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| Empire Hotel, Ross |
Nothing very special today and only 60 miles of cycling. It was a grey morning. The cycling started off with a 500ft hill - Mt. Hercules. The first half was quite gentle, which left a fairly short steep bit at the top. The descent was smooth and fast. I stopped at the store in Harihari to get a pie and milk for a picnic lunch, which I ate later at a river with a nice view of the mountains.
The only other significant town on the way was Ross. This was a gold mining town, and gold is still mined here. There was a historical display, but there wasn't too much to see. After that there was steady light rain for the last 15 miles to Hokotika. The road was almost completely flat, and maybe there was a slight tail wind, because I was gliding along easily in top gear, and made good time.
Hokitika is the largest town since Christchurch. Jade is found and carved here, and there are many gem stores and other craft stores. It has a Carnegie Library, now the information center, and a few other solid looking edifices. It's a little bleak in the rain, but would probably be nice on a bright day.
I'm staying at the Birdsong Backpackers Hostel a mile out of town. It has a comfortable upstairs common room overlooking the beach, with a wood stove to warm up by. The Backpackers have well equipped communal kitchens. The two I've used so far have a friendlier feel than the YHAs I used 40 years ago, but maybe those too have been upgraded in the interim. I'll cook my own dinner tonight - salmon, corn, and salad.
