AhPek Biker - Old Dog Rides Again: Cycling In New Zealand 2018: Day 3

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AhPek Biker - Riding Adventures

Cycling New Zealand 2018: Day 3 - Welcome To Queenstown

New Zealand, North & South Island : Tuesday 23rd October 2018

This is part of a cycling tour North Island & South Island, New Zealand:

Auckland>by Jetstar>Queenstown Airport>Boat Shed Cafe>Sherwood Queenstown.

Cycling Distance: 4.86km. Level: Medium

Cycling Time : 4:00pm to 5:05pm

Time Taken : 1 hr. 5 mins. (inclusive of stops for rest, regrouping, and many photo opps).

This is page 2 of a 9-page blog, Click Here To Go To Title Page.

< Go D1-2 Auckland | Go to Other Days | Go to D4 Wakatipu >

Route Recommendations :

1. Traffic Directions!

Traffic in New Zealand is right-hand drive, so cycle on the left. Same thing applies when crossing the road, take note of the direction in which traffic is approaching from! Do not hog the road, stay within your lane and put on your indicators when turning or changing lanes.

2. Route & Traffic Conditions

The route was fairly flat near the airport and along the Lake Wakatipu Trail. Do note that there are not many road/trail that links this trail to Frankton Road; we had to exit near the Boat Shed Cafe to get to the road which has shared cycling paths. On Frankton Road, the route was undulating with a couple of steep stretches.

By law, all cyclists are required to wear helmets when cycling in New Zealand.

New Zealand has fairly well developed cycling routes that run in the cities, town, villages, and country side. Some of the cycling trails are on dedicated cycling lanes, some on shared lanes with pedestrians or other traffic. Some are on paved tracks while others are on gravel or earth trails, and they go through fairly busy towns, green forests and bright blue lakeside.

The New Zealand Cycle Trail site provides an interactive map of exciting journeys on 2,500km of trails suited to everyone from sightseeing easy-going riders, to hardcore mountain bikers up for a challenge. The Queenstown Trail site provides cycling routes for various levels of rides in Queenstown. New Zealand law requires cyclists to wear helmets while cycling.

3. Navigation

We used Google Maps in Cycling Mode for navigation but there is a lag when starting off, so one would have to cycle a bit to get the orientation right. Google Maps is also useful as it shows various places of interests that were not shown on GPS units.

Alternatively, download the MAPS.ME app together with the relevant country maps. This app can be used offline.

4. Weather

Average temperatures in Queenstown averaged 21°C and 12°C respectively for day and night. There was only a slightly strong winds near the lake.

Useful weather forecast sites for the New Zealand are the New Zealand Met Service and AccuWeather. For more detailed weather, including cloud cover and wind speed, use Weatherspark and Ventusky.

5. Places of Interests

Along the flight and cycling route were several places of interests, some of which we visited others we did not for lack of time. (Note: click on GPS coordinates for directional map to respective places):

- The bird's eye view of the New Zealand's Southern Alps as the plane approached Queenstown. Tip: Sit at the right side section before the plane's wing. It was worthwhile to reserve a seat at NZ$5/- and get a grand-stand view of the Alps.

- Lake Wakatipu (GPS: -45.02931, 168.70128), one with very clear blueish water and the rugged brown/green hills topped with snow at the background.

- The Sugar Lane trails (GPS: -45.01747, 168.71844) which is part of the Frankton & Kevin Peninsula Trail running along Lake Wakatipu.

- The Boat Shed (GPS: -45.02931, 168.70128).

- Sherwood Queenstown vegetable and herb garden (GPS: -45.0242, 168.69652).

6. Food

Lunch: Take-away sandwiches and pastries bought from the Wishbone outlet at Auckland Airport.

Dinner: Western fare at Sherwood's Restaurant that includes lamb meatballs and the famed New Zealand's Green-lipped Mussels. The vegetables and herbs used were freshly plucked from the own garden.

Supper: New Zealand ice-cream from Mrs Ferg Gelateria (GPS: -45.03167, 168.65957).

7. Accomodations

We stayed Sherwood Queenstown (GPS: -45.02377, 168.69611):

Address: 554 Frankton Rd, Queenstown 9348, New Zealand.

