NEW ZEALAND PART 2: SOUTH ISLAND (PICTON - NELSON - FAREWELL SPIT - WHARARIKI BEACH - MOTUEKA VALLEY - WESTPORT - KARAMEA - SCOTTS BEACH - OPARARA - PUNAKAIKI - CHRISTCHURCH - LAKE TEKAPO - MT COOK NP - CROMWELL - DUNEDIN - INVERCARGILL - BLUFF - TE ANAU - MILFORD SOUND - QUEENSTOWN - FRANZ JOSEF - LAKE MAHINAPUA - KAIKOURA - NELSON)

Part 2 - The eastern route

3^rd Dec 2017, WELLINGTON - PICTON - NELSON

After saying goodbye to my wonderful hosts, Bill and I made our way to Wellington which was about 30kms away. We stopped for a while at the beachfront to enjoy the view and took some pics. Then I trailed behind Bill to the jetty. Bill had purchased my ferry ticket online. FYI, the ticket price varied from time to time. It was ridiculously expensive before, during and after a festive occasion. My ticket to the south island today is NZD84, but for my return journey on 27^th Dec, the price for the same journey but heading north is NZD148. Its also very important to check-in as early as possible at the booth near the jetty because sometimes, the ferry departed earlier than the scheduled time.

Andrew and Edith, my host in Wellington

Bill and I

I chatted with Bill in the ferry for a while but had to excuse myself when I felt a slight dizziness. I managed to doze off and awakened just in time when the ferry entered the passage of small isles of the South Island. Bill was outside and I joined him. The view was so so beautiful and I’m so glad that I didnt miss it. I can see luxury yachts, speed boats and people playing jet ski. The sea was very blue and the mountains on the scattered small islands were so green. Bill told me that the overgrown of the natural plants on the small islands were a problem for the country.

Vehicles inside the ferry

The natural plants which was a problem for the country

 After 3:15 hours sailing, the ferry finally docked in Picton. We rushed to our bikes to get ready to leave the ferry. Bill had told me earlier to take the 35kms scenic but very narrow with lots of tight switchbacks Queen Charlotte Drive road and meet him at a restaurant in Havelock. He was a very skilful rider. Within 10 minutes, he was out of my sight. I rode alone slowly while enjoying the view. It was indeed a very scenic ride. The view was soooo beautiful.

I found the restaurant, and Bill was surprised that it didnt take too long for me to arrive, only about 10 minutes behind him. His biker friend was with him. The seafood pizza which we had for lunch was so yummy. It was my first time tasting NZ prawns and mussels. The mussels were big and juicy. The taste was not the same as Msian mussels which were drier. I preferred NZ mussels much more.

After lunch, we rode back to Bill’s home in Nelson. Again, I lost him after a while. The road to Nelson was in good condition but there were two big hills for me to tackle. I was getting worried because my bike was low on fuel. I found a petrol station but again, only credit card was accepted. There were some bikers here but unfortunately none wanna help me. Okay, so the brotherhood spirit were not as everywhere as I had thought earlier. HAHAHA. I had to ride very slowly and all the while whispering a silent prayer hoping that my bike can last until I found a petrol station in Nelson. Yes, it did, but only until Nelson, not the petrol pump which was 2 kms away. I stopped a car asking for help. The nice guy asked me to wait while he drove back to his house nearby. He came back with a jerry can and poured some fuel for me. I thanked him for his help and rode straight to the petrol station to fill up my tank.

Thank you for helping me :)

I found Bill’s house without difficulty. Bill lived on a hill. His house was big and beautiful. He was worrying about my delay and I told him what had happened. I was introduced to her kind wife, Cornish. We chatted for a while at the balcony while enjoying the beautiful green view down the valley. How I wished I can have a house like this. Later in the evening, the couple treated me at a Malaysia restaurant. Bill ordered laksa, Cornish had fried noodles and I ordered chicken rendang which tasted more like curry, but delicious nevertheless.

