KIAKOURA TO CULVERDEN
So much for the rotten weather and the shroud of gloom the was our mindset upon retiring to bed last night. We rise to a sky full of dark clouds BUT with a hint of clearing in the east.
We pack up. I don my long pants, long sleeved cycling top with coat and long fingered motorcycle gloves and off we go, expecting the worst. After a big breakfast we head out.
The terrain consists of long stretches of road with a ever so slight incline. Over 30 km we rise about 100 meters so not so bad. But the wind is our enemy and we struggle to maintain a reasonable speed. At this rate we will be riding hard all day.
Then we climb again. At the top of the mountain at Whales Back Saddle we will be 511 meters above sea level.
Things improve drastically and we are thankful. The wind falls to our backs and the sky clears and becomes inspiring. Half way up the mountain our spirits have lifted and we are wondering what all the fuss was about. We are two lucky guys, able to spend time in our lives travelling across unknown terrain doing what we love - riding our bikes. It doesn't get any better than this.
Besides, there are no big screen televisions on the ride.
Once we hit the 70 km mark of our ride, we enjoy a lot of long descents and clear blue skies. We sail past Waiau which was going to be our original stop when planning this trip and ride another 22 km to Culverden - a small community with a motel a gringy pub and a cafe.
We settle in for the evening, retire early as another long day ahead tomorrow will complete our three day trek into Christchurch city.
STATS:
Distance: 107.8 km
Time: 6:12
Average: 17.4 kph
Max: 54.3 kph
Temp: 20 - 29C
Weather: Overcast and Sunny
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