When I arrive in Greymouth, the weather is very nice and I even spend the afternoon along the beach - is this really the We(s)t Coast? But the weather forecast is not very flash for the upcoming days, because the remnant of a cyclone is expected over the country later on. So, I decide to move on especially since the wind direction might be in my favour at this moment. On a dark, cloudy morning I pack my tent and other stuff on my bicycle again. It is cloudy but warm and humid on my way to Reefton. The first part of the trip follows the Grey River inland and I pass some tiny villages. The sticky warmth and the sound of the cicadas give me the feeling of cycling in the tropics. During the second part of this trip, the scenic hills make place for more cattle and farm land, but around Reefton there are only green hills around. The first sight of Reefton is nice; it has history from the gold mining days and has a western style street. Reefton is 'famous' for being the town with the world's first street lighting, connected in 1888. When I arrive at the campground I get the advice to pitch my tent straight away before the nasty weather is going to strike: that sounds encouraging. Luckily it is not getting very nasty - only a bit of rain and no wind at all. I stroll around town a bit, having afternoon tea and a beer and prepare myself a dinner at the campground before heading to the tent to have a good night's rest.
The forecast for the next day is pretty ugly, but I do not want to stay in Reefton. And after all it is better to be 'en route' when it's raining than just hanging around a campground. So at 07:30am I am already cycling to try to get as far as possible without any rain. This takes only 45 minutes and then it starts pouring and blowing. There is only one small town between Reefton and my final destination of today: Murchison. This town is called Inangahua and there is something that is called a shop/post office/cafe etc. but not a lot there. It is very disappointing and the people there basically tell me that I am a 'stupid foreigner' to cycle in this area - 'no Kiwi would do this'. Fair enough! I move on... another 55 km to cover.
The road becomes more winding and undulating, so I am changing gears constantly. It is a beautiful route, but I must say I can not really enjoy it to the full. When the rain eases a bit, I am finally able to make some pictures and luckily I am at a nice spot at that moment (although every part of the South Island is beautiful in my opinion). During this part of my trip a lot of the car drivers wave to me or blow their horn - is this to encourage me, or are they telling me that I am crazy?! I will never know. What I do know, however, is that some of those logging truck and cattle truck drivers really are crazy and try to drive me off the road. Pretty bad behaviour, I should say.
When I finally arrive in Murchision, I am soaking wet, but my first goal is a cafe for some drinks and food, because I am starving by now and want to get a bit dry as well. I get a few strange looks from the people there and when I sit down (in the outside area) an American tourist asks me whether I have been kayaking on the river? That's how I look! Later on I have a nice chat with them and they want some information from me for the remainder of their travels on the South Island. Then I go to the campground but decide to take a cabin this time.
The next day there are still clouds, but it doesn't look very bad. I know there is a nice camping place around 40 kms from Murchison and the next stop would be Motueka - around 80 kms further from there. I have one huge advantage: the wind is southwest and my direction is north. I leave Murchison on the cycle lane, that runs along the SH6 in this town and very easily I am on my way enjoying the scenery. Around 10:30am I arrive at the first possible stop; it doesn't make sense to stop here, because the weather is improving and it is great to cycle. So I go on, but already realise that it is going to be a long trip, longer than the 120 km I had anticipated. There is only a minor climb of 3 km to around 600 metres ahead of me and the rest is mainly undulating and back to sea level in Motueka. It is getting hot and sunny, that's what I need. The last part of the trip through the Motueka Valley (along the Motueka River) is very scenic and with the assistance of some tailwind I manage to arrive in Motueka with 140 km on the teller today. I know what I deserve now: a nice beer (Mac's Gold of course).
During the very enjoyable trip to Motueka I spend some time reflecting my cycling tour and decide that it is time to head home. I left Wellington nearly six weeks ago and have spend a great time on the South Island. I have seen a lot of beautiful things and have experienced this Island in the best way there is! Also I have met a lot of nice people, learned a lot about different countries and about New Zealand and learned a lot about myself as well.
