Bikepacking Nelson - Heaphy - Old Ghost Road - Nelson

When the humdrum of  working 9 to 5 gets you down, what do you do?? The answer is easy, plan a bike packing route, book a flight and go ride your bike. We are so lucky here in NZ. It is so easy to find AMAZING places to ride all over the country. The Heaphy track has been on the bucket list for a while now so when a friend suggested meeting there for her 40th birthday we jumped at the chance.

Nelson to Kaiteriteri Day 1 (77 km)

We flew into Nelson and were lucky enough to get a ride from the airport to a friend's place where we could leave our bikes boxes for the duration of the trip (thanks Kim and Sakkie Meyer). We quickly unpacked, loaded up the bikes and headed out of Nelson on the amazing Great Taste trail. What a pleasure it was to be able to ride on a cycleway with no vehicles to contend with. Our plan was to follow the Great Taste trail which would take us to Rabbit Island and on a ferry to Mapua. On arriving at Rabbit Island however, we were disappointed to find a sign saying that the ferry wasn't running until the weekend. We reluctantly backtracked and followed the main road through to Mapua where we had a coffee and the most amazing pie ever! After Mapua we rejoined the Great taste trail and followed it all the way to Kaiteriteri via some pretty cool cycleways and mountain bike trails. We  to be on the coast - What a beautiful spot Kaiteriteri is we could have stayed there for a few days.

Day 2 Kaiteriteri to Collingwood
What a great feeling knowing that for the next 6 days we could wake up in the morning and do nothing but ride our bicycles and drink coffee of course ! We were on the road just on daylight excited about the day that lay ahead of us. Our first mission was to climb Takaka Hill. It wasn't half as steep or as bad as we expected and before we knew it we were at the top searching for the Woolshed cafe which had been at the forefront of our minds all morning. Unbelievably it too was closed until the weekend, what a let down.

We felt like little kids wanting to have tantrums due to the disappointment we felt. Feeling cold and despondent we set off down the gravel road to Harwoods hole and the Rameka trails.
 It was absolutely freezing and at one point along the road we had to put on almost every layer we owned. Brrr it was bone-chilling cold. The walk into Harwoods hole was a godsend as it was the only way we could warm up. What a spot, what a cave. After Harwoods hole we left the road and headed down the Rameka track. www.trailforks.com/trails/the-rameka/. It was great to be on single track and getting the chance to test our recently acquired hard tail  AIR Niner bikes.

They were loving the mix of terrain and performed as well on off-road as they did on road even with a full bike packing load.We arrived at the end of the Rameka track with massive smiles on our faces.They got even bigger after we did some of the Rameka project tracks.

Our favorite was Great Expectations.
These trails are a must do if you are in the area. We dropped down into Takaka then shot off the road to visit the Pupu Springs before heading to Collingwood for the night. It felt nice to have time to take in the detours and alternate routes on the way.

Day 3 Collingwood to James Mackay Hut
We were extremely excited to get on the road and hit the Heaphy track as this had been a bucket list item for Emma for quite some time. As we were riding along signs started to appear on the roadside every few kms  cosy cafe ...coffee... cakes. As we had been burned the day before getting our hopes up, we did our best to keep expectations low but given it now was the weekend we secretly thought we might be in with a chance. Wow not only was the coffee shop open but the coffee and scones were to die for. We sat for a while trying to soak up the warmth of the early morning sun sipping our coffee and feeling pretty happy with ourselves. With coffee in our veins we continue on our way very much in our happy place to the start of the Heaphy trail. Talk about awesome wow wow wow. How cool is it that we are able to take bikes on trails like this. Whoever lobbied government to allow this to happen deserves a medal. The trail was well graded, and a pleasure to ride. It was awesome to see all sorts of groups out on the trail. It was more awesome to come across a group of plump looking extremely colourful Takahe going about their business. What a treat. Our goal for the night was to get to James Mackay hut. Usually we would blast a trail like this in one day but thanks to the birthday celebrations we had booked a night in the hut.  Unfortunately, the birthday girl didn't make it that night but five others did. We had an awesome night chatting with new friends and listening to Kiwi who sounded like they were all around us.

Day 4
James Macaky to Karamea

Today was another shortish day but with the cold weather and rain threatening we didn't mind. The second half the Heaphy was mainly downhill and a whole lot of fun. What a cool feeling it was, riding out to the coast knowing you had just crossed the top of the South Island.
Lucky for us the weather held off until we got settled in to the Last Resort. What a great place to stay we had another lovely evening chatting to our new friends and sharing stories of the day's ride.

