Leaving Nelson and heading for Lake Brunner
I decided to have a quick coffee and energy bar for breakfast to make plenty of time for the 400Km ride today. The current weather forecast looked very mixed along the west coast, and I wanted to make good progress before stopping for an early lunch.
The route today is a superb mixture of coastal views and inland ranges, navigating through tobacco fields and apple orchards. You can easily get carried away with the Suzuki Bandit’s huge torque whilst navigating the sweeping roads through Murchison, and out to the coastal town of Westport.
The route 6 south of Westport provided an opportunity to stop at Cape Foulwind to ride the short coastal road to the seal colony. Unfortunately I didn’t see any seals today, however the views were amazing, and well worth the extra stop.
Heading south from Cape Foulwind the weather started to become colder and wetter, so the waterproofs needed to be pulled from the rucksack again.
My final planned stop before Lake Brunner was the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki, which stretch from the coast to form dramatic water spouts when the waves crash through them.
I reached Lake Brunner late in the afternoon, just in time to watch the sunset over the lake before dinner. I could definitely feel the weather turning a lot colder today, which didn’t detract from the amazing scenery and roads I’d travelled and enjoyed.
After a drink and a hearty meal, it was time get plenty of sleep for the following day, which includes a ride via the famous Arthurs Pass.