Time: 5:14 Distance: 86.84 km Ave: 16.5 Max: 46.5 Altitude Gain: 336 m

I'm in Omarama (O-mara-ma) after what has been a glorious day and fantastic cycling. For the first time this morning I got away at a reasonable time after forgoing my usual breakfast and eating at the bakery. It was only 8:20 am when I left, much earlier than I managed the past few days. It was bright and clear, no wind, and about 11 C - perfect cycling weather.

Leaving Lake Tekapo I had planned to take the hydro canal route, but a road closed sign deterred me and I continued along the highway. The canal crossed the highway a few kilometres further on, and seeing several vehicles take the turn-off I followed. What a fantastic ride it was - downhill all the way on a quiet road, cool but sunny, no wind - wonderful.

Presently I arrived at a salmon farm in the middle of the canal. Along the canal banks near the farm there were many people fishing - chasing the odd escapee, and the trout that congregated to eat the feed that the salmon missed. A small shop sold fresh salmon, and I stopped at a picnic table for a morning tea muffin.

Continuing along the canal bank I soon came to its end, where huge penstock pipes carried the water to a power station on the shore of Lake Pukaki. Further on I crossed the dam wall, then enjoyed a long easy downhill run into Twizel, and had a huge burger and chips. I didn't linger very long, as I still had 30 kilometres to go, but with more downhill running and a favourable wind I reached my destination just before 4 pm, and took a cabin in the holiday park.

The past two days have been a real lesson in NZ geography - yesterday after leaving Fairlie I travelled through agricultural midlands, then when I reached Burke's Pass the landscape changed to alpine within a few kilometres, and I was riding through bare brown tussock grass hills, with the signs of ancient glaciation all around. U-shaped valleys, moraines, hard stony terraces, snow-capped mountains and glacial lakes. Amazing! Then south of Twizel there is a vast area of irrigated farms, dominated once again by huge many-wheeled irrigation machines.

Lake Tekapo township...

Hasn't everybody been to Irishman Creek?

MacKenzie country - you almost expect to see a horseman wearing a hat and sheepskin coat...

Salmon farm in the Tekapo - Pukaki hydro canal...

I lost count after 30 pairs of wheels...