Debbie

12/03/201803/09/2018

Nelson Great Taste – Day 6 – St Arnaud to Christchurch

This entry is part 7 of 14 in the series 2018 New Zealand

No more bike riding but we did have one more activity on the way back to Christchurch – the Natural Flames Experience. Guides Steve and Shelley drove us out of Murchison for about 40 minutes to start a 1 hour hike through a Conservation Park. Steve explained how they were trying to remove the “wilding pines” that are taking over from the native beeches.

To get to the walk we had to pass through private property, so we had the area to ourselves. It was very beautiful – over creeks, up and down the trail with ropes to assist on the steeper sections. The destination was a natural gas seep, discovered in 1922, that was set alight and had been burning more or less ever since.

Steve and Shelley made tea and pancakes for morning tea – much appreciated after our walk even if the tea was a bit smoky flavoured.

It was about 2pm by the time we got back to the bus and started the long drive back to Christchurch. We had a great tour with lovely companions in a beautiful part of NZ. Road closures created some challenges but did not stop our enjoyment over the 6 days.

08/03/201803/09/2018

Nelson Great Taste – Day 5 – Motueka to St Arnaud

This entry is part 6 of 14 in the series 2018 New Zealand

We started today with a short drive to Kikiwar for our ride for today which included a tough 3km climb.

We stopped for morning tea at the bus at the top of the climb before an exhilarating 20 km descent to Kohatu.

This was our final day on the bike – we had ridden 140km in total on the 4 riding days.

After a nice lunch in a cafe at Kohatu, we drove to our final nights accomodation in St Arnaud. Our guides took us for a walk down to Lake Rotoiti to see the eels.

This is a beautiful region with lots of walking trails.

Overlooking the lake is a church with an amazing view – no doubt very popular for weddings.

At dinner our American friends Pat and John told us it was their wedding anniversary. Champagne all around to celebrate.

07/03/201803/09/2018

Nelson Great Taste Trail – Day 4 – Abel Tasman NP

This entry is part 5 of 14 in the series 2018 New Zealand

Today we drove to Abel Tasman National Park for a 4 hour hike to Anchorage Bay. We headed off under overcast skies dodging parts of the path destroyed by the recent cyclone.

We soon had our first showers of the trip, however the paths were good and the scenery spectacular.

The overnight rain meant all the streams and waterfalls were running and made for an enjoyable, if wet, morning.

Lunch was followed by a 3 hour sail back to Kaiteriteri in a 10m catamaran.

Our skipper Tim, took us into Falls Creek as the tide was high enough to cross the narrow bar.

We then went out to see some seals on a nearby rock.

With a 15 knot SE, it was cool and wet at times but everyone enjoyed the experience.

We finished the day with a wine tasting at Riweka River Wines before heading back to the Nautilus Motel in Motueka.

06/03/201803/09/2018

Nelson Great Taste – Day 3 – Nelson to Motueka

This entry is part 4 of 14 in the series 2018 New Zealand

Today started with a visit to WOW – World of Wearableart and Classic Cars Museum. Wearable (just wearable, in some cases) art that is submitted for a yearly fashion show in Wellington. It is amazing the imagination and skill of some people.

It was then a short drive to start our cycle across Rabbit Island. We cycled on trails across the island 12 km to a ferry to take us across the inlet to Mapua and our cafe for lunch.

We were questioning the wisdom of a generous lunch as we began the cycle through Ruby Bay and over a steep pinch towards Tasman. The next part was on the Tasman View Rd – always a hint of climbing to come. I had to walk a couple of times (unlike Warren) as the steepness on the gravel surface proved too much.

We were rewarded with nice views at the top and a great downhill to the town of Motueka – 12 + 31km and 221m up made this our hardest day to date.

05/03/201815/07/2018

Nelson Great Taste – Day 2 – Blenheim to Nelson

This entry is part 3 of 14 in the series 2018 New Zealand

Our day started with a 16 km drive from Blenheim to Rarangi for a 16 km ride on bike paths back to Blenheim. Rarangi is on the beach and a popular camping spot.

We stopped at the Millenium rock on the way which had holes drilled in it to view sunrise on 1/1/2000 and the inland mountains.

From Blenheim we drove across the range to Nelson. This area is the heart of the famous Marlborough wine country and we passed many well known winery vineyards.

We passed through Nelson to Wakefield to cycle back on the start of the Great Taste Cycle Path. It was generally well signposted, compacted gravel or bitumen and went alongside the coast as we approached Nelson. Unfortunately Cyclone Gita damaged some parts which are still closed.

Our motel for the night (Harbourside Lodge) was on the marina at the port and we enjoyed the view from our balcony.

04/03/201815/07/2018

Nelson Great Taste Trail – Day 1 – Christchurch to Blenheim

This entry is part 2 of 14 in the series 2018 New Zealand

We were picked up at our hotel this morning by our guides Rachel and Vicki from Adventure South. Joined by 7 other cyclists from Austria, Australia, NZ and the United States, it was to be a long day today in our minibus with trailer in tow.

We started the drive in thick fog and drove for about an hour to the small town of Waikari where we adjusted our bikes and headed for a 25 km ride along a quiet country road to Greta Valley to check the bikes were ok. It was much hotter than we expected and we worked up quite a sweat going up the hills.

We then got back on the bus for a short drive to Cheviot for lunch. The rest of the afternoon was spent getting to our motel in Blenheim. Unfortunately this part of the country suffered a severe earthquake in 2016 which closed Highway 1 for 13 months. The road is now open but there is still a lot of roadworks so the going was slow.

We had a short stop at Kaikoura to stretch the legs and check out the beach.

