Kaikoura to Christchurch

Day three saw a slightly grim start. It was raining pretty heavily and the strong, chilly southerly added to potential schadenfreude. I was fifty fifty about heading inland, seeing the sub alpine road weaving vigorously across the map, but thought it was a safer option than being slowly drowned by road spray from narrowly passing trucks along the state highway.

Even though the weather didn't play ball, the scenery suited the fecund clouds hanging around peaks and valleys. I avoided all but farm traffic and the odd tourist, rapidly making a bolt to their next destination - windscreen wipers metronomically setting a speedy pace. The road was very slow going and I didn't really make it much out of granny gear, grinding away up hills, frequently out of the saddle, tentatively turning down wet winding descents.

I made it to Waiau for a late lunch feeling pretty tired and slightly sorry for myself. However, the psychological impact of a good pie cannot be underrated. I inhaled various items from the café counter then headed back out onto the road, which from here cuts a straight line through the north Canterbury plains. Along the way, the most significant sensations and observations were olfactory. The rich smorgasbord smells associated with damp pine forest floors, a row of gum trees, wild fennel and flax are things you'll often miss when sat in a car.





Towards Amberley I started to hear murmurs of rebellion from my knees, the right one in particular. For the kneeologists amongst us that's only a double dose of dissent, I do not have four knees. I have a friend that used to pretend not to have knees and demonstrate how woefully inadequate mankind would be, even making it as far as the local boozer. I am writing this post from Mark's, who has new knees that don't seem to stack up to originals - who would have thought?





So, day three was put to rest after 158 kilometres. Day four, from Amberley to Christchurch was a slightly more straightforward 45 but the compound effects of hills and peddling hours still made it more of a struggle than it should have been. I awarded myself a well earned rest day and had the opportunity to hang out with awesome people in a flash, post-quake renovation and some old work colleagues (in both senses of the word). Many thanks to Rory, Mark and respective families for making me welcome. Thank you!





Road kill: nothing of note, apart from me being attacked by a magpie. The tables were nearly turned.

iPod update: Amethyst II, by Sainkho Namtchylak.