Day 4 - Lake Rotoroa to Murchison

Day 4 - Lake Rotoroa to Murchison

Not gonna lie, yesterday was a tough day. The terrain was amazing, the weather was stunning, it was just a long day. On top of that, it was the second big day in a row. So much for easing into this journey.

Today we decided on an active recovery day. Just an easy 32km to Murchison which will set us up for some longer days ahead. The decision was also made a bit easier by a chance encounter on the side of the road. More on that later.

Green fields and rolling hills. A feature of our journey so far.


Lessons

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a gravel road in possession of a good curve, must be in want of a shit-ton of rocks. I don’t know the science behind it - and frankly I don’t want to know - but every corner on a gravel road is just a magnet for a ball-pit worth of round rocks that behave remarkably like ball bearings. That’s the lesson from today's ride. Fortunately, forewarned is forearmed and I had a safe day in the saddle.

Hike-a-bike

Today started with a short hike-a-bike to start the Braeburn Track. It was a steep section that my cold and tired legs just weren’t up to task. Since it was only 3km to the top of the Braeburn Saddle and it was pretty much downhill from there to Murchison. The Braeburn Track is definitely a wonderful stretch of road and it meandered past forest, river, farmland and rolling hills. The weather was on the cooler side and the combination of our speed going downhill with a cool breeze made me pull out my riding jacket for the first time. 

A long and winding road

Still smiling


This section of the track also had a few water crossings. I opted to walk one and bike the rest. My decision was influenced by my desire to keep my feet dry. After the first one though, I gained a bit more confidence and was able to just plow through the water. In my mind the water was rushing fast, in reality it was probably pretty mild. I guess you had to be there.

Unorthodox? Maybe. Effectuve? Definitely.


The people you meet

Our stay in Murchison was informed by two things. One; the promise of a short day in the saddle and two; the promise of some local hospitality. The later came by way of Owen, an electric utility lineman we first stumbled across on the Tadmor Saddle (see yesterday’s summary for more on that). He stopped for a yarn and mentioned he has room at his place if we need somewhere to stay. We filed it away for future consideration. We were mostly set on a short day and we sealed the deal again when Owen drove by on the Braeburn Track today. With more specific directions and a firm commitment, we knew we had a place to stay for the night. A warm shower and time to rest up was just what we needed. I’ve only been in NZ for a few days and already the hospitality has blown me away.

First meat pie of the trip. It was a good one.

Tomorrow is shaping up to be a more standard effort and this short break should set us up well.  Until then, happy cycling.


Final tally for the day:

Distance: 32.21 km

Elevation: 291m

And the tally for the Tour so far:

Distance: 260.25 km

Elevation: 3,325m


Comments

Mum said…
Good to be able to take time to rest and recover the energy levels.
10:28 PM

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