One of my most beautiful bicycletrip, so far

16 April

The night at Lake Hawea was cold and the temperature dropped below zero degrees, but my Marmot sleeping bag proved its worth.

I quickly packed up and enjoyed breakfast by the lakeshore – bread, granola and yoghurt – and skipped the coffee.

Google Maps pointed out a nearby viewpoint with a great view of the lake, which was my first stop of the morning.

The 12 km bike ride included some uphill sections, with the last kilometre being quite steep. The air was still chilly, but luckily there was no headwind.

One thing I’ve noticed when cycling in New Zealand is how well the tourism organisations highlight beautiful and interesting places along the roads. Signs with information about the place and how far it is.

 – Well done New Zealand – 

A few tourist cars and smaller buses have already stopped to view the long, narrow Lake Hawea. The view over the lake and the light from the cracking cloud cover far into the lake gives goosebumps.

After the break, I get a little easier cycling for a few miles before I turn around towards the bay to the next divinely beautiful lake, Lake Wanaka.

The two lakes are very close to each other and only a small “neck“ strip of land called the isthmus separates them. According to the info sign that stands by a road pocket in the middle of a long hill, they have been one and the same lake, but the land uplift has separated them. There are only a few km between the lakes.

The rest of the morning and part of the afternoon will be spent following Lake Wanaka toward Makarora. With the sun warming the air, it’s finally comfortable enough to shed one of my extra warm sweaters.

This stretch is one of the most beautiful I have ever cycled so far, the views are so divinely beautiful that I am at a loss for words to describe them and the weather is almost perfect, and still no headwind

In this part of New Zealand, there aren’t many villages or settlements—I can count on one hand the times I’ve seen or passed through them. Once I leave Lake Wanaka behind the road curves away from the last long reach of open water and the landscape changes dramatically and on my left hand river Makaroa flews calm.

At first the landscape still feels open. The valley is broad with green fields and wide gravel riverbeds where the river spreads out into several shallow channels. Some small settlements and barns. In the background the peaks of southern alps rise higher and higher, some of them with patches of snow. While pedaling I wonder what it would be like to live here, no grocery stores or other services, more than 60 km to the nearest town, but they have a primary school.

Signs along the road tell me that some local tour operators have found their place here, offering scenic flights, jet boat rides on the Makaroa River and hikes in the Alps. Google has noted that about 400 people live here.

After 1 pm I arrive in Makarora, turn right when I see the sign Makarora Country Café. It is more of a tourist center with a bar, cafe, souvenir shop and a few small cabins with very steep roofs for rent.

Here you can hike, buy a jet boat ride or let the planet give you a lift up to the glacier.

I was hungry, parked my bike outside and went into the bar and café, bought a buffet plate for 12 NZD and sat outside in weather that could make anyone sigh with pleasure. Almost completely blue sky, warm and sunny.

The food, which consists of a little bit of everything, pasta, fish, chips, ham sauce, tastes delicious.

While I am sitting, I am visited by a small overweight dog of an unknown breed who tells me with big eyes that he is hungry.

He gets nothing from me other than the piece that fell under the table and which he quickly made sure to eat.

Before I leave this cozy place, I first visit the information center and find out that less than a mile towards Haast Pass there is an attraction a few kilometers from State Highway 6 where the Makarora River flows down from the mountain and is turquoise blue.

The man behind your counter told me…
– Look for the Blu Pool sign on the left, you can’t miss it
– Then a few kilometers of hiking on a boardwalk, quite easy

Finally, I also visit the men’s room and do some hygiene because this morning nothing came of it.

When I left Makarora heading Haast pass and Blue Pools the road was quite flat throug valleys and majestics hills around me. The sun is shining , clear blue sky and Makarora river on my left side.

After about 3–4 km, the valley transitions into a denser forest on both side. Every 100 meters the forest became denser and thicker.

Just over 13 km in, a sign for Blue Pools appeared, directing me to turn left in 400 meters. I arrived at a large parking lot crowded with cars and a few tour buses. I locked my bike to a pole and grabbed my camera, wallet, passport, and other valuables I didn’t want to lose.

A well-maintained 1.6 km path, with two footbridges spanning the Makarora and Blue Rivers, led me to the Blue Pools. The bordwalk and planks are built from treated wood and topped with large-mesh chicken wire, likely to prevent wear and help reduce the risk of slipping when wet.

Like many rivers and streams here, the water was a stunning turquoise—and freezing cold!

I walked around the blue pools for half an hour  before I went back to parkingplace and my bicycle. Jumped on and continue upwards Haast pass. Dense, green forests ,mostly beech stretch out on both sides, giving the sensation of cycling through a rainforest. The sun was already starting to set as I frantically searched for a place to pitch my tent.

Darkness fell quickly, and I realized I would have to set it up in the dark. After a long downhill stretch, I reached flatter ground and spotted a gravel clearing with some green patches near the Haast River.

By the time I started pitching my tent it was pitch black, so I worked by the light of my headlamp. After a late dinner, I lay down waiting for the coffee water to boil and felt myself drifting off.

Luckily, it was so cold outside that my little nap didn’t last very long—I managed to turn off the gas burner before it boiled dry!!

The coffee tasted great

See Yeah from Haast and Wilderness Backpackers
P-G
//The Global Cycling