Tour Te Waipounamu 2024

I got everything packed up and tried to force down some breakfast but only managed a few mouthfuls which didn’t set me up well for the day. Then it was off to Cape Farewell for the start at first light, not running late for once. Some joking around, photos, and then we were off in a similar fashion to the previous time, a nice cruisey roll out in the bunch during the only part of the route that drafting is allowed. This is until James came to the front and did some roadie pulling until Collingwood, and we looked back to see the bunch had shrunk dramatically. I bumbled my way through the soft sand onto the beach section to Milnthorpe. The thing I’ve noticed with anything that isn’t gravity racing is that it usually involves something requiring cyclocross skills, which I lack.

We rolled along the beach at a chatty pace then back on the road towards Tākaka and the Rameka Track, passing cheering dot watchers along the way. I settled into a rhythm up the Rameka, focusing on getting food and water in, chatting away to other riders. I’d just caught a couple of riders as we made our way through a gate and onto a new logging road. I briefly glanced down and checked that we were still on the GPX track, which seemed close enough. We rolled down for a bit before it became clear that we were moving away from the GPX track and one of the guys asked me if we were going the right way, I replied that I wasn’t sure because the road was new. We all started slowing down to look at maps and then turning around. As we went back through the gate other riders going along the track above us were visible. I was kicking myself for not being more aware, especially during day one, on trails I’ve ridden plenty.

Photo: Mark Watson

The rest of the Rameka went by smoothly. I stopped at the top to fill up water and make a few adjustments to the bike. While stopped, Emma Flukes passed me which was the first time I’d seen her since the start so I quickly hopped back on to catch her. We chatted for a bit, but I found my pace on the flat to be a bit faster so kept moving past. Along and down the Tākaka Hill, then up the Motueka Valley where I managed to move back up in the field a bit, grabbed water at the Baton River and enjoyed the recent addition of a bridge across it. A warm climb up and over to Tapawera followed, and I kept going without stopping for more water.

The roads leading to the pylon climb were uneventful (unlike last time), and when I got to the base I decided it would be good to get a dehy meal ready. I started up the climb and suddenly had no water left in the heat of the day, by the time I reached the top I was feeling the lack of fluids and on the fast roads down the other side missed a few streams. I didn’t fill up until after the Howard Valley turn off, a mistake I knew would have lasting effects. Slow going over the Porika Track and Braeburn Roadd, trying to get food and water levels back up. I was happy to have bits of company from Mark, Sam and Pete (Chucky) as the darkness started setting in. We rolled into Murchison at about 9:30pm. A quick stop there for night prep: lights and layers on, more water, and getting another dehy ready for later in the night. I could feel myself getting sleepy as I headed up the Mātakitaki Valley so I took a No-Doz caffeine pill which did the trick and I kept pushing.

After a while I could see a light gaining on me from behind and eventually Lewis pulled alongside. We’d leapfrogged each other a bit that day so it was great to have someone to chat to, and motivation to pick up my pace. He climbed much faster than me so I backed it off on the Maruia Saddle ascent and focused on getting some food in where I could. Before I knew it I was riding along the farm tracks of Dredgeville and could see a tail light ahead. I came across a paddock and found Lewis coming back towards me looking for the trail, which we found after a bit of searching. Some bog and creek crossings followed, then got spat back out on the road leading into Springs Junction as it started raining. We were both aiming to get to the shelter at Marble Hill that night so after a quick toilet stop at Springs it was back on the bike, arriving at the shelter not long after 3am. A look at the tracking showed that we’d covered over 350 km and were sitting in 3rd due to other riders stopping earlier, so despite my challenges during the day I was happy with my progress. Alarms were set and I fell asleep instantly on the cold hard paved floor.

I woke up to Lewis taking off at about 5:30am. I had planned on getting an extra half an hour of sleep but was wide awake and the ground was too cold, so slowly got packed up and rolled out. I developed a chesty cough from the chill overnight and this slowed my progress and brought my mood down as I climbed up the Lewis Pass. I rolled down the other side getting some cold porridge in me. I was happy about the lack of traffic. I came into the Boyle to get my resupply box and chatted with the other riders getting theirs, making my stop as quick as possible.

