Part 1B: Roadblocks, High Mountain Passes, and Electric Blue Lakes (8 photos)

I slept pretty terribly because my sleeping mat had a slow leak that would have me bottom out every three hours. But we soon got packed up and rode around Lake Tekapo to the other side to check out the Mount John Observatory. It is perched on top of a big hill on the southwest corner of the lake and there were a lot of fun switchbacks leading to the top. Instead of taking Route 8, we took a gravel road to hop over to Lake Pukaki which had the most vibrant neon blue water I have ever seen. This road paralleled the East bank of the lake before arriving at the Pukaki Canal at the South end. Matt told us there is a service road next to the canal which will lead to Black Forest Station, the entry point to a high road over some mountains and down to the Lake Benmore dam. At one point, Sam lost his rugby ball so he turned around to search for it while I went for a swim in the pristine water. This road was barely maintained and I had another wipeout on some jagged rocks. Further down the road, we crossed a bridge that was just two metal tracks, each about one foot wide, designed for the wheels of a vehicle. It was about a ten foot drop to the rapids below which was plenty of reason to stay focused and ride completely straight. A slight lean or turn would send you tumbling off the edge and ruin the trip, motorbike, and your body. We arrived at a campground which had a myriad of RVs and campers but they all seemed to be abandoned. Not a single person was outside and it was eerily silent. I was feeling rough after some poor sleep, a crash, and off-road riding is completely exhausting in itself so I took a nap while Sam searched for signs of life. He found a camper who gave us directions on how to get to Black Forest Station.

After a quick and easy ride on some paved roads, we got to the station and were greeted by a friendly Kiwi who pointed out some nearby mountain peaks. We could see Mount Cook, the highest point in the country, on the far side of Lake Benmore. The road we were taking is a service road for the power lines from the dam and there is a suggested donation of $10NZD which we were happy to pay. We took a break at an old mining cabin before continuing up the pass. We stopped for a bunch of photos when we reached the pinnacle and just stared off in awe at the vastness of the views. After dropping down to lake level, we ran into a big problem; a tree had fallen and was completely blocking the road. There was not enough daylight left to turn around and return to Black Forest Station and riding these winding mountain roads along the edge of cliffs is not something you want to do in the dark. So we got to work ripping, sawing, and bending branches out of the way to make a little tunnel to squeeze through. We finally made it down to the dam and back onto paved roads where we blasted onward to Kurow. We checked in at a cheap motel, I devoured a huge seafood sampler entree, and then passed out for the night.