Started out at 7:30 but only got to Oxford (32 km) before I got stopped by the rain. I stopped under a tree with benches around it to let it blow over but it just got worse. This wonderful family invited my in and let me spend the night because of the weather. Later that night the wind picked up and turned into a STORM! Trees were going down and stuff was FLYING down the streets. Malcolm (the man) is a fire fighter and had to go out fighting fires tonight. He got home from the last one at 2 AM. These people are great! Desiree (the woman & mom) has two kids who are very tough. They gave me breakfast, lunch and dinner, they took me out on a hike - to a farm to see how cows are milked and out to a club for a beer. This is the Kiwi hospitality I had heard about. These people are soooo nice. Driving back from the hike we met a herd of sheep head on. They almost split around the car running full steam. It was just like the pictures of New Zealand.

[At the 'club' Malcolm and I consumed our fair share of beer. Personally, I know that I was a bit under the weather and then Malcolm went fighting fires...]

Training Diary Comments: 1.5 hrs