The Rail Trail, a 150 km bike and walking trail that has been made from an old train track, was almost regrettable - but not quite. It was a scenic ride and all, but my bike isn't made for trail so it was a little slow going. Also, I found myself still fighting that cold so I was pretty destination oriented - just wanting a clean warm bed more than anything. I still had a few more nights of tenting and lots of kilometers before that would be my reality. I was f...

Absolutely epic. I've had a head cold brewing since Timaru but it was really setting in by the time I left Dunedin. My intention was to make it 82 kms to Middlemarch but little did I know that was a near impossible feat. It took me about 2.5 hours just to get 16 kms. That is a depressing turtle saunter. My head cold completely drained the life out of me and of course I had managed to get lost along the way as I wasn't carrying any sort of map. Smart. The re...

I stayed two lovely nights with Catherine, her husband Rod and their kids Monique, James and Grace. I originally met Catherine in Reporura, she is the daughter of Brian and Sue, the retired dairy farmers I stayed with. Similar to my other kiwi hospitality experiences, Catherine and her family made me feel at home immediately. She gave me so much while I was there including a day trip to see the local sites - elephant rocks, moraki boulders, and a whale fossil ...

I stayed with a lovely older lady in Timaru who introduced me to the kiwi dessert, Pavlova. I don't think I'd ever bike an extra kilometer to have it again but am pretty happy that I was able to try it and enjoy it with Sue that night. The next day I cycled 90 kms to Oamaru... in just 5 hours to the minute!!!! I think thats just short of jet speed. I only stopped twice the entire ride and was super impressed with myself (if you haven't yet picked up on that...

Cycling from Twisel to Lake Tekapo was one of the nicest riding days I've had yet. It was a balmy 22 degrees along a teal colored glacial fed canal with a stunning mountain range in the near landscape. Mount Cook was my view for a while until it disappeared in the distance of miles passed. The weather was finally so warm I thought it was time to give camping a go again. So far every time I attempt tenting I end up going back to hosteling because I hate feel...