Two days in Kaikoura was enough, so I headed back to the west coast, via Arthur’s Pass. There are too many mountain pass roads on the South Island to just stick to the coast, so some zigzagging is on my agenda.
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After my short stay on the west coast, I headed back east, to Kaikoura. My route led me over Lewis Pass, which lived up to my expectations, I’d been told it was a very scenic road.
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Even though I easily could’ve spent a few more days in Takaka, I had to get on the road and find a new spot where I surely could’ve spent a week rather than just two nights.
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This one’s just a continuation of my time in Takaka…
The one long hike I did was to the top of Parapara Peak. It’s a great option for a long day out, and it must not see too much traffic, because the trail is not very well manicured, which I guess could be good or bad, depending on how you look at it.
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Wellington was my last stop on the North Island, so I left town on the ferry bound for Picton, on the top of the South Island
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Apparently Chicago is called “The Windy City” not because of the wind blowing off of Lake Michigan, but because of the hot wind blowing from politician’s mouths.
Wellington is called “Windy Welly” because it’s insanely windy.
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I had a fairly windy ride getting in to Napier, but it was nothing compared to the endless, gusting, hurricane-force winds I rode through when I left. The worst thing about it wasn’t the huge gusts, but the fact that it could make a 180 degree change in direction at the drop of a hat, forcing me to make a quick change in the angle of the bike to compensate for it and sliding clear across the lane, hoping I wouldn’t be blown either off the road or into oncoming traffic. Mile for mile, I can’t think of a more exhausting day of riding (on paved roads, at least)
This is just south of Napier, in Hastings…I took a quick ride up Te Mata peak, and yes, it was windy as hell on the top
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With the continued rain fall, my plans to head west were seeming less exciting…but the forecast for the next few days was sunny (and also windy as hell, it turns out) on the east coast, so I changed my plans and headed east to Napier.
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From Rotorua, I headed to Taupo. The direct route is about 80 or 90kms, but I took two days on a wonderful ~1000km route that went along the east cape.
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Rotorua is a major tourist destination in New Zealand, known for it’s geothermal activity, and the smells that complement it.
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