The bike's thermometer tells big fibs.
New Zealand has today shown its other side to me. Bloody cold! Figured that no holiday in NZ is complete without a bit of the wet stuff and the forecast had predicted it with a cold front moving up the east side of the island which it promptly did last night. No sooner had I arrived yesterday at the Masonic hotel, an art deco type with a lot of 1930's style, that the heavens opened with the wet stuff. Not heavy but enough to water the garden for sure. But not the matter, I had arrived early after a grand run along Gentle Annie I tucked up in an expensive bar charging of 2022 prices for beer so drank slow and cracked on with vid editing and blog bits. Broadband in NZ is not like the UK, i.e. unlimited. I think I used up the hotels months allocation with YouTube stuff cos for sure it was off the air this AM!
Up for an early start as the bike was on a parking meter and being that I am a Yorkshireman I was not to part with another dollar and so on my way by 9am. Definitely cooler than previous days with high pressure in the West and a Southerly wind up the east coast. Now back home a Southerly normally means good warm weather but seeing as I am at the other end of the planet, high pressure systems do two things. 1, spin the wrong way (anticlockwise) and 2, bring bloody cold air in all the way from the south pole I think. Showers were predicted but was looking dry so away I went. Today's jaunt up the coast via Gisbourne to the Te Puka Tavern on the east coast was not as spectacular as earlier days but was needed to get me up onto the north east coast.
Somewhere approx 30k's South of Gisbourne the weather hit. Moments before I has stopped at the roadside and put the fleece on. And thank God I did! The next 30K was wet and bloody cold, that kinda penetrating cold which back home would have the heated grips on and me looking to get back to base ASAP. I suspect that I had caught up with the cold front. Bloody felt like it. The bike climbed into the Wharerata Forset and the thermometer dropped, from 12 degrees to 7. Sorry Ten 12, you are wrong today, the numbness in my hands with silk liner (thanks sis!) and waterproof gloves over, made me forget about the numbness in my arse. Definitely less than 7 degrees. My growing end, being reliable in these matters, vouched for this in that it's 'size' is proportional to the air temperature, so I guess about minus 5 today!
So now I am sat in the Te Puka Tavern bar. Working on the blog and vids with a warm log fire (never thought I would write that in New Zealand) to my arse end, beautiful ocean scene to my front end and surrounded by people in their glad rags for the Melbourne cup. Had no option but to have a go on the tavern sweep stake (because to drink in here one has to be in the sweepstake apparently). So I parted with 5 dollars, closed my eyes, stabbed the clipboard and hit number 11.
And it came second and got placed. I've just won 30 bucks!. Oh dear! Imagine, a stranger, because for sure the rest are locals, comes into a bar and wins the sweepstake. I'm gonna be lynched!
Coming second in most things in life is normally enough for me, including not being first to the top of everything.
As long as I get there Baby!
Speak soon
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