The Prolog: In Queenstown

February 22, 2012

You would think that getting away from home for ten days would be easy. We didn't have to take bikes or any camping gear - surely we would just about be able to get away with only 'carry on'. But this isn't what happened we had two big bags and Ken declared I must have packed lead in them. The difference from the usual was that I took lots of clothes, several pairs of shoes etc. After all during the social part of the trip I would be seeing lots of people I hadn't seen for fifty years and didn't want to look too bad. I thought cycling gear might not be quite right though it would have caused a stir.

We had to be at the airport shortly after 6am and the flight along the Southern Alps was as usual spectacular, we could almost reach out the window and touch Mt Cook. We twisted our way over Wanaka and Hawea and were soon flying up the Frankton Arm of Lake Wakatipu to land at Queenstown Airport. It was spectacular but I must say I always feel nervous flying into Queenstown and hope the pilot is looking carefully out the window to avoid mountains.

We checked into the hotel then off we went to hire bikes. It was strange at first as we both kept straying to the right side of the track, we have obviously ridden to much in Europe (in NZ you ride on the left) . It was a great ride, there is a lakeside track that goes around the lake to the airport then down the other side of the Frankton Arm till you are opposite Queenstown and can almost throw a stone across. The total distance about 35km and it all sounds very easy. However in realty it is a bit different. It is really a Mountain Bike Track (an easy one) pretty rough in parts with steep sharp ups and downs. After the scary crash I had a month ago I felt rather nervous on the downhills and certainly didn't tackle them with my usual relish. At the end of the peninsular was a golf course with an open café so we didn't starve.

One thing for certain I am NOT bike fit. Will have to do a lot more riding before we leave for Europe in August or once more I will have to get fit as we tour

We thought we were cycle tourists till we met this guy. He is in the 10th year of his tour of the world and on his last leg

The bridge/dam over the Kawara River. Thgis was built in about the 1930 in the hope of damijng the river to get to the gold

A view from below the bridge. Jet boats leave from here to go up the river.

Today's ride: 35 km (22 miles)
Total: 35 km (22 miles)

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