I awake at sunrise to this awesome view just south of Kaiteriteri

Luckily no complaints from the house behind me about that nasty freedom camper

Raumanuka and Motueka Sandspit Scenic Reserve, not even 08:00 in the morning and I’m already cycling!

Motueka Golf Club

Such a beautiful morning, what a fantastic trail

An arty table

And if you turn to your right from where the previous photo was taken you see the Janie Seddon Shipwreck

Motueka is amazing, very hospitable!

Must be good fun sailing here

This is cool too! The Motueka Saltwater Baths

A swimming pool – unsupervised, so without those pesky life guards that ruin a visit to any regular pool – right on the beach! What an awesome idea

This is the hardest part of the trail today, it just keeps going up, sometimes quite steep

They even warn you that it’s Grade 3 here

And me

Luckily at the highest point there’s a shaded rest area

Blistering Bollocks and Bouncy Bits, LOL

Funny letterbox

Art along the Aporo Rd

And the Jester House, I’ve been here before

It’s quite quiet on the trail so far

Ruby Bay

People enjoying the water

Shouldn’t be too long to Māpua now, I can’t wait as I haven’t had any breakfast yet but have covered 39 km already

This reminded me of some album cover but I forgot which one. Something with Bob Dylan?

First a very unflattering photo of me eating an ice cream

Yes! Māpua, a chance to get some food. What a lovely place this is!

Mains! Fries and burger, of course with a healthy dose of aoli

After I finished my burger I checked my watch and noticed I had exactly 1 minute to make it to the ferry, luckily I made it in the nick of time

The ferry pretty much turns 180 degrees and there’s the destination already: Rabbit Island

The entire crossing took maybe 3 minutes?

Lovely smell of pines here

The (only) road out of Rabbit Island (it’s closed off at night)

Birds near Rabbit Island Bridge

This is all part of the Waimea Inlet

And the trail meanders through it

Back in Nelson

“Enjoy the Ride”, thanks, I definitely did

Anzac Park

Kinetic sculpture by Phil Price, I’m normally not a fan of art but this thing (that is constantly moving) I like

And I’m back at the start/finish! I’ve made it. Woohoo! I did 77 km today, making it a total of 224 km that I cycled in 3 days!

Map of today

Day 2 of the Great Taste Trail, it’s a tough start, it’s only going up, up and more up and the sun is shining like crazy

The Baton River Swing Bridge, on the sign it says ‘LUBLOW’S LEAP’

The Baton River

In hindsight (but that’s always easy) I could have gone on for longer yesterday and made it to here, just on the other side off the bridge, there’s a toilet and the place is awesome for camping!

But it turns out it’s a purpose-built place for cyclists on the trail to be able to have a rest, read information about the area, have a cold drink, there’s tea and coffee, there will be ice cream and the likes of oat bars, and an honesty box to pay for it

Just a little further when I get to Batton Valley Rd I come across this place which at first glance looks like a double garage

This is Mrs. Lublow, her family owns this area of land and she’s the ‘Trail Angel‘ that got this place made, mad props to her!

This place opened just today! I am the second customer and test the option to pay for a drink with EFTPOS. It worked. So I had another drink. Soooo thirsty!

The trail continues, a sheep farm

I think it’s really beautiful here

You could even land a glider here

Phew, some shade, I forgot to bring sunscreen so I have a little break here

Now cycling towards Riwaka, there’ll be thermals up that mountain

More cycling through the woods

If they’re not grapes, would you still call this a vineyard?

The Motueka River

Darn, they don’t take EFTPOS! Pity for them, I would have bought at least two bottles of sparking juice

The cool sea breeze that I definitely feel here is causing pain in my neck, at least it’s all going downhill so I’m making good time

Swimming in the river, looks inviting but alas, I didn’t bring any togs

Little bridge over the Riuwaka River, I’m now very close to Kaiteriteri, today’s endpoint

Yay! The Tasman Bay

So beautiful here

So close to Kaiteriteri and then they send you up in their mountain bike park, another climb!

Yes, yes, I love Kaiteriteri but this climb so close to it is a bit too much tbh

Oh well, at least I get to enjoy the view

Kaiteriteri! Made it!

Because I’m worth it!

I have been here with Jasper in 2018 as well

I prepared my dinner here so I wouldn’t have to do any cooking once I finally found a camping spot, which might take some time because freedom camping…

But I found one in the end and it’s a beauty!

Map of today, another 66 km!

Towers Bay

With its famous Split Apple Rock

Continuing north

Torrent Bay

Sandfly Bay

Falls River

And again

At the southern end of Frenchman Bay

This as well

Around the corner should be the Totara Rocks

Ah, yes, there they are

Torrent Bay again

Beautiful little beach just north of Ballon Rock

Ain’t she a beaut?

It’s so pretty here

The whiteness is almost blinding to the eye

Continuing our way south

Torrent Bay Estuary

Still in the Torrent Bay Estuary

We paddled as far as we could towards Cleopatra’s Pool, which is pretty much here at this foot bridge

A less than 10 minute walk takes us to Cleopatra’s Pool

Not very busy here today

At the western end of the beach at the Anchorage

That man has been following me all day

Abel Tasman, so beautiful it had to be named after a Dutchman

Our next stop is Adele Island

Nice eh?

I need a yacht!

But for now the kayak will do

A map of today’s trip, starting in Kaiteriteri, then a water taxi to Bark Bay and kayaking back to Kaiteriteri

Kaiteriteri has a great mountain bike park

I love shady ladies!

Glyn’s ‘mountain’ bike

Looking back at Kaiteriteri

The Pethybridge Rose Garden

THE best wicked camper around, although a bit offensive, to ET that is

Kaiteriteri

Little Kaiteriteri