Lake Tekapo to Lake Pukaki

March 10, 2023

The blog should now have a daily update unless the internet does not cooperate. As for today we drove for about 3 hours before we finally reached the point where we would start cycling. First we had to fit all of the bikes including adding pedals and changing saddles. Over half of the group (not me) are on e-bikes so they needed a lesson on the bikes which are unique to NZ. Once we started it was a pretty easy ride along a canal from one lake to another. It actually was the perfect shake out ride. The surface was some chip seal mixed in with some gravel, but not Costa Rican gravel. At the end of the ride Mt Cook showed itself across Lake Pukaki. The plan is to ride all of the Alps to Ocean route so I order to accomplish this there will be some back tracking by vehicle to .accommodation since things are pretty remote here. We are staying in Lake Tekapo tonight and we had an amazing meal, photos to follow.

Some of these photos and more to come will be familiar to those who have ridden the South Island with me in the past.

The bikes are loaded and we are ready to go. The white bikes are e-bikes.

This is our first of 4 trails. The Dunstan trail has been added as a bonus.

A great downhill to end the day at Lake Pukaki.

A view across Lake Tekapo before we started. Note the old church in the distance.

Mt Cook at the end of ride across Lake Pukaki

A close up of the old church that is still in use.

A monument to the sheep dogs without which the sheep farming would never have succeeded.

Across Lake Tekapo just before dinner about 7pm local time.

Roasted red pepper filled with vegetables and cheese.

Venison with mashed kumara and vegetables, yummy.

Today's ride: 32 km (20 miles)
Total: 420 km (261 miles)

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