Murray Birch set the wheels in motion for the return of the Milk and Honey cycle race which showcases two of Golden Bay’s renowned natural landmarks.
The Golden Bay Mountain Bike Club member wanted to ride the scenic course again before he retired and GBMTBC officials agreed, why not bring back the iconic event which was last held in 2020.
“It used to take a lot of hard work to organise, including the road traffic management, but the Tasman Wheelers are now involved and bring a lot of race day experience,” says GBMTBC committee member Daphne Dijk.
So, it is all go again for 25 October, Labour Weekend Sunday, starting and finishing at the Junction Green in Tākaka.
It is a road, gravel and mountain race with very flexible conditions for a range of cyclists’ skills and ages.
You can ride a road bike the 22kms up the Tākaka Hill and on to the transition at the Woolshed Café.
Then there is an 11km gravel stretch to the Canaan Road carpark before mountain- biking the very scenic descent on the historic Rameka Track, hence the half and half race billing.
Then it is back on the tarseal at Rameka Creek Road for the dash to the finish line in Tākaka.
The two-person team aspect allows one on the road bike handing over to another for the downhill mountain leg.
Or you can cover the whole event on a mountainbike.
Among the range of prizes is King of the Mountain for the first rider to get to the top of the Tākaka Hill, which rises steeply in elevation from Upper Tākaka.
The entry fee includes a free coffee voucher for the Woolshed which has to be used on the day.
You could understand some competitors wanting to redeem it straight away.
The event starts at 10am and up to 50 entries have been received so far.
Even e-bikers are encouraged to take on the hill challenge.
“It is doubling as trial to see whether we can make the race an annual fixture again,” explains Daphne.
The event was launched by local filmmaker Rob Dawson in 2011 and Milk and Honey may sound familiar to many.
It takes its name from Canaan Downs, the title bestowed on the hilltop scenic reserve by early settlers to Golden Bay.
It is a biblical reference, as the land of milk and honey described the promised land (Canaan) for Israelites freed from slavery in Egypt.
Daphne reckons, metaphorically, it could also refer to the gold that was discovered over the hill at Aorere, or to the marble quarried locally in the early 1900s.
Treasured land whichever way you look at it.