Day 5
Karamea to Stern Hut
It doesn't get a lot better than leaving one awesome trail and riding to start another awesome trail. It didn't take much to get us out of bed and onto the road to Seddonville. The road to Seddonville was pretty quiet with not much traffic, it was nice to have a bit of sealed road and get some kilometers under the tyres. We had no idea how far we were going to get today but were hopeful of making it all the way to Stern Hut on the Old Ghost Road. We stopped off for a coffee at the Seddonville hotel and found out a lot about the history of the area and that someone who has lived 30 years in the area is still a newcomer and not a true local.


We had done the Old Ghost Road before in the other direction but the trail still managed to surprise and delight and blow our minds. Something about the trail makes you feel extremely privileged to be there. It is a truly special place and the sort of place all Kiwis should visit to understand what an amazing country we live in. We stopped of at the first hut on the way in to get out of the cold and boil up some hot soup what a spot. Even if you just do an out and back on this trail it is well worth it. The track just got better and better and we arrived at Stern Hut buzzing from our day's ride. It does not get much better than that and thankfully we had more of it ahead of us the next day.

Day 6

Stern Hut to Murchison
What a day. The trail was 90 percent rideable the sun was out the views were to die for and the bike carry up the stairs was nothing at all.
 Once again we were blown away by this trail there are no words to describe how incredible is it to ride this trail.

 The scenery was forever changing we had smooth leaf covered sections, rocky gnarly sections, ice and snow sections, a section of frozen mud but mostly we had flowing rideable insanely beautiful sections of trial. I have to say that I think doing the trail in this direction from South to North has its merits the downhill section through to Lyell is nuts and absolute heaven. Wow wow wow. We arrived at Lyell totally blown away but frozen to the bone.

 We sat in the sun at the carpark to try and warm up before jumping on to the road for the last 30 km or so into Murchison to find a nice warm cosy motel room for the night. What a day.

Day 7
Murchison to Nelson
We were pretty sad that today was our last day on the road. We started the day with a coffee at our favourite cafe in Murchison then hit the road. We found an awesome road that lead us to Lake Rotoroa we had ridden this road in the Tour Aotearoa and had had a bit of a miserable time so wanted to change the memory. 
We weren't disappointed it was a beautiful road, no traffic and lovely bush but to be fair it was freezing - winter riding ain't much fun when you are chilled through to the bone. We layered up with all our clothes and continued on our way. We stopped briefly at the Lake for a photo then heading back out onto the main road. The road was busy and after 6 days of no traffic we struggled with the aggression of drivers and the large number of trucks on the road through the Buller Gorge. We opted for the longer but less busy Tadmore / Glenhope road to Tapawera. We had done this road before on the Tour Aotearoa but it was much better this time due to a strong tail wind. From Tapawera it was a bit of a headwind slog back to the main highway but well worth the detour. We then headed through the

Spooner tunnel before being picked up in Wakefield by Kim who took us home for a delicious home cooked meal and a comfy as bed for the night.

What a great trip. 600 km or so of stunning cycling tracks, single track and back roads. Well worth doing and should be on everyone's bucket list.

Taking on the toughest adventure race in the world - Godzone 2018

Let’s face it Adventure Racing is frustrating, it is out there in terms of mental, physical, emotional stress, it is confronting and takes you to places you don’t go to in normal life, and it is brutal, but it is addictive and a sport that once you embrace it is hard to give up.

I have been adventure racing since 2000 and have tried to “retire” numerous times but yet I am constantly drawn back to it. Why? I spent hundreds of hours during this year’s event whilst bush bashing though dense Fiordland bush trying to answer that question. My only answer is, it pushes me out of my comfort zone and forces me to do things to would normally say no to. In normal life would I choose to go caving for fun? NO, of course I wouldn’t, I am claustrophobic! Would I choose to pack-raft down the steepest river in the county? NO, I would not, I am petrified of big white water, would I choose to bush bash through dense bush for days and nights on end? NO, I would not, I love my sleep and home comforts. So why do it do it – because life is for living and if you never step out of your comfort zone you never grow and learn as an individual, you never feel adrenaline coursing through your veins and you never get to push through your fears and realise you are far more capable than you give yourself credit for.

This year, in light of the title of the toughest Godzone ever, we put together a team of incredibly experienced women who we felt were the best match for this particular event. This was my comeback from surgery debut so it was important that I surrounded myself with a team of extremely capable women who could hold their own. Our team consisted of Louise Mark, Rachel Smith, Emma McCosh and myself. Although we have all done numerous events with other teams, the Godzone was our first event as a complete team of four. People often ask, why do it in an all female team. My answer is simple “because we can” we have nothing against racing in mixed teams and all of us have raced in mixed teams in the past, but sometimes it is nice just to prove to ourselves that girls can do anything, we can read maps, we can carry heavy stuff, we can foot it with the other teams, we can hold our own. During this year’s event there were two comments from spectators out on the course that stuck with me – one lady passionately yelled out – “girls can do anything remember that” – another guy asked if we got scared out in the bush at night – we quietly smiled at both comments.

