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View Full Version : Oops we did it (the South Island) again... (Part 4)



Hitcher
29th March 2005, 20:38
Saturday 12 March: Dunedin, Balclutha, Owaka, Invercargill, Winton, Mataura, Gore.

Our southernmost relations bid us farewell as we rode off into a gloriously sunny Dunedin autumn morning. As we fuelled at a local service station, convertible owners had the tops off their rides.

We retraced our path from yesterday back to Milton but this time continued southwards on SH1, as far as Balclutha. This particular Saturday was local street market day, and the main street bustled with ruddy cheeked South Otagans. A local café did a fair custard square, a great pie and the ubiquitous milky South Island coffee.

Leaving Balclutha we were rejoined by our “friend” the wind. Demis Roussos knows not of what he sings, or at least has never ridden a motorcycle in a gale.

Nonetheless it was warm and sunny. Encouraged by reports of the Catlins road now being fully sealed we decided to have a look. Distances were of interest, given that Mrs H’s Marauder should be good for about 200km.

Reports of sealed roads were a bit exaggerated, if the Southern Scenic Route is to be taken literally. The road from Kaka Point to Nugget Point is not sealed, nor is the link road from Kaka Point to Owaka. However the main circuit is sealed.

After a brief stop at Kaka Point for photos and a surprise encounter with TV3’s John Campbell and Carol Hirschfelt, we backtracked on the sealed roads and on to Owaka. We refuelled here as a Marauder precaution (150km to Invercargill).

The run through to Owaka is reminiscent of parts of the Wairarapa. A nice meandering sort of road with gentle ups and downs across rolling sheep country. From Owaka the curvatures of the road tighten and the ascents and descents become steeper. Native bush hugs the hills and tidal estuaries become a feature of valley floors. Little settlements appear at regular intervals and there are many Department of Conservation signs advising scenic walks, waterfalls and views of the splendid untrammelled coastline with golden-sand beaches. Watch out for campervans and rental cars. Passing opportunities are few and far between, so if you get stuck behind Klaus and Heidi, relax and enjoy the scenery.

Eventually the countryside starts to open up again as you emerge back into the luxuriant green of Southland. Again this is wonderfully fertile sheep country. The roads are terrific fun and the views from the ridgetop ride from Tokanui to Fortrose give glimpses of Stewart Island, Bluff Hill, Bluff harbour, and across the Southland plain to the Takitimus.

Our plan had been to spend the night in Invercargill. But the national pipe band competitions in the town put paid to that. Not a bed to be had anywhere. We rang duty motels, bed and breakfasts as far south as Bluff with no success. As the weather was still holding up we decided to ride up to Winton. No joy.

A decision to ride on to Gore unlocked the best part of the day’s ride thus far: Highway 96 from Winton to Mataura. What a fantastic road! I had travelled this road by car several times in a past life as part of the quickest route from Ohai to Dunedin airport. On a bike in the late afternoon autumn sun, with no wind, words cannot really do it justice. This is Southland countryside at its very best (I can feel Southlanders from other parts preparing a noose for me). If one’s mind was so inclined, one could travel this road very quickly indeed. It has few corners of danger, and few of these are blind or obscured.

We had no difficulties finding great accommodation in Gore. We also enjoyed one of our best dinners in the South Island, or anywhere else recently for that matter. Howl at the Moon restaurant and bar on the main street of Gore by the main roundabout. Outstandingly good food, great service and good local ales. Highly recommended.

Sunday 13 March: Gore, Lumsden, Te Anau, Milford, Te Anau.

We arose early and again we greeted with an absolute stunner of a day. That made the day’s riding decisions very easy indeed. We would go to Milford Sound.

The ride from Gore to Lumsden is almost dead flat. On Sunday mornings there is little, if any traffic to worry about. So it was just a matter of sitting on our bikes, letting them eat up the miles and us taking in the scenery.

We arrived at Te Anau late morning and immediately took the precaution of booking accommodation for that evening. Having checked in and taken extraneous luggage off our bikes, Mrs H opted to be a pillion for the day so that she could better enjoy the magnificent scenery we knew would embrace our trip into and out of Milford.

This ride is glorious. If there is one ride that all bikers must do before they die, it is this one. You have to be there to experience it and the feeling of being totally dominated by nature. The countryside is huge and the mountains awesome. The lakes and rivers and native bush add to the spectacle. The road is magnificent. A British motorcycling tourist we met, in the Eglington Valley on a Kawasaki Ninja 750, had a grin on his face that ran almost right around his head. “Take the keys off me right now!” he exclaimed with glee, “For I have been a VERY NAUGHTY BOY!” If he had been, and we had no grounds to doubt his sincerity, he was gloriously unrepentant.

Warning: Take off Polaroid sunglasses before entering the Homer Tunnel. Yikes!

We returned to Te Anau absolutely buzzing after this experience. The two-up ride on the ST1300 was effortless, thanks as much to the quality of pillion as the quality of motorcycle.

Continuing the tourist experience we decided to take a floatplane scenic tour, which departed about 6:00pm. The weather was dead calm and the afternoon lighting simply stunning. A 20-minute excursion let us gain some appreciation of the scale of the two big lakes – Te Anau and Manapouri – and of the mountains that surround them. A Lord of the Rings location was pointed out by our skilled and knowledgeably pilot.

Dinner followed by a long lakeside twilight walk rounded off the day nicely.

[Photos: (these got a bit jumbled, sorry) Kaka Point and Papatowai on the Catlins ride; Eglington Valley, Lake Gunn, Mitre Peak, and alpine grandeur on the Milford ride. The river shot hosted Elvish canoes for LOTR]

TonyB
29th March 2005, 21:09
We would go to Milford Sound.
This ride is glorious. If there is one ride that all bikers must do before they die, it is this one. You have to be there to experience it and the feeling of being totally dominated by nature. The countryside is huge and the mountains awesome. The lakes and rivers and native bush add to the spectacle. The road is magnificent.

Warning: Take off Polaroid sunglasses before entering the Homer Tunnel. Yikes!
Ahmen to that! If the road to Milford passed rubbish dumps, cess pools and Auckland, it would still be one of the best rides around. When the jaw dropping scenery is taken into account it becomes an epic ride. As Mr H says- make sure you do it. Oh, and DEFINITELY take the sunnies off before riding into the Homer tunnel- initially it's almost impossible to see anything even with clear vision.

Skunk
29th March 2005, 21:16
Geez, now you're starting to rub it in. Keep the great write-ups coming; I can take it. :ride:

LB
30th March 2005, 04:35
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Aahhh....makes me feel like I've just been there - that's right, I have!

A great write-up as always Hitcher. Thanks.
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