Distance: 95.36 km
Ride time: 4:49:46
Average: 19.8 km/h
Total: 19606 km
My breakfast usually consists of oats with powder milk. If I pass a supermarket in the morning I might buy fresh milk. I thought I had done that this morning, only to discover I had actually bought pure cream. After two bowls of oat with cream I was feeling very full. The things you can get away with as acyclist 
I had a quick look at my map and decided that the distance from Motueka to the ferry in Picton was probably around 150 km. This method works well in other places, but with all the mountains and road twists you have to be careful here. The actual distance was closer to 250 km. As I already had bought my ferry ticket I needed to put in some distance.
In Nelson I was going to visit Rick ZL2HAM. Rick moved to New Zealand from California 6 years ago to semi-retire. The ride up to Rick’s house was one of the steepest hills I have climbed on the whole trip. I don’t think many people on Rick’s road will be cycling to work. But, with a view like this from the living room, the climb is certainly worth it.
I would have liked to stay longer, but I still had 140 km to cover before my 2 o’clock afternoon ferry tomorrow.
Back on the road I was riding into the mountains once again. An hour before sunset I saw anothercyclist setting up his camp half hidden from the road. If I didn’t have the ferry to catch I would have ridden over and said hi. Now I continued another hour to find my own camp spot.
Tomorrow I should make it to Wellington where I will be meeting Tony, a reader of the blog. Most days I have no idea where I will be sleeping in the night. I like this adventurous element of the trip, but in the long run it can be hard with the uncertainty. Sometimes it feels very good to know that there is a bed waiting for you in the next city. Then, after a few days, I’m looking forward to cycle into the unknown again.
