Phat Paparoa Weekend In Non-Clemency

Great blast of the Pap in inclement conditions with Paul.  Druv to Moana on Friday night, grabbed a feed at the pub and then went and enjoyed the hospitality of Mary-Anne and Wazza.  A very pleasant evening ensued chatting over a couple of drinks.  

Up very early to make Blackball by 8am.  Loaded up, handing the keys to the driver of the shuttle, and shuttled up to Smoke-Ho ready to ride.  4 hikers and 2 other bikers departing with us.  Weather started out just cloudy, with the occasional glimmering of sunshine attempting to break through, but as we climbed the moisture consolidated into eventually a very light rain, only slightly more robust than a drizzle.  We stopped for quite a long break at the 'pub' site (2nd??) and then again to watch a kaka in the canopy in a couple of the switchbacks.  Paul walked a bit here or there, but I struggled onwards on the fatty, tire pressure possibly a little hard, but rolling really well.  We stopped at the Garden Gully turn off and our fellow riders arrived in short shrift - we didnt have the lead we'd thought we might've, and it turned out Paul knew one of them (another Richard).  Then the first walkers hove into view.  Paul and I got riding and the 'rain' got heavier, foliage dripping a lot.  Out of the trees, and into nothing but persisting mist, walking a bunch of the super annoying serious rocks.  The walkers were catching us!  Stopped to check out the old hut and the walkers walked by and we met them at the Ces mere metres above.  Most of the altitude done with, conditions not clement.

Munched some kai and I brewed a weak coffee.  The walkers went ahead, and then the other two bikers a little ahead of us.  More climbing begun, into the mist, and eventually caught the other bikers.  Riding riding, walking, riding, depending on the up or the rough of it.  I was amazed how fast we seemed to make the Barrytown turn off.  Then further along we caught the walkers about where I'd stopped when Hugo had the broken derailleur last time.  From there, there were some flowy downs and when I stopped Paul was no where to be seen.  I started riding back for a bit, and met the walkers, then him - his seatpost had decided to stop working! dropped, so he'd put it as high as it could be.  Not far then and we were on the last descent and the flowy fun blast around through the Dracophyllum truffula trees and then down to the hut, first ones in.  Grabbed the best bunks and got the fire going, and changed to dry and warm.  It was like not even 2 pm.  Fun!, Day One done.

Rain showers got heavier through the night, and what a lot of night there was - probably got 8 hours sleep of the 11 hours spent in the sack.  Only 7 in the hut, with the original 6 of us, plus a walking woman solo who'd come to Smoke-ho on a later shuttle.  All her compatriots had gone to Ces Clarke.  No one else had turned up.  In the morning, no luck on Paul's seatpost, so he rode it as is, lowering it slightly for the main descent later.  We left the hut after the two biker boys and the solo woman, but the couple waited for us to go ahead.  Didn't see them again.  Overtook the boys on the first descent, then the woman not long after.  Climb, descent, climb descend, climb and finally descend, down the escarpment, only imagining what was out there.  Brief stop at the shelter for a look and quick snack then on down, spectacular waterfalls and boulder fields, fun trails, wet to the skin.  Eventually we got to Pororari and had, some hot and some not, food.  The boys turned up maybe half an hour behind.  We all got ready to go about the same time and we got away first.  Best riding from here onwards, some lovely descending, flow and groove.  Hardly any climb.  Lovely.  Stopped at some point and the other Richard turned up, so, not that far behind.  We rolled on, bridges, and nearly done, then horrid final climb.  Ugh.  Then gloriously fun final descent and flowy flow, swoosh swoosh, weaving back and forth, then flat, and final bridge and out to the shelter and unoccupied Waikori carpark.  Paul had a very long 'rest stop' and the other two guys arrived just after he'd finished.  They rode on, we rode and eventually caught them on the rise over Punakaiki and I guided them down to where theirs and our cars were parked.  Phew, day Two, through.