As a newly formed team our race preparation the night before the event didn’t go quite as smoothly as planned and somewhere in the frenzy of it all, our attention to detail was not what it should have been and we  found ourselves splitting up and working as individuals rather than a well-oiled team. Although we weren’t aware of it at the time, this lack of cohesion cost us dearly and still today leaves us with the bitter taste of disappointment in our mouths.

This is how our race played out.

The start gun went off and we jogged down the main street of TeAnau waving to the spectators. Our first task was to blow up our packrafts. It seemed to take forever and we wished we had the foresight to pack a plastic pump to speed up the process. We finally got on the lake and paddled the short distance across Lake Ta Anau and into the Waiau River towards Lake Manapouri. What a relief it was to have started and to be on our way. Now all we had to do was focus on ourselves and work as a team.

Stage 1 was a mixture of hiking and pack rafting, with an abseil dropped in. We moved smoothly through this stage doing our own thing and keeping in our team bubble. Teams were everywhere and although it was tempting to change our plans and go where others were going, we backed ourselves and stuck to our guns. We arrived at the abseil at night we couldn’t see a thing but boy was it long. In some ways we were disappointed we couldn’t see anything but in other ways it may have been a blessing as it was HUGE. On arrival at Borland lodge we decide to set up camp to the side of the trail and grab a couple of hours of sleep before sunrise.  After a reasonable sleep we were back on the trail and made our way to Lake Monowai, followed by a portage to the Waiau river. It was neat to see spectators supporting other teams at the river giving us a cheer.  The river was pleasant enough and we cruised along enjoying time off our feet. However we had had enough by the end of the paddle and were pretty happy to be finished stage 1.

Although I was dreading the caving we were keen to get in a quick transition onto our bikes for a quick ride to the Waiau Caves. The ride to the caves was awesome and we were on fire, working together as a team and enjoying the feeling of being on our bikes. Much to my relief the cave was open and wide and there were no technical squeezes for me. Although Emma who had the clip card had to wriggle into some pretty small spaces. On exiting the cave we couldn’t believe how warm it was outside and we passed the hour of dead time we had basking in the sun, eating and chatting to other teams. We then headed off to Motu Bush and Dean Forest for a spot of mountain bike navigation. On dark we struggled a bit as there were trails everywhere and we foolishly listened to another team. After a good hour of frustration and going around in circles we finally found our way out of the forest and headed through to transition.

We knew stage 3 was going to be a beast so we opted to try to have a warm and comfortable sleep in transition before heading out on this leg. It was a major fail and we pretty much wasted a couple of hours lying there listening to all the commotion around us. We promised ourselves we would never try to sleep in transition again what a disaster.

We hiked up the road to Lake Hauroko in the dark, annoyed that we had wasted time trying to sleep and a little apprehensive about the paddle down the Wairaurahiri river that lay ahead. We headed out on to the lake around 5am and struggled to keep the sleep monsters away as we paddled across the lake to Teal bay. The sun came out just as we arrived at Teal bay and we were given the all clear to continue on to start the river paddle. Holy …… what a full on river it was. Our hearts didn’t stop pumping for the three or so hours of the river. WOW ! It was 3hrs of constant Grade 3 whitewater, referred to as NZ’s longest waterfall. Whilst the others had smiles from ear to ear I personally was glad to arrive at the next CP in one piece and to be back on dry land.

