Southern Adventuring 2022 Part 2

Southern Adventuring PART 2

Our transport from Te Anau to the next start point at Centre Hill Station was not due until 10am so allowed me to breakfast with Jeff and have a relaxed start before I was back in the saddle again on day 3 of our riding adventure.

This started with a downhill gravel road which required a bit of caution by us all as we rode off separately to begin our journey to the lunch stop at Mossburn. Generally good riding through summer pastureland gave us good views of stock and recent haymaking activities. A short break for morning tea beside a river had us regroup before the ride on for Mossburn.

Arriving for lunch gave two options for cafes and the team chose the Bracken Hall as it had a perfectly situated tree to sit under and share the ride experience of the morning while we all explored the menu for suitable eats.

A great spot for a building used in earlier years as a shop and post office. It is still a multi purpose shop with cafe and souvenirs along with summer clothing on display for purchase.

My team had already had their review of the shop and I got waylaid by a couple who were happy to chat as I left the shop. This is part of the fun of tiki touring in my eyes so I happily chatted to them about our days ride and their holidaying but caused myself a bit of a problem.

When I set off on my bike my other three companions had disappeared. Which way did they go? I set off to look for a cycle path sign and didn’t immediately find one so set off down a couple of side streets thinking the route would be on the old railway line into Mossburn.

This was not the case and a stop to review my map of the route suggested a simple fix to my problem. Follow the highway out of Mossburn to Lumsden.

Good riding followed at high speed on the bitumen highway in an effort to catch my cycle team who eventually stopped to wait for me. After we set off again I was not comfortable with the highway truck traffic passing by at high speed so resumed the cycle track along the edge of the highway even though it took the track under the electric powerlines so care was required as I approached each power pole situated in the middle of the cycle trail.

Our day ended with a riverside ride along the stop bank beside the Oreti River into Lumsden. Such a wonderful trip that had been on my list for quite a long time after flying into this area on two or three other occasions thinking of cycling this track when the opportunity came up.

Always interesting learning the early history of this area since it was well outside my knowledge, having grown up in the Auckland area of the north island. The early years of farming at Walter Peak Station, Mt Nicholas, Centre Hills coupled with the transport links of the railway builders who connected Lumsden, Mossburn and Kingston to these farms and many others along the way are a credit to the early settlers of New Zealand.

Reading some of this history as I cycled and walked around Lumsden after checking into my accomodation at the Lumsden Hotel certainly brought it all alive and the rusty locomotives on display in the park was a stark reminder of past links that have been replaced with the modern trucking and roading systems we were now cycling alongside on our Around the Mountains Trail.

A pleasant dinner at the hotel that evening had  us ready to set out early next day in the overcast conditions we were presented with, matching the forecast we had reviewed before turning in the previous the night.

We were happy to ride off in cooler, windless conditions knowing we had a large kilometre day planned as our last day on the track. The temperature was expected to rise towards midday when we would be tiring as we headed to Kingston, via Athol and Garston.

A short stop at Athol, at the closed Brown Trout Cafe where the owner was happy to provide us all a takeaway coffee, refreshed us for the onwards journey to the lunch stop at Garston.

Finding a suitable shade tree to relax under at Garston provided a welcome and recharging break on our journey to the final stop at Kingston and our lunch caravan there provided us and many other passers by with a fine selection of eats and drinks.

Our track restart from Garston did not inspire us for a relaxed final link, as it was a loose gravel road that we spent most of our time travelling on the grass verge of, to avoid a mishap on the loose gravel. It did however get us successfully to the Kingston pick up point on time for Mike to collect our bikes and team for the lakeside journey back to Queenstown.

Kingston of course is the old rail terminal at the south of Lake Wakatipu where the wharf for the steamer connection allowed the transfer of goods to continue the journey to Walter Peak, Mt Nicholas and the western end of the lake at Glenorchy, on the Earnslaw steamer.

It was an exciting end to a ride that had taken a long time to get to the top of the “list” where I had envisaged a steam train excursion on the Kingston Flyer to capture this area of Lake Whakatipu and not this one that got me there.

The Around the Mountains cycle track was an exhilarating outdoor adventure to share with my tramping/cycling annual Southern Adventurers  who made this the sixth Southern Adventure we have made to the southern regions of NZ.

Pip, unfortunately, didn’t travel so well and was ill on the drive back to Queenstown so didn’t join Lesley, Jill and me for our last fine evening shoreside dinner beside Lake Whakatipu where the magic continued after dinner. Our walk around the Queenstown foreshore encapsulated the street performers and the arrival of the Earnslaw steamer which curved around the bay in front of us to berth, bow first, at its overnight wharf ready for the start next day.

