[Maverick005]

So this is a photo Epic of yesterday's ride thought Id share!

Been on and still on a massive road trip, started way down South for NZeds toughest Enduro, more on that later and will post a thread possibly in Enduro section of that.

This location is a fav of mine, grew up around here for first 20odds years so its in my bones.

Located in the Deep South of NZed of Central Otago arguably NZeds most stunning region for all things out doors, but mtb is off the hook, don't be fooled into just biking Qtown and Gondala as good as that is its a lazy mans paradise this is real riding and I can show you stuff like this everywhere that would take month a if not years to explore.

I could setup an Enduro event on this mountain that would rival anything without benching building jack! With no hike a bikes, stupid 100kph road sections and such just pure MTB anyway nough of that.

Here we go, had a wee diddy earlier on on some short but sweet single track then headed for the big hills.

Where we started, bike ready.
setup full monty no XC ****
XX1 single ring, don't tell me ya cant climb with it.
no adj forks
50mm stem set for DH
Minion TR 2.3 upfront UST
Ardent 2.4 EXO UST rear

This was the destination course that never happen initially.

Starting to mosey on up

Wee stream

Where we rode from up this wee gully

Made it to this gate

Looking to where we would come back down or that was the plan far valley

Trail ahead

Still climbing one of the few flatter sections

We arrived at Quartzville, literally they dug up quartz out of the ground here back in the 1800s, one of the original stone houses, good place holder for the HD and rest spot for Maxxis!

Posing in another remnants of a house gone by

Quartz mine juts above the houses, slash where it was dumped, big deep hole above the gravel

View from the rear, where we have ridden from

Amazing whats up here, more history and left overs from a by gone era of mining.

Ok so we hiked up here, closing light and with about an hour of daylight left and some 700m above my truck and some ways to go, it was time to go off piste for a short cut haha, Mav style, time to go Vertical Goose!

Nearly at the top of this wee gully

At the top was this wee fort area, must have been a wee town at one stage walled all round this was the side that faced me coming up.

Maxxis pose shot, such a photo addict

You can see the inner wall all grassed over now, but outer still rock and massive on the downside

Heading to that ridge with the rock outcrop on it just backside of the sun on far side should be a doddle right

You can just make out the single track I followed on down the guts of the pic

My Scout contemplating our next route

We going vertical again

We crossed this section straight down guts of pic, so 2 ridges over turned into about 4or 5 haha, light falling

Another gully another ridge, we not in Kansas anymore Goose!

Maxxis still had energy to chase some Hare!

We finally made it from Quartzville to the Carricktown road, Goose I never doubted you for a second!

Road section quite fun, massive exposed rock good jumping and boosting off of

Still a ways to go to get back down 700m of high speed flow

Then we dropped in on Carricktown, old gold mining site and township, stone house remains.

Further down was the township of Caledonia

Then I thought right still enough light, about 1730hrs in our fall season lets get off this darn road and back onto some serious single tracking, old Chinese water race

Which you can see winding its way around right side of this hill center of pic

Got my bunny hopping done down here some sharp hidden rocks like IEDs hidden on the trail

This was actually the single track route back I was aiming for but time light meant couldn't risk ending up going down the wrong gully
missed it by one ridge darn it next time.

Nearly at the bottom

This fence was the finish line

Sun setting as we got back to the truck

Finished off with a Pint or 2 of a Macs Gold at Bannockburn Pub.
Drive back to base 3/4 hr crashed.

cheers hope ya enjoyed my Adventure.
Mav

 

[Maverick005]

Woke up this morning to this and 3deg C

A couple hrs later at the hot pools we had this for the day if RnR!

 

[grandegrande]

Great pics! Need to make it to NZ one day.

 

[Maverick005]

Wow, looks like yer havin' an awesome time!

cheers Stripes yeah been incredible, I know this place pretty well, so much variety and places to go and something for everyone too, not just Gondalas, place is off the hook and then some really!

Not easy to navigate without knowledge though.
Even locals stuggle. Lol

 

[Maverick005]

Great pics! Need to make it to NZ one day.

Def, check out my FB page to see more if ya interested, plus if ya do come over let me know if keen.

Its def a bucket list destination, I been here 3 weeks now and still haven't touched half of whats here and then some stuff thats off the charts haha, but I have my means and ways of findings these things out lol.

cheers guys, started to think wheel size and check my bike out in build threads all that anyone here checked out, never actually ridden were the only posts here these days!

More ride threads people just saying!

