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The Amberley Hotel was a shared bath experience, but there weren’t any other patrons on our side of the hotel, so it wasn’t an issue. There was a fully stocked kitchenette with cereals, bread, milk, hot water kettle, coffee and tea and we made ourselves a nice breakfast while chatting with a British couple who were touring the island by car while visiting their son.
It was another relatively easy day on the bike and we had hosts in Christchurch (in a suburb named Woolton) who were expecting us between 6 and 6:30. The ride itself was memorable in showcasing the excellent bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in Christchurch and environs. Our route took us through the center of town and we took the opportunity to snap some pics, including a German woman we stopped on the street to ask for directions. Turns out she was also cycle touring and had been in Australia and had done The Great Ocean Route. We also met a Canadian couple from Vancouver and had a short chat with them about the state of affairs in our respective countries.
We made it to Sheralee’s and Jean’s house right around 6:30. We were their first Warmshowers guests. Sheralee is a Kiwi who had spent time in the USA and Canada. Jean was born in Newfoundland, but moved to Western Canada and took up paragliding where he met Sheralee, also an avid paraglider, and they married and moved to NZ. Lucky for us as we had a wonderful evening, feasting on a veggie salad made mostly with ingredients from Jean’s organic garden. We threw some laundry in, got some planning advice, and called it a night. Better yet than our one-night stay, Sheralee and Jean offered to get bike boxes for us and even take us to the airport on Monday evening. Can’t say enough how much easier it made it for us, but more on that later.
We also spent some time trying to rent a car or van. We had only three days left in NZ, and there was so much more to see, including the West coast. However, there was a coast-to-coast endurance race – cycling, running, kayaking – that ended in Christchurch the coming Sunday. Nothing was available except a few caravans or RVs which were, as the Kiwis’ say, “Quite dear!” Plan B was to camp at South Brighton beach on Friday, Godley peninsula on Saturday, and Orton Bradley Park on Sunday. So, we shifted gears and decided to stay in the general Christchurch area. First, tho, a comfy nights rest.
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