Back on the road until Windy Point, then turned off onto the Hope Kiwi Track. I was delighted to find that the swing bridge had been replaced, making for a much easier crossing. I then struggled up the next little climb with my overloaded bike, a reminder of what was to come. Myles flew past me as I walked up a steeper bit, something that would become a theme for the race. I tried to keep momentum along the track, and really enjoyed the technical sections once again, but feeling like I was moving too slow and losing time.

My big aim was to make it over the Dampier Range in daylight and I could feel that slipping away from me as it got later into the afternoon. I finally hit the base of the climb at 8:30pm, chucked my bike on my back and kept moving to get as far up as I could before it got dark. This was one of my favourite moments, climbing in the setting sun, with views out over the valley, seeing other riders' lights moving along the farm roads. I kept going until it was too dark to see and then spent a while prepping for the rest of the night while eating a meal.

I’d spent all day with wet feet, and after my foot issues from the previous TTW I’d tried to be more proactive about caring for them - spending time riding in just shoes to dry my socks and applying a powder to my feet when I put my dry socks back on. Feeling ready to attack the rest of the night I got back to it and made it to the top fairly efficiently, where I annoyingly discovered I’d got my period, something that would make the next 12 hours more painful and hygiene harder. This derailed my night a bit and I spent ages making my way along to the descent. Part way along this section Phill came past me and I tried to keep up but kept tripping over my own feet.

Finally making it to the descent, I was stoked as it was one of my favourite parts last time. However it wasn’t quite so fun at 3am, and I was happy to make it down to Andersons Hut by half past, arriving to the grass outside littered with bodies in orange bivvy bags. Being careful not to walk on anyone I did a quick lap looking for the door, which turned out to be right next to where I’d lent my bike. I peered inside to find the lower bunk free, big score. Into my sleeping bag and set my alarm for 5:30am, and then struggled to get to sleep thinking about the chance of rats. I must have dozed off though because I woke up when Myles vacated the bunk above soon after. We chatted briefly and I felt so awake that I nearly got up to join him, instead made the smart decision to go back to sleep until my alarm went off.

Another slow start, I struggled to get warm, my cough was back and my bum was not stoked at getting back on a seat. Some chilly river crossings to start off as I headed down the valley through Mt White Station. After a while Andy caught up to me and we rode together on and off until Andrews Shelter where he stopped for a break. I kept trucking along towards Craigieburn, super excited for the beech forest trails. Andy caught back up on the first climbing track and once again I enjoyed his company, until I started overheating and had to slow things down drastically. I was drinking heaps of water but I think the lack of wind in the beech trees combined with too little sleep was getting to me. I walked most of the uphills but still had a blast doing skids on the downs. I found relief with some wind once out of the trees, until I made it out of Castle Hill Village and hit a block headwind as I turned onto the main road.

Methven suddenly felt very far away and I had my first cry for the race. I had started to get a bleeding nose during the afternoon and this all combined to make me a wrecked mess for the next few hours, on top of which I developed knee pain not long after. I eventually rolled into Methven having composed myself and did a resupply shop, buying enough food so that I would be able to get through to Otematata, aiming to be heading through Tekapo around midnight the following day when nothing would be open. I saw that one of my best mates, Seamus (Big Shaz) wasn’t too far behind. In need of a hug and a familiar face, I managed to faff around until he got in. He was having similar knee issues so, although I felt like having a cry about my day, I had a fairly upbeat chat, quick hug and then rolled out by myself.

The knee pain had become pretty constant by now, on the long flat roads of the Canterbury Plains, and I didn’t last very long before I broke down again as the darkness set in. At least I’m pretty well practised at crying whilst riding so I continued along slowly. I spent a while like this before I dug myself out of the hole enough to call my parents who distracted me for the next two hours, with Dad giving me a run down on what the other racers were up to. They went off to sleep and I was back alone but feeling much better, mentally at least. I spent a while zig zagging around on the Ferry Road section, with the river bed in the dark making navigation harder. It had started raining but knowing that I was getting close to Peel Forest - my planned park up for the night - kept the spirits high. I rolled into the Peel Forest area unsure of where shelter was and after some looking found the locked up campground kitchen and set up on the gravel under an eave at 2am-ish. I decided to try more sleep this time, aiming to get up as the sun rose, setting my alarm for 3.5 hours later.

