Day 22 – The Finish: Sounds, Super Domestiques and the Ferry North

Part 1 – The Last Ride (South Island)

A very exciting day.

Our final ride on the South Island, and we were joined by two super domestiques… and their mum.

Of all the towns we’ve passed through, Havelock is the one I’d return to first. A marina full of big, expensive boats, a small working fishing fleet, a good pub, and a 4 Square that delivers hot snacks and iced coffee pre-ride.

And the scenery — exceptional.


The ride profile showed climbs at either end with a flatter section in between. The road follows Pelorus Sound for the first 10 km before winding its way into the head of Queen Charlotte Sound.

The camera spent most of the morning stuck on panorama mode. It’s almost impossible to capture the scale of the place in a single frame.


It’s the same terrain we’ve been riding for the past three weeks — just filled with water. Marshland flowing into sheltered inlets, yachts on moorings, kayakers, fishermen… a very different feel.

Our riding companions joined us just after the first climb.

Keen to help, they took on the important job of carrying the lollies.

In ten years’ time, if they’re not near the top of cross-country cycling in New Zealand, I’ll be surprised.

Two little dynamos.

The peloton, minus mum the photographer.

The final climb into Picton tested the peloton, but the whole team rolled in together in good spirits — helped along by a steady intake of local “party mix” and some excellent parenting.

The roadside crowd seemed to enjoy it too, with plenty of thumbs up from passing cars.

The race wasn’t quite over though — the final sprint was to catch the next ferry to the North Island.

Bikes queueing to get on the ferry

Travel between the islands isn’t always straightforward. There are only two ferry operators and cancellations are not uncommon. We had originally booked on the Bluebridge service for the following morning, but an opportunity came up to jump on the Interislander departing shortly after we arrived.

After saying goodbye to our riding companions and hosts, we were on board.

Part 2 – Across Cook Strait

The ferry left a little behind schedule and we arrived into Wellington around 6:30 pm.

From there it was back on the bikes for one last short ride to our accommodation — the Ascot Motor Inn, near the airport.

We followed the harbour foreshore, passing the Wellington Basin Reserve, widely regarded as one of the great cricket grounds of the world.

It was a memorable ride — helped along by a typical Wellington wind pushing us around for good measure.

One thing that stands out here: cyclists are well looked after. Dedicated lanes, good infrastructure, and drivers who seem to understand how it all works.

A refreshing change.

And with that, the ride is essentially done.

Three weeks, mountains, rain, wind, lakes, forests, and thousands of kilometres behind us.

Now for the ultimate reward:

South Australia’s finest.



Day Summary

Route: Havelock → Picton → Wellington
Distance: ~60 km riding + ferry
Weather: Fine, light winds in Marlborough, windy in Wellington
Best moment: Riding into Picton with the whole “team”

Ride Link

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/22334154327



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