Waiau to Kaiapoi

Boy was it cold this morning. I don't know when fog becomes mist or mist becomes cloud but looking out this morning I couldn't see too far. It was like a lovely Scottish Outer Hebrides "haar". With no wind to clear it the fog could have stayed well into the day until the sun burned it off, so I set out. Only a couple of hundred metres into the days ride I had to cross a long one lane bridge. Aware that the karma cycling gods were on my side I stopped for this picture. Just after I left the bridge three cars came speeding past....


I was surprised to see quite a few vehicles without their lights on in the fog and travelling well too fast to stop in the road they could see ahead. I had my flashing lights on front and rear and stayed well to the left. The fog cleared after about an hour and a half some 25km latter in Culverden and from then on the sun shone strongly all day. The air temperature though was still pretty low.



There were only two minor climbs all day and after Waikari it was all downhill to Waipara. I was passed by a couple on a tandem at one point. At Waipara I rejoined state highway one for the last 58km into Christchurch. I was travelling well an could feel the northerly breeze behind me. I'd originally planned to spend the night at Amberley but arrived there before 1:30pm, so I took a quick photo of the statue of Charles Upham and headed on. One of only three men to win two Victoria Crosses, Upham is a national hero and is the only person to receive the VC and Bar (two VCs) for combat roles. (The other two chaps got theirs for rescuing wounded under fire.)


From Amberley it's 30km to Kaiapoi where my aunt and uncle live and only a further 20km into Christchurch. About 20km out I decided I'd better rig them rather than just show up, but nobody answered. I rang my brother in Christchurch and he offered to come and pick me up. "No way," I said. "I've cycled through wind and rain and up and down all sorts of hills. I'm not going to get 'picked up!' I'm riding the whole way." Vaughan had sent me a text a week or so ago and said he'd ride out to meet me. I thought he mant on his Harley, but he was going to do it on a pushbike! There was no way I'd miss that, so I pushed on.

Just north of Kaiapoi is the Pegasus development. It's a massive, planned urban area that will feature a hotel, a school, shops, a golf course and all manner of other amenities. Right now it's got a lovely gateway and about six houses. With the recession it could become a white elephant, but good luck to them.


Further phone call attempts in Kaiapoi went unanswered so I stopped in Subway for a sandwich - yummy, and their revised veggie patties are now vegan - and another phone call attempt. Still no answer, so I rode around to their house where I could see my uncle through the window. Brilliant! Ring the doorbell.... no response. Hmmm? Look in the window again... Yes there he is. Ah, he's on the phone. Ok. Wait.... wait a bit more. No sign of him now, so ... ring the doorbell, and... you guessed it. Nothing. I didn't want to go wandering around banging on windows but this looked like the only option until my Auntie Denise pulled up. Thank heavens.

It was good to see them but I noticed immediately that they were in the process of packing up home to move. It seems the whole family's moving at the moment. I'm about to have a go at settling in Christchurch, my mother has just moved to Christchurch lat week and now Auntie Denise and Uncle Randall are moving in with their daughter, Lauren, IN CHRISTCHURCH.

We rang Mum who was surprised to hear I'd made it that far in one day - it was my longest day 106km - and she came out for dinner. With everything packed up though, we had to make do with couple of bowls and some mugs. Over dinner we caught up o everyone's news and I spent a bit of time showing them my photo book of Kids' Week, from Harare last year. It was great to talk about it and it made me want to go back and teach there at some stage. But for now there's one day left to ride. Kaiapoi to Christchurch, a 20km pub crawl on bikes with Vaughan. This will be a laugh....