Day 4

We woke to a frost and the potential for a positive day ahead. Our ‘wool underlay’s’ kept us warm and the morning cup of tea tasted particularly good. Mike dropped us back at St Bathans to start the day and it was just the two of us for the first time on this journey. We wave goodbye to the Cooks at the start of the Hawkdun Run Road and headed into the Oteike Conservation Reserve and over the Omarama Saddle into Omarama. We had a about four layers of clothes on as the morning was very crisp! It only took about 10 km of riding and a warning sun for us to strip back down to one.

The ride up toward the saddle was almost tranquil as we had a tail wind a blue sky day and some sweet chochie biscuits and chocolate rough – courtesy of Donna – in our back pockets!

As we were about to hit the steep climb to the saddle Matt and his dad Pete arrived in the Waitaki Honey ute with a couple of bikes on the back. Matt lost the coin toss and got on his bike and joined us up the climb. We climbed about 300 metres in what seemed about a kilometre and lost 800 in about five going down.

It was pretty much ‘downhill’ with a slight tail wind in to Omarama. Nick, Denis and Matt were escorted in by Pete, Kate and Abby and welcomed into the Omarama camping ground by Mumra and Grandy (Lena and Bob), Sally, CJ and Tilly, Bird, Matt, and friends!

We enjoyed a ‘debrief’ and relaxing afternoon with our welcoming crew and then a soak in the hot tubs at Omarama. With a delicious dinner in Twizel at Al and Jo’s (Aunt and Uncle) and Lena and Bob, it was bliss to have our heads on the pillow with the thought of a rest day tomorrow.

After discussions with some very knowledgeable ‘locals’ we have changed the course and will now bike from Omarama to Ohau C camping ground at the top of Lake Benmore and paddle all of about 3 km to Haldon Motor Camp, mountain bike up to Dog Kennel corner and road bike through to Geraldine.

Signing off… Denis, Nick and Lynelle