Jan 14 thursday

Early morning swim - did not feel so cold - then rode to Cromwell to the 90km point. It was windy all the way with some rain. The lake at Cromwell had good sized whitecaps. For lunch had the best Hawaiian pizza - loaded with ham, pineapple AND green peppers with melted mozerella on top to hold it all together. Unlike pizza hut or little ceasars where ham & pineapple are just a few measly toppings and the crust is the main attraction. Here the crust was a base on which to put a mountain of taste.
Speaking of mountains, on the return trip to Wanaka, we took the cutoff. We travelled thru the Kawarau River Gorge, stopping at the Roaring Meg rapids - the water is a deep greenish blue unlike the brownish green I am used to seeing. We also stopped at a bungee jumping bridge and watched people go off - some faling into the water and then up. To answer your question - NO!!! Then we drove over the highest paved road in New Zealand - with switchbacks and grades probably beyond category.
Ended the day at the pasta dinner where we met a guy from Australia doing his first full distance tri and whose wife looked and talked like Archie Bunker's wife Edith from All in the Family. In line to get food another Australian asked me about Silverman, he plans on doing it in 2012, turns out he did Roth in 2006 when I did. We are in the same age group and our Roth times are close.
We are back at camp waiting for the sun to go down at 10. Tomorrow is check in. I am getting some neoprene booties to keep my feet warm on the swim.
That is all mates.