Family Tours South Island By Bicycle

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31579, 17 January 1968, Page 19

Family Tours South Island By Bicycle

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, January 16. An Upper Hutt man and his three teen-age sons have just completed a 1125-mile tour of the South Island on bicycles. They had only five punctures and replaced one tyre. As a youth, Dunedin-born Colin Drake cycled from Dunedin to Picton in four days. This year he decided it would be nice to see the South Island with his three sons, Eugene (16), Ulric (15) and Paul (13), but the only way he could afford it was to use bicycles.

He also wanted to see his family in Dunedin. So on December 16 the four went by ferry to Picton. Six days later they were in Dunedin. They travelled as light as possible, carrying a tent, cooking utensils, inflatable mattresses and sleeping bags. The longest stretch they covered in one day was 93 miles, across the Canterbury plains. Christmas Dinner

In Dunedin they had Christmas dinner with Mr Drake's mother and his three sisters and their families. “It was a real family reunion,” said Mr Drake, who is a tutor at the Wellington Polytechnic. The Drake family found the ride through Central Otago to Haast Pass the toughest. But they agreed the scenery in the Haast Pass was well worth the energy expended. They were also delighted with the scenery on the West Coast, but it was there' that they had their share of ill-luck. They ran into bad weather, were troubled with sandflies “which would not give in,” and were glad of an offer of a 12-mile lift in a Ministry of Works truck. It was the only lift they received, and the driver arranged for them to have the use of a Ministry of Works hut during heavy rain. “We spent one and a half days in the hut, drying out,” said Mr Drake. Sandflies, the biggest menace they encountered, continued to plague the riders until they worked out of the Wairau Valley, in Marlborough. The weather on the Coast delayed them so severely they had to change their plans and cut across Marlborough instead of riding through Nelson. “You wouldn’t believe how barren the West Coast is until you have ridden down it. The shops were about 50 miles apart, and meat was a bit of a problem for us," said Mr Drake. Rail-car To Get Home

The family returned home from Picton last week, but

they used the rail-car to get to their home in Upper Hutt. Reflecting on the tour, Mr Drake said all thoroughly enjoyed the trip, but he did not think they would attempt it again. “We hope to do Nelson next year. About 400 miles would be nice.” He estimated the cost of the tour to be about $lOO. Caravans a Menace The cyclists found caravans “a bit of a menace.” “If you gave an inch, they forced you off the road, and we were forced off a few times, but if you held your ground they slowed down,” he said. Mr Drake and his family saw only two other groups of cyclists on tour. “People don’t know what they are missing," said Mr Drake.