The wifi in Bicheno was very poor, extremely hard to get a connection and then so weak you couldn’t do anything. So these are catch up posts from St Helens.
Awoke in Swansea to a fine sunny day and by departure time at 9.00am it was already very hot. A very flat ride today but into head wind all the way, just to keep us honest. We stopped at the tiny hamlet of Cranwood, about 5 houses, a fire station, a community building and a vineyard. We had stopped here three years ago to eat our lunch we had bought in Swansea. Talked to a philosophical guy who was cleaning up his devastated garden. They had 200mm rain in 24 hours, average is 200mm in a month, and one district had 60mm in an hour.
The only hill today was Cherry Tree Hill which used to have a small scruffy car park with views out over Freycinet and the Hazards. This car park is now closed and at the bottom of the hill at Devil’s Corner Vineyard they have built a very nice modern, architectural cafe, tasting room and look out tower. We stayed here quite a while for their coffee and muffins, the beautiful clean toilets and the futuristic tower. And to get out of the heat.
There were lots of farmers and road workers out today, mending fences, clearing culverts and picking up carcases etc. As well as the frogs the tiny black flies are having a feeding frenzy. All day we cycled through them. They attacked in squadrons, coming out of the sun, and got in our mouths, ears, up our noses and we’re plastered all over the front of our fluoro vests. Maybe the are attracted to yellow? They get under your glasses and crawl around your eye lids and eye brows. Brian says we need cycle helmets with a circle of hanging corks! We joked with a lady at the Freycinet Info Kiosk that we had already eaten our high protein lunch.
The accommodation at Bicheno is palatial and much too good for us. It is a large two bedroom fully equipped unit, 3km out of town located high on the side of a hill, looking out over a stunning beach and the ocean. In the afternoon we walked down the hill and had a refreshing swim. The surf was very boisterous but the water was crystal clear. The sand is that very fine white silica kind that sqeaks when you walk on it. We had this lovely little cove, that is part of a much larger bay, all to our selves.
In our fridge we have been left a dozen eggs and a large container of delicious looking bacon. Enough to feed the three of us for a week. There is also half a tub of cookies and cream ice cream. We have decided we can’t be bothered cycling or walking 3km back into town so it will be bacon and eggs for dinner.
Today was only 45kms and tomorrow is a rest day so a good opportunity for my sore ribs to heal a bit.