New Zealand - a cycling visit to Picton's Snout... and about!

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Caroline sitting at the Snout after an intermediate mountain bike ride, Picton, NZ.

In Picton, NZ, Caroline and I rented mountain bikes and headed out for the local headlands, or "Snout."  The track is well-known as a day hike or ride, but you can't get there by car.  Round-trip, it took us about 4 hours, and that includes the slight detour as we slipped past the sign telling us that we were entering an alternate spur rated "advanced."  Pay attention, Robert!  An advanced mountain biker I am not!



Note to self... pay attention to those little signs that designate how difficult the trail is!

We had great bikes (Scott) that performed well.  When we arrived at the rental facility, the bikes were already set out, with our names on them.  Thank goodness for a bike with well adjusted gears and brakes!  I needed both on this trip!



For the most part, the trail was well-marked, although we did go the wrong direction on a stretch that was one-way, and the final route down the hills vexed us (you can "see" us going in circles in the map above).  Regardless, it was a beautiful day, and a great time.  We met a couple from the ship who were walking to the Snout, and another biking couple who were next headed to Moab for some mountain biking.





When we returned to Picton, we walked through a little craft fair (apparently, they always spring up when a cruise ship is in town), and found a table for the Sea Shepard Conservation Society.  Stephanie was staffing the table, and gave us an update on some of the plans for establishing a program to protect endangered dolphins in NZ.  We donated the last of our NZ cash, $5.


We passed many boxed rat traps along the track, and this one, which I believe is a toxicant bait station.  They were all right next to the path, and easy to monitor.  None of the traps was vandalized, as I would expect in the US with visible traps.

Entering Queen Charlotte Sound in the morning.

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