Hi! Simmons again.

if you missed the last instalment from em read that first

ok... day 7. i set out along a canal that links lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki as part of the big hydro-electricicty facilities in this part of the country. there are losts of such things by the way. this was great as it ment the going was flat and easy, even the wind was with me. after a pleasent tootle along it i arrived at lake pukaki. there are minerals suspended in the water from the glaciers that make the lake vivid turqouise (spell check). i stopped at Mt Cook lookout and wat looking at, yes you've guessed it, Mt Cook. even matt, who said Mt Fuji was crap would have been impressed (im not sure if he has seen it yet but he may well have). i eventually ended up in Twizel and fall asleep :)

day 8. easy day today. 30k's of flat roads with the wind for me. the only thing making it slightly hard was the intense heat. other than that i crused it. only interesting bit of the day was a man on a penny farthing cycling the other way :D oh and the increadable veiws. OH MY GOD what am i saying! i forgot! in the morning i cycled up to the set location for the battle of the pelennor field! (big fight at the end of return of the king) that was cool!

day 9. i predicted to be the hardest part of the journey and almost didnt even set of due to the extream toughness of this bit (for me that is, bear in mind i rarely move further than the sofa) 85k of mountain pass. i took lots of extra water to stick it out the night thinking it may even take 2 days. it didnt! i did it in the one day despite oversleeping til midday. it appears im getting better at this pedaling thing. so knackerd i pulled up in the little town where the campsite was marked on the map. no water, getting dark and bloody tired. again the was no campsite! this map is a peace of s***e! a guy told me about a river 9k down the road so i camped there.

day 10. i plodded up to the vilage shop/petrol station in the morning. i was so out of it i sat and drank can after canof coke for a hour talking to moterbikers and other cyclists. twaz fun. eventaully i got up and cycled to cromwell and sat off for the rest fo teh day.

day 11. today! i woke up feeliing drained and thought about staying in cromwell another day but i pressed on. i went through a gorge and a valley of vinyards and passed hte remarkables mountain range. all the time the wind was really really strong. AGAINST ME! im here in queenstown now 1/2 dead! i had to walk large sections of the road coz my legs had no pedal left in them. but huzza im here! now im going to sleep until march i think.... yes march. night night

xxxx