Greymouth Nov27-29/08

It is a lovely sunny day and only a short cycling day into Greymouth. We cycle a short section on a busier highway and cross a bridge into the city. It is the first sizable place where I can access a ATM and update blog and check email.

I receive a reply from Maiti Nepal that I will commence teaching there on January
19th and receive their blessing to try to raise some money for their NGO.

The central Backpackers "Noah's Ark" has 50 teenagers that will party that night, so "The Global Village" is recommended. It is further out but close to a big grocery store "New World" and it is a very cool place with global wall hangings, masks etc.

At the backpackers I chat with Takashi, an amazingly young & fit looking 70 year old Japanese cyclist. It is interesting to hear about life in Japan and their move to Australia for 8 years.

As we are running out of time to get further south to see the sights we decide to take the Atomic Shuttle with our bikes to Queenstown to save a couple weeks cycling. This gives us an extra day in the city, time to update my blog, check out an exhibit at the Art Gallery (Mountains of Paparoa) and cycle to the breakwater.

It is a long day on the shuttle, from 7:30AM-5PM. We stop along the way for pitstops and photos (and at the Franz Josef Glacier). The west coast has mostly long stretches of road, sometimes winding through the trees. Before we reach Wanaka there is an interesting windy section along the coast running parallel to a long mountain range.

Before Wanaka there is a good climb then winding, winding down for 11 km, it would be tough to ride up and nerve wrecking to ride down.

During the trip we chat with Ziv (Israeli journalist and lecturer), we ask him questions about Israel and his life however he doesn't seem to have the same interest in us or Canada.

The motorcamp in Queenstown is one of the largest that we have stayed at with rows of campervans and although clean feels very impersonal compared with The Global Village (see photo of kitchen for comparison).

Day 36 cycling 30KM
Shuttle to Queenstown