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| Leaving Mount Cook |
I decided to get an early start and cycle down the valley to Twizel for breakfast. I thought it was about 20 miles but it turned out to be closer to 30. Still, there was no wind and it was fairly flat, so it was quite easy. The day started out sunny, with Mt. Cook impressive in the sunrise behind me, but the last 10 miles was through quite dense fog.
Twizel seems a rather dreary place, probably not helped by the heavy overcast. It was a construction town for the hydroelectric system, so doesn't have a long history, and has a rather prefab look to it. I'm enjoying a well earned breakfast though (French toast with a fruit topping).
A couple of days ago I decided to change the route a little, spend one less day in Wanaka, and instead to detour to Arrowtown and cycle to Wanaka over the Crown Range. I spent some time in Twizel figuring out how to use the phones and my BBH phone card to book a Backpackers room in Arrowtown. There weren't any available, and the B&Bs there are expensive. Also it's forecast to rain tomorrow and Arrowtown is a long ride. So I gave up that idea and booked a B&B in Cromwell instead, which is closer and also seems less touristy.
After all that, the clouds had dispersed and it was bright sunshine again. Twizel does look a bit better in the sun. From Twizel to Omarama (about 20 miles) is along an agricultural valley between low mountains. The scenery is brown - harvest colored fields and the brown mountains. Nothing very spectacular but pleasant easy cycling. There are some big, fast trucks on the road, but long spaces between each vehicle, so it's ok. Omarama seems to be a sheep town, with lots of woolen gift shops. As with most of the towns I've been through, there's a "Four Square" supermarket, a couple of gas stations, a pub, and a cafe or two, and not much else, all around a cross roads (Twizel was actually quite a bit larger). Geraldine has been the only town that is attractive beyond the purely functional.
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| Near Omarama |
The last 10 miles to Dunstan Downs B&B is gradually up hill approaching the start of the Lindis Pass, which I go over tomorrow. It's such a nice afternoon it almost seems better to go over the pass today, but it's 60 miles to the next town, and I don't think I can manage that. So far there's always been a nip in the air even in the bright sunshine. This afternoon is the first time it's felt really warm. There seems less traffic on this bit of road, and it's very pleasant cycling in the afternoon sun towards the hills.
The B&B, Dunstan Downs, is a working merino wool sheep farm, run by Tim and Geva Innes. It's been in the family for 3 generations and the farmhouse is a grand old warren of rooms from additions over the years, filled with solid old furniture and family mementos. I was made to feel right at home. The B&B is quote remote, so Geva served a delicious dinner of wild venison and home grown vegetables, and rhubarb crumble (my favorite) for dessert. Breakfast next morning was eggs, home produced of course, and NZ bacon.
It was fun to meet and chat with some traditional NZers, almost from a different world. Even they are affected by the economic crisis however. Apparently wool buyers can't borrow money to buy the wool, so they can't sell the wool they produce. Tim didn't seem too worried yet, presumably used to the ups and downs of farming. Lamb meat is still selling well, though.
The clouds have already moved in, and it looks like a wet day tomorrow.
