Day 16 Middlemarch to Ranfurly

It's been very comfortable here in Middlemarch, but once again it is time to move on. It looks like we have a good day :-)

Of course we pose for photos at the start of the rail trail. This is nostalgic for us, we rode it in the opposite direction two years ago, our first multi day ride.

The track is dauntingly straight at the start, running parallel to the Rock & Pillar range, disappearing into the distance without a bend in sight. The day is fine and warm, but with a strong breeze, from the wrong direction, and the forecast is for it to get even stronger. Now it is not bothering me too much - Maybe my recent hill training has made me stronger? Maybe the Rock and Pillar range is sheltering us somewhat.

Looking across the valley from the Rock and Pillar range is another, lower range. We were up there on Monday, it seemed pretty high when we were up there. (That's what I thought, but checking on the map I was looking at Taieri ridge 700m, we were a valley further over, on Billys ridge 600m) The Rock and Pillar range looks quite a bit higher, (it gets up to 1450m) and the info signs say there used to be a ski field up there. We can see the odd patch of snow now, even in December.

The Ngapuna 'station' is about as minimal as possible. I guess this was only ever an occasional stopping point and they needed some storage. The gangers huts are more frequent and even more minimal. They were for the men charged with maintaining the track.

Uranus, well a scale model of Uranus made of wire. Representations of all the planets have been set up along the trail, sizes and distances to scale. This is the first we have encountered. Neptune and Pluto are on the road past Middlemarch.

The track is following the Taieri river, which mostly flows through wide valleys, but there are two gorges. We have finally left the long straights and are riding through the first of the gorges. It's a nice change of landscape. Past the gorge the landscape opens out again and we come to Hyde. They have kept the old station building, nice, but there is not much else around. Nothing actually, maybe a handful of houses over the last kilometer.

Gradually we work our way to the end of the Rock and Pillar range and come to the second of the gorges. This one is deeper. It always impresses me how big a valley a small river can cut. The track goes through a couple of tunnels too. Tunnels are fun.

There is a bridge ahead. Are there lights on it? Closer we can see no, it's tinsel in the sunlight - why? Why have the tracks been left on the bridge but moved closer together? Why has so little space been left for riding?

Saturn

We are in a wide, open valley beside the Taieri river. No longer sheltered by the Rock and Pillar range, the wind is strong and mostly coming directly at us. Earlier today's ride felt so easy. Not any more.

We get to Waipiata. Should we keep riding or stop for lunch? - The wind may get even stronger... We stop for lunch anyway and have quite a nice pizza. We stayed overnight here two years ago and woke to a foggy morning. It is hard to imagine fog today with the wind howling past us. Another group of riders comes in for lunch while we are eating, that makes about 50 we have seen this morning riding towards Middlemarch. Two who were at the pub leave and ride towards Ranfurly, our direction, they are the first we have seen going the same direction as us. Jupiter is just outside too.

The wind has got stronger but we have only 10 kilometers to go. Sometimes there are trees or a cutting and we are sheltered. Mostly we are not. Riding directly into the wind our speed drops from an easy 20km/hr to as low as 12 - and with us working harder. Sometimes we are riding across the wind and it pushes us sideways. Sau Keng finds this worse than a direct headwind. At least it is a warm wind and here's Mars, an inner planet, not far to go now.

After Mars the planets come fast, bringing home how relatively close the inner planets are to the sun.

The Sun is so big they have represented it using a circular fence which the track passes through. We spoke to a man who told us there was no model of the sun - he had ridden through the centre of it and not noticed!

Ranfurly station. Ranfurly is a decent size town with a bit of art deco architectural flair.

Our motel is good. We will stay here tomorrow and work. The pub meal is unexciting, worst we have had this trip. (Not terrible, just dull) We go to the 'supermarket' and buy food. Tomorrow we'll cook our own.

Statistics

Distance 66 km

Climbed 338 m

Time 4:47