Another early start with rolling out of the Lazy Shag (accommodation not Heidi!) just before 6am and suprisingly ligher and warmer than leaving Christchurch at the same time yesterday.

The views of the Kaikoura ranges (snow covered) were fantastic as they were just receiving the first of the sunlight.

With only having a couple of hard boiled eggs and an apple I was hanging out for a proper breakfast at Kekerenga 60k into the ride. The Store is a great place with fantastic views out to sea.

While it had been very calm to this point, about 5k afer Kekerenga like a switch had been flicked a nor/easterly wind sprung up and it was then a battle all the way to Blenheim and then later to Picton.

Thankfully there were not many magpie attacks today, but yesterday there were plenty and if they continued I was going to consider joining the plonkers who put cable ties on their helmet.. With the magpies it felt like they all telegraph one another than a cyclist is approaching & that they are waiting for you..

Unfortunately I don’t have room for a rifle as otherwise the magpie population could have been a bit less.

What I have found interesting and disappointing is the amount of rubbish on the side of the road that you don’t see in a car, but you certainly notice on a bike. New Zealand might portray itself as “green and clean”, it might be green but has a long way to go to be clean. You would not go 50 metres without seeing a bottle, milk container or other rubbish that has clearly been thrown out of a car.

What is also interesting is the bolts, pieces of chain and other metal items just lying on the road you wonder what they have come off.

There was broken glass on the road yersterday to well north of Waipara, nut noticeably today there was far less rubbish so either well done Marlborough Regional Council, or all the louts have got rid of their rubbish by the time they get there..

Al was driving up to Blenheim for work and caught me just as I was about to summit the Dashwood Pass and he had a cream rasberry bun which was very welcome at this stage for a picnic on the side of the road.

Thanks Al, much appreciated. For all the BP Group, Al was looking to compete in a club race at Motueka tonight, so with all this “secret riding” no wonder he is fit as he is.. Not so secret now with my disclosure..

At Blenheim I went to the Avanti shop to borrow a track pump, but the Heidi there insisted that I bring the bike in and she pumped up the tyres and then looked after my bike while I went to the Spark shop. Great service Avanti.

Unfortunately the same could not be said about service with Spark, as I have had an issue in getting the sim card on the tablet to work in that it says that there is no credit, yet it has not been used…. The only assistance they gave was giving me an 0800 number, thankfully there was more sense there and they were able to sort it for me as seemingly the sim card had expired before it had been used despite it only being purchased last week. Just goes to show that you need to test things before you leave on a trip.

The battle to Picton into the prevailing wind reminded me why I should NOT do Grape Ride x 5, in addition to the poor road surface and the cat eyes in the cycle lane..

The new pack is giving me a bit of a hard time, but like our other tours it takes a oouple of days for everything to “harden” up. Bring on Heidi!

When in Picton caught up with Chris Wilson who has been working in the area so it was good to see a friendly face, or at least one that I know as in the North it may be a while before that happens…

If I was really in a hurry I could have booked on the evening ferry, but have it is good to stay in Picton and have made a booking for the 6.30am ferry tomorrow, so just hope that it is calm…

It was a total of 157k for the day and for some reason my Garmin and Strava has not automatically updated off my mobile and the tablet will not allow a download… grrrr. technology!

Okay that is it for the day, off now for a few beers and dinner.