Date: Saturday, 16 February 2013
Route: Home to Renwick
Distance: 60km, including ride to ferry from home
Weather: clear sky and hot, no wind
Accommodation: On the Terrace Bed and Breakfast, Renwick – recommended for good value, spacious private accommodation, friendly hosts

Murphy was on holiday with us this morning. Firstly, one of the headlamps didn’t work. We needed them as we were leaving at 6am and it was only just getting light. Kris tried to fix it but gave up and so we took the spare.
Then I got a flat tire on a rock near the bottom of Horokiwi road – even though we were going really slow and carefully as we knew there was lots of debris on the road. I just didn’t see it. We changed the tube in a huge rush. I was getting really tense about being late for the ferry check in. In the end we got there about 7.15, rather than 7.00 for the 8am ferry, and it really didn’t matter.

The ferry crossing was very smooth and trouble free. We wheeled our bikes on with the rest of the passengers and they tied them up at the front of the the car deck. It was nice being some of the first people off the ferry with the foot passengers.

The Picton to Renwick ride was relatively easy. Only one manageable hill just out of Picton. We turned off the main road onto a quiet country road as soon as we could at Tua Marina. Stopped and bought some plums from a road side stall – the kind where there is no one around, you just place your money in a nearby box. The road runs alongside a river, and we began to notice vineyards. We also noticed that my back tyre was a bit soft. We pumped it up a few times along the way – having to admit that I had my second puncture of the day. The road turned to gravel for a few km – I was really happy to see that tar again with my dodgy tire.

Renwick is a small town surrounded by vineyards with not much else in it. It was really hot when we got here so we ended up drinking some very refreshing beer at the pub, where we also ate. The locals were watching a darts tournament on TV (out in the cool porch where we were sitting). Kris brushed up on his understanding of the rules with them and explained them to me – so I learnt something unexpected today.

Our B&B accommodation is very neat and spacious. It is a self contained flat connected to the house. Plenty of garden to do bike repairs in (patching the tube this time). We were told we could help ourselves from the apple tree which is loaded with fruit. There are also a heap of olive trees all bearing green olives and a grapevine.