One of the great things about Adventure riding is the sense of getting away from the crowds. Canterbury’s remote Lees Valley is populated by no more 20 people, so there’s a good chance traffic will be light.
The valley can be accessed from either Oxford, or Lowburn near Rangiora, but though this public road is nominally a through road, there’s no guarantee that you will get through. The problem is the Okuku River and its rough ford, roughly halfway through the loop. The Okuku’s flow can vary from a trickle to a flood and is dependent on rainfall higher in the mountains, so even in good weather it’s a case of not knowing the situation for sure until you reach the river, an uncertainty which, to me, heightens the sense of adventure. Click the link to read all the text and route instructions.
The valley can be accessed from either Oxford, or Lowburn near Rangiora, but though this public road is nominally a through road, there’s no guarantee that you will get through. The problem is the Okuku River and its rough ford, roughly halfway through the loop. The Okuku’s flow can vary from a trickle to a flood and is dependent on rainfall higher in the mountains, so even in good weather it’s a case of not knowing the situation for sure until you reach the river, an uncertainty which, to me, heightens the sense of adventure. Click the link to read all the text and route instructions.
| lees_valley.pdf |