March 9: A well-SEALed road

Our breakfast coffee in the bunkhouse is interrupted by the thunder of the morning sheep run: 1000 strong herded by 6 vigorously barking hounds and 2 locals on an ATV. Down the road they ramble in a cloud of dust. This is quite the local farm: sheep, cattle, deer, dogs and of course, grape fields.

After a "goodbye for now, see youz in a few days" to the two puppies, we're back on the bikes. The road drops to the coast, wedged 'tween cliffs and the sea, and trades over, under, and side-by-side with a coastal railroad. Grade is rolling, the breezes gentle, and except for the occasional big truck passing 3 feet off our elbow, it's an idyllic route. Easy to daydream as the almost effortless miles flow by.

The Kekerengu cafe awaits us at 12 miles and Gary's reward is the second biggest piece of carrot cake we'd ever seen; Ellen munches a chickenburgerchickenburger. And we gobble red, ripe grapes hanging everywhere at the cafe and grab a bag for the road; cuz ther's no more food for 35 miles. Twenty more incredible miles. Then at a rest stop we notice the rocks are moving at the tideline! Squinting at the piles of rock and kelp, we see many, many fur seals, dark brown and so similar in color to their surroundings. Then we recognize more and more: moms with juveniles exploring the tidepools, big fat males lounging as only big fat males can, and the occasional screaming baby, temporarily separated from mommy. This is the famous Ohau fur seal colony. An inquisitive and unworried lot they are, after almost having been hunted to extinction.

Finally into Kaikoura by 4pm after 50 miles -- a beautiful town, situated on both sides of a small isthmus, with the local mountains a reach away. In Maori lore, the god Maui stood himself on the Kaikoura isthmus fishing. From his canoe (which was the South Island) he reeled in the North Island. Gosh, that's so much more exciting than either evolution or creation! Tonite's residence is the Lazy Shag Backpackers Hostel. (We have found the private double rooms in hostels to be a cost- efficient and clean lodging option over B&Bs and motels, only you sometimes need to endure a busload of 25 y.o. immature German brats)
The clouds covering the local hills blow out and treats us to a panorama of snow-spangled peaks, as the day closes. More giant green mussels and some Mike's Sassy Red beer.