Day 5 – Shuttle to Middlemarch and cycle to Hyde

About to leave Middlemarch after lunch

 

It was very cold when we walked out of our accommodation and began loading the car with our gear and bikes to take to our starting point at Trail Journeys in Clyde from where we would be shuttled to Middlemarch to begin our ride. 

 

Our driver/tour guide called Snow, was a local who had formerly been a farmer near St Bathans.  We got the rundown on his life:  a relatively new wife, three children, one who was a  lifestyle farmer, a daughter recently separated and now repartnered, and a gay son in Melbourne who was about to get married.  We heard all about the local history as Snow seemed to have worked in a number of places.  He had been doing the shuttle run for about seventeen years and was about to retire from doing it.  He was delightful.  Scathing about the mandate protest in Wellington and seemingly very supportive of the public health measures.  Interestingly that has been the predominant sentiment all the way down the South Island.  It was a long journey as bags were being dropped off and picked up all the way along.  I helped Snow where there were a number of bags to load and unload. The last time we rode the trail we stayed in the local pub at Hyde.  It was very basic but was a great place to stay.  Apparently it was sold to a woman who initially ran it but was a bad host.  Eventually it closed but rather than sell it, for some reason she has just let it deteriorate.   According to Snow there were plenty of buyers for the business but she was not interested.  It sounded like she was not a nice person.

 

We had a late lunch at a little café in Middlemarch (the only one actually) called the Kissing Gate.  The food was very good and we sat outside in their garden. 

 

Lunching in the garden

Then it was off on the ride.  It was a short ride today of around 30 kilometres to Hyde.

 

About 160 kilometres to go

There was hardly a soul on the trail, with most having finished the last leg by the time we got to Middlemarch, so we had it to ourselves.   This leg is a bit boring being a succession of long straights and one inconsequential climb where a train had derailed as it came down the track at double its allowable speed killing 21 people.  The second largest rail disaster after the Tangiwai disaster.  This happened in 1943.  We called into the Hyde Station and looked at the lovely display and then headed off to our accommodation.  We rode past the turnoff and it wasn’t until we reached Hyde Village a kilometre away that I realised we had missed it. We turned back and not surprisingly the sign was facing north as that was the direction most of the riders came from. 

 

Hyde Station

Down the hill we rode and then up to our little cottage.  A group of other guests had already arrived and were sitting on the lawn having a beer.  They were very friendly but apologised for us having to endure sleeping next door to a couple from their group who were likely to snore loudly and have frequent visits to the toilet.

 

We had a very comfortable room and were able to sit outside on the verandah and have the most wonderful salmon salad for dinner that had been prepared by our host, Sarah.  While we were having a drink Sarah came to check with us that all was ok and then proceeded to tell us about the locals including her husband who owned land bordering the rail trail as well as giving us information about places. 

Our wonderful salad

 

It was a good way to start our trip.  A relatively short ride to begin with and great food in a wonderful location. 

Station Masters office at Hyde

Vintage cars at Hyde Lodge