4^th Dec 2017, NELSON

Today is my rest day at Bill’s house. I managed to wash the bike which was so dirty due to the rainy ride in North Island previously. I was so amazed to see Bill’s garage. He was a collector. He got approximately 40 bikes of different brands (mostly Ducatis and Bimotas) inside the garage and there were some which he had to put elsewhere because his garage was already full. He also had complete tools and machines to work on his bikes. Amazing.

Some of Bill's collection

While in Nelson, the couple took me for sightseeing inside the town and we also went to see the port and sunset at a view point. 

As a token of appreciation, I offered to cook for them. Bill brought me to Countdown supermarket and we asked the butcher about halal meat. We were informed that all sheeps and cows in NZ were slaughtered by muslim butchers so its halal. The only issue was the cutting table where the supermarket staff sliced the meat into smaller portions as it was shared for all kinds of meat including pork. We asked for a new meat (straight from the box and not yet processed). We headed home and I busied myself at the kitchen, cooking lamb briyani rice with lamb curry and stir fry mixed vege. I am sooo glad that my hosts loved my cooking.

I also took the time to study my upcoming route and answered to lots of messages in my inbox. Among the commonly asked was why was my bike stranded by the road side due to dried tank? The answers are:

1. The bike I’m using didnt have a fuel indicator, so I had no idea how much fuel left in the tank.

2. Not just that, when the fuel had reached reserved, the warning light didnt turn on automatically.

3. Seriously lack of petrol stations especially in the remote area in NZ...and I’m not riding at popular destinations only, I covered the road less travelled as well.

4. Not all petrol stations here accept cash. Some only accept credit card. I’m reluctant to use my Malaysian credit card due to the ridiculous charges.

5. The roads in NZ are not always flat but with lots of ascends and descends. There are times that I had to fight with the wind coming from front or sides. This makes it difficult for me to predict how much fuel had been used. On flat road and non-windy days, the full tank can last for 250kms, but there are times that the tank dried in less than 200kms covered because of using low gears and fighting head wind.

Conclusion, taking spare fuel is essential!!!  

5^th Dec 2017, NELSON - COLLINGWOOD

I left Bill’s house after lunch. I stopped by at Pak n Save in Richmond (my favourite supermarket as things sold here were the cheapest compared to other outlets) to buy some groceries. My destination for today is Collingwood. I had to climb up Takaka Hill on route 60. As usual, the road was winding but the view of the valley was awesome

I had some difficulties finding my host’s house. My GPS (which I only used to find certain places) directed me to another house which I need to cross a small stream. The owner told me that my host’s house was next to him but I need to take another path. So I had to cross the stream once again. Fortunately I didnt drop the bike as the base was very rocky. 

I found the house and waited for my host, Joe Hambrook, to return home from work. Joe is an advrider whom I met during Horizons Unlimited event in Sumbawa last May. Joe finished his 6 years RTW ride few months back and now settled back in his homeland. 

Joe's cute house

Joe arrived about an hour later. It was so nice meeting him again. Unfortunately, Joe had to work outstation for the next days, but he let me stay at his home. That night, as it was the eve of my birthday, Joe treated me dinner at a cafe. I had mussels soup eaten with gingerbread. Thanks Joe.

6^th Dec 2017, WHARARIKI BEACH

Happy 50^th birthday to meeeeee. My bday was spent with a beautiful ride to Farewell Spit and Wharariki Beach. This was the good things when you stayed with locals as they will advise you the bestest places at remote areas which normal tourists had no clue. 

Blue water on the left, green on the right. Amazing.

To get here, I had to ride till the end of the paved road at Puponga village, followed by 6kms on gravels and finally, a nice 1km hike on rolling hills to the beach. 

