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We get up very early. It is
windy outside, but the sun is not high enough to tell if the sky
is clear or cloudy.
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For 48 kilometers we follow
the coast of Lake Wakatipu. Despite the head wind, the riding is
rather effortless and the road #6 not too busy, until we reach
Frankton.
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After Frankton
we are hungry but keep on rolling until Amisfield Winery. With
high hopes of a delicious lunch and nice wines to taste, we enter
the spacious and totally empty dining hall just to be told that
they are fully booked.
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Yeah, right ---
we leave very disappointed, and the butler hurries after us to
tell that there is a nice cafe some 500 meters away, although not
to the direction we are heading.
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Now super hungry, we don't
have much choice but to make the detour (even if it is more like 2
kilometers) to Walnut Cottage Cafe. We have teriyaki salmon
skewers and avocado-bacon sandwich with Mt Edward Riesling and
Pedigree Chardonnay (?)
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It is no more than 1pm. and
we have quite a challenge ahead of us: 11 kilometers of climbing
to Crown Saddle (1076m) that is the highest paved road pass in New
Zealand.
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The first three kilometers
are relatively steep but ridable on sharp switchbacks, but then
the road levels up a bit --- it is still uphill, though.
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Finally, the last two
kilometers to the summit are a killer; it is so steep that we have
to walk our bikes from time to time.
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Just when about to reach the
top, the freezing gusty wind attacks, and we quickly put some
wind-stoppers on while trying to hold on to our bikes so that they
won't be blown away by the wind.
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We are brave enough to roll
down to Cardrona, where Cardrona Hotel awaits us with a warm
fireplace and a cosy bar.
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It does not require much of
an effort from the receptionist/bartender to convince us that we
should stay. We take a room for NZ$185, which is quite expensive,
but the place looks so nice and peaceful. And we are freezing.
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A sign made by former owner
Jim Paterson who took over the hotel in 1926 after working a gold
claim for 40 years.
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For dinner we have pumpkin
soup, Greek salad, pasta carbonara, and venison hot pot with
Amisfield Pinot Noir 2006.
Today we ride 79.56K in
6:33'19 (avg 12.1kph, max 42.8kph)
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