Race Preview: Strongest Line-up Yet For Tour Te Waipounamu

True to the character she exhibited throughout TTW, Paula Gibson-Marshment made it to Slope Point yesterday.

Paula was disqualified on Tuesday when, at the end of a long 20+ hour day, she inadvertently camped on private land at 1.30am.

She continued her journey south and was photographed by the hospitable Justine Parker at Slope Point Accommodation after returning from the spit.

And the ride's not over for Paula. She's hopping back on her bike for the scenic 190km trip up the coast to Dunedin.

Good on you Paula!


A Happy Epilogue

*Images by Anton McGeachen*

Barren, windswept and exposed are all adjectives we’ve used to describe Slope Point, the rocky clifftop protruding into Foveaux Strait where even weeds don’t seem to want to exist.

When the worst of the weather strikes, as it did for finishers like our final duo Anna Gilson and Mark Hurst last night, there’s nothing particularly attractive about this southernmost extremity.

That’s unless you’re a bikepacker who has tracked 1330kms down the length of the South Island high country, having negotiated all manner of challenging terrain.

For the TTW riders who swung open the carpark gate and coasted across the appropriately bumpy sheep paddock, the sight of the well-photographed sign and maritime warning light, and the vast Southern Ocean beyond, was a majestic vista.![41Anton7](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2kSM2YzfWNuXlPL9HHPgwO/c661b414679a06d41a88bd1a91107d89/41Anton7.jpg) In summing up the race we could devote paragraphs to the scarcely believable achievements of the first two men, Joe Nation (above) and Rufus Wenlock and the remarkable first woman, Emma Bateup (below). ![41 Anton 3](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6RwTxkbt9eWexZxWIpux4r/86f0a634b94239100700a0fa42adba13/41_Anton_3.jpg) Focusing on the leading men’s duo in particular doesn’t seem fair to the plucky other finishers who endured chilling snowstorms and high winds. While it was no picnic in places for Joe and Rufus, they slipped through before the weather gods really started playing up.

Before the race, accomplished Aussie bikepacker Emma Flukes eloquently summed up the route expectations for many who were new to this unique New Zealand bikepacking course.![41anton5](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7dYRm57pHeJjpkl4qLnIGu/fe78bfd3df295add15a765a0fde19b94/41anton5.jpg) “It seems like the route aims to highlight and showcase the soul of the island by serving up a challenging but appropriate cocktail of remoteness vs resupply, and cruisy riding versus total absurdity.”

The appropriateness of that “cocktail … of cruisy riding versus total absurdity”? Well, if your preference for cocktails is the face-wincing, rocket fuel varieties, then yes.

But even most of those who relish HABing but prefer it to be less of a continual, physical bike wrestle - like Emma Flukes herself - rose to the formidable challenge and, ultimately, pedalled out to Slope Point with a smile. ![41 Anton3](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/ly5XxvjC3jfFMRj2OMW6S/058fe3738781c87f00e60609afde2b0a/41_Anton3.jpg) There will be no rider debate about TTW “showcasing the soul of the island”. Despite the seemingly innumerable references to the Dampier and Two Thumb Ranges in these posts, this race shouldn’t be defined solely by a couple of crazy mountainside scrambles.

The “soul of the island” was found riding golden ridgelines at sunrise or sunset, weaving through beech forest singletrack and traversing open expanses like the remote Hawkdun plateau. ![42Anton3](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3o08SuQxmqXEQbzPeTzWiC/7722c0b0238dd0f8797ba55dd4962f6a/42Anton3.jpg)

Aussies Adam Rozsa and Mike Norman say they enjoy coming over here because of the variety of our terrain, and TTW certainly dished up all of the assorted flavours of the scenic South Island backcountry.

They say that short, average adventures only create short, average memories.

TTW will linger long in the memories of our 59 riders who set off from Cape Farewell and, in particular, for the 40 who were fortunate to avoid show-stopping issues and make it out to that bleak Southland point.

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*Congrats to everyone who took on this most demanding of New Zealand courses. Hats off to Brian Alder for staging another incredible event, to the private landowners who trusted these seasoned outdoors people to pass over their properties responsibly, and thanks to you all out in Dotwatcher Land for taking an interest in this special Kiwi adventure.*

*Video producer Rob Dawson is currently poring over several hundred rider video clips as he pieces together his next TTW video. Here’s a taste of what’s in store:* <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxsflUzpwzA>


In Summary ...

Although they didn’t know it, the Slope Point arrival of good mates, Mark Hurst and Anna Gilson (above) at 11.19 last night was the final act in another remarkable running of this novel race.

How compelling was this edition? Maprogress say this race attracted the second highest number of website hits of any race they have hosted, on a per-rider basis.

As with many of the latter finishers, Mark and Anna battled adversity to get this job done. 

After ripping a tyre wall on the Dampier, Anna pinch-flatted her tubes and after further damage, eventually the pair ended up walking 24kms with grass stuffed in a tyre. Later, a snowy blizzard in the two Thumb Range was followed by gale force winds up in the Hawkduns. Then Anna's progress was hampered by a leg injury. ![41MandA2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5M9ZKNXVgWm5QkkC11vzPa/833d1678d9af34d4023a4c9277f5cbd2/41MandA2.JPG) “I think you naturally focus on the Dampier and Two Thumb Ranges beforehand but there are plenty of bits in between that get you,” says Mark.

Despite the hardships, the pair thoroughly enjoyed their adventure. “You pass through iconic New Zealand stations, and scenes like the sunrise on Stag Saddle and riding along the river on Otematata Station at sunset were really special.