Saturday Sunday Paparoa, again

Higgs and me headed over Friday night to Taylorville, staying at Brunnerton Lodge before heading up thru Blackball to Smoke-Ho carpark.  Only a week or so off 2 years since I's last here... Weather was clearing, indeed, clear down in the Grey valley, but seemed to be lingering on the hills ahead of us and around us, so as we set up at the carpark there was a rainbow and a light drizzle.  Got rolling and on the first rocky descent a stone got caught in my mudguard.  I thought the front roll bag had messed with my rear brake hose and that the brake was on, but once I straightened it up I realised it was a stone...  removed, and on we headed.  The grunt of the climb began and Hugo did really good, plodding away.  He didn't walk much.  Took us about 2hr45 to Ces Clarke.  A little slower than last time but pretty good considering our lack of training.  

After a feed, off we headed along the tops.  More climbing, the odd walk.  My dropper started to play up (again, I was blaming my front-roll) but then a minor tweak of the barrel adjuster and I was happy.  One basin after another we trudged around.  On some of the final descent I stopped to wait and Hugo didn't show, and I had images of his teeth through his lips for some reason... :( So I started heading back and he appeared around a corner carrying his bike.  Derailleur well and truly stuck fast in his spokes...  oh dear.  Realisation occurred at my lack of 'safety' gear - no first aid kit (whoops), no duct tape (yikes).  Undid derailleur, removed wheel, managed to wrench the derailleur clear and then found that, reattached, he still had gears! - just didnt want to risk 1st or 2nd, so 3rd was his go to.  

Final blast to Moonlight was a joy.

Day two dawned, and we were the last to leave the hut.  Tho the 3 girls were not far gone with Georgia's troubles, so we passed them and continued on.  Nice descent, then up and down (quite a bit of up) in the goblin forest, then out onto the tops, views I never saw last time due to the weather.  

Awesome. 

This section is so good down to Pororari Hut.  Magic.  Still quite a long slog from Pororari, especially for Hugo, but man it was still good.  

YMMV, but Day One and Day Two on the MMR announces 17.7 kms and 34 kms respectively.  with 1124 m and 821 m climbed on each.  Them's some big climbings.

Saturday Sunday Paparoa

Awesome adventure.  A tale of two extremes, almost.  

Day one, drove around to Blackball in two cars, brief stop for a coffee, then headed up the gravel road to the start of the Croesus.  Deb and Emily had graciously accompanied us and took the cars back to Punakaiki.  

There were 5 of us - pretty much riding in the following order for the duration - me, Nelson, Brandon, Pete, Alistair - started off up the track.  After a very short climb, the super fun, iron-out-any-adjustments-needed-in-your-luggage-attachments descent to start with.  A few minor tightenings made, we set off over the bridges and into the (very) slow and steady climb.  The trail has been improved a bit from the last (and only) time we (Pete and me) did it (annual trip, 2011).  The gnarly baby-head rock gardens aren't as in-evidence as they were that first time.  100% rideable.  At one point, we were stopped for a breather and Brandon was stretching, when he suddenly shouted in pain and collapsed, tumbling down off the track, almost over the edge.  His knee-cap had dislocated!  Popped straight back in, but he was sore from then on.  Continued the climb, meeting a lone girl riding, not long later a lone guy riding, then further up a couple of women walking.  Could tell there were riders ahead, by the damp tire-track marks leading out of creek crossings.  Ending up taking a couple of hours up to the the Ces Clark Hut.  We found 4 other riders here who were just about to leave when we arrived.  I recognised one of them from somewhere and we couldn't work out where.  A nice family were in residence at the hut.  We snacked and topped up water and stretched and then got moving again.  

Alpine tops, spectacular views out to all the mountains, Grey River valley, Lake Brunner.  Further along, views to the south, Hokitika mouth, 12 Apostles, Barrytown.  Ridge riding, sidling, climbing, blasty descents - fantastic, circumnavigating the outer rim of the Croesus catchment, then around the top of the Moonlight catchment.  The final descent to the hut was pumpy, swoopy, blasty and so much fun - with Nelson in the lead.  Arrived after around 5 hours of riding.  Roughly 20 kms, and apparently 1600 m of climbing (I'd thought it was only about 1200 but Trailforks tells me total climb is 2400 and we did 800 on the second day, so...) - also, MMR fucked up on the sync because no data reception, and so I dont have the altitudes vertical or horizontal.

