Bill in front of Haruru falls

Day 3 (12/24): We woke up to a light rain but got ready to go hoping we can proceed with our plans for the day. No worries! A safety lecture, "route rap", bike once-over, and it's time to roll. We rode around the countryside, crested a few bluffs to be rewarded with beautiful views, through sheep farms and past Haruru falls. Some of the riding was physically challenging uphills and some was more emotionally challenging as we were riding on gravel, an uncommon occurrence for me. I got the hang of it but kept my speed down through a few stretches. No crashes allowed on this trip! The scenery was amazing, tons of lush vegetation including Pohutukawa trees, the New Zealand Christmas tree. When we finished our 40 km-ride (25 mi), we enjoyed a tasty barbecue prepared by Ken. Ken is the man. He raced through the ride, while giving moral support to the riders he passed, dug out his tools to help Bill at a stop and then whipped up an awesome lunch before we got back. Very impressive! Now it's laundry and packing up our stuff so Ken can shuttle it to our next destination.

We skipped the sightseeing trip to Russell so we could pack and stop in town to buy some supplies. Finished off the evening with another wonderful dinner and great company.

The Backroads Bus