Tel.: +64 3-450 1090

Email: reservations@sherwoodqueenstown.nz

Webpage: sherwoodqueenstown.nz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SherwoodQueenstown

8. Travelling By Plane And Bringing Bikes Onto Panes In New Zealand

From Auckland we flew to Queenstown by Jetstar. For best prices register for their Price Watch stating indicative time of travel and destinations, with this we managed to get a return Auckland-Queenstown fare of NZ249 for two pax which included a luggage allowance for our bagged bikes. Depends on the class booked, either no checked-in luggage or limited checked-in luggage are included. We bought tickets with luggage allowance of 20kg per pax. for both our luggage and bagged bikes. Sports equipment measuring no more than one metre on the longest side and not heavier than 32kg. are treated as part of checked in luggage, and as such there is no necessity to purchase a separate sports equipment luggage as long as one's bicycle is bagged and within their dimension and weight guideline.

Tip: Sit at the right side section before the plane's wing. It is worthwhile to reserve a seat at an extra NZ$5/- and get a grand-stand view of the panoramic Southern Alps!

9. Bringing Bikes Onto Buses

The local ORbus serving Queenstown and the Otago Region allows folded bikes on board without being bagged. Click here to see a forum discussion on bringing bikes onto buses. If one travels frequently by bus at the Queenstown locality it would be good to get their GO Cards; the card cost NZ$10 and can be used simultaneously by two persons. They can be purchased from the driver and credit can be bought together and topped up then. With the card fare per pax within the region covered is NZ$2/- per pax, otherwise it's NZ$5/- if paid by cash.

10. Communicating with Each Other

When travelling in a group it's important to be able to communicate with each other, especially if one got lost from the rest. Vodafone prepaid phone cards can be bought at the Vodafone stall located just outside the Arrival Hall. We got ours from a promoter at the shopping arcade within the arrival hall, with each of us getting the prepaid mobile cards at NZ$25 (inclusive of GST) which came with 1.5Gb of data lasting 30 days. Also included were 200 minutes for local calls and calls to selected countries, including Malaysia. This also includes text messages to the selected countries. There's also free chat data when using FaceBook Messenger and WhatsApp.

Most hotels, motels, home-stays, restaurants, and airports have free Wifi; do note that these free wifi may not be secure and registration could be required. But one can safe on one's mobile data by using these especially for uploading or downloading videos.

11. Communicating with Locals

All locals speaks very good English and communicating with them should not be a problem.

12. Service Your Bicycles & Carry Tools and Spares

Before leaving on your tour, it will be good to service your bike and bring along some spares like tubes, puncture patches, brake pads and the relevant tools.

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PRELUDE

The previous two days, we had flown from Kuala Lumpur to Auckland and had arrived to a warm welcome and a good dinner after a long flight. Taking advantage of cheap flight, we just spent one night in the city before flying over to Queenstown in the South Island today; but no worries we will be back for some fun in Auckland in later days.
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THE RIDE

Cycling Route: Auckland>by Jetstar>Queenstown Airport>Boat Shed Cafe>Sherwood.

The route is fairly flat near the airport and along the Lake Wakatipu Trail. Do note that there are not many road/trail that links this trail to Frankton Road; and the exit used was near the Boat Shed Cafe to get to the road which has shared cycling paths. On Frankton Road, the route is undulating with a couple of steep stretches.
Cycling Distance: 4.86km. Level: Medium
(Click here for a Relive of our Queenstown Airport to Sherwood Ride)
(Click here Google Route Map Link)

Just yesterday we had arrived at Auckland and today we are back at Auckland Airport, but this time at the Domestic Terminal. Cuz Koh sent us up to the airport together with our bagged Brompton bikes, we had not even bothered to unload them from his car the previous evening 😜.
I am all excited, as we will be flying over to Queenstown. I had cycled there four years ago and had enjoyed the place thoroughly and was eager to share the experience with Lynne. We met this Māori lady while we were taking over our checked-in bikes to the "OVERSIZED" section. She was most helpful and had a unique long Māori name. Thank you miss, sorry I can't recall your name - the old man is not very good at names, and worst still is getting more forgetful.
Short of time we dropped into the Wishbone outlet at the departure hall to get some take-away sandwiches and pastries for our lunch later.

