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Bluff or Bust!

  • Tour Aotearoa final update

      15 April 2026

    Hi everyone, we're about to close this page and wanted to say goodbye! Not all of you will know we uploaded short videos to social media during the ride and we have turned these into a playlist on YouTube if you'd like to check out the day by day action. The link to Day 7 is below, and you can find them all here:

    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyUnaJmT9PFNrCJWw-gXyqvogIlJF02hX

    Thanks again for the support, it means a lot.

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  • Day 19 We made it!

      18 March 2026
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    Lumsden to Bluff

    123.97 km

    461 metres climbing

    5 hours 29 mins riding

    A tough final leg with rain to start with as we left Lumsden pre-dawn and then a stiff southerly into Bluff. But we made it. Our final time from Cape Reinga was 18 days 3 hours 54 mins 7 seconds. Distance calculated as 3013 km. We're all happy and taking the rest of the day off! Thanks to everyone who has supported our cause, we have really appreciated your donations and encouragement.

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  • Day 18

      17 March 2026
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    Cromwell to Lumsden via the Nevis

    126.87 km

    2085m climbing

    7 hours 24 mins riding

    Today's journey was up and over NZ's highest legal road. The Nevis is a lefendary high country route that rewards those tough enough to make it up there and down the other side. Owen, Neil and Alan took on the Nevis while Chrissy went the wrong way down the Dunstan Trail to Clyde, then Jude and Chrissy joined the others at Garston for the final leg of the Round the Mountain Trail to Lumsden. One more day to go folks! Thanks so much for the donations, much appreciated.

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  • Day 17

      16 March 2026
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    Makarora to Cromwell

    124.22 km

    1156 metres climbing

    5.41 riding time

    Highlights included seeing the surf break on Hawea river and riding two trails that none of us had been on before. The Upper Clutha and Luggate River trails are on the Tour Aetearoa route for the first time this year, both packed with stunning views of the Clutha and even a tempting white sand beach. And of course we had to get a selfie of the team at Smith's Way before taking the trail along Lake Dunstan to Cromwell. Only two days to go, unbelievable!

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  • Day 16

      15 March 2026
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    Fox to Makarora via Haast Pass

    200.48km

    1928 metres elevation

    8.18 riding time

    No coffee shopsin sight when it was time for a break around the 3 hour mark so we finally got to use the jet boil, very fast to heat the water. Beautiful scenery, lots of rivers, streams and bridges. A lowlight was the moment coming up Haast Pass when Owen's cycle computer screen flashed 15 percent gradient after crossing the bridge at Thunder Falls. Some things you don't need to know. The highlight was coming down from the top of Haast Pass. Team members hit speeds in the 70s. We only climb hills so we can go down them eh.

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  • Day 15

      14 March 2026
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    From south of Hokitika to Fox Glacier

    149.46 km

    1863 metres climbing

    6.34 hours riding

    We had our first glimpse of Aoraki Mt Cook when the sun came up as we rode towards Ross. It was a beautiful day of rain-free riding on the West Coast. A bit of a drag for Neil however, who discovered his back brakes were slightly on for the first 40km and then later the same thing happened with his front brakes. He was wondering why he was feeling so tired. After some roadside mechanics his bike sped up considerably.

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  • Day 14

      14 March 2026
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    West Coast Wilderness Trail from Greymouth to Hokitika and beyond.

    106.08km

    793 metres climbing

    5 hours 34 minutes riding

    In true West Coast style it was raining but it's a pretty good track under those conditions. And we had a tail wind to start with which was most pleasant. It's a great trail, recommended for cyclists or walkers The Relic Fence at Kumara is a treat.. We ended up pretty wet and cold, a perfect excuse for piping hot fish 'n chips when we got off the bikes.

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  • Day 12

      12 March 2026
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    From Murchison +27km to Greymouth via Reefton where the team split and took different routes.

    Owen & Alan via Big River:

    201km, 2576m climbing, 10 hours in the saddle. A knarly track complete with rocks, roots, mud and moss, downed trees... cool but hard out is how Owen described it when they arrived at the campground in Greymouth just on sunset.

    The alternative TA route was down the highway from Reefton to where the Big River track came out. Neil did the whole route 174km 1550 climbing, almost 8 hours riding with Chrissy to Reefton then Jude to Greymouth. Big day all round.

    Hey thanks for the donations to Alzheimers NZ everyone, we're rapt to raised over $2000 so far.

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  • Day 12

      11 March 2026
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    Mapua to Murchison + 27km

    169 km

    2223 m climbing

    8 hours 5 mins riding time

    Had a sleep in so didn't leave until 6.30am for the first leg from Mapua to Tapawera. Riding inland you crest a hill and see the ranges of the west coast laid out in front of you. It's an awesome sight. Check out the tracker to see the route. FYI the sandflies at Lake Rotoroa are thriving. The cafe there has a home made repellent that works pretty well

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  • Day 11

      10 March 2026
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    Picton - Mapua

    127 km

    1772 metres climbing

    6.47 hours in the saddle.

