Day 19 - Its alright ... its ok...
Day 19
Ive been waiting a looonng time to use this as my blog title.. some of which will be explained later in the blog.
Last night I crashed out really early having had difficulties uploading photos to fb. I then awoke at around 23:30 with a blog still to do. By the time id finished it was 0100 hours and meant I only got 4 and a bit hours kip overnight. To say I had difficulty waking up this morning was an understatement. By the time Id hauled my sore arse out of my nice warm bed.. I had very little time to pack up. I initially didnt want to look out of the window and see what the weather was doing but as the time came to make a choice about cycle clothing, I pulled back the curtains to find a grey day with the cloud hanging round the hills.... but no rain!!!
I packed up pretty quickly after that.. dispensed with the leg warmers but kept the gillet. And set off in search of breakfast, literally 2 secs down the road to the pub id eaten the night before. They did a good breakfast but I coukdnt drink the coffee which was far too strong for me. I was on the road shortly before 0800.
I had been told that there was a a short climb out of Reefton but then it was pretty flat until Hoikitiki. Just 10 miles from my destination of Ross. Lets go then! So happy not to be drenched the moment I set foot outside.. I joined SH7 for the climb out of Reefton.. and it was fine. My legs were working ok! Ok so the sun wasnt shining but there was no wind and as I crested the hill all I could see was a long straight road, flat by anyone's standards.
The clouds were just hanging in the sky above the hills and it was not cold.
It was around this time my long awaited Its alright .. Its ok plan came into action. Back in january when I was staying with Nicola and David Johnston I had seen a video they had done during their eight peaks in eight day challenge for LHS. I implored them to put it onto fb, but was met with good natured but absolute refusal! So I did a deal... if I posted a video of me singing Its alright.. its ok on the road in NZ they would post theirs... we even shook on it. Since being on the road all my attempts have been thwarted.... you couldnt hear anything on my action cam above the noise of the road...then it ran out of battery and now it won't switch on. I have tried three times to make a bad video and this was my avowed aim for the day. With my action cam out of action, I decided to instead use my mobile with one hamd whilst steering with the other. It required a quiet flattish road, and look what I had in front of me!!!
It was hard to sing and cycle and video all at once, but I was bloody well going to do it this time! And the result is up on my page, never one to mind making a fool of myself - this was for a greater cause...so Nic and David... I expect a video in reply!
Once on the flat SH7, even possibly with a tailwind, I was motoring along, past rivers, and streams, creeks and culverts.. each with their own name.. Deadman creek, flowery river, little grey river and the wierdly named Hou Hou and little Hou Hou rivers. It kept me entertained anyway. With no rain, a favourable wind and speeds of almost 20mph, I was ecstatic. So much so, the singing continued. I was in my element and the legs felt bloody good.
Not totally in the middle of nowhere, with a few farms dotted about, the road was practically my own and I found myself in reverie.. thinking about what might be. I allowed myself to begin dreaming of actually getting to Bluff and how that might feel, then stopped myself as its still a ways off. I turned my thoughts to my day off at the Franz Joseph glacier and my helihike, now within touching distance.. and my tree hut luxury for 2 nights! First though I had 88 miles to cover today, followed by a mere 68 tomorrow.
I also bumped into Jacob,another cyclist, who had crossed the Haast pass in the deluge of the other day. Chapeau!! He was from Poland and doing a Christchurch to Christchurch route around the South Island. We swapped road stories for a good 15 minutes, and it was another encounter that added to what was turning out to be a wonderful day!
My first target today was Greymouth, a town at the joing of SH7 and SH6. Despite going well, the miles started to drag a little. A few hills popped up, nothing my legs couldn't handle but made harder by slipping gears, a pain when you are trying to set a rhythm upwards. Fortunately it was a small annoyance. Then the drizzle started and I settled myself in for a wet ride, but it was not to be.. as the rain cleared again and the skies became less grey. I stopped 2 hours into the ride, treated myself to an ice cream and a blueberry muffin, feeling happy with the ride so far.
It was a good few miles to Greymouth and it took a while to get there. I was aiming for 12:00 but due mainly to photo stops, it was going to be a little slower than that. The mountains started appearing in the distance and they were calling to me, challenging me to go and do battle. I could hear it in my soul.
But that was for another day.
The last 5 miles into Greymouth were upwards round the hills, not bad but I could feel myself starting to tire. A slight headwind had also kicked up, making it harder work than before and reducing my speed to 12-14mph. Eventually the school bus sign appeared, followed by the speed reduction signs and then finally the town sign. It was 12:30! Time for lunch. I found a nice little cafe and to my delight, they served pasta, chicken and spinach variety.. perfect and put the grin back on my face. Lunch done and a few photos, my next aim was Hoikitiki.. it dawned on me what a long day it was as Id already done around 40 miles and still had the same amount to go, if not slightly more. And whilst on the subject of mileage, yesterday I passed the 1000 mile mark!!!
