Thursday January 2, 2014

Check the photos on the last Blog – I have updated them.

A very short ride today.  It should have been Picton to Ward (approximately 85) but I needed to get some washing done.  If we had cycled to Ward with a couple of big hills to do we would not have been in Ward until late and I would not have had time to do the washing.  So we are taking a second half rest day.

Ralf is getting some minor repairs done on his bike and getting some food.  While I was doing the washing Ralf went for a little ride on his own, to the Taylor Dam.

The South Island’s communities are farther apart, so we have to make sure we have enough food for a couple of days, just in case we need to ask a farmer if we can camp on his front lawn!  Tomorrows ride will be almost 60kms.

I was chatting to a German couple (Michael and Susanne from Hamburg) who are about to leave for Seddon at 11:30 (30kms), an easy ride for them today.  They have been finding the hills in the North Island exhausting as well and are hoping the South Island is easier.

This evening at dinner we were talking to a Dutch/New Zealand couple (Annette and Jaap) were very interested in our trip and had been looking at changing their lives for something different.  May be we have influenced another couple.  They are both cyclists as well as kayakers and very much like the simple life and outdoors.  Who knows we may be reading about their Grand Adventure in a couple of years time.  Again we have been invited to stay at their house if we go past them.