Another Overnight Adventure

I have a list, a list of all those little things that will make a huge difference on my bike tour. Things that will make living out of two pannier bags and and a one woman tent for 7 weeks a bit easier. The major items like a tent have already been crossed off the list, but all the smaller things were still there. So on Friday off I went to Dunedin and shopped for some of those small, but oh so important items like a good inflatable pillow, cooking pot and a Spork!

Mark has now fulfilled his quest of finding me the superior Spork. This bad boy is pure aircraft grade titanium and features 3 razor sharp prongs combined with a generously proportioned spoon feature, and the technical among you will note the space saving foldaway handle!!!!

So now I have all I need, it was time for another overnight trip. This time I decided to head up the Central Otago Rail Trail and ride to Oturehua, a 139 km (86 miles) round trip. It was a perfect day for riding.

Poolburn Tunnels. Beautiful tunnels and all dug out with pick axes!

Made it to my destination with no rain despite the dark sky...the Crows Nest Backpackers at Oturehua. This is a really funky place to stay...I loved it. Its quirky in a really good way.

So I pitched my tent in slight drizzly rain, had a shower (the showers here are REALLY good) and parked up on the verandah with a glass of  wine, yes I carried a small bottle of merlot with me, and watched the sun set over the Hawkdun Range as the rain started to come down and beat a rhythm on the tin roof.. I think bike touring is about the simple pleasures of life.

It was a very rainy night but my tent performed well and I was so cosy inside. Trying to stay dry in a downpour, with only a small one woman tent to manoeuvre around in is an art, but I didn't do too badly and nothing got wet. I also discovered the joys of packing up in the morning with a very wet tent in the drizzling rain.

 But thankfully the rain didn't hang around and it was another perfect riding day.

A slight detour to the historic Hayes Engineering Works, then back onto the trail.

Mark drove up to meet me for lunch, so we went to the only cafe in the very small town of Lauder...Stationside Cafe. This is a really good cafe, I mean REALLY good...the food was so delicious and it was such a surprise to find out it was run by Shirley Vette, who was a regular to my studio many years ago.

As tempting as it was to put Birdy in the back of Marks truck and not ride the remaining 44 kms (27 miles), I waved him goodbye and set off again in gorgeous sunshine.

After riding through Central Otago landscape of schist rock and tussock, it was nice to see some greenery again as I got closer to Clyde.

It was a great weekend away, I loved seeing the world from Birdy and she performed admirably. As for me...I'm feeling good about my overall bike fitness and stamina, and with that comes a lot more confidence about my bike tour.

Also the realization how much absolute enjoyment I get being self reliant with Birdy, and just riding!

"And as far as I can see the world is too old for us to talk about it with our new words - We will pass just as quietly through life (passing through, passing through) as the 10th century people of this valley only with a little more noise and a few bridges and dams and bombs that wont even last a million years."
                       

                                                   Jack Kerouac

                                         Big Sur