Info

Quotes

"We've got a media interview at 0830hrs tomorrow morning"
- Ken (gleefully)

"Groan..."
- The group

"OOEeerrrgh!!!"
- Tony (screaming like a girl after getting his chest hair waxed by Bridget) (Hey, he dared me - Bridget)

"When the alarm goes at 8, I'm throwing you out, dressed or not, and locking the door"
- Bridget (To Ken upon hearing the time of the interview)

Distance

70km

Blog

We were all excited by the prospect of the ride ahead. This was to be a really easy day's riding because it only has one hill. The fact that the solitary hill was the Crown Range reaching 1100 metres elevation was a minor concern.

We gathered and departed as a group. Again the weather was perfect for riding. After a pleasant 20km we gathered at the turn off for the morning tea. Again some newspaper reporters joined us for a chat.

The trip up the range was both challenging and exciting. The views are spectacular and the gradient is daunting. This did not stop three of our group riding all the way to the top without stopping: Tony (140mm cranks); Roger (125mm cranks) and Ken (114mm cranks). The rest of us used a combination of walking and riding to defeat the mountain.

Once at the top we enjoyed a sumptuous picnic before enjoying a long and well earnt down hill run. Mind you the initially steep gradient was a bit of a challenge as well.

Martin enjoyed the alpine flowers and watching the stream develop into a river. The Cardrona Hotel was a popular pit stop near the end of the descent. Along the way Martin and Barry were stopped by an enthusiastic group of aged cyclists. Further down the road Nick became the centre of attention when a retired couple from Canada found out he was riding the tour aged only 12.

Despite the climb over the range everyone rode the full distance. When asked whether he would do it again Barry replied without hesitation "Of Course".

Once in Wanaka we separated into smaller groups to eat. This was followed by an hour in the playground by the lake where we evaluated the local swings.

Finally we settled down for a raucous game of Trivial Pursuit - New Zealand Version. This meant only NZers had any chance of answering questions (coincidentally, the only american knew more Lord of the Rings answers than anyone else.)

Tonight also Dave Goodman joined us with his sons Daniel (14) and Hunter (10). Daniel's UDC 36 inch unicycle had arrived so he was keen to join us on the tour. It was very much a party night followed by a solid sleep.