1:15am - and we are off! Okay, okay.... this photo is not the Jetstar plane that we took but a similar plane of Air New Zealand. I am showing this as I like their plane colours with a fern leaf at the rear and a Māori Koru as the airline's logo on the tail. The silver fern leaf is used in many of the country's products, signages and posters; like how the Kiwi bird, the national bird of the country, it is used as an icon of the country. The Koru is a highly stylized representation of a fern frond unfolding, and signifies new life, growth and strength and peace. The Koru is an integral symbol in Māori art, carving and tattoos. The symbol was used on the prows of the early Polynesian canoes that sailed the Pacific with its many islands.

As we took off and headed for the Manukau Heads, I glanced down to the sea below and was astonished by the sight I saw. Although the sea is not very deep here, I could literally see the bottom of it. The water is so clear!
Now one can appreciate why I am feeling excited like a little boy, but ahead will be more beautiful sights for us to behold.

An hour and half later as we neared Queenstown, the plane banked port-wards (i.e. meaning left in maritime and aviation terms) and headed inland away from the sea I could see snow capped mountains with fluffy clouds floating above them. The mountains of which were a dark green and thus accentuate the whiteness of the snow.

More and more snow-capped mountains appear, this time they were taller and the clouds nestled in their valley. This are the famed New Zealand's Southern Alps.
The Southern Alps (Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) is a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand's South Island. The Southern Alps run approximately 500 km northeast to southwest. Its tallest peak is Mount Cook (Aoraki), the highest point in New Zealand at 3,724 metres (12,218 ft). Major crossings of the Southern Alps in the New Zealand road network include the famed Arthur's Pass, with it's world renowned, scenic Trans Alpine Railroad.

Tip: Sit at the right side section before the plane's wing. It was worthwhile to reserve a seat at an extra NZ$5/- and get a grand-stand view of the Alps!

We flew comfortably over the mountains and from high above I spotted two lakes; these must be Lake Wanaka and Lake Hāwea, their waters an interesting bright blue.

My eyes gazed upwards and were by the multitude of faraway mountains that seemed to form a spine across South Island. Nearer us the lower mountains were not snow-capped and had a brownish hue; and in between them were blue lakes and rivers bordered with bright green farmland and forests.

As we descended to land, I could see the Frankton Arm of Lake Wakatipu, seemingly creeping in between the hills. I will be staying somewhere there, and this view has got me even more excited on what the following days will hold for us.

As we approached Queenstown Airport, a river light blue and striped with white cascading waters appeared cutting through the green of the farmland and forests. This is the Kawarau River, it drains Lake Wakatipu and flows generally eastwards for about 60 kilometres and passes through the steep Kawarau Gorge until it joins Lake Dunstan near Cromwell. With many rapids and strong currents, the river can be dangerous and has claimed many lives. It is also popular for bungy jumping, white-water rafting and kayaking. Unbeknownst to us, days later we would make friends with the Kawarau River.

3:10pm - We landed at at the arrival hall saw this poster of the TSS Earnslaw serenely sailing on Lake Wakatipu. This steamship runs a cruise along the lake, sailing from Queenstown to Walters Peak and back. I had a good experience on this cruise during my previous trip here, and hope to emulate it together with my wife.... something like a honeymoon cruise 😍😍😍.

We quickly unpacked our bikes and we ready to roll off. Our clothes for the four nights stay here were packed into a Brompton C-bag and a small back-pack. Lynn was also using a Brompton Mini O, which we would later use for short day trips. Tied to our rear racks were the Dimpa bags and Impra Boards which we had used for packing our bikes for the air flights.
Look at our smiles, even though it would just be a short ride to our hotel ....
WE ARE READY & EAGER TO GO!
LET'S RIDE!!!

Just out of the airport and we were onto the Queenstown Cycling Trail which ran across green corridors fronting residential areas. The weather was a comfortable 16°C with a slow breeze blowing in, Lynne was definitely loving cycling here!

Wanting to ride at the Lake Wakatipu Ride Trail, we veered away from the trail and headed down Gray Street ..... and then stopped! From here was a Lynne's first view of Lake Wakatipu. And taken in by the beauty of the place, we would be stopping ever so often - our five kilometer ride would eventually take us an hour... Hahaha.... no worries, just go at our own pace and enjoy the place.

