Such a good weather day today. Sunny around 23 degrees and great biking weather. I left Rakaia Gorge with a strong wind blowing so it was jacket on fir the first hour. Once away from the gorge the wind dropped off and it was easy biking once up the climb. Coffee at Staveley Store and a cheese roll. I got to meet the Whanga girls – Christine and Janette, they are also biking to Geraldine today. Staveley store was busy – 1/2 cyclists and the other half locals.

Mt Somers was another 7km down the road and I nabbed a sandwich for later and a pack of jet planes. Wriggled around the town but missed the cool hedge. Off to find the back road gravel. 5kms out of Mt Somers turned onto Lower Downs Road and into the gravel. Gravel was in great condition and while each section was a long straight section there was a turnoff every 5kms or so – so the kms ticked over fairly well. Ruapuna Hall had a church on the opposite corner with some lovely mown grass so I had a nice lunch there.

Across the Rangitata bridge, a dogleg to miss some main road, then across Orari Bridge. The route had us riding the stopbank tracks across to Bennetts Road and Templar Street, all a trip down memory lane as I used to go to pony club on Bennetts Road and had a school friend who lived on Templar street. Biking though Kennedy Park I took a short detour and checked out my old high school. The buildings looked similar but a Kennedy’s Park has more trees and a skate park. The foot bridge has been replaced – think the one I remember got wiped out in a flood years ago.

The accommodation is superb (again). Lovely host and I have had my washing done and it’s hanging up drying. Booked in for dinner at the Village inn. Big day tomorrow to Tekapo so have found a couple of sandwiches and bars to take with me as the only food place in Pleasant point open on a Sunday is the Four Square.