45.25 miles, 4055’ climbing
Lodging: Queen Street Studios
Light rain
A coffee shop near the holiday park opened very early, so we got fresh coffee, scones and muffins for breakfast. The ride started with 12 miles on a road with almost no shoulder. We were warned by the guidebook, but it was still unnerving to have large trucks pulling trailers rattle past at full speed. After Pelorious Bridge, we turned off on a gravel road with relief, climbing thru some cattle farms and forest.
The start of the Maungatapu track, a nearly 5 mile climb, was steep. We had heard that it would be challenging, and fortunately the track was a more manageable grade for a couple miles. The last couple miles required a lot of walking and pushing. We took our checkpoint photos at the top, and headed down. Soon we met 2 local women on an overnight outing pushing their bikes up the other side. We commiserated on the steepness of the climb, and they breezily informed us that we had come up the easy side. As we descended, it was clear they spoke the truth. It was steeper and rockier as we descended to a reservoir and continued down good gravel.
We rounded a corner and found ourselves coming into Nelson past beautiful homes and parks. We got on a bike path and had an excellent path side lunch. A seagull screeched above us and a table top sign warned that gulls would snatch food.
An easy several miles led us to a nice hotel with an unassuming presence next to a good restaurant and a grocery store, everything we need.
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