From Reefton to Marble Hill DOC campsite - with a quick visit to the Lewis Pass summit, a distance in total of about 84kms, or 53 miles. The idea was to see the top of the Lewis Pass and so have visited all the three main passes into the West Coast area. We read of camping at the Mariua Hot Springs and that seemed a good way to finish since they are on the hill down from the Lewis Pass.The road through to Springs Junction is basically a slow ascent to 696m (Rahu Saddle) followed by a small downhill to Springs Junction (at 45kms). The road is through pretty beech woods with pleasant views of distant mountains. We took ages to leave Reefton because we started eating cakes from the bakery (excellent) and then found the old welsh railway engine (a Fairlie and rare) that sits, a relic from when the town had a passenger railway. After Springs Junction we headed up the Lewis Pass (21kms further), discovering on our way up that the Mariua Hot Springs are a very posh japanese bathing establishment that doesn't do camping. Three fat hairy bikers (every adjective there is accurate) were checking in. It did not seem a place for relatively skint (and skinny) cyclists so we pushed on to the top of the pass (no info sign, no height marker - but I'm pretty sure it is about 902m), cycled back down and camped, instead, at the DOC camp near to Springs Junction. The campsite is heavy with little black sandflies that bite very irritatingly, so I finished my kindle free Gutenberg book (The Cruise of the Cachalot) lying safely in the tent. Dates and muesli bars for dinner. We'll have to find breakfast back at the cafe in Springs Junction.The first picture above is of Guy heading back down the Lewis Pass towards Springs Junction. The other is a chunk of dry rocky hilliness viewed from close to the summit of the Lewis Pass.
From Reefton to Marble Hill DOC campsite - with a quick visit to the Lewis Pass summit, a distance in total of about 84kms, or 53 miles. The idea was to see the top of the Lewis Pass and so have visited all the three main passes into the West Coast area. We read of camping at the Mariua Hot Springs and that seemed a good way to finish since they are on the hill down from the Lewis Pass.The road through to Springs Junction is basically a slow ascent to 696m (Rahu Saddle) followed by a small downhill to Springs Junction (at 45kms). The road is through pretty beech woods with pleasant views of distant mountains. We took ages to leave Reefton because we started eating cakes from the bakery (excellent) and then found the old welsh railway engine (a Fairlie and rare) that sits, a relic from when the town had a passenger railway.
After Springs Junction we headed up the Lewis Pass (21kms further), discovering on our way up that the Mariua Hot Springs are a very posh japanese bathing establishment that doesn't do camping. Three fat hairy bikers (every adjective there is accurate) were checking in. It did not seem a place for relatively skint (and skinny) cyclists so we pushed on to the top of the pass (no info sign, no height marker - but I'm pretty sure it is about 902m), cycled back down and camped, instead, at the DOC camp near to Springs Junction. The campsite is heavy with little black sandflies that bite very irritatingly, so I finished my kindle free Gutenberg book (The Cruise of the Cachalot) lying safely in the tent. Dates and muesli bars for dinner. We'll have to find breakfast back at the cafe in Springs Junction.The first picture above is of Guy heading back down the Lewis Pass towards Springs Junction. The other is a chunk of dry rocky hilliness viewed from close to the summit of the Lewis Pass.