At the hut we had a good evening.  The rider I knew but couldn't place worked out how we knew each other (Little Ak).  Ranger told us the weather was about to get extreme and they might even consider closing the track if the winds got to the forecast 125 kph gusts - this would prove dangerous on the exposed tops of the escarpment (which we could see out there).  

Found out later that a group of bikers who were meant to be staying at this hut had already ridden ahead to the next hut apparently...  We figured we'd just suck it and see.

Next morning, this was the same view as above...

The other bikers and a walking couple got going quite early hoping to beat the worst of the wind, we took a little longer.  And thankfully the ranger had an updated situation report and it was not going to gust as highly as the previous night's forecast had predicted.  Hut was in total cloud, wind was galing, rain was falling - horizontally or up-slope.  Fun.  Got ready and hit the trail.  (Sign here says Pororari Hut 4-5 hrs by bike - we'd see about that!).  

Battled our way around the alpine, same order as before, little climbing little descending eventually to some scrobble forest, slightly more sheltered.  up and down, mostly up for a long while, then some down, followed by some up, and down.  The escarpment we only knew we were on by the grey void out to the left.  Pretty spectacular.  Wind was proving fine, blowing a bit but nothing scary.  Drenched to the skin since about 5 minutes in, tho my new jacket was proving rather good, and coupled with the GE leggings was keeping me plenty warm.  Incredible trail, the surface was grippy as anything, and we had soooo much fun riding.  Met the walkers before the emergency shelter, then trail dropped over the edge and zigged and zagged down near cliff steep hill, passing under a spectacular waterfall (or five), and over rugged creeks with car sized boulders.  Bombing and bombing now, occasional regroups, and then Hut 1km sign and a climb, grunty bastard climb, up to the Pororari Hut.  (2.5 hours to get here).  Heated some water, stood dripping around the fire, got quite cold.  Coffee, soup, snacks, then re-don the wet jackets, gloves helmets, and off again.

Descent!  Super decent.  Blasting, weaving, flowing, down down down, so much fun.  A couple of regroups, Nelson in the lead from the hut, Brandon on my tail, we had a hoot!  Eventually down on some flatter bits, following a river (Pororari I think), a couple climbs, not much, lots of descent, some heavy showers, but warmer down here, crossing a big river a couple of times(?) then the final sting in the tail, a bastard 10-15 minute climb with a couple of the steepest pieces on the whole route.  Ugh, not what you want.  But from the top of this, super fun descent, railed it!  Then out the valley over the river, down the gravel road and around up over the pancakes down to the house.

This leg just over 4 hours total (but actually only 2 hrs 49 moving), 34 kms, with 787 m ascended (therefore around 1800 descended).  

Saturday to Monday on the Old Ghost Road

So...  Nelson and me drove up to Reefton on Friday night, staying in a cabin at the campground.  Headed off Saturday morning and rolled into Westport around 9 where we got breakfast at the PortSide (which was really good), and waited for Ken and Ross to turn up.  They were driving from Murchison and had gotten in there from the ferry really late, so had a late start.  They arrived quarter to eleven or so and ate, so we were off to a pretty late start.  Up to Seddonville to drop off Ken's truck, all piled into the Stagea and scraped the muffler along the gravel exit back to the sealed road.  Eventually got round to Lyell, and it was raining.

Doesn't look that wet, but here's the likely lads, clean before departure.

Hit the trail just after 3 and Nelson set a bloody stupid pace, which had us all huffing and chuffing, so I complained and got in front, and proceeded to set a pretty similar pace, concerned that I was holding them all up...  so, Ken got in front and slowed us riiiiight down, to granny + 1 kinda speed, and it was good.  Breathing eased, and we made slow but steady progress, with scope for more in the future.  Pretty wet, but not so bad, trail was firmer (more gravel applied) than I remembered from the previous time climbing this bit... The slips (about 10kms) were where we'd gotten to last time, and were a lot more rideable than they'd looked then.  Met a couple of guys riding down, not too much gear, who asked where we were staying, and when we told them, said, cryptically, "you're in for a treat."  My thoughts were, hut full of hot grrrls or hut full of drunken d!cks...  Kept the smooth pace from here up til about the 14km mark when it sort of leveled out and Ken picked up the pace til we were rocking along and those km markers just flew by.  All of a sudden, there's the sign for the hut!  Pushed up the little grunt to this and got settled in for the evening, rain steadily coming and going, not very much view to be had.  2 hours 40 mins from starting.

Our sleepout (the deep dark back one (Zala) was good, but noisy with the big drips slamming down from the trees above.  There were a young couple camping next to us, 2 older riders in the Gibbs hut, and the aforementioned 'treat'?  11 older (60's/70's) women walkers in the main hut, plus Rob the guy building steps for the toilets (sleeping in one of the dunnies cos there were no free beds!).

Next morning took our time cos it looked like it was clearing, but then it kept raining, getting away about 10.15, or was that 11.15?  Anyway, the couple on bikes had left about 40 minutes before us and we caught them after about 15, so they must have been going pretty slow.  They were struggling with the 'technicality' of the terrain, and they weren't used to riding full suss bikes (on rentals).  Anyway, we trundled on and overtook the odd one or two of the walking old ladies too.  Met 4 other riders coming the other way around when we hit the open country.  And the going got more interesting, and more downwards through the top section.  Lots of exposure, lots of wetness, cloud and howling wind.  I recall some rapid sections, ragged edge corners, and a LOT of water pouring out of moss or in creekbeds.  Overtook 3 of the walking ladies in here, with very little view to be had. On the descent through the bush before the hut we passed one of the Ghost Road Gurus, 'Stacky', walking the other way.  On down to the hut and we found a couple of touring bikes parked here.  Made some lunch, got warm, even saw some sunshine, before rain returned and backed off a bit too. The frenchies with the touring bikes set off ahead of us and we watched them walk them up the steep bit after the lake.

Re-donned wet clothes and got riding again.  Technical terrain starts immediately after the funky boardwalk through the little bit of forest before the lake, then steep climb briefly and over to the steep corners descents.  Good blast down these, me dabbing an inside foot on most of them, not quite game to let my weighted bike get the better of me.  This is us on the way down, somewhere, below Old Ghost Hut.

Somehow I got out in front, the boys were faffing with Ken's bag on his rack, and had the twisty techy rooty rocky descent through the scrobbleforest to myself.  This was the most techy and fun part of the whole trail so far.  I waited for the others on the chopperpad (the Anvil) and they rolled in.  It was here we spotted the cliff below the corners.  wow!  Then Ken led the way down to the start of the climb for Skyline.  I dropped back a bit and tail-end-Charlie'd it on the climb, getting a bit knackered, and struggling, but nearly cleaned it all.  Nelson fell on his elbow ahead of me, and was in a lot of pain from there on down.  We caught the others and blazed on down the Skyline Ridge to the top of the steps, loving the twists and turns and the view was starting to improve too, with bits of sunshine gaining traction on the hills beyond. Various techniques down the steps - i did a little on it's back wheel, some carrying, but mostly just walking it beside me, it held back quite well on the brakes.  Sore arms by the time we got to the bottom, where we found the frenchies on the touring bikes.

Best flow section award goes to this next section.  From the bottom of the steps to Stern hut was fantastic.  So much fun, swooping back and forth, amazing landscapes, from slips to big scarpy crazy lifted sedimentary mixed rock to mossy goblin forest to tall beech and roaring creekside flow.  Wonderful.  Arrived at the hut and the sun came out so we hung stuff out to dry.  It rained again, but it was no bother, we then started using the hut heat for drying.  Another totally full hut, with older walkers again, and the frenchies (young guy who'd ridden overland to NZ from France... and his mate).  From Lyell, to Lyell Saddle Hut, then on to Stern Hut, 39.7 kms, 1972 m of climbing, and somewhere just over 4 hours 30 mins riding (it failed to autopause, which is why I stupidly paused it at Stern, assuming it would restart the next day.  But then  neglected to 'Resume' it the next morning, thinking it would just pick it up our moving... which i think is what it did, but not the gps bit...  the 7 hours total on it must be the whole shabang).