What a truely spectacular end to this adventure on a bike for us all.

Next day dawned perfectly for my dispatch from Queenstown to my next overnight stop in Kenepuru Sounds, at Hopewell Lodge. I had reviewed the longer range weather after arrival in Queenstown five days ago and saw the opportunity to fly home via my favourite South Island lodge was almost a certainty. Todays weather confirmed the stop over was possible so added to the excitement of flying out of Queenstown.

I looked very outdoorsy indeed as I dropped my gear out of the taxi at the Queenstown terminal and put on my high visibility vest and reloaded it all on my back and front. I then picked up my full 20 litre fuel can and bike helmet, with my gear stowed firmly with in it, and walked over to the security gate to dial up the security office for permission to enter.

What a great surprise I had approaching the gate and seeing my missing bike glove pushed into the fencing awaiting my return!

A quick photo by the security woman who allowed me through the gate captured this all on screen as a happy memory of my microlight flight into Queenstown in the Ultravia Pelican GS Club.

Mike had messaged me earlier asking me to confirm my arrival time into Nopera. I advised him by return message that I would let him know after I had refuelled in Rangiora en route to Nopera.

All jobs done, Pelican refuelled and repacked for the homeward journey it was call the tower controller for my exit clearance and start up for  the next mission to begin.

I was very happy with my entry and taxi instructions to the parking bay on arrival Queenstown and now the same guidance continued as I taxied to the main runway following a Cessna 185 who had done the same a few minutes before me and was now lined up on the runway waiting for an Air NZ A320 to exit onto the taxiway to the terminal.

After he was given his takeoff clearance I was lined up and departed to the east via the Bungee Bridge and onwards to Cromwell, turning northwards at Mt Michael.

The weather was perfect for microlight flying in smooth air and sunny conditions as I passed over Lake Dunstan (bike riding there too sometime) over the ridges to Omarama and onwards to Burkes Pass where I could see cloud ahead which would influence my onwards cruising level.

Always fond memories of previous visits to this area by car and Pelican so seeing Mount Cook as I passed abeam was good too.

Approaching Geraldine I realised I needed to descend under the cloud if I wanted to enjoy the views as I continued northwards to Rangiora where Chris was awaiting my arrival for the enroute refuel.

It got quite bumpy as I descended through 2500’ so I was then wishing I had stayed high and flown over the clouds but that takes the fun out of tiki touring.

I remained low and flew outside of controlled airspace but did inadvertently fly through the circuit at Forest Field as I travelled north. Conditions variable at Rangiora and allowed a right hand circuit onto runway 25 so I quickly pulled up outside the CRAC Clubhouse to be greeted by Chris and his fellow Savannah aircraft builder Graeme.

They immediately invited me into the club for a lunch of hot pies straight from their larder. We then sat and talked with other club members who had the same idea so caught up on the news and friendships from previous visits.

I would have liked to stop over a night but due to pressure mounting to be back in Whitianga on the Monday I could not delay on this trip.

Chris assured me he knew the cheapest fuel in the area so we drove off to the NPD station to top up my containers with an additional one of his to ensure the Pelican was refuelled for both Nopera and the continued flight north to reach my refuel spot at Turangi.

After the refuel was completed Chris and Graeme took me over to inspect their winter’s handiwork of a freshly completed Savannah parked beside the clubhouse. This six month project would have to be one of the fastest aircraft builds I have heard of and a credit to their mutual skill sets. Unfortunately Graeme, who owns the completed project, is no longer able to fly since his medical has been affected by his cancer diagnosis and treatment. He is very happy though for Chris to have completed the test flying program and able to take him flying in it.

This has to be one of the most active aerodromes I visit on my flights around New Zealand and I always use it as a fuel stop enroute north or south.

Nopera however was waiting for the Pelican to arrive so I bid the CRAC members farewell and sent my arrival time on to Mike at Hopewell so he knew when to collect me.

Airborne again from Rangiora, on runway 07 over the top of the recently weed sprayed grass. Chris had the local council agree to the reseeding of the runway with Chris’s patented bird proof grass so the weedspraying had been the preparation for this job.

I was northbound in a westerly wind above me so experienced a few bumps in the Molesworth Station area among the valleys of the inland and seaward Kaikoura ranges so took care when ridge crossing to avoid downdraught areas as best I could to stay high and safe.

