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...
). I'm showered, dressed and packed by 0900 and wheel the bike outside...
...before pressing the garage door button (at the far end of the garage) and doing a comedy run to get out before it closes...
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...
Just outside town there is a firm called Puzzle World...
As well as weird buildings, I notice they've planted Monkey-Puzzle trees...
I set a cruise of about 105 - no traffic about this morning...
I notice there's a vehicle museum of some sort to my left - but I'm pretty much museumed out at the moment...
The air is crystal clear...
...I really should have cleaned my visor last light...
Just after crossing this bridge, Bettie gave me a hard right and we start towards...
...the small town of Tarras...
The irrigators are working at full tilt...
Riding conditions are about perfect...
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...
I'm soon back on the bike and heading down Highway 8...
I have about 230 miles to do today - I'd like to be finished early, to avoid the heat of the late afternoon...
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...
It's not a challenging ride (other than the challenge of keeping my speed down, of course...
)...
...but the road runs through some beautiful country...
I'm headed towards the Lindis Pass...
...where the road gets twistier...
...but it's a gentle pass - no switchbacks or steep climbs...
In fact the other side reminded me slightly of Glencoe, though this is on an altogether smaller scale...
Onward!
I'm soon leaving the Lindis Pass...
...and pressing on towards Methven, my target for today...
I'm going to intersect with a road I travelled the other day - at the splendidly named town of Twizel...
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!
Mount Cook comes into view...
What could be better than riding a bike here, on a gloriously sunny day and a view like this?
I know I'm very fortunate to be able to do this...
Soon the lake's behind me and I'm heading towards Lake Takepo...
...which is just as blue and beautiful...
I stop for a coffee and meet two New Zealanders from near Christchurch, Ian and Erin.
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...
...and we're back to the pleasant, but less spectacular, valley road...
I find myself a speed buddy - moving at 104kph - for a few miles...
...but he eventually turns off...
It's getting a tad warm...
...and although I'm drinking pretty much constantly, I recognise I'm not concentrating enough to ride fast...
...so I bring the speed off a little and do some mental exercises to keep myself alert...
Occasionally the road is mottled with shade from trees to the left - the cool is very welcome...
I saw this smart looking gentleman in Geraldine - no prizes with that number plate, I'm afraid...
Almost there...
Spotted these two in the small town of Alford Forest, about five minutes out...
I arrive at my motel at about 1430 - it's very warm. Regrettably the room has neither AC nor even a fan...
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...
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...
...before pressing the garage door button (at the far end of the garage) and doing a comedy run to get out before it closes...
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...
Just outside town there is a firm called Puzzle World...
As well as weird buildings, I notice they've planted Monkey-Puzzle trees...
I set a cruise of about 105 - no traffic about this morning...
I notice there's a vehicle museum of some sort to my left - but I'm pretty much museumed out at the moment...
The air is crystal clear...
...I really should have cleaned my visor last light...
Just after crossing this bridge, Bettie gave me a hard right and we start towards...
...the small town of Tarras...
The irrigators are working at full tilt...
Riding conditions are about perfect...
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...
I'm soon back on the bike and heading down Highway 8...
I have about 230 miles to do today - I'd like to be finished early, to avoid the heat of the late afternoon...
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...
It's not a challenging ride (other than the challenge of keeping my speed down, of course...
...but the road runs through some beautiful country...
I'm headed towards the Lindis Pass...
...where the road gets twistier...
...but it's a gentle pass - no switchbacks or steep climbs...
In fact the other side reminded me slightly of Glencoe, though this is on an altogether smaller scale...
Onward!
I'm soon leaving the Lindis Pass...
...and pressing on towards Methven, my target for today...
I'm going to intersect with a road I travelled the other day - at the splendidly named town of Twizel...
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!
Mount Cook comes into view...
What could be better than riding a bike here, on a gloriously sunny day and a view like this?
I know I'm very fortunate to be able to do this...
Soon the lake's behind me and I'm heading towards Lake Takepo...
...which is just as blue and beautiful...
I stop for a coffee and meet two New Zealanders from near Christchurch, Ian and Erin.
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...
...and we're back to the pleasant, but less spectacular, valley road...
I find myself a speed buddy - moving at 104kph - for a few miles...
...but he eventually turns off...
It's getting a tad warm...
...and although I'm drinking pretty much constantly, I recognise I'm not concentrating enough to ride fast...
...so I bring the speed off a little and do some mental exercises to keep myself alert...
Occasionally the road is mottled with shade from trees to the left - the cool is very welcome...
I saw this smart looking gentleman in Geraldine - no prizes with that number plate, I'm afraid...
Almost there...
Spotted these two in the small town of Alford Forest, about five minutes out...
I arrive at my motel at about 1430 - it's very warm. Regrettably the room has neither AC nor even a fan...
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...