Moonshadow

Queenstown to Mavora Lakes

55.3km

Up bright & early to get to Bikeaholic at its 8:30 opening time. Southern Laughter backpackers is different from the others we've used so far: earnest political conversation with an evident long term guest, and a messy kitchen. Also a group of young women heading out on the town as we returned with fish & chips around 9pm. Followed much later  by the repeated squeak-bang of the lounge door as they returned.

I start to dress to cycle to the bike shop, and Marg says she plans to wheel hers & why take both bikes? Because my 'just up the road' was by bike and her interpretation was on foot is why. So by the last 200m of our 1km walk things were getting a bit testy! The guy at Bikeaholic first asks if we have a booking, to which the obvious answer is no, this is an emergency. Marg wheels in her bike, he pushes the button to engage 'walk' mode and when nowt happens he declares it terminal. The bad news is that he'd need at least a week to get & replace the drive, the better news is that Shimano is generally really good on warranty claims even out of the stated period. I ask how difficult it is to change, he says for him about a half-hour but needs special tools, so plan B is a non-starter. Plan C, to hire another ebike and return from Bluff via QT, I'd already dismissed (apparently without discussion with Marg) as too difficult to negotiate and execute. Reassuringly when we explained plan A, his response was 'You'll be right', which was the same encouragement we got from the guy who helped us load onto the Earnslaw, and a staff member at Walter Peak. And indeed we were.

Catching the 11AM sailing meant a relaxed morning after the bike shop rush, and it was a very pleasant way to start the day's ride, much more characterful than a blast on a powerboat. At Walter Peak we strapped Marg's pannier on top of mine, she pushed her bike up the rise from the dock, and we were off. The ride to St Nicholas station was into a cold headwind, funneling up the lake, and a couple of steeper climbs set the pattern for the day: I ride up using power, Marg pushes until I walk back to her, I take over pushing until we reach my bike, and take a breather while she catches up. Another pattern is also set: it's generally dry and sunny, with occasional very light showers, no more than few drops reaching the ground for a few minutes. 

Turning more South up the valley toward Vonn Hill gives us shelter from the Westerly, even a bit of a tailwind most of the time. Except where a gully on the Western flank funnels the wind through, and it immediately turns right! The views of Wakatipu, the Alps in the far distance, the Vonn valley, are all stuuning and many photo stops are called, usually with Marg riding stoically on ahead, for me to catch up. She makes it to the bottom of Vonn Hill under pedal power. An ascent of 250m+ in about 2.5km is just not on... As Marg says, when she's pedalling at walking pace, it's easier to walk! So I ride up 2-300m, park, walk back, take over pushing, reach my bike, wait for Marg; lather, rinse, repeat. After the first couple of bike relays, I realise I should drop my backpack at my bike..  I also fixate on 300m intervals (I am an engineer, after all!). We're at the top within an hour, though the river flats it's opened onto undulate, the headwind is back with a vengeance, and there's a few climbs out of gullies that have us pushing again. Finally the valley opens out, the headwind eases, even moves behind, and we're on a gradual, 20kph+ pedalling descent through stunning scenery toward the Mavora Lakes road.

There's a double sting in the tail, with a couple of river crossings, one a ford, leading to pushing ascents. After one such we reach the Mavora Lakes shuttle pickup: they lie, it's still 2km to the Lakes turnoff, up another stiff climb. Partway up, another shower kicks in, more persistent this time. It occurs to me we could have 'camped' in the shuttle pickup shelter. The DOC campsite is a couple of km off the route, but at least the ride is under trees; there'll be one push on the way back to the main track. We arrive to cold wind on wet sleeves, and the down jackets we have on enforced loan are very welcome. It's 6:45 and chilly. But the rain stops in time to pitch the tent and set up camp. Dinner is cooked in the dry: soup, dehy curry for Marg & chicken carbonara for me. And a cup of tea & chocolate for dessert, in bed, at 8:30... The campsite is idyllic... During the night, with a near full moon joining the stars through a break in the cloud, I have quite the blackest, most distinct moon shadow I've ever seen.