Todays ride to Christchurch brought with it some challenging situations. We encountered the most traffic to date. I think it is because people are making their way back home from holidays some are in a rush, and some are not. We had racers pass us approaching crests, on corners, and slower than snails over Arthur's Pass….an exciting day indeed! We crossed many one lane bridges, in fact they are everywhere. We stood on all crossings to be visible to the oncoming traffic, it was not fun at all??? We stopped for lunch at Wainihinihi…say that quickly ten times???? Satisfied we were ready for Arthurs and Porters Pass. Once again great riding through and over ranges, farm land and tropical forests…everything possible, well except a sandy desert so far! As we were riding further and further without seeing a petrol station i was starting to get a little concerned. We had installed extra gas cans on the bikes but were not carrying any extra fuel at the moment. Extra weight that we thought we could avoid until we think we need it. The trouble is when you don't think you need it, is when you really need it…Stupid, really, they should each have some gas in them even if they are not full. My gas light lit up I messaged Kev that I had about 50 miles…I knew that he had way less and was starting to fret a bit. The weather was changing, and I'm not just making this situation more interesting…I swear we rode from a comfortable temperature right into a low chilly cloud on a windy pass. I was hoping that Kev's bike would not run out of juice here, and especially on a hill. He rode behind a slow car, not risking the extra gas to pass. I was starting to fret a little by now, little did I know that his tank read empty 10 kilometers ago! Twenty kilometers to the next town…would he make it… my fingers were crossed that there was a petrol station there? Wouldn't you know it…Saved by Springfield….DOH!…he he he he he...(sorry couldn't help myself!!!…ha ha ha) We filled up the extra gas cans!
On we rode into Christchurch feeling very lucky indeed. Our replacement radio part had been shipped to the Motel that we were staying at….thanks Robbie you're a life saver! Now I will be able to hear Kev.
It is quite sad to see the town in such disrepair. Many buildings are condemned, businesses closed and streets blocked off. Walking down some of the streets today it felt like you were in a war zone, rubble still on the ground and many buildings are cyclone fenced off, abandoned and boarded up. The huge cranes tower over the city center working around the clock to clear the rubble. We found a busy Thai restaurant, always a good sign and had dinner.
Spot, our satellite gps tracker is playing up…he is not tracking very well and I find myself checking him every 1/2 hour or so. I usually end up turning him back on! Hopefully we will get a replacement soon and have our treks tracked!