First sight of Wharariki Beach

It was a bit hard to walk on the thick soft sands for the last 300m but it worth all the effort. It took me 30 minutes to hike because of lots of stopping for pics. The viewwww...soooo lovely. What better way for an advrider to spend a bday than being on a secluded beautiful beach with a nice bar of dark choc given by Bill?

I enjoyed the beach and sea view from a small hill for about 2 hours. The beach was deserted. Less than 10 people on a beautiful white sandy beach with the very blue waters. What more can I ask on a bday? Almost every year since the past 7 years, I celebrated my bday alone outside Msia, but I never regret it at all. In fact, I’m enjoying every moment of it. TQ Allah for another year of life, the good health, the rezeki, and all the nikmat and travel opportunities that You gave me.     

Love the bushes

7^th Dec 2017, COLLINGWOOD - MOTUEKA VALLEY - WESTPORT - KARAMEA

I couldnt sleep last night. I had no idea why. Maybe because of the quietness of Joe’s house which was surrounded with lots of trees and a bit inside from the main road. Its too quiet that if I drop a pin on the floor, I can hear it. I managed to doze off for 2 hours or so. Around 8am, I packed my things and leave. I should ride to Abel Tasman NP as the view was said to be very beautiful. However, its a long ride today and its going to take 2 hours return trip to get there as the road to Abel Tasman was narrow and winding, so I had to give it a miss. I took the same route 60 passing by Takaka Hill. Then I turned right at Motueka and took Motueka Valley Road and route 6 along greenish Buller River. The road was very quiet but beautiful. Only once in a while, I saw other vehicles. Gone were the green grasses which I had witnessed since the past 2 weeks and was replaced by orange and yellow views. The wind was pretty wild but still tolerable. I had been riding almost 8hrs but only managed to cover 300kms due to stopping frequently for pics.

I saw this unique tree at Motueka Valley

Beautiful Buller River

I stopped at Westport for a short break and to use internet as I’m not sure if the place I’m heading today has data coverage or not. After that I continued for another 100kms more along the coast on route 67 to reach Karamea. The Karamea Highway was very deserted, narrow, winding and climbing. There were few stretches where the road was broken due to landslides. I was so tired by the time I reached my destination. I went straight to Karamea Holiday Park campground but the fees were expensive. I searched for another place and settled at Karamea Domain campground which also had dorm beds. I paid NZD28 (for 2 nights at the dorm). I made friends with Dominic, Tom and Nadia and we agreed to go sightseeing together the next day.

8^th Dec 2017, KARAMEA

After breakfast, we hopped into Dominic’s car and drove to the end of the road at Kohaihai Shelter. This place was in Kahurangi National Park. Then we trekked for 3kms to Scotts Beach. This was the reason why I rode so far to Karamea, to see this beach. It took us 2 hours return trip by foot. It was pretty exhausting for me as the track was on rolling hills. This same track was also part of the 4 days 82kms Heaphy Track (one of the nine great NZ walks). I was amazed to see some veterans carrying their heavy backpacks doing this track whilst I was huffing and puffing after only 3kms of trekking. However, as the saying goes, “no pain, no gain.” The super awesome secluded Scotts Beach was sooo clean and soooo beautiful, I dont wanna leave. I was sooo grateful to my NZ friends for telling me about this remote beach as I wouldnt know of its existence if they didnt tell me. There were only us and two other people here. It was amazing to watch the huge waves crashing the beach. How nice if I can pitch my tent here, but as at Wharariki Beach, theres no campground on the beach here and wild camping are strictly prohibited.

Sway bridge at the beginning of the track

The first sight of Scotts Beach

Finally...

After we get back to the car park, we went to for another hike. It was 32kms (return) on rough gravels to reach the site but its well worth the effort. We hiked for another 3 hours more, making a loop, ascending and descending the Oparara Track to see the Oparara Arch, Moira Gate and the Mirror Lake. The view of the lime caves was stunning, but by now my legs are screaming. 