A pilot in Victoria, Australia, Mark grew up in Southland. “Some of my old farming mates met us in Clinton, so it was great to catch up with them.” ![41Marcus1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/22bZbqTaXOo4GixjB0BU5W/4bf64c298279713fbe1955ac26d89b6e/41Marcus1.JPG) Two hours earlier, vastly experienced Wellington rider, Marcus Baguley (above) completed his adventure, having “ridden with a smile most of the way”.

Marcus has seen a lot of New Zealand by bike: “but this packs so much into nine days that it’s a bit of a head explosion”. ![41Marcus2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4NFGELrWrz1xAaLA1uTy43/d323fc6eed949664e874b8f17428a14f/41Marcus2.JPG) His most dramatic moment was missing the correct crossing point for the South Hurunui River. “I clambered down a tree on a very steep bank and eventually used my tent pole (like a tramper leans against a tree branch) to get across the river.”

In stark contrast to the euphoria of our latest battle-weary riders making it out onto the spit was the utter despair last night at the news that our oh-so-gallant lanterne rouge, Paula Gibson-Marshment, had been disqualified from the race.

At 1.30am the previous night, after yet another 20+ hour day, Paula inadvertently camped on Otematata Station. As any endurance athlete will attest, the sleep-deprived brain can sometimes let you down.![Paula](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/lqwz2nDuLmDtfl3xyGQQQ/aa80fae6640554c5da21c2909f6184fb/Paula.JPG)

It was with the heaviest of hearts that the race administrators made the tough call. This race is entirely dependent on the goodwill of private landowners. The property boundaries are highlighted in the course notes and the electronic navigation file, and at the pre-race briefing, riders are warned that anyone who 
camps on private land will be disqualified. 

On her own, at the back of the field from day one, Sunday week ago, Paula persisted without the emotional boost that most entrants get from riding around other inspirational, like-minded people.![41 Paula](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1HusthFSxqE1pJlBUJsOOp/23a003719d38a918ea44f70373526198/41_Paula.JPG) The 56-year-old sports clothing designer took on and overcame every obstacle on this lumpy TTW path, and often with a smile (as above, where she was photographed by Anton McGeachen approaching Black Forest Station). 

There is nothing but respect and admiration for the hardness of the unfortunate Paula. This is the woman who not only completes the gruelling 800km Geyserland Mega Grind at Rotorua, she rides there and back from her home in Tauranga.

When we reflect on the remarkable performers of TTW 2024, names like Joe Nation, Rufus Wenlock and Emma Bateup, so too will we remember the name Paula Gibson-Marshment.


Euphoria And Despair

When the weather packs up in the mountains and race organiser Brian Alder runs an anxious eye over the Maprogress screen, he can skip the dot of Queenstown 62-year-old, Chris Byrch.

Our oldest competitor in the race, 62-year-old Chris arrived at 8.41 last night, (above) to clock a time ten hours faster than her inaugural race time, and she rode in worse conditions.

“There are some people in this world that defy categorisation, that don't conform to the norm,” says Brian. “She’s badass!”

In TTW 2021, after riding through the night and arriving at 6am, Chris simply rolled out her sleeping bag and slept on the concrete plinth of the maritime light. Last night, it was a plush double bed in one of Slope Point Accommodation’s nicest rooms. Well deserved!![31richandco](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1pERKDs2nTzmCKX7NiuQJs/dbcfc4cca1cde656f12ca0fc5001de57/31richandco.jpg) There are no social media accounts reporting her exploits. Chris (above, at Andrews Stream with Mike Martin and Richard Lindsay) is one of those quietly-spoken, highly-skilled outdoors people who just get things done – impressive things.

With a background of mountaineering in the Southern Alps and in places like Alaska and Afghanistan, she remains a keen ski tourer here and abroad, and for the past two years has been wind foiling. So, as with her inaugural race, a few mountain ranges with a paucity of tracks were never going to stop Chris getting her bike from one end of the island to the other.

We tried to catch up with Chris but she was heading off to hospital to sort an infected knee, which will probably keep her from wind foiling on Lake Wakatipu tomorrow … or maybe it won’t. ![38Grant](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3w8DkV3onUHfMtigZUnWJA/4dc8f8a14e63999b8ad56ceb4b518c23/38Grant.jpg) First home since our last update was Christchurch 48-year-old Grant Day who, as we noted earlier, made a 2.5-year commitment to be selected for and race TTW. Probably a silly question, given the smile (above) but was it worth it? “100%. Absolutely!”

For Grant, a great adventure the length of the island was capped off by a touching welcome at the finish. “When I rode out to the point, some of the previous finishers were there to meet me, so that was really special.
![Grant Day3BFLP 21 MarkW](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/64KuywvJREkb82zWXCtx4T/7db1a7114643fb8c6fcb564af7309907/Grant_Day3BFLP_21_MarkW.jpg) Grant had a couple of setbacks on day two, with the recurrence of nerve damage that has troubled him in training and an Achilles tweak from a pedal strike in the Hope Valley. “From then it was less about trying to post a fast time and more about managing those issues and getting to the finish.”

What’s next for Grant? “More time with my family. TTW has been a big commitment, especially over the last six months."

Sometimes there seems a real correlation between the amount of adversity overcome and the width of the finisher’s grin. ![40Richard](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/pboQ8MJyu0ukMZqQVNvT6/5b9cd414c906cb4ccc919ae4ef67da57/40Richard.jpg) This broad grin (above) belongs to another rider who had to button off the gas because of an Achilles injury, Richard Lindsay of Christchurch.

