​ 10/03/2015 - Cycle Touring New Zealand - Day 48 - Visa issues dealt with.

 

Lots of funky Mushrooms around the lake

Distance cycled: 69km from Mavora lakes to Te Anau, South Island, New Zealand.
Average speed: 19.7km/h
Moving Time: 3h31m
Elevation Ascended: 255m
Total Distance on Current trip: 3,493km
Distance until I have cycled the circumference of Earth: 4,914km
Money spent: $25

For whatever reason I was completely exhausted and ill rested, I struggled from the get go and although today's terrain had significantly more downhill than up I struggled; it also didn't help that the wind was against us.
Eventually spencer and I made it into the town of Te Anau where we booked into a hostel for the evening.
Soon arriving I wanted to sleep off the shitty state I was in but I got an email from the Canadian Visa office saying that I had my acceptance letter - this was great news as the Validity of my police check was going to expire tomorrow, this meant that I wouldn't have to go through the process of getting another.
I uploaded all the documents required for the Working holiday Visa I was applying for and all was going smoothly.. Too smoothly.
But when it came to paying the $100CAD fee my card was refused!!! Still exhausted and now stressed I tried every iteration possible with the details to make payment with no luck, I tried Spencer's card.. Without luck! Arrgg! Why wouldn't the Canadian government except my payment method.
I resorted to asking people in the hostel if they were Canadian to help me out using their card. Two girls from Quebec, Stefanie and Joelle were able to help me out using one of their cards. Finally it worked!
Instant relief of stress! Now all I have to todo is wait 6 weeks for my visa.
This is my last visa I'll be able to get for Canada and as I have already booked my tickets to return to NZ for tree planting here I'll use up the visa (24 months) next year.
I know this was off topic from my usual cycle touring blog but this is a huge burden levied from my shoulders.
Even better news is that Stefanie and Joelle were driving to Milford Sounds tomorrow, which is what Spencer and I were looking for as a small day trip to do a hike or two. I asked politely and they were positively happy to have us tag along.
You girls are awesome.
Time for some sleep right now!

08/03/2015 - Cycle Touring New Zealand - Day 46 - Tackling the highest road in the country!

Distance cycled: 72km from Wanaka to just outside of Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand.
Average speed: 16.6km/h
Moving Time: 4h19m
Elevation Ascended: 1475m
Total Distance on Current trip: 3,346km
Distance until I have cycled the circumference of Earth: 5,061km
Money spent: $4 on an ice cream

The last two days of doing nothing but sitting on my laptop to soak up as much internet as I could, ate plenty of food and inhaled chocolate was precisely what both Spencer and I needed. We spent our time at a campsite just on the outskirts of town that offered fast internet and a hot tub with sauna, the perfect retreat for worn down cyclists and at $21 a night to camp not badly priced.
We eventually left the campsite to tackle the highest road in New Zealand between Wanaka and Queenstown that winded up to 1100 meters on a progressively steeper road before dropping down into the valley floor before Queenstown.
It was jaw dropping scenery along the way and near perfect conditions.
I'm guessing you can see that I am absolutely loving this place! It is truly spectacular and easily THE most amazing and picturesque views I have seen in all the countries I have visited over the past 10 years!

05/03/2015 - Cycle Touring New Zealand - Day 45– A Bloody good day.

Distance cycled: 61km from Boundary Creek to Wanaka
Average speed: 17.2km/h
Moving Time: 3h14m
Elevation Ascended: 935m
Total Distance on Current trip: 3,266km
Distance until I have cycled the circumference of Earth: 5,141km

With the most stunning scenery of what New Zealand has offered thus far today was simply epic! These picture depict how amazing our day was. We have now made it into Wanaka where we will be spending the next two days resting and recovering at a campsite. Something that is much needed.

 

04/03/2015 - Cycle Touring New Zealand - Day 44 - a massive improvement from yesterday.

 

Distance cycled: 93km from Haast to Boundary Creek, South Island, New Zealand.
Average speed: 17.9km/h
Moving Time: 5h13m
Elevation Ascended: 1798m
Total Distance on Current trip: 3,205km
Distance until I have cycled the circumference of Earth: 5,202km

The sun was out, the wind on our backs, an addition to our crew and the pure beauty of this country, all these things made us forget yesterday, the most awful day of cycling for me in recent memory.
Knowing we had Haast pass to conquer today having to ascend a steep 600 meters Spencer was worried about his knee, it was bothering him greatly and he was unsure if he would be able to cycle it but he attempted it anyway and succeeded. It was a very steep incline but relatively short, but due to the sun we were all (including a Hungarian guy named Lucas who joined us in the morning) sweating profusely.
Lucas had been on more or less the same trip as us starting in Auckland and headed south and we invited him to join us.
Making it to the top of the pass we were enthralled by the beauty of the mountains that surrounded us, it was breathtaking; this day certainly lived up the notion that New Zealand is the most beautiful place in the world. With more waterfalls you could poke a stick at, towering jagged snow capped mountains in the distance and a valley floor that would channel the wind onto our backs - it was a truly amazing day and the campsite we stayed at wasn't too shabby either - on the edge of the Wanaka lake with little sand flies to drive you insane. It was little wonder that we were all so happy with such an epic day of riding.