Jantar
22nd October 2011, 14:19
After returning from the North Island (2 weeks in a cage) I had planned on a two day ride for late this week. I hadn't decided just where I was going but I had a few options. I could head through to Dunedin, then take the southern scenic route to Milford Sound and return home, or I could ride one of the two options I had for the Chatto Creek 1000 miler, or I could just toss a coin and see where I ended up.
The weather forecast on wednesday night suggested that I head north rather than south, so it would be one of the two 1000 miler options, but which? Either way I decided that I would be away by 08:00 thursday morning.
Thursday dawned bright and clear, but I was still asleep. So after dragging myself out of bed by 09:00, packing some overnight gear, loading both possible routes into the GPS, I was away late morning. First stop was at Cromwell for fuel, and to check on their opening hours. I selected option 1 on the GPS and away. 2 hours later I stopped at Haast and didn't fill up, instead I just checked that they had 24 hr fuel available. Another 40 minutes along the road I stopped at the salmon farm, a lovely wee cafe type place for a late lunch. I didn't eat much though as it was the most expensive food I had ever seen anywhere.
Next stop was at Fox Glacier that also has a 24 hr card pump, and as it was well over 300 km since my last fuel it was time to give the bike a drink. As I usually do, I flipped up the helmet front before entering to pay, but as I entered the building the lady behind the counter freaked out. (I didn't know I was that scary) and she wouldn't even look in my direction until I removed the helmet completely. She explained that she had been the victim of a holdup (in Auckland) where the assailant wore a helmet and pointed a firearm at her, and now she is terified whenever she sees a helmet. Maybe she needs some other job rather than working in a service station?
On the next stretch I found two of our donut eating friends within a short distance. I saw one before he turned on his radar, but the detector warned me about the second one. Not that it mattered much because on this ride I was sticking pretty close to the speed limit anyway.
I bypassed the next couple of petrol stations along the way (Franz and Harihari), but stopped at both of the ones in Hokitika. However neither of these were 24 hrs nor did they have card pumps. A customer at one of them though that the BP in Greymouth was open 24 hrs, so that became my next stop. Sure enough, open 24 hrs, and on the route for both options I had for the 1000 miler. It was exactly 100 km to Westport where I arrived at 5:30 pm, filled up and learned that they closed at 7:00 pm, but the service station at the other end of town had a 24 hr card pump. While filling up, a truck driver asked if I was part of the group of motorcyclists that were stopped in the Lower Buller Gorge due to one of them crashing. I was able to assure hime that I wasn't part of that group. He thought that the rider was OK, but the bike had left the road and gone down the bank.
I found somewhere to stay the night in Westport, and as I checked in the proprieter suggested I park my bike in the yard where it would be locked in for the night. I thanked hime, but said that before I did that I would head off to Karamea for dinner, and would be back by 21:00. He was suprised as he reckoned he couldn't drive there an back in that time, let alone eat dinner as well.
This section of the ride was a highlight. A fantastic road with some nice short straights, and lots of bends. Tight bends, sweeping bends, uphill bends, downhill bends, and all with beautiful scenery. I last travelled this road many years ago, and I had forgotten just how good it was. At the end of the road (not the actual end, just the end as far as I was riding) I stopped at the Karamea pub for dinner, and a nice feed it was too. While there I was approached by another small group of motorcyclists who were staying the night. They were on a Cagiva, a Guzzi, and a Vstrom. I mentioned the crash I had heard about earlier, and they suspected it may have been one of their friends who was supposed to meet up with them and the group hadn't arrived. They mentioned a TL1000 as being one of the bikes. With my belly full, I headed off into the setting sun and back to my accomodation. As I rode the Vstrom into the enclosed yard, there sat a TL1000, so I parked alongside.
I intended getting up at 7:00 am and on the road by 8:00, but intentions don't always work out. I was woken out of my slumber by the sound of a TL1000 starting up, and when I looked at my watch it was already 08:30. I jumped out of bed, raced to the bathroom, back to my room and into my leathers, and finally checked out at 09:00. At this point I met the other three motorcyclists who stayed there, but only two bikes. One rider was feeling a bit sore, but no real injury, apart from his bike that had smashed the front forks off when he left the road. We met up again at a cafe for breakfast, and they confirmed that they had been planning on meeting the other three at Karamea where I had dinner. The real suprise came when they mentioned that the rider on the Vstrom, whom I met the previous evening, bought his bike in Motueka. It was a 2006 Vstom, one owner, and 56000 kms on the clock. It was also bright red. Sound familiar?
By 09:30 I was fuelled up and on the road again, this time with overcast skies. Past the spot where the previous day's crash had occurred, and on to the next potential 24 hr fuel stop in Reefton. Yes, the owner confirmed 24 hr card pump was available, and I was sure that most bikes could fill up here and reach the next manned 24 hr service station. Therefore I was suprised to discover the next town, Springs Junction, also had a 24 hr card pump, and the following town, Culverden, had two. The wind started to pick up from the northwest and the day became hotter. I stopped for fuel in Amberley at a known 24 hr service station, and parked my bike next to a group of mainly V-twins. For the first time since 1973 I received agro about the type of bike I ride. One particular leather clad gentleman insisted that I not park anywhere near their bikes. At first I thought he was just joking, but it turned out he was very serious. I can't understand why he thought my Vstrom would show up his tractor, with the distances I've been riding and the road dirt and insects I've picked up my bike looks more like a tractor than any of theirs. But I guess this dude could see the quality underneath it all, and so didn't want any superioir bike near his. As I left I apologised for daring to show his up.
Now heading towards home, (only 500 km to go) I stopped for a quick bite of lunch at a fast food stop in Hornby. Well make that a slow food stop. It must have been trainee day.
The norwester eased up as I checked out another 24 hr card pump in Mayfield, then came the rain. So? its only water. I did put on extra wet weather gear, and dismounted the radar detector to stop it getting wet. Traffic started getting heavier, and I realised that the weekend holiday traffic had started. My last fuel stop at Tekapo also proved to be a 24 hr card pump, so that confimed this route would be suitable for the 1000 miler. Another 60 km and the rain suddenly stopped. I took off the wet weather gear in Omarama, remounted the radar detector and rang home to say I was only 90 minutes away.
Now the idiots were on the road. Up to now traffic had been generally well behaved and sensible. However as I cruised along at 104 kmh exactly I saw a van approaching from the rear. He passed me like I was standing still so I sped up just enough to see what speed he was doing. He was bang on 130 kmh. Now on a straight piece of road with light traffic that would be fine, but this was a windy piece of road in the Lindis, with holiday traffic, and he had a large number of kids in the van. I passed him back again when he slowed for other traffic on the hilly section, but a while later i saw him catching up again. At about that point I also saw a speed camera van at the side of the road. I slowed down only sligthly, the van didn't. 40 km further down the road my radar detector went off. I didn't get a ticket, the van driver did.
I finally arrived home at 7:00 pm. 1601 kms with a moving average speed of 91 kmh. Yes, an easy route for the 1000 miler. :woohoo:
The weather forecast on wednesday night suggested that I head north rather than south, so it would be one of the two 1000 miler options, but which? Either way I decided that I would be away by 08:00 thursday morning.
Thursday dawned bright and clear, but I was still asleep. So after dragging myself out of bed by 09:00, packing some overnight gear, loading both possible routes into the GPS, I was away late morning. First stop was at Cromwell for fuel, and to check on their opening hours. I selected option 1 on the GPS and away. 