By the time our leisurely cafe breakfast, yummy "Mango Fruslie" & a Latte for me, was over the forecast rain was just very light drizzle.
We rode from the motel down the Motueka Valley. Last time I went down this road it was in "the one litre Ferrari" but that was way back in 2005. Didn't realise I would see another "Ferrari" on this trip. Although overcast the weather was dry soon after leaving Motueka, not quite golden weather but good for riding.
We stopped for lunch at Tapawera (According to Wikipedia: The geographic centre of New Zealand is located close to Tapawera, in the nearby Spooner Hills) and met a real cycle tourist from Perth. She had done most the South Island on a touring bike towing a 1 wheel trailer.
The afternoon ride was towards Nelson Lakes through pine forests. It was a nice ride in almost perfectly calm air which made one hill climb hot work. I had to stop for a photo of “My Road”, a gravel forest access track. Bas met us at the turnoff for our accommodation which saved a kilometre or so of walking the road bike up a rough gravel road.
We are spending the night in an old Hotel, by NZ standards, built in late 1887. After 96km on the bike it was lovely to get a hot shower, then sit in the sun with a cold Weka Beer in anticipation of tonight's wild Venison dinner.