I woke up more groggy than previous days and again took a while to get moving. Noticing Mark waking up on the other end of the building provided a wee kickstart. I started up the valley, gingerly testing my knee, still noticeably sore but not as bad as the previous night. I’d rehydrated some porridge that I intended to eat on the roads leading to Mesopotamia Station, but first I needed to polish off the chips I’d been eating from my top tube bag the previous night, before I could put the porridge in it. I was also warming up wearing lots of layers, but wanted to just do one stop to sort everything - an extra incentive to get the chips eaten so I could be at a more comfortable temperature. In the end I was nearly at the base of the station before I finished the chips and opted to wait until the stream at the bottom to get all my admin done. Once at the stream I filled up my water, took off extra layers, had a quick wash of myself and my chamois, opting to wear just baggies for the rest of the day, and swapped some food around for easy access.

I started up the climbs, walking anything steep kept my knee happier so I focused on moving forward and eating my porridge. After a while Mark caught up and we rode/walked together until partway through the Bullock Bow descent where my feet got incredibly painful and I stopped a few times. Once I reached the traverse to Royal Hut, I decided to take my shoes and socks off and let my feet air out as I walked along the dusty trail. Phill passed me too and we had a laugh about it. I put shoes back on when I reached Royal Hut mid afternoon, opting to leave my socks off to keep dry as I began the hike-a-bike up to Stag Saddle, crossing the creek multiple times. I was struggling with the weight of my bike on my back, it wasn’t sitting right on my backpack. I later realised this was due to the heap of food in the frame bag but at the time I’d hit a mid afternoon low and wasn’t in a very good mood.

I moved very slowly up the hill, quite a few more tears and bloody noses. I felt rather useless, I wanted to be at the saddle an hour ago. I could also see another racer catching up to me which didn’t help things, until they got closer and I recognised Mojo’s orange bike. I’d made it to the saddle at 7ish and was putting on layers and sorting my feet when he caught up. We had a quick chat before he got on the phone to book accommodation in Tekapo and I kept trucking.

Somewhere along here I realised that my dropper post was getting spongy and wouldn’t stay up, this caused a quick panic and then I remembered that I can just put the dropper down and bring the whole post up, which I did after the descent down Snake Ridge. A far more enjoyable ride in the daylight, although being conscious of punctures I kept it smooth and chill. Mojo caught back up on the flat matagouri filled sections along Camp Stream, and we caught Matt and Slo-mo (Evan) on the climb out of the stream. I recognised this as being where I’d 'slept' the previous time and showed how far ahead I was from then, it was only just getting dark.

Lights were put on and we rode as a group through the rest of the trail and out onto the gravel road leading into Tekapo. I remember seeing what I thought was a burnt out car ahead on the side of the trail and pointing it out to the guys, "I think that’s just a rock" was the answer, we got closer and yes just a rock. My light battery went flat along the gravel road so I stopped to change it and that was the end of my company for the night. I rolled into Tekapo at about 1am, did some quick water filling then got back on my way along the Canal roads, stuffing my face with food to stay awake. New for this year was a section of farm tracks between this and Lake Pukaki. Some of the nav wasn’t super clear and I spent a bit of time wandering in circles in the rain trying to figure out where I was meant to be heading. I was happy to get down to Pukaki at about 3:30am, knowing that there was a toilet a bit further along where I could get out of the rain for a few hours sleep. I was happy to find it empty (I think most of the toilets along this area were used by TTW riders that night) and was asleep by 4am with my alarm set for 6am.

My alarm went off and as I started getting ready I was surprised to get a knock on the door, "Hi is there someone in there? I’m here to clean the toilet", I replied that I’d be a few minutes and he said no rush, he’d come back. It still got me moving rather fast. I packed up and was out of there quick as, very handy. I bounced my way along the river road, not my most enjoyed part of the route but definitely not the worst, and into the Black Forest section. I was thankful for some steeper climbs to justify walking which kept my knee happy, while munching on dehy rice with tuna for lunch.

