Distance travelled today: 69 km

Total TA distance covered: 2453 km

Biking and slack packing.

To get to Twizel from Tekapo would have taken two days to walk on roads and cycleways, so I made the obvious decision to hire a treadly and get to Twizel in half a day by riding this section of Te Araroa.

Wow! After walking for 3.5 months with a pack I had forgotten what cycle touring is like. The kilometres were chewed down, covering the distance of a typical 8 to 10 hour walking day in only a couple. I was loving it and really need to do more cycle touring.

Being a hire bike it wasn’t the best but I made do. I found the gravel roads a little tough on the hands as they got the shit shaken out them on corrugations which is tough without bike gloves, knicks and descent suspension. I would wear it though. Getting 2 days completed in less than half a day was great.

Once along side Lake Pukaki and onto the official Alps to Ocean cycleway things got a little better, especially the views out over the lake  and Mount Cook dominating the horizon.