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Ad’s & Anna’s breakfast spread was as delicious and filling as the lasagna. We all had our fill and lots of good-byes and well wishes. Charlie & Daisy headed out north (from whence we came) and Anna insisted we take some food with us since the route Ad had given us passed up the supermarket. Hearts full, we headed out for Waiau.
Even with a great sleep and healthy meals, I was struggling. The route we were on avoided RT 1, but was also a lot of climbing. Well, for me, hiking a bike. Dana circled back a couple of times and I told her just to go on, I’d get there eventually. The road was lightly travelled and though tough, was full of beautiful views, and after the hikes up, exciting descents.
We did keep track of each other through Google Maps and texting and I saw that Dana was about an hour and a half ahead of me. I only learned this later, but she got caught up in a sheep crossing. By the time I got there,
She made it to Waiau and headed to the only bar and restaurant in the town. She said it took a while, but she got the folks in the bar to warm up to her — some were locals, but most were camping in the bar’s camping area where the owner, Lindsay, said to Dana, “You can camp there, just don’t put your tent in the road or I’ll run you over.”
When I finally rolled in around 7:30, the whole crowd was on their feet and cheering as if I had just completed the Tour de France. I felt like I had, and boy, that beer hit the spot. So did the fish and chips for dinner. The crowd dispersed back to their homes and campers and we set up our tent, used the toilet facilities, and headed to bed after our long, and strenuous day.
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