We started today in Twizel with a short ride on road out to the canal for what we thought would be an easy section of the trail. Unfortunately 30knot cross winds made for hard going, with the added worry of being blown into the canal!
Morning tea was a welcome break as was the trail around Lake Ohau which was somewhat protected from the wind.
We stopped for a very tasty lunch at Lake Ohau Lodge where we finally were able to see Mt Cook on a beautiful clear day. After lunch, 8 of us started the climb to the Tarnbrae Highpoint (one of the toughest parts of the trail).
It was hard, hot and dusty riding on rough shingle.
I took an hour and a half to cover the 11km to the high point – it was hard going, not just the hill but the roughness of the track.
We were all looking forward to the downhill and arriving at our motel in Omarama. We took it slow going down and had to cross a few places with water over the road. Some were deep enough that our shoes were underwater.
The final 23 kms were meant to have a tailwind but the wind had followed us around so was in our yet face again. Altogether we rode 82 kms today in what was one of our toughest days on a bike.