Hi Folks

There are no photos to accompany this blog, or I should say that there are but I can't upload them because I left the card reader in UK.

Day 1 Friday 22 Jan

Arrived Christchurch International at 10.15am to be greeted with torrential rain, however both we and the bikes arrived in good order. We rode the 11k to Alan and Keiko's hostel to arrive well and truly drenched. Quick shower then in the sack!

Day 2 Saturday 23 Jan

After 16 hours sleep we were off the McD's for breakfast at 7.30 in Christchurch town centre. Spent the day hopping on and off the tram and busying ourselves with window shopping etc. Adjourned to the Chinese quarter for an evening meal, before returning to the hostel after 12+ hours in and around Chc.

Day 3 Sunday 24 Jan

Left ChC on route to Waikari (74k distant). After 58k flat miles accomplished in cool cloudy weather we reached the Weka Pass for 14 hilly kilometres in blazing sunshine, scenery began to change to some really impressive mountainscapes. We reached Julia and Brian O'Sullivan's Cyclists Retreat around 3pm to be given a warm welcome accompanied with tea and pikelets (pancakes) with real butter and jam. After a guided tour around their 10 acre homestead it was time for dinner, the first of several really excellent meals made with minimum fuss by Julia, and eaten with minimum fuss by us.

Day 4 Monday 25 Jan

After we had finished feeding the chooks and doing our chores, we were taken some 30k to Julia's brothers 2300 acre farm for a walk of some 12k or so, again accomplished in very hot weather. Julia had prepared a gourmet lunch which was consumed in the most unbelievably beautiful location, a favourite fishing hole of Brian's.

Day 5 Tuesday 26 Jan

Brian had us up early for a 40k sprint down the Waikari valley, where we spent most of the morning studying his back wheel. Another excellent meal was followed by Brian planning our tour route for the next 3 months.

Day 6 Wednesday 27 Jan

Reluctantly we left Cyclists Retreat and Julia and Brian's brilliant hospitallity, but felt we should leave before we were escorted to the upper paddock and sent off to the knackers yard by Julia's father. First stop was Culveden for a coffe stop then on the Hanmer Springs which is a ski resort and provided us with 70 very hard one kilometres. Arrived at 3pm at Le Gite Backpackers Hostel which was a very pleasant place.