My trekking buddies

9^th Dec 2017, KARAMEA - CAPE FOULWIND - PUNAKAIKI PANCAKE ROCKS - ARTHURS PASS - CASTLE HILL - CHRISTCHURCH

Its a looonggg journey of 450kms today. I started from Karamea in the morning taking the same way back to Westport. My 1st stop was Cape Foulwind and the Seal Colony at Tauranga Bay. Its a 16kms detour from Westport to reach here. I need to hike a little bit to reach the viewpoint. I'm lucky to be able to see some seals. Can u see them in the pics? They disguised really well. It was amazing to see them hopping on the rocks and swam in the sea like a pro, and struggled to get back to shore as the waves were huge and they got slammed on the rocks. As my destination was still far, I could only watch them for 30mins even though I felt that I can spend all day watching them. Do u know that seals can swim at 30kmh speed?

I saw a deer farm while riding on Wilsons Lead Road to get back to the highway. I couldnt help but to stop by the roadside to admire them. The deers came running to the fence upon hearing my bike’s engine sound. The sight of their ears perked and their big curious eyes looking at me was the 2^nd cutest sight that I had seen in my life (the 1^st will be the marmot’s act in Kyrgyzstan mountains). How I laughed upon watching them.

Then I continued riding south via route 6. The weather was sometimes very cloudy and at other times, theres little sunlight. However the wind was blowing like real crazy and I was worried of my ride along the coast. Few times the wind gusts shoved me, but I can still control my bike. My next stop was Punakaiki Pancake Rocks. I had been here during my NZ first visit in 2002 but I revisit to see what had changed in 15 years. Indeed there were some changes on the limestone rock erosions. Also the walkway was longer now compared to before. Last time you could only view the flat part from a distance away (which a Msian gymnast, forgot her name, did somersaults for MILO commercial), but now the improved walkway enabled me to see the pancake layers really up close. Its an amazing sight of how wind, temperature and salt managed to give effect on such rocks. Subhanallah for His creations.

I stopped for fuel at Greymouth. I remembered my horror experience staying at a haunted YHA Hostel here, way back in 2002 (not knowing that I will experience the same for tonight). I continued riding and upon reaching Kumara Junction, I took the left turning via route 73. It was raining as I ascended the narrow road to Arthurs Pass so I had to ride really carefully. 

It was cold and I was freezing. Fortunately the rain stopped after the pass and I was blessed with a very breathtaking view which amazed me so much. The most beautiful scenic road in NZ, I must say. The view seemed like Kyrgyzstan + Mongolia + Utah combined together. I’m sure it would have been lovelier if theres enough sunshine. Unfortunately the sun was too shy and the wind was crazy. I was shoved few times, but not as bad as the other day at Rimutaka Hill. Besides, there were very few vehicles on this road so its not that stressful.

My next stop was Castle Hill. I was already tired and cold by this time, so I didnt feel like walking anymore.

Finally, I reached Christchurch after riding 450kms in 10 hours (inclusive of refuel and sightseeing stops). In Malaysia, I can do 450kms in 4 hours (or less), but not here in NZ. Especially when the road was winding, wet and slippery. Dont be overconfident to speed when it rained. There were plenty of warning signs showing ‘slippery when wet’ road. You may have the greatest riding skill, but the road might not compromise with you.

I checked in at an Air BnB house which owned by a Chinese family. I was surprised to know that I was the only occupant in the whole house which was newly renovated. Theres no facility in the house except a kitchen cabinet, a fridge, a kettle and a bed and a small table in my room. I was told that the owner just bought this house and I am his first tenant. I was happy to get one whole house for the price of a room. I’m sure I will get a decent sleep tonight. Not like sleeping in dorms where lots of concerts being played throughout the night. But how wrong I was.

