Maruia Springs to Hamner Springs, Saturday 29 January.









1) Mossy woodland

2) View at our lunchbreak

3) Near the summit of Lewis Pass



For today's ride Peter was worried about the heat and the 900 metres Lewis Pass so he arranged to get a bus.

For Martin and I with a shorter than usual mileage we started the day with a soak in the hot pools and then elevenses at the hotel cafe. We bought supplies at the hotel as there was again nothing available on the route.

The climb to Lewis Pass at 902 metres wasn't too bad as we were already at 600 meters for our overnight stay. The scene was of remote mountains and forests and light traffic even on a main road.

The descent was one of the hardest I have experienced with a constant headwind and the road often climbed up and down the side of the valley.This was more than compensated for by the amazing scenery. See the pictures which are worth more than a thousand words.

The days mileage was 47.9 with 2870ft of climb of which 1870ft was on the descent from the pass. Average speed was 9.9 with riding time of hrs 43mins.

In the evening Martin and I tried a local remedy for our itches of a mixture of white vinegar and baby oil which had some limited effectiveness.