from a local who followed with interest your trip around our wonderful island - made me think that a 3 week mtbikibng holiday / road trip in my own "backyard" would be a cool thing to do instead of biting off bits in a series of frenzied weekends .......

Unfortunately for you, and us, it has been one of the less pleasant "summers" to be had in a while. Here's wishing you a good years pedaling in the rest of 07. Go well.

Queenstown to Milford sound by car. Met a very nice dutch cycling couple.
www.worldwheelers.com
In Miford Sound we went sea kayaking on the first day. Great fun with
the superb guide Texas from Roscos Sea Kayaks. Lots of seals,
waterfall kayaking and fantastic tailwind. A really beatifull place.
The next day we went on the cruize of Mitre Peak cruizes. All the way out to
the Tasman sea. This time not only seals, but also lots of dolphins!
From Milford we backtracked to Queenstwon and then via the Crown Range road
to Wanaka. No time left fot the local trails there. We seem to have missed the bra fence
on the croen range road. Is it still out there??
From Wanaka to Makarora. We did the Siberia experience there:
Small plane drops you off in the backcountry, 3 hrs hike out,
the back by Jetboat. Neat trip!
This morning began with cristal clear views on the Franz Josef Glacier on the West Coast.
After that the rental car had to show how fast it can go ...
Now back in Christchurch. Its Silvias birthday today.
I will head back home tomorrow. She is blessed with some more time to spend here ...

Once back home I surely will post some photos of our great trip.

P.S.: Silvia makes me write this: There is more than one reason to come back:
nice and helpful kiwi MTB Riders, missing riding coronet peak, wakamarina, wanakatrails, ... .

The bra fence is a thing of the past.
A few idiots thought it should be taken down because it was impeding traffic due to the numbers stopping to look at it.

Andy01 wrote: I strongly think it would be worth checking out dew lakes/rush pools ride in nelson. I would be willing to bet money on it being one of the best single tacks.

Sorry for the mini-hijack Wolfgang and Silvia.

Andy, I would bet my money on you being a village idiot who has not ever got out of town and ridden some decent single tracks.

Ride times. 1 hour and 15 to top of maungatapu. 1 hour 30 min to bash through to dew lakes. 45 min to get down past rush pool and back to car near Maitai dam.

So Andy01, your all day epic starting from the saddle took me about 2 hours 15 min. Hardly an all day epic. I am quite happy to walk with my bike on shoulder to get good singletrack, but 1 hour and a half of bashing through close forest for a singletrack that is ok, but nowhere near one of the best singletracks in NZ by my figuring. Sure it had some really fun bits in it, but they were not linked together very well.

You should ride Nydia, and Wakamarina to find out what really good beech forest singletrack is like!! Less than an hour from Nelson...

Heck, have you even ridden up to Browning hut?? The singletrack down from that is more fun than most of the rush pool track, and it is ridable up (challenging, but ridable).

So, Wolfgang is already back to work, whereas I went to Rotorua to find realy nice single tracks. Theres something for everybody, even for people who don't know how to drop, jump....and don't want to get hurt and carry their bike. Even the weather was fine. Surley I also visited the Mitai-Moari Show, with Moari dances and Hangi.
Unfortunately I missed swimming in one of the Spas... .
Having a hard time leaving rotorua (those trails...) I left for Taupo to do the Tongariro Crossing today. I realy enjoyed it (although it was VERY crowded there, so don't go there unless you start hiking before 7am).
Tomorrow I'll go by bus to Thames to pedal around the Coromandel Peninsula.

Are there any nice trails in the north of Auckland? - I would have to get there by bus... .

Coromandel Peninsula is very nice: pedalling from Thames to Coromandel Town, Walking the Coastal Walkway and a very senic mountainbike race today (Coromandel white star intrigue), thats what I have been doing for the last 3 days. Tomorrow I will continue on to Whitianga and Cook Beach.

...

Not only did she participate in the Coromandel White Star Intrigue Race last saturday.
Silvia won it!
She came in first in her Category (Open Women) and more than that she finished as
third in the overall ranking (including the strong men ...). Have a look at
http://www.arcevents.co.nz/theintrigue/ ... lenge.html
Congratulations!!!!

Wolfgang

P.S.: If only I wouldn't have to work but could still ride the epic NZ singletracks with her ...

I spent two wonderful days pedalling from Coromandle Town to Whangamata with Stopover in Hahei. I loved all the beaches, especially Cooks Beach. Checking out Hot Water Beach I found it to be really hot (and very crowded, next time I would go there for a morning swim at ow tide at 5am).
In Whangamata I realized that I'd like to lern surfing, because it looks like fun.
Today I'm going to Paihia with a stopover in Auckland.
Mayby I should stay one week longer...

I spent two wonderful days pedalling from Coromandle Town to Whangamata with Stopover in Hahei. I loved all the beaches, especially Cooks Beach. Checking out Hot Water Beach I found it to be really hot (and very crowded, next time I would go there for a morning swim at ow tide at 5am).
In Whangamata I realized that I'd like to lern surfing, because it looks like fun.
Today I'm going to Paihia with a stopover in Auckland.
Mayby I should stay one week longer...

The last days I spend in Nordland: 90 Mile Beach, Cape Reinga, Russell, Kauri/Trees, Beaching... just nice to hang out in the sun. Yesterday I returned to Auckland and got a ride to Woodhill Forrest today (thanks to Rodney !!!). I really enjoyed riding the trails, 50km and only singletrail. And there was still more stuff to ride.... .
Back in Auckland, my bike already wrapped up for tomorrows flight home, I'm enjoying the last hours in NZ... .

Sounds like you had an awesome trip, you've probably riden more of the country than I have

Safe travels home.

Good to hear you had fun in NZ

I can't wait to go travelling one day

All right, it has been quite a while since we last talked to you.
Winter was extremely mild here in Germany so we ended up riding alpine trails
early March. Since May we have been riding every single weekend.
Silvia already started a picture perfect race season at the Coromandel
White Star Intrigue race in January. She topped off this win with two
victories in Europes most prominent 24h races as a solo rider. She won
http://www.24hfinale.com/ in Finale near Genova in Italy in May and recently the
24h race of our beloved city Munich (http://www.sogevents.de).
In the meantime we had a Kiwi mountainbike guide - Boyd - here in Munich.
We rode some local trails, some alpine trails near Garmisch and he joined us
on of our guided 4 day tours (yes we are guides as well) in the heart of the European
alps in the triangle Switzerland, Italy and Austria. It was great to have a KIWI
guest here in Munich. We felt home sick for NZ!
Last night we returned from a two day epic ride on the border between Austria
and Italy, the Krimmler Tauern. Silvia let it rock ...

ride on

Silvia+Wolfgang

Very nice photo!!!