After two years of planning, Joe Nation and Rufus Wenlock finally found time to ride across New Zealand’s South Island, following a historic trade route that proved to be even more difficult than expected. Watch Joe’s 35-minute video from their ride here…

The idea for Joe Nation and Rufus Wenlock’s latest route was simple on paper: traverse New Zealand’s South Island from coast to coast, but follow a slightly unconventional off-road route rather than the known roads. The trip was littered with unknowns, including a long stretch of riverbed they weren’t sure they’d ride or hike, a significant hike-a-bike over a mountain pass, and a good chunk of the route they were almost certain they’d walk.

Their adventure started on a Saturday at 3 a.m., and they completed their traverse on Monday evening. Joe described it as “the gnarliest idea” Rufus and he had ever conjured up, and by the looks of it, the conditions were incredibly challenging. The trail they were following was completely washed away in sections, progress was slow, and they crept across some sketchy rivers (more like waterfalls). This was a trip they soon won’t forget. Watch the video below.

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