Arrowtown: Finding the place to opt out of the race

Derek Cheng makes a half-hearted attempt at the TrustPower Adventure Quest.

We were drastically underdressed. At the start of the TrustPower Adventure Quest, athletes clad in bike pants or running shorts lined the quaint streets of Arrowtown.

As they fine-tuned their mountain bikes, my fellow adventurer and I wandered past with all the urgency of a cat lazing in the sun. We had somehow misread the name of the event as the Leisurely Stroll, she in her denim shorts, me in my pyjamas-substitute.

The fourth annual quest was one of dozens of events marking Queenstown's Spring Loaded calendar, which runs for a month until the end of October. As well as outdoor activities, it includes art exhibitions, music and comedy shows and, as its centrepiece, a 10-day jazz festival starting this weekend and featuring 100 musicians from around the world.

The events span beyond Queenstown to the secluded paradise of Kinloch Lodge which sits in the mountainous terrain beside the Dart River and is a gateway to the Routeburn Track.

The area sorely lacks in cellphone reception, but hosts John and Toni Glover compensate with a fireplace, hot-tub and a schedule that includes jazz night, nature seminars and photography workshops.

But to test our sense of direction, Arrowtown was the place to be.

The quest is a treasure hunt on mountain bike and running shoes, stretching from the outskirts of town into neighbouring hills, forest and streams. A record 80 teams armed with maps and clues had six hours to find as many of the 82 tags as possible.

Perhaps lacking in ambition, we opted for a laid-back approach while soaking up the sights and aromas of Arrowtown, including the old Chinese settlement from the days of the gold rush.

Race director Geoff Hunt had no problems with this: "If you get sick of the race after an hour, hand in your answers and head off to the pub."

We biked through the non-threatening paved streets for two hours before trudging off into the bush. By 2pm, the daunting task of trekking into the aptly named Big Hill Area seemed too much. Within 30 minutes, we had raised the white flag and taken to drinking beer by the riverside.

"You've done well," Hunt said sardonically as we trotted over the finish line.