good on ya mate (new zealand southern alps with pedaltours)

For those comic book fans, you don’t have to create a ray that bends time and space or duplicate people or worlds to create an alternate reality. All you have to do is jump on a plane and head to New Zealand. New Zealand is reminiscent of a Bizzaro world to our own (here in the States), mostly the same but quirkily different.

There are the basics such as their summer is our winter, they drive on the left side of the road, and even the water spirals in the opposite direction. If you dive deeper, you will find even more abnormalities. Customs officers who greet you with a smile and a story when you enter the country to the hotel staff that wants to strike up a conversation about where you are from to the smiley moms and kids at the park that always say hi. That’s some strange stuff. It’s one of those places you still feel comfortable leaving your doors unlock and where police officers, although austere, still don’t carry guns. Weird. A country where the sheep population almost outnumber the people and a country so stunning, even on the rainiest days the veil of rain and clouds cannot diminish its beauty. A true Bizzaro world and the reason we came to this alternate reality.

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The Expedition

We had 3 weeks’ time to explore New Zealand both the north and south island. We started with the north island and down time in Auckland to acclimate to the summer weather, culture, and language (yes, it’s English), but also to discover a bit about the north island lifestyle. Then head to the south island to cycle (and hike) the high passes of the Southern Alps, guided by Pedaltours, a New Zealand cycling guide service.

The tour of the Southern Alps is made for cycling enthusiast (with daily rides of 40 to 95 miles with some challenging climbs), especially cyclists who enjoy beautiful scenery and gourmet local foods.

Tip: Train and be fit enough to ride some of the most amazing routes you can imagine. Riding in the shuttle is not fun and if you want a bus tour, there are other cheaper options.

The Cast

Traveling is about the people as much as it is about everything else. Most of Pedaltours’ customers are from the States, which was true for our group as well. We had 4 Americans, 2 Brits, and our New Zealand guide. The trip is on the more expensive side, so it attracts a more affluent group, which you can translate as older. The median age would be around 50 and Isabella and I being the youngest of the group. With enthusiast cyclists, age really doesn’t matter.

The biggest expectation difference in our group was probably the divide between casual socials and cycling focus adventure versus the formal intellectual interactions and plush daily comforts. In the end our guide, Bill, was able to bridge the gap to keep the tour interesting for everyone.

The guide sets the tone for the group and Bill is a good guy to have on this tour. He’s a well-seasoned guide and has ample knowledge of the area, history, and culture. Bill is personable, always willing to joke and tell stories. He is also forthright and calls out issues for the group that sometime can make you squirm in discomfort until you get to understand that’s his style. He is the young travelling backpacker (at heart) still looking for an adventure and you get to see the experience through those eyes, which is great.

Tip: Each group is going to be different. Come with the willingness to get to know people and leave personal baggage (strong personal beliefs) a home.

The Adventure

The adventure is in the not knowing. Not knowing how challenging the climbs are, what you would see, or who you would meet are all parts of it, but sometimes the wrong turn or adverse weather is also what makes the adventure exciting and fun.

The window of our trip was just bad in terms of weather. We had a low pressure system that created typhoon like weather. We had torrential rainfall for multiple days and in one of the wettest area we had something like 44 cm (about 17 inches) in one day which led to epic flooding, but the consolation was that it was warm and manageable as long as you don’t mind being wet. When the rain subsided a little, we had epic winds that were constantly blowing above 25 mph and gusts that were fearsome when you were descending some of the long steep descents. In the first week, the wind was mostly at our backs, but when we change direction to head back up north, they were suppressive. For me, it was great fun and good training for my offseason.

I rode most of the course, except for the areas deemed to be hazardous to attempt (floods or landslide risk), and covered nearly 700 miles (around 1100 km) on the bike. Most days you can do many thousands of feet of climbing and I wanted to do them all. Porter’s Pass was around 3000 feet (930 m) in one climb, which was probably the biggest, but there were many that rival that as well. You can get your heart pumping in the climbing or on the amazing descents. There is no better way to see the New Zealand countryside and mountain ranges except on the bike.

Farming still plays a prominent role in New Zealand. No matter what size farm you run, you can still make a reasonable living on a farm. In the final days of the tour, you get to stay on a farm and talk to the farmers about their way of life. You get a voyeuristic view in to someone else's life and a much deeper appreciation for New Zealand and its lifestyle.

Check out http://www.pedaltours.co.nz/southern-alps-15-days/ for the details of each day. When it wasn’t raining, I quickly pulled out one of 4 cameras we brought with us on the trip (none waterproof). At the beginning is a montage of photos and videos of our 15-day adventure, giving you a glimpse of what we saw each day of the trip.

Tip: You have to have that adventurer's spirit or else this is not the trip for you. 

Tip: Bring good rain and wind gear no matter when you go. The rainforest rains around 5 meters a year, so expect it to rain when you are there.

Tip: For 3 weeks after Christmas, New Zealanders go on holiday and the single-lane highways are super busy with buses and campervans. Pedaltours will likely avoid this time for tours, but we did experience that traffic as our trips ends a few days after Christmas.

Tip: If you like crispy bacon, New Zealand is not where you are going to find it. In most restaurants and cafes, the bacon is more flavorful than the one we have back in the States.

Tip: Try the flat white coffee, which has a more refine foam then cappuccinos and lattes with generally more milk. It’s something unlikely to get outside of New Zealand and worth trying. Generally coffee in New Zealand lacks the caffeine punch of its counterpart here in the States or Europe. You may need an extra cup.

Tip: Letting the ingredient shine often means little seasoning. Generally New Zealand cuisine lacks a bit of salt. You can always add it. For bold flavors, pastas are generally a good choice.

Tip: Although, not part of the tour. New Zealand’s best degustation menu can be found at Pescatore in Christchurch. Probably one of the best 9-course meals we’ve ever had anywhere and we love food. There were great complex flavors and techniques rarely used except on Iron Chef. The wine pairing also gives you a good tour of the country’s wine regions. It’s not cheap, but worth the outing, if you enjoy food.

Tip: Don’t say trash, use rubbish. Rubbish is used extensively in conversation as well, which as you may guess is a negative term.

The Final Word

This is a must do cycling tour if you are a cycling enthusiast and want to see some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, meet great people, and enjoy a variety of cuisine. The measure of a great trips are the memories (which we have many) and how homesick you are at the end (we were not at all ready to go home). It was an amazing trip. Probably the only drawback of this trip is the cost and it being out of reach for a younger clientele.

In the end, who lives in the Bizzaro world is hard to discern, is it us in the State and Europe or the New Zealanders. One thing is for sure, New Zealand is beautiful, peaceful, and its people are friendly and welcoming.