And that’s a wrap…

Day 12/13 and 14

Day 12 Middlemarch to Ranfurly

Day 13 Ranfurly to Oamaru

Day 14 Oamaru and the atomic bus to Christchurch

It seems my account of our daily adventures has slowed down almost to a stop but this is not a representation of what is happening with our riding!

There have been crazy challenges one after the other each day, each challenge testing not only my physical capabilities but my will power and when I think I am done….yep there is another mountain to climb or lamb to dodge.

Though on reflection that is what adventure is about adversity and not the path of least resistance. No each path is rocky, ascending, wind howling, isolated, cow mooing, lamb bleeting and something always a little novel to look at from the big asparagus to the cattle dogs rounding up the sheep.

Middlemarch I could not wait to get out of there, the challenge for me that day was not the riding rather forcing myself to shower in the sewerage offerings, I just felt like I was bathing in Pooh!!! I was waiting for the toilet paper to come out of the shower head and wrap around me!! And this was our 20th wedding anniversary!!!

MiddleMarch was our start but the end of the Otago rail trail and this day was like a breath of fresh air just an old windy rail trail nothing at all too challenging and had ambience…little huts along the way with stories about the train line and landmarks to look out for, even an old train tunnel to ride through TOOT TOOT.

The weather was sunny, running creeks and there were lots of little lambs bouncing around who had sneaked out of the paddock to come and have a curious look at us before quickly bounding back to their mums. It was so cute, they hang out in twos!! No more lamb cutlets for me!!

There was not much in the way of food offerings along the trail other than a quaint ‘honesty cafe’ they had a tin where you left your change for a drink or chocolate.

That afternoon we arrived in Ranfurly a town that is still in the 1970’s! Fascinating, wifi was unknown and the pub LOVE IT had a striped hand towel that you pull down and wipe your hands then the next person comes along and does the same thing NO I DID NOT TOUCH IT!!!

We stayed at a gorgeous bnb that night, it’s always lovely to stay where the owners genuinely take pride in their accommodation, no sewerage that night just a gorgeous big comfortable bed and a hot shower….and a view of the full moon stunning.

It was the 29/11/2018 six months since dad passed and I was twinged with sadness looking at the moon but knowing also dad would be loving the adventure I was on, the scenery and wilderness.

*always in my thoughts dad and I’ve been talking to you out on the climbs taking on the energy of your courage and positivity 🌸

The next days ride can only be described as a horrendous mountain climb one climb after another with headwinds that were blowing us sideways and back up the hill…the only thing slightly keeping us preoccupied was watching the sheep being rounded up by the farmers waving their arms furiously and cattle dogs running up and down the mountain hills rounding up a determined sheep that was wanting to get away.

It was so horrendous riding from Ranfurly to our planned destination Oamaru, at 80kms riding into Palmerston wind blown and battered we ended up getting the little atomic bus to Ormareu another 65kms away…

And that is the end of our travels around the South Island and after a sleep and French toast I now know that this cycle tour has reignited my spirit for adventure and that life is really about being in the moment, enjoying and accepting now for what it is (Middlemarch was probably the least able place to do this) because you do not know what the next moment will bring…the next moment is usually another climb!!!

Thankyou to everyone who has shared our little adventure reading my blog, liking, asking questions and commenting 😊 ….it has been a journey and my goal at the start of our South Island adventure was too also tap into the creative part of my brain that gets too tired to play in the normal world 🌎 …