Gore Bay to Leithfield Beach

Did I say wine country...Waipara! Funny how we get so caught up in the end destination. Why kill ourselves and ride 70+ miles to Christchurch when you can drink wine, chill out, and eat savory foods?!? That's exactly what we did.

On our way south on SH1 we passed through Waipara, an area well known for it's vineyards. Paul and I kept passing a bunch of wineries with cafes. Everytime we'd pass we'd look at each other for permission. Finally, without hesitation we pulled into a winery called Mud House. Free tastings from a a young lad named Billy who's from Winterpark, FL. We talked bikes and wine - great combination. Yum! We were buzzin' and hungry. Ended up staying for 3 hours, ate and drank a 1/2 bottle of wine. The rest would be for later! Thanks Mud House for supplying us an afternoon of laughter and sun. Although, nothing could satisfy our hunger. We ate tons and still were hungry...

Okay, sobered up and got back on our bikes to ride a few kilometers to Leithfield Beach...just 20 miles outside of Christchurch.