 

[kiwisimon]

Hey Mav, making me homesick, I worked up the Kawarau and did a few winters on Cardrona.

 

[Maverick005]

Hey Mav, making me homesick, I worked up the Kawarau and did a few winters on Cardrona.

Awesome bud both stunning places, love riding up back of Roaring Meg, wait to your see my Enduro epic race shots from Cardies G2W we had a few weeks back, will sort that out when I get my **** together and post it up prob on the Enduro forum, not much interest here.

 

[nzl62]

I cannot believe you arn't getting the weather we are Mav
Not been able to ride for ages. Been on roadbike - cough!

 

[Maverick005]

I cannot believe you arn't getting the weather we are Mav
Not been able to ride for ages. Been on roadbike - cough!

You will hate me some more today then, rest of week looks stunning better each day, mild 10deg C today, then 15deg We'd, Thrus, Friday looks sweet as,

Yeow

Gonna be building up some bikes today at mates base, then might hit me a ride up some 7mile and onto Goldigger for some finger looking good as rooty rocky techy single track!

Jardies tomorrow, Moke lake, Alexandra Thusday & St Bathans, Friday going to plan Naseby Forest, where drop in series with Bearclaw and Spangler killed it back in 2005 braaaap.

Always been a little lucky with the weather! As ya know this region does its own thing like most high country regions it does not care what the rest of Urban country does lol.

Love being on the road yeahaaaaa!
This is the true definition of being a roadie!
Yeow!!

 

[mcam]

I cannot believe you arn't getting the weather we are Mav
Not been able to ride for ages. Been on roadbike - cough!

I sympathise... I've hardly been out on my Ibis. It looks like it will be the road bike this week too

 

[Maverick005]

I cannot believe you arn't getting the weather we are Mav
Not been able to ride for ages. Been on roadbike - cough!

you out guys been hit hard again with flooding due to earthquake damage just unbelievable, hope u guys ok dude!

 

[kiwisimon]

Awesome bud both stunning places, love riding up back of Roaring Meg, wait to your see my Enduro epic race shots from Cardies G2W we had a few weeks back, will sort that out when I get my **** together and post it up prob on the Enduro forum, not much interest here.

Looking forward to it. Have you done the Zoot? Might be worth a day over in QT. Local shops will be able to steer you there but it starts up the skippers. Try some Pinot while you are down there, MT Difficulty is always good.

 

[Maverick005]

Looking forward to it. Have you done the Zoot? Might be worth a day over in QT. Local shops will be able to steer you there but it starts up the skippers. Try some Pinot while you are down there, MT Difficulty is always good.

Haha, with ya KS, QT Alex, Wanaka, Clyde all like home for me prob lots of new stuff since you been here and the old stuff is still fantastic. Zoot is one of my all time favs, they apparently have the go to extend it in a similar fashion which is good all the way down to the road.

Rude Rock is good but wider than a Chinese menu gets shuttled constantly so like anything
like that it was best when new now its still good but hammered plus it does not hold up well
in wetter conditions so ya know what happens then, braking bumps and all other sorts of erosion takes place when ridden in those conditions, will be under snow nearly some big pre season falls.

Rode 7mile yesterday arvo!
New trail from Moke out out 12 mile another to 12m links up sorta to 7mile, ya got 7mile head up towards Moke takes you back to town 2 ways trail called Golddigger pretty rooty switch backs techish.
But the gem of gems is Corrotown without doubt probably the single best run Ive ever had its about 12.5km of everything HOLY **** balls!

Starts off above the Coronet above the old poma run just a wee ways up from the bottom of the old Super D Track which still gets a bit of use and still in too good Nic!

Then heads out towards Arrowtown hence Corro - Town Coronet - Arrowtown yeah.

It starts off with about 60m of vertical drop DH nearly drop straight down even brakes on ya still rolling in the deep, Awesome sorts the muppets out from the get go, buddy OTB down here, thankfully buds had knee pads elbow pads and FF after this drop in I sorta wished or thought HSBs wish I have my FF and knee pads on lol

You know what the consequences are up they're, Shist rock, Spaniard grass, cliffs, Lizards size of dogs!
Man just gets better, game on for the next 2km then, read below.

Check these out.

