Finally other Tourists!

We've had a wonderful time traveling through the South Island so far and we've take it pretty easy putting in days anywhere from 35km to 89km. We've pushed up some pretty tremedous hills and have battled some heinous headwinds of up to 35k p/h, on the flip side though we've enjoyed fabulously dry and sunny (sometimes downright HOT) weather and yesterday we caught a tailwind that allowed us to coast almost 10k at an average of 32km p/h!!! That is by far the longest coast of our lives!

What exactly we've been up to:

We left Wellington after camping on a sweet little creek in a sleeply little port town. Having seen an advertisement in the camp kitchen about a cycling specific hostel we set our sights South the following morning and looked to cover about 70km. The climbs were gradual, the traffic was easily timed by the ferry arrivals and after the rush of a few big trucks and campervans packed to the brim, we were back to fairly lonely roads. The sun heated up the pavement in areas of new seal we started to pick up rocks and tar that would stick to our shirts, legs, bags, and bikes... (good thing we brought that citrus cleaner!) We climbed through collosal ranges sticking to the low lying valley roads and geting spectacular views all day. We passed through sprawling wine country with pictureesque vineyards set in a valley between two mountain ranges, we rode out and up into hot dry hills and climbed a twisty and fairly steep section out of the valley and toward the coast. We hit the coast after rolling over foothills for a few hours and were met by a strong headwind. As promised in the advertisement, in the middle of nowhere we happened upon a large white water tank with a bicycle situated atop it. An arrow pointed 1.5km down a gravel road. We were a bit skeptical but also dusty, salty, and a bit whipped from the heat so we headed in. The 1.5km road was the worst we'd ridden to date but ariving at the gate to Peddlers Rest Stop we were greeted by beautiful gardens, a small vineyard and a lovely host who showed us to a WONDERFUL and incredibly inexpensive guest house where we found bunks, showers, a fully stocked kitchen, guestbooks with cycling tourist entries back to 1993, and maps galore!!! We stretched on the covered porch and wished we had other cyclists to share the accomodations and swap stories with. About an hour later our host showed up with a German couple and their bikes in tow! Perfect! We made dinner and chatted into the night.

The next morning we padded around lazily making breakfast and waking up slowly as the sun heated up our little piece of paradise. We set ourselves back on our bikes and headed south down the coast unsure of our destination for the day but ready to put in the miles. The wind howled in our faces, good for our new friends heading North, but a hard way for us to start out the day. We each took 5km pulls at the front while the other rested and stuck as close to the wheel of the puller as possible to stay out of the wind. The coast was beautiful and we let ourselves stop at a tearoom on the coast for some tea and a bathroom break. Back on the road we followed the coast most of the day, although the wind let up later into the afternoon. As we neared Kaikoura we encountered an interesting smell along the rocky coast, this was shortly discovered to belong to the barking fur seal colony basking in the afternoon sun. The road twisted and turned along the craggy coast and we made stops where we could to let the larger traffic pass. The ocean glittered aquamarine and the waves crashed into the jutting rocks. It was incredible. We decided before we even arrived to stay an extra day in Kaikoura (to give our sore behinds a rest!).

Kaikoura boasted a nice market area and tons of whalewatching and seal swimming tours. We found a quiet, clean, and sauna boasting motorcamp and happily slapped down the fare for two nights stay, already looking forward to not having to pack up everything the next morning. We stretched, did a bit of yoga and waved to the cows in the paddock across the stream from our tent site. Dinner was spaghetti and pesto with a big fresh baguette and a bottle of loaclly grown Cab-Merlot. We learned in Kaikoura that even when the liquor store says everything is 20% off today only, they've got nothing on the deals at the loacal markets when it comes to wine selection and price.

The next morning we headed out to take in the fresh air on Kaikouras famous (in New Zealand) walk. We toured along the old whaling docks, the new whaling docks, out to the seal colony, up to the top of the bluffs, across the grassy plains, and through a forested ravine that dropped up just one street behind the main drag where we'd started. Unfortunately Z. used up what was left of the camera battery early on that day trying to use the 10x zoom to see if a dark shape off in the distance was a whale or not, so no pictures of the walk although we assure you it's worth doing if you're out this way. Back at camp we bobbed around in the hot tub for a bit and took a well deserved shower with some less than desirable "multipurpose" soap called Sard Wondersoap... We wonder if it's actually SOAP or just a laundry detergent bar although the packaging assures that it's good for everything, Well it is certianly not meant for delicate parts... like faces... and it's probably a safe bet that extended use is not recommeded by any dermatologist in the western hemisphere. We shared the kitchen that night with families from Germany, Holland, and Ireland and everyone watched "The Day After Tomorrow" on the tiny T.V. in the dining room. It's funny how T.V. mezmerizes people, even when it's an english speaking moving and the people watching speak very little english...

We slept through a night of blustery rain and awoke a bit damp and clammy. Back on our bikes and off for another day of who knows where we end up! We followed the coast for a short while and then the climbing began. We took Highway 1 South, which is the main route from the North end of the Island to Christchurch and palces beyond. The hills on this day were steep, windy, lots of rock debris, and LOTS of truck traffic. We had a short but extremely physically and emotionally exhausting day which ended with headaches all around and an impromptu stop at a place not even listed on any of our maps. Hawkswood is the starting point for a 5 day costal tramping track and is run by a sweet and incredibly industrious older couple. After some aspirin and a good dose of water we got the full tour which included a blacksmithing shop, a collection of immaculate horse drawn carriages (some built on site), a stage hidden back among the eucalyptus trees, a pool, wonderful handbuilt cabins, truly free-range chickens, and quirky little signs everywhere telling you about the drought they've been having since 2003 and reminding you to save water. The wind whipped everything dry from the previous nights rain and we relaxed playing farkle and eating dinner in the waning light.

Chickens roosting in trees? Who would have thought!