After showered, prayed and rested a little bit, My Malaysian biker friend, Fendi Lokman arrived. He and his friends from OBAMA Bikers were done riding in NZ and they were having a BBQ party that night. I followed them to their rented apartment and met the whole group and their families. Delicious BBQ lamb, chicken, mutton and other variety of foods were served. I loved the lasagne made by one of them, so yummy. I chatted with Dato Faizal, Nazli and the others while eating. To my surprise, they also celebrated my birthday. Never did I celebrate own bday abroad with a bday cake. This was the very 1st time. I was almost into tears for their thoughts. Thank you very much Fendi and the whole group for making this year a special one for me.

Fendi sends me back to my apartment at 11am. Around 12.30am, while I was about to doze off, I heard funny noises from the room next door. What was that? Suddenly, I heard a loud door slam sound which made my heart throbbed like a machine gun vomiting bullets from its mouth. I sat on my bed and tried to focus. I remembered checking all the other rooms this afternoon, and obviously, the only room with furniture was in my room. But how come I heard the sound of rusty hinge of a cupboard door being opened and closed? How come theres a squeaking sound of someone changing position on a rusty wooden bed?

I was very scared. I dared not move from my bed. My eyes fixed on the door, ready to jump if someone/something enters my room. There were times that the sound was so loud, I felt like my heart was being ripped off. I put up a post on FB telling what had happened and received lots of replies. Some insensitive so-called friends regard my post as funny. Yeah, its very funny. Wait until you experience it yourself, all alone in a foreign place, and tell me how do you feel...and thats if you dont die of a heart attack. Dont worry, I promise not to laugh.

10^th Dec 2017, CHRISTCHURCH

I survived the whole night without sleeping a wink. Imagine...after a very exhaustive ride from Karamea to ChCh, and returning to my room with a very full stomach from the BBQ party, I ended with no sleep at all. The scary sounds finally stopped nearing sunrise. I was so sleepy by then but all I wanted was to get out of this house ASAP. I’m supposed to stay here for 2 nights (and had already paid). However, after what had happened, I contacted the owner and asked for a refund for the 2^nd night. Fortunately he understood. I checked in at another Air BnB, and this time I got a room in a family’s home. It was expensive for my budget, NZD50 per night, but I was tired and sleepy. So I slept the whole day and night to make sure the money I paid really worth it. HAHAHA...

11^th Dec 2017, CHRISTCHURCH - LAKE TEKAPO

I should visit Akaroa yesterday but I had to forgo it due to sleeping the whole day to recharge. Never mind, perhaps some other time. My destination for today is Lake Tekapo. The weather was so-so, but the ride was so scenic via route 79 – 8. Lupines were blooming everywhere. It was soooo colourful. Being a flower lover, I had to stop now and then for pics. I even brought my bike into the flower beds.

Arriving Tekapo, I stopped at Church of Good Shepherd for more pics. This place is a must visit in Tekapo and perhaps the most photographed in NZ. Its a very small one, more like a chapel. The view of Lake Tekapo was beautiful as well. I met an advrider from UK here and we chatted for a while.

Then I rode to Lake Tekapo Holiday Park. I pitched my tent at the best spot I can find. The fee is the most expensive throughout the entire campsites which I camped in NZ (NZD22 per night) but the security and facility were superb. I went for a stroll in the afternoon. Theres a hot steam bath center nearby but the entrance fee was not in my budget. During the night, I spent the time on the beach chair looking up the sky. Tekapo was said as the best place to stargaze in NZ. Indeed it was. Millions of stars twinkling and milky way appeared soon after. I was in awe looking at it. Subhanallah...

Lake Tekapo

12^th Dec 2017, LAKE TEKAPO - MT COOK NP

I continued my ride from Lake Tekapo to Mt Cook via Lake Pukaki. Its only 103km in distance. The weather is unpredictable but the views were magnificent. Blue lakes with the background of snow peak mountain and the blooming lupines....Its very picturesque. 

