Day 15 - One Step Closer to Home

Day 15

Wooohoooooo .....

Clean cycling clothes!!! Oh no thats the end of the day ... start again....

My day began what seems an awful lot of hours ago.. last night I had booked the 9am ferry from Wellington to cross to Picton on the south island. Check in was at 08:15 and I had a 6 mile cycle to get to the terminal. 6 miles of unknown track... ?headwind... ? difficult navigation. My point being that I couldnt be late. 

So my alarm was set even earlier 04:45 to give me enough time to pack... fb... and get out of the door by 06:45. I tried to creep around so as not to wake Graeme and Lynnie and managed to accomplish everything by half six. As I wheeled my bike out Lynnie was in the kitchen... gave me a hug and wished me well for the journey. I was sad to go because they have been a huge part of what makes this a journey.. despite the fact we only met for a few hours they will live on long in my memories associated with this ride. 

As soon as I went out of the motel... the beach was directly in front of me. The day was slightly overcast with spots of rain.. but that didnt detract from the sunrise coming up over the ocean... revealling the splendour fraction by fraction. No sooner had I started out.. had I stopped to take this photo....

I loved the way the clouds reflected the light and although the pic in no way does it justice... I hope you get the idea. I started on the road but the traffic, as Lynnie had predicted, was wall to wall.. so I dodged onto the cycle track... merrily passing cars till I got to the main road into the city... I travelled on the shoulder, clipping along before being directed back onto a bike path that ran alongside the railway... smooth... no traffic... perfect and the six miles thundered by. I was so fast it might seem that I was racing to get away from the North... but it wasnt that. The North has provided some epic challenges... days that I will never forget... and people, whose deeds of kindness towards a crazy stranger (yup.. thats me.. just in case you were in any doubt) will form part of my stories for years to come. So no, i wasnt racing to get away from the North.. rather forging ahead to see what the South would bring. Genuinely surprised to actually be at the point of boarding the ferry, it did feel like a huge waypoint in the journey and I have to keep reminding myself that Im not done yet... harder days may await me. And yet I guess, much as I love being out here... breathing the air... I also am racing towards home... the familiar... my family and friends... without whom I would not have got this far. The ferry ride symbolises that 'One Step Closer to Home'. Not surprising then that I have felt a little emotional today.. amongst other feelings of amazement that im here! 

I got to the turnoff for the ferry and immediately directed by signs over a pedestrian bridge and round to the terminal. As walking over the bridge I caught up with Bo Zhang... a cyclist from Shanghai who had ridden from Auckland on a slightly different route to me. He was on a mountain bike with just a rucksack, albeit a large one. We swopped road stories in the walk to the terminal and basic chatter... checked in and got directed to wait outside the terminal building. More chatter and then from Bo...

'Can I ask a question.. I dont mean to offend'... bloody hell what was he going to ask!!!

'Does your arse hurt a lot at the end of the day??'

That made me chuckle... not 5 minutes together as strangers and already discussing 'the arse'. Only in the cycling world. So we discussed chammy cream and healing cream and the need to 'go commando' with cycling shorts..  all in the space of time we were waiting to board!! Bo was good company and of the same philosophy... he was wearing a t shirt.. made himself... with the words.. 'The longest journey starts with a single step' .. words I have written on my bike courtesy of David J I believe! 

Eventually we got called to board and rolled the bikes onto the lower car deck where we left them in a bicycle rack and joined the masses in the rush for breakfast!

Then it was up on deck to wave goodbye to the North. Blustery... drizzly but with the sun poking through and the long white cloud visable over the mountains ... it was a fitting picture of the North Island and I turned my back on it and faced forward to the next step of this journey.

There was time to relax in between the north island and entering Marlborough Sound and I did a reasonable impression of someone who has cycled a lot of miles ... chai latte in hand.. in a comfy chair...

Then back up on deck to watch the passage through the sounds.. still grey and overcast and a wind so strong you expected a 'man overboard' shout any moment.. it was still nonetheless spectacular. Little houses were dotted on the shoreline... access by boat only and it was possible to imagine myself getting lost amongst the beaches and hills in this part of the world... so idylic did it appear.

It was a fairly stunning place and it was through here we were guided into Picton.. there we scrambled to disembark and wheeled our bikes off the ferry.

Then as both me and Bo were heading in same direction we kinda set off together but it was wierd as conscious that he was on a slower bike.. I strolled along .. still pulling away.. I stopped to take a photo and he said go on as you are faster.. so I went on... only to be overtaken when I stopped for another photo. He then stopped to retrieve something out of his backpack and waved me onwards... that was the last I saw of him as we then went our separate ways but in that short stretch it served to remind me why I ride alone. It was nice to have a bit of company on the ferry and swop stories but then I think both of us felt a bit awkward as we are used to being solo.

Bo.. it was nice to meet you. Sorry didnt get to say cherio properly but I hope you enjoy the rest of your ride and that your sore arse recovers!.

The landscape this side already seemed different with the fields less burnt golden and more green. There seemed to be more trees here too and the road ran along the base of the hills... which were covered in greenery.

Once over the incline out of Picton it was mainly downhill or flat... god bless the southerners who didnt see a need to build the road over the hills.. instead winding it round the base of them. I liked my introduction to the South!!

In no time at all I reached my turnoff and Spring Creek campsite.. where I had planned to spend my DAY OFF!!  Yup my first proper day off!!! I rolled in and enquired about a cabin. A lodge room was available for 25$ a night (bargin) and in no time at all I was also in the posession of a bag of washing powder.(most important bit.) Then came the kicker... you can lock your bike up outside!... Errr actually Id like to take it in my room. 'No you cant do that.. it would be like taking your car inside' Nooooooo ... it would be like leaving your child outside!!!

I begged and pleaded... mentioned how clean my bike was and in the end she asked me to wait and she would check. It was a long few minutes but she came back and said it would be ok... great cos if it wasnt I would be taking my beloved bike elsewhere!!

All sorted I then had some priorities... shower to clean myself and laundry to make my cycling kit clean and presentable once again. Which leads me back to the start of this blog...

Wooohooooo clean cycling kit!!
And so I have a scheduled Day off tomorrow... lie in ... and then the day is mine.!

So the North has been left behind and focus turns...

To the south ... to the south..
 My time is running out (ten points to anyone who gets where those lyrics from)

Today was an easy day but one full of significance because I have willed my body to places it didnt want to go and have persevered and am on schedule...

One Step Closer To Home!

LHS ... Day 15 done
Xx