The cyclists network

When we camped in Mt Cook Village we used - as we usually do - our ABUS loop cable to lock our bicycles. That night there was no tree near by our tent so we grabbed a thick branch of a bush and tied the cable around it. The next morning after we had checked the place for possibly forgotten things we continued to Twizel, some 70 km from Mt Cook Village.

In Twizel we were setting up our tent. Suddenly I noticed that I had forgotten the loop cable. It was still in the bush. Ahh, what a painful moment! Again such a moment when you think how stupid you must be. We had forgotten several items on our journey but most of the time had got it back ... somehow. The steel cable had been a good piece of gear and it was gone now. Since we arrived in New Zealand, we have been touring with only one lock. So the loop cable was helpful to lock all four wheels or to lock the bicycles to something. We considered taking the tourist bus shuttle from Twizel to Mt Cook Village but a quick gain-loss calculation told us that it wasn't worth it. We let it go, RIP cable!

Two days later we came over the Lindis Pass and stopped at a free camp site. It wasn't a DoC (Department of Conservation) campsite but the sign read 'campers welcome'. Very nice! We met Adam on this campsite. Adam just started his bicycle trip and plans to cycle from New Zealand to Switzerland. We had dinner together under the trees while it was pouring down. Adam was heading to Christchurch and wanted to make a stop-over in Mt Cook Village too. When he heard about the loop cable story, he promised to look for it. And we were confident that it was still there, hidden in the bushes.

Getting back the loop cable

More than a week later at a different place, now on the west coast, I was holding the loop cable back in my hands! Again we have got something back. Adam had mailed it to Hokitika. Thanks so much, Adam! The cyclists rescue and mail service network worked perfectly!