Knights in White Satin

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All done.  Our easy day into Auckland turned out to be even easier than expected as we finally caught a proper big tailwind.  Along the way we stopped to rescue a damsel in distress.  A  cyclist was standing at the side of the road, about to call someone for a pick up because she had a flat and no idea how to fix it.  Neil tells me she was quite young and pretty but I honestly didn't notice.

We stopped and fixed her puncture and discovered she is actually an elite ultra long distance cyclist in training for an attempt at the NZ end to end record.  She is fully sponsored and was checking out her new top of the range free bike.  Apparently she normally has a support car to deal with mundane stuff like punctures.

We managed to get an early check in and just about managed to shower in time to meet my friends who presented us with two lovely crisp bike boxes.  We had lunch and a chat with them then set about getting everything packed away..... then cleaning the carpet.  

By the standards of some of our trips this has been a 'mini break' but we notched up 900 miles and got to know some previously unexplored corners of the country.  New Zealand continues to hold a special place for me and I doubt it will be the last visit.

Time for one last meal and, yes, a recovery drink or 3.

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