Day 27 : Kingston to Bluff to Invercargill 201km cycled

Doing a quick check to see what my last day would entail I realised that I could have just over 200km to cycle today if I couldn't get lift back to Invercargill once I had reached bluff. For some buzzard reason I never contemplated not doing it - wasn't an option having made it this far yet this would be over 60km more to do in one day than I had ever managed to do since I set off. I felt on top form and the weather was perfect - what could go wrong?! This was after all pretty much flat all through this area....

Well flat it wasn't but a breeze all the to Winton it was arriving there by midday and stopping for an hour to grab sandwich and tea. And well then whoever had been keeping an eye on me that day either went out for the night or decided life was too boring watching me do this too easily so it was decided to add a few things to the mix... bit of rain, head wind, increase the traffic and watch those milk trucks laugh as they speed up and send volumes of water hurtling over you and cycle feeling like these next 30km could be your last.

Nightmare only turned as my biker friends honked from behind cheering me on and sending out well wishes and see ya in Invercargill as they passed me by ... turned out to be enough inspiration and two hours from Winton I arrived in Invercargill at 3:15pm amazed I was already here but absolutely soaked through!

Having discovered that this weekend was the Burt Munro Challenge (hero of mine with a record for fastest land speed record for motorbike 1000cc s) I suddenly realised as I passed all these no vacancy signs that accommodation could be an issue that night. Surprisingly though the central Tuatara backpackers had a bed in dorm for me so I soon grabbed the panniers, locked the bike, grabbed a towel and headed for a hot shower... bliss, followed by tea, walk to see the 'Indian' sitting in its case in one of the central malls and throwing my clothes including sneakers into the dryer.

Wasn't till 6pm when the weather changed, my things had dried that I was redressed and on my bike again having debated about seeing my friend James playing instead at the theatre as found out Loons Burlesque was in town. Being so close and flight first thing in morning there was no option but to go now.

Thinking the weather was going my way was soon dispelled as I found myself battling a head wind all the way and the beautifully flat road that I should have been speeding along at around 30km an hour turned into a battle of will vs wind as it took me two hours to reach the 28km and touchdown in Bluff.

Shagged (means exhausted generally) my visions of dancing around to the parade of onlookers clapping enthusiastically to my arrival was tuned down to a brief turn around the pole that was displaying the I made it sign and propping my bicycle up whilst I looked into the camera and mustered up a "I'm here" cry! With the uke remaining firmly inside the pannier and no cars ready to take me back to Invercargill I got back on the bike exhausted and wondering if I would make it through this one horse town and towards the relative metropolis of Invercargill. With a change of heart the wind came to the side then behind me as the daylight soon disappeared and for the first time I turned my cycle lights on. As the final 10km came and I was cycling in darkness the rain decided to join in and an hour and a half from leaving I arrived back into Invercargill and pulled up to the backpackers, showered and eyed up the steep climb to my top bunk before launching into a profound sleep - oh actually before the bed launch I searched food, found MacDonalds instead and satisfied my overgrown hunger with an angus!

Zzzzzzzz