DARFIELD TO GERALDINE
This was the first day we experienced the Northwesterly winds that we have been told about. Upon leaving Darfield we were 200metres above sea level.
We had another 300 to climb before heading through the incredible Rakaia Gorge. As we climbed closer and closer to the gorge, the wind from the Northwest was being channelled through this landscape and was being directed at us very strongly and mostly from the side.
For a couple of hours we struggled, not only to get through the wind and up the hill, but to actually stay on our bikes as the wind when it came in unpredictable gusts would threaten to knock us off our bikes. We struggled to keep them going forward and in a straight line.
It was very exhausting and stressful but we never fell down and carried on to the top. The views were almost worth the effort.
Through the gorge, up and down we went until we came out the other side. We stopped at the Alford Forest Cafe for a well deserved lunch and then carried on to Geraldine, a most pleasant township about 60 km down the road.
The road to Geraldine was mostly downhill and we actually had the wind in our favor so we flew into town. It was a very hot day with the tempreature hitting about 35C.
STATS
Distance: 125.28 km
Time: 6:08
Average: 20.45 kph
Max: 55.41 kph
Temp: 22 - 35C
Weather: Sunny
