Day 16 Rotoroa to Murchison 32 k





We got off to a good start as for some they're was a 112 km ride in to Murchison then over the Maruia Saddle and on top the bach at Springs Junction. For me it was a ride to Murchison then on to the bach with Ian in the car as a) I wanted to get the bach ready for the boys (hot water, did and stuff) and b) I had a Prostate Cancer Foundation board meeting starting at 4:00 that afternoon that I was Zooming in to.

It is a good wee grunty hill up out of Rotoroa but once that is out of the way there is an even longer downhill on the otherside and a good ride on in to Murchison about half of which is on sealed road. 

Half way down the hill I got a call from Ian wondering if any of us had the keys for the bach we had stayed in! No, we didn't and we had to leave that to Ian to sort out.

We made it out Murchison in good time and stopped at Rivers Cafe as you do for our. Coffee stop. For Peter and Stephen they were back in familiar territory as last year they had biked over the saddle and in to Murchison.

It was when we were loading my bike on the trailer that the Rotoroa keys appeared, Somehow they had managed to fall in to on off our shopping bags! Another quick email to the owner to let them know we will p the keys in a courier bag to them.

We supported local as try to do and had a shop at the Four Square store for our supplies before driving on to the bach. 

From Rotoroa Ian had Graham on board as well. Graham was another cyclist John and I met at the start of the Mangatapu track and again that night at the Wakefield pub who the next day rode with us through to Rotoroa (he accepted my offer to take his bags with ours in the car). Unfortunately a saddle sore had become uncomfortable and he's decided that a ride in a car and an overnight at the bach maybe just what his bum needed.

I popped in to the neighbour's bach for my Board meeting and was super surprised to smell spaghetti bolagnaise cooking when I walked up to my bach. As it turned out it was Graham who like me also enjoys cooking who had organised and cooked a wonderful dinner for us.

Everyone had settled in to the bach and a good night was held, although when I say a good night think one that had blokes heading off to bed well before 9:00 PM - such is the effect of riding 1,200 km's in 15 days.

The picture of the old railway station is of the Glehope Railway station off to the side of the Christchurch to Nelson H Way. Do you recognize it? Have you seen it?

The Pic of myself is from the fire light of the pizza oven  at 5:30 AM that I fired up for our roast leg of lamb we'll have for dinner later today. 

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