We once again packed our packrafts and all our gear into our packs and headed off into the night and forest in search of CP 17. It was pretty slow going and we struggled to work out exactly where we were with all the twists and turns of the river. We met several teams heading back out down the river which was alarming and all a bit confusing, however we pushed on and eventually found the CP. By this time it had started to drizzle and was getting dark. We didn’t really feel like heading further into the hills for a cold dark night of misery as it was a long navigationally challenging route to the next checkpoint, so we opted to head back out to the track and rethink our options from there. On arrival at the track we hit rock bottom. We had been pushing hard for a couple of nights on very little sleep, so to avoid a complete meltdown, we chose to head back 3 km to have a warm and comfortable sleep in a hut. From there we would get up before dawn the next morning and plan our attack. It was pretty tough heading back towards the hut but it was the best decision for our team at the time. We were stoked to find the hut empty. We lit the fire and cooked ourselves a nice warm meal. Ah bliss – how nice it was to see the rain coming down outside whilst we were warm and dry. After a great sleep we got up before dawn and made a plan to take a route across tops to a Mandatory Check Point on Lake Poteriteri – what we didn’t read was the notes that said that this MCP was for the short course only!! This is where our lack of cohesion at the planning phase of the event let us down. Had we been more thorough and planned our route as a team, we would have picked up the fact that we were about to handicap ourselves by walking an extra 20 km and kayaking an extra 10 km or so that we didn’t need to do. However, we were oblivious to the fact that no one else was doing what we were doing and set off before daylight to navigate our way through the hills and dense bush. What a day we had, we pushed hard and nailed the navigation. We didn’t see any other teams which we though was odd but given the dense bush and terrain it wasn’t that strange. We eventually bumped into some pursuit teams who seemed a bit perplexed to see us but all in all we were pretty happy with our day. We finally hit Slaughter Burn hut CP 18 on dark to discover we had lost 20 places and had taken an extra 8 hours longer than other teams around us. Feeling a bit despondent and down we pitched the tent and grabbed a couple of hours sleep before tackling the next challenging section of navigation.

We woke up after a few hours of sleep and headed back into the bush. Prior to the race we were told to think like deer. Honestly, during this section we actually felt we had become deer. We had spent so many hours, if not days, bush bashing without seeing anything but bush. We nailed the navigation and picked off one CP after another totally concentrated on what we were doing. We saw a few other teams on this leg but pretty much just focussed on being as efficient as possible and making no mistakes. We reach CP20 and dropped down to the lake. What a relief, we had done it and got out of the deep forest and onto the Lake before dark, we felt like we’d achieved something pretty special. Paddling down to the sea was cool and we were pretty stoked that the next bit of the course was on trails so we could rest a little on the navigation. We celebrated with a hot meal and a sit down at the start of the South Coast trail. We slipped and skidded our way to CP21, Westies Hut. What an amazing hut, we were blown away by how beautiful it was. The South Coast Track turned out to be hideously boring and annoying. Although we could hear the ocean we couldn’t see it, it was muddy slippery and very disappointing. We decided to stop for a 2 hour sleep in a bit of flat forest hoping for a quiet uninterrupted sleep. Once again it turned into a disaster as the heavens opened up after an hour. We hadn’t closed our packs properly as it was fine and clear when we set up camp, so we hurriedly jumped out of our sleeping bags and packed up as quickly as we could in the freezing rain. Grrr we were not happy. We finally arrived at the next CP totally exhausted only to learn that the cut off was looming and we needed to haul butt to make it to the end of stage 3. We pulled together as a team here pushing each other, sharing gear and once gain remaining focussed. Three of us had developed sore spots on our upper thighs which hurt with long pants on, so we chose to walk this leg in our undies. This was the only part of the course where we saw other trampers and people!! I am sure they wondered what the hell we were doing. We finally made it into transition with three or so hours to spare. It was a cold and miserable transition so we hurriedly repacked our gear ready for Stage 4.  We were absolutely knackered after pushing so hard to make the cut off so we opted to find a place for a sleep in transition. We saw other teams sleeping on a barn so found a barn of our own out of the cold wind. Unfortunately a marshal decided we were not allowed to sleep in transition and booted us out. We were less than impressed given other teams were doing just that. Reluctantly, we set off on our bikes along the road looking for a haybarn. We found something a few km down the road and tried to settle in for a 4 hour sleep. Unfortunately, it wasn’t ideal and the wind and cold meant that two of us pretty much got no sleep at all. Another fail on the sleep front !!

 Just before light we were once again on our bikes and heading for Rowallen Forest, the navigation was challenging but nothing Rachel couldn’t handle and we sailed through this leg without too many dramas. Once we were back on the road we were stoked to find a local farmer had set up a roadside stall. We stuffed our faces on peanuts, chips, apples and coke –what a treat! Five mins down the road we were fed burgers and eggs. We were blown away by the support of the locals. We headed up to Borland pass with four or five other teams around us. We knew there was another cut off looming but figured we had plenty of time to get there. Little did we know that Percy’s pass would severely deal to us. We arrived at the bottom of Percys Pass and started hauling our bags and bikes up rock faces and under and over trees. For the first 10 minutes we worked as a team and things were going smoothly, but then the wheels fell off and we totally struggled with the physical challenge of getting to the top. The other teams we were with pulled away from us and left us alone in the dark. We were devastated, as we realised our hopes of making the cut off were fading into the night. We ended up taking our wheels off our bike and making numerous trips up and down with gear, frames and wheels. It took us twice as long as other teams but we didn’t give up and kept persevering. We arrived at the next TA two hours after the cut off totally exhausted and disappointed in ourselves. The marshals had no information for us and couldn’t tell us what we would be doing next. This added to our frustration but all we could do was get some sleep and wait for some instruction as to what we would be doing next. We woke the next morning keen to get going but still the marshals had no concrete plan for us. What a downer, we felt totally deflated after working so hard to get here. However, to our credit we kept our cool and patiently waited for instruction. To our relief we were given a modified route back to the finish. We were to kayak, trek and kayak to the finish. We packed our things for the final time and set off. It is amazing how powerful the mind is and we struggled to remain motivated and focussed given we were now on a shortened course.

