Oops yeah good point Simon. Cannot cross private land on the sly. Would have to check where it goes.
Yeah I know there is a paper roads between some bays which I have used in the past to MTB to my family bach but farmers do not want everyone using them. For example between Pigeon Bay and Menzies Bay is a lot further by road.
Oh well have other missons to do during my visit including one first MTB ascent/descent which I didn't do before I left NZ.

technically speaking tho, Menzies to Pigeon is paper road, and therefore could be considered fair game... besides, the Menzies are reasonably friendly about letting people cross, might just entail a quick phonecall... and Lambing will be well and truly over by then too.

Cheers Switchback good to know as I have a family bach at Little Akaloa

SO DO I !!!


are you the guy on the Salsa?

Na the bloke who cycled one footed up Up the Little Akaloa rd on my roadie after breaking a cleat leaving the bach. It was a long ride back to chch with one cleat.

Will be visiting the bach during new year with family.

Great tip!

Had a good session with maps and the interwebby last night. There are some big hills out there, and few pancake shops!

how're you going to get across the Ellesmere mouth, is it going to be closed over those dates?

i wish i was fit enough andhad the weekend available to partake of this...

and great route by the way, love that concept of looping right round eastern bays then back over down to Western Valley road before the Double fenceline, then pettigrews and back to Lyttelton harbour. awesome

malcs wrote:

swtchbckr wrote:and great route by the way, love that concept of looping right round eastern bays then back over down to Western Valley road before the Double fenceline, then pettigrews and back to Lyttelton harbour. awesome

I thought it was in the other direction?

oh. right, misinterpreted that.. still. cool to be allllmost doubling back on yourselves...


hmmm... 'nother question. Boundary Rd out of Okains. i see its a double fenceline but i'm not aware of it, is it a paper road or is it a 'by permission' section? otherwise you'd have to use Big Hill and Lavericks Ridge Rds (both public access not across private land). MapMyRun (and for that matter Google Maps and even Wises...) has some pretty shonky road lines around that area. Boundary Rd is a farm track. Goat Rock Rd is a farm track. Big Hill actually comes up the ridge to Lavericks Ridge which also runs from top of Panama to the Summit Rd as well.

swtchbckr wrote:

malcs wrote:

swtchbckr wrote:and great route by the way, love that concept of looping right round eastern bays then back over down to Western Valley road before the Double fenceline, then pettigrews and back to Lyttelton harbour. awesome

I thought it was in the other direction?

oh. right, misinterpreted that.. still. cool to be allllmost doubling back on yourselves...


hmmm... 'nother question. Boundary Rd out of Okains. i see its a double fenceline but i'm not aware of it, is it a paper road or is it a 'by permission' section? otherwise you'd have to use Big Hill and Lavericks Ridge Rds (both public access not across private land). MapMyRun (and for that matter Google Maps and even Wises...) has some pretty shonky road lines around that area. Boundary Rd is a farm track. Goat Rock Rd is a farm track. Big Hill actually comes up the ridge to Lavericks Ridge which also runs from top of Panama to the Summit Rd as well.

Admittingly either option "Mapmyrun, google etc" doesn't show route properly...I just found Mapmyrun easier to use. There will be a clue sheet to clear up any confusion. And yes, was planning to use Big Hill, the route showing in this area currently is wrong and I can't change the route on Mapmyrun. I will clear up confusion with a clue sheet. As far as I know, Lake Ellesmere outlet is currently closed. I haven't got a crystal ball as to whether it will be closed or open the date of the Brevet, but obviously if it is open to the sea... an alternative route will be selected which will no doubt involve the rail trail and perhaps a loop of the wharfedale...only joking.

Route is clockwise!

Hey Tim, How hard will the nav be? Will the clue sheets be enough for us out of towners, or do we need to scout the course like the locals seem to be doing? Is a speedo adequate or do we need a GPS? Any suggestions on distances to food and water? thanks,

pretty much the whole lot is signposted, all those road names etc. doubt out of towners will have any trouble.

i just know the areas very well... i bet lots of the locals will be riding bits of it to see what gradients etc are like. (some quite steep, tho, luckily, you're riding DOWN Panama Road... i think it has the 'steepest road on the peninsula' title, tho, Jubilee would come a close second, and you're riding UP that. mwuah ha haaaa...