The two days in Motueka I spend lazy - although I also make a cycle trip to Kaiteriteri - a beautiful beach closeby - but am surprised about the number of people around. Moreover, there is the friendly rugby match between the Crusaders (Christchurch) against the Hurricanes (Wellington) in Motueka. The town was already dressed in black/red and black/yellow, because they never had such a big match before. Of course I am going to watch the game. Unfortunately, the Crusaders win the match, but it is still good fun and all of Motueka loved it!
On Saturday I arrive on the ferry in Wellington and Marco is there - thinking he has to pick up a friend of mine. Surprise, surprise!
Now I am back in Wellington...................
Cheers,
Anita
For pictures : http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh106/AnitasTourDeAotearoa/Greymouth%20to%20Wellington/
27/01/2008
23/01/2008
Wanaka to Greymouth
On 15 January I take a shuttle from Wanaka to Twizel, since my knee is not completely okay yet. Most of the scenery around here I have enjoyed before, but it is always very impressive. Close to Twizel I get the first glimpse of Mt Cook in the distance. In the evening I get 'kicked of' the shuttle in Twizel that is deserted at that time, but luckily I have seen a sign to the campground. This seems to be a huge area, where I can choose a quiet spot under the pine trees.
The next day I wake up under a clear blue sky and there is not even a bit of wind - great! I am going to cycle in the direction of Mt Cook and most of the way along Lake Pukaki, that is very blue because of the sedements at the lake floor. There are a lot of very amazing views along the way - sorry, very hard to get on the picture - you have to experience it yourself! At one of these great spots I just sit for a while and let everything soak in, when a huge MPV comes along, two guys get out with their far too expensive camera equipment, in a few seconds they make some pictures, while the ladies stay in the back of the very comfortable car and off they go again. Okay, that's also a way to experience NZ.
I stop at Glentanner Park - about 25 km from Mt Cook Village - to have a coffee and decide that I will stay the night here, but go on without my luggage to Mt Cook. The weather can't get better than today (which will be proved the next day), so I need to make the most of it. The ride to Mt Cook Village is magical and I take a lot of pictures. I visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre that just opened last month. It is a very special place to be at this moment. The place is a small museum with a lot of the information about the history of climbing in the Mt Cook region. I also see a nice 3D feature on this area. All pretty well done!
During dinner at Glentanner Park that evening we see a fire across from Lake Pukaki. A strong wind is blowing so the fire spreads very fast. A lot of helicopters arrive with water buckets but the fire just gets bigger. Very scary! When night falls the helicopters can't fly anymore and when I get up the next morning it is sad to see the area of trees that has been destroyed in the mean time. The helicopters are already very busy again. Later I read in the newspaper that it has taken 3 days to get the fire under control and by then around 700 ha had been burnt.
One of the results of the fire was that there was no power anymore at Glentanner and surroundings, so without food I could not stay there anymore. The next morning, however, the weather was pretty bad, mainly strong winds. (I was very glad I did the trip to Mt Cook the day before.) I did not want to cycle in this weather which would have been pretty dangerous and had to think of another solution: ask a campervanner for a lift to somewhere. At the first campervan I am already lucky. It is a UK family living in Australia since some years and enjoying NZ for the first time. They are very helpful and friendly and I have a good chat with them on the way to Fairlie where they drop me off. Since the brake of my bicycle is causing a problem I have to find a bike shop. According to my booklet there should be one in Fairlie, however, that one has gone a few years ago. In the post office I speak to a lady who assists me to find someone who might be able to help me. I go there and this seems to be the guy who owned the bike shop before - small place! He easily fixes the problem and that is that. I head to the camp ground in Fairlie where I meet another female cyclist. This Canadian lady just started her trip around NZ and was happy to meet another female cyclist, since she thought she was the only one. During my trip I sometimes do not see cyclists for days and on other days I see around 10. It is always nice to exchange ideas, routes, plans etc.
