April 28
I wake up at seven, and the first thing I do is pull back the curtains and look out the window. The sky is more blue than grey today, although the ocean is still covered with whitecaps.
After packing most of my belongings, I head up to the hotel for breakfast. At last, I get to enjoy the full English breakfast I’d been looking forward to.
Baked beans, crispy bacon, eggs both boiled and scrambled, several kinds of sausages, black pudding, yoghurt, muesli, preserved and stewed fruit, plenty of other delicious treats, toasted bread, and juice. 🫶😍
I finish with coffee and a few sweet biscuits. Looking out the window once again, I can still see the white-crested waves rolling in, but thankfully there’s no rain yet.
With everything loaded onto the bike, I climb into the saddle and start pedalling. The road immediately begins climbing, and after barely two kilometres I reach the first viewpoint of the day.
I stop at a small parking area for my first break. Before me lies a vast cliff that slopes gently towards the sea, covered with lush green trees and shrubs, while beyond, the powerful waves continue their relentless battle against the shoreline.
The coastal road from Punakaiki to Charleston was something I will never forget.
Words simply can’t do the scenery justice—it has to be experienced. And even more magnificent views are still waiting ahead.
The weather has become warm enough for me to take off my jacket, leaving me cycling in nothing but my beautiful orange-and-white CK Örnen cycling jersey.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen the sky change so quickly and so often as it has this morning. One moment it’s turning dark grey, threatening rain, and only minutes later it’s dressed in soft blue with patches of brilliant white clouds.
Sometimes the whitecaps out at sea are barely visible, and then, after the next bend, they seem to have multiplied dramatically.