Christchurch to Hanmer Springs
We had been studying the weather forecast for several days, and it hadn't been looking good. Together with tales of Nor-Westers (winds) and Microclimates, we thought we'd be in for a bad day, but there weren't any inter city coaches that went to Hanmer Springs, so we'd decided to ride come what may.
Waking up to a light drizzle, had another great breakfast at the B&B and set off North under some grey skies.
The first 40kms flew by, the road was flat, there was no wind and the roads were good. This had been one of the only places I'd been able to find some secondary roads to take, and it was nice to be off the busier, though still quiet by UK standards, highways. All was well till we reached a cross roads,and the road ahead, left, and right were all gravel tracks. Doh! didn't see that coming :(
We took the right turn as it suggested there was a town in 5km and I hoped they might have a sealed road. we got lucky and only had to skitter down the gravel for about a mile on our very thin ungroved tyres before the gravel ended.
The rest of the ride can be described pretty quickly...
It got hot, then humid, then damn hot, then damn hot and humid.
Scenery wasn't anything too special, as we both prefer our mountains green, and these certainly weren't. It was all pretty arid.
We got to Hanmer Springs by early afternoon and took a quick walk into town to pick up supplies, ie some basic food and controversially no wine!
We went back into town later to the Hot Springs. Great after a days ride to sooth those muscles. Also to point out exactly which bits had got burned as they sting when meeting the 40'c water, ouch!
we relaxed for quite a while, then relaxed a little more in their bar with a couple of coronas - feeling in quite the summer holiday mood now :)
Waking up to a light drizzle, had another great breakfast at the B&B and set off North under some grey skies.
The first 40kms flew by, the road was flat, there was no wind and the roads were good. This had been one of the only places I'd been able to find some secondary roads to take, and it was nice to be off the busier, though still quiet by UK standards, highways. All was well till we reached a cross roads,and the road ahead, left, and right were all gravel tracks. Doh! didn't see that coming :(
We took the right turn as it suggested there was a town in 5km and I hoped they might have a sealed road. we got lucky and only had to skitter down the gravel for about a mile on our very thin ungroved tyres before the gravel ended.
The rest of the ride can be described pretty quickly...
It got hot, then humid, then damn hot, then damn hot and humid.
Scenery wasn't anything too special, as we both prefer our mountains green, and these certainly weren't. It was all pretty arid.
We got to Hanmer Springs by early afternoon and took a quick walk into town to pick up supplies, ie some basic food and controversially no wine!
We went back into town later to the Hot Springs. Great after a days ride to sooth those muscles. Also to point out exactly which bits had got burned as they sting when meeting the 40'c water, ouch!
we relaxed for quite a while, then relaxed a little more in their bar with a couple of coronas - feeling in quite the summer holiday mood now :)
posted by Mark Halliday at
6:30 AM
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