Day 2 Rakaia to Ashburton

I had a fright overnight with very painful cramp in both thighs, I've never had cramp there before, nor as painful - and it did not want to stop. Lying down was not working so I got up, massaged, moved around - and it stopped - thank goodness. With some trepidation I got back in bed. thankfully the cramp did not return and I slept well.

Today, overcast, cooler and a northerly breeze :-) Good riding conditions, particularly the breeze, which will be behind us most of the way. We are avoiding the main road by detouring 7 km towards the coast. Along the way I take Sau Keng down to see the river. It's down a little from yesterday, but still the river is coming to the road rather than the other way around.

The breeze is directly behind us, riding is very easy. I'm enjoying this impressive farmland. Huge fields, most irrigated, growing all sorts of things. I'm often stopping to see what is in the field we are passing, then riding fast to catch up with Sau Keng - she gets along pretty well these days - after a short stop she is far ahead. The photos show wheat, there is a lot of this but also barley, potatoes, peas, spring onion, spinach?, cabbage (or something in that family) and others I do not recognise. Some fields seem to just be grass, seems a waste given how much the irrigation systems would have cost, but there are also dairy cows here, hay and silage pits.

We even find a gorse hedges. This is why gorse was brought to NZ - to make prickly hedges like it does in Scotland - but in most places here it grows rather too well. Behind the gorse hedge is rape, another brassica, canola oil is made from it's seeds. The field of yellow flowers is spectacular.

Near to Ashburton we come to the airport, I just catch sight of a yellow biplane taxiing along. When we get to the airfield it looks like they have taken a family sightseeing, strange we did not hear them land.

Today's ride was only 40 km and we had the breeze helping us along, it felt very easy.

We are too early to check into our motel, and it's lunch time, so carry on into town and find a nice cafe. Lunch is very good.

We still have time before we can check in, so we buy coffees and work for a while.

Check in to our motel. Not flash but roomy and perfectly comfortable. The proprietor is very friendly too. We'll stay here tomorrow and work.

Statistics

Distance 42.7 km

Climbed 49 m

Riding time 2:39