Pat, Georgia and I rode the Wakamarina track.
Our ride started in Canvastown and took us along the road to Havelock where we, quite sensibly, stopped for pies. In keeping with our wise decision making Pat and I bought extra pies for the road. Unfortunately this is where Pat’s wiseness ended and he devoured his after a few kilometres more of riding. I kept mine in my backpack for the inevitable energy dip later in the day.
We headed off up forestry roads to the beginning of the single track. It’s surrounded by native bush and is quite ridable in some parts, less ridable in others, and not at all ridable in a few sections. It was a mix of this to the saddle where we had short laze in the sun. Then came the first descent, again a mix of ridable and not so ridable. It was good fun, a nice single track through lush native bush.
Pat had a crash onto rocks and I got a puncture but aside from this we made it to the next climb. We had to carry our bikes in parts as we headed up the tramping-track trail. I found the following descent more difficult. There were plenty of black wet tree roots that had a tendency to whip the back tyre out. We stopped for my pie half way down which I was in need of.
Finally we followed a nice undulating single track out to the road. It was dusk by this time and we cycled back out to the main road in the dark. My legs were feeling good and I zoomed off ahead for some roadie mountain biking.
It was a very nice day mission. Annoyingly my camera gave up on me so I have no photos on the track. Luckily my go pro was more reliable.
Above: Mountain biking the Wakamarina Track on a sunny and clear winter’s day.