It was another beautiful day for a ride. We had been expecting rain on the West (aka wet) Coast, yet so far there had only been  light drizzle, which barely required a rain jacket. Not that rain is a bad thing- it brings out the colours, the waterfalls, the mist and adds to the experience. 

The famously voracious West Coast sandflies were fewer than usual, possibly due to fine weather, but nevertheless good insect repellent is essential. My best discovery as a result of TA is the non-DEET insect repellant picaridin. It doesn’t work quite as well, needing a larger amount to be applied, but that’s a small price to pay for something that doesn’t dissolve plastic. Given the amount of equipment that could be stained by DEET, it’s worth a try if you are riding in the West Coast. 

The kms ticked by quickly. I reached the Salmon farm in time for a second breakfast, then sped off for more of the same. 
I took in the scenic Knights Point lookout (checkpoint photo of the day), and the Haast DOC information centre (interesting and worth a visit), and still completed my ride before 3.30pm.

There are only four more riding days, but with a fair bit of climbing and distance. All set for the final push to Bluff!