CHRISTCHURCH TO AKAROA BY CYCLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2921, 9 March 1910, Page 59

CHRISTCHURCH TO AKAROA BY CYCLE.

A DUNEDIN ON TOUR

_ When I suggests possibility of this trip being done tin..- and back in a day," writes a Dur.edin rider who recently did some cycling in Canterbury, "I was laughed at. But I failed to see the cause of the laughter. The distance, 57£ miles there, only made a total ride of 115 miles, and that presented no terrors ia point of distance. But it appeared thai this road was ' tremendously hilly.' ' You'll have to walk up all the hills, and it will tako you two hours to walk up one —thai big one,' I was told. However, I suspeoted! «.»«« ct„., :vr K- Otaao hills would have made

Eo strong enougl tc iackk tnese ' untovn monsters,' and, therefore, deterimaed to attempt the trip and do it in the day Exhaustive arguments and tables were presented to me by sceptical friends These demonstrated the possibility of a doubt that it would take me, at least seven hour,, to get there and probably longer to return v "tt was a dull, overcast morning at 0 a..o\ :vhen, in response to the irritating clattering of the alarm clock, I peeped out and shivered. A couple of boiled eggs and a cup of cocoa soon braced me up, and at 5 a.m. 1 set off, despite the threatening appearance of the sky, which had now Bghtened and revealed clouds being slowly driven by a wind from the west. When tome six" miles out, the mist . descended and covered the crests of the hills to the left, and caused me seme cogitation as to whether it were wise to proceed. I pulled En and debated the point for a short time, but a stubborn recklessness of consequences coming to my aid I decided to pursue my course and do the trip whether it rained or whether it blew.

"I took the first six or seven miles just Meadily, ii order to warm up to the work, MM) then from half-way to Tai Tapu ppened out a bit, and completed the run M 36 miles to Little River in 2hrs SOmin. The road generally proved in exuellenf. order, although the last 10 miles presented a surface .which had been newly gravelled This had not had much wear, but was still sufficiently worn to afford a good riding surface, although" a sounder flto&d would have meant a little more pace. Afc Little River I spent over half an hour breakfasting, and then tackled the big hill wbioh was to take me two hours to walk. I iMJached 1 the top in 50 minutes from leaving Little River, and at the end of the two hours was in Akaroa.! This hill I hoiiestly think is no worse than the Upper : JuSou, and not nearly so bad asKilmog. The Aka,roa side presents many sharp comer* which necessitate oarefu negot.abut L o-or W two sharp

I rode up the hill for the first two and a- ! half miles, and think if a man were doing I but the one thing in tne day he could reach the top with a little effort. After ceasing riding, a walk of 25 minutes took me to the crest. . ! " Much had been told me of the splendid view of Akaroa Harbour from the I Hilltop Hill and on the run down. With all honesty, I do not think I am actuated 1 by local prejudice when I say that the I view of Otago Harbour and the sea-coast fas obtained in the course of a spin to Waitati presents more variety and greater ' charm than does Akaroa. Still, Akaroa is a pretty spot, and must have been delightful when" the present bare hills were clothed with native verdure. " I landed at Akarca at 10 precisely, ■ having taken 4hrs 20min to do that : which could not be done under 7hrs. ! I spent some time in Akaroa, had a bathe ! in the newly erected baths, _ and after a I glance round the place obtained a snack j and left on my return journey at 11.30. The hills between Akaroa and Hilltop are small, but steep and persistent. It is adI visablo to walk short stretches of each, j though none are unridable. The day had i turned out gloriously fine in spite of the ! unpromising morning, and when walking j up part of the Big Hill it was often a i delicious relief to plunge the head right under some of the small waterfalls of the i wayside. ■ ! "Little River was reached at 1.45 p.m., the return journey having taken a quarter of an hour longer, owing to the more difficult nature of the Akaroa side of the Big. Hill. After a short stay at Little River the run home was commenced, and, despite a very strong head-wind which was ! met with in the last 25 miles, Christchurch j was reached in two hours and a-half, and j there was then left for riding purposes ' three hours of daylight to demonstrate j conclusively the possibility of doing Akaroa and back in a day. The actual distance ridden that day wa.-s 119 miles, and the time 9hrs smin. The machine was an ordinary roadster, weighted with a carrier and two brakes. These hills which i'ritrhten

a Christchurch man appear but ordinary to our southern men."