Anyone who has been following the site for the last few years knows that I’ve been bit with a serious fly-fishing bug. Ever since that fateful day when we were in Fort Worth, TX (of all places!) where I took a fly casting class and bought some gear, the rod has been a constant companion on many of our trips. We had been tipped off to ride the canal roads from Twizel to Lake Tekapo to get off the state highway but also for the fishing. There is a salmon farm in the canals and rumors have it that the trout have been getting fat from the pellets and that there are occasional salmon that escape.

The day we rode the canal road was not only one of the best riding days (we could actually ride side by side without large trucks passing every few seconds), but it was also when I landed my biggest fish on the fly so far. We stopped a few times but it was too windy to really get a cast out. I decided to give it another go at a bridge when the winds had mellowed out. After about 20 minutes without a bite I was ready to pack it in. On a whim, I let my line drift over the bridge when I felt a take of a really big fish. In a rare moment, Laura was there to capture it on video as well!

We are at Lake Tekapo and it is glorious outside. The summer weather that has successfully evaded us for the last two and a half months has arrived (atleast for today). We’ve been thoroughly enjoying our last few days as it seems we’ve found a thin vein of NZ roads where the traffic isn’t as hectic and the scenery is beautiful.

We’ve been reflecting a lot during the last few days about our 3 months in NZ. Some of it has been good. Some of it frustrating. It has been a complex trip with lots of mixed emotions. It hasn’t quite turned out to be the pristine bike touring paradise we had hoped but it does have its moments. For now, we’re taking it easy, enjoying the sun while it is out and our last remaining days in New Zealand.