When researching this tour I planned for the trek across the Canterbury Plains to be an easy ride to help me find my touring legs. After all it was only 68km of flat and slightly rising road. But by the end of the day it had become an epic.

After the familiar first day anticipatory nerves and procrastination whilst getting ready and packing the panniers, I left the hotel and cycled around the corner to Cathedral Square for a photo by the ruins of the once grand edifice. By 8:30am I was on my way.

Once clear of the city I turned off the highway onto a quieter side road, but by mid-morning I was faced with a strengthening northwesterly cross wind, and the temperature began to rise, eventually registering 34C on my computer. I ran out of water and with no place to replenish, battled the wind all the way to Springfield, arriving in a state of exhaustion and dehydration. It was all I could manage to shower and eat before collapsing into bed.

Click here for a Doarama visualisation of the route.