My next goal is Geraldine, but the day is pretty bad with a lot of rain and when I arrive in Geraldine I do not feel very happy and I recognize the place and do not like it at all. So, after lunch I decide to ride on, mainly because the weather improved as well. I go to Mt Somers and when I arrive there I have the smell of lily's in my nose (there is a huge lily nursery here) and 100 km on my teller. I do not do a lot that evening, apart from pitching my tent, cooking, eating, writing and then sleeping.
Now I have to decide whether to go to the West Coast, via Arthur's Pass, or go along the East Coast, of which I have seen most already. I decide on the West Coast and head to Springfield. The first part of the route is easy, but then I get to Rakaia Gorge. It is beautiful, but I have hardly time to enjoy it, since twice my chain runs off and after I have fixed that, I have a flat rear tyre, ggrrrhhh! It is around 30 degrees Celsius and I start to fix the problems. I do not have a lot of luck and soon I look like a chimney sweeper. I even try to catch a ride but there is hardly any traffic, so I have to fix the bicycle. After around 1.5 hours I finally manage to get the bicycle ready again and move on.
When I pass a town I decide to call a shuttle service for tomorrow to bring me from Springfield to Greymouth - luckily this is possible, because I do not see myself cycling over Arthur's Pass with an only 90% okay bicycle. I am very glad when I arrive in Springfield where I can have some food and a long, warm shower!
The next day I have to get up early to catch the shuttle. This is a great way to go over longer or difficult distances, making a cycling trip around NZ an opportunity for nearly everyone. The first part to Porter's Pass I realise that I would not have liked to do this on the bike. It is very steep and narrow. I have met a few guys who have done it, however, and did not mind it at all. I enjoy the scenery from behind the window and love it this way for a change. The surroundings of Arthur's Pass Village is really great and I see some nice campgrounds, but more suitable when you travel around by car. Amazingly I am the only one awake in the shuttle during this trip. All other tourists are too tired to see the beautiful scenery.
Then I arrive in Greymouth where the fight with the sandflies starts. These animals just eat you alive!
Later on I find a revenge - just open your mouth while cycling and I can eat them alive in stead of the other way around.
For pictures see: http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh106/AnitasTourDeAotearoa/Wanaka%20to%20Greymouth/
To be continued......
The next day I wake up under a clear blue sky and there is not even a bit of wind - great! I am going to cycle in the direction of Mt Cook and most of the way along Lake Pukaki, that is very blue because of the sedements at the lake floor. There are a lot of very amazing views along the way - sorry, very hard to get on the picture - you have to experience it yourself! At one of these great spots I just sit for a while and let everything soak in, when a huge MPV comes along, two guys get out with their far too expensive camera equipment, in a few seconds they make some pictures, while the ladies stay in the back of the very comfortable car and off they go again. Okay, that's also a way to experience NZ.
I stop at Glentanner Park - about 25 km from Mt Cook Village - to have a coffee and decide that I will stay the night here, but go on without my luggage to Mt Cook. The weather can't get better than today (which will be proved the next day), so I need to make the most of it. The ride to Mt Cook Village is magical and I take a lot of pictures. I visit the Sir Edmund Hillary Alpine Centre that just opened last month. It is a very special place to be at this moment. The place is a small museum with a lot of the information about the history of climbing in the Mt Cook region. I also see a nice 3D feature on this area. All pretty well done!
During dinner at Glentanner Park that evening we see a fire across from Lake Pukaki. A strong wind is blowing so the fire spreads very fast. A lot of helicopters arrive with water buckets but the fire just gets bigger. Very scary! When night falls the helicopters can't fly anymore and when I get up the next morning it is sad to see the area of trees that has been destroyed in the mean time. The helicopters are already very busy again. Later I read in the newspaper that it has taken 3 days to get the fire under control and by then around 700 ha had been burnt.
