Day 20 – Rutherford Country and a Few Wrong Turns

In my eyes, one of New Zealand’s most famous exports is Ernest Rutherford, Nobel laureate and 1st Baron Rutherford of Nelson.

And today, we rode through his backyard.

We passed his first school in Foxhill, his birthplace at Brightwater, and rolled along Rutherford Road in Nelson. In the coming days we’ll also head toward Havelock, where his father once ran a flax mill.

Not a bad bit of history to ride through.

It would have been quicker to bypass Nelson altogether on the way to Picton.

But that would have meant missing a visit to my old mate Ken and his partner Yumi.

So Nelson it was.

We picked up the Great Taste Trail again and headed toward Richmond, which effectively merges into Nelson.

Then the rain started.

And the trail signage… disappeared.

Between the weather, patchy markings, and touchscreens that don’t like water, we got thoroughly bamboozled navigating through town. Google Maps wasn’t much help either.

What was meant to be a 26 km ride turned into about 40 km, but we got there in the end.

Best to keep out of the way


Ken moved to New Zealand back in 1972 for the fishing, and since then has travelled extensively — tramping all over the world.

Despite that, he still reckons New Zealand is the most scenic place anywhere.

Sitting down with Ken and Yumi, going through our photos, they were able to identify almost every climb, beach and mountain we’d passed.

It’s something we’ve noticed — New Zealanders seem to have a strong knowledge of their own country and tend to holiday locally rather than heading overseas.

A good habit.

The ride back was in the dark and still a bit damp, but we’re now set up and ready for the final few days.

Just one more “red” climbing day left on the spreadsheet.

Day Summary

Route: Wakefield → Nelson / Brightwater / Rutherford area
Distance: ~40 km (planned 25 km)
Riding Time: 2 hr 24 min
Climbing: 194 m
Weather: Wet and overcast
Best moment: Visiting Ken and Yumi

Ride Link

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/22310971533

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