It was awesome being in kayaks and paddling on the Lake we tried our best to keep our spirits up and make the most of the situation. We were lucky to still be part of the event and knew that we were the only ones on this leg so although we couldn’t pass any other teams ahead of us we also could not be passed and would retain our position. The kayak went without incident and we then set off on the last trek leg. Initially, things went well but after the first checkpoint the wheels fell off again and we chose to sleep on the track and wait for first light. It was pretty cool setting up camp and taking time to relax, cook dinner and get a full night’s sleep. The pressure was off so we were able to enjoy each other’s company and chill. In the morning we awoke to other teams around us on the short course and headed off to find the next checkpoint with ease. We had one more checkpoint to get on the trek and then it was a simple paddle across Lake Te Anau to the finish line. Too easy … no not quite! For some reason, likely sleep deprivation, we got a bit discombobulated and spent hours roaming around the forest using our altimeters as navigation devices searching for the last checkpoint 100 metres too high up the river. After deciding to pull the pin and walk out to the TA we passed the checkpoint!!! You should have heard the squeals of delight. SO, finally we sheepishly headed to the TA and completed the last paddle to the finish line. We finished with a mix of emotions, pleased to have finished, pleased with ourselves and how we had managed the course and our feet, pleased not to have suffered from Trench foot like so many other teams, but also so extremely disappointed with our result. We knew we had the potential to finish in the top 10 and were gutted we were nowhere near that. It wasn’t until we got home and went through the maps that we worked out why we had performed so badly. We had given ourselves an 8 to 10 hour handicap by going to get the non-compulsory MCP . Boy did it hurt – what a rookie error. For four seasoned adventure racers it was and still is a hard pill to swallow. Note to self – READ THE INSTRUCTIONS / BE THOROUGH IN PLANNING / MARK YOUR MAPS PRIOR TO STARTING.

A huge thanks to my teammates for the support and for never giving up.  

Also thanks to our sponsor Jack Wolfskin who provided us with awesome gear that meant we were warm and dry at all times.

Cycling in Samoa

We had longed for warm weather so when we landed at the Faleola airport in Samoa and exited the plane to a warm sunny thirty degrees we couldn't have been happier. What a feeling! Once in the terminal we were greeted by three smiling men singing and playing ukuleles. Once through immigration, where Emma thought they were going to stop her from entering because she had a coughing fit, we were met by our shuttle driver. We loaded the bikes into his ute, changed some money and then were off towards our resort LeVasa. On arrival we were welcomed with a fresh juice and friendly faces. We checked in to our room, had a walk, went for a kayak and a swim then showered and changed for dinner. We had the most delicious fish and a glass of wine for dinner then headed off to our room for a good night's sleep. 

Day one - LeVasa Resort - Manase (58kms)

After a delicious tropical fruit breakfast we pedaled the 6 km down the road to the ferry building where the ferry to Savaii was waiting. It cost 12 tala person and 10 each for the bikes. The ferry was pretty run down and basic with nowhere to sit and took about an hour fifteen. The highlight of the trip was seeing a turtle swimming by as we were heading into land. On arriving on Savaii we went to the supermarket to get some bananas and bread and then set off to ride 20 Kms to our first planned spot at Lano beach. The roads were smooth and the wind slightly behind us.


Lots of children yelled bye bye, the pigs and dogs roamed freely, everyone smiled and waved and the gardens were well kept and beautiful. It was stunning. We passed some roadside man made pools which looked very inviting. These pools were clear and clean but we weren't quite hot enough to take a dip. Not long after that we saw a beautiful beach so pulled over for a swim and some bread and bananas. We had only just got off our bikes when a lady came over and asked for 4 tala

 each for using the beach  We paid our money and then went for a swim and had a lie down on the sand in the shade. It was hard dragging ourselves off the beach but we knew there was more to come.   Before we knew it we were in Lano and true to Debbie and Emma form we decided to carry on to Manase another 32 km away. Half way there we stopped for a sprite which was sooo delicious. Once in Manase we decided to stay at Jane's beach fales. 70 tala each for a basic fale including breakfast and dinner. We checked in went for a snorkel out to the reef then had a shower and relaxed before dinner. How nice to have someone cook for you. 

