Alps to Ocean A2O

Monday 26.3. (60 km in 2.5 h)

We start the day with the Hookers Trail

5 km hike to the glacier lake

It was extremely windy.... but walking is somehow funny...

After 2 hours of hiking, lunch and off to Twizel.

We start the Alps to Ocean Trail A2O

(normally you start cycling at Mt Cook but then you have to take a helicopter to cross a river. So we are cycling on the road to Twizel)

The wind is so strong that after 2.5 hours we have completed our 60 km and can have a cozy evening at Lake Poaka.

We know that it is supposed to rain the next day, so we plan to go to a proper campsite at noon to do some laundry...

Tuesday 27.3. (10 km)

Campsite

Laundry

Change tubes

Relax

Wednesday 28.3. (76 km / 600 hm)

The track runs along Lake Ohau.

Beautiful

In the middle, there are 300 hm on a very rough and stony trail... very tough for our bikes...

Camp at the free campsite where we meet a Danish cyclist...

Thursday 29.3. (85 km)

We cycle to Kurow.

We cycle along many lakes and New Zealand's largest dam.

It is fantastic weather and feels like a weekend trip...

We see a dead animal at the roadside.

Patrick says it's a kangaroo and I tell him that they don't exist here and that he must be mistaken.

A short time later, there is another one, and I'm flattened... it actually is a kangaroo!!

I am confused... well, never mind.

Later we sleep hidden by the river after eating the worst ice cream ever....

Friday 30.3. (85 km)

We have a fantastic day

When we stop for coffee about 25 km before Oamaru, we meet a very nice couple from Oamaru.

Allie and Jill

After a short small talk, the two spontaneously invite us to their home.

We get our own room, spaghetti bolognese, and plenty of beer and wine.

WOW we did not expect that

Saturday 31.3.

We stay one more day, I can finally write these blog posts, and we escape the short rain shower and HAIL...