Day 15 Dunback to Middlemarch

We are up earlyish due to our early night last night. As always Sau Keng is up first, when I come out I find her working at the table in the bar. Looking at the room, this is not somewhere I would want to be in an earthquake.

I have breakfast, we pack, thank our hosts and continue our ride. Today will be relatively long and we have another big climb ahead. This has been an interesting and quirky place to stay.

Liz has told us there is a swing bridge nearby, and that it was built to get sheep across the river. Children had been wading across for years to get to school - but that was okay. Bridges, especially ones like this, are to be ridden over. And we do :-)

Our turn off towards Middlemarch is pretty much opposite the hotel and wastes no time before starting uphill. I take it slower and hang in better than yesterday. Finally the road levels out and we stop for a break and to take photos. But this is not the top, far from it.

A modest climb, a kilometer traverse, and we are climbing again. Sau Keng is in front, as she often is in these cases and I see her stop just before a grove of trees. Why?

Shapes appear amongst the trees, cattle, I speed up to get close enough to film. I had more time than I expected as the cattle, including bulls, found Sau Keng and tricycle daunting and took some persuasion to pass her.

Then it was my turn, but I had more room to move out of the way and they went past me easily.

The top of the rise was not too far past our cattle encounter, some more climbing and we joined the Macreas Road. Good progress. We are in schist rock county. I love the shapes of the outcrops.

Another big climb - looks to be the last for now, we can see all around. This is a plateau, not a hilltop. Macrea's gold mine is around here somewhere... That embankment is not natural - behind that!

The road follows the embankment around and gradually climbs to its level. The mine is not here, the embankment surrounds a large (very large) settling pond. Why is it so high? Do they keep raising the sides as the pond fills with sediment?

We get a slight view of the mine as we come to a road leading down into it. I want a good look, so down we go, Sau Keng not so enthusiastically. It's better view from here. The mine is HUGE, Waihi's mine - which is VERY big, would fit inside easily. I'm rather amused by the sign we see at the top of the road "Macreas Smokefree workplace"

We look for a while then head back, Sau Keng well in front because I stop to take one more photo. I come up to her again stopped on the main road, on a bridge with a superb view of the mine, and with a superior smile on her face.

An excavator, looking tiny at the base of the mine, is loading trucks, which then work their why up and out and directly under us. I wonder if this is ore being taken for processing or just overburden being removed to allow access to the ore. It's a very impressive operation.

I'm also impressed when one of the trucks turns out to be a water carrier, spaying its water over the gravel road used by the trucks. Is this just to reduce the dust? Kudos if it is.

I could watch this for a long time. Sau Keng is more sensible, so we ride on. Not far on we come to the Macraes township. Is there a cafe? A hotel? Somewhere we can rest, have a coffee & maybe lunch? Alas, the pub is the only place and is closed. We have a modest lunch on what we have. It's plenty.

This whole area was dug over in a large scale alluvial mining operation in the past. It's recovered well and looks like normal farmland now. Not at all like the tailings beside the Clutha.

Well made dry stone wall around the stables opposite the pub

Exploring the town a little we found this nice old church

Eventually we leave the plateau and start to descend. More attractive farmland - but I don't know what this farmer was thinking - a macabre fence with animal skins hung over it for at least half a kilometre. Many are very old, some fresh. Most are unrecognisable to me, a few appear to be deer. Some are dogs.

The road takes us down to a wide gentle valley. Lush and green. Life is easy, even the sheep have houses. But this easy riding seldom lasts. Our route turns left and heads back up to the rocky highlands.

The hills on this side of the valley did not look very high when we were down there, but the road climbs, levels, climbs and climbs again. Now we are quite high and have great views. The schist outcrops have interesting shapes too.

We start trending down and the valley ahead comes into view. Middlemarch is down there somewhere. I'm impressed by how high we still are.

Sad old farming cottage

A very conical one tree hill that caught my eye

Made it :-)

We ride past Annandale house where we will be staying, the inside is just as good as the garden. We have stayed here before. Warren is a great host, we are very happy to be staying with him again. But we don't stop, Kissing gate cafe is just around the corner.

There is another cycling couple staying here in Annandale, we relax and share stories. Warren and partner have made us dinner, lamb shanks, but won't eat with us as they are catering at the local hall.

Many restaurants would be proud to serve this meal. We linger at the table talking ... Warren is back with desert left over from his function. Rhubarb crumble. Excellent!

Distance 62 km

Climbed 1036 m

Time 4:35