Starting on February 9, 2026, Lauren and I rode for four days on the famous Alps to Ocean trail in New Zealand’s South Island. We started from Lake Tekapo, New Zealand’s highest lake (2300 ft), and ended in the coastal town of Oamaru. We stopped at Lake Ohau, Otematata, and Kurow along the way. We rode the whole spectrum of surfaces, from smooth tarmac to chunky rocks, on wide gravel roads and two-foot wide single-track. What started off as a bike ride to explore the Mackenzie Basin turned into an exploration of our relationship and our ability to stick together through difficult days on the bike. This collection primarily highlights Lauren traversing the vast landscape of the route.