One of the results of the fire was that there was no power anymore at Glentanner and surroundings, so without food I could not stay there anymore. The next morning, however, the weather was pretty bad, mainly strong winds. (I was very glad I did the trip to Mt Cook the day before.) I did not want to cycle in this weather which would have been pretty dangerous and had to think of another solution: ask a campervanner for a lift to somewhere. At the first campervan I am already lucky. It is a UK family living in Australia since some years and enjoying NZ for the first time. They are very helpful and friendly and I have a good chat with them on the way to Fairlie where they drop me off. Since the brake of my bicycle is causing a problem I have to find a bike shop. According to my booklet there should be one in Fairlie, however, that one has gone a few years ago. In the post office I speak to a lady who assists me to find someone who might be able to help me. I go there and this seems to be the guy who owned the bike shop before - small place! He easily fixes the problem and that is that. I head to the camp ground in Fairlie where I meet another female cyclist. This Canadian lady just started her trip around NZ and was happy to meet another female cyclist, since she thought she was the only one. During my trip I sometimes do not see cyclists for days and on other days I see around 10. It is always nice to exchange ideas, routes, plans etc.
My next goal is Geraldine, but the day is pretty bad with a lot of rain and when I arrive in Geraldine I do not feel very happy and I recognize the place and do not like it at all. So, after lunch I decide to ride on, mainly because the weather improved as well. I go to Mt Somers and when I arrive there I have the smell of lily's in my nose (there is a huge lily nursery here) and 100 km on my teller. I do not do a lot that evening, apart from pitching my tent, cooking, eating, writing and then sleeping.
Now I have to decide whether to go to the West Coast, via Arthur's Pass, or go along the East Coast, of which I have seen most already. I decide on the West Coast and head to Springfield. The first part of the route is easy, but then I get to Rakaia Gorge. It is beautiful, but I have hardly time to enjoy it, since twice my chain runs off and after I have fixed that, I have a flat rear tyre, ggrrrhhh! It is around 30 degrees Celsius and I start to fix the problems. I do not have a lot of luck and soon I look like a chimney sweeper. I even try to catch a ride but there is hardly any traffic, so I have to fix the bicycle. After around 1.5 hours I finally manage to get the bicycle ready again and move on.
When I pass a town I decide to call a shuttle service for tomorrow to bring me from Springfield to Greymouth - luckily this is possible, because I do not see myself cycling over Arthur's Pass with an only 90% okay bicycle. I am very glad when I arrive in Springfield where I can have some food and a long, warm shower!
The next day I have to get up early to catch the shuttle. This is a great way to go over longer or difficult distances, making a cycling trip around NZ an opportunity for nearly everyone. The first part to Porter's Pass I realise that I would not have liked to do this on the bike. It is very steep and narrow. I have met a few guys who have done it, however, and did not mind it at all. I enjoy the scenery from behind the window and love it this way for a change. The surroundings of Arthur's Pass Village is really great and I see some nice campgrounds, but more suitable when you travel around by car. Amazingly I am the only one awake in the shuttle during this trip. All other tourists are too tired to see the beautiful scenery.
Then I arrive in Greymouth where the fight with the sandflies starts. These animals just eat you alive!
Later on I find a revenge - just open your mouth while cycling and I can eat them alive in stead of the other way around.
For pictures see: http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh106/AnitasTourDeAotearoa/Wanaka%20to%20Greymouth/
To be continued......
14/01/2008
Dunedin to Wanaka
Hi all,
First of all I want to apologise for not responding to all the e-mails that I have got. Since it is sometimes quite difficult to find a good internetcafe, my priority is to keep this weblog up to date, but if I have a chance I will reply to your messages.