On the next section of road we saw where the seabed had risen 2m due to the earthquake and exposed new rocks. Seals basked on rocks while workmen stopped us regularly.

New rocks raised by the earthquake

We arrived at Blenheim at 1730, looking forward to a hot shower and dinner at the pub across the road.

03/03/201815/07/2018

South Island, New Zealand, 2018

This entry is part 1 of 14 in the series 2018 New Zealand

After an early flight out of Brisbane we arrived in Christchurch at 1330 and caught the bus into town. After settling in to our hotel, we went for a walk around the city centre. The ruins of the cathedral stand as a stark reminder of the devastation caused by the February 2011 earthquake.

05/06/201710/07/2017

Lyon, France

This entry is part 31 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

We left on Saturday on the midday train from Aigues-Mortes to Nimes. A bargain at 1 Euro. We had a couple of hours in Nimes where we had planned to visit the impressive Roman arena however the site was closed as the Pentecost Festival was on.

We wandered around the streets taking in the street entertainment but as we had a train to catch to Lyon we missed the parading of the bulls through the streets and the dancing horses.

We spent 2 nights in Lyon and purchased a Lyon City Card to access museums, trains and trams and a river cruise.

Unfortunately as Monday was a public holiday, many museums were closed but we did get to see the impressive Gallo-Roman Museum, the ultra-modern Musee des Confluences and the Museum of Miniatures and Cinema. All very different but very interesting.

The Romans founded a town on the banks of the Saone river in 43BC. They built high on the hill overlooking the river and the Museum is built into the hill overlooking the Roman theatre and Odeon. The ruins were only rediscovered in the 1970s and are still used for performances once a year.

The Musee des Confluences tells the story of mankind and the history of life. Beautifully presented exhibits and an app to tell the story, we had time for only a small sample of the displays.

Realistic Display at the Musee des Confluences

Warren was keen to see the Museum of Miniatures and it was also fascinating.

Original latex prosthetic worn by Robin Williams

It houses many original Hollywood costumes and miniatures from movies such as Batman and Independence Day. There were film clips to show the magic of Hollywood and a room full of miniature scenes.

We also did a walking tour of the old city and a cruise on the Saone River down to where it joins the Rhone (The Confluence) and this gave a different view of the city.

Before we knew it our time was up and we were packing for the final trip home. It had been a great holiday with old and new friends filled with amazing sights and experiences.

02/06/201710/07/2017

Aigues-Mortes Loops

This entry is part 30 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

We started the day with a loop to the north of our mooring spot. A good bike lane along the canal for 10 km and then quiet country lanes.

Morning tea was at Le Cailiere where there were signs for the bull run through the streets the next day and a bull fight in the arena. Lunch was at Saint Laurent d’Aigouze where there is a bull ring right next to the church.

Next stop is the Tour Carbonniere built as a watchtower and toll booth in medieval times. On the way we saw flocks of flamingoes in the salt marshes that are all around this area. Aigues-Mortes means Dead Waters referring to these many marshes around the town.

Back to the barge for a short stop to allow those who wanted to swim to change before heading south the short distance to Le Grau du Roi on the Mediterranean Sea.

We were surprised by the amount of development given the surrounding countryside is sparsely populated.

Some swam while we wandered around and bought an ice cream as it was a very hot afternoon.

We cycled 42km in the morning and 15km in the afternoon to give a total of 270km for this week. The cycling was flatter than our first bike & barge trip and quieter rides overall.

Route of ride Aigues-Mortes Loop North – 40km

Route of ride Aigues-Mortes Loop South – 15km

Friday night after dinner we headed into town with our new American friends to check out a bar recommended by Marco. Tac Tac Bar has hundreds of bottles of liquor all around the bar. There are separate menus for beer, wine and spirits and the barman seems to know where to find each bottle. A great way to finish this trip.

On Saturday morning, we said our goodbyes and headed into town to look at the Tour de Constance and the old city walls. These were built by Louis IX to protect the only Mediterranean port that France had at the time. Over 1600m long, they are well preserved and you can walk all around the ramparts. Unfortunately we ran out of time as we had a train to catch to Nimes and then Lyon for our final 2 nights in France.

01/06/201710/07/2017

Arles to Aigues-Mortes

This entry is part 29 of 31 in the series 2017 UK and Europe

We cycled into town and met Martine, a local guide who was taking us for a walk around the old town.

We started at a garden where Van Gogh had painted during his time here (some of which was spent in a mental hospital after he cut off his ear).

From here to the town hall where we saw a replica of the sculpture Venus d’Arles that is at The Louvre. The original was found under the Roman theatre here in Arles in the 18th century.

This was a Roman centre so boasts significant ruins of a theatre and arena. After our walk we bought a pass to visit the monuments we had seen.

We spent the next 2 hours marvelling yet again at the grandeur of the Roman constructions. The street level is now about 5 meters higher than in Roman times so we had to go down under the town hall to visit the Crypto Porticos.

These housed stalls that opened onto a large square in the centre of town. At 1pm we were on the bikes for a short 20 km cycle to Saint Gilles to meet the barge. On the way we sighted white horses and bulls, famous in this area.

Marco after feeding apples to the horses

Bulls destines for the arena (French bull fighting)

They still bull fight here in the summer at the arena. They do Spanish bull fighting so the bull is killed. In other towns we had seen small arenas where French style of bull fighting occurs. The bull is not killed and the bull is smaller with the horns pointing up (instead of out).

We then boarded the barge for a 3 hour cruise to Aigues-Mortes. On the way we spotted some flamingoes but I hope to get a better photo tomorrow.

Route of ride from Arles to Saint Gilles – 24 km