The 54-year-old trained harder this year but his hopes for a quicker time were dashed by a sharp Achilles strain on the Dampier hike. The pain was so acute at Anderson Hut that Richard “mentally DNFed” overnight but with 40kms of riding the next morning through Mount White Station and another 20kms of gravel road before cellphone reception, Richard decided to try to staunch it out.

The troublesome tendon was always going to be an issue with the Two Thumb Range HAB but it was overshadowed by a damaged rear brake piston and the ensuing oil slick that required the removal of the brake rotor at Royal Hut to enable the wheel to rotate.![RichardL2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4o0MJ5pzFeziSYWKEnBeSs/d8992a602626743a6f34647cc6e85934/RichardL2.jpg) Eventually he limped into Tekapo and, early the next morning, he caught a lift to Timaru where The Cyclery bike shop dropped everything on a Saturday morning to repair the brake.

Richard got it done at 1.30 this afternoon. “The highs were higher and the lows were lower this year,” says Richard. “Heading out to Slope Point I was reflecting on which race meant more to me, and I think making this finish was more satisfying.” ![40 Dylan](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4SEqBX83QTpzIyVaRDxTUQ/707bb53f64ae40fa7d2c782df00e4b4f/40_Dylan.jpg) The arrival of the two Achilles patients was split by another rider with stories to tell, the youngest male to finish, 25-year-old Dylan Pickles of Auckland (above).

His ride south was plaqued by sickness, having a stray wire wrapped in his cassette and even being chased by a bull! ![DylanP1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4QGNig4DDGkBIf8pJxGhPy/fc61873a723c2a470923dfb4c451cfcf/DylanP1.jpeg) Dylan, who has a background of age-group competitive XC racing and “riding his bike in dumb places”, finished at 4.05am. ![40Carey](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3YSh3Qz2x62VrmMkYNTsAn/cf460b195929319054be00d645f5aea7/40Carey.jpg) Our most recent finisher, at 2.27pm, was Franz Josef DOC field ranger, Carey Lintott (above).

The 30-year-old bikepack racing rookie, who was unsure what to expect of TTW, was thrilled to get to Slope Point. “I went in hoping I’d be able to ride strongly and get the job done and on the whole things went well. No major issues and it was great to finish.” ![40Carey2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3gzgWRr81wsQDxUmPAguij/0ea7f967cb64ed7b3d02f96a184287a6/40Carey2.jpg)

Carey’s descent of Snake Ridge in a bitterly cold snowstorm was one of the talking points of last Friday. “It wasn’t too bad,” says the keen West Coast tramper.

Everyone arriving at Slope Point has a story. Some of the better yarns are at this end of the field.


"She's Badass!"

Check out that expression. The photo (above) says it all really. This TTW finish means a lot to Benjamin Carrell, and so it should.

Riders have varying levels of discomfort about DNFing in major events. Some philosophical/laidback characters can pull the pin, brush it off reasonably easily, move on.

Sixty-year-old Benjamin Carrell, the oldest male in the race, is not one of those types. He prepares thoroughly for big events, trains hard and expects a lot of himself. ![BenjaminC2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5r19VHoMZE47RO6umB7VVS/206fc86abefeb207e4bcd4997af45d93/BenjaminC2.jpg) Unfortunately in TTW2022, Benjamin had a broken derailleur on the Rameka, a broken freehub body at Lake Mason (necessitating an 86km walk) and then – with all that hiking and the stream crossings in the Two Thumb Range in his MTB shoes – broken feet at Tekapo.

They looked like they’d been attacked with an angle grinder. ![Bfeet1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5K3NLXQ2FOAjETVvvyDdsY/2e70a931b6e28ddd5ca869875d9352cf/Bfeet1.jpg) His dot had been stationary at Tekapo for too long when the ringing phone had Benjamin’s name on the screen. Understandably emotional, he was pulling out. “I’m a bike *rider*. I’m not sure I’m cut out for this type of thing.”

But Benjamin is made of stern stuff and TTW isn’t an easily ‘brushoffable’ event. He prepared even better this time, leading the rider Facebook page chat about feet management strategies, and he returned to Cape Farewell with a steely resolve to finish the job.![37Benj2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/HfEOVqMhwXhK5EClMCS63/40c21f3cb59aac74d09da77f78e9eca7/37Benj2.jpg) He made it out to Slope Point today at 3.51pm.

“I’m just overjoyed to have finished,” he said from the point. “I’ve met some great people and had an awesome journey. Kudos to everyone who takes on this course. It’s a huge challenge.”

Did doubts about finishing this year ever creep into his head? “No, never.”

Typical of Benjamin, he was immediately thinking of this year’s starters who suffered the misfortune he is very familiar with, and didn’t complete their rides. “I just hope they come back and get to finish, because it’s a great feeling.”

There was joy too this afternoon for Martin Grethe and Kane Thornburrow, who finished within a couple of minutes of each other at 2.50pm and 2.52pm respectively.![37Martin](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/I77zrXqY3iyP9wHMr8n0T/5c3a447c6a37a0b46cde2842677480f0/37Martin.JPG) Cycling resumēs don’t come much more jam-packed than 51-year old Martin’s (above).

