A Winter Odyssey Day 5.

Farewell to Daisybank

What a night. I wouldn’t have slept for more than 2 hours, shuddering until my teeth rattled like lollies in a jar, and seriously worrying I’d freeze to death. I’ve never in my life been so relieved to see the light of dawn! When the magpies started warbling at 7am, I zipped open the tent and rubbed my bleary eyes. It was crushing to see no frost or snow as a reward for suffering the cold. I drew in a long breath, listening to the languid trickle of the river. I’ve survived. Today’s ride was relatively easy. It was just over 30km from Daisybank to Middlemarch.

I packed up and hit the trail where it was easier to see why I’d been shaking like jelly overnight. Puddles were blocks of ice in the full sun and icicles hung from rocks like daggers. The brake for my front wheel was frozen stiff. Earlier, I’d even had to shake out a layer of ice that had formed inside my tent. Strangely, despite my poor sleep I was full of enthusiasm.

The wind grew boisterous around Hyde and I gazed in awe at the scenery around me. On one side of the trail swept an endless vista of raggedy hills. Snow splotched peaks loomed above me on the other. The track was beautifully smooth into Middlemarch, and the bike floated effortlessly through a corridor of long grass tipped with frost. Cattle raised their heads and horses knickered at the sight of me. I passed a surly farmer chatting to his mate in a Ute. He looked over his shoulder and fixed me in a dead-pan stare. ‘Nice weather for it,’ he called out. ‘Sure is,’ I laughed. His lips twitched into a wry grin.

The Ride to Middlemarch

The houses of Middlemarch grew larger and before I wanted to believe it, a sign told me I’d officially reached the end of the trail. There was no fanfare, no round of applause, only the wind whistling over the Rock and Pillar Range. Completing the ORT felt bittersweet. I experienced that sad sinking feeling you get when you realise an adventure has almost come to an end.

I dropped into to ‘Maggies,’ the local dairy to buy a hot pie, and went to the campground where I basked under a hot shower. I sent Kate a message asking for advice on how to reach Dunedin. She’s kindly offered to pick me up the day after tomorrow, Monday, and take me to Dunners on her way to work. I feel uncomfortable imposing on her like this, but feel I have no other realistic choice.

If this solo adventure has taught me anything so far, it’s the importance of friends and family, of not living in isolation. I imagine nothing too eventful has happened this past week, but it feels like I’ve been away for months.

Now it’s dark and I’m tucked in my tent, listening to the murmurs and bottles clinking from a nearby cabin. My plan tomorrow is to ride south and visit New Zealand’s largest inland saltwater lake in Sutton or see where the road takes me.

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Read about the highs & lows of Middlemarch & Sutton

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For information on the Otago Rail Trail, check out the official website.