Date: 20 Nov
Start: Kingston
Finish: Methven
Accommodation: Mt Hutt Motel
Km's travelled today: 457 (it felt a lot longer)
Total Km's travelled: 1,927
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Looks like some of our night owls went for a wander around Kingston last night. They even found a train!
Then this morning Gloria was up to no good with wanting a swim in the stream. Luckily Mason was there to stop her.
We had great accommodation at Kingston and everyone is looking forward to the ride today. It was an early start, hitting the road at 8.30am. But then it took 20 minutes for all the bikes to fill up at the pre-pay service station in Kingston.
The scenery was simply stunning and we stopped to get some photos of Lake Wakatipu. The water is a beautiful blue in person.
We were heading to Lions Gate Lookout as our first stop, but the roadworks and tourist drivers made the trip slow going. So we stopped at Cromwell for a pit stop where some got coffees. Steve and I got a good ol' mince pie from a great little bakery.
Travelling through Lindis Pass on our way to Twizel, and the snow fall that was predicted never arrived. So the ride/drive through was lovely. The roads are good most of the way through, but again we struck the tourist drivers, so going was slow, but we go there in the end.
Lunch in Twizel was an adventure, with the team finally deciding to stop at a local pub. The smoked salmon that some of them had was amazing. Gloria also took the opportunity for some more selfies.
Stopping in Geraldine for a quick pit stop, we finally made it to Methven for the night. With around 5 1/2 hours riding time, everyone is a bit worn out, but a soak in the local hot pools for some definitely loosened the muscles. Looks like a dunk in the cold pool was a bit much for Sandy!
Planning is underway for tomorrows leg to Murchison. With 2 degrees and black ice on the cards, who knows which way we will go. It is a shame we will not get to see much of the West Coast, but we can't stop Mother Nature having having a tantrum and washing out roads!
Joy Smith
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The length of the journey is finally starting to make itself felt. Six days in, and with 2 long days behind us another long day tomorrow, we are looking forward to slowing the pace down a little. Unfortunately cancer patients don't have the the choice of changing the pace of their treatment that much. That's when they need the support of family and friends around them. Cancer organisations such as the Cancer Society are there to give extra support and information when it is needed most.
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