New Zealand lesson numero uno: One does not simply say “coffee” when asked what you would like to drink.
There isn’t just “coffee”; there is a coffee culture and it’s best if you know what to order when asked. The first couple times we looked at each other dumbfounded. We. Had. No. Idea.
Tom and I are simple people. We just drink “drip” coffee – even when visiting Starbucks so this has been a conundrum for us.
I mention this now because for the first time, there was just “black coffee” offered at a petro station we cycled to early this morning. It was in the low forties when we took down the tent at Marble Hill DOC and we were cold!
Great thing though… they also had Flat Whites which have become our fave coffee.
And just so ya know… french fries are chips, potato chips are crisps and pops are fizzies. You’re welcome.☺️
Easy day of downhill riding with just one little summit early in the day. We rolled into Reefton looking for a cafe and who do we see? Our friend Durell from South Carolina who was sheepishly holding a chicken pie. He’s been leapfrogging with us the past few days and he was still taking down his tent when we pedaled past this morning, so something was amiss.
How did he get there so fast, Tom asked. Well he explained in his southern drawl, “I was a little uncomfortable with the traffic so a pick up brought me and my bike to town. I wondered if I’d jumped from the frying pan into the fire with the speed he was driving and the fact that he pulled over and ‘rolled one’ on the way to Reefton.”
Good ole Durell… he makes us laugh and it’s a lot of fun bumping into him.
I really needed an indoor stay for the night (thorough shower, laundry and repacking required) and it wasn’t hard talking Tom into it.
We opted for the Ikamatua Hotel – lol and it’s a one stop shop with simple cabins, laundry and a food-serving tap room that was 💯
Finally, guess who rolled in off the Big River Trail about 6:30pm… our Canadian bebes! While we took on the Rahu Saddle and traffic they opted for the Big River Trail… big accomplishment for them!
We spent the rest of the evening catching up and chatting it up with others about what’s coming up on the West Coast Wilderness Trail and beyond in the Southern Alps.
Click on the image below to view today’s video.
Keep Calm and Pedal On 