February 18, 2025
Punakaiki to Greymouth then train to Springfield
Planes, bikes and trains!
Last night I camped at a basic campground. It said holiday park which usually means there’s a kitchen. I knew it was about to rain so I had visions of sitting in the kitchen and using the WIFI and such. Unfortunately this was basic so I set up my tent and got inside quickly because it started to rain. It rained all night long and then miraculously was clear sky in the morning.
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I got rolling just before 8 AM and that was fine because I only needed to get to Greymouth about 45 km. The riding to Greymouth was very scenic with the ocean to my right the entire time. I went up and down several big hills but nothing really challenging. I arrived into Greymouth and went to McDonald’s and used their WIFI from outside to post my journal. Then I set out to find real food.
It wasn’t long and I found a great bar/cafe and there were two cyclists there already. They said hi so I asked to sit with them. They were a couple from Wellington and they quit their jobs and rode the Sounds to Sounds and were making their way back up the TA. They were doing it more at a cruising pace and they planned to ride until April and then figure out life later. We had a really nice conversation and we all enjoyed a delicious avocado/toast/egg breakfast. It was outstanding.
After breakfast I tried checking the front brake pads. They seemed okay but without flipping the bike and taking the tire off I didn’t get a look at the wear. Then I pulled my rear lever and I’m embarrassed to say they were completely shot. They were not squeaking but basically doing almost nothing. So I got to the train station, talked to the baggage guys about what to do to prepare my bike for the train. I had over an hour so I decided to change the rear pads right there at the station. I flipped the bike over and got that done pretty quickly. I still need to make some adjustments.
When I was finishing up a young girl walked up and started talking to me. She was riding the TA. We talked for a long time and I was incredibly impressed with her. She was from Germany and 19 years old. She’s already spent 1 year in Canada on exchange living 25 minutes from my home. When Covid happened and she was probably 14 she decided to to go all the way up North. And now she comes to New Zealand, works in a motel for a short time in Auckland. Then quits, buys a Scott carbon mountain bike somehow for $1300 NZ $ (guy listed $2000 but met her and gave her that deal). So then she buys cheap bike bags and boom she’s riding.
She has been having a lot of bike maintenance issues though and struggling with local bike shops. This is sadly familiar. When I suggested that she might need to ask her parents for some help she said “yeah, my dad loves bikes too but I want to do this on my own”.
After she left there were two couples listening to our conversation. We were all so impressed with both her adventurous spirit but also her street smarts. I said to them that she’ll start working and people will be complaining about the most trivial things and it won’t make sense to her.
She reminded me a lot of my daughter who has a fierce independence that’s admirable.
Today’s experience meeting and talking to people matches completely with a conversation I had with Grum. He said if you travel on a bus you are with a social bubble of 40 people. You move with them and might interact with some. In a car your bubble is 4 people and you don’t naturally venture out of it much. As 2 cyclists your bubble is smaller and you likely have some interactions. As a solo cyclist you have no bubble whatsoever so you meet so many people. And also you crave a bit of social interaction. I have not felt lonely on this trip at all. Back home sometimes living alone I can feel lonely but here I feel great. Perhaps I can take some learning back with me.
While on the train I need to figure out where I’m sleeping tonight and what’s my plan for tomorrow. Fortunately there’s great WIFI onboard so it shouldn’t be too difficult.
The train ride (about 4 hours) was very nice. It travels fairly slowly but there’s very nice scenery and the staff were very nice. I had two people come and explain getting off as I was the only one in Springfield. I jumped off and had my bike in hand in 2 minutes. A quick stop at a gas station for dinner and I’m at a nice family campground with a Commonroom for dinner.
Highlights:
-scenic biking along the ocean to Greymouth
-nice couple for lunch
-meeting the German cyclist
-the baggage guys were really nice and helpful (talked MacGyver with the one guy)
Distance: 40 km and 454 m
Today's ride: 40 km (25 miles)
Total: 2,045 km (1,270 miles)
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| Comment on this entry | Comment | 4 |
It's wonderful you are enjoying and making the absolute most of all the cycling available in this country with some of it not for the faint hearted. Even the roads can be scary with, as you've noted, the speed limit and no shoulders.
It's been great following you and looking forward to the rest of it. Hope it continues to go well. The South Island is beautiful so you've still got plenty of treats ahead of you.
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