Day 6 of Junket 2002 on the South Island. 

Bunny hop to: Intro, Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

Click any image for the full-size view.

JUNKET 2002
DAY 6

Nydia Track

Today was the second half of the Nydia. We awoke to fairly heavy rain so the track was quite wet and slippery. The climb to Kaiuma Saddle followed some of the 1910 timber railway line route before dropping down the other side.  

From the end of the track we had a short gravel road ride to our rendevous spot with the Foxy Lady. Once we were loaded up we made our way back to Te Mahia 

                                                   

The second part of this trail is also a rock and root riddled track and it passes over Kaiuma Saddle (387m). Over all it's very technical - and rewarding.

The morning rain is just easing off and the fog is starting to burn off. Until the rain stopped there had been some thoughts, amoung a few of us anyway, about taking the day off. But once the rain quit it turned out to be quite a nice day and we were off again.

At long last the 5 return from their luxury night at the  Driftwood. While we foraged through our left over food, they had a nice cooked breakfast served to them. 

We spent a few minutes lubing chains, making final adjustments, and putting on bug dope before heading out. The mossies were having a wee snack

 

You can just see Nydia Bay in the distance and the trail cutting it's way across the trees in the foreground. The climb up wasn't overly difficult but it was steep and seemed to go on forever. We sang Happy Birthday to Di as she made her way up this slope.
 

 

By this point we had left the timber trail behind and were navigating washed out sections of trail.

Lunch on top of Kaiuma Saddle looked pretty much the same as Nydia Saddle.

Rex chowing down
The downhill was fast, fun and relatively easy after all the technical sections.

 

Kaiuma Bay

 
This is the last creek to cross and the end of the track. From here it was a short ride on a gravel road to Shag Point where we met the boat.  
 

 
There was no place for the boat to dock so we took turns loading us and bikes into the dingy and making our way out to the Foxy Lady. I must admit it was a little spooky perched in the dingy holding onto bikes. We all made it though.

On the way back we cruised through a mussel farm. They didn't seem keen on any freebees.
 

 

Arriving back at Te Mahia

Dinner on the front veranda

Still lots of wine left from our wine tour.
Di's birthday

Making a wish.....

 ....and blowing em out.
 

 
Another beautiful day, fabulous meal, and great place to be.                     END OF DAY 6

Bunny hop to: Intro, Day 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

For other pixs, go back to Carol and Roy's personal pages and look around.