Simply cycling around
Today looks much better than yesterday and I’m ready to go. I’ve cleaned my chain (again), cleaned and repaired my big yellow bag (there was a small hole on the bottom). All my clothes are dry and clean, even my shoes :-) All my electronic stuff is charged (tablet, kobo, GPS, camera, solar battery, Gopro, shaver) and I’m clean and shaved! I think I’m so ready to climb the Takaka hill today! Let’s go!
Foua! It rained during all the night and it still the same today. I wanted to take a day off, I have it sure! There is even thunder, the first time I see that since I’m here. The rain becomes heavier and heavier every minute and I’m wondering how many hours my tent will stand up… And tonight, I’m going to sleep in it again, surrounded by all the water and mud. Aïe Aïe Aïe!
I was very VERY lucky since yesterday but the rain is here now. I’ve spent something like two weeks riding the west coast and I had 4 days of rain only. That was cool. This night and this morning the rain falls… I’m going to visit the top of south island and then heading southeast toward Picton where I will catch the ferry back to Wellington, if that rain stops of course… I think I’m going to sleep in a backpacker or a campsite tonight because I really need a shower, I mean, a total real hot shower! So I could change my clothes as well because I think I’ve got the same pants and T-shirt since…, yes since Fox glacier! Fiouuu! That’s not serious! Fortunately, I’m wearing merino!
This night the most freezing night I’ve ever had in NZ. When I turned on my GPS before going the temperature was 3,5°!! I didn’t take any picture of the Perry saddle hut yesterday and I couldn’t do it this morning. After finishing to pack my gears my fingers was frozen! Even the tent was icy! Brrr! But anyway, today is my last day in Kahurangi National park and the Heaphy track so tonight I will have reached my goal! :-)
Yesterday afternoon, something like 12 riders arrived to the hut. They certainly came directly from Kohaihai. They are going to the same way as me and they left at 8:00am because they will finish the track today. So they do it in 2 days only but they are much lighter than me. That’s a different way :-) It rained almost all the night. We are lucky, now it’s fine but cold! 5.6°! Brr! I have to move fast! Normally today should be easier than yesterday and the first day.
This morning I’m awake at 7:00. I want to be sure I will all the day to ride up to the hill. I’ve got 8km of “flat” and then 12km to reach the James Mackay hut. If I pass this today, I will be happy :-) I’m going to do it, no worries!
As people told me, it’s raining now… I’m waiting until the weather gets better and I hope it will. I have only 16km and I think, I can do it in 2 hours maybe. So, I can wait, that’s OK.