Today, I earned every kilometer I travelled – it was one hell of a push of a day. Breakfast was a bit light, and I paid for it all day.
But, I’m now in the high country and tonight I’ll be sleeping under the stars.
This is what I wanted 🙂
The Statistics
Only another 49kms added to the tally, but checkout that slope! Today was nothing but up. That first big hill is described in the guide as “a fierce climb”. It was a solid bike push.
The best way to describe it is think about how fun it would be to push a fully ladden shopping cart up to the top of the Sky Tower, and that’s kinda how the climb felt for me.
Every kilometer I made I celebrated with a “Wah hoo!”. Every kilometer – I counted them and celebrated everyone of them.
I’ve paid a lot in sweat and tears for these photos.
But that hill made me bust out the jetplanes, and gargle down the isotonics. Holy hell! In the guide is it under-described as “Fierce climb!”. Its more like the Horrible Hill of Forbodding. (Hint: that new text is for you Jonathan)
It was share hell – and it had another two of its brothers right behind it.
Early Morning Rising
The day started kinda badly. I wasn’t in a happy space, and outside it threatened to rain. So I wasn’t in my usual “seize the day” spirits. 🙂 Added to that, my breakfest of a tin of creamed rice was a bit light.
The scenery didn’t disappoint. First off, Hodder Bridge over the Hodder River.
I thought the bridge was fairly ornate for the volume of traffic this place must see. I suspect it might not pass today’s NZTA’s Cost Benefit Analysis calculus.
I wonder also whether we have the labour market skills out here in the regions to fizz something like this again. I suspect we are not the infrastructure builders our parents and grandparents used to be.
The Marvel of the Electric Grid
We take electricity for granted now, but the installation of New Zealand’s electricity grid must have been as fundamental to our economic development as it must have been difficult to build.
Check out the above monster, with its twin brother in the distance, and think of the men and the difficulties they had sticking it up there.
In a former life, I managed the Energy and Building Trends team at the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment. It was there I got a sense of appreciation of the modern wonder the electrical grid is.
Here’s a little documentary from 1965 from New Zealand’s Film Archive about the creation of New Zealand’s electrical grid. Amazing stuff!
As I passed underneath it, it hummed and crackled with energy generated in the Southern Lakes, heading north.
Stephan Batstone and David Reeve from Whiteboard Energy made a fantastic documentary called “Powering New Zealand” – its well worth a watch.
But check out both of the above linked documentaries.
Friendly Travellers
Its when you’re out here by yourself, and a bit vulnerable, you see the best in people. So many people who passed me today asked how I was going and whether I was ok 🙂
Its really nice to know that if I wasn’t ok or did need some help, lots of passing strangers would help. I think New Zealander’s are basically friendly, helpful people. We have pricks, but fortunately, they’re not that plentiful. Its just that they make the news, and the car that slows as it passes by and asks whether you’re ok doesn’t.
Weather that Shapes Mountains
The weather plays such a fundamental role around here. One of my favourite documentaries is this: https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/norwester-wind-of-contrasts-1990, which was made back in 1990 about the role the Canterbury Nor’Wester plays in shaping the landscape and mountains of both Canterbury and the South Island generally.
As I cycle around, its these documentaries that sit in my head, from both the landscape and the man-made wonders.
High Country in a Tent
I’m going to wrap this up because I’m writing this at a picnic table at Cob Cottage. It’s 5:00pm, the sun’s dying and it’s starting to get cold. Its not like I can flick on TV or surf the net, so its off to bed and read a book.
I didn’t actually last that long reading a book: my hand got cold. The nights sleep was comfortable, but I’ve now learnt to wear socks because my feet were cold.
