A DRAMATIC mountainous strip of pastoral land broods like a quiescent dragon dividing the two mighty lakes of the deep south; Lake Hawea on the east and Lake Wanaka on its western flank. The two lakes almost meet at a point called The Neck where the two once giant glaciers joined and deposited massive terminal moraines to pond the present day lakes. Sculptured lumpy landforms give way to spectacular knife-edged ridges of schist rising up to the 1385m peak of Mt Isthmus. This was our destination and on a perfect winter's day we decided to exchange skis for wheels and get away from the crowds for some high level exploration.
Leaving our spouses in Hawea to bike the very pleasant 10.7km Hawea River Track, we continued on along Lake Hawea to the start of our 16km ride. Described in the Kennetts' Classic NZ Mountain Bike Rides as the "ultimate example of a long, barely rideable climb" and graded at 4-, our stamina and fitness was about to be tested!
Access across Glen Dene, a working high country farm, was negotiated in 2008. A poled route undulates up and across through beech forest and scrubby farmland to join a four-wheel drive track that winds steeply up to the tops. A signed junction leads off to Mt Isthmus in the north (about 500m) and the southern branch follows the undulating skyline ridge to the Matatiaho Conservation Area 7km away. There is no public access beyond this area but a private farm track drops down to Stevensons Arm and The Peninsula that juts into Lake Wanaka near the outlet of the Clutha River.
Keeping momentum going was bravely attempted! Within quarter of an hour all layers of winter clothing was stripped off as the track was negotiated. Barry kept going in short, gasping bursts long after I had decided that pushing was the preferred option! The ground soon became crunchy and frozen underfoot in the shadows of the craggy spurs and short drifts of hardened snow had to be traversed. We left our bikes at the turnoff and slid in the slick mud (from the thawed ice) up to the high point on the southern branch. It had taken us 2.5 hours to reach, but what a splendid spot with vast vistas stretching out in all directions; of mountains and lakes. Golden snow tussock rippled across the broad back of the ridge with the track meandering into the distance.
But that would be kept for a summer trip and so we hastened back in a now biting wind to plummet to the lake below. Our brake-screeching descent, taking all of 40 minutes, had us grinning like two crazy goofs and already planning our next adventure!