Despite the weather report calling for showers, the morning broke with a cloudless sky. After coffee, honey drink and low GI muesli we set off on the Wilderness trail. Heading almost immediately into thick native bush and with the chill air and beauty of early morning birdsong all was right with the world. Exiting the bush after 5km we came to the top of Kapitea Reservoir. The air was still, and so the mountains of the northern end of the Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana were reflected in the water. The trail led around the edge of the reservoir on a dusty gravel track, back into bush briefly before cutting across the top half of the reservoir. From then on, for the next 3 hours we steadily climbed through bush and open farmland on the well formed and signposted track. Although the path was a gradual uphill of 2 - 5 degrees there were moments of adrenaline rush as the track twisted up and down through darkened gullies. As I was on my Specialised non ebike I was looking forward to the return trip that would see me topping speeds of 40 - 50 kph at times. Very exciting on a light MTB on gravel! We reached the highest point of The Wilderness at 317 metres early in the afternoon. Totally elated and once again in awe of the Aotearoa landscape we rested and then dropped back down 2 km for our lunch at a boulder strewn High Country, crystal clean, freezing cold stream. The return ride was considerably shorter in time and considerably faster in average speed than the up - what a downhill ! And so back into the village and straight to The Theater Hotel for a pint of Monteith's Black whilst stretching out calves and hamstrings. Bring on Day 3 !