The headwind kicked up, but as a bonus, the sun was out, not too hot, but so nice. The sea was to my right, waves crashing against the shore, the sky was blue, the mountains in the distance to my left... it was very serene. One bridge I crossed over had a bike path which enabled me to stop and take pictures of the stunning inlet. Difficult to describe, it once again put a huge smile on my face and as I stood there and breathed the air, I felt at total peace with the world. It was that calm!
The road stuck close to the coast, providing a side headwind for me to push against, fortunately it was only a mild one. On this stretch I also saw two cyclists with backpacks and mountain bikes following the cycleway but more of them later! Hoikitiki eventually came into view and I stopped to stock up on calories and I found hersheys cookies and cream. My staple treat on Route 66, it made my day to sit outside the garage and devour a whole bar on the spot!!
On the road again and I was expecting a climb up to a plateau before descending into my final destination of Ross, but in reality
It was an almost imperceptable drag up and accomplished with ease. Then it was put the metal to the pedal time to complete the last 15 miles in good time. When I reached Ross, the gold town, there didnt appear to be much here. Motel, a pub and a few shops. I went to the motel to enquire... just a double left.. discount? Why yes of course, so massive thanks to Kay at Ross motels for her generosity. As we went back to the office the two cyclists Id seen earlier pulled up, fortunately with a reservation as id just taken the last room. And it was a very nice room, meant for at least 2 people but could comfortably hold 3-4 with a large living area and leather sofas... luxury indeed!
The two cyclists, Wiebke and Nigel, live in somerset and are keen bike racers. They were out here mountain biking some tracks for three weeks and driving in between. Coincidently theyd been on the same ferry as me though in a car, which is why I hadnt clocked them. Once showered and changed I set off to the pub for food and they came and joined me. It was lovely to have company, especially people that could talk bikes till the cows came home and we swooped stories, and they gave me some ideas for future explorations... we discussed mountain bikes (Tour Divide in mind) and the inevitable chammy cream conversation. All the while tucking into a well done steak with chips and salad. Nearly 2 hours passed and I had a lovely evening, so thank you to you both and I will be keeping an eye out for the swedish lake race!!
And so .. its been alright,... its been ok.. in fact its been a downright marvellous day with perfect cycling conditions and having met some wonderful people... and now I have the joy of watching Dave and Nic's video!!
But there are still hard days to come and the mountains laid down the gauntlet to my soul, calling me to go and play...
Thank you to everyone for the support! It keeps my legs turning the pedals for sure. Not wanting to sound like a broken record but at the end of the day this is what it is all about...
If you are enjoying the blogs and feel you are able to sponsor me.. please go to www.justgiving.com/GoWithTheCrazy
Thank you to everyone who has done so already.. we are fighting back together!
Ive been waiting a looonng time to use this as my blog title.. some of which will be explained later in the blog.
Last night I crashed out really early having had difficulties uploading photos to fb. I then awoke at around 23:30 with a blog still to do. By the time id finished it was 0100 hours and meant I only got 4 and a bit hours kip overnight. To say I had difficulty waking up this morning was an understatement. By the time Id hauled my sore arse out of my nice warm bed.. I had very little time to pack up. I initially didnt want to look out of the window and see what the weather was doing but as the time came to make a choice about cycle clothing, I pulled back the curtains to find a grey day with the cloud hanging round the hills.... but no rain!!!
I packed up pretty quickly after that.. dispensed with the leg warmers but kept the gillet. And set off in search of breakfast, literally 2 secs down the road to the pub id eaten the night before. They did a good breakfast but I coukdnt drink the coffee which was far too strong for me. I was on the road shortly before 0800.
I had been told that there was a a short climb out of Reefton but then it was pretty flat until Hoikitiki. Just 10 miles from my destination of Ross. Lets go then! So happy not to be drenched the moment I set foot outside.. I joined SH7 for the climb out of Reefton.. and it was fine. My legs were working ok! Ok so the sun wasnt shining but there was no wind and as I crested the hill all I could see was a long straight road, flat by anyone's standards.
The clouds were just hanging in the sky above the hills and it was not cold.
It was around this time my long awaited Its alright .. Its ok plan came into action. Back in january when I was staying with Nicola and David Johnston I had seen a video they had done during their eight peaks in eight day challenge for LHS. I implored them to put it onto fb, but was met with good natured but absolute refusal! So I did a deal... if I posted a video of me singing Its alright.. its ok on the road in NZ they would post theirs... we even shook on it. Since being on the road all my attempts have been thwarted.... you couldnt hear anything on my action cam above the noise of the road...then it ran out of battery and now it won't switch on. I have tried three times to make a bad video and this was my avowed aim for the day. With my action cam out of action, I decided to instead use my mobile with one hamd whilst steering with the other. It required a quiet flattish road, and look what I had in front of me!!!
It was hard to sing and cycle and video all at once, but I was bloody well going to do it this time! And the result is up on my page, never one to mind making a fool of myself - this was for a greater cause...so Nic and David... I expect a video in reply!
Once on the flat SH7, even possibly with a tailwind, I was motoring along, past rivers, and streams, creeks and culverts.. each with their own name.. Deadman creek, flowery river, little grey river and the wierdly named Hou Hou and little Hou Hou rivers. It kept me entertained anyway. With no rain, a favourable wind and speeds of almost 20mph, I was ecstatic. So much so, the singing continued. I was in my element and the legs felt bloody good.
