March 24: From pizza to pancakes

Great weather (or as they say here, the "fine" weather) continues. As I awaken at 8am, Rick is just returning from morning walk and grocery shop, and proudly pulls a fresh quart of milk from the bag, enough for us and the motel cat, who hovers outside, and is immediately served the first of his 3 bowls.

We decide to take the sidetrip to see seals at Tauranga Bay. Pass massive Hilcim cement works, which seems to cover the entire peninsula west of town. (One of those awkward situations where the company is so large and employs half the locals that it must go on, so to remediate environmental disasters that are inevitably created, does "goodwill" things like creating wetlands over landfill sites and placing its happy face acronym on every billboard). There were a few Kekeno seals lounging, and even more tourists flapping pictures and urging them to pose. Then out Wilson Lead road and we rejoin Rt. 6 southward.

Meet several groups of cyclists, all going north, including a cute, road warrior Aussie gal living in Christchurch and doing a circuit of the south island, before Jack's Pizzeria magicly appears about lunchtime in the middle of sheep pasture nowheresville. Nothing like a large veggie pizza and a long black to move the day along...

Afternoon is a series of well graded climbs over Pakihi Hill,  that return us to the coast by mid-afternoon. At one point I glance to my left and see a car crashed into the brush down the steep embankment, just sitting there. No bodies...

Along the sea, the breeze thru the palms, pongas, and cabbage trees cools us and sea stacks delight the eye. Could have been the Oregon coast (with palms) One more redzone climb over Perpendicular Point (well named!) before we reach some immense limestone cliffs, canyons of greenery and the hamlet of Punakaiki (Maori "set on stone"), home of the famous Pancake Rocks and Blowholes.

Needed 3 beers each to ease the legs, but we managed...

Darn, no good NZed detective shows on tonite, so we reread the guidebook.

51 miles today/ 1081 miles cum