Up and over to Otematata, arriving early afternoon and parked up outside the convenience store, proceeding to spread out gear and food on the footpath next to my bike. Bought some snacks and got electronics charged briefly. Mark rolled in while I was sitting on the ground enjoying an ice block and packing my bike, followed by Lewis as I was nearly ready to leave. Lewis was bouncing around with heaps of energy saying how great he felt after a 7 hour sleep. I was a bit jealous but the energy was infectious and I got moving before the guys. As I climbed up through the station I could see Lewis charging up the road below and I did my best to keep a good pace up to stay ahead, not for very long though and he caught me as we dropped down to the river. We rode at a similar pace, and had a brief chat, until we started up the steep hike-a-bike climb up from the river, which he practically ran up and dropped me like a stone. This was the last time I saw him until the finish. He went on to claim 3rd place which was super cool!

Photo: Wendy Riach

Photo: Peter Maindonald

I trooped along at my own pace, really appreciating seeing this scenery in the daylight, big hills for miles, and took note of the two huts passed along the way that I’d skipped sleeping in back in ‘22. As I walked my way up the aptly named Walking Spur, Myles came powering past on his bike, exchanged a few words and then kept smashing along. I reached the top as dark set in so I stopped to put lights and layers on before the descent. Mark caught up to me as I fumbled down a loose rocky section with my seat still up, he flew past with a lot more confidence than I had, so I took the time to get my allen key out and put my seat down, feeling more at home on the remaining downhill, and made my way into the valley and to Oturehua.

I headed for the domain where I knew there was water and prepped for the next 5 or so hours until I planned to stop for a sleep. I saw Kurt zip past and got back on my way, having a quick chat with Mark and Matt before I got onto the Otago Rail Trail. Chasing down Kurt’s flashing rear light, I felt like I was gradually gaining, until the knee pain got so bad I just had to slow down. The decreased intensity resulted in my eyes getting heavy, so after trying to keep them awake for a while, I pulled over into the grass to try a 'caffeine nap'. Mark had explained this concept earlier in the race, taking a caffeine pill then having a 10 minute nap to wake up feeling fresh. This worked a treat, for the sleepiness anyway, I sat having a wee cry about my knee before I got back on my way, very slowly. I don’t think I actually stopped crying, but needed to keep moving. I spied Myles sleeping in a bus stop further down the road. By now I’d come to the (silly) conclusion that I was going to have to walk up every hill due to the knee pain, so it would be best to just not sleep to save time. Eventually I got to the start of the climb to Poolburn Reservoir, a very gradual climb but I got off and walked. And decided to save light battery so turned them off, and just walked along sobbing in the dark. I felt like I’d screwed things up so bad, but I was too close to the end to stop. So I just kept walking.

I started getting sleepy and crawled into the tussocks for a broken 30 minute nap at about 5am, getting back on my way feeling a little more focused and able to pedal on the flat bits. Some heavy rain showers came through not long after, as I made my way towards Lake Onslow, on the seemingly never-ending farm tracks. Once at the lake I filled up water from a stream and walked up the climb to Mt Teviot, where I came into phone reception and checked the tracking to see that I wasn’t too far behind Mark who had passed me during one of my naps, with Myles and Chucky a few hours behind me. I had a quick chat to Dad and he gave me some encouragement that I was still moving okay and to keep pushing. I knew I’d need time to charge my lights in Lawrence, on the other side of the Lammerlaw Range, which was incentive to get over the tops quickly.

My knee pain had become manageable, or maybe I was so tired I didn’t notice. The wind and rain set in, getting colder as I climbed, a mixture of riding and pushing my bike through the slop. The rain slowly morphed into sleet and then snow, whipped into my face. I was warm enough but didn’t want to be up there for any longer than necessary. So I made it up and over through the storm, which eased off as I rolled down the other side into the pine forest a few hours later. Without the excitement of the weather keeping me alert, my brain repeatedly decided to stop, and while standing over my bike I’d nod off, waking up as my head jolted down, then continue on my way. I also was seeing the trees move as people and animals/ This race was my first proper time hallucinating and it was a pretty wild experience. I’ve never pushed that deep into sleep deprivation before, and I still had over 12 hours to go!

