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Winter blast!

21/5/2019

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Picture
I always recommend layers and a water/wind proof outside of July and August on Corsica. After the spring so far I'm adding full finger gloves and quite possibly snow chains to that list! The picture here is from the webcam on the Col de Vizzavona on the morning of the 15 May at 0830. The Col is at 1,163m and is one of the highest road passes on the island sandwiched between two 2,300m peaks.
The cold snap led to many villages recording new record low temperatures for second time this May. I haven't seen the rainfall figures yet but after a very dry winter we've experienced a very wet spring.
Riding was still possible close to and at the coast but with very strong winds and rain I was more of a fair weather rider than usual. Chapeau to the group with Pyrenees Multisport who were riding the Audax Club Parisien - a week they'll not forget in a hurry!
As I write, the weather is getting back to normal with plenty of dry, sunny days and pleasant temperatures in the low to mid twenties (hills/coast). 


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#CorsicaCyclistOnTour - Stewart Island/Rakiura

21/5/2019

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Picture
In January we made the long journey to New Zealand's third largest island. Stewart Island or Rakiura is located some 30kms off the southern tip of the South Island over the Foveaux Straight in the roaring forties. Having got yourself all the way to New Zealand and then all the way down to the very bottom of the South Island it's just an exciting twenty minute  hop on a Britten-Norman Islander from Invercargill airport or a 1 hour ferry ride from Bluff.
Why go to Stewart Island? It's a remote, unspoilt, pristine, untouched national park that is 'off the beaten track' to say the very least. With a population of circa 400 and a modest number of visitors it never at any point felt crowded. Stewart, and the other nearby islands, have remained largely pest/predator free and hence the bird life in particular is magnificent in this perfect corner of paradise.
You can rent an e-bike here but we preferred hiking on many of the trails in and around Oban. We did a successful  Kiwi spotting trip (which takes place during darkness) and the Ulva Island tour. Both were led by Stewart Island Expereince who have excellent guides.
We stayed at the Stewart Island Lodge which we'd highly recommend. The South Sea Hotel in Oban is a super spot for a relaxed dinner and it has a cracking bar - a perfect place to mix with the locals. Kai Kart must be one of, if not, the most southerly fish and chip shop in the world - awesome fish and chips!
There's no argument - it's a long way to get there but, in these times of heightened environmental and climate concerns Stewart Island perfectly illustrates how well careful long term conservation can ensure us humans and the natural world can co-habit harmoniously.
​

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