Closing the Circle

November 26, 2023

A multi modal day

I was sort of awake at 5:30am; and pedalling from Glen Ross farm backpacker lodge by 7am into a scotch mist drizzle. The aim was to reach Masterton 82 km to the south by end of the day.

But here I am at Wellington YHA with excellent wifi updating the journal. That’s well over 200km from where I started! How’d that happen? Read on. All will be revealed.

The misty, damp start didn’t last long. The weather improved and by days end it was a sunny day.

Yet again, there were almost no motor vehicles on the road. Pure bliss. Less than one per hour. And zero big trucks. Perhaps because it is the weekend? Whatever the reason, it was wonderful to have a near empty backroad to cycle on for most of the day.

Although the weather was favourable, the scenic, rolling hills were ever present for about 40 km. Not huge hills. Lots of small ones. From about half way (the pristine hamlet of Alfredton) the road was reasonably flat and even felt down hill occasionally.

That was when the headwinds started so I wouldn’t cycle too fast. They weren’t too strong but very steadying.

The rural views were classically beautiful New Zealand scenes with fluorescent green pastures, cheerful clean sheep and contented cows.

The only concerns were many large areas of soil erosion and soil slumps. And the clear-felling of pine plantations. The process looks very damaging to soil and waterways.

By 3.30 pm I’d rolled into downtown Masterton and refueled with an iced coffee and cheese scone.

By 4pm, I’d arrived at the railway station and discovered an excellent train service. For $20 cash paid onboard, my loaded bike and I could be in Wellington by 6:30 pm. I’d only need to put the bike in a luggage van, me in a carriage seat, and the rest would work out. What a wonderful rail service with helpful staff.

And the plan did work out well. While on the train I booked a room for tonight at Wellington YHA, and ferry seat to Picton tomorrow.