiwi" station office) on the site of the old railway station. Inside the displays told the story of how in 1955 a group of local women tried to stop the planned closure of the railway by sitting on the lines for a week. They kept themselves busy during this time by doing their darning and knitting. By the end of the week they were forcibly removed and arrested and the railway was dismantled. We thought it would make a good film story along similar lines to the Calender Girls, but without the nudity.

• Distance              58km
  
• Max Elevation     580m
  

• Distance              64km
  
• Max Elevation     230m
  

The ride profile showed another generally downhill day. However, the road rolled and climbed along the side of the Upper Buller Gorge, making for harder riding than we had expected.

The Buller River was one of many that had risen to record levels during the rain storms of three days ago. The extent of the flood was obvious from the damage to the vegetation along the side of the gorge. It must have risen 4-5 meters and was certainly higher than the last major flood in 1998.

The road out of Murchison was busy, but after most of the traffic turned off up the Lewis Pass road we were treated to a quieter ride along the gorge.We paid our $5 to walk over the longest swing bridge in New Zealand, but we declined the $30 ride back on the flying fox (zip line).

The bridge was built to give access to the gold mines on the far side of the river. The area was also badly affected by the 1929 earthquake and it was interesting to see the White Creek fault line which opened up as a result of the quake. The land either side of the line was displaced by some 4.5m.

Riding further along the gorge, it was dominated by large limestone cliffs that jutted out of the bush covering its slopes.

At Inangahua we stopped for a ginger beer stimulus and called in at the museum which showed many photos of the 1929 and 1968 earthquakes that badly damaged the town, road and rail infrastructure.

As it was new year's eve we had booked a couple of nights stay at Berlins. This backpacker's hostel was recommended in Lonely Planet and also had a bar and restaurant, so we though it would be the basis for a good new year celebration. As it was, we were the only guests and the managers told us that they would shut the doors at 7-00pm.

Seeing our crestfallen faces they then invited us to share in the barbecue that they were preparaing for some friends. After some good food and a few beers they mentioned that they had "local's" tickets for the PHAT 11 Music Event up in the forest at Inangahua and would we like to go for a look.

We all piled into their people carrier and sped off for a new experience. At the gate we were fitted with our wrist bands (for over 18year olds) and we made our way through the revellers to the performers stage and importantly, the beer tent.

• Distance              46km
  
• Max Elevation       90m
  

We decided to stay for only one night, as Berlins just didn't meet our expectations.

Our ride continued down the Lower Buller Gorge and we looked forward to seeing Hawk's Crag where solid rock was carved out by hand to accommodate a single track just wide enough for horse drawn carts to pass with inches separating the wheels from a 20ft drop to the river below. We had mistakenly assumed it to be a long section of undercut, but it was only about 50m and was a little underwhelming.

Originally, we planned to cycle only as far as Westport on the West Coast, but we made good progress arriving there in time for lunch. We did some shopping and continued on to Charleston, about 25km down the coast.

The guide book promised a pub as well as a camp site, which was part of the incentive for continuing. However, as we came up the hill we could see that the pub was closed and up for sale.

• Distance                30km
  
• Max Elevation       200m
  

The ride to Punakaiki was a bit like riding the Big Sur, on a smaller scale, as we climbed several bluffs or points and descended into wild and windy bays. The most spectacular views were found at Perpendicular Point, lookingall the way back up the West Coast.

Prior to the road being completed in 1929 the only way for the local Maoris and later gold diggers and settlers to access the coast was from the sea, climbing the cliffs by rope ladders. There were numerous ship wrecks along this west coast.

The camp site at Punakaiki is next to the beach and behind the Punakaiki Tavern, which serves great beer and food and has a lovely warm wood burner warming the lounge.

That evening we walked the track up the Paparoa Gorge through beautiful forest and towering limestone cliffs on either side. The river was deep and blue, flowing into pools dotted with massive boulders. The forest here was dotted with unique palm trees, only found in this north west coast area of New Zealand.

Here also we came across our first bush robin, so friendly and unafraid. He perched on a tall mossy tree stump just next to us, waited while we got out the camera and adjusted the focus before striking several photogenic poses to ensure we had the perfect photo.

