Free Fallin

The Otira Stagecoach Hotel was great.  If you have ever watched American Pickers you will understand what I mean when I say that Mike and Frank would love it.  The owner appears to have devoted much of his life to collecting what he probably calls 'antiques and collectables' and everyone else would call 'old crap'.  The odd small space not full of junk had lovely old leather Chesterfields where you could sit and marvel at it all.

The rooms above were spotlessly clean and comfortable and I heartily recommend the place.

We left at about 8am to continue our downhill run out of the mountains.  We barely peddled for the first 20 miles.  The weather started full of promise but within a couple of hours it clouded over and was bordering on chilly.    We plugged away with hardly a hill all day.  In the early afternoon we stopped to pick up a kilo of plums and we arrived at out overnight accommodation in the early afternoon....just as the sun burst through again.  

A typical motel room in NZ costs about 70 quid.  A room in a pub costs about 50 quid.  A room at the Ikamatua Hotel?.........£23!!!

It is quite basic but absolutely fine.......though you wouldn't want to try swinging any cats in our room.  We have access to a kitchen where we can keep our recovery drink cold, a laundry, a small shop right next door and the bar is serving a variety of hot dead animals and chips.

We spent the rest of the afternoon lazing in the sun with an occasional sip of recovery drink while our skimpies dried on the line.  An itinerant kiwi house painter joined us and shared his thoughtful views on the government, Asian immigrants and the price of beer.

Tomorrow we have a date with a pizza.  More to follow.