Keep Cycling! South Island New Zealand 2021

Fortunately we woke early and had no sooner eaten our breakfast when the council tree trimmers arrived to trim the big hedge that surrounds the camp. We'd camped right up against it, so had to move the tent and its unpacked contents lickety split!  Eventually we got away - and into a head wind that lasted all the way to Ward. As it was our anniversary, we decided to take things easy today and take a room in the only motel in Ward. Anyway, we'd had enough of the headwind! The road from Seddon was hilly and undulating with several lovely downhills. Needless to say we had a few stints of walking!  Soon the dry hills became covered in green vineyards and small herds of sheep and cattle munched on whatever grass they could find in the hills. (Must have accidently deleted this pic!) We passed salty Lake Grassmere and its salt refining plant. Arriving at Ward around lunch time, we located the motel (rooms better than the sign!) and immediately washed our cycle gear.

Slept soundly again. Packed the trailers until both  were bulging. Took off full of energy until we hit the 12km mark. From then it was a winding, steep climb for 2.2km.  We decided to walk, pushing our heavy trailers and stopping for a short break every now and then. It took us 1.5hrs! Narrow or absent shoulder on the road for the most part, so we had to pull as far to the left as possible to make way for the traffic racing past. And we thought Sunday would be quiet!! Got to Seddon at last. Bought stores, some  lunch, and beef with noodles for dinner. The campground is off the highway, by the side of the local rugby field. Greeted by the resident camp caretaker, Jeff. There is a small kitchen, toilets and showers ($1 coin). Tent fee is $24 (half the price of Top 10 which didn't provide crockery or cutlery). Enjoying the quiet, laid back campground already. Will sleep well again tonight!!

Slept soundly in spite of the tent being flanked by the major road south on one side and a major railway line on the other. Slept through all the noise, but woke up to a chilly, 5 degrees and dewy grass. The main road south!                                                       The railway line(the flat, horizontal area) Had our Weetbix serenaded by chortling magpies, a flock of quacking ducks (we're right beside the Opaoa River) and a large family of rabbits! Spent the day locating bike shops (for boxes on the way home) and a convenient motel and supermarket. We bought a few stores and Del invested in a pair of thermal tights to sleep in. Felt the chill a bit last night. Got back to camp to find that one of our towels had disappeared from the clothes line. Will have to make a quick dash back into town to replace it. C'est la vie!

Heavy rain during the night. Woke at 5.15am and spent some time extracting the bikes and trailers from the shed, in the dark and rain, then manoeuvering them up and around all the obstacles in our way to the front door. Breakfast was a banana and cold water.  We sprinted off, walking our gear down to the Bluebridge Ferry in the rain, only to find that sailing was delayed a whole hour! The ship's passengers are interesting!  A large gang of patched Mongrel Mob officianados are heading off for a big convention down south. Lots of back slaps and secret hand shakes! The hold is packed with their motor bikes! And- the captain's just announced we can expect a lumpy ride and 5metre swells! Yay!! One big wave sent rubbish bins flying and kitchen gear crashing to the floor. Passengers leaving the cafe staggered from left to right to left as they made their way. Our bikes had been lashed to the side of the hold so were undamaged and, as we were near the exit, we managed to ge

We both slept fitfully and were awake before our alarms went off. Thank heaven we were so well prepared though. The shuttle arrived 15 minutes early but we were unfazed and ready to go. Our dismantled bikes and trailers went from here - our main foyer To Auckland then Wellington Airport To here - reassembled and stored for the night in an old shed at the back of Dwellington Hostel! This hostel is a backpacker's dream - a full kitchen, dining room, lounge, tv/cinema etc, coffee/tea/milk available all day long and friendly staff.  No special storage for bikes though and no lift, so all luggage has to be carried up 2 flights of stairs! We're about 20 minutes walk from the Bluebridge ferry (all downhill) and as the last check-in is at 7.00am, we'll be up with the birds again tomorrow. We'll walk our bikes rather than compete with busy commuter traffic! We bought a belated lunch (3.30pm) and a salad for dinner at a New World supermarket close by. Ever

                                                                    Our last training run! Just a short ride on Monday, with hills, traffic and several busy intersections to negotiate. Today we sorted out our gear, packed the trailers and dismantled the bikes. Starting to get a little excited. In 36hrs time we're off on our next adventure!

                                                                        Off to Patumahoe with the trailers!                                                                     Time for a coffee break! In early December 2020 we resolved to put our e-bikes aside and cycle only on our push bikes. Instantly we felt every hill in the district, but as fitness developed, they became a little less of a challenge! On January 1st 2021, with 28 days to go before we leave on our trip, it was time to attach the empty trailers. Apart from hill climbs, you don't notice them. You just need to allow for them when making turns or passing stationary vehicles. As more weight is added, firmer control of the handlebars is needed and low gear is necessary when stopping, so that one can get away again at a reasonable speed. Today Del loaded the heavy tent bag into his trailer. He handled the local hills well. My turn to load up next time!  Must admit, I'm a bit nervous, but it