One problem with the New Zealander's way of life is that sometimes things are a little too loosely organised.
We had tried cycling with our bags on our backs and it wasn't happening so the canoeing company told us the local post woman would collect them from Jerusalem in the morning and take them to the holiday park in Wanganuii ready for our arrival in the evening. BUT, when we woke up in the morning, no one in the village could tell us what time the post woman would be arriving. We had no details for the post woman, no way of asking the canoeing company if they'd told her she was to collect the bags, and no idea where to wait for the post woman. My usual skills of organisation and preplanning had failed us.
We waited by the post boxes at the end of the road from 8am until 10.30- still no sign of said post woman. So Luke and I, since I was the slowest in the group on a bike, decided we'd better leave the bags with Renee and Olli and get moving or else never make it Wanganuii.
We cycled for just under an hour to a small cafe in a place called Matahiwi. It's funny- you could be in the middle of nowhere but suddenly a 'great coffee' sign pokes up from behind the bushes and your day is made!
We went inside in the hope for a 'great coffee' but then realised we had no cash and of course the tiny cafe in the middle of nowhere didn't take card! We turned to leave when the owner chased us and offered to give us the coffee if we paid the canoe company when they collected our bikes who would then give the cash to the post woman who would then give the money to the cafe!
It was all very complicated but we got coffee and they eventually got their money (unless the canoe company did a runner with it) so it's all good! We're constantly amazed by how trusting everyone is and how willing people are to go out of their way for you.
Olli and Renee eventually arrived (post lady collected bags at 11) and they too had an on-loan-coffee before we headed off towards Wangareii on the bikes once again.
It was so much fun- the road was just slightly hilly. Every up had a nice steady down hill and the road wasn't busy enough to put me off of actually riding the bike. It was chucking it down with rain pretty much all day but it didn't matter- just spent the day thinking how proud dad would be that I'd not only cycled, but cycled in the rain just like in England!
We had one really steep hill which when I first saw it, I insisted I'd have to get off the bike and push. I stuck with it thanks to a little enforcement from Luke and managed the whole way without stopping or getting off- was very proud of myself!
The rest of the way from there was downhill until we reached the town. We did our shopping for the next few days and then rode to the holiday park where we were staying for the night. We decided on veggies and pasta for tea with garlic bread- Luke had to carry a French stick on his back all the way from town to the holiday park which was very amusing to watch and well worth it.
We had marshmallows on the fire and stayed in a cabin for the night in reward for cycling 78km and therefore having very, very sore bottoms!
Long, tiring, but amazing day.
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