4:00 AM Greymouth, Saturday 10th February The first of our three alarms sound, after two years preparation the big day has finally arrived. Time for coffee, toast and another run over the notes with the support crew. They are a must if keeping friendships going after the event is a priority. Bike and paddle on the roof and we`re off to Kumara Junction, the car rocking to The Hollies, STOP, STOP, STOP.

6:00 AM Kumara Beach With the road bike safely racked up, lights on, it`s a nervous walk to the beach with Murray, rod, and Phil, all experienced one dayers. The day is overcast, mild, light nor`wester and no sign of rain, perfect. While my goal is to cross our country in one day my nature decrees that I get there as fast as possible and preferably within fifteen hours. No chance of breaking the race record, which is ten hours and forty-five minutes ! TV cameras light up the one hundred and forty competitors as last minute interviews take place while Race Director Robin Judkins barks out a final call for number fifty-three. We later discover that number fifty-three is preoccupied with his wife and newly born baby.
The countdown begins - off we go, all sprinting the 2.8 Kilometres back to our bikes. Do these people not know that they have all day and half the night to finish? I reach my bike as the lead car disappears through Kumara Township. A small group start lapping it out as we try and reach the second bunch. Eventually making it, we are joined by twenty other riders to form a fifty strong peleton. I safely position myself on the outside, mid bunch and begin budging my way to Deception. The bunch reaches speeds in excess of 70 Kph, downhill, what a hoot as I continue to stay out of trouble. A quick glance behind as I`m at the rear of the bunch, being followed by an ambulance, what do they know ? And where did the other twenty riders that were behind me go ?

8:00 AM Deception Footbridge The usual transition chaos doesn`t eventuate as I spot my son Mathew, junior support crew, and am directed to my friend Allan Sutherland, senior support crew, who is eagerly awaiting my arrival with shoes and bum bag in hand. Two and a half hours of rock hopping, boulder scaling, river crossings and my customary two falls,
I reach Goats Pass and am feeling good. From here the run is mainly downhill with the odd ascent and of course the walk up Dudley`s Knob, which seems smaller than I remember. We soon break out of the bush and after a couple of kilometers rock hopping, I reach Klondyke Corner.

12:05 PM Klondyke Corner Another smooth transition and it`s back on the bike. No sign of the dreaded cramp ! Lunch consists of banana sandwiches, power bar and ginger nuts, washed down with flat Coke. The 51 Kilometre trip , helped by a tail wind and a couple of gnarly down hills, was a buzz. Wish I could say the same about the run down to the kayak where my legs were heavy and screaming for rest.
.
12:45 PM Waimakariri River No time for suntan lotion ( I`ll suffer later ), it`s in the boat and off down stream for 67 Kilometres. Strange as it may seem, I`m enjoying this. An hour and a half goes by and I reach the Gorge. The wind is strong making eating and hanging onto the paddle difficult. I`ve taken the wrong line and end up sideways against rocks. Time to bail before I destroy Anita`s boat. Back on the water and no more drama as I grind on toward Woodstock and after another hour, Gorge Bridge is in sight.

,
5:45 PM Waimakariri Gorge Bridge So glad to be out of the boat. I grovel up the steep road to the next transition. No place for modesty as a full change of gear is necessary. Half a filled roll, more Coke and it`s back on the bike. Only 70 kilometres to go and with a tail wind " Flight Deck " reads 45 Kph. This however is short lived, as I`m soon pushing into a nor'easter, speed reduced to 30 Kph. Shoulders and arms ache and if my support crew think that baring their lily white backsides at me will take my mind off the pain they are wrong. It only reminds me of the suffering I`m going through in that direction. The support from families on the roadside is fantastic and as I near Christchurch the tooting and cheering from people increases, you would think I was leading ! Stopping for traffic lights becomes annoying as does the constant nor'easter, but I know Sumner is close.
.
8:17 PM Sumner Beach Christchurch Fourteen hours seventeen minutes after setting from Kumara Beach my goal is achieved, I just can`t suppress a grin as I cross the finish line and receive a can of Speights from the Laughing Gnome, Robin Judkins.
.

. Congratulations to the other competing club members and their support crews. Special thanks to Paulette for her patience with my long training hours, Allan and Matt you were brilliant and Anita for the extended loan of her boat.

Otago Canoe and Kayak Club

Stories