He’s ticked off all the big New Zealand rides, including the Tour of Aotearoa three times, as well as the Tour Divide and bike tours in Asia and Europe. Then there’s the ultra trailrunning, mountaineering, tramping … ![37Kane](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/PFyv4PjeA0bYk9rQHLuKG/b2aa478fb782fdf65fe9096ee5370e61/37Kane.JPG) Forty-five year old Kane (above), from Palmerston North, has continued his impressive run of never DNFing a major event. Like Martin, Kane sports an impressive palmares, having knocked off many of New Zealand’s biggest events.

Growing up on a farm, and with a love of tramping and in particular exploring the South Island backcountry, TTW was right up Kane’s alley. ![KaneT](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4g9gdOtxyKJAWdCpeUGdkd/9567f47d14f05983d2abc09263f68295/KaneT.jpg) Before the event he said that TTW had always fascinated him: “I've been an avid dotwatcher for the last two events. I felt that I had finally built up enough experience to have a good go at it, so sent through my application as soon as entries opened last year!”


Some Finishes Mean More Than Others

Another diverse bunch of riders are unpacking their remarkable experiences this morning after enduring the worst that Southland can dish up – driving, cold rain and day-long headwinds  – from the sub-Antarctic below.![37JimandPop](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/37fBuXecdKaDXOe0mCQrAw/6fd17f0a95fb87a0afc569db5d9901a5/37JimandPop.jpg) First home since our last update was our leading team, ‘Pop and Jim’, or Kirsten and James Ashley (above), a married couple, both 38 years of age, who arrived at 7.15 last night in an impressive 20th place.

The lives of fulltime working parents can feel all-consuming with little space for anything else but the Wellington pair (below, before the start) made the time to share this special adventure together.![Pop and Jim](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5TbVTgT5rCIBqtJIDKHLWZ/3fa03b55f9f34e7a09d8cecd764bcfa9/Pop_and_Jim.JPG) With their eight-year-old son being well cared for by Grandma, “we just really enjoyed hanging out,” says Kirsten. “There was plenty of time to chat!”
In addition to finishing in Southland’s driving rain, the pair endured some challenging conditions, particularly up in the Hawkduns.

“We were riding in a thunderstorm and James just said ‘you’re not riding fast enough in this weather!’ so we stopped (at Ida Valley Hut, the former railway building now 1300m up on the plateau.) The next morning, riding along up there in the snow was really special.”![37Hawkduns](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1nPEAfuufuLBy2D3htU6De/4b9976a7d32a8f3b87a8aed7a66d63ea/37Hawkduns.jpg)Kirsten snapped this pic (above) of James approaching the top of the rocky, 1600m Hawkdun ridgeline.

The pair have ticked off many of the major New Zealand bikepacking rides together over the years but Kirsten rates this one as “rreeaallyy good!”![37Eileen](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4WuNcizHJeuqOJ82tCmH4m/efb27585a4687bf8f3cf50faf64da777/37Eileen.jpg) An hour and a half later, Eileen Schwab (above) completed back-to-back TTW finishes, this time flying solo without partner Andy Hovey.

Remarkably the 37-year-old, who is also from Wellington, went 16 hours quicker this year.

How was it riding alone without Andy (who blitzed the course in fifth place)? "Yeah it was great. Ah, can I say that?" she asked with a chuckle. "When you ride with others, you make decision together, like where you're going to stop, and I think riding alone allowed me to push my limits more."![37Karen](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6yenoQh1zM3N7NLF4pGb3T/372e1420b39b129b948d9bb87823717e/37Karen.jpg) Eileen particularly enjoyed a long stint riding with Karen Le Sueur (above), our next finisher, until the Takaka 54-year-old bent her chainring on a rock at Camp Stream so badly that she had to walk/coast to Tekapo, aided by a strong tailwind.

Karen overcame quite a bit of adversity before reaching Slope Point at 9.07 last night to complete a couple double, after husband Tony finished second in the inaugural event.

Karen has been clocking up big rides for almost 25 years: a road tour of Scotland and Ireland, multi-week bikepacking tours with Tony in Asia and North Africa, and the biggie, a year-long trip from Alaska to Panama City. ![37MikeNorman](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3GY1sOsb3dvPCnaEkFy3wC/579cadf024a60a595ab7cd356dfd9185/37MikeNorman.jpg) Fifty-five-year-old Australian Mike Norman (above) was next in at 10.38pm.

Mike has seen more of this country than many Kiwi bikepackers. “I love riding here and try to get over once a year. I’ve ridden Tour of Aotearoa three times … but it was time for something different and more challenging.” ![37Bigmouths](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/53Ji6HUuc9cCqu9Plo9RV/fd69a7e23d8662678da0bdbbb4d5e3a3/37Bigmouths.jpg) It’s hard to find a photo of our next very chatty finishers, Queenstown mates Tom Baker and Adam Carlson, where they’re not smiling, so of course there were ear-to-grins in atrocious conditions at Slope Point just after midnight.

Tom was absolutely fizzing this morning about the pair’s adventure. “I’ve done a lot of things around the South Island but I was riding through places asking myself “how have I never been here?’”![37BigMouth2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5Y8OBqkbJ6HXGcSyxggdda/186ee865303ca27d80d0960f87d8819a/37BigMouth2.jpg) Despite the snow and extreme cold of a few days back, Tom (above, near Camp Stream) says the worst conditions were the freezing rain and headwinds they were smashing into all yesterday.