I stopped at Lavender Farm. To my surprise, a group of Malaysian tourists was there and one of them was my follower. She recognized me straight away and called her friends for a selfie with me. It took about 10 minutes to entertain them. I should have charged NZD10 per pic taken with me and I can use the money for my fuel, dont you think so? HAHAHA...I’m just kidding.

A souvenir shop at the farm

I continued riding to Mt Cook National Park. As I’m nearing the end of route 80, the view of the gigantic Mt Cook came into view. It was magnificent. 

Lake Pukaki

I found White Horse Hill campground and searched for a place to pitch my tent. It was a weekday, but there were too many people at this campground. After taking a short nap, I trekked the fame Hooker Valley Track. The 10kms trekking took 3 hours (return). The view of Mueller Lake and the bushes along the way were charming in its own way. I had to cross 3 bridges (including a swing bridge) to reach the edge of Hooker Lake. It was quite a walk. 

The reason why I trekked is to witness glaciers and icebergs on the lake. I had never seen an iceberg before. It was an incredible sight. The rivers and lakes were greyish in colour, perhaps due to the sediments from the glaciers. I can only spend 10mins at this viewpoint as I was freezing. The wind was blowing like crazy and the sun was hiding behind thick clouds. Brrrrrrr...

On my way back, again I bumped into a Msian family who also recognized who I was. After a quick conversation and photos, I hurried back to my campsite before it gets dark. The temperature dropped as night fallen. I cooked macaroni for dinner and then retire for the night. I woke up in the middle of the night in need for the toilet and was in awe looking at the brightly lit sky above my head. It got colder after midnight being the lowest at 8’C, but I was comfortable in my tent. Why? Because I was ready this time with a better sleeping bag and a fleece blanket to keep me warm.

13^th Dec 2017, MT COOK NP - CROMWELL - MOSGIEL

It was chilly in the morning as it was cloudy. However, it was not so bad until the rain fall as I was heading to Twizel. I was lazy to stop but it was very cold due to the rain and wind, so I had no choice but to stop by the roadside and put on my Givi raincoat, Hevik buff and balaclava and the heated gloves from USA which my friend Deborah bought for me. The heated gloves were heaven and I felt warm instantly. 

Lindys Pass

I stopped at Cromwell which was a must in NZ. Cromwell was famed for its orchards and fruit ice cream. I took the opportunity to taste the ice cream. Mmmm...sweet and yummy. 

Then I continued riding via route 8 – 85 – 87 (passing by Cromwell Gorge – Clyde – Middlemarch) as suggested by Bill. Indeed it was a very scenic ride. The view of Clutha River was beautiful and the moment I rode on route 87, I felt as if I’m not on earth. The view was yellowish and very barren. It was like I’m on a different planet.

I was enjoying the ride until suddenly the rainfall again. I thought it was only for a short while as the sky far ahead looked bright so I didnt stop to put on my rain gadget. However, I was wrong. The rain became heavier and I was totally soaked to the bones. I was shivering in and out. My mistake.

A traditional water spray

Ohhhh noooooo!!!!

The ride became more stressful when the vision was dropped to 10 meters only due to thick fog. I was very tired, cold and hungry, but I still had 65kms more to reach my host’s house.
The narrow winding road didnt give me any excitement anymore. I was struggling to finish the ride. 

Finally, I arrived Mosgiel during sundown and was welcomed warmly by my hosts, Alex and Mary Cockburn. I was showed to my room to change and Mary made me a hot dinner and coffee.

14^th Dec 2017, DUNEDIN

Today is my rest day. Alex who was a retiree took me out for sightseeing in his Mercedes. We drove to Orokonui Ecosanctuary. This place was a wildlife refugee center. We chatted at the observatory cafe and witnessed the green surrounding us from the glass while having coffee. Alex and all my other hosts were bikers and were linked to me by either Bill or Heather. Alex told me his riding adventures and it was fun to listen.

