Freddy's Tour Aotearoa Ride

25/03/2025

Thanks for the support Timber Trail Lodge - Adventure & Comfort in Pureora Forest Park!

Thoroughly enjoyed riding the trail and the Timber Trail Lodge was the perfect spot to grab some food and have a nice cold beer!
Thanks for having us!

🚴Back in January David Usser (left) and David Frederikson (right) begun riding Tour Aotearoa. Both fundraising for causes close to their hearts.

After a day of riding the Timber Trail Great Ride they stopped into the lodge for complimentary meals and beverages.

David Frederikson's fundraiser for A Change for Better (ACFB) supporting low-cost, timely resource for neurodivergent assessments and support is still going. He is very close to his goal and would love your support. You can support his efforts with a donation big or small >> https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/riding-3000km-for-the-acfb-fund

04/03/2025

Now that our journey has ended and I have had some time to reflect, it seems a good time to say some thank you’s…

Thanks to David, my TA Ride buddy, and his family and friends that welcomed me into their homes and supported us along the way.

Thank you to my family and friends, your support was a real boost and I really appreciate you having us stay, cheering us on and the messages and calls.

Thanks to Ashley at A Change For Better for setting up and looking after the Give A Little page, and for the work that you and your charity does across the country.
Everyone deserves access to the support, tools and resources they need to know themselves, to have their strengths celebrated and their challenges supported so they can live a good life.


Thanks to my daughter for helping me with the social media posts.
Thank you to everyone that has been commenting on and sharing the posts, links and those that put up a flyer.
I wasn’t always able to reply but I’m so grateful for your support.

Thank you to all the wonderful people we met out there in our very cool country!
We ran into people we already knew and lots we didn’t, and they all added hugely to a great adventure!
I really appreciate what a great place New Zealand is and I’m so grateful to have been able to do what I did.
One of the big takeaways for me was not to take this country for granted.
We need to look after what we have here.

Last but not least, thank you to everyone who has donated to the Give A Little page so far!
Every single bit counts and you great Kiwi’s have generously supported a very worthy cause.
Thank you!

The fundraiser is live until the 7th of May so you can still share it around for another couple of months.

I’ll update again with a total raised in May!

Thank you!!!
Dave Freddy



I’m fundraising for A Change For Better Fund.
Check out the link below if you want to support!

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/riding-3000km-for-the-acfb-fund

28/02/2025

Tour Aotearoa Day 29:
Mossburn to Bluff
Rain and cold greeted us. This was only cold wet day of our TA journey!
Set off to Winton; pretty boring long straits and all downhill and on roads.
Glad the rain eased as we stopped at the Middle Pub for lunch/brunch.
Next stop was for ice cream at Wallacetown.
The final bit to Bluff seemed to take ages, a meandering trail past Invercargill that didn’t seem to get us any closer.
10 kilometres from Bluff we had a lovely surprise - Marion and Sally (David’s wife) waving us on with my eight year old grandson Oscar. 😊
He joined us on his bike for the final kilometre to Stirling Point which was awesome! Thanks Oscar!
The finish of an incredible adventure.
Photos, and beers and hugs.
Amazing!

I’m fundraising for A Change For Better Fund.
Check out the link below if you want to support!

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/riding-3000km-for-the-acfb-fund

24/02/2025

Tour Aotearoa Day 28:
Queenstown to Mossburn
Having camped for the last time at Creeksyde Holiday Park, we boarded the TSS Earnslaw - a beautiful 1912 steam ship with lots of history.
Landed at Walter Peak Station and rode through the farmland for 26km of the most scenic views of the whole TA ride; lakes, mountains, rivers, etc.
All stunning!
Very dry terrain.
Climbed Von Hill 740m of steep, hot work then crossed the Otago- Souuthland border on a long downhill section that went forever.
Dusty roads with traffic from the Mavora Lanes wasn’t fun.
But finally arrived at The Mossburn Railway Hotel for beers and bed.
The last night before the end of my Tour Aotearoa ride. Mixed feelings.

I’m fundraising for A Change For Better Fund.
Check out the link below if you want to support!

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/riding-3000km-for-the-acfb-fund

18/02/2025

Tour Aotearoa Day 27:
Lake Hawea to Queenstown
93km 1160m climbing
Joined by Ken Phillips (cycling buddy formerly from Ōtorohanga).
Rode to Wanaka for breakfast then rode up to Cardrona where we stopped for lunch.
Very touristy place, cool heritage.
Then continued on the climb in really warm conditions up and over the Crown range with the summit at 1076m.
Highest point on the TA ride.
Very dry alpine landscape.
Really proud to have cycled the Crown range!! 😊
Dropped down a long descent into Arrowtown.
Beers at a pub then into Queenstown - lots of tourists and campervans.
Stayed in a great campground at the foot of the mountain, below the Gondola.
Last night in tents! ⛺️ 🚲

I’m fundraising for A Change For Better Fund.
Check out the link below if you want to support!

