Over Crown Range

26 Mar

I left my diary in Queenstown and have to hitchhike back to get it - luckily it's there! Then starts one of the hardest days so far as it takes me to 1070 m over Crown Saddle, the highest 'highway' in NZ and the highest point on my trip. It's 18 km of continuous climb with two very steep sections. There are spectacular views on the way. I meet Rebecca and Jesse just before the summit and then cycle with them to Wanaka.

After the pass it's downhill all the way to Wanaka, some 40 km. I break a spoke., luckily have a spare one and the guys have tools and help me to fix it. I stay overnight at Lake Hawea about 15 km from Wanaka.