Heading up Arthur's Pass

I hear the wind howl all night long but the trees are good cover so I don’t feel the van rocking. The boat is secured to the top and after a quick breakfast I head up Arthur’s Pass. I thought that the weather to this point was bad. Well I was about to have my definition of bad weather redefined. As soon as I started the climb I noticed that the mountains were disappearing. The wind started to blow me about and then the skys opened up and I was just short of being underwater. I would say it was pouring rain but the rain was more horizontal the vertical. At one point I have to pull of to retie the boat on the van as it has slipped or should I say was blown off the pads. I do this in the pouring rain. Thanks goodness I brought my rain parka! After securing the boat I travel a little further and find a stone shelter along the roadside that was once a stagecoach stop. It has a fire place in it and benches. So I decide to make myself some lunch and enjoy just being out of the van.