Not totally in the middle of nowhere, with a few farms dotted about, the road was practically my own and I found myself in reverie.. thinking about what might be. I allowed myself to begin dreaming of actually getting to Bluff and how that might feel, then stopped myself as its still a ways off. I turned my thoughts to my day off at the Franz Joseph glacier and my helihike, now within touching distance.. and my tree hut luxury for 2 nights! First though I had 88 miles to cover today, followed by a mere 68 tomorrow.
I also bumped into Jacob,another cyclist, who had crossed the Haast pass in the deluge of the other day. Chapeau!! He was from Poland and doing a Christchurch to Christchurch route around the South Island. We swapped road stories for a good 15 minutes, and it was another encounter that added to what was turning out to be a wonderful day!
My first target today was Greymouth, a town at the joing of SH7 and SH6. Despite going well, the miles started to drag a little. A few hills popped up, nothing my legs couldn't handle but made harder by slipping gears, a pain when you are trying to set a rhythm upwards. Fortunately it was a small annoyance. Then the drizzle started and I settled myself in for a wet ride, but it was not to be.. as the rain cleared again and the skies became less grey. I stopped 2 hours into the ride, treated myself to an ice cream and a blueberry muffin, feeling happy with the ride so far.
It was a good few miles to Greymouth and it took a while to get there. I was aiming for 12:00 but due mainly to photo stops, it was going to be a little slower than that. The mountains started appearing in the distance and they were calling to me, challenging me to go and do battle. I could hear it in my soul.
But that was for another day.
The last 5 miles into Greymouth were upwards round the hills, not bad but I could feel myself starting to tire. A slight headwind had also kicked up, making it harder work than before and reducing my speed to 12-14mph. Eventually the school bus sign appeared, followed by the speed reduction signs and then finally the town sign. It was 12:30! Time for lunch. I found a nice little cafe and to my delight, they served pasta, chicken and spinach variety.. perfect and put the grin back on my face. Lunch done and a few photos, my next aim was Hoikitiki.. it dawned on me what a long day it was as Id already done around 40 miles and still had the same amount to go, if not slightly more. And whilst on the subject of mileage, yesterday I passed the 1000 mile mark!!!
The headwind kicked up, but as a bonus, the sun was out, not too hot, but so nice. The sea was to my right, waves crashing against the shore, the sky was blue, the mountains in the distance to my left... it was very serene. One bridge I crossed over had a bike path which enabled me to stop and take pictures of the stunning inlet. Difficult to describe, it once again put a huge smile on my face and as I stood there and breathed the air, I felt at total peace with the world. It was that calm!
The road stuck close to the coast, providing a side headwind for me to push against, fortunately it was only a mild one. On this stretch I also saw two cyclists with backpacks and mountain bikes following the cycleway but more of them later! Hoikitiki eventually came into view and I stopped to stock up on calories and I found hersheys cookies and cream. My staple treat on Route 66, it made my day to sit outside the garage and devour a whole bar on the spot!!
On the road again and I was expecting a climb up to a plateau before descending into my final destination of Ross, but in reality
It was an almost imperceptable drag up and accomplished with ease. Then it was put the metal to the pedal time to complete the last 15 miles in good time. When I reached Ross, the gold town, there didnt appear to be much here. Motel, a pub and a few shops. I went to the motel to enquire... just a double left.. discount? Why yes of course, so massive thanks to Kay at Ross motels for her generosity. As we went back to the office the two cyclists Id seen earlier pulled up, fortunately with a reservation as id just taken the last room. And it was a very nice room, meant for at least 2 people but could comfortably hold 3-4 with a large living area and leather sofas... luxury indeed!
The two cyclists, Wiebke and Nigel, live in somerset and are keen bike racers. They were out here mountain biking some tracks for three weeks and driving in between. Coincidently theyd been on the same ferry as me though in a car, which is why I hadnt clocked them. Once showered and changed I set off to the pub for food and they came and joined me. It was lovely to have company, especially people that could talk bikes till the cows came home and we swooped stories, and they gave me some ideas for future explorations... we discussed mountain bikes (Tour Divide in mind) and the inevitable chammy cream conversation. All the while tucking into a well done steak with chips and salad. Nearly 2 hours passed and I had a lovely evening, so thank you to you both and I will be keeping an eye out for the swedish lake race!!
And so .. its been alright,... its been ok.. in fact its been a downright marvellous day with perfect cycling conditions and having met some wonderful people... and now I have the joy of watching Dave and Nic's video!!
But there are still hard days to come and the mountains laid down the gauntlet to my soul, calling me to go and play...
Thank you to everyone for the support! It keeps my legs turning the pedals for sure. Not wanting to sound like a broken record but at the end of the day this is what it is all about...
If you are enjoying the blogs and feel you are able to sponsor me.. please go to www.justgiving.com/GoWithTheCrazy
Thank you to everyone who has done so already.. we are fighting back together!
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