This put me above cloud as I approached the Marlborough region but with the patchy conditions clearing as I neared my descent point I had a comfortable arrival into Nopera My radio calls had reported no traffic in the sounds  area I was traversing with my arrival taking me over the top of Te Mahia, directly to final approach and landing at Nopera, a one way uphill strip.

But wait. Are those cattle on the strip or alongside it against the fence of the adjoining paddock? No they are all resting halfway up the landing strip in a group of cud chewing beasts. Heck do I buzz them and hope they move to the south or will that scatter them in all directions? Waiting for the farmer to arrive and move them could mean a long circling delay. Looks as though I can just use the uphill shorter half of the strip safely if I cross over them at minimum speed and power with full flaps extended.

The last choice worked a treat and only a couple of cattle had moved when I looked back down the strip after turning into the parking bay and faced south again.

When Mike arrived he confirmed I should have phoned the farmer to ask if the strip was ok for landing. I had not done this as I thought it was always open for charter work over the summer months. Mike phoned the farmer and explained my situation and not long after the cattle were moved into the adjoining paddock so the Pelican would not be chewed up in my overnight tie down position.

This then allowed a dispatch back to Hopewell Lodge, a short 6 km further along the narrow and windy coastal road at the south end of the strip. Always plenty to talk about on these annual flights into Nopera as Mike is a Private Pilot who uses the Marlborough Aero Club Cessna 172 periodically while he avidly saves for his own Savannah microlight aeroplane.

Delightful Hopewell Lodge is always a pleasure  to arrive at each year and with near perfect weather for the following 12 hours allowed me a relaxed stay. Mike advised me to drop my bags at a room beside the path leading to the Lodge and said “Long black, isn’t it Wally?”

We were soon enjoying this with some tasty morsels after a quick hug by Lynley on arrival in the kitchen where a year’s catch-up talking took place around the kitchen table.

Lovely to meet up,  catch-up with lodge news, local news and Covid business effects since not only were international guest numbers affected but so was the workforce which often is accomplished by passing tourists.

It was noticeably quieter in the outdoor dining area where I normally interact with Mike & Lynley and their international guests.

Planning the next day suggested I would be able to travel to Te Mahia and back with Mike as he had a guest transfer to accomplish in his boat before dropping me off at the Nopera airstrip. This fitted well with the forecast weather so I took the opportunity to go boating the next day. Over the years I have been visiting here I have gradually ticked off all the adventures around the Lodge that makes this such a great place to visit.

Northwesterly winds were forecast to arrive during the morning so I knew the ride out of the sounds could get turbulent if I procrastinated with getting the Pelican loaded and ready to depart. My eye was on the windsock as we drove up to where the Pelican was parked and gusty winds were arriving but not with any strength. The cattle were off the strip so a quick goodbye to Mike and a warming up of the Pelican had me underway again till next year.

A few light bumps occurred after takeoff but they strengthened as I came up in the lee of Mt Stokes and Mt McMahon confirming my reason for not delaying my exit from Kenepuru Sounds.

Smoother air was now prevalent in the Cook Strait passage but clouds were restricting the climb so a little more bumpy air all the way to Wanganui kept me focused on the better conditions forecast for the inland segment to Turangi.

This was being indicated on the hourly meteorological reports I was reviewing as I flew north so approaching Wanganui the inland weather looked just right for Pelican flying on the homeward journey.

Alan had been kept up with the planned arrival time so was expecting me for lunch and refuelling in Turangi. It’s always a great spot to call in if the Turangi team are in town which isn’t always the case.

I brought in the crowd with the Pelican landing and Alan popped out of his hangar on my arrival, quickly followed by a couple from Hastings who flew in to lunch at the Hare and Copper cafe next door to the airstrip in LDL a Minicab, followed shortly after by an RV from up near Hamilton. Before leaving,  Erhard arrived back in his C172 so it was a jovial scene with Alan pulling his RV3 out of the hangar for a quick polish to go flying after I got airborne for Whitianga.

I love these catch-ups around the country as the Pelican has introduced me to so many people both flyers and non flyers alike.

The days flying was completed with the easy flight back to Whitianga via the direct route over the top of the Pinnacles before descending back directly onto final of the shorter grass runway 34.

The Southern Adventure for 2022 had been successfully completed with weather, outdoor friends, cycleways, sounds adventures, cafe stopovers and airstrips suggesting more next year.

So before putting the Pelican back into the Pelican Club House I emptied all my gear out for a photo record of how much fun gear this marvellous aircraft can take with me on these adventures as it certainly has been the best microlight I could have possibly purchased for this much fun packed adventure tiki touring.