What an amazing day!!!! I had so much fun today.
We got up early, 0630 for an 0800 departure as it was going to be a long day. The forecast was for it to be a nice day starting at 10am, and there really isn’t anything between Fox Glacier and Haast other than a campground, but no food. We are really in a remote area.
Breakfast at the hostel, clean up, pack the bikes….and I was off right around 0800. I circled around town a few times until I figured out where to go!!! I really am directionally challenged! It was misty at the start…and it kept on increasing. I was soaked through by the time I got to Bruce Bay. There were lovely views….but with the rain I didn’t really want to take out my phone too much…and I secured it in one of my rear saddle bags. But there was tea and scones at Bruce Bay!!! Yippeee. 2 Chai tea latte and a scone hit the spot! This was at about 45km.
Finally at the 70km mark, the sun popped out!!!! Double yippeeee. I’m started to dry out….so much more comfortable. The final 50km had several hills…and one huge one….220m over 3.5km! Ok…. I can do this….at least it was sunny. Half way up was the next photo checkpoint.
Knight’s Point Lookout.
In the 1950’s this scenic lookout served as the meeting point for two roads building crews one working from the east coast across Haast Pass and the other working along the west coast. When officials from the then Ministry of Works journeyed down from Wellington hoping to name the meeting point after a high ranking ministry official, they found that it had already been christened’Knight’sPoint’ after the original surveyor’s dog!!!! 😂😂😂
I took some photos and FaceTimed with Ted to show him the view. Then I continued up for another 100m and 1.5km. At the end of the hill was a pullout and another fantastic view. I was taking photos when all of a sudden a motor home pulled in and someone shouted ‘Lucille’!!!! What???? One of our favourite transport physicians Katherine jumped out of the motor home and gave me a huge hug!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️😀 Someone from home!!!! She didn’t really know that I was here in NZ, and she recognized me as they went past….they turned around and came to see me!!! Nothing short of amazing!!!! We had a great chat…I ate some of her chocolate- then Annabel came along…so she was brought in. Katherine is touring with her children Eloise, Charlie and Sam, her brother and parents. What luck that I was stopped, and that she wasn’t driving and noticed me. This gave me the energy to finish up the final 25km into Haast as they are on their way Northbound.
Tomorrow is another long day…with no stopping places for tea….so we loaded up at the grocery store….enough food for breakfast and lunch on the trail. Forecast is for rain all day tomorrow, but we will not be camping again tomorrow night. 😀
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