Eventually I rolled into Lawrence, sometime after 6pm, hunting down a spare power socket to get lights charged. Once I’d plugged them in at the pub, my next task was to stock up with snacks (mostly lollies) from the Night ‘n Day to get me through the night, and attempt to revive my mud coated chain. Once this was done and I was just waiting for my lights to charge I found a sunny spot for a sleep and set my alarm for 30 minutes. And proceeded to feel more wide awake than the rest of the day. I knew it wouldn’t last for the night but there was nothing I could do to fall asleep. I still lay there until my alarm went off, then collected my lights and headed out of town, chatting to Chucky and Myles on the way past who were refuelling, getting underway hoping to stay ahead of them for as long as I could.

Riding into the evening light was pretty special and I reflected on the journey so far, shedding a few tears. And then I found myself riding towards a sheep standing in the middle of the road, staring at me and not moving. So I rode to the left and it finally moved, in the same direction. I managed to avoid a collision but it was a good reminder that the race wasn’t over yet.

Darkness arrived and after a while, Myles caught up to me and chatted briefly before he powered on ahead. Some more solo Ks pass and Chucky caught up, going at a manageable pace for me so we rode together for a while. The company was keeping us alert and awake, until my knee got worse with the faster climbing (he was on a singlespeed). We said our goodbyes in Clinton. Within an hour I was finding it hard to stay awake and thinking about a quick nap when I heard a ticking to my left. An electric fence. One of the best stories to come out of TTW ‘22 was 2nd place getter Bruce using an electric fence to keep himself awake, multiple times. I’d always been curious but it wouldn’t be something that I’d do in a fully alert state, so now was perfect timing. I did a quick look over the paddock to check that it was just sheep, then grabbed hold. I felt the jolt go through my body and felt wide awake, perfect. I continued on my way but the fresh feeling didn’t last for as long as I’d hoped, within the next hour I was dozing off again, and with no electric fences in sight, it was time for a quick caffeine nap. By now it was about midnight. I took 10 minutes and got back on the road, feeling like I was humming along the gravel.

I made it to 4am before needing another nap, this time a quick 5 minutes. I continued along for the next hour and a half, a blur of hallucinations and nodding off, lacking the awareness to stop and have another nap. I don’t know how far I moved in this time, but at around 5:30 it started getting light and I came to my senses. I had 30 km left, meaning that if I was to make it by 7am (giving me a sub-6 day race finish) I better get a wriggle on.

I felt wide awake and ready to go, getting low leaning on my bars and mashing at the pedals. All thought of preventing knee pain was gone and I tried to block it out. Counting down the Ks and minutes, the main thing on my mind was the final climb and how much it would slow me down. I finally turned into Slope Point Road with 20 minutes to go, over the first few small rises and aero-tucked into the base of the final climb. Pain shot through my knees and I yelled as I looked up at the climb in front of me. I nearly gave up, but I started visualising each minute ahead of me and reached the top at 5 to 7. I tucked in and sped down the other side, across the carpark and through the gate, my quickest gate open/close of the race. Bumped my way over the paddocks doing my best sprint, glancing down watching the time tick down. I pulled up at the little yellow sign at 6:59am and relief washed over me. Brian, Bryan and Rob were there to greet me with a wee bottle of champagne to spray, which I was too tired to do properly. A fitting end.

Photo: Bryan Prestidge

Bundled into the ute and back to Slope Point Accommodation (now affectionately known as the TTW ICU). The majority of the finishers were there, in various states. I joined those sitting down for breakfast, but with a bowl of well-deserved ice cream, before tucking into bacon and eggs. Despite my lack of sleep I was still on a high and spent the day chatting and eating (I may have dozed off a few times in the lazy-boy). That night sleep came easily, about 16 hours of it! I enjoyed another day seeing riders arriving and hearing stories, once again a great transition back into 'normal' life before flying home.

Photo: Bryan Prestidge

So what’s next? Well I’ve decided to take another leap into the deep end and head overseas for more, all focus is on the Colorado Trail Race in August.

Huge thanks to everyone for the support once again.