One road name on the course that many riders remember is the aptly named Breakneck Road, a never-ending climb and exposed ridgeline out of Lawrence. “I axed myself up there! I got blown completely off the road and the gale force wind meant that, with all the bags on my bike, I struggled to get back on.” ![37Adam and Tom2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/irjmDxKsDTn8GCJ9RRLEv/c57d45e7560f1e93393932628a813005/37Adam_and_Tom2.jpg) Tom and Adam regularly tackle adventures together and with other local mates. Four times a year they undertake a ‘seasonal challenge’. “The rides keep getting longer and longer! It’s serious without being too serious,” says Tom. One adventure was a weekend loop from Queenstown, setting off for Walter Peak on the Earnslaw on a Friday night for a trip to Fiordland and over the remote Percy Pass, (above, Adam left and Tom right) with its notoriously difficult HAB descent. ![37MikeMartin](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6qJBmoLtqNWgCLr60gTWVF/77cfebf7411af17d3774ff5e2abf6abc/37MikeMartin.jpg)
Thirty-eight-year-old Mike Martin of Queenstown (above) was next home at 5.40am to complete solid back-to-back TTW finishes.![37dandA](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1Ls6AsLvo4cVyASYCUd4Wl/d6d6d21e791c5c7f23ebe5987ea7b736/37dandA.JPG) One of the pleasures of bikepacking is that it can bring together diverse people. Our latest finishers (above), strategy consultant Daniel Gona (left) from Austria, halfway round the world, and farmer Austin Garden (right) from Millers Flat, two hours up the road, have ridden much of the island together.

No doubt Austin, an experienced adventure racer, ran an eye over his stock when he rode through his property, Avenal Station, on the course route yesterday.

Many are taking their time to get back on their (mending) feet and leave Slope Point Accommodation, especially those who finished ahead of their anticipated race times.

Checking out of TTW World means checking back into another world that rarely is as compelling.


"We Just Really Enjoyed Hanging Out"

Seemingly perched at opposite ends of the focus and intensity spectrum are the two riders who secured the final places on the women’s podium.

Second placed Georgie Rutherford is the quintessential laidback Aussie, although she has lived in Wanaka for three years.

A keen recreational bikepacker, Georgie entered TTW 2022 “to experience the great route really” (and placed 23rd of 29 finishers). Then she entered the Highland Trail 550 “but I can’t really remember why. It was great. Wonderful people.”

So did she have any competitive aspirations for this edition of TTW? “No. I had a goal of getting to Murchison (268kms) on day one, and if that worked then Deep Creek (455kms) on day two, and from there it just happened,” says Georgie. “It was an accident!” ![32Georgie](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1PnOirgRKUYxNw8BDN4niA/fce4a8f04ce3855298291f5126053a03/32Georgie.JPG) A poor sleep system also contributed to her second place. “I was so cold each night, I thought I may as well just get up and ride!”

Has her second placing sparked thoughts of adopting a new hard competitive edge? “No, I mean Emma Flukes is a far better cyclist and for me the real attraction is just being out there with a lot of great, like-minded people.”

As for popping into a couple of country pubs for a beer along the way: “That’s half the appeal for me, stopping and having a chat with the locals.”

At a stream water stop in a remote area of Tasmania on day two of the 2022 Tassie Gift, with race organiser Emma Flukes well over 100kms up the course, amiable race photographer, Emma’s partner Dan, was asked how she possibly rode so hard? “She’s just very driven,” Dan said.![EmmaF7](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2squoztrcNM6n4I3dWoM1/06857ced03db218b733abb9167894b42/EmmaF7.JPG) With Emma you sense it’s ‘driven’ in the sense that she’s motivated to push her limits and get the best out of herself, rather than to rip the limbs off her opposition. Emma’s just far too nice for the latter.

So naturally she was frustrated in the two most taxing HAB sections of TTW – the Dampier and Two Thumb Ranges – that her diminutive physique occasionally hindered progress.

“It was just so much of a physical challenge! There were times when I felt I lacked the strength to move my bike at all in any direction. I felt completely out of my depth!”![EmmaF2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6Pod87M9AOzgZOFYHarSWG/a7dcc3520d199c2bcc37492f8f75229d/EmmaF2.JPG) An enforced stop at Tekapo to get a brake fixed was a chance to hit the reset button. “Rest and food fix a lot of things and I was able to refocus. But I was never going to quit. I hadn’t flown to another country just to quit when things got difficult.”

Emma’s relentless march south from Tekapo over the final 507kms, through the teeth of atrocious weather – snow, rain and high winds – was hugely impressive. “Was it?” she questioned modestly. “There were times when I wanted to push on but couldn’t because of the weather. It was really windy up on the Hawkduns so when I dropped down I didn’t feel safe going into the next hilly section in those winds.”

So how does she compare TTW with her Gift (which is a real hard-slog bike event, 50% longer, 50% more vertical elevation and occasional HAB)? “Oh, TTW is radically different!”


Two Very Different Aussies

There was another flurry of human activity in the wee small hours down at the Slope Point paddock last night which, as race organiser Brian Alder noted, must be confusing the sheep.

Five riders were greeted by Brian in less than two-and-a-half hours. This wasn’t so much a race for overall placings 14th to 18th as a strong desire to be done before 7am, to post a highly creditable six-day-something-hour finishing time.

“And they didn’t want to wake up and have to ride their bikes again,” noted Brian.

