Biking in Paradise
Cowboy Paradise!
It has a certain allure about it.
That is where Jim and I were headed when we biked the West Coast Wilderness Trail, one of New Zealand’s 22 Great Rides. The 22 trails differ in difficulty and scenery but they all have a few things in common – off-road when possible, accommodations and food along the way, and plenty of info and support services.
The West Coast Wilderness Trail is on the west (a.k.a. wet) coast of the South Island of NZ. Normally a 4-day ride, it hugs the coastal highway on the first and last day. We were more interested in the middle two days. The trail leaves the coast and quickly heads uphill through wetlands, into a dense rainforest, past glacial rivers and lakes, and back down again. For us, these two days were the fun part!
The track – New Zealand speak for trail – was originally created by miners during the West Coast Gold Rush in the 1860s. Now, tourism supports the constant need for repairing the ruts and wash-outs on the trail. No doubt, since the area gets roughly 118” of rain annually.
Jim and I avoided the rain but not the effort, going uphill for the entire first day. The grade wasn’t too steep and it gave us a chance to enjoy the scenery.
Our destination, Cowboy Paradise, is the culmination of one man’s dream. It is a dirt “street” in the middle of a forest that is straight out of the American Wild West, complete with saloon/restaurant with swinging doors and a shooting gallery. Considering there were only 4 guests including Jim and myself, it seems like the bad guys had already run everyone else out of town
After a good night’s sleep, we were rewarded with a day of downhill riding. Now this part WAS paradise! After careening (ok, maybe moderately maneuvering) down the forested trail, the vista opened up onto Arahura River valley.
We were immersed in sunshine and nature until we hit the town of Hokitika on the Tasman Sea, riding a total of 72 km over the two days. We were staying in Hokitika for the night, so Jim, ever the gentleman, rode another 28 km to bring the car back so we could continue our journey south in the morning. And while we may have skipped the flat half of the 132-km trail, we did go to Paradise and back!
