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And this is WHY I come to Swancon
Apr. 9th, 2009 11:39 amLife is good. Might go shopping for some supplies shortly.
Bwahahaha!
Apr. 8th, 2009 01:10 pmDue to certain recent activities I sort of forgot to book a hotel room for SwanCon.
Not expecting much I checked WotIf and sure enough there was nothing shown as available. So, just in case, I called the hotel and discovered that they had a cancellation just this morning. I'll check in tonight.
Oh it's good to be me sometimes. :)
Sic Transit Gloria Mundi
Apr. 7th, 2009 05:39 pmActually the flight to Sydney was pleasant and customs etc was relatively painless (cleaning the tyres of the trike being an essential ingredient for this). I've also showered and gotten into new clothes (and this is but one of the many reasons for my being a member of the Qantas Club).
However I've already been up for about 14 hours and I've still got a 4-5 hour flight to Perth plus a taxi ride with the trike in tow to come...
( And this is a good thing too... )
No, really, starting to calm down now. :)
No we didn't ride all that way. Especially not Arthur's Pass.
( There was a train ride though... )
I probably won't do much tomorrow and will pack the trike on Monday. Tuesday I fly to Perth
Lakes, hills, and more glorious weather.
( Read more... )
Last day tomorrow and it looks like the weather may abandon us.
Mirrored misty lakes, hills, and hiking on ice.
( Quite a varied day indeed... )
Deja vu all over again. Except not.
( And I'll stop making jokes like that soon... )
Of course it does mean that I know what is coming tomorrow...
( And that's not the only thing that's different )
Hey, I've just done 1000Km on this tour! Yay me!
( She's breaking up Captain! I cannae hold her together much longer... )
( But what about the ride? There was a ride today right? )
Not quite sure what the options are tomorrow but it is a fair way to Haast. I am going to make an attempt at the Haast Pass though.
Day 19 & 20 - Rest Days - Queenstown
Mar. 29th, 2009 06:14 pmBasically some sightseeing around Queenstown and some between trip housekeeping. Oh and I saw Watchmen.
The first day was occupied with laundry and obtaining a replacement set of cleats for the sandals. I did ride the gondola though which spaetlese will be happy to know. I also saw Watchmen which I think is a good adaptation but I'm not sure if it makes a good (or even rewatchable) movie.
Today I did a halfday 4WD safari around Queenstown with a vague Lord of the Rings flavour. The guide pointed out several areas that had, with some CGI alterations, been used as locations for various scenes. It appears that most of the mountain ranges in the movies were various versions of the Remarkables. Most locations were adjusted to some extent or another - this river was shallow enough for horses to handle but that river had the right surroundings, etc, etc. Highly amusing to hear.
Back to Wanaka tomorrow and I am not riding back up the Crown Ranges again. 5Km past Arrowtown and I'm catching the elevator.
( Do you really want me to answer that? )
Dinner shortly then planning for a couple of rest days in Queenstown.
A sprint, a social bit, and a hard grind. All before lunch.
( Not the light ride I was expecting... )
Tomorrow we're off to Queenstown by a different route that involves gravel and steamships.
End of the cruise, lots of downhills, and a fast century ride.
( But still a century so fairly tired now... )
Tomorrow we're staying in Te Anau but will be riding in the area in the morning.
A couple of enjoyable but not long rides, a lot of driving time, and a pleasant cruise on Milford Sound.
( Lots of pretty scenery though... )
Tomorrow the boat will return to Milford and we'll be off to Te Anau for a couple of nights. We should be able to get some decent rides in tomorrow.
What is this cycling concept of which you speak? Today is for jet boats. :)
I elected to do the Dart River Jetboat Safari which meant about 3 hours in a jetboat heading up the Dart River at the head of Lake Wakatipu. Fun stuff, great views, and those 360o spins are huge fun. It was extremely cold in the morning and at speed but the views were definitely worth it. After lunch in Glenorchy I'm back at the hotel doing laundry.
Since we're heading towards more cold stuff I'll be breaking out the winter cycling gear tomorrow. Two layers of gloves etc etc.
The route may be the same but the ride can be very different.
( Over the Crown Ranges I go... )
On Tuesday we'll be heading towards Milford Sound and again limitations on geography will create very similar rides
I can too climb hills!
( And I actually made pretty good time too... )
Note: descents are all the sweeter when you've earned them. :)
