Sunday December 29, 2013

A relatively short ride today ending at our first warm-showers host in Masterton.  Warm-showers is an organization for touring cyclists.  You sign up to host touring cyclists coming through your Town and then when you are on the road you can utilize other hosts.  We hosted 4 couples this past summer and it was a lot of fun.

The weather did not look promising, forecast for rain.  It threatened it a couple of times but we managed to stay dry until Masterton.  We were making really good time, with a nice behind wind when Ralf shouts that he had a flat tire.  It took us a while to get it fixed, it has been a while since we needed to do it.  Actually Ralf got a flat on GOBA last year and I fixed it.  We found the nail that had punctured the inner-tube and we will fix the tube for an extra spare.  We will also buy a new tube tomorrow at the bike store in Town.  Everything except the coffee shops and supermarkets are closed today.

I was really looking forward to meeting George Evans as his ‘feedback’ on warmshowers was really encouraging and I thought we would have a great evening with him.  Unfortunately George is at his “batch” (cottage) near Rotorua and is not here.  So how come we are staying at his house.  The amazing kindness of New Zealand people.  I had emailed him, he contacted his neighbour and she let us into the house.  We have had a great shower, catching up on the washing and the neighbours Rodie and Arthur have invited us over for dinner.  We had a wonderful evening with them.  People are so kind and generous here.  Even on our windy, cold, wet, hilly day a farmer asked us in for a cup of tea.  Although we would have loved to have taken him up on his offer we knew we still had about 30 ks to go and didn’t want to have to warm up cold muscles again.  We did stop for a quick chat – the farmer was an accountant turned farmer – Wingfield Farms?