Apart from the odd downpour of rain and the over zealous rooster we had a reasonably good sleep in our basic beach fale. 

Day 2 - Manase to Vaisala (42kms)

Breakfast was served at eight and we were entertained while eating by a lady from NZ who has been coming here for the last seven years. During breakfast we decided to stay another day and spend it snorkeling and relaxing. Apparently turtles come up the beach on dawn so we thought we'd stay and do that before leaving the next morning. After our first snorkel where we saw a turtle big eating seaweed off the ocean floor.  It just cruised around and didn't seem phased by us at all.  How lucky were we!  We had talked about perhaps staying another night here but decided that it would be a long day with not a lot more to do, so we loaded up the bikes and headed off. The road was stunningly beautiful and the wind behind us. Talk about being in our happy place. It wasn't long before we headed inland and started to climb it was raining on and off and extremely humid between the showers. We certainly sweated more than yesterday. It really was like cycling through someones garden . The houses and gardens here are so well looked after. At about 20kms into our 42km ride we stopped at a shop for coke and lollies. We were hoping to buy bread and bananas and fresh fruit but there was nothing other than beer coke water lollies and chips and Twisties. Luckily we had brought some Radix breakfasts so decided that would be perfect for lunch. It was so delicious and perfect food for Cycle touring in a place like this where it is impossible to buy anything healthy. The road continued to rise up inland and we were looking forward to the downhill as it was extremely hot and sticky. After a last climb we started to descend. Bliss a cool shower and a downhill whoop whoop. We rolled into Vaisala beach hotel with huge smiles on our faces. What a day. We checked in for 70 tala each including air con hot water and breakfast. The snorkeling here was awesome and well worth a look. There were fish everywhere. After a hot shower we headed up to the supermarket hoping to find something delicious to eat. Once again we were disappointed and only managed to buy chips, sprite and a Snickers bar. Luckily dinner wasn't far away. The dinner was delicious fish (30 tala each)- we have had fish every night and it hasn't disappointed yet. What a great sleep we had in our air conditioned room.

Day 3 Vaisala to Satoratua beach fales (57 kms)

Breakfast was at 7 this morning so we took the opportunity to get an early start as we knew we had a reasonably big day of hills ahead of us. We were on the road by 8. It was Sunday today which meant there was hardly any traffic and everybody was in church. Riding through villages was the most peaceful it has been. Today we ticked off a bucket list item and bought a papaya from a roadside stall and saw pineapples growing.  One tala each wasn't too bad. Not long into the ride we left the coast and started to climb. We felt the humidity as soon as we were climbing and out of the wind. Emma was dripping with sweat as we climbed up each hill. Once we dropped down to the southern coast we took a secondary road which was mostly gravel and wound it's way through spectacular coconut plantations.


 The ocean waves were deep blue and crashed along the rough coastline. We rode passed sleepy villages where only the occasional good bye could be heard. The road was hilly and the wind was quite strong in our faces but the remoteness and spectacular views made up for it. Luckily Emma caught sight of the famous sea arch out of the corner of her eye and we stopped there for some biccies and photos. The signage over here is pretty non existent so I guess it's a bonus to be on a bike where you don't miss much. We were pretty happy to roll into the Satoratua beach fales as our bums were a bit tender and the wind has picked up. The large, roomy beach fales (75 tala each including dinner and breakfast) were built under a huge Banyan tree right on the water. We spent the afternoon walking, resting and reading. We were joined for dinner by two Kiwis from Wellington who were living in Apia and had a lovely night chatting about donuts chocolate and shortland Street among other topics !!


Day 4 Satoratua to Le Vasa Hotel (73kms)

The conditions were perfect so after an awesome breakfast of pancakes, cocopops, papaya and coffee we set off for a snorkel. The current was pretty strong so we headed upstream of the current so we'd be pushed back down. It was pretty shallow but the coral and fish life was pretty good.

Once back at the fales we packed our things, said our goodbyes and set off for Sili via the Alofa Aga blowholes at Cape Auisui.

It was a stunning gravel road along the coast and to the blow holes. The blowholes were spectacular and worth every tala of the 5 tala a person admission fee. It was right on hightide and the blowholes shot around 50 meters into the air. We got soaked when we went up close and peered into the hole the water was spurting out of.

Luckily we have a waterproof camera!
We enjoyed paid 3 tala to a local man and got a coconut straight from his chilli bin. He knocked it's too off and put a straw into the hole - ah, it was so refreshing!

