I’m in Aotearoa on research leave, and Sarah’s here with me, and I’m reading, writing and riding bikes. Now we’ve settled into our flat in Dunedin and I’m at the University of Otago, I’m thinking back about the riding we’ve done so far
While in Dunedin we’re going to be riding on the Otago Peninsula. The Peninsula has twice been named one of the top ten rides in the world by Lonely Planet guide. Here’s the harbour loop ride which is made possible by a ferry to Port Chalmers. See Aotearoa’s newest scenic trail.
Being so far from home in these difficult political times has felt strange. But here we are working in the early morning and sometimes riding bikes in the afternoon. Of course we’re following the terrible news and talking lots about it. We’ve had New Zealanders express their sympathy for Trump’s aspirations to take over Canada. We even got hugs from Kevin in Hokitika. Thanks Kevin.
What We Did
West Coast Wilderness Trail
You can read about it here.
We rode about 55 km on the trail but would loved to come back and do the whole thing over 3 or 4 days.
We also did some great riding in the Wanaka and Queenstown area. We were helped by staying outside of town and biking into town in both cases.
What We Dream of Doing Next Time
Maybe the Around the Mountains Cycle Trail, 188 km. It would be another fun multi-day adventure.
Any Aotearoa residents reading? Do you have any favourite bike trails? I love the Otago rail trail but I’ve done that one before. It’s another one best done over three or four days.
