Its Bloody Hot Down Here

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Fairlie to Lake Tekapo

Well I'm taking a break in a cafe in Lake Tekapo. I rode from Fairlie across Burkes Pass (709 Meters) to Lake Tekapo. The pass loomed heavily in my mind after the egg frying ascent of Mt. Michael the day before yesterday. I was up at 0500 and on the road by 0700. I climbed a mild grade for 14 miles. I kept waiting for the steep hard climb. At 1km before the top of the pass it showed the narrow windy road sign. It was a short moderately steep climb for .6 miles to the pass. Not the grueling climb I had envisioned since the Mt. Michael ascent. Wheehoo and its was still cool. I then road through a parched, dry plateau surrounded by brown mountains on all sides. The one change is that far off in the distance I could see the tops of the snow covered peaks of the Southern Alps. I can honestly say I wouldn't mind just a small amount of rain or a cloud or two right now. Its over 100 degrees again. By the time I arrived in Lake Tekapo it was sizzling again. It made my decision easy. I was staying right here.

I'm camped out at a motor camp. There are lots of other cyclists on the roads now and there are about 6 or 7 in the tent area. I met an Irish woman who is also cycling on her own yesterday at Fairlie. She left later than I did and just arrived awhile ago and was feeling very hot.

It is too hot to do anything that requires a lot of movement. I sat under a tree down at the lake which is the color of a light blue fire opal. Its an incredible color against the brown mountainsides. I couldn't even cool down in the shade so I finally took the plunge in to the cold glacier fed waters. Cold, then numb, then a rush of relief as I finally felt cooled off. Its like being in Pasco in August.

Well, tomorrow I'm off to Twizel and then I'll decide whether to bus down to the Otago Rail trail or ride. Its hard to do any serious mileage with this heat and the terrain is getting redundant other than the intermittant places like this lake and a good view of Mt. Cook from Lake Pukaki. The Otago Rail trail and then the Taieri Gorge Steam train should be interesting.

I also forgot to add as I was riding up Mt. Michael the other day a van that passed me had " Speed, Wind, and the Force Be with You" painted on the back. That was my mantra to get me to the top of that climb.

Back Yard Adventure Girl

Lisa

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Comments

[lisa]

raining again
Sorry you've been dying int he heat! It beats the rain though. About every day since you were gone. Glad to hear you are doing well

[Antarctic Monkey]

Lisa your a true adventurer!
Lisa: After reading all of your journals, I must say that being a fellow cyclist myself I am completely inspired by your adventures, and I look forward to hearing of your next adventure. I will be in South Island from the 18th of Feb for 3 weeks, and if I happen to see you on the road, rest assured I will stop and say hello.