Among the quintet was our second placed woman, Georgie Rutherford (above at the point and below pre-race) of Wanaka, who made it out there at 5.58am, chopping an incredible 38 hours off her 2022 time. Georgie is a solid bikepacker, having ridden solo from Ushuaia to Equador, but her name didn’t feature in the pre-race podium speculation. ![36GeorgieR1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3FTPYwc5FNVCX30DsLQd8C/e3ac897ec2d7093695e4ca30527bcb11/36GeorgieR1.JPG)A few old mates in her country of origin, Australia, will be impressed that she stopped along the way for a beer in a couple of country pubs. Good on ya’ Georgie! ![36MarcusJ](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3V6uRInTY3TMyEvrrV5PR2/7c700904b65c7a7b1742df4a188e6a9b/36MarcusJ.jpg) First home this morning at 3.30am was ‘Sloth’ or Marcus Jesen (above) of New Plymouth. The 37-year-old former elite Australian XC rider, who has cut out the Tour of Aotearoa in under 11 days would have enjoyed the technical riding. ![36AdamR](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4MotfNsJjBCSl5usHQUD8h/202d5f098d458e242b685fd5117b3712/36AdamR.jpg) Just 22 minutes later, 50-year-old Adam Rozsa appeared to complete a goal that was delayed two years by Covid. An Aussie with a Kiwi mum, Adam says he has a soft spot for this country, with its diverse landscape, and pops over often for adventures. “I like the people. Kiwis are laid back, stoic, and have a good sense of humour. Just don’t let them know you think that,” he said pre-race.

Once mended, Adam is heading east not returning west, bound for adventures in Chile, Argentina and Bolivia.![36Sam](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4eXmZlLQWBFFpfivCZzAQF/6ad481d81090107fc00c46150e82c59f/36Sam.jpg) It almost looked like a time trial in the dark around the Catlins Coast as just 19 minutes later, the headlight belonging to 31-year-old Sam Snowden (above) of Wellington lit up the spit. Sam took more than half a day off his 2022 time.![36Doug](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/66VGbbq9dIGp0ItKFCE1fr/b35dd1ae147f20621ba9fe703f20b235/36Doug.JPG)
Next home was an interesting character, 30-year-old Doug Hilson (above) of Christchurch, a sales engineer who works on highly advanced prosthetic hands that are sold all over the world.

Doug set the goal of buying nothing new for TTW, except a few safety items. His bike was made entirely from refurbished components “except the bar ends! It’s been a heap of fun”. Doug is a weekend ski patroller at Temple Basin and recently took two months off to paddle the Grand Canyon and then bikepack 3000kms around the States. ![35EmmaF](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4FzDat6EELaWNGXpPc2q65/51a6b963d7df8b0b12c9b97e953cc298/35EmmaF.jpg) This (above) is a photo that should warm the hearts of those who have followed this race closely.

There is nothing half-hearted about prolific Hobart bikepacking dynamo, Emma Flukes, as those who follow her humorous and straight-talking Insta feed (@oneflukeshot) will know.

Emma went into the race saying she had no real aspirations and that TTW was a rare extended break from her busy job and a chance to “plug into the nature socket”.![NIK2473](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/57LDdR4zIT1CQ66VFMRJ3O/16abcccb4f89524072d7ee9b64b43be5/_NIK2473.JPG) The 35-year-old marine biologist probably got to experience a bit more of Te Waipounamu’s “nature” than she would have preferred. The large rocks, tussocks and other sub-alpine shrubs of the HAB sections pose a bigger hurdle for those for whom … well, the Council built the footpath a bit closer to their bottoms.

TTW is a race that can reveal remarkable character. And true to her character, Emma, who was not in a great head space at Tekapo, dug deep and rode out of the tourist town at 1.30am Friday, and has since powered home, on the way enduring the very worst of the weather.

Last night she stopped for just 90 minutes in Lawrence before pushing on to an 11.54am finish and the final spot on the women's podium. It's not often you see two women's names ahead of Emma's on a race result sheet but often placings don't tell the full story.

There was a sizeable crowd out on the point to greet Emma; knowledgeable bikepacking people who know class when they see it. Chapeau Emma.![35Anna](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2wX1YeJYPp7Y7fxHh9IPM2/adc009f0b52bbf1c080c0a6b99dbaa26/35Anna.jpg) Meanwhile deeper in the field, it was great to see the dots of good mates Anna Gilson (above) and Mark Hurst (below) head out of Tekapo this morning as Anna is doing it tough with a tender Archilles and bad swelling in her lower legs that are affecting her ankle mobility. Thankfully the worst of the HAB is now behind them.
![35MarkH](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7txH0UGZ5Atkf3ViYpD3HT/eb1da67103c2d94b7da3fc087d88e2f7/35MarkH.jpg) The pair had a 25km walk out of Mount White Station with a tyre stuffed with grass and then copped head winds which, without the tyre delay, would have been tail winds. Only four riders who have ever made it to Tekapo haven’t gone on to see Slope Point, so fingers crossed for the committed duo.![36PaulaSS](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/24GBljrSxqJFwTkU8nOv1t/2752c03921720a078558d15f193456da/36PaulaSS.JPG) Speaking of ‘committed’, no surprises to see the dot of our final rider, Paula Gibson-Marshment set off from Royal Hut in the dark at 4am. It’s fine but very windy on Stag Saddle (above) today. The former national XC representative had the bike handling skills to get down the exposed 7km Snake Ridge descent in the strong crosswind.


A Busy Night At The Point

On the back of his fifth placing in 2022 and a win at the challenging North Island event, Renegades Muster in November, Mojo (Ian Davidson) lined up at Cape Farewell with realistic podium aspirations.