We climbed up through beech forest to the ridge, dropping down into the next valley which took us back down to the sea and a walk back along the west coast road to Pancake Rocks.

The rocks are formed of hundreds of layers of rocks, looking like pancakes piled high. They have been pummelled by the seas and winds over millions of years and formed caves, crevices and pillars reaching out into the sea. At high tide on windy days the waves create stunning vertical plumes of sea water through blow holes between the rocks.

• Distance              83km
  
• Max Elevation       62m
  

It had rained overnight and was still spitting when we awoke. By the time we had breakfasted it had stopped and the wind had switched to a northerly. We timed our departure to coincide with the high tide, hoping to find ideal conditions for the blow holes at Pancake Rocks, but the wind was low and the sea was flat, so no spectacular display.

• Distance             73km
  
• Max Elevation    120m
  

At last the rain to stopped around 10-00. The wind still favoured us, but the ride was harder with continuous ups and downs through beautiful forest.

At Ross we stopped for a coffee break and met two other male cyclists heading in our direction. We chatted briefly to one of them before they carried on. It wasn't long before we followed them but they were travelling faster and we lost sight of them.

• Distance              58km
  
• Max Elevation     200m
  

• Distance               89km
  
• Max Elevation      410m
  

At last, this morning the rain had stopped and the clouds were clearing. We could occasionally see patches of blue sky and tops of the mountains. So with our spirits lifted we set off to see the Franz Josef Glacier. Just a few kilometres south of the town the road turned left up the valley. The river was swollen and grey with sediment. Large pieces of ice washed down the river and some collected on the banks. Although we were riding through rain forest that would normally be warm and humid, the effects of the icy river was to cool the whole bottom of the valley.

It was a short 4km ride to the car park at the end of the track, where we left our bikes and walked the short path through the bush to reach the glacier viewing point. As we returned we were nearly trampled underfoot by hoards of tourists being led onto the glacier by a guide, who carried a large pick-axe. The trekkers were all dressed as if they were going on an Arctic expedition. The contrast between the bush covered valley sides and the rock strewn gorge carved out by the icy blue glacier was startling.

The west coast road between Franz Josef and Fox Glacier crosses over three high saddles. The rain caught us again at the bottom of the Cook Saddle, the steepest of the three climbs. We arrived in Fox Glacier slightly wetter than when we had started and ordered a pizza at a street side cafe. As we were eating Stephen and Guy came passed and we followed shortly behind them for the ride up to the glacier. Unfortunately we couldn't follow the footpath to the base of the ice as it had been washed out by heavy rains.

We didn't leave the glacier until 3-30pm and still had 35km to ride, with a strong head wind.

As there had been so much rain, we had pre-booked a cabin at the camp site near to Jacob's River and were joined there by Stephen and Guy along with another cyclist travelling north along the west coast road.

• Distance                60km
  
• Max Elevation       180m
  

Today started sunny and cloudless. As we rode and looked back we had beautiful views of Mount Cook in the distance.

After only an hour's riding along the west coast road we stopped at a salmon farm and cafe and bought a fillet for tonight's dinner.

The west coast road was through lovely forested, flat terrain taking us passed Lake Paringa and Lake Moeraki. Between the two lakes we came around a bend we saw some bee hives at the road side. Suddenly there seemed to be hundreds of buzzing, angry bees darting back and forth and colliding with us as we rode. It was difficult to decide whether to ride fast or slow in order to avoid them. After about a kilometre we saw the reason for their fury. A group of apiarists were collecting honey from the hives. We could smell the smoke from their burners. Above the hives was another huge swarm of angry bees.

The next challenge was to climb over the headland at Knight's Point, not one climb, but several over three bluffs. The hard climbing was compensated for by the wonderful views along the coast.

Further along the west coast road we reached Ship Creek and as it was so hot we stopped for a swim at the mouth of the river. Even when we were swimming the sand flies still chased us and gathered around our heads. It was unbearable and we quickly had to get out and get changed, all the time being attacked by the voracious beasties.