Ukulele Festivals, Funyaking and much more!

Today was a bit of a non event as far as cycling went. The plan was to head off on unladen bikes and ride to Glenorchy and back - a total distance of about 56 miles. I took the precaution of using some mapping software to check the climb involved after yesterday and we felt 3,200ft was OK. It was only in bed that I realised I had doubled the distance (out and back) but not the ascent and since the route started and ended on the shore of the same lake it meant the total climb was 6,400ft. Given we did around 5,000ft yesterday this simply was never going to happen!  We decided to set off and see how we felt - however when we went to pick up the bikes from the ski room(!!) it was to find I had a soft rear tyre. We couldn't find the problem, so changed the tube and pumped up the old one, which was still hard as a rock when we checked 7 hours later 😡

As a result we didn't get started until 10am and the weather was fairly rubbish - low cloud on the hills, spits and spots of rain and the inevitable headwind. The hills weren't long, but they were relentless, and our hearts weren't really in it so we turned back before lunchtime and came back to explore Queenstown and walk by the lake. In so doing we managed to just get back to the motel, with the food for dinner, when the heavens opened - summer continues apace 😥

Queenstown really isn't our sort of place, but it was interesting to see hundreds of tourists trying to occupy themselves on a dull chilly day. Some were doubtless in the Adult Fun House (don't ask), or the Winery - where at great expense you can sample up to 80 NZ wines, by putting your purchased wine card into a slot by the appropriate wine and choosing how much you want 25ml = a taste, 75ml = half glass and 150 ml = whole glass. The relevant amount is deducted from your card and you carry on until you are either comatose or broke (possibly both).  We had been thinking of doing some kayaking when we get up to Marlborough but it would appear that Kayaking is so last year - now you want to be 'Funyaking', which just sounds too naff to contemplate.

Of course if you don't fancy anything too energetic you can spend the whole of the weekend at a Ukulele  Festival.  Did you appreciate that you can travel the world by searching for ukulele groups on Facebook?  Me neither!  Or how about a horizontal bungee jump (???) through a carpet of ripe cherries  there really is no end to the fun to be had over here.  

Random photos from today, including Chris making up for no pub at lunchtime and us posing with a statue of a Tui bird at Bob's Cove, where you can purchase 'Landscape, Luxury and Lifestyle' - or a holiday cottage to you or I.............