Rain today but the road from Murchison up and over the Mariua Saddle is very scenic. Climbing up the saddle the road cuts through lovely beech forest. The rain turned to mist which added to the atmosphere. It was one of my favourite parts of the TA so far. Steve and I ended up riding with Steph and John R as well as Martin and Pete. From the saddle to Murchison the route is less appealing with a section on the main road.
Steve with some roadside horses.
Martin heading up to the Mariua Saddle.
Springs Junction has a bad reputation for food. I remember as a kid we stopped here and were charged for a glass of tap water despite it getting more than its fair share of rain. Some in the previous TA found the food to be expensive and inedible. However, the Kaikoura earthquake funneled all Picton to Christchurch traffic through here and I think this has impacted positively on the gastronomy. While we were having lunch the rain set in and so we took our time, happy to be warm and dry for now.
The road to Reefton is another favourite of mine. I enjoy sealed climbs like the one from the Junction up to Rahu Saddle, and again the road here is quiet and goes through verdant beech forest. Steve is usually a demon on the bike but he was having trouble digesting his large lunch which reportedly was sitting like a bowling ball in his stomach (maybe the Springs Junction food is still has room for improvement). But once at the top of the pass it's pretty much a descent all the way to Reefton.
I'm familiar with Reefton as my partner's dad was born here so I've visited it a few times. The best affordable accommodation is the Old Nurses Home and this is where Steve, Martin, Pete and I stayed. Sean and John C were also staying here. These two were originally on a quicker pace but had individually taken time out to recover from injury and illness. Also in town was Orange Roughy on his monster bike who had burned past me on the way to Nelson. He had blown some wheel bearings and had to wait days to get some new ones sent. I guess that's a risk when your bike uses parts from a moon buggy.
