Endless cycle of scenery

By ANDREW MARSHALL

It's magnificent cycling country," declared 62-year-old Andy Bremner when I met him in Auckland. Tanned, fit and sporting a mile-wide grin, Andy was completing his third season pedalling New Zealand and had so far clocked up 3000km.

"There's nothing I like better than to pack up each morning, load the panniers on the racks, look over the handlebars and head off down that open road," he said, making me feel excited about my own journey.

With its magnificent volcanic landscapes, geysers and rugged coastlines backed by prehistoric rainforest, there can be no better way to experience this cool, green land, and certainly at no better speed than by bicycle.

My plan was to cycle from the North Island to the glaciers in the South Island, but when I got down to the actual route planning, the line on my map zig-zagged all over the place in an attempt to take in just some of the abundant points of interest.

It was a grey, drizzly Auckland morning when I caught the ferry to the Coromandel Peninsula. The boat had barely pulled alongside the dock before I was off, legs pumping, the salt air fresh in my lungs, the bitumen rolling steadily beneath my wheels.

Day two is always the hardest on a cycle tour. The reality of stiff muscles and a tender behind hit home as I loaded up the bike and hit the road first thing, but a couple of hours later the stunning scenery was enough to distract my mind from aching body parts.

In the coming days I turned inland to the Rotorua region. I spent days in the saddle, skirting the very heart of the North Island, along the shores of beautiful Lake Taupo and on to Tongariro National Park. With its collection of mighty and active volcanoes, Tongariro is one of the country's most spectacular parks.

There was something surreal and other-worldly about climbing warily around the crater rim of a still-active volcano. Couple this with a fantasy landscape of volcanic dykes, swirling clouds of steam, and turquoise-blue lakes cradled in the folds of a grey desert streaked with sulphur, and what you have is the 17km Tongariro Crossing ... one of the best day walks in the country and a definite cycle-tour highlight.

The crossing from North Island to South Island is always a psychological milestone for any cyclist. Leaving the cultural and artistic hub of Wellington, I took the ferry to the pretty town of Picton, situated at the head of the Queen Charlotte Sound.

The lack of traffic was immediately apparent as I pedalled off towards Nelson, revelling in magnificent coastal views over the Marlborough Sounds.

For the weary cyclist, the laid-back town of Nelson is an oasis: pubs, great restaurants and the best chance to stock up on provisions for my journey inland and across to Westport on the West Coast.

Cycling New Zealand is certainly a challenge but despite its hilly nature, it attracts cyclists from all over the globe and stopping to chat is a common occurrence.

"You've got about 5km of climbing ahead of you, but it's a great downhill after that," is typical of the comments from fellow cyclists you meet on the road.

There seemed no limit to age or nationality; all sharing a great sense of adventure and camaraderie. From Dutch couples, members of the Cross Canada Cycle Tour Society to super-fit German couples towing trailers of gear behind the latest in bicycle technology.

From Westport to Greymouth, SH6 hugs the West Coast as tightly as a pair of Lycra bike shorts. In a series of dramatic switchbacks the road snakes between the white-capped breakers out to sea, and the foothills of the Paparoa Ranges, cloaked in tree ferns and stands of ancient beech, rata and rimu.

After weeks in the saddle, sampling some of the world's most glorious scenery, I was finally within reach of my goal - the Franz Josef Glacier in the World Heritage Westland National Park.

The glaciers, including nearby Fox Glacier, are unique, for nowhere else on earth at this latitude have they advanced so close to the sea. But cycling is not the way to go in this land of ice. It's much better to take the helicopter.

The chopper sounded like a gigantic insect when it whirred in to land, sending a blast of wind towards the small group of waiting travellers. This was the start of my heli-hike and within minutes the helicopter was flying over an immense river of ice that tumbled down a densely forested valley towards the sea. After superb panoramic views of the surrounding snow-capped mountains, we landed high up on top of the glacier between the ice-falls for the start of our two-hour guided trip.

We found ourselves immersed in a surreal landscape, surrounded by the sculptural beauty of ice. Fluted towers, eroded pinnacles, tunnels, pools, crevasses and frozen waves.

Leaning on my ice axe, I took a breather and savoured the view. Back down the glacier's flank, a group of hikers created a snaking ribbon of colour that contrasted vividly against the white of the ice, putting into perspective the immensity of this frozen world. It seemed the perfect moment to reflect on my bicycle journey. Within a month I'd accomplished what I had set out to do: ride from north to south and reach the glaciers by pedal power - a journey of nearly 2000km.

Now all that was left was the bus, ferry and train back to Auckland. The thought left me feeling flat. Already I was yearning to be back in the saddle again, the wind in my face and the constant beauty of this green, mountainous land filling my view.

Case Notes

* Useful contacts

Adventure Cycles, ph (09) 309 5566.

The Guiding Company, ph (03) 752 0047

glacier@voyager.co.nz

* Guidebooks

Lonely Planet's New Zealand.

Pedallers' Paradise by Nigel Rushton has suggested routes with gradients; available from bookshops and cycle shops

NZ Guides