Next day, woke up after terrible sleep, and it was fine weather, tho low cloud that proceeded to burn off a bit as we rode.  8.30 start, cos the two Wellington boys had to make the ferry that night.  So, off out, steady but easy pace, passing the walkers, and climbing up the Boneyard I was gasping (from the lack of sleep), but once above this was good going.  We met a goat.  Young black billy, he was cute, but weren't really sure what his intentions were and he wouldn't let us pass.  Then the other 3 got past and he bailed me for a minute, putting them out of reach.  I chased but barely ever saw Ross's red arms.  We hauled arse all the way.  Stopped for sugar when we made the Mokihinui.  A chopper was flying over with a bundle of timber underneath when we crossed the big swingbridge, and we heard it several more times later.  Long section down the river, a few ups and downs, and then the Forks Hut, and into the gorge, spectacular country all around.  Specimen Hut we stopped for snacks and helmets off, then I set off ahead on my own, Ross not far behind, and we proceeded to clean up many kms down the gorge.  Met a couple of workers on motorbikes coming up the gorge, tight passing them, flowy descents and grunty climbs.  Finally, maybe 6 kms from the end we stopped for a rest the top of a rise with a nice view and within a few minutes the other two boys turned up.  Not far now, we blasted on me getting more lagged and slow, til the out the gate and along the 4wd section, I could barely climb that last climb before the turn onto the last km of singletrack...  But, in here I caught Ken up, he was starting to lag too.  Ross Strava'd this day's ride - it was 42.1kms, over 720m climbing and we did it in 3 hrs 45 mins (3.03 hours riding time).

And we rolled out to the car and celebrated with a cold swim in the river.  Great for the legs. Then, into the car, googling to see how much time they had to make the ferry, allowing us to have lunch in Westport, then up to Lyell to split the gear and go our separate ways.  Nelson and me made it back to Amberly about 6.15pm, where I had the Fiat waiting, and was home around 7.  perfect.


My tallies then.  2700m of climb, 83 or so kms, all done in around 7 and a half hours total of riding.

The Heaphy, Friday 15th to Monday 18th May

What a TRIP.  Couldn't have gotten better weather, given the time of year - and we missed the shit weather by a day.  So mint.

Thursday night, left work at 3.  Nelson showed at my place and we loaded my gear into his car, departing 4ish, and I took the Fiat north a bit (going back from just past the Palms for my water bladder - putting me nearly 20mins behind Nelson), parking in Geisha Rd just this side of the Ashley River, so's Nelson wouldn't have to come all the way back into town to drop me off. Drove north and got into Karamea just after 9pm, stayed at Rongo's Backpackers on recommendation of Wazza (who's truck was parked there while he was northwards on the track (in the rain)).

Pissed down overnight, but dawned fine with slightly higher cloud.  3 other bikers from chch eating breakfast with us, were flying to Brown's Hut and would meet us at Mackay.  We headed north and then Nelson started faffing - taking about an hour to get his Thule freeloader rack set up and both ready we set off about 10.

Kohaihai to Mackay
Trail a very well built chip, the odd wet spot, and native bush all around.  Across the first of many big wide easy swingbridges then through jungle and onto the climb.  Met a few riders early on, then after the saddle over to Scott's Beach we met someone who knew Wazza and then eventually Wazza himself, on his first dry day, riding out from Heaphy Hut.

