TA Day 15 - North Palmerston to Masterton

 68.5 miles, 3878’ climbing

Lodging: Amble Inn, Masterton

Rain

We got surprisingly good coffee and breakfast pies at the BP gas station next to our hotel. The first hill out of town was a shock to the legs, as usual, but it was beautiful and green. A cyclist headed out on a weekend ride stopped to chat, telling us he rode the TA two years ago. 

Soon we were climbing through hills past grazing sheep and cattle, some of it on pavement and some on gravel. In the town of Pahiatua, we stopped for a coffee and snack and saw the same pair of riders we’ve been encountering for a couple of days, Steven and ??. We joked that we only ever see them at food establishments. When we passed them later on the roadside, they pointed out that they had just had a snack, so the record stands. They were with another lady we’ve seen since day 1, and the American couple we met in Rangihawia also crossed paths. We took each others checkpoint photos in Ekatahuna, and we waited under an awning together as it rained in earnest.

After more rain, hills, paved and gravel, we saw a farmer on the roadside with his dogs and four “training sheep”. He told us about his dog, Petch, a young dog who would rather herd sheep than eat or be petted. He said it’s easier to herd a large group of sheep than an individual, and his dogs can move up to 2500 at once. The sheep are for both wool and mutton though they are currently losing money on the wool. He said New Zealand beef is doing really well now because the US is producing less. Then Petch showed his herding skills. He knows left from right based on whistles from the farmer, an intense pup.

As we continued on, a storm cell blew over, and we had a cold, wet pedal into Masterton. We stopped at the Amble Inn where we were welcomed and offered free laundry. It is always a pleasure to dry off overnight indoors after a soaking rain.