After that we drove down to Port Chalmers and view the port from a hill. The view was nice. I really loved the blue sea.

We also drove inside Dunedin and I asked Alex to drive me to Otago University. This was my lecturer’s university (Prof Dr Md Amin). I had been here in 2002. It was nice to stroll around and see the architecture of the buildings which strongly had British influence.

We then headed back home. Too bad I cant see the albatross as now is not the season. Upon reaching home, Mary took me out to the supermarket to buy groceries as I had promised to cook for dinner. The menu was sweet n sour fish and stir-fry broccoli with carrots.

After dinner we chatted at the living room while sipping coffee. I enjoyed listening to Mary. She was a great storyteller. She talked about her kids, daughter-in-laws and her grandkid. Her eyes twinkled while talking to show how much she was proud of her boys. I didnt realize the clock ticking when listening to her. The next thing I knew, it was already 11pm.

15^th Dec 2017, MOSGIEL - INVERCARGILL - BLUFF - WINTON

I said goodbye to my kind hosts and rode south via Route 1. According to Alex’s suggestion, I should visit Nugget Point Lighthouse and then follow the Southern Scenic Route. It was a bit difficult to find Nugget Point as I’m not using any navigator, but I found it anyway. I had to trek for about 20 minutes to reach the lighthouse and along the way, I could hear the seals howling a sad cry. The view was not so great because it was cloudy.

The track to the lighthouse

My next stop was Purakaunui Falls. I had to ride on gravels for about 5kms and then walked 1km to reach the falls. I met Malaysian people again but I just smiled at them. The falls were not as beautiful as in internet pics.

I continued riding via Southern Scenic Route. There were lots of trees here. As I was bypassing Catlins Conservation Park, I started to feel the crosswind. It gets stronger and stronger and was really blowing when I reached Invercargill. Dato Siti Nurhaliza’s husband had a serious fall here while riding his rented motorbike a few years ago, due to the wind. I assumed the wind speed was 50kmh, enough to blow my light bike if I didnt ride with a suitable speed. It was scary, but my previous hosts had thought me how to deal with the situation. I should ride with accordingly speed, not fast and not slow. It was quite a tough ride but I had to hang on for another 30kms to reach Bluff, the southernmost of the south island, NZ.

However, the tiredness released upon finally rolling my wheels at the end of the road at Sterling Point. I parked my bike in front of the famous sign and posed for pics. There were some tourists from Singapore and a busload with European tourists. They gave me a loud applause when they find out that I'm riding solo in NZ and finally reached the southern tip after a journey of 5000km. Girls power, they said. It was a proud moment for me :)

The end of the road

I rode the same way back to Invercargill. I was supposed to visit Bill Richardson Transport World, a huge museum displaying all kinds of land transport, but I didnt have enough time. I only posed outside the museum.

I sped as fast as I can to Winton. As I rode further away from Bluff, the wind lessened and I finally reached my host’s house around 5pm. My hosts, Jan and Phil had been waiting for me. They used to live in Msia for few years. Their daughter Sarah was babysitted by my bff Deborah sometimes then. Deb was the one linking me with them. They had a nice big house which was not actually built on this spot. Phil showed me pics and videos of how the house which was built at another place but transported to the current location. It was an amazing technology.

I had promised to cook curry for them so I busied myself at the kitchen. Jan had purchased halal beef from the supermarket. We chatted while cooking. I couldnt help laughing when I saw Jan’s pestle and mortar. She admitted that it was brought from Msia. She had a cabinet fool of herbs and spices to cook Asian food. It made my cooking a lot easier. Sarah and her husband Greg arrived before dinner with their kids and we had dinner together. Thank god they loved my cooking. As a matter of fact, they loved Msian food so nasi lemak, roti canai, roti telur, rendang etc were mentioned in our conversation. Phil also asked me about the political situation in Msia as he knew a little bit of whats going on in my country.

My host in Winton