Unfortunately his trip south has been beset with stomach and related energy issues, so his arrival at a very windy Slope Point in 13th place (above) at 6.45pm will have been bittersweet.![35Mojo2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4oRDBPGoaRgdnuwdwBTHwc/59eb6b9ae74dc5f89d01f02fcd6aa0df/35Mojo2.jpg) Hopefully, with time, the sweetness will override the bitterness when Mojo (above) realises that gutsing it out through adversity, and making it to the finish of this most exacting of events might mean more to him than some successes achieved when healthy. There's no easy route to Slope Point and Mojo's has been tougher than most.![35Ev](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6I4Z6ydx8aak9Jq2qFg84j/ba2f933ae3236c9ce021a7f203123960/35Ev.JPG)Arriving just 45 minutes after Mojo at Slope Point was another who has suffered, Evan Woolf (above), or Slo-Mo (the groundsman at race car producer Rodin).

Those in the know say he rode the final day fatigued and was "doing it tough", having had a rough night last night in the Lammerlaw Range. "With gale force winds, rain and snow, he almost froze".

Evan's a capable rider, having completed the 1300km South Island section of the Shaky Isles gravel route in four days flat. He now adds this more challenging length of the South Island mountain bike event to his resume.![35mojocrew](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5TQtfdLFyV2h3VucVPflQp/8bb54f6233fc59578485a0c4511eac5e/35mojocrew.JPG) (Above) The support crew waiting for Mojo and Evan to pass Slope Point Accommodation, a couple of kilometres from the finish.

For fifth-placed Andy Hovey, the result was a complete shock. “I didn’t go into the race with any expectations as I’ve never raced before! I just set out to ride and enjoy myself.”![AndyH2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1MDMqHBQ9OX6SVSjkICxKN/0a4b4799e39b9e7bd9b704501d22137c/AndyH2.png) Andy (above) says it was “really cool” when he found himself up with “all the pros. I was riding along thinking, I seem to be able to ride at this pace. It was great because I learnt so much about sleep and other things.”

Andy’s not sure if his new-found racing ability will be deployed again in future. “I don’t have any plans. I’ll just see how it goes. I really enjoy just riding with Eileen (Schwab, currently the fourth placed woman).![AndyH and EileenS](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2co42KwlA4X1YN0QdIYpF6/3d1c45d102fe7a33ddbd8df4dde323ad/AndyH_and_EileenS.jpg) Eileen and Andy (above, at last year's finish) have bikepacked together all over the world.

So what’s it like tackling a course like TTW on a single-speed? “It’s great,” says seventh-placed, Phill Davies (below).![30PhilD](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1oX52O7ZAkK5JzC2pnvo3q/07a1f2242473474b9a20127d237ea0f4/30PhilD.jpg)“I wouldn’t ride it on a geared bike. A single-speed is a backcountry tool and that’s a backcountry race. The simplicity, it’s light and I could drag it over tussocks and rocks without worrying about damaging a derailleur.”

Phill says that despite the challenging weather in the final mountain sections, his ride was quite straightforward until 80kms from the finish when a muscle above his right knee stopped working. He rode the remainder of the course with one leg, hanging the right one off the pedal when coasting downhill. “But I’d come too far not to finish.” ![31PhillD](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4KpbYTeMHr3OZa5060sDcp/c20f3a421267fb0c47ac4031d1022d1c/31PhillD.jpg) Phill (above) went into the race with hopes rather than expectations of a top-ten finish and his thrilled with his ride.

As we’ve previously noted, Phill committed to a deliberate two-year plan to gain selection for TTW. So was all the effort and focus worthwhile? “Oh yeah! It was way, way more enjoyable than I thought it would be. I’d jump at the chance to ride that course again.”

Like Andy, Phill is now reflecting on a great learning experience. While his sole focus now returns to family life, he says that in future he would like to apply what he has gained from the TTW to a crack at other technical events like Scotland’s Highland Trail 550. ![Paula4](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3vqy2IgNGOublkoYhSVDJB/79434cf14d11409a677665206c0cef40/Paula4.jpg) For many of us dotwatching, there are frequents scrolls north on the map to check the progress of our final (it’s too harsh to call her ‘last’) remaining rider in the field, the resilient and utterly committed, Paula Gibson-Marshment (above).

56-year-old Paula made it to a campsite near Felt Hut – about the only moderately flat area on the ridiculously steep Bullock Bow Saddle climb – at 5am this morning to cap off another epic day in the high country in trying conditions.![35Paula](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5O9JeUf0Qk004XizMBnMKk/ebec7a9ea4a8d1dc26a9452c5204371d/35Paula.jpg) And she was on the go again before 9am (above). Race admin team member Pete Maindonald, who has been checking deer gates on Mesopotamia Station, caught Paula as she set off and – once again – she was in great spirits. We apologise if these accounts of Paula’s long days and indomitable spirit are becoming monotonous.![29JoH](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/l6FKSsDxF4s3zvVzJHTiy/1ab52c01f7d2f103eb15eb5ab82c7c2d/29JoH.jpg) In recent days, Paula has been slowly gaining on the injured Jo Haines (above, earlier at Murchison) of Wanaka. But any hopes that Paula might get some company (they’re lovely people and would be well suited) were dashed when Jo’s Shermer’s Neck condition became unbearable at the end of the Two Thumb Range.![35Jo1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5J98qGErMmDBizyPPKzqPK/34d22429d4ff77b58844f2e5cd3829e4/35Jo1.jpg)
It’s always hard seeing riders pull out at Tekapo, when they’ve broken the back of the course. The 59-year old web designer, who has a background of tramping and mountaineering and last year rode the Baja Divide, was simply unable to keep her head upright, even with cables fastening her pack to her helmet (above).

