Today was the second day of our Canterbury ride and wine tour. The day was sunny with mild temperatures. We had a lovely breakfast with yet another Flat White.
As we left Hamnar we were grateful that the wind had decreased and what little we had was at our backs.
As we rolled through the farmlands we saw lots of future wool sweaters and lamb chops.
We also saw plenty of domesticated deer. The deer are actually a sort of a hybridized elk. Some of them were brought here from other countries and a few as a gift from American. They do not have any natural predators and populated very quickly eating up vasts amounts of vegetation.
It was discovered that they were also a valuable food source and in the 1960's they were hunted in remote areas using helicopters. The hunters (skid jumpers) shot off the side of the helicopters (the skid). It quickly became a very dangerous and competitive practice and the government allowed them to become domesticated. Protecting both lives and the ecosystem. Now their meat is sold and served in restaurants just like lamb and beef.
The farmlands and hillsides in many areas are lined with massive hedgerows. They are pretty amazing and they line the landscape providing miles of barriers against the winds. The sheep congregate near them when the winds pick up and they provide a very protective shelter. They don't just grow this way, they have to be continually trimmed to maintain their shape. Talk about John b security for the guy who has that job!
We found this sheep monument at a crossroads in the small town of Waikari and I just had to go for a ride!
We wrapped up the day with a little lovely lunch at had a lovely lunch at Waipara Springs Winery. Keeping with true cycling tradition I had a beer at the winery. The salmon lunch looked great, but I chose a tasty chili and bean chicken salad. We are certainly eating well!
Today we ended our two day shakedown event with about 26 miles on these hybrids. I feel pretty confident about my left side riding and am almost comfortable using my rear view mirror on the right side. However, it demands concentration and so I plan to stay vigilant!
The rest of the day will be spent sorting out our road bikes and meeting the rest of our riding partners. We have four from Germany and two Brits.
We get serious tomorrow as we began our tour earnest with a ride from Springfield up to Arthurs pass. We are praying for good weather.
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