We then headed off for Sili. But it was a day for changing plans. The beauty of traveling by bike is that you have the freedom to change your plans when ever you want. Sili was not on the coast but we had read that it had a lovely garden fale accommodation beside a river. We actually ended up on the opposite side of the river and although there was a ford, we decided to just push on to Saleliloga where the Ferry comes. We would then be able to take the earlier ferry the following day. It didn't seem to take long and we arrived at the only set of traffic lights on the island. It was a short downhill into town from here.

We looked out for a nice seaside fale but there wasn't really anything. Well - it was about 3:55 and the 4 pm ferry looked like our new plan. We rolled into the terminal, paid our 14 tala each plus 10 each for our bikes. We were off to Upolo.
Our circumnavigation of Savaii was done and we couldn't have had a better time. We loved the roads, the people, the heat, the snorkeling, the food, the relaxed way of life!

We enjoyed chatting to some people on the ferry. There was a car of 3 ladies who had stayed at the same beach fales as us in Satuiatua beach. We also saw them at the blow holes. They were so excited to see us and we were both very appreciative of the water and bananas they gave us.We shared our ginger nuts with a girl from Tauranga who had come over to Samoa to bury her husband who had committed suicide. She was great to talk to and pretty philosophical about life. You get one and you need to do what makes you happy. Once off the ferry we hightailed it back to LeVasa resort and checked back into our same room. Ah home sweet home. After a shower and a short swim in the pool we headed to the restaurant for spicy fish and a glass of wine. Happy happy. The people we caught the airport transfer with sat next to us and we had a lovely conversation about where we had been and were going. They were heading to Savaii the next day so we gave them some tips.

Day 5 - LeVasa resort to Vaiala Beach fales (68kms)

We both slept well and enjoyed our tropical breakfast and thick machine coffee.We headed off for a short day cycling to our planned destination if Matavira. Wow there was a mighty steep hill in our way. Debbie played it safe and walked her bike up while Emma stayed in granny gear and sweated her way to the top. We're not sure the local buses make their way over that hill!
On the way down the road turned to gravel and wound down passed small settlements, plantations and over a reasonable ford. The rain started... It got heavier and heavier and we decided to take refuge in a small shop front.  Luckily we did as it bucketed down! 5 mins later we were back on our bikes and drying off.

We arrived at the Giant Clam conservation area and a very friendly lady met us and told us a bit about them. We paid her 10 tale each to be able to swim in the reserve and she informed us we could get a toasted sandwich afterwards. That sounded pretty good to us!

We were in the water until our fingers were wrinkley and numb. It was amazing and one of the more incredible things we've seen since being in Samoa. They have a breeding program going on so we could see the different sized clams. We were also lucky enough to see a turtle. It was just cruising around and wasn't shy at all. We got some great footage with our underwater camera and gopro.
The sandwich was equally as good, even after the 45 minute wait. We just ordered one sandwich for 25 tala and we got served up a plate of 8 quarters if toasted sandwich made lovingly with onion, greenery, cheese and tuna. It also came with a huge plunger of coffee and a plate of chopped papaya. Yum. Just what we needed!
That plate of food fueled use all the way to  Vaiala beach fales (47km) They were so authentic but then had old NZ billboard canvas's around the sides.  Mitre10, the NZ bachelor, wotif, pop up globe Auckland. A young girl came and set up our fale while we went for a walk along the beautiful white sandy beach. Everything we needed- woven mat, mattress and mosquito net. It even had a light! We had a cold shower and washed our cycling gear before having a lie down before dinner. It really is something else to be cycle touring and not have to shop and cook.
We went to sleep to the sound of the waves hitting the reef, Cicadas and the odd gecko, not a bad  a way to unwind and relax.

Rain rain and more rain was what we were served up all night. We also had a noisy hightide around midnight. 

Day 6 Vaisala beach fales to Lalomanu Taufua Beach fales (36km)

We got up at 8.30am and headed out for a snorkel before breakfast. There wasn't much to see and the water was on the chilly side so we didn't stay in for long. Breakfast was toast, bread, boiled eggs and papaya. After breakfast Emma treated the lady running the place as she had been complaining about her knees. We then set off to ride the 15km to the trench

What a beautiful place the Te Sua trench was. Huge manicured gardens and views over the rocky shore line and reef. On a fine day it would have been perfect to just sit up there and whale watch it eat a picnic lunch. Our day however was not sunny and in fact extremely wet and even slightly cold. It didn't stop us from enjoying the experience of the Trench which was truly magnificent.
We continued on our merry way with beaming grins and soaking wet skins. For the first time in our trip we were not wet from sweat!

