Day 14

Today dawned very cold after an intensely annoying night’s sleep. The people in the site next door returned at midnight, talked loudly for some time then had some friends roll in at around 4am, talk loudly and execute a many-point turn with a trailer. At one point I though they were about to run my tent over but was too tired to care (my bike would be another story!).

We left Martinborough at 7.30am, biking through the freezing cold air towards a vision of breakfast in Featherston (or as my GPS app says, Fea-therston). It was a chilly hour of riding but beautiful in the early light. A big breakfast at Everest Cafe and a triple-shot coffee made the world seem much friendlier and warmer!

Then it was down what’s now a very familiar road to the Remutaka Incline turn off. We reduced our tyre pressures and headed up the singletrack, then up the steady but good-gradient climb to the summit. Compared to the wind and rain the last time I was there in January, it seemed like paradise. At the summit and beyond, there were lots of other cyclists out enjoying the day. We zoomed past a few on the downhill.

Down through Tunnel Gully, Jackson caught up with us – we’d last seen him on the Timber Trail some time ago but he’d had a couple of easy days since. He’d had an unfortunate off at the end of the Remutaka trail and was sporting a few steristrips on his face. We cruised down to Te Marua dairy and had lunch – a chocolate milk and an icecream for me. Then it was back through the familiar world of the Hutt River trail.

Around Moonshine, a cyclist beside the road said my name and I quickly recognised Dirk, who’d kindly come to meet us and ride together down the river a way. It was great to chat about shared TA experiences (Dirk having completed TA16) and to see a familiar face. At one point, we found Jackson cycling back towards us, his day going from bad to worse – he’d realised he’d lost his phone. But after ringing it, he found a kind person had picked it up, and he was off to retrieve it from their house near by. Bikepacking being a small world, Dirk and Jackson knew each other.

Dirk peeled off home and Josh and I continued down the trail, with Jackson catching us again before long. We headed through the Hutt and towards Petone, where near the bridge some other familiar people were waiting to surprise us  – Dad and Lesley and my uncle John had come to offer homemade muffins and juice. It was lovely to have their support and congratulations for making it this far!

Soon the three of us set off again along the foreshore, dodging many pedestrians in the shared path, and down the terrible cycle path beside the Hutt road. Thorndon Quay continues to be a deathtrap even at weekends but we stayed alert. We waved good bye to Jackson, who was ending his TA journey in Wellington this time, and then turned right to head up past parliament. We stopped to turn off our spot trackers (although true to form, mine only got as far as Ngauranga), and then headed to Karori where Richard was waiting. While I’m used to my commute home, it was a slightly brutal last 6km uphill for Josh – notching up 106km for the day. We’re planning a day of rest and bike maintenance tomorrow, then heading south on the Bluebridge on Tuesday.