Goal achieved! Queenstown.

Well I'm here. 
Perhaps I should remind you and myself how this all came about.  Well one evening last April Heather and I were having a farewell meal with our friends Judith and Jonathan. They were emigrating to NZ in a few weeks time to start a new life in Napier. During the conversation they said they had a  shipping container which was huge and they wouldn't be able to fill it. I asked if they could pop a bike in for me so I could have one to ride during my visits to see the family. It was agreed and someone said ,how will you get it to Queenstown, a long way and on the South Island . For some reason, may have been the wine, I said I would ride it.
So you see you need to be careful what you wish for !! The idea of fund raising for St Richards Hospice soon became a real possibilty. I am delighted to have been able to make some contribution to there needs.
Yesterday in Cromwell the day dawned grey and overcast with low cloud and quite a breeze. Not what was forcast which was hot and sunny.
However I was up early, eager to make a good start and when I was ready to go the wind had dropped which was great
The last day involved riding up the Kawarau Gorge past Roaring Meg . Interestingly this is an outfall into the Kawarau river which drops a huge amount of water into the main steam from a tributary off the mountain above. The name was reputed to to have been given by the gold miners after an Irish lady of the night who was allegedly very noisy ! Just like the river.
Onwards and upwards up a pretty good hill up to the Gibbston valley. Had a coffee stop at the Winery there , didn't buy wine , too heavy too carry!
I decided to detour through to Arrowtown
to see our friends Bruce and Trudi. She broke her ankle about 2 weeks ago and I wanted to see how she was. Great to see them and I was persuaded to stop for a quick lunch snack. By then the cloud had all gone and it was really hot.
My final 20 or so kms to Queenstown were a delight if a trifle warm!
When I arrived I was met by my two beautiful grandaughters , Lily and Olive, and there other grandmother Jennifer with streamers , baloons and banners. Sadly Dan is still in Auckland and Nichola was still at work at Queenstown Primary School.
It was an amazing way to end the ride.
When Nichola got home we celebrated with a bottle of bubbly!
I have very mixed feelings now I have completed what I set out to achieve.
Number one is probably relief and satisfaction at having finally done it after nearly a year of planning and preparation.
Part of me didn't want it to end, I have met some amazing people and had many great experiences along the way.

I am so grateful for the way so many people have supported the venture financely which has raised well over two thousand pounds, with some donations going direct to St Richards .

I am  feeling pleasantly tired today , I am told I look slimmer and am very well tanned and apart from the knee , which was much better yesterday after the icing I feel very fit.
I want to thank everybody , family, friends and  colleagues from work who have  been so supportive , with messages to keep me going etc. Also the team at Startin for enabling me the time to complete the challenge.

Bye for now, but watch out for next year when I may do the next section down to Bluff!