Approaching the end of the southern coast the landscape changed dramatically. The road travelled beneath a huge cliff and right beside the coast. We noticed tsunami evacuation trails zig zaging up the bushy cliff face.
In the teaming rain we pulled up at our planned accommodation. The lady in charge took pity on us and handed us a nice fluffy dry towel! We had to wait quite a while for our room to be prepared but there were plenty of interested people- mostly Kiwis to talk to. They all  thought we were mad but all sounded very impressed with our journey so far.

The Taufua beach fales with its large restaurant and bar was very busy and we felt s but overwhelmed by the crowds initially but really enjoyed the interaction and buffet style eating in long benches. Everyone introduced themselves and we're really great to chat to. We had a few hours lying in our fale just reading and reflecting on our trip so far. 

It didn't talk long for Emma to be asked to look at a lady Pauline's knee. She had recently had a total knee joint replacement and was struggling with regaining her range of motion. After a 45 minutes consult and treatment we were rewarded by a couple of glasses of wine and she was feeling and walking a lot better.

We all sat along long trestle tables and food was bought out in quick succession. Pizza, chicken curry, green salad, prawns, spaghetti, spring rolls, mashed potatoes, rice, oranges. It really was a bit much but ideal for two hungry cyclists!  We even got to try Taro - we had been seeing it growing in the fields almost everywhere.  

Day 7 -Lalomanu to Matareva (62km)

The rain continued through the night but by breakfast time we were treated to blue skies and we were off on our bikes again.  Breakfast was equally as huge as dinner. Porridge, toast, eggs, pancakes, papaya and spaghetti toasted sandwiches. We finally rolled out with full bellies at about 10am.

What a day... It was Samoa heat again and boy were we sweating. We had a tail wind most of the day but that also meant we didn't really cool off. We stopped and bought a deep fried bun from a little boy. Yum, it was still warm and it was great. He was very pleased when we have him a lolly as well his money. Riding along the coast, Debbie suddenly yelled out to stop. Whale! Just over the reef was a humpback whale cruising along and spraying out his blowhole. We watched his tail disappear as he dived down into the depths - we felt pretty lucky have seen this. Several Kms down the road we stopped at a little shop for a Sprite and with our change bought a cream donut! Wow. What a treat!   We also stopped for a coconut drink and Emma gave the little boy a ride on her bike - he loved it!

Next stop was Matareva. We paid 3 tala each to enter the private road and bounced our way down the sandy corally drive.  This was our final night in Samoa and it felt like paradise. The sky was blue, the ocean was incredibly clear and we could see the coral reef beneath. Matareva has a wonderful white sandy beach and coconut trees tower above the road. We were very relieved when we scored the last cabin which had its own ensuit and two fans! It was 200 tala for the room which included dinner and breakfast. We enjoyed s snorkel and a good walk around the large grounds. We decided out if all of the places we've stayed in Samoa, this is the place we could stay more than one night. There is a lot to do here and more opportunities to explore the coastline. 
It was great to be inside a room with an ensuite  but boy was it hot hot hot. We fell asleep to the sound of the fans.


Once again we woke up to sunshine and breakfast. After breakfast we had a snorkel, a rest in the hammocks, another snorkel then reluctantly packed our things and headed back to the big clams for another sandwich and coffee. (8.2km)

After lunch and a pretty decent snorkel at the giant clams we cycled the final 21kms back to Le Vasa resort. We then packed our bikes back into their boxes, had a delicious fish meal and a Pina colada before being picked up by a taxi and taken to the airport.

What an awesome holiday. Samoa is the perfect cycling destination - lots of accommodation options, great roads, friendly people, few cars and a speed limit of 45 km an hour, beautiful beaches, breakfast and dinner included in most accommodation bookings, well priced, lots of sun and warmth. We will be back.

Essential gear for Cycling in Samoa

Sunscreen
Nappy rash cream
Bug spray
Deodorant
Shampoo and conditioner
Face moisturiser
Toothpaste and toothbrush
Hand sanitizer
Snorkel and mask. Fins or booties
Lava lava
Rash vest for sun protection
Jandles
Bike shoes
Cool clothes for riding
Sun visor on helmet
Sunglasses
Cool evening clothing
Clothesline and pegs
Waterproof panniers or dry bag
Bike lock
Spare tubes, repair kit, pump, chain break, bike lube, fully serviced bike
Water bottles - minimum two each
Steripen or purification
Underwater camera
Cash
EFTPOS card - ANZ ATMs throughout
Visa
A good lightweight book
Chargers - same plug as in NZ
Head torch
Map of the islands - things not well signposted