Te Araroa 21/01/26

Day 122, Tekapo to Twizel (2498)

The morning started bright but by the time my bike arrived it had started to drizzle.

Lake Tekapo in the morning 

I got the bike adjusted to fit and cycled into the village with the intention of getting a cup of coffee before starting. Two cafes were open and a coffee stall but there were about ten people queueing at each one, it wasn't that important so I carried on.

Tekapo power station and the start of the canal

The cycle path / trail dropped down to the hydro power station (Tekapo A) where the spillway is a huge canal that takes the water on to Lake Pukaki.

Road beside the canal

The rain got heavier as I cycled along the long road beside the canal and I was very happy not to be walking. I passed Megan and Eve, who I hadn't seen for ages, and Pete and Dean. I'm not sure how far they were planning for today.

Feeding salmon at the farm 

The rain stopped as I went past a salmon farm in the canal, unusual, I have only seen salmon farms in the sea before.

Power station on Lake Pukaki

At the end of the canal the water is piped to another power station and the road drops steeply to Lake Pukaki. I chickened out at 50 kph and applied the brakes.

Hired bike and Lake Pukaki 

I was told that it was an extremely unusual summer in that the lakes are all full and the grass is green, I must have brought the rain with me.

Lake Pukaki spillway 

The vibrant turquoise-blue color which comes from glacial flour, which are super-fine rock particles ground down by glaciers in the Southern Alps and suspended in the water, was not as apparent today with the grey sky but still obvious.

Twizel flats

The cycle / walking track continued around Lake Pukaki and across the spillway, that was spilling a lot of water, before heading across the Twizel Flats to the village.

The end of the flats

Twizel was built as a camp for the hydro scheme workers in the nineteen fifties and was supposed to be demolished when they were completed but it was reprived.

Ministry of Works machines and a section of the feed pipe for Tekapo B

There is a collection of old Ministry of Works machines on the green as you approach.

Scraper

I left the bike at the hire center, collected my pack and walked to the very nice Motel room that I had booked. Again everywhere had no vacancy signs up, holiday season but not holiday weather.

Grader

A resupply trip to the Four Square supermarket, clothes washed in the machine in my room and I'm all set for the next few days.