    The consensus tonight is that catching the redeye ferry may not be not such a good idea. We started riding from Picton before 6am after not much sleep and everyone is exhausted tonight. But we survived the Maungatapu Saddle, a steep climb of 7.4 km with up to 20 percent gradient in parts. It gets rougher as you get nearer the top, so most people end up pushing the bike the last 1 or 2 kms. The descent is also tricky and slow with 26% gradient at its steepest. Everyone is glad to have done it but once is enough. The last part of the day was riding a smooth and extremely scenic 35 km bike track around the coast to Mapua.

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  • Day 10

      10 March 2026
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    Masterton to Wellington

    148 kms. 6.53 hours riding. 1100 metres climbing.

    Great to ride the Remutaka Rail Trail up and over the ranges that separate the Wairarapa from Wellington. It's a very rideable incline thanks to the prowess of the early railway engineers. A highlight was a rendezvous at the summit with Jude's friend Leila who had ridden up from the Wellington side with morning tea in her backpack. She boiled the water for coffee and laid out muffins, tinned peaches and her cycling super food, marmite sandwiches. Awesome Leila!

    Rode down the Hutt River Trail in the face of a stiff southerly stronger than forecast as windy Wellington lived up to it's reputation. Took refuge at our cousin Ngaire's house who made us a delicious meal, provided laundry facilities and let Chrissy take over her kitchen to whip up a batch of ginger crunch for the South Island. #BestCousinEver. Catching the Cook Strait ferry at 2am.

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  • Day 9

      8 March 2026
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    Rangiwahia to Masterton

    192 km

    8 hr 40 riding time

    2200 climbing

    Today's highlights included great views of the wind farm south of Ashhurst and a stop at Mary's stall where she's fundraising for a kiwi restoration project by offering hot drink, snacks, and fresh blueberry muffins to TA riders. A stop at Mary's has become a TA tradition, and well supported after 32 km of gravel roads. Good luck with the project Mary.

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  • Day 8

      8 March 2026
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    Matahiwi to Rangiwahia

    153 km

    2300m climbing

    7 hours 20 riding time

    Beautiful early morning ride following the river to Whanganui then up (and down) lots of hills to Hunterville, a tiny bit (thank goodness) of State Highway 1 then a few more uppies to Rangiwahia. Lots of damage evident from the storms a few weeks back with many many huge trees uprooted. Clearly a lot of road clearing has been going on. At Matahiwi cafe and cabins where we stayed last night they've been having scheduled power cuts from 9.00am daily so repair teams can do their work on the river road. Early starts for them to get the days baking done before the power goes off.

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  • Day 7

      8 March 2026
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    Taumaranui to Matahiwi 132 km

    2222m climbing

    8 hours 35 riding not including jet boat ride.

    The first half was on mainly gravel roads (with a few patches of mean corrugations) to Blue Duck Station. Then onto the truly iconic NZ back country Kaiwhakauka and Mangapurua tracks to the Bridge to Nowhere, with lots of swing bridges, single track and history. Can't help but feel for the returned servicemen sent out here to make a go of it and the disappointment the settlers must have felt after years of hard work without getting anywhere and then having to walk away.

    At the end of the track there's two choices, ride back or load the bikes on the jet boat to Pipiriki for a fast blast down the Wanganui River. Another great day.

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  • Day 6

      5 March 2026
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    157 km Mangakino to Taumaranui

    2300m of climbing

    9.5 hours in the saddle

    It was a big day which took us to the centre of the North Island and beyond. A hard ride but stunning, particularly on the Timber Trail which is 80 km of native forest, fresh air, suspension bridges, reflections of the past ... it's a very special place that needs to be protected.

    https://www.timbertrail.nz/

    https://www.fott.org.nz/

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  • Day 5

      4 March 2026
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    168 km from Paeroa to Mangakino.

    A beautiful morning with the moon still in the sky as we rode the cycle trail along the base of Mount Te Aroha, arriving in town as as the clock tower struck 8 am. Then on to Cambridge where Spoken Cycles delivered great service repairing two bikes in about 20 minutes. So nice to have lost that strong headwind, what a relief. Gorgeous scenery all the way to Mangakino.

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  • Day 4

      3 March 2026
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    Auckland to Paeroa, 164km.

    Hey thanks so much for the donations everyone, much appreciated. The cold and fresh southwesterlies made it hard going at times but it's good to have a team so you can draft off those in front and get a bit of relief. On the Hauraki Rail Trail we stopped at the site of Puriri station where our popa Walter Smith worked before he went farming. Our dad was born in a railway cottage here way back in 1931. It's great how the rail trail is keeping the history of the area alive.

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  • Day 3

      2 March 2026
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    132 km from a pre dawn start on the rail trail near Dargaville all the way to Auckland. Beautiful sunrise at the start of the Pouto Peninsula.

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  • Day 2

      1 March 2026

    145km from south of Herekino to about 10 km north of Dargaville with a stop at Opononi and Tane Mahuta. The bros are all riding the whole distance each day, while Chrissy & Jude swap over half way, alternating between riding and driving Neil's ute. A highlight was meeting the Vincent family who hand out chilled water and watermelon to TA riders passing their gate. #BestWatermelonEver

    https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1GFgQFz66z/

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  • Setting off !

      28 February 2026
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    We're on our way. Day 1 was Cape Reinga to just south of Herekino. Thank goodness 90 Mile Beach is not actually 90 miles long. Thanks for the donations and encouraging messages everyone, much appreciated!

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