I left you all in Dunedin, where I explored the city, that was a bit quiet at the moment because of the students being away on holiday, but still it was vibrant enough. A lot of nice cafe's and restaurants, a beautiful Art Gallery, some cinemas (haven't watched a movie because the weather was too nice), the Sports Hall of Fame in the beautiful railway station etc.etc. Here I decide to take the train for a touristy ride. This is called the Taieri Gorge Railway; the carriages are very old and beautiful; the scenery was amazing. Absolutely something to do when you are in the neighbourhoud. For me it was a good way to avoid some of the high hills outside Dunedin and I am glad I made this beautiful trainride. This brought me in Pukerangi, where I was left with my bicycle in what seemed to me 'the middle of nowhere'. There was really nothing around, only dry hills. There was one gravel road which I took to the highway, expecting to be 5km away. However, after 10km cycling I still did not see a turn off to the highway and was doubting whether I went the right direction. Going back at this stage, however, was not really an option either. Luckily after 2km I reached the highway and went on to Middlemarch, where the popular Rail Trail starts/ends. The Rail Trail is a 150 km long stretch of former railway that was turned into a cyclist/walker trail in 1990. I am not very keen to cycling this trail because of the gravel and the heavy load on my bicycle. However, after some advise from other cyclists I decide to take the trail for a small part - and it is beautiful!! There are no cars, only a few cyclists. The scenery is beautiful, what else do you want?
The following day a strong wind is blowing and I go on with my trip via the road, but because of the strong side winds, I head back to the Rail Trail, since I do not want to be blown under a car. This morning I even have to walk at times, because of the strong winds - very unusual and I see another cyclist fall of her bike. The conditions are really difficult this day, which I really am remembered of when I hit a strong sidewind myself and fall off my bicycle. Aaauuwwww, that hurts! It is not a good idea to try to kiss a gravel road, because I have a hole in me knee with stones in it. Luckily soon I see someone who can give me some assistance and my bicycle is still fine and so I can still go on.
It takes me about 20 km before I find a real town, but not with a doctor who I would really need to see. Luckily I meet some very nice people at a campground who bring me to Alexandra, where another very friendly lady at the I-Site organises a doctor and a place to stay. The lady who runs the backpackers where I am going to stay, picks me up and brings me to the doctor (wound cleaned, got some other small stones out of the hole in my knee) and serves me a meal in the evening. I met a lot of great people today!
The next day I decide to take a rest in Alexandra. I have to clean my bike, because dust is all over and my chain makes a strange noise. Luckily my accident was without any big consequences, so I walk to the town and visit a great exhibition of a NZ artist. The subject is the cultural diversity in this country and acceptance - a subject that I, as an immigrant, very much can relate to. I am lucky to be able to speak with the artist and he was glad as well, because he will be in Holland in April.
Then I head on the shuttle bus to Wanaka, to meet a friend of mine from Dordrecht. We tried a few times to meet up, but finally after three weeks we manage to do so. It is great to see a familiar face again. I enjoy a very nice evening and morning with Truus and her sisters and friend in Wanaka. Ladies, thanks again for the great Thai Dinner and big breakfast!!! And hopefully I can be your host next time you are in NZ.
Since me knee is improving I decide to move on by shuttle to Twizel, from where I hope that I can cycle to Mt Cook in a day or so. However, I also noticed a problem with my bicycle which is at the repair shop at the moment - so I have a bit of time to write this blog.
I will keep you up to date, but now have to rush off to do shopping etc.
Apologies for any strange grammar and typos, but hopefully you can enjoy the pictures, see:
http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh106/AnitasTourDeAotearoa/Christchurch%20to%20Wanaka/?start=0
Catch you later,
Anita from a sunny Wanaka
First of all I want to apologise for not responding to all the e-mails that I have got. Since it is sometimes quite difficult to find a good internetcafe, my priority is to keep this weblog up to date, but if I have a chance I will reply to your messages.