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/riding-3000km-for-the-acfb-fund

14/02/2025

Tour Aotearoa Day 26:
Haast to Lake Hawea
After a superb buffet breakfast with a group of overseas cyclists on a guided tour, we rode up the lovely Haast Valley.
Climbed the very scenic but tough Haast Pass = 564m
Massive boulders the size of campervans have been washed down stream at some time millions of years ago.
Beautiful, rugged valleys as we are climbing.
Late lunch at Makarora Cafe then more climbing over the “neck” of a saddle between Lakes Wanaka and Hawea.
Struck a very strong south westerly wind that slowed progress.
Even had to pedal down hill on one
descent!

I’m fundraising for A Change For Better Fund.
Check out the link below if you want to support!

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/riding-3000km-for-the-acfb-fund

13/02/2025

Tour Aotearoa Day 25:
Franz Josef to Haast
148km 1460m climbing
Drizzle in the morning but it didn’t rain.
Bought some lunch from a supermarket in Franz Josef to take along with us.
Short easy ride to start with, then three very steep and long climbs before stopping for a break in Fox Glacier township.
Had a coffee and our picnic lunch looking at great mountain scenery including Aoraki Mt Cook.
The next stop was brief at Bruce Bay, grabbed a snack at the roadside caravan.
After a big climb to Knight’s Point Lookout, we got into Haast at about 7.30pm and stayed at the Heritage Hotel.
Our biggest ride of the Tour! 😁👍🏻

I’m fundraising for A Change For Better Fund.
Check out the link below if you want to support!

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/riding-3000km-for-the-acfb-fund

08/02/2025

Tour. Aotearoa Day 24:
Hokitika to Franz Josef
138km, 1112m climbing
Easy ride to Ross, stopped for a break and coffee.
Later stopped at Lake Ianthe which is beautiful but the sandflies are like bumblebees!
On through Harihari, then stopped at Whataroa for a food and coffee top up - hot as hell there!
Rode on to Franz Josef, got in at 7.00pm - enjoying the evening riding so not unusual for us. 😊
Franz Josef was heaving with tourists!
Great camping facilities

I’m fundraising for A Change For Better Fund.
Check out the link below if you want to support!

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/riding-3000km-for-the-acfb-fund

06/02/2025

Tour Aotearoa Day 23:
Blackball to Hokitika via Greymouth.
We had a really good feed at
Stayed at Hokitika Kiwi Holiday Park.
The wonderful people at Hokitika Cycles & Sportsworld helped me out with a couple of bike issues.
Enjoyed the coastal section of The Wilderness Trail.
Really pretty vistas popping up as you ride along.

We didn’t ride the inland sections of The Wilderness Trail because Maz and I did it last year + David wants to ride it with Sally + it gave us time to catch up with Kez and Neil. 😊

I’m fundraising for A Change For Better Fund.
Check out the link below if you want to support!

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/riding-3000km-for-the-acfb-fund

05/02/2025

Tour Aotearoa Day 22:
Maruia to Blackball
Stopped in Reefton for lunch - great food and cups of tea
Because we had laden touring bikes with panniers etc we were advised by locals to take the road option to Hukarere, so we did that.
Had a great stay at the Blackball Hilton.
Cosy, friendly and excellent food.
Lots of history.
Probably the best salami in NZ!

I’m fundraising for A Change For Better Fund.
Check out the link below if you want to support!

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/riding-3000km-for-the-acfb-fund

04/02/2025

Tour Aotearoa Day 21:
Kawatiri to Maruia
Diabolical sandflies at Kawatiri Junction! 🫣
Highlights were the Braeburn Track and Maruia Saddle.
The scenery is like something out of Tolkien’s books!
We camped at Maruia School.

I’m fundraising for A Change For Better Fund.
Check out the link below if you want to support!

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/riding-3000km-for-the-acfb-fund

03/02/2025

Tour Aotearoa Day 20:
Maitai Valley to Kawatiri
Today we had 124kms and 1070 mtrs climbing.
The highlight was Spooners Tunnel, 35km south of Richmond.
Had a dip in the river. We are camping at the roadside junction at Kawatiri, approx 35kms from Murchison.
I’m loving the camping.
Porridge for breakie!

I’m fundraising for A Change For Better Fund.
Check out the link below if you want to support!

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/riding-3000km-for-the-acfb-fund