Fuel up on lakeside lattes
The remote and scenic Cromwell to Clyde cycle trail offers the ultimate buzz – caffeine, writes Brook Sabin.
This time two years ago, Richard Foale would have been at the helm of his sleek 504-horsepower helicopter soaring around the peaks of the Southern Alps. Now, he’s behind a five-horsepower Zodiac with a huge smile on his face. He’s just pulled up alongside his new business – a floating coffee shop, Coffee Afloat.
I’m on the Lake Dunstan Cycle Trail, an incredible new track that joins Cromwell and Clyde along steep Cromwell Gorge.
The trail has been years in the planning because large sections of the gorge are sheer cliffs, which posed a significant challenge to engineers. The solution was a series of dramatic cantilevered platforms that hang off the side of granite rock.
When Richard and wife Jolanda were asked to be models for the track’s promotional material, they noticed a problem. The ride is 3-4 hours each way, and there was nowhere along the way where anyone could get a refreshment, specifically caffeine.
The couple’s helicopter business was much quieter due to the Covid-19 border closure, so the ambitious pair went about trying to think of ways to establish some kind of cafe on the trail. Most of the track runs adjacent to the water or weaves high on the hills, so they were initially stumped. Then, a simple solution came to mind: it needed to float.
Fast-forward a fair few months, and I’m cycling the new trail in awe of the clip-on bridges, and how remote it all feels. Then, a familiar scent begins to tickle my nose.
Is that the smell of freshly roasted beans? Surely not, we’re in the middle of the mountains.
Around the next corner, I go from complete solitude to the sight of 15 cyclists all pulled over, like buffalo gathered around water.
There is the all-too-familiar, high-pitched squeal of milk being frothed. I have reached caffeinated heaven.
It’s only noon on a weekday, and already 70 coffees have been sold, alongside local baking and even icecreams.
Jolanda is surprised at how popular it’s become. ‘‘We have two groups, the ones who know about it and come out specifically to see it, or those who come around the corner and are like: ‘I can’t believe it!’.’’
I’m firmly in the ‘‘can’t believe it’’ camp. This cycle trail is one of the most scenic day rides in the country, and the floating coffee shop makes the whole experience unmissable.
The coffee stop is followed by a steep hill, but I don’t give a frappe. With caffeine in my veins, sun on my shoulders, and incredible scenery to enjoy, this is paradise.