Methven

MikeO

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Dereham, Norfolk, today...
21st February 2017

I sleep well (apart from hearing something pacing around on the gravel outside at around 0200 - I quickly closed the patio door and went back to sleep...
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). I'm showered, dressed and packed by 0900 and wheel the bike outside...

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...before pressing the garage door button (at the far end of the garage) and doing a comedy run to get out before it closes...

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It's a glorious day - already in the high 60s F and forecast to get a lot warmer. I take Highway 8a out of Wanaka...

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Just outside town there is a firm called Puzzle World...

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As well as weird buildings, I notice they've planted Monkey-Puzzle trees...

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I set a cruise of about 105 - no traffic about this morning...

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I notice there's a vehicle museum of some sort to my left - but I'm pretty much museumed out at the moment...

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The air is crystal clear...

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...I really should have cleaned my visor last light...

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Just after crossing this bridge, Bettie gave me a hard right and we start towards...

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...the small town of Tarras...

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The irrigators are working at full tilt...

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Riding conditions are about perfect...

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I stop at the Tarras Country Café for breakfast - to find they just have stuff they heat up. I choose a chicken and salsa wrap (which proves to be an excellent, if unconventional, choice for breakfast) and a cup of tea...

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I'm soon back on the bike and heading down Highway 8...

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I have about 230 miles to do today - I'd like to be finished early, to avoid the heat of the late afternoon...

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It's a lovely ride - the long grass on the hills ripples slightly on the light breeze, giving the hills the appearance of being covered in velvet...

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It's not a challenging ride (other than the challenge of keeping my speed down, of course...
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)...

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...but the road runs through some beautiful country...

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I'm headed towards the Lindis Pass...

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...where the road gets twistier...

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...but it's a gentle pass - no switchbacks or steep climbs...

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In fact the other side reminded me slightly of Glencoe, though this is on an altogether smaller scale...

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Onward!

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I'm soon leaving the Lindis Pass...

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...and pressing on towards Methven, my target for today...

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I'm going to intersect with a road I travelled the other day - at the splendidly named town of Twizel...

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A white SUV approaches me from behind quite rapidly, so I move left to let him pass. He adjusts his speed to mine and follows me for twenty miles or so - I'm acting as his speed buddy - dammit!
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Mount Cook comes into view...

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What could be better than riding a bike here, on a gloriously sunny day and a view like this?

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I know I'm very fortunate to be able to do this...

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Soon the lake's behind me and I'm heading towards Lake Takepo...

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...which is just as blue and beautiful...

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I stop for a coffee and meet two New Zealanders from near Christchurch, Ian and Erin.

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They're cracking company and have a hundred questions about my plans. Ian gives me some history on Bill Richardson (whose empire includes Allied Oil and Richardson Cement - one of the biggest suppliers on the islands). Apparently he lost a son at the age of 30 or so - as he was training him to take the business over. His collecting started shortly after that...

I say my farewells to Ian and Erin, then get moving towards Methven - about an hour and a half away now.

One final pic of the lake...

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...and we're back to the pleasant, but less spectacular, valley road...

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I find myself a speed buddy - moving at 104kph - for a few miles...

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...but he eventually turns off...

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It's getting a tad warm...

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...and although I'm drinking pretty much constantly, I recognise I'm not concentrating enough to ride fast...

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...so I bring the speed off a little and do some mental exercises to keep myself alert...

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Occasionally the road is mottled with shade from trees to the left - the cool is very welcome...

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I saw this smart looking gentleman in Geraldine - no prizes with that number plate, I'm afraid...
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Almost there...

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Spotted these two in the small town of Alford Forest, about five minutes out...

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I arrive at my motel at about 1430 - it's very warm. Regrettably the room has neither AC nor even a fan...
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I start the pics uploading on the (quite fast) WiFi, then pop into town to refuel the bike and pick up some essentials (=six-pack and something to eat).

Great day...

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