What a beautiful day. I opened the curtain by our bed and looked out. This first photo is looking out that window.

Looking out the door of the bus.

We headed out of Arrowtown following the Arrow River on the Arrow River trail.

It was a great track, well compacted gravel that undulated.

Fantastic views wherever we looked.

Steamy mist rising from the wet grasses,

The bridges were something else today. They just get it done here!

Looking back on the bridge we had just crossed.

I have bare legs today for the first time this trip. I’m still well rugged up with upper layers…short sleeve body vest, jersey, gilet and jacket.

Tony removed his leg warmers at the bridge, it was already warming up nicely.

Here they built a bridge under the car bridge just for cyclists and walkers.

Another bridge. Edgar bridge is quite long. Another suspension bridge with a fair sway as we both crossed.

Looking back at Edgar.

Kawarau bridge was our first lengthy stop today. It was where the world’s first commercial bungy jumping operations commenced.

Looking down the river.

Customers pay $395 to leap off.

For a silly price still, but a far cheaper alternative, you could just buy this shirt.

More my style, a swing, but still a few hundred dollars.

I did find it interesting to read the history.

The history of bungy jumping is believed to have started on Pentecost Island in Vanuatu.

People would create ropes from vines and launch themselves.

Originally only women jumped. It was an annual fertility ritual held during the yam festival. The Christian missionaries put a stop to it as they were offended by naked women hanging upside down and demanded that only men be permitted.

When AJ Hackett opened this site in 1988, 28 people paid $75 each. Now they get hundreds every day paying $395.

We then followed the Gibbston River trail for far too short a section as they’ve closed most of it off whilst they extend the trail.

We were then on the Gibbston Highway for 22 km. Most of it had a small to reasonable verge but was very busy with lots of traffic.

Behind me you can see a portion of closed trail,

This is where they are cutting through currently. There were excavators, a dynamite storage unit and a lot of work ahead as they cut through the rock.

Part of a gold mining museum site where we stopped for an ice cold iced coffee. We were pretty hot and sweaty.

The Lake Dunstan trail looked promising from the start. We were heading about 4 km beyond Clyde.

Pretty poppies.

Well formed paths and retainers.

Great additions to the bridges.

Undulating.

Great views.

Getting narrower. Many of these bolt on decks are on this trail. Over 400 m I think I read.

Our bike computer had indicated a climb ahead. It turned out to be very gnarly and testing.

No more bolt on decks around cliffs. We headed up via this section.

And up. The couple a few bends down we chatted to at the top. The lady is on an mtb ebike and did not raise a sweat. Her words.

I did raise a sweat. It got narrow, loose and slippery, my wheels spun and the front lifted a few times. I felt scared, so I pushed until the trail got to an incline I felt safer and competent riding.

There were multiple narrow hair pin bends the higher we ascended. Even Tony pushed his bike for a few sections.

Finally the top.

Incredible engineering to prevent a landslide into the Lake, that apparently would cause an internal tsunami wiping out towns lower down and take out the dam at Clyde.

Another Hugo bridge. More climbing.

This trail tested us with two gnarly climbs on our loaded bikes. Mtb e-bikes were the super common bikes up here, and I was glad I did not meet one at the very narrow sections where it is barely wide enough for one bike, as you look left down the drop off.

We arrived in Clyde, and were now below Lake Dunstan.

We grabbed some food at a supermarket and headed to our farm accomodation out of town.

Getting our washing done and hanging it in the sunshine, only to have it soaked when the big sprinklers popped up and drenched it.

Hair dryers and fans going now to dry it all ready for tomorrow.

What a day. 90 km and over 1000 m climbing.

The two gnarly climbs are the two steep spikes at around 65 and 75 km.

We need to do these next week heading back. Something to look forward to 🤪

We are feeling weary tonight. Three solid days climbing in the legs. The next two days are easier climbing wise.

What an amazing set of trails in this region of New Zealand. They set a tough standard for Australia who are years behind.

Tomorrow we hit the Otago trail, another tourism attractor for the region.

Stay tuned, thanks for reading 😊❣️