Joy . My Honda Hikoi of Happiness was truly underway .
DECEMBER 19 Great sleep , staggeringly beautiful , cold , clear , still , summer morning , dewy and sparkling as Wellington can be on a good day . On to the ferry , with several riders and steeds , find the tie downs secreted in the bag and secure it all . A very uneventful crossing , flat and grey as we came down the Sounds with smell of rain on the fresh salty breeze . Offloading , I debate wet weather pants on or off , I opt for off . Wrong . Three minutes around
Queen Charlotte drive I stop , and unpack to get the semi-waterproof Scotts out . Always harder to put on in rain . To be fair , they are waterproof , except in the crotch area , which is disappointing , freshly cold , and seems rather personal . The Sounds are glorious at any time however , and need no embellishment , and I adore Pelorus , however I did eye up the Maungatapu Road as I passed it . A few had asked if I had done it , and knowing almost nothing of its current condition ( it had been closed for some months ) I opted for safety and sped along through the Rai Valley .
102 KIWI RIDER