This was published 7 years ago
The most spectacular view you'll ever see on a bike ride
By Steve Meacham
The blue waters of Lake Pukaki in New Zealand's South Island is one of the spectacular sights on the Alps 2 Ocean cycle track.Credit: Fyletto
Is this the most spectacular view you can ever get on a bike ride?
Mike Bacchus and I are pedaling alongside the swollen, impossibly blue waters of Lake Pukaki at the centre of New Zealand's incomparable South Island.
Each of the six spacious and elegant bedrooms at Lakestone Lodge have unbeatable views of the Southern Alps.
And, because this is a transcendental summer's day, we have two views of one of the greatest peaks on earth.
There, on the horizon, is the totemic, triangular summit known as Mount Cook – named after an explorer who never saw it (although Cook did name the mountain range he could see from the ocean "the Southern Alps").
And below the mountain itself is its ghostly reflection in the glacial lake: Aoraki, as the Maori named it centuries before white men arrived in the Land of the Long White Cloud.
Bacchus – my host at Lakestone Lodge, the newly opened boutique lodge with immaculate views of Aoraki/Mt Cook (as the peak is now usually termed) – has offered to give me a two-hour introduction to "A2O" – the 300-kilometre Alps to Ocean cycle track from Mount Cook to Oamaru that was recently opened.
Both he and wife Anna are avid cyclists, which is why they leapt at the chance to build their six-bedroomed lodge on a pivotal part of the A20 where it crosses the main road between Christchurch and Queenstown.
But, to be honest, I'm now feeling a bit nervous.
Bacchus – a lean, fit geologist whose exploration work has taken him to Mongolia and other exotic destinations – had seemed a mild enough guy when he'd helped carry my bags, pointing out that each of the six spectacular rooms is named after one of the peaks you can see from your king-sized bed on a good day.
Over dinner the night before, I'd asked Bacchus if I could borrow one of the lodge's complimentary mountain bikes in the morning. "Sure," he'd said. "I wouldn't mind a ride myself – would you like me to guide you?"
So here I am pedaling away, wondering what the hell I've let myself in for.
To explain: between dinner and breakfast, I'd found a book in the lodge's mini library called A Tandem Challenge. Written by Bacchus' older brother Alex, it details the epic journey the pair made – on a tandem! – from Singapore across the Himalayas, visiting 12 countries in a 13,000-kilometre journey that ended in Europe.
When Bacchus had promised me "a gentle ride", what was he comparing it to?
I needn't have worried. The ride took us along the lake to Tekapo B Power station and back.
Hydro electric power is a vital part of the lodge's story. The village of Pukaki (which featured on New Zealand's old five pound note) is now submerged below the lake which bears its name – the largest of the three alpine lakes formed by receding glaciers in the Mackenzie Basin.
Land for a new Pukaki was allocated above the expanded lake, but the village was never built. So when the site came up for sale in 2013 Mike and Anna bought the two-acre property and started building Lakestone Lodge in 2015.
They've done a splendid eco-friendly job (the lodge is off-grid and self-sufficient for power, water and sewage – and deliberately designed to blend in with the natural colours of the MacKenzie).
Each of the six spacious and elegant bedrooms have unbeatable views of the mountain range (even from the bath) and a private patio with sun loungers perfect for relaxing with a good book.
With all this nature on display, who'd want a TV in their room? Though, if you're really desperate to catch up on the news, a sports event or watch a film, there's a communal media room off the main lounge.
Another room is where Anna (a trained masseur) offers a range of massage treatments, and should you want to explore the national park from the air, the lodge has not one but two helipads.
But for me the real surprise was the quality of the cuisine. Breakfast is included (and outstanding) but make sure you also dine at least one night in the lodge.
German-born chef Steffen Ekerdt used to be head chef at the Panorama Room, the fine dining restaurant at The Hermitage, Mount Cook's most famous hotel. From supervising hundreds of meals a day, he now concentrates on a set menu for a maximum of 12 guests.
Typically, dinner is a celebration of local produce. The cold smoked Aoraki salmon (served with buttermilk mousse, cucumber spaghetti and mango chilli sauce) came from those glacial waters. The venison medallion (with crushed potato cake, sundried tomatoes, garden vegetables and lavender jus) once walked Mackenzie hills. Even the marinaded apricots and strawberry coulis, which come accompanied with the rich chocolate mousse, came from South Island fruit farms.
So what's the drawback? This place is really designed for cosy couples, or at least cycling couples (guests have to be aged 12 or over).
TRIP NOTES
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DRIVE
Lake Pukaki is 290 kilometres from Christchurch and 221 kilometres from Queenstown on State Highway 8.
STAY
A two-night "Cosy Couples" package, including one night's dinner and a 60-minute massage costs $NZ1500. See lakestonelodge.co.nz
TOUR
Lakestone Lodge is 60 kilometres from Mount Cook village and is on the Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail, see alps2ocean.com
Steve Meacham was a guest of Christchurch & Canterbury Tourism.
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