Hamilton to Raglan

It was a good rote out of the city and on to some back roads through to Whatwhata before the climb up Old Mountain Road.

I stopped for a cuppa at Whatawhata and couldn't get away! The wee Cafe owner was happy to chat and so was Steve a local who has done the TA. It was good chatting to him coz he noticed my suspension as a little bit deflated and put me on to the Dirk at the  Bike shop in Raglan who was happy to pop some more air in for me. Steve and I were still talking bikes,TA, Gear etc when a foreign woman who had done some riding around Korea became involved in our conversation - she too is keen to do the TA and TALK.

There comes a time when even though you've got a short ride planned that you feel you really do need to be up and moving again. So while still talking I began getting ready to leave and finished the text that I started to draft before Steve began chatting further down the road so as not to appear too rude! Sorry Steve.

I'm now wearing a very light skull cap to skull cap to stop the sunburn through the holes in my helmet - problem then becomes one overheating even with the little hair I have. So it was a visit to the Raglan barber to get it all taken off. Hopefully tomorrow I may be a little more comfortable in the head department.

I've popped in to the library to print off some documents that need signing - good idea however I seem to have forgotton my password and am now having difficulty accessing my account through a public device!

Not to worry I'll sort that out another time.

The sorting out happened this morning when I broke in to the long lost and unuesed email account where the confirmation codes were being sent.

Those who know me know Ihave a tendancy to pop in on people or look people up who I haven't seen in a number of years. And so it was today when I found myself riding right past the front gate of a chap who I worked with 43 years ago. Unfortunately Wally was not home but I did get to speak with his daughter-in-law (m first attempt) and he would have arrived home with a card in a gumboot offering wedding and funeral celebrancy services. He probably thought "Cheeky bugger" what does he think? am I about ready to croak!

Ispent a bit of time chilling in Raglan and caught up with Tony Bruce (our parents were great freinds) and I hadn't spoken to Tony for probably 50 years!

Tony has organised a local to get myself and my bike across the harbour where I will pick up the gravel roads and ride North up the West Coast. It does mean that I won't get that lift until after he has gone and done his crayfishing and checking his pots so Imight not be gettng away until nearer lunchtime.

The two paddle boarders are Tony and his daughter Melena heading back home across the harbour on their commute to their business in Raglan/Hamilton - a daily occurrance for them that at best can take under 4 minutes, normally 7 minutes and the record (well longest) Tony tellls me was two hours forty minutes!