Day 21 – Over the Last Hills to Havelock

The weather gods returned today.

We woke to calm, overcast conditions which, in typical fashion, burnt off to leave another warm, sunny day — pretty much perfect for cycling.

This was marked as a “red day” in our original itinerary.

It didn’t feel like one

Top of the last climb
There were two climbs to deal with.

The first was what you’d call a gentleman’s climb — about 6 km long but only in the 5–6% range, which now feels pretty simple, even with a heap of gear to drag up.

The second was a bit sharper, but short.

And with that, the climbing is essentially done.

Happy to see the back of it.

It does make you wonder — if we’d ridden this on Day 2 instead of Day 22, it might have felt very different.

Today it felt… easy.

The landscape has changed again. The country opens out into flatter land with beef, dairy and vegetable farming, and plenty of creeks and rivers winding through the paddocks.

Unlike the West Coast, there are towns and places to stop every few kilometres, which makes for a very different style of riding.


We rolled into Havelock, a small town at the head of the Pelorus Sound.

Havelock is often referred to as the “Green-Lipped Mussel Capital of the World”, with a long history tied to fishing, aquaculture and early timber milling. These days it’s a gateway to the Marlborough Sounds and has a relaxed, slightly coastal feel.

Tomorrow is the final day of cycling, which brings a mix of emotions.

Looking forward to:

  • sleeping in my own bed
  • not packing and unpacking every day

But also knowing we’ll miss the rhythm and simplicity of cycle touring in one of the most beautiful parts of the world.

There’s also the small matter of having to watch the diet again. When you’re riding six hours a day, you can get away with just about anything.

That will need to change.

We’ve also got two special guest cyclists joining us tomorrow.

More on that then.

Day Summary

Route: Nelson → Havelock
Distance: 75 km
Riding Time: 4 hr 32 min
Climbing: 660 m
Weather: Calm start, clearing to warm and sunny
Best moment: Realising the climbing was behind us

Ride Link

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/22321339081

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