We continued cycling along the southern coast, said goodbye to it, and then began cycling inland towards the mountains. The scenery was incredible, as the mountains got closer and closer.

We stopped to pick up food in Tuatapere, the sausage capital on New Zealand apparently. There were lots of sheep shearers in vans being carted around.

Then the rain and wind came in. There was a northwesterly wind coming straight at us for the last 8 miles, which was made a bit more brutal by the rain. By the time we arrived at the campground, we were soaked and worried that the rain would continue, so in a dry spell, we set up the tent and a tarp.

We needn’t have worried. The skies cleared up to a beautiful evening. This was our first night of camping at a primitive campsite. There was one other tent camper and the rest were in camper vans.