Pedallers Rest to Kaikoura

Today started with John Lennon's '(Just Like) Starting Over' as I skated my way back down the 1 1/2km gravel road to the highway with cool temperatures and a gentle southerly to turn into. The road is pretty flat all the way and follows the coast and the main trunk railway line. At times all you could hear was the sound of the surf coming in from the Pacific ocean (which stretches all the way to Chile!).

The wind dropped away to nothing for the the first 30km and the sun came out which was great. At one point I spotted a kea which is New Zealand's alpine parrot. At least I think it was a kea.

Unfortunately, like a lot of New Zealand's busier highways the stretch through to Kekerenga has a very narrow (non-existent in places) shoulder and I had some fun with the big trucks. (See my earlier posted rant.) At one point thought there were roadworks which meant that traffic was stopped and formed into short convoys, so I'd have the road to myself for about five minutes then a one minute blast of vehicles. But I did find a cellphone after being blasted off the road and to me that's karma and today's myPod classic 'Instant Karma' also by John Lennon.

Along the coastline there're many places to stop and one compulsory one is for the fur seal colony. I smelt them before I saw them but they come right up to and even onto the road to sun themselves. The coast is also famous for its crayfish with several shops and roadside vans selling freshly cooked crays. Kaikoura literally translates as kai- food, koura- crayfish or lobster. There were even a few hardy souls out surfing today despite the cold weather. I suppose it's all the same in the water, but I'd hate to try and stagger out afterwards with frozen feet.

I didn't see any other cyclists today and as I headed closer to Kaikoura the wind and rain started. The rain got heavier and heavier and by 2:30pm when I arrived I was pretty soaked, but it was good to get here. I headed to the Dolphin Lodge which Denise at Pedallers rest had recommended. After moving in I headed out to Hine Takeaways for a very fine feed of chips which will rank very highly in the final chip buttie stakes.

I'm sharing my dorm room with an Israeli couple. They seem to be everywhere. I reckon they probably travel as much as, if not more than, Kiwis.

Tomorrow it's off SH1 and up the Alpine Pacific Triangle into the mountains. And I'm told there could be snow.....