Got rolling and along the coast.  Heaphy hut in an hour and half or so, washed sand off bikes, re-lubed chains, chatted to DOC worker guy, then 12ish off up the Heaphy River a few ups and downs but mostly flat.  One 'narrow' oldskool cable bridge to cross. Then flat bits and one up and steep down then flat and Gunnar River crossing on big swing bridge, then massive massive rata tree just off the track,

(bike set ups visible here, my Ground Effect El Taco bag (with sleeping bag) on the handlebars, and Twin Needle fluoro orange bumbag on the seatpost, Nelson's sleeping bag on front, a few clothes on back)
After the tree, more flat and massive Heaphy swing bridge and a minute later the Lewis Hut.  Stopped here and put a kettle on for the first of many dehy meals.  Motorbikes turned up with DOC guys on them, one of whom came in and chatted to us.  They'd just had the wettest week of work working in muck up on the track.  Got rolling again at 2 and hit the climb.  Steady as she goes.  Long and slow, lower back getting more and more sore from the weighty backpack, but managing somehow.  About half way up, one mudhole nearly sent me over the bars when my front wheel disappeared into what I thought was just a shallow dip, and it was so gloopy we actually got the squirty bottle out and cleaned it all off.  Another 45 or hour and we finally made the James Mackay hut 4ish.  A couple of trampers in residence already, and then umpteen more bikers and hikers turned up.  Later I think I counted 14 bikes parked out front (all going the opposite direction to us).

Tales told and night slept.  Kiwi heard during a trip to the toilet in the night.

Mackay to Perry
Saturday dawned sunny and clear, quite cool.  Amazing views all around, stunning landscape.  Hit the trail 9ish and were welcomed with minimal climb then nice descending through wicked landscape of subalpine and stunted forest and open bits...  Climb for a bit then quite a descent, running into Hut Warden Steve, then more descent and boardwalks and boardwalks then maybe a gentle climb to Saxon hut for a snack, meeting more bikers coming the other way here.  Got rolling again, bit of climbing then quite a long descent down into the Gouland Downs, talked to an american girl riding on her own after watching her get her feet wet crossing the Big River, so for us it was on the cable bridge to keep our feet dry, and master our cable bridge techniques - Nelson's sit seat in pack waist-strap, hold top tube with one hand, cable on side with other - me (here in action), wheelie, bouncing over the bracey things...

 Spotted a falcon here, chasing smaller birds, one of which disappeared as he passed through them...  Onwards short climb into the scrobbleforest, short limestone karsty bit all in mossy forest, very cool, then openlands and the Gouland Hut.  Moar snacks.  Down to the Cave Brook and then climbing up big lonnnng ziiggs and zaggs on open red tussocky low scrubby rocklands, past the boot pole, and on up then back into bush, rocky trail climbing, couple rode past, and then my knee incident.  Following Nelson, possibly a downhill?, and his little tool bag fell off so I holla'd and stopped to pick it up.  Caught him up and as we got moving again, a strap on my pack caught my seat and unbalanced me, making me tumble to the left, nothing but my knee stopping my fall with a very large rock.  Smack.  Ouch.  Thought what a terrible place to be broken, but rode on and it was sore but manageable.  Another 20 mins or so, and 12.30 we were at the Perry Saddle Hut.

Bunch of bikers through, we ate lunch, claimed our bunks, left gear, got set up with minimal and hit the trail for Brown's Hut.

Perry towards Browns and back
Kinda rough hard track, quad-bikeable, indeed evidence of days prior quads visible.  Slight climb from hut then highest point of the track at 915m and the down began.  Back and forth in and out of valleys, patches of windthrow allowing views to the valley below, and a few kms down the Aorere Shelter.  Met a three, then a Paul on his Pugsley, then the four women, all three groups of which we would get to know over the rest of the trip sharing spaces with them for the next couple days.  All were surprised at our choice of riding down and back up.  Rode and rode and rode and slowly the valley below got closer to us.  Finally at a bench  not long after the Shakespeare Flat turn off, we thought "just another 10 mins or so", and continued on down to pretty much the last big corner, maybe a km from Browns Hut.  Nice view over the Aorere Valley, with still a bit of altitude we didn't want to have to claw back.  I took off on my way back up, as I was by this stage tired and running on not enough food.  At one of the big scoured out creeks, Nelson had spotted a Chamois up above, which scarpered into the bush above.  A km or so later there it was on the track, and from here on up, past the Aorere Shelter, we encountered it regularly, - round a corner, he'd see us, pronk away around the next bend, and then we'd round that and he'd pronk away.  Graceful and fast and effortlessly.  According to my mapping done at work, this is the northern most Chamois seen in NZ.  He disappeared at the highest point and we rounded the corner and had a fun rocky descent to the hut.  56kms done and dusted for the day.

