Despite
some exterior concerns about our overnight stay in the small town of Ross,
Brian and I both awoke feeling refreshed after a good night’s sleep. Not having
much food left but a can of beans a couple granola bars and a banana, breakfast
was short and small in hopes we would get a better refuel in the larger town of
Hokitika.
At just
after 10am, which seems to have become our average starting time, Brian and I h
the road for our sixth time. Our ride today would be a small one at just 25km,
taking us from the coastal mining town of Ross inland slightly through a
rolling road before dumping us back on the coastline and a ten kilometer
straight ride to Hokitika. Getting through the morning stiffness, not that
kind, can be a little rough sometimes especially after a longer day like the
day prior. But after 3km’s your legs start to loosen up and you’re ready to put
down the miles. As we were slowly ascending into the low lying forest you could
really begin to tell the change in environment. Where we had started our
journey in Queenstown mornings still carried quite the chill and most winds
were coming down off the cold peaks so it was also quite chilly. Exiting Ross
the air was pretty warm and it only took one hill before you were in shorts and
a t-shirt. The landscape around us was also changing from long green pastures
and Jurassic fern forests to rolling rocky meadows and low growing sparse
forests. It wasn’t long before we were descending out of the forest and we were
back along the Tasman Sea. The road along the sea was straight as an arrow and
the wind from the open ocean came gusting off it, thus the surrounding trees
had only grown towards the inland leaving there beach side completely
branchless almost like a comb over.
Like
the professional cycle tourists we were now becoming, it was not long before we
were crossing the long bridge into the coastal town of Hokitika. Hokitika is
our first larger town since leaving Wanaka back on day two so Brian and I had
decided that would spend an extra night here and take advantage of the generous
accommodation supplied by Kevin, who has been gracious enough to open up his
house to us. After a quick refuel in town and small look around we made our way
to Kevin’s house on Jollie St, a good sign of things to come.
We met
Kevin on an app called Warmshowers which was essentially an app for cycle
tourists, like ourselves, to find a local host that is willing to put us up for
a night or tow. Kevin was one of these people ad may also be one of the coolest
people I have ever had the chance to meet. We just spent the night looking over
old photos of his life as a tramper and mountaineer throughout the world. His
photos, though some 40 years old are amazingly taken and for everyone he can
offer a little piece of memory. If I live even half the life that Kevin has
lived I will die a happy man. I cooked us a nice steak and roast veggie dinner
to try and express or thanks for his wonderful hospitality. As the weather is
storming around outside Kevin has offered us another night of accommodation so
looks like more time to tune the bike. Day 6 25km down.
No comments:
Post a Comment