BTw check out my FB page where all my adventures the last 3 weeks have taken me and ps like my page LoL.
https://www.facebook.com/topgunbiking

RUDE ROCK

Boys posing top of Rude Rock

Sack n Pack track starts off G5/1 Black Diamond then mellows into Pack Track before
merging half way down with original pack which starts above Zoot and heads into Skippers
Canyon. Awesome ride theirs a new one at the bottom of Skippers before ya hit the bottom creek
ya turn right back uphill hiking for a ways then ya come to a old forest and its mint as single track in beech and old stuff single track ridden in by bike deep deep loam and foliage for great hook up, like riding in powder snow of dirt, off camber rooty goodness but everyone s stoked on this too, about 2.5m long but still epic, can't remember name, local bike shop dude built it well rode the lines in, best way makes by far the best trails this technique imo

Sack n Pac

2 Hairy muppets haha

Heading down into Skippers Valley other side of the upper ridge above Pack track this runs Parallel to old Pack and the Skippers road on the left of that hill, looks pretty mellow heading down ya think, its got some sweet stuff and some nar coming lol

Pictures just what I had time to take, this just don't do this stuff justice.

Corrotown or as I call it Holy S h i t balls!

Looking opposite way from Corrotown trail back to QT Remarks Frankton basin, towards Kingstown, amazing views been seeing them over 35 years still never get tired of it.

Riding past the learner slope and escalator

So ya drop in way above this, this is probably a 1/3 way down on the first HSBs section.

Arrowtown is on the flat other side of the hill below with the pine trees on the right hand face left side of below piccs, for those who have not been here.

Coronet is a SPeak kimFeild in winter

BTW same days as piccs of Rude Rock, this is late in day very late, like 5:30ish in Autumn or Fall for our US compardraes!

Last drop into some switch backs and narrow rock gorges before and after, gold man gold! Boys swinging off the back here, they probably had 3-5, 6 OTBs, me guiding, virgin too just followed me nose lol.

Dosent look much in piccs but thats a cliff on the left as ya come down, fly over that and you'll end up at Millbrook Gold Course about 600m down lol probably only a 60m drop initally lol

Buddy Jester, very serious dude

Other buddy, Cougar, sometimes the flights just get too much and he holds on too tight, loses his Edge, but he's gutsy, he OTB atleast 6 times, thought he would kill me, all smiles, he tested out his new elbow pads and Helmet and came away feeling safer, Mav guided him back onto the carrier multiple times, this Cougar just dosent hand in his wings when the going gets tough, yeah boi

Just before the above section ya barrel rolled through this section of trail, contour flying as we call it.

Then we head for this Valley, section two into Arrowtown, probably about a third of the way here.

I'll try to find some piccs of the lower section list up later , once you hit the junction of this, Bush Creek valley, its hammer down brakes off pedal wheelie and jump,at Mach speed hair blazing all the way to Arrow town, this section is so much fun, 20plus water creek crossing some minor some major just just hit flat out to carry speed , watch ya line or it will be OTB into a big big trout pool, flow is insane its got pedally sections but ya just go faster, then ya drop into Bush creek which just gets faster all the way into the back of Arrowton creek, ya come out top of old town mining tourist trap section then Braaaap ya way down the Main Street while all the Asian tourists take photos as ya whizz by, I took Maxxis my wingman in this run too and he was still at a canter by my side as we flew down old main street what a buzz man so sic!

.

 

[kiwisimon]

Jeez Mav, making me hanker to get back down there. Corro-town sounds and looks awesome. I used to bush bash that route on foot. Worked on Coro for a couple of seasons, crap snow when compared to the powder we have here in Northern Japan. Loved the pics and will hit your F B page.

 

[Maverick005]

Jeez Mav, making me hanker to get back down there. Corro-town sounds and looks awesome. I used to bush bash that route on foot. Worked on Coro for a couple of seasons, crap snow when compared to the powder we have here in Northern Japan. Loved the pics and will hit your F B page.

haha think you would be surprised with the trail development thats gone on, let alone locals only stuff, just totally off the hook.

Mistake most make is just going up the Gondala which is great but not the best mtb stuff by far, just accessible for ime generation!

I could literally spend months riding here different stuff, honestly the stuff I do know in Central still missed out about a 20th of what I wanted to ride and thats what I know and I've been here riding nearly every day for a month!

Cheers bud thanks for hitting my FB too!

If ya ever through this way or want to hook up, just to ride let me know, or need a place to stay in Vegas!

The real Vegas (RotoVegas) lol.

Queenstown juts blows my mind how it's changed from a rich ski bunnie snob fest to a hip cool bike and snow adventure place to hang out and enjoy good times, even costs have come down in food bars retail so competitive, housing and rentals still short in supply and expensive though eek.

chur bro!