The route from Geraldine to Mount Somers was not spectacular, relatively flat, and 3-4 curves spread over a whole day. For this we could stay overnight in Mount Somers on a beautiful campground.
From Mount Somers to Glentunnel, we once again had some minor hills to deal with. On the way we met a couple from France, which makes a world trip with the tandem. Shortly after the interesting exchange of information it started to rain. For once, however, the rain was so light that it was more pleasant than annoying.
After Glentunnel we left the foothills for good and were thus at the bakery stop in Darfield in the middle of the Canterbury Plains. So it went only flat, with few curves and increasing traffic towards Christchurch. Shortly before Christchurch we had ourselves weighed with tandem and luggage in a gravel plant: 280kg. So much (partly also more by food and water supplies) we dragged the last months with us through New Zealand :-)
In Christchurch we had for once the unusual situation of city traffic. The constant accelerating and stopping can be just as exhausting as hills!