Finally ride under way after postponing for a week due to a combination of replacement parts required on the bike, school holidays along with really unpleasant weather across most of NZ.
Early wake without even the alarm & rolled out of home just before 6am in the dark which reminded me of some of those crazy 3am starts for the gorges in preparation for the Nelson to Christchurch in a day ride.
On the scales in the raw I was 86kg, hope to drop 5kg aso time will tell..
Unfortunately backpack is heavier than what I have normally carried which is normally less than 5kg. When I weighed it this morning it was 8.6kg but this is partly due to new pack which is heavier & that I am carrying a tablet for communication which I have not done before, so all up in those 2 items alone is over 2kg.
What also does not help is having to have a heavy duty wire lock for the North Island but when I am back in the “friendlier”South I will swap to the lightweight version.
I also had on board which I wont have tomorrow, half doz hard boiled eggs, 6 eggs & sandwiches so it all adds up in the weight department.
All good until only about 1k from home, the radio on my smart phone stopped.. Buggar, I hope that this is not an omen for the trip but cannot be bothered in the dark trying to fix it, I will wait for daylight.
Quite thick fog to just north of Woodend when sun came out but still quite cool & via SH1 made good time to Amberley & thankfully traffic started to drop off.. Got radio sorted, but then lost reception.. buggar.
North of Waipara arm warmers & gloves off & later on toe warmers.
Forecast was for nor easterly, but if anything more northerly going from left to right so as not right on your nose not too bad.
First coffee stop at Cheviot after 110k & Cafe staff were so impressed with my plan that they replaced all the content of my water bottles with iced water.. did not last like that for long as day warming up..
No “Heidi’s at Cheviot, or even a “Helgar” so will have to keep searching…
I think some drivers think that I should be riding in the “bike lane”but it is not really a lane & is just marking the edge of the road & while it is quite wide in some places, it then goes to nothing in places & on the white line are those little rumble strips which are not pleasant to ride over.. Some places they have re-sealed over the top of the rumble strips which you cannot see, but can certainly feel..
The Hundalees had more squiggles than I remembered even after just recently driving on the road.. Quite a hoot decending & then the Kaikoura coast was magic as very little wind, seas calm & stopped for a picnic lunch to take it all in..
Through the two tunnels & calling out “toot, toot”, is not the same as being in a car… Boys will be boys..!
After leaving the sea the wind made more of a presence for the last 10k to town & of course the final climb from South Bay certainly saps at tired legs.. Early in the day I had thought of going further than Kaikoura but now that I am here 180ks is enough for day 1 & allows opportunity to check for any Heidi’s in Kaikoura!!
Washing all done & although a bit of an issue to get sim card on tablet to work, now all sorted.
Arranged accommodation for Picton, so no sleeping on any park benches as want to get the early 6.30am ferry to get to Masterton on Wednesday.
Time for dinner & an early night, end of day 1.