Perry to Heaphy
Sunday, relaxing start to the day and got going 9ish i think.  Another beautiful sunny day, tho cool.  Clambery rocky climb to start then rock garden start to a long lot of descending, through forest, then eventually out into the open with views galore across the Downs.  Caught up to Pugsley Paul out here. (note a change in my set up, with sleeping bag in backpack, and minimal stuff in the El Taco, which now sits on top of stem)

Met a few riders on their way back through.  Stopped to look for whio on Cave Brook, no dice, and then we were at Gouland Hut, with a couple of the previous night's trampers stopped there too.  Snackage then on into the scrobble forest and out onto the flat, Shiner Creek, no whio, across the ford, and then Big River, over the bridge, and climbing for a bit before descending with a few creek crossings.  I'd lost sight of Nelson along here, and then one of the ladies came into view.  Just about on her when I blazed through a creek crossing and lost my chain.  When I put it back on I could hear the air leaving my tire, and as I'd not long passed the Hut 1km sign, figured I'd walk.  Took a while and finally made the hut, Saxon, patched, and ate, and chatted.  Paul riding through while we were there.  Then we were off again, passing Paul on a bridge, and at one stop further on I could hear a quiet hisssssss from my rear tire.  Wasn't going down fast so just kept riding and stopped about 5 times to put air in it before Mackay.  On the way up the flanks of Mt Teddy ran into the group of three and Hut Warden Steve and someone else.  Finished this climb off and then swoopy fun descending began, for ages down down, one or two ups but mostly down and all the while scudding fog rushing by, my beard picking up moisture galore.  Closer to Mackay hut and it got colder. Finally, in full on cloud rushing through, lunch at Mackay, change of tube, and warming up.  While here most of the others all rolled in at various times behind us.  Also, while here Paul must have snuck past without stopping.

Ready to go, descending time...  What a trip.  Best part of the whole ride.  Flow, and berms, and a little tech, and speed and caution and bliss.  Paul's Surly Nate tires had left a nice phat tread in muddy sections ahead of us.  Descended for aages.  Total descent took maybe 40 minutes, maybe longer?  All the way thinking, when is it going to end?  But the views through the trees of the river miles below ever telling us, much longer.  Eventually, Lewis Hut came into view, and we pulled up here to find Paul.  Chatted, snacked and then got going again following him a over the big Heaphy River bridge.  Then it was Speeder Bikes zooming through the forest.  Nelson and me kept a really good pace from here on to the Heaphy Hut.  Blazing.  Any ups slowed me right down but the flats and downs I kept a high cadence and we just blasted along.  No time flat and we were at the hut.  Both had a wash in the river, and cleaned off bikes, and set up shop and chilled out.  One by one the various riders and walkers dribbed and drabbed in, up to a few hours behind us, and a pleasant evening was had.

Heaphy to Kohaihai
Final day, early start on account of wanting to beat the high tide at Crayfish Point.  Left about 8, and got into the groove again, blazing along.  Weather starting to change, tho still a bit of sunshine around, we got our only rain along here too.  Caught Paul maybe 20minutes in (as he was taking this shot!), and rode on.  Got across the beach no problem, tide still low enough, and still sign of yesterday's footprints and tire tracks in the sand.  Snacked half way up the climb from this beach and was here we donned jackets for the rain.  Scotts Beach finally, and the last climb (where we met Wazza on Friday), to the top, and descending again, around throught bush and across the big bridge,tide high, 9.45 we eventually rolled into Kohaihai.

Brilliant 3.5 days had.  Changed, dried, packed, chatted with Paul, who had realised he'd left his phone behind at the Heaphy so was changing his plans and going back through.

Hit the road, saw the american girl from Big River in Karamea and did some much needed bike maintenance for her, real food, then driving to Westport, more real food, and Christchurch bound.  Home just after 6pm Monday night, just in time for dinner.  Yum.