In this week’s episode, we’re closing out our series on Australia and New Zealand and kicking off a new series about what athletes are up to this off season. During their trip to the Southern Hemisphere this winter, Payson and Nichole traveled to the South Island of New Zealand to do a four-day bikepacking trip, linking the historic Paparoa and Old Ghost Road trails. The goal was to slow things down after a busy racing season and discover some of the best landscapes that New Zealand has to offer. On their journey, they came across locals and fellow travelers and recorded mini-conversations with them that are woven throughout the episode, including a trail builder, the owner of a hotel in the tiny town of Charleston, and a pair of hikers who they met in a hut on the Old Ghost Road.
In addition to reflecting on the route and their planning process, Payson and Nichole talk about how a random encounter in Tasmania dictated their choice of trails, the car accident that got things off to a terrifying start, national opossum poisoning, giant snails, the history of the area, and some memorable ferry rides. 

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