Day three of cycling the Orago Central Railroad Trail was easier than the rest of the days, and it didn’t rain on us. We passed the summit of our trail ride at elevation 618 meters-above-sea-level (about 2,000 ft) and then it was, and will be tomorrow, mostly downhill.
The scenery was grazing land and pastoral. Many sheep watched us intently as we rode close to them, and some, with natural instincts, scattered away as we passed.
The area reminded us of the grazing land near Morgan Hill, with similar sized brown hills rising around us. They get less rain here, but it gets cold in the winter as this area is right on the 45th parallel, half way between the equator and the South Pole, which is comparable to the 45th through Minneapolis and near Portland. The land is rugged, and so are the people, similar to small towns in the Rocky Mountains or Great Plains states.
We rode into Rafferly, and were then shuttled up the mountain to the small town of Naseby (population of 100), that has the only curling rink in the Southern Hemisphere. In fact, this is the curling training venue for New Zealand, Australia, and other Asian countries. Before we left on our trip, Sue signed us up for curling lessons. It was a blast! We beat another couple taking lessons, and in this pic you can see Sue’s winning deliveries.
Our cycle trip has allowed us to meet many locals in these small towns – in restaurants, lodges, and pubs. Our lives are enriched spending time and listening to the hearts, concerns, and joys of these people of Clyde, Alexandra, Galloway, Chatto Creek, Omakau, Lauder, Oturehua, Ranfurly, and Naseby.