Quick ride through the Molesworth and Rainbow

[Frodo]

Here are a few pictures from my ride through the Molesworth and Rainbow over the Easter weekend. Sure lots of KB'ers have done this, but I still reckon its one of the best rides in the country!

First step is to tie the bike onto the ferry. Met an old friend John who was making very sure his Laverda wasn't going to fall off its centrestand!

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Down Highway 1, through Blenheim, up the Awatere Valley Rd and into the gravel.

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It gets drier the further up the valley you ride. The yellowing poplars contrasting with the milky blue river and deep blue sky.

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And then around a blind corner, every riders' nightmare. A rental driven by tourists on the wrong side of the road. Luckily a vehicle had collected it shortly before I came around the corner.
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[Jantar]

Keep them coming. :yes:

[Frodo]

And then the sign for Molesworth. Must be getting close

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Molesworth was a green oasis surrounded by parched hills.

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My campsite for the night. Only a 4WD, two campervans and a cyclist there.

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Brooding sunset over the golden willows.

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My campsite under the stars and the rising Moon.

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I left the next morning under cloudy skies.

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[Transalper]

Did they re open the Molesworth for Easter?
It was closed on 12th March due to fire risk... or did they just forget to lock the gate?

[Frodo]

Up to Ward Pass. When I was here in New Years Day 2007, it snowed! No worries about that in the 28 degrees heat today!.

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The ride across Isolated Flat should have been a blast, but the bl**dy corrugations were truly awful.

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Lucky for me there was a lone cyclist who took this photo of me. Made me appreciate my bike compared to a bicycle on those roads.

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Down to Hamner for a latte and lunch and some fuel, then back north along the Clarence towards the Rainbow.

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It got really dry and hot further north.

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I had planned to camp beside Lake Tennyson, but a friendly couple ( bike riders, of course) in a 4WD, pointed to the couple of tents and said they reckon they'd be blown down the valley before sunrise. The recommended I camp further north near Lake Sedgemere.

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[Frodo]

Did they re open the Molesworth for Easter?
It was closed on 12th March due to fire risk... or did they just forget to lock the gate?

It was closed but the rain was sufficient to open it up again. Its closed now, though.

[Transalper]

Didn't think they'd had that much rain, was told by several people about the closure but no one posted on KB of it's re opening.
Looks like you had a good trip. Yes, season is officially over now no matter the weather/risks... boo.
I'm hanging out to see ya Rainbow pics.

[Frodo]

So I rode north over Island Saddle, which apparently is the highest publicly accessible road in NZ - 1370m or something like that.

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The view from the top, looking back down the valley was amazing.

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Over the other side you get into some BIG country! I continued up a bit further and took a look at Lake Sedgemere. There was a DOC hut (6 bunks) not far off the road. I rode up to the lake, which is identified as a specially protected area due to its wetlands. A brisk wind had picked up and so I thought it best to do the right thing and sleep in the hut. A couple of sisters in their 60's were in the hut and had the fire stoked up. They grew up on Rainbow Station in the 1950s and were making a trip back down Memory Lane. Fascinating hearing the stories about the old days.

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I woke at 4 am to the sound of rain, which continued through to breakfast. The Rainbow sisters reckoned the rain would set in and I should leave before the fords got up. So after sharing my chocolate Easter rabbit, I headed off into the light rain.

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The rain eased off as I got closer to the mountains. The road was muddy in places but fine on my dual purpose tyres. There were a couple of first gear, tight sections. Not something I'd take the Corolla through, but the Pegaso was fine.

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The ride through Hell's Gate and along the Gorge was a real highlight of the ride.
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[Aslan]

Nice report Bob - envious of you - cheers S

[Frodo]

The gorge then opened up into a big valley where the Rainbow River comes in. The gorge is in the top left of this photo. I was riding along admiring the scenery, then "Sh*t, that must be Cooneyr's corner!

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I paid my $15 toll to the friendly farmer as the clouds filled up the valley again.

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The road then climbed through beech forest above the river. Quite weird with hundreds of freshly shorn sheep racing through a Fangorn forest! I can still smell the wet sheep! No photos as it was raining.

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And then the most considerate part of the ride - the bike wash (ford) at Six Mile Creek cleaned most of the mud off my bike! Then seal all the way to St Arnaud.

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Normally Nelson Lakes are one of my favourite parts of this wonderful country. But after such an amazing ride, the cloudy, drizzling skies made it seem, well, ordinary. DOC's bad weather forecast of rain (and the prospect of a wet tent) and a worse coffee at the general store, convinced me to push on and take my chances on an earlier ferry.

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The ferry trip through the Sounds was in drizzle and it seemed quite fitting that a rainbow across Tory Channel farewelled me from the mainland and another great ride. I'll be back!

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[BMWST?]

....... and a worse coffee at the general store.....

i had a coffee there at xmas...prolly the worst coffee ever

[ADVGD]

Sure lots of KB'ers have done this, but I still reckon its one of the best rides in the country!

Couldn't agree with you more, and backed up by a great set of pics :niceone:

[thepom]

Always a terrific ride....the picture below where you said you left under cloudy skies is stunning...

[BMWST?]

yes magic country eh...i have been down there a bit lately,done three trips with my brother in his 4wd.I love that SI "Big Country".The last one was through the Clarence and across the Clarence river and up through two or three more stations.We came out way north of Kaikoura. Even bigger country through there

[pampa]

Hi bob very nice report, it would have been really nice to be there! :scooter:

[merv]

Hi Bob, great to see your story. Haven't seen you for years so it was good to see you pop up on here again. I was over in Melbourne for the long weekend visiting my daughter so no riding in the weekend for me.

[thommo77]

Cheers, Frodo. Brought back memories of my ride through the Molesworth/Rainbow in Feb. Totally agree about the 'big' country.
A truly magical ride.

[NordieBoy]

So I rode north over Island Saddle, which apparently is the highest publicly accessible road in NZ - 1370m or something like that.

Other than Mt Altimarloch (you rode past it on the way out of Blenheim) at 1693m.

[Howie]

Other than Mt Altimarloch (you rode past it on the way out of Blenheim) at 1693m.

I guess it depends on the definition of "public accessible road". How high is MT Altimarloch? There is also Obelisk off Symes road up in the Old Man Range near Alexandra which is 1682 or 1695 metres depending on the map you look at.

[merv]

Lol, my highest claim to fame in NZ is the Remarkables Skifield Road which you'd say is public as it was open access and I managed 1627m there according to my GPS a few years back.

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[Frodo]

From the DoC Molesworth brochure:
[Island Saddle] at 1347 metres, this alpine pass is the highest point on the Rainbow–Hanmer Road and the highest public accessible road in New Zealand

But as others have pointed out this appears to be wrong. I wonder if "highest pass" might be correct?

Anyway, its a great part of the Rainbow ride!

[Racing Dave]

Other than Mt Altimarloch (you rode past it on the way out of Blenheim) at 1693m.

With permission, continuing past the ski-field car park on Mt Dobson (trials bike) we reached 2020m.

[NordieBoy]

I guess it depends on the definition of "public accessible road". How high is MT Altimarloch? There is also Obelisk off Symes road up in the Old Man Range near Alexandra which is 1682 or 1695 metres depending on the map you look at.

The GPS said 1693m.
The road goes right to the summit.

2007 DB1K
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[Maha]

Fantastic photos Frodo, love the ones in post #3...
And the Nelson Lakes look anything are but ordinary in the pic. :niceone: