Day 7 - On top of the world! (well a New Zealand sealed road…)

Jack Daniels Remaining: 400mls
Kilometers Ridden Today: 71kms

The Armageddon of yesterday made way, for blue skies, a sunny and a CALM, bliss today. Riders...all in. We kitted up and set sail (that is after someone checked with me where the bang bus key was). We were all well aware of the ride today and its challenges; Wanaka to Queenstown via the Crown Range (Cardrona). A gradual climb that continued to kick up to the top of pass, which also happens to be the highest sealed road in New Zealand (at around 1100 metres I think). The record of the ride I did today says it all really....

Alex, Paul, Shawn and Richard passed me and disappeared into the distance, as usual. Most people who have been to NZ would be familiar with this pub…

I couldn't decide if I was inspired by this site along the way either. What has been seen, cannot be unseen....

Some fantasmagorical views along the way. Just man, bike and countryside....

The last part of that climb was death – I noticed the Garmin indicating a kick up to 16% grade at times. Scenery was stunning though once I hit the summit (highest sealed road in New Zealand)....

The decent was sweet! After a quick traverse, it was down some switchbacks and back onto the main road (a “test your brakes” sign made complete sense when 100 metres later a steep descending road ended abruptly at a T intersection with the main road!).

I think the climb destroyed me a bit today. the rather flat ride into Queenstown was pretty tough, but eventually I made it. Another 70km’s under my belt.

Our accommodation here was POOOORRRNO! The penthouse apartment of a block right by the lake; it was totally awesome.

We had all expected the bang bus to catch us, or not be far behind us. But appears Sam decided to do quite a hike in the Crown Range (after all, he is Nepalese – with one leg shorter than the other, a genetic modification to allow him to stand straight on a hillside). What a site it must have been to see 5 men exit an apartment with only white towels around their waist to greet a man in his van.

3 days in one of the best places in the world, Queenstown. I bee-lined for Vertigo bikes to reserve a bike for some downhill action on Saturday, but not before bidding farewell to Sam and Alex on their journey. Lambas bread in hand for energy (aka red wine), we bid them farewell and good luck as they would negotiate the Mine of Moria (aka Homer tunnel), and survive the furious onslaught of the Nazgul (aka the South Island Kia). This Kia gave me permission to photographic it against a stunning South Island backdrop. Payment was only a piece of rubber and a bolt. Seriously....

Left slightly deflated from the departure, the remaining members of fellowship decided to cook up a traditional feast in their absence (eh, pasta and vegetables). Thankfully during the evening, we received a photo which indicated Sam and Alex had found a suitable watering hole to replenish their energy as they negotiated the lands of Middle Earth. Here they are with their Lambas juice....