Ngatimoti to Quinneys Bush

March 1, 2024

Hard day on loose gravel.

It’s the kind of morning I remember waking up to at my grandparents house in Fairlie, South Canterbury. Perfectly clear sky, sun’s rays cresting the hills and trees, a touch of autumn cool in the air but the promise of a hot day coming up. There’s a smell of pine too. It’s been following us along the trail with the addition of fresh hops on the vine. The intensity of these smells are nowhere as intense as in the, as yet, clear air of NZ.

The trail has us sharing and caring with cars and traffic which are, thankfully, few and far between. It winds along following the treed banks of the river, beautiful vistas of which, appear at each bend. There are occasional fly fishers, and we spot a freewheeling trout or two from one of the bridges.

Some beautiful areas of native bush remain, providing shade.

Once we’re onto the gravel, there are a few challenges. The tyres on my Kona are conventional tourers and cope okay, but I can see the benefit of the fatter tyres on the mountain bikes. We need to take care breaking too. Generally, it’s all pretty good though .

We catch wonderful vistas of the river along this route.

Just before the Baton River swing bridge we arrive at an oasis established by some locals. It comprises a large open shed forming a cafe and rest spot. Payment is by donation. Fiona, who welcomes us, is from the UK originally, but has adapted to life locally, and wholeheartedly. The ‘shed’ also houses information about the area’s history and a massive old beast of a tractor from the 1920s, called the Lanz Bulldog.

Some Australian e-bikers arrive from the direction of Tapawera and tell us that they’ve just come over ‘the hill’ but say it’s not a biggie. Once across the swing bridge we hit this challenging hill on the Baton Saddle (283 metres) with the hot, dusty ascent making the climb gritty and tricky on the bends. The gradient is okay though there are a few gasping stops before the summit. At the top, we chat to a young local lad who tells us their farm spring is out of water. He also tells us he’s schooled by The Correspondence School.

Hops. We enjoyed sampling the results of this growth.

From the Riwaka Brewery. Nelson hops are reputed to impart a grape-like flavour to beer and extreme fruitiness.

Coming down the other side requires care, but we’re like horses that have bolted and push on to Tapawera with the incentive of a cool drink. Eventually we’re back on seal and heading for the Tapawera Four Square.

At the store we buy the usual supplies and a bottle of beautifully cold orange juice. Then, once we’re rehabilitated, it’s on to Kohatu. The trail runs through a burnt brown valley, along an old railway line and alongside the road in parts. At the Kohatu cafe we buy ice blocks and check the route to our stay for the night- the campground at Quinneys Bush. There’s also news that part of tomorrow’s route, Spooner’s Tunnel, has been closed due to fire risk. The detour offered is the state highway, though we do find another quieter option.

It’s possible to see how this was a rail cutting in a former life.

The section on the main road takes us over a bridge and is noisy and not a little scary with large vehicles flying past. Fortunately there is a reasonable shoulder. On the way we pass a beautiful old wooden 19th century church.

At the campground, covering an extensive area, we find our caravan, which is a good size and includes a large enclosed canvas add on. Once unpacked, we’re off for a dip in a part of the river that has been dammed. The cool, clear river water restores us. There’s even a waterslide which we unadventurously opt not to experience.

Later we all meet at one of the rented tents for dinner, an eclectic mix of salads, rice, new potatoes and sausages grilled on the bbq.

Today's ride: 58 km (36 miles)
Total: 554 km (344 miles)

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