NZ Deep South Part 3 - Naseby & Dansey's Pass

In December 2022 we travelled to New Zealand to spend 7 weeks bicycle-touring in the Deep South, covering Otago, Mt Cook, through Southland right down to Stewart Island (the bikes holidayed in Invercargill) then along the Catlins Coast to Dunedin. We had an amazing experience which, although quite tough at times, gave us spectacular scenery, often very quiet roads, and stunning weather for a region which is renowned for its rainfall.
In this third stage we return along the rail trail to Ranfurlie and on to Naseby, a town renowned for its curling rink and severe winters. However we discovered that it is also a bit of a unique MTB mecca. After this we press on to climb the 970m Dansey's Pass (no minor feat) then run on down the valley to Duntroon and the Alps2Ocean Trail to Kurow.
Ride with Melbourne Bicycle Touring Club - www.mbtc.org.au
On Meetup at - www.meetup.com/Melbourne-Bicy...

[@kiwihib]

Good to see my old work place from the late 70s, the Ranfurly Station.

[@ajc389]

The real reason that there were no trees is that the Murrays burnt down the Bush to hunt for the moa.

[@petesig93]

You are correct, but not entirely. Europeans have also destroyed vast swathes, in a much shorter time-span.
"When Māori arrived, about 1250-1300 CE, they burnt large tracts of forest, mainly on the coasts and eastern sides of the two main islands. By the time European settlement began, around 1840, some 6.7 million hectares of forest had been destroyed and replaced by short grassland, shrubland and fern land. Between 1840 and 2000, another 8 million hectares was cleared, mostly lowland or easily accessible conifer-broadleaf forest".
teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/11674/deforestation-of-new-zealand