I even got treated breakfast, and it was a nice change to the loaf of bread I was usually eating. Weet-Bix with orange juice and homemade rhubarb cream, which was delicious!
Tomorrow I would climb Arthur’s pass, and today I would just get around 70 kilometres, and refill my food stock, as I wouldn’t pass by a store in about four days. From Michaels house to Ashburton it was around 280 kilometres, which would give me a good average of 70 per day, with the second they being the toughest with the uphill.
On the way to Greymouth I biked past quite a few really nice views. The weather really made everything look more mystique and beautiful!
I even had a plenty good tailwind most of the ride. As I arrived in Greymouth, I needed to get better bungee cords as well, and the fuel for my kitchen was running out. I also wanted to change my pedals to ones who would be better to use when climbing steep roads, as those SPD+flat-pedals were pretty small, and I never use the SPD-side.
As I approached the bicycle store, I recognise a bicycle, which looks pretty empty, though. When I got closer I was sure – it was Heino’s bicycle! His multiple years old thermarest had gone bad, and he was buying a new one in the store next to the bicycle shop. We decided to eat lunch together, and I went to get new pedals.
This is how the bicycle looks like since I got the extra backpack on top, some fuel that didn’t fit my fuel bottle and all free spaces full with food
After shopping for food, fuel any bungee cords as well, we found a small green corner with a bench where we ate our lunch. I ate beans and olives, Heino some yoghurt and stuff. After lunch there was a guy biking over the bridge in front of us, apparently being a Danish guy biking around!
New pedals!
A good bye to the Danish and Heino, and I continued this day’s ride. Even though I went more easterly, I still had tail winds pushing me further! As I left the coast, I initiated a small climb, which would be nothing compared to tomorrow. On the way I saw this fence, full of shoes…
As I was close to where I wanted to stay the night, I remembered it was time to send home a few things… there was a petrol station, closing in just thirty minutes, where I could print some stuff and send it away with their postal service. Good timing!
I spent another hour outside, eating olives, crackers with jam and surfing the internet, waiting for it to get darker, before biking a few kilometres more. There was a small side road with a great place to pitch my tent at, right next to the railway. I thought they didn’t use it too much, but I had great timing going to the bathroom when a train passed by in 20 kilometres per hour…
After refilling water in a house nearby, and tightening my pedal as it was making strange noises, I went to bed, prepared for tomorrow.
Jackiie Gone Biking 
Those are some great photographs of the Ten Mile gorge. Like you say, it looks very moody when covered in cloud and rain.
I am pleased that you found a good camping spot at the end of the day, considering it was me that assured you that you’d have no problem finding a good place there, based only on what I have seen from the window of a train.
Thank you! I really liked some of them.
Yes, and Punakaiki was a good beginning of more wild camping this trip! Been a couple of times now!