No sun today on Day 27 of our tandem tour of Aotearoa/New Zealand, but a rewarding, hard ride from Springs Junction through and over the Victoria Forest Park (between Mounts Victoria and Albert – I just wonder when they might have been named!)

The 45-km pedal to Reefton is described by the Kennett Brothers in their brilliant guide to cycle touring in NZ as one of the best rides on the planet, and Jutta and I wouldn’t disagree.

While the boys and girls we met last night beetled off sideways over seven hours of high mountain bike trails, we tootled along the valley below, meaning that after seven and a bit hours of riding for us, and something like 11 in total for them, we all arrived at the Former Hilton Hotel in Blackball at more or less the same time, ready to share one of the best meals of the trip so far.

105km in one day – one very pleased but also very wet-on-arrival as the heavens opened, and elderly, pair of tandem riders.

Good news from the North. Katie Brayne and Mela are now safely in Wanganu, without an H, having negotiated three days of back-forest tracks ready for the dash to Wellington across much of the route we’ve already travelled with Daisy.

Plans are, perhaps, to meet up in Wanaka way down South, but key thing is, everyone’s well, bikes are behaving themselves, and with luck we should all finish the Tour as planned.