Me and the mountains and the lake!

Lynn next to a tree with small white flower, look like a winter scene, yah?

Much as we wanted to stay along the lakeside, we couldn't. I was using Google Maps in Cycling Mode, and it directed us to exit the trail at the Boat Shed Cafe and to ride along Frankton Road. Except for a some short stretches, there are shared cycling lanes here. But unlike the lakeside trail which was fairly flat and shady, the path here was un-shaded and there were a couple of steep stretches. We took this in stride and when it became to steep, we just came down to push.

Sherwood Queenstown, our hotel was in sight. The chalets looked like houses in Austria and we felt like breaking into a dance and song ala the Sound of Music. Sitting nestled in a hillside, it has a good view of Lake Wakatipu. But why the name Sherwood, I wondered? Does it mean those staying here are like Robin Hood and His Merrie Men - free-spirited, without a care for the moment, and to just relax and take in the ambiance?

Our room was one among a cluster of four at the eastern corner of the hotel, these were set away from the bulk of the main rooms.

Here's our room, cozy with a small sitting area; the music was turned on and on the table was a short personal welcome note from the hotel. It's small touches like this that warm us up to the country.
Set on a small nook of the of the hotel grounds; the view of the lake from the room was a bit obstructed ..... but wait ....

.... the rooms faced a little garden with a bustling brook running down it's slope. It was a private space that we were to enjoy in following days, just sitting there admiring the colourful flowers and listening to water as it babbled downwards.
Too bad it was cold at night, otherwise we would have left the doors opened and let the brook sing it's trickling song to lull us to sleep.

The first thing we did after checking in... just relax and taking in the cool ambiance, sitting on a rock among the green lawn dotted with small white and yellow flowers.

Our bikes rested too!

7:00pm - After a suitable amount of "resting", it was down to the hotel's restaurant for dinner. I saw Chef Ben at the open kitchen, busy cooking up a storm with gusto, and took some photos of him close up... and we became buddies just like that.
From the menu we ordered, (seen above, from L to R):
- Lamb meatballs cooked with kefir cream and rainbow chard.
- Green-lipped mussels steamed with ginger, butter and Riesling wine.
- Poached broccoli with salad oil dressing.
The lamb meatballs were easy to bite into and with each bite the aroma of New Zealand lamb whiffed out strongly. The broccoli was poached just nicely, soft and yet crunchy.

The mussels were our favourite, very fresh and had exuded their essence into the ginger-butter-Riesling sauce.

The mussels were relatively large, and look at that fresh, creamy flesh within!
!YummY!

9:00pm - Seeing that it was early, we took a bus to go to Downtown Queenstown. Taking a bus is easy, one hop on to the local ORbus serving Queenstown and the Otago Region and get their GO Cards on board from the driver. The card cost NZ$10 each and can be used simultaneously by two persons. With the card fare per pax within the region covered is NZ$2/- per pax, otherwise it's NZ$5/- if paid by cash.
To us it was early but for many it was already bedtime; the streets at the town centre was almost empty of people; almost all of the shops were already closed or were closing. So if one wants to enjoy the night street life here, come before 9:00pm!

But we are not going to let the closed shops dampen our spirits; might as well do some window shopping and get ready for some other day's actual shopping.

And don't despair; at this hour there were still some shops opened like Fergurger which is opened almost twenty-four hours (from 8am to 5am). Fergbaker which sell sandwiches and pastries are opened from 6:30am to 4:30am. And pretty Mrs Ferg's Gelateria are opened from 6am to 4am. The Ferg family sure know how to cater to the tourists!

As we already had a wonderful dinner, we decided to leave Fergburger for another day; instead we popped into Mrs Ferg Gelateria to get some ice-cream for ourselves. The ice-cream here are very good, really creamy and they do have a wide choice. Price-wise, they were relatively okay, Two flavours were priced at NZ$6.90, bearing in mind that their scoops were larger than usual.

One final thing to do before popping onto the bus home; take a walk with the zebras crossing the Zebra Crossing 😎😎😎.

GOOD NIGHT!

It's been a short but good introduction to Queenstown; tomorrow's cool weather will bring us some surprises!

Click here for a Relive of our Queenstown Airport to Sherwood Ride

(For more photos of the day Click Here)