Invercargill - Tracks, Trails, MTB

ANYONE WITH INFO?

I was hoping that anyone with info about any of the tracks down Invercargill way may be be able to add any useful comments or links.

Whilst down south a little while back I took some photo's of track signs etc but haven't completed any of them personally.

As fas as I can ascertain - there are two main options from a MTB point of view:

1) Sandy Point (top left photo)

2) Bluff - apparently there has been a lot of money spent developing the Bluff MTB track

Tracks - Christchurch

Bottle Lake Forest MTB Tracks

(Picture) Bottle Lake Forest - Coastal Track to Spencer Park

Bottle Lake Forest has a number of good tracks which are suitable for beginners to intermediate experience level. 

None of the tracks require more than moderate fitness and depending on the ride duration you are looking for the forest will offer varying options, including:

Coastal Track to Spencer Park - 10km return ride if you are looking for an easy track with plenty of sea views, at times, stretching from Banks Peninsula across towards Kaikoura.

The Brown marked MTB track from the car park is approximately 16/17km if you do both sections. There are additional bits you can add on to give you another 5/6km's. If anyone has any detailed track info that you are happy to share please post additional comments, links or pictures.

Here are some useful links                     More photo's here!

Bottle Lake Forest Map

Bottle Lake Forest Fact Sheet                                                        See Other Tracks & Blogs

Cycle Tracks & Rides

Mowers & Blokes

Is is just me, or do us fellas have one of those "blokes connections" over mowers?

The other day we had a bbq and after 15 minutes of intense blokes discussion around the cooking, beer and meat... I discovered that lawnmowers had dominated the conversation, which was potentially concerning. Of more concern was that I had actually enjoyed the excitement surrounding the chaps regaling one another with their yarns about mowing experiences... should this worry me?

Lyttleton Harbour, Canterbury, New Zealand

Christchurch Estuary - River Mouth

Any Ideas About Truck?

This image shows my wife's grandad in an Internationa truck but wondered whether anyone knew more about this particular model?

Can You Spot The Master?

This image has been composed from a number of sources... can you spot which of the masters paintings has been used?

Ozzie Wildlife

This snap taken on a recent trip to Oz.

Abel Tasman

Have you been to the Abel Tasman? ...seriously? It's not an optional option.

Rakaia Gorge

Panoramic Views from Rise along Rakaia Gorge

Rakaia Gorge

Difficulty rating: 5/10 (moderate fitness, regular short incline/decline)

link to other TRACKS

Enjoy fantastic river and mountain panorama's as you follow a winding path from the State Highway 72 (Inland Scenic Route) for approximately 5 km's along the gorge in the direction of Mt Hutt.

The Rakaia Gorge Track is an interesting one that doesn't require too much in terms of fitness or tramping experience. As long as you have all the essential gear and don't mind the odd uphill grind you should be just fine.

The track follows the gorge for 5 km's or so taking you through gorse, shrub and forest, eventually bringing you out on top of a breathtaking lookout spot perfect for photo's of the surrounding mountains (Mt Hutt) and river. After this you wind down to the river bed which is an idyllic spot for lunch before hiking back to the highway.

Location: 1 hour (approx.) drive from Christchurch on Highway 72 (Inland Scenic Route)

Pro's: relatively easy walking, good parking & facilities, great for a day's adventure, fantastic scenery

Con's: none that are obvious, sand flies (season dependent)

link to other TRACKS