The next riders we are expecting at Slope Point are likely to be from the quartet that recently left Lawrence: Adam Rozsa, our second-placed woman Georgie Rutherford, Sam Snowden and 'Sloth' Marcus Jesen.


There's No Easy Route To Slope Point ...

Our women’s winner, Emma Bateup and men’s third placegetter, Lewis Ciddor, share a remarkable inner drive when racing, although their motivations in the final couple of days of TTW were very different.

For Emma (above, photographed by Anton McGeachen) it was all about achieving her goal of breaking the six-day barrier (which she did by less than a minute). “I would have balled my eyes out if I hadn’t achieved that. I was 100% fixated on it. I was time-trialling from Lawrence and sprinting up hills towards the end.”

Most athletes would have been content with carving 11 hours and 20 minutes off their previous winning time but not Emma. “Last year it was all new and I made a lot of mistakes. I learnt a lot this year too about eating, sleeping less (getting by on about two hours most nights) and intensity.”

Scarily for her opposition, Emma reckons that in the right conditions she could hack another 11 hours off her time in 2026. “This race suits me well. I’m strong for a woman. I’ve got the riding skills from my mountain biking background, I don’t mind 300-400km days and I’m always out doing stupid stuff in the hills.”![EmmaB5](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/mcv9sAHmYFo3kzUMj5LX8/78929537f4daabab2300c0b5269b721c/EmmaB5.JPG) Emma says it was “pretty cool” to be mixing it with some well-known men. “I’m not as powerful as them but if I continue to learn and improve, maybe sleeping less than some, this gave me confidence that I can be more competitive.”

Emma wants to push on and tackle other big bikepacking events but is not in a position to race internationally at the moment. “Mentally, I’m not sure how many I could take of these in a year. This one hit me a lot harder. I also want to maintain a mix in my life and it would be cool to tackle some of the more pure bikepacking events. I’m very competitive and just want to win races.” ![34Emmaicecream](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1FkErOysTSMmBzZi0A6RKQ/8abdb2fc6ad1f40898e242e6d14a2af6/34Emmaicecream.jpg)While the other awake overnight finishers were hooking into bacon and eggs at breakfast, Emma was reaching for the ice cream scoop. 

“Last time, I’d been finished 4-5 hours before they showed me there was ice cream in the freezer, which was really disappointing. I’m dairy intolerant so don’t eat that stuff during the race but it’s great to hook into it afterwards.”![34Lews1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2p2d56xHNZFwXOR3Zv5IEh/7f70b389dca8420885566fd08fa15d13/34Lews1.JPG)For Lewis (above, shortly after our chat) the motivation really kicked in when he “went on a tear” after Tekapo. “I was having dropper post issues, it was moving and clunking, especially on hills and I was worried it might fail. I started to ride back to Tekapo thinking I might get a rigid post from the bike rental place.”

Instead he stopped at a toilet and slept knowing he’d make a better decision in the morning. After a reassuring message from a bike mechanic friend that the post wouldn’t fail and, if it deteriorated, was manageable, he set off “on a mission”.![Lewis c1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/73eBUcAk3tZblOhASzudvS/fbcb9d5da63cc09c25f660fd78536817/Lewis_c1.jpg)"I’d slipped from fourth to 12th but I thought, ‘I’ve had seven hours' sleep, which should get me to the finish. If I go hard enough, I might be able to get back up to maybe fourth or fifth, a respectable place'.

“When I heard at the foot of the Hawkduns that Steve had been airlifted to hospital, I felt really terrible for him but then thought, this is my chance to secure third.”

Lewis was well aware of Kurt Senden closing the gap on him in the final stages. “Kurt’s a big guy and really strong, especially on the flat. In the Lammerlaw Range I could see my chance to get away so I shelled myself, absolutely sprinting up hills. But it was a death march to Slope Point at the end.”![NIK2511](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7qUkydZje5iSdxlBz9bapt/402f458b8e12891f44901e37608aba33/_NIK2511.JPG)So Lewis was very satisfied with his third placing after struggling with eating and energy issues in the early days.

And how does TTW rate in relation to the two big bikepacking races he runs at home. “Oh they just don’t compare! In Australia there’s so much great land that we don’t have access to, which limits the routing options. I’ve been to some incredible places here!”![SnakeRidgeRob1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4HUpKI8JP8fRYeTec5t2sG/32b40d7c31da3d587b67cba03b07b58c/32Anton3.jpg) Photo:Anton McGeachen

So has TTW reignited a passion for bikepacking racing for the 2018 Tour Divide winner who hasn't raced since 2019? “I never consciously stopped but with COVID travel issues, I moved to Canberra and with other things happening in my life … but absolutely I want to do more, and certinaly more of these technical MTB events.”

Just as well for Lewis as next up he has the Colorado Trail Race in August. “Considering Brian (Alder) created TTW as a way to train for CTR, I think this was ideal preparation.”

Next to see Slope Point later this afternoon will be 'Slo-mo', Evan Woolf, and 'Mojo', Ian Davidson, both of whom have had eventful rides.


That Inner Drive

Andrew Trevelyan

Tour Te Waipounamu 2024 Tracking and Commentary: New Zealand mountain bikepacking race through the South Island high country

Tour Te Waipounamu 2024 Tracking and Commentary

A race the length of New Zealand's South Island on the land between the mountains and the plains, over many a pass and high country station through Te Waipounamu's many valleys and changing climate. A highly challenging and rewarding mountain bike event through a sometimes exposed and unforgiving landscape.

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