Updates From the Road - The Amtutz Family

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Dec 5 - Wanaka...

We're "eddied-out" here in this fun lakeside resort town, taking a couple of days off the bikes to rest various sore parts... Paul's knee is maintaining, Karen's sore achilles is doing well, and the weather is... well... rainy! We went for a little day ride, in hopes of seeing those "spectacular mountain views," but the rain and clouds were too thick today. Our ride included some "metal" (gravel) sections, and so we completely covered the kids trailer with mud spray! After that adventure, we retreated back into town for pots of hot tea and veggie soup. Eliza also headed off to the salon for her first haircut! She said, "mommy can you hold my hand, just because actually I think I'm a little bit nervous for my first time in a cutting hair store."

In the past couple of weeks we've covered a lot of ground, cycling 12 straight days without a layover. Leaving the Kaikoura coast, we undulated through a day or 2 of beautiful hill country and then encountered the incredibly flat Canterbury Plains. We rolled though Christchurch, with much of the day spent emailing, visiting the lovely cathedral, being interviewed by "The Press" as well as getting an emergency rebuild of Paul's front bearings. What a great cycler's city! It was so easy to get around with all of the bike lanes, clearly signed bike routes, courteous drivers, other bike commuters, etc... We got a lot of friendly honks and waves from passing motorists, and were even "pulled-over" twice by locals who wanted to chat about our trailers and our trip.

South of Christchurch the terrain remains flat... long country roads, sheep and cattle, fields of grain, nice small towns with good bakeries and tearooms, and a few days of welcome clear weather! Well, not really clear and sunny, but no rain fell for 3 or 4 days in a row. We rejoiced each morning that we were able to pack the tent up dry! The most exciting bits were the long narrow bridges over several really wide rivers. The Rakaia bridge was over 1.5 kms long... without any shoulders or pullouts!

We also met up with a family traveling north in a huge converted school bus. Two of their six (or was it 7?) daughters are running the entire length of NZ, in the reverse direction of our trip! The whole family is along in the bus as support crew for several months. GO Angie and Becks!!! We are more than 80% done with our ride, but they are just beginning their journey... We were so impressed with their efforts, and also very thankful for the simple functional machines that we are pedalling.

All that flat riding is what (we think) started Paul's knee problems. We picked up some creams and a knee brace in Ashburton, but what really helped was an end to the monotonous plains. Bring on the hills! So we climbed off the plains, and up towards the Southern Alps... through neat and tidy Geraldine (with it's many sequoias in the town park) where we got a new set of tires for the kid's trailer (we'd worn them down to the inner fibers!) Then up and down to Fairlie (with an excellent Thai restaurant), and up over the pass towards Lake Tekapo. Suddenly we rounded a bend and found ourselves riding through a thick corridor of multi-colored lupines, with snowy peaks visible off in the distance! Yahoooo what a gorgeous day!

Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki are stunning turqouise reservoirs, part of the South Island's hydro-power network, and are flanked by an impressive array of high peaks. Dominating this range is Mt. Cook, the highest mountain in NZ. It Maori name is Aoraki, which apparently means "cloud-piercer." Unfortunately, as we passed Lake Pukaki the clouds and rain had returned, and no piercing was done that day... I can surely tell you!

So we rolled on south, constantly blessed with carpets of fragrant lupines along the road... We had a wonderful roadside visit with the Dunston Downs sheep-shearing gang, sharing tea and stories with them, and the girls loving the close contact with so many animals. Paul even got in a bit of shearing practice... A bit of wonderful sunshine helped us get over 1000m Lindis Pass, and we arrived here in Wanaka two days ago... Tomorrow, with our knees and tendons well-rested, we'll head up over the spectacular Cardrona Road and Crown Range to Queenstown. It should be the highest and most challenging section of the trip, and we're hoping for a bit of clear weather to enjoy the views.

It's hard to believe, but we've already ridden 1,800 kilometers since Cape Reinga! Knowing we have just 300 or 400 more to go is both exciting and a bit depressing... We are loving each day of this journey, appreciating all the time together as a family, and are trying to savour each moment as we near the conclusion. Onward we ride!

Dec 14 - Riverton

Dec 17, 2001 - BLUFF!!! The "Land's End" of southern New Zealand