Friday, January 18, 2013

Rest Day in Wanaka.

Jan 15th, Tuesday, I think:)

My rendition of Lake Wanaka.



I'm having such fun playing with this watercolor and ink. And when I finish and it really looks like something, I feel amazed. I've never felt I had artistic talent (could be what the art teacher said:/), but I've always felt artistic inside. It's nice when I can see it sprouting out!

Doing a zero day in a campground: playing cards with kids, cleaning up Blaze, painting, organizing, doing a bit of handwashing that dried on the line (saved me $7:)), a bit of yoga and lots of chatting. Even the kids have mentioned how social I am.

It's nice to take a day off in good weather and be outdoors too...as long as there are no sand flies biting. Tomorrow I'm going over the highest paved road on the South Island...Crown Range. I'm excited! Then I still have to figure out how to explore Fiordland. The answer will come to me, I'm sure.

Jan 16th. Wednesday.
Almost to Queenstown

I've met some wonderful people here at the campground. First there's Stephen, a guy from Cape Town South Africa (and Canada) that works for the UN on projects involving setting up elections. (Stephen, how's that for a quick summary?). He's on his first big tour in quite a while. It's been fun sharing war stories about bike travel and other stuff.



Then there's the Smiths: Mark, Maree, AJ, MacKenzie, and twins, Danya and...oh oh...I'm in trouble now. The other girl has a sweet name beginning with S and unusual and I don't think it was ever spelled for me. And now I can't remember it. Pls, S, forgive me. You can give me 40 lashes with a wet noodle when I get to your house in ChristChurch...after you write it out for me. I learned to play a form of Monopoly Deal with them. Lost though:(. And they all rode Blaze. She was gentle and didn't buck anyone off. They were at the campground because their car blew a head gasket coming down the steep hill I climbed today. Too expensive to repair. Dad had to do some shuttling by bus to meet family halfway and borrow a car to haul their trailer of kayaks and camping toys home. So I got to play with the kids! Always fun for me. Made plans to visit them in ChristChurch when I get there.



I also met Bruce and Emma, father and young daughter. He has a sheep station on the south coast. If I can get down there I can play with sheep! Haven't figured out how to make that happen. Hmm?

And last was Gary, a British guy whose daughter works in Wellington. He's bopping around the South Island by car and we may hook up in Queenstown tomorrow and travel out to Milford Sound together. All depends on if I can get Blaze into his car. So funny how these things come together. I was sitting in the campground kitchen googling about buses to Milford Sound when Gary walked in and we got to chatting. And this plan come to fruition. If Blaze doesn't fit I don't have a plan B right now.





So today was a major climb. Crown Range. Looking back, it made Haast Pass look like a bump. My legs are whupped. It took me 7.5 hours to cycle 30 miles. The climb was 10 miles. And it was steep especially the last couple of miles. Pedal, pedal, rest, rest. I only go a couple of meters sometimes before resting. Sometimes I pick a spot ahead, and tell myself you can't stop until you get there. Sometimes I don't make it. It's interesting listening to my body find its rhythm. It's so resistant in the beginning and then if the grade is good, I can find a pace that I can maintain and my body feels strong and happy. At the top I put on Shania Twain and I'm dancing in my seat with my arms flailing and I'm singing away and pumping hard!!! What a sight! I get a lot of thumbs up. And they sure do help the mood. So everybody out there, when you see cyclist, toot, wave, thumbs up...cheer them on. You may be just what they need:)

Food today:
Coffee
Fruit yogurt

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Apricot
Plum
Nectarine
Brie and bread
Another pb&j sandwich

Banana and Nutella

Pasta, pesto, and cauliflower for dinner.

And there'll be something more.

BagLady


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Two Extremes

Jan 13th
Hawea Lake



In the mountains, on a hill, in a clearing...thunder...THUNDER! Flashes of lightening! Am I exposed up here? There's other stuff higher than me. Then rain. Then heavy rain. Then drip...drip...drip. I'm getting wet. Touch the outside of my sleeping bag. Oh, not good. But it's still warm and dry inside. No sense getting up til this thing passes. If it passes. Storms seem to get hung up over the mountains here and can stay all day. Ok. Start to pack up in the tent. Be ready when there's a break to get to the picnic shelter where Blaze spent the night. At least I thought that much ahead. Ok. Now's your chance. It's stopped for a moment. Whoa! Other people in here. We moved your bike trying to keep it drier as the rain blew in. Thanks.

It was a beautiful sight out over the valley with the rain and mist and fog. But it wasn't showing signs of letting up. Have some coffee. Pack the wet tent. Get ready to go. A small town is just 6 miles down the road. If the rain keeps up I can stay there today. Time to make my getaway. Up with the umbrella. Pedal off. This is delightful. What a great day. My pants are soaked through, top to bottom, but I'm grinning from ear to ear. I want to bike further than 6 miles. But my sleeping bag is soaked and my tent is dripping wet. If I can't dry these 2 essential things, I can't camp out tonight. And after this town, there's nothing for about 40 miles. And we all know that's not going to happen. Not with a late start and needing to take time to dry out.

This town had a cafe and I was greeted by a group of cyclists on an organized tour. One woman also ride a trike although their bikes were loaded up on the van. Too wet on the road to bike they told me. It's a great day for biking, I reply grinning! Turns out I was able to help the triker with the handicap sticker idea for her trike. She actually qualified. I also helped the tour leader by sharing my design for a box for her trike to get it home. She wasn't ready to just take it to the counter inboxes. Know that feeling. Over it!

Got my bag and tent dry while having a coffee and wifi. Lots of talking story. Lots of interest in my tour. Fun sharing:)

The weather changed for the better as I continued on. Two lakes today, I was told. That's an understatement. OMG!






I couldn't wipe that grin off my face all day:). What a ride!

But then the sun got to be too much. Because I haven't bathed in 4 days I have layers of sunscreen over layers of bug dope. And the oil from the bug dope is winning...and I'm frying out here. Can't hide my whole body under that tiny umbrella.

Did figure out how to get it to work helping to push me when the wind's at my back. Faced the top into the wind and tucked part of it behind my body so it was pinned keeping it from collapsing with my head. I could feel the assist up several hills today and I could keep it open on the wind, a plus!



From heavy rains to scorching sun! A great day cycling in NZ!

Gleeful BagLady

Food today:
Coffee at camp
Flat white coffee at cafe

Leftovers of last night's pasta dish for lunch

Passion fruit and yogurt ice cream stick pre-dinner snack

Tuna, mayo, and chopped onion on 1/2 pita for dinner
Nutella on 1/2 pita for dessert

2 Digestives at bedtime.

My food bag is pretty empty. I hope I can get salad fixings in Wanaka, next town...tomorrow.



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