I left you all in Dunedin, where I explored the city, that was a bit quiet at the moment because of the students being away on holiday, but still it was vibrant enough. A lot of nice cafe's and restaurants, a beautiful Art Gallery, some cinemas (haven't watched a movie because the weather was too nice), the Sports Hall of Fame in the beautiful railway station etc.etc. Here I decide to take the train for a touristy ride. This is called the Taieri Gorge Railway; the carriages are very old and beautiful; the scenery was amazing. Absolutely something to do when you are in the neighbourhoud. For me it was a good way to avoid some of the high hills outside Dunedin and I am glad I made this beautiful trainride. This brought me in Pukerangi, where I was left with my bicycle in what seemed to me 'the middle of nowhere'. There was really nothing around, only dry hills. There was one gravel road which I took to the highway, expecting to be 5km away. However, after 10km cycling I still did not see a turn off to the highway and was doubting whether I went the right direction. Going back at this stage, however, was not really an option either. Luckily after 2km I reached the highway and went on to Middlemarch, where the popular Rail Trail starts/ends. The Rail Trail is a 150 km long stretch of former railway that was turned into a cyclist/walker trail in 1990. I am not very keen to cycling this trail because of the gravel and the heavy load on my bicycle. However, after some advise from other cyclists I decide to take the trail for a small part - and it is beautiful!! There are no cars, only a few cyclists. The scenery is beautiful, what else do you want?
The following day a strong wind is blowing and I go on with my trip via the road, but because of the strong side winds, I head back to the Rail Trail, since I do not want to be blown under a car. This morning I even have to walk at times, because of the strong winds - very unusual and I see another cyclist fall of her bike. The conditions are really difficult this day, which I really am remembered of when I hit a strong sidewind myself and fall off my bicycle. Aaauuwwww, that hurts! It is not a good idea to try to kiss a gravel road, because I have a hole in me knee with stones in it. Luckily soon I see someone who can give me some assistance and my bicycle is still fine and so I can still go on.
It takes me about 20 km before I find a real town, but not with a doctor who I would really need to see. Luckily I meet some very nice people at a campground who bring me to Alexandra, where another very friendly lady at the I-Site organises a doctor and a place to stay. The lady who runs the backpackers where I am going to stay, picks me up and brings me to the doctor (wound cleaned, got some other small stones out of the hole in my knee) and serves me a meal in the evening. I met a lot of great people today!
The next day I decide to take a rest in Alexandra. I have to clean my bike, because dust is all over and my chain makes a strange noise. Luckily my accident was without any big consequences, so I walk to the town and visit a great exhibition of a NZ artist. The subject is the cultural diversity in this country and acceptance - a subject that I, as an immigrant, very much can relate to. I am lucky to be able to speak with the artist and he was glad as well, because he will be in Holland in April.
Then I head on the shuttle bus to Wanaka, to meet a friend of mine from Dordrecht. We tried a few times to meet up, but finally after three weeks we manage to do so. It is great to see a familiar face again. I enjoy a very nice evening and morning with Truus and her sisters and friend in Wanaka. Ladies, thanks again for the great Thai Dinner and big breakfast!!! And hopefully I can be your host next time you are in NZ.
Since me knee is improving I decide to move on by shuttle to Twizel, from where I hope that I can cycle to Mt Cook in a day or so. However, I also noticed a problem with my bicycle which is at the repair shop at the moment - so I have a bit of time to write this blog.
I will keep you up to date, but now have to rush off to do shopping etc.
Apologies for any strange grammar and typos, but hopefully you can enjoy the pictures, see:
http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh106/AnitasTourDeAotearoa/Christchurch%20to%20Wanaka/?start=0
Catch you later,
Anita from a sunny Wanaka
06/01/2008
Akaroa to Dunedin
Since it is not always easy to find fast internet, if any, it took me a while to send some pictures of the trip so far. Here is a link to the pictures from the part Wellington to Akaroa.
http://s254.photobucket.com/albums/hh106/AnitasTourDeAotearoa/Welly%20to%20Akaroa/
In Akaroa we spent some lovely days - sunny and warm weather and we just enjoyed this nice village and drank and ate a bit and were very lazy. The only way back to Christchurch from here was via the same route as we came, so we decide to take a bus back. Yes, lazy, I know! In Christchurch the first thing I have to do is looking for a bicycle shop that has my 28" tyres, since it seems a good idea to replace the outer tyres before moving on. The first shop we check is run by a Dutch immigrant (can't be a coincidence) and he has the required tyres, so that is easily fixed. The next day we explore the surroundings of Christchurch in the rain and cold; we cycle via Cashmere, Sign of the Kiwi, Governor's Bay, Lyttleton, Sumner back to town. Especially the bays, Lyttleton and Cashmere are very nice parts of Christchurch.
Then it's Saturday morning and the alarm clock rings at 5:45am, since Marco has to catch the train to Picton. I join him to the train station and wave him goodbye. He will go on the ferry and be back in Wellington that same afternoon. (maybe he will write something about his whereabouts on http://www.anitamarco.waarbenjij.nu/ ?). I am off to Ashburton via a very boring route, but with some excitment, being a few shoulderless bridges, one of which is 2km long. I must say I was very relieved when I finally crossed that one and was still alive and kicking. The large cattle trucks and campervans nearly drive you off the bridge. When there is one big danger with cycling in NZ, then it is these bridges and the big trucks, but there is not a way to avoid these. I arrive in Ashburton after 85km but it's only 11:30am. I have an early lunch and decide to move on, since there is still a tailwind and I want to make the most of it. This brings me in Temuka, there are 150km on the teller now and here I am lucky to find a bar with Guinness on the tap - I decide I deserve 1 pint. The next day the wind has turned and it is going to be a hard day. After 20km I already stop in Timaru to have my second breakfast of the day - hot cakes at McDo (no comments please!). The landscape after Timaru is still evenly boring as the day before: grassland, sheep, cows. I am heading for Moeraki Village but soon I realise that I am not going to make it this far today with the headwind, but stop in Oamaru. This is a pleasant small town and I find a neat small campground. The biggest attraction of this area are the penguins and I book a trip to have a look at these funny creatures. First of all we are going to view the Yellow-Eyed Penguins, one of the world's rarest penquins, which is said to be endangered. A lot of effort is being done by DOC (Department of Conservation) to secure the protection of the areas where these penguins breed. We see a few coming on shore in the distance and closer by, but hard to get them on the picture. They are around 70cm high and they have a band of bright yellow around the back of the head which passes through the line of the eyes. The next stop is the Blue Penguin colony close to the Oamaru harbour. Here a huge grandstand is built where this evening around 150 people are waiting for the penguins to come ashore. These penguins gather off shore in a group known as a raft and come ashore as it gets dark. We see one small and one big raft coming ashore. It is great to see them wobbling over the rocks and to the nest buildings. They exactly know where to go. I can recommend this trip to anyone who ever passes through Oamaru. After this long and exciting day I easily fall asleep.
The next morning I still have not decided whether to move on or the stay for a day in Oamaru. At 10:30am I move on further to the south because it seems to be a good cycling day. For the first time since leaving Christchurch I make pictures again, because the scenery now changes dramatically. I now go through rolling green hills and although it is hard at times, this is compensated by the views. This day I come as far as Waikouaiti (no clue how I have to pronounce this). Then it is time for the last stage to Dunedin on Tuesday 8 January. Soon after leaving I come on a cycle route to Dunedin which leads me along the coast via a spectacular route. Unfortunately, my gears are causing me trouble today and it takes me a long time to cross all the hills. At one stage I even wonder why I am not just sitting somewhere in an office at a desk (?!). At the same time, however, I realise that I am very lucky to be able to enjoy the beauty of this country by bicycle. The last part brings me over Mt Cargill (400mtr) and I am very relieved when I see Dunedin in the distance and go downhill again. I pass Baldwin Street where a few tourists are making pictures, of course I join them. Baldwin Street is the steepest street of NZ, with a gradient of around 38%. It will be impossible to cycle up this street (Hanneke, you win!), but there is a competition every year where people try to get up and down this street as fast as possible - this must be good fun!
From the city I have to go up hill again to the campground. I did not realise that Dunedin is at least as hilly as Wellington. For the first time during this cycling trip I have to get off the bike and walk for about 1km during which I have to stop every 100 mt or so, to catch my breath and find a bit of shade. It is about 24 degrees and that's hot in NZ! I book the camping for two nights, because I am sure I do not want to cycle one metre for at least a day.......
Greetings from very sunny and warm Dunedin, that I am going to explore right now.
Anita
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
