Dudding Park to Paekākākiri

I quietly cycled off the site hoping Caroline wasn’t twitching her curtains to monitor movements. It seemed I had cycled the worst of State Highway 3 as I found it now flat and soon I was at Sanson turning right to head due south to Wellington. The road was flat the shoulder wide and no headwind. Feeling a lucky boy I listened to my podcasts and music and ploughed on. It was a flat featureless landscape and it seemed in no time I was cycling through Foxton and then Levin with over 40 miles clocked. However, I was feeling tired and food was needed.

It’s surprising how this can turnaround your day and so I dined then I set off and picked up some energy as I pedalled. Inevitably the goal of reaching Wellington was on my mind and the last miles were coming up.

The road got wider and more modern as we got nearer Wellington and I was allowed to cycle on the hard shoulder but felt that I shouldn’t be allowed on this, in effect, motorway. The last time I rode on a rode of similar construction I was called crazy and picked up by the Gendarmerie in France a couple of summers ago! it was a wonderful surface and ultra flat.

Calling into Ōtaki I bought some dinner but found my debit card was declined? We had an account with Lloyds that allowed us to use our card internationally without transaction charges. Whilst that is an excellent facility it does actually need to work to be of any benefit. Needless to say I pedalled on troubled about potential funds drying up! That was something to sort with a country in a different time zone. Bless Lloyds (not).

I’d identified a few campsites earlier to stop at and called into the first one to be told that it was more of a holiday camp for groups. I didn’t quite see how a single camper with few demands couldn’t be accommodated but it wasn’t my decision and pedalled south to the next one. After sailing down the SH1 I for tens of miles making great time I was now on a windy cycle path that took a stunning route but inevitably it was slow and hilly.

As the above images show after having been flat the hills around Wellington had started to appear and tomorrow I’d have the short but demanding grind into the city.

After a long day I arrived at the campsite (to have my debit card declined) and used up some more cash. The site was well appointed and my pitch was fine except it was next to a small shed/hut containing a sauna. By 8 O’Clock I’m ready to go to sleep only to hear lots of middle aged ladies chatting and laughing as they alternated between the steam and the chill outside. In went the earplugs but to little effect. The ladies all seemed to get louder and more excitable. Does steam do this? By 9pm I roused myself out of my tent and ambled up to the shed to tell them I was trying to sleep. To their credit they dispersed no doubt grumbling about the man in a little tent.