Saturday Moveable Feast, Tour de Bridges du Heathcote

T and me had a hoon. Her on the E and me on the Troll. Down Dyers and Hackthorne, Lady Poison, out to Bengal and then across the Ferniehurst Bridge, #1.  From here, we crossed every single bridge across the Heathcote River from Cracroft(ish) to Ferrymead.  All told, 31. (tho, technically 30, because the Heathcote Cut bridge isnt necessarily over the Heathcote River as such).  It was fun.  We alternated sides all the way to Hanson's Park where we were stymied by a closed trail along the frontages of those houses, so we went back over that bridge (Steiner school - #20) and popped over and back on the next footbridge (Aynsely Tce - #21).  Continued the alternate-sides thing from there on down.  Diverting, first off the river to Stuff Woolston and the Salatore Armani, on Ferry Rd, then over the next 'couple' of bridges, to La Voute on Marshall St.  Back to Cumnor to roll around and detour into the Tannery.  Had very moderate feed on Sushi, then down for a drink at Cassells, then a little more shopping and it was time to ride again.

Bridge number 28, Garlands Rd and immediately right onto King Edward Tce then around the back of all the factories on the inside of the loop (stopped for a small feed of blackberries and rearrangement of baggage at the start).  What a lovely trail along here.  Lots of well-grown native planting, quite real singletrack, some roots, nice fun.  Then, Long St, bridge, singletrack again along to the Tunnel Rd Bridge, under this, to then salmon back over it towards the roundabout and along the towpath trail the rest of the way to Ferrymead Bridge (#31, tho technically #30), crossed this, used the lights to cross Main Road and then back over bridge to ride along the estuary and into Charlesworth Reserve (man the plantings are coming up!), straight shot up Linwood Ave to the cemeteries and moseying through the dead's zone.  In hindsight we took a wrong turn here, heading across into Cypress Garden Reserve and up into Ruru Lawn, onto Ruru Rd, then McGregors up to hit Kerrs. (should have stayed in Bromley Cemetery then gone Keighleys and McGregors Rds to Linwood Cemetery (for future reference)).  

Straight shot up Kerrs Rd, to Kerrs Reach, finding new landscaping and fenced off areas, stopping us getting onto the new tarmac path in there.  Found a way in, then out, and followed this new, amazing, path from here over the first new bridge, through Dallington Loop, all our old redzone dog running grounds, beautifully planted up, cycle crossing across Gayhurst, more plantings augmenting the old garden plants, new bridge into our main old dog running loop, amazing, looping around this and over the new Medway Bridge then up the new closed off River Rd towards our old streets.  So great to see it all coming up so beautifully.  Along past Riverlution and then stayed on this side of the road following it to Fitzgerald into into Poms for some imbibement and fries.

Kilmore St and then around the river through Victoria Sq, then along the strip, locking the bikes and checking out Kanoshi for some kai, then we headed for Electric Ave, meandering around the outside edge of it (another bridge involved) and checking out the vibe.  Certainly getting later now.  Continued across Hagley and around past the hospital, all on bikepaths, and then took the Antigua, Strickland, Colombo straight shot home.  Hard yakka up the hill for me.  I kept telling T to go ahead and get home, but she loyally stayed with me all the way.

 

A rather fun 44.87 kms, with 314 m climbed (220 of which were hard chuffed).

Saturday Planting South Shore, Nearshore to the Foreshore, for sure

A year or so since my last planting...

Drove in the frosty morning to Steve's and from there the two of us biked to the South Shore Planting. 

Stayed on the true-left of the river all the way there (except for McBratneys Rd to cut a long loop shorter).  Was good, kept a good pace with him on his Electric Moustache.  The trail continues through what were once houses now all the way along the estuary side.  A mint 12.8 kms. 

Dug lots of holes, Steve and me both, given neither of us can get down to plant.  Ate a few sossies and hit the trail back.  Crossed the river at Bridge St and took that side of the river all the way up til the Avondale Bridge.  A whole km longer than the way there, because we detoured around a squiggly bit before and near Andy's old 'hood.  A bit bumpier in bits, 13.8 kms.


Saturday night, T and I went to friends for dinner and one or five drinks.  Left H there (with Roddy), and got an Uber home.  So, Sunday afternoon, I biked across and picked up the car.  Quite a good zig-zaggy backstreet way - 7.8 kms.

Saturday Travis Planting Fatty

Left home on the fatty just after 10, and rode along the river - McBratneys - and through the red zone, then river again, and up Bassett, into Travis Wetland, over the bridge to arrive the same time as Steve. Luckily I'd brought my Gummies, as it was a total quagmire. Chucked them on, and then proceeded into the planting area.  Planted loads, with around 150 other people, then rode with Steve to the rangerbase and ate a couple sossies.  I took off straight after the speeches, down towards Anzac Bridge then followed river and red zone home. A good spin.
15 kms or so all up...

Random Redzone Ramblings

Jet and me were at a loose end and I was too tired to head for the hills, so jumped on the newly upgraded fatty (it's now a Ritchey Commando, - Charge Cooker Maxi 2 no longer!), and we wandered the redzone.  Mostly using gaps in the fences, but plenty of lift over, climb over, and wire stretch let-unders for jetty.  Explored my usual Horseshoe Lake trail, and had a look around the north side too.  Nice.  When in the large expanses of redzone, we just ride randomly, wandering from one patch of trees to the next.

Back towards home along Mundys and Archilles, then around the Banks Ave singletrack.  Rain was juuussstt starting to spit when we got home.  Good timing.

12 kms, and wow, 23 metres of altitude...

Red Zone Meanderings

Lazy start to the day, so txtd Steve that I wouldn't make the group ride.  Did some much needed maintenance on the Turner, getting a new BB bearing from Josh, and installing it, and cleaning all the Heaphy grit off everything and greasing the pulley wheels.  Next job it so squirt some grease through the pivots and get the wheels back on.

Jet, and me on the Cooker headed off around River Rd towards Banks Ave, then along Dallington Tce into the redzone and across to Glenarm and onto Locksley, following the gravel and tarseal track down river.  Met a couple other dogs along here, and we rode along below the stopbank towards New Brighton Rd.  Across here and into the Horseshoe Lake Walk.  Nice bit of singeltrack in here, but unfortunately it's a dead end.  I went as far as possible, and then some - really pushing the envelope on how far in.  It's SO overgrown in there, and the boardwalks are all higglety pigglety and slippery and have boggy swampwater all around them...  Bit of blackberry about too, and my arms and legs were rather itchy in the shower later.  Got to a dead end, and backtracked, then took a side trail off to what was the end of Liggins St, then up what was Jean Batten Pl.  Followed the edge of the reserve, in the redzone, all the way round to where Moncrief Pl used to be, and onto the track that ended at the end of a boardwalk.  Turned back and headed round to Broomfield, around north, through some plantings of ours from years back, up onto Horseshoe Lake Rd, and round back onto New Brighton Rd, and Ajax, down onto the Banks Ave singletrack which took me back to River Rd, and back along the stopbank, around the riverbank trail then through one last piece of redzone behind hours and home.  All up maybe just over an hour.  Only about 10kms...  But slow and interesting exploring.