& A Ride into to the Milford Sound
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Blog entry: 18th December 2016
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As we left Riverton, the sky was over cast with a beautiful purple hue. Despite the strong side breeze, there was a surreal calmness; a stillness like we were the only people in the world. Yellow flowers lined the both sides of the road for miles & from them drifted the most beautiful fragrance, the smell of summer.
The first leg of the return trip had started. We were riding north up the west coast along SH99 & our first stop was at Orepuki Beach Café for breakfast. The food was great there & the menu looked amazing!
After breakfast, we rode about 10KMs further up SH99 & stopped to admire McCracken's Rest which gave us our first glimpse of the wild west coast.
We continued on SH99 & for most of the way we were accompanied by a super strong side wind on the vast flats. It would push you to the right & to the left. As you neared the centre line or the ditches running the side of the road, there would be a fight to stay on the road. I managed to keep on the correct side of the road & limit the impact of the wind by lying along my tank but it was still one hell of a fight.
Once we reached Te Anau, we stopped at the Fiordland National Park Visitor Centre for a break. After topping up with petrol we headed into the Milford Sound & boy did it rain becoming progressively heavier & heavier the further in we rode.
Even though it was heavy with rain, there were parts of the ride that I loved despite being totally soaked. The road was not difficult to ride as a wet road, it felt as sticky as a dry road so there was no fear of slipping. Of course, there were some awesome switchbacks which were really enjoyable to ride with variation to the curves & steepness. Riding along the same road both into the sound & out was not boring as each way felt different.
There was a bit of a wait to enter the single lane tunnel into the sound. This gave us time to admire our rugged environment. Sitting on the bike surrounded by the steep mountain walls we had the opportunity to wonder at the many waterfalls that constantly streamed down the mountain sides. It was a beautiful site.
Once we made it into the sound, we didn't stay for long as we were both so drenched. I tried to ring as much water as I could out of my gloves but gave up & swapped them for my summer gloves. It was so nice to put on dry gloves but my hands were frozen on the ride out.
Once we returned back in Te Anau, the sun started to come out. We found accommodation at the Cosy Kiwi Bed & Breakfast. I was so cold after the ride that I couldn't control my shaking. I found it so difficult to hold the pen to sign my name. Then I had what was the best shower that I have ever had & I felt such a different person in the space of 15 minutes. The evening started with some Jäger shots in the afternoon sun to warm us through after the ride.
It was amazing how different the afternoon/evening was to the day; after becoming drenched to the bone a few hours earlier, I was now soaking up the sun enjoying a glass or two of red wine.
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