Summer 2017 was a bit of a dud as far as the weather was concerned. Daylight saving has long gone and days are getting shorter and colder with the odd cyclone just to rub it in a little more. However this summer’s also been a hectic one for Dancing Moose with an astounding number of keen adventurers wanting to get set up for their epic adventures all over the country. From keen riders heading off the beaten track for a night, to multi-day adventurers who managed to book well ahead for the huts on the Old Ghost Rd. The Moose has even been spotted in places like the UK, Iceland, Europe and the US! 
 
I guess that’s one of the perks in this business, you get to hear all the stories and adventures. Unfortunately this comes paired with one of the downfalls of this business, you get to hear all the stories while you spend long evenings behind the sewing machine… but in the end I think the upside far outweighs the downside. In some way it’s immensely satisfying to have the opportunity to help intrepid adventurers reach their dreams.
 
Back in February, Rotorua hosted another epic Bike Festival. The weather decided to gate crash the party and some events needed to slide to alternative days. After a false start, the Stars, Spokes and Tent poles ride was held a few weeks after the Bike Fest with a small but energetic group of keen riders ranging from 6 to 10 years. The idea behind the ride was to get parents and kids out there for a night under the stars. The catch was, the destination was inaccessible to cars so everyone had to take everything they needed with them on the bike. Bikes as small as 16” were loaded with sleeping bags and cuddlies while parents morphed into pack mules for the heavy stuff. In order to level the playing field, the older kids were loaded down a little more than the younger ones. This meant a greater responsibility for the older riders to ensure the bag of chips wasn’t crushed (or devoured) in transit while the younger ones were light enough to keep up with the bunch.

A local Rotorua Farm owner was kind enough to grant us access to her farm, which allowed us to ride to a stunning wee beach right at the very end of Lake Okareka. The ride was an epic adventure just shy of 16k and to see the faces of the kids as they rode into their campsite for the night was priceless. We arrived just in time to set up camp and while the parents were preparing dinner, the kids swam and ran riot in the paddocks. Sitting on the beach watching the sun go down and the first stars come out just before everyone hits the sack is nothing short of majestical.
 
With kids you don’t need to go far for an overnight adventure. The task of the parents was simply to dilute the distance with healthy snacks, tree climbing excursions on the side and swims wherever possible. It’s not the distance, but the experience that counts.

We all have our reasons for heading out into the wild green yonder. Whatever your preferred form of transport, be it a bike, kayak, boat, or simply a pair of shoes, we’re all looking to get out there just to get away from the daily grind. To charge up the batteries if you will.
 
Some like to bash down the same track all weekend simply so they can do it perfectly and with their eyes closed. Grabbing maximum berm on this corner or hitting that transition at just the right angle in order to line up for the next obstacle. The results of their efforts can be seen every year at Crankworx where keen (some may read insane) riders test their skills in the most outrageous antics.
 
From a bike touring angle, there are as many reasons as there are people riding. An increasing number of adventurers forgo their warm beds and partners and head for the hills on racked and packed steeds to spend a night under the stars. Brevet rides are popping up all over our country with riders doing crazy distances with a minuscule amount of gear just enough to ensure they still have all their fingers and toes after a cold night under the stars so they can do it all over again the following day. Ride, eat, sleep & repeat… crazy!
 
Then there are the adventurous among us who simply see a bike as the ideal piece of kit for the task at hand. Like that contoured blip on the topo that’s been staring back at you for so long it’s now time to see what the view from there is really like. The backpacker will undoubtedly drive to a point somewhere in the vicinity of said goal, strap a loaded pack on their back and head off.  A bike, on the other hand, has the opportunity to take the car out of the equation entirely, not to mention strapping all your gear to a frame with wheels instead of hanging it from your shoulder blades.  Very much like the Geyserland Gravel Grind I attended a few weeks ago.

Since living in Rotorua, a ride to the coast and a circumnavigation of Mt Edgecombe and Mt Tarawera has always been on the list of adventures. The ‘Triple G’ would tick those off in one grinding swoop and have the enjoyment and the company of a bunch of like-minded nutters along for the bargain. Mastermind Erik planned a ride with gravel as the main attraction. Dotted with plenty of stops to appreciate the fact that we live in a damn fine place. All that gravel topped off with a night at the Waikite Valley hoypools for our efforts at the end of the second day, and you get a formula that is achievable to just about anyone.
 
Looking back, there were some stunning moments on the Triple G. Like seeing the ocean for the first time when we crossed the ridge on Pikowai Rd, or seeing the steam from Waikite Valley hotpools as we blasted down the hill at 70 clicks on our loaded rigs. But for me, the highlight was making a brew on the shores of Lake Ohakuri and watching the wildlife on a stunning spring morning. Gravel is a metaphor for finding those nuggets, which are hidden from most as they pass by, going too fast to stop. You don’t have to go far to slow down and soak it all in!

There’s always been a certain feeling when you walk out the front door on your way to a holiday destination. I find it intriguing that when you walk out your front door, most of the time you are ‘in transit’ until you reach your ‘destination’. We have evolved into a dromological society and live in a world of mass transit.

This brought me to an idea. What if you could start your holiday the very moment your front latch snaps shut? This idea really hit home when I started my first cycle tour through Europe about 20 years ago. To be able to walk out of your front door, hop on your bike and start your holiday straight away. It’s not about travelling TO your destination - your trip IS your destination.

​Moving to New Zealand created the perfect environment to look at bikepacking as a form of bike touring in more detail. NZ is seen as one of the most idyllic countries to cycle tour. The roads are mainly quiet compared to other countries (once you leave Auckland!) and the scenery is absolutely stunning. 

NZ is also a country of stunning walking tracks which are diligently maintained by the Department of Conservation and "DOC" is slowly allowing access to these wilderness gems for mountain biking. Stunning tracks like the Whirinaki, the Timber Trail and the Old Ghost Road are accessible to mountain bikers and with a bit of creativity most of these trails can be sewn together to create epic multi day adventures. Just check out the Te Haerenga website to wet your adventure cycling appetite.

So this is where it all started for Dancing Moose. How can I enjoy these stunning tracks in this awe-inspiring countryside whilst riding my mountain bike, without a heavy pack on my back.

Give a goat a roof over its head and what does it do? And what makes us mountain bikers, hikers, runners and rock climbers all scramble to the pointy bit at the top of the highest hill? It’s the view we’re aiming for – to see what you can see – and the feeling of achievement of reaching “the summit”. Fortunately New Zealand has many many hills and mountains to explore and some seriously fine vistas to take in once you get there.

This weekend my mate Stu and I rode along the Western Okataina track and up to the Whakapoungakau Trig. We’re lucky enough to live nearby and both could easily ride from home without having to do any driving to get to the start. This is a great and very time efficient overnight trip.  With a clear evening forecast and precipitation scheduled to arrive some time the next day, all systems were go! We packed the bare essentials. Firstly, the luxuries – a couple of good beers to toast the last rays of sun as she dipped herself into the west, and coffee to welcome her up again from the east the next morning. Essential packing = something to lie in, on and under for the night and some nutritious granola for brekkie.

To enjoy these two precious moments at each end of the day is where the ‘goat’ bit comes in. Starting from Millar Rd in Lake Okareka, the track climbs approx 280m to our destination. DOC (NZ’s Department of Conservation) describes the Western Okataina track as being built as a logging road in the early 1900’s to harvest Rimu, Totara, Rata and Kahikatea – so most of the track is nice and wide. The description states that the track "is generally wide and well formed”. Indeed a large part is exactly that. However, the remainder has been left for mother nature to take over the job of ‘forming’ picking up where the loggers left off nearly a hundred years ago. This has resulted in a very technical rutted track which requires a fair bit of concentration and technique to keep the wheels where they should be. 

After 1 3/4 hours of riding and pushing we managed to pop out of the native bush into the grassy clearing at the top just in time to watch the last rays of sun for the day. A quick toast to celebrate making it to the summit followed by preparation for a ‘comfortable’ night’s sleep, and we were soon settled into our sleeping bags ready to enjoy a stunning display of star-gazing and watching the moon rise.

We decided to ride the Moerangi track in the guts of the Whirinaki forest park.
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The plan was to ride in, spend the night in the sticks and ride out the next morning. The weather was set to stunning and the bags were packed ready for a weekend mini adventure. A couple of the group were well acquainted with the track as they’d ridden the whole length in one day (on a few occasions). Great fun with long thrilling downhills and plenty of corners and obstacles to make sure you stay on the ball. As a day ride, the Moerangi is a full day in the saddle – but at 5 to 7 hours you’d want to keep moving. This time was going to be different. We’d pack everything that we’d need for an overnight stay  - sleeping kit, heating kit, eating kit, etc. I even packed a tarp and sleeping mat as there’s always a risk with huts that you may end up sleeping in a hut full of chainsaws at 2am in the morning. Luckily these items weren’t necessary this time.

The area we traveled through is home to the stunning Tanekaha otherwise known as Celery Pine. For me it’s always an extra buzz when I get a chance to ride along trails of Tanekaha. It’s a sure sign you’re riding in stunning native NZ forest. The Tanekaha drops little leaves which litter the track and when they dry it crunches under your tires – you know you’re in your happy place when you’re riding on ‘cornflakes’.

The whole trail to our lodgings for the night was stunning. Native everything and a genuine sense that yes, you are well away from, well, everything else. Following the stunning Okahu stream most of the way, there are plenty of very inviting looking waterholes for a REFRESHING (read brrrr!!) dip during the summer months. There’s also a great feeling that there are two of your favorite cans of beer in the ‘Hold’ which have been packed with care to ensure safe arrival at the night’s destination as a celebratory refreshment for the day’s achievement.
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At night, you get to experience the joy of sitting around the camp-fire, telling (mostly bike related) yarns whilst gazing up at the infinite galaxy and listening to the night-time hooting of owls.

The next morning is spent standing in front of the hut with a bowl of cereal in one hand and a mug of freshly brewed steaming coffee in the other, knowing that you’ve lugged it all that way for that very moment, and the moments that will soon follow as you resume your adventure. You also notice that everyone else is standing around with a silly morning grin feeling exactly the same way.
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There’s nothing quite like packing everything (minus the weight of the food and liquid consumed the previous day) into your bags first thing in the morning and heading off on your bike back into the forest. No driving required, coz you’re already there. An experience that’s difficult to beat.
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A feeling of sadness may hit when the end of the trail is in sight. With most day long rides, the end usually heralds a sense of achievement – you made it back in one piece (if you’re lucky). Sometimes a colourful collection of dings and bruises will ensure that the sense of achievement can be stretched out for a week.  After a night in the forest on a fantastic ride with an awesome group of friends, I tend to start spotting all kinds of side tracks and distractions. Maybe it’s just looking for a way to prolong the weekend adventure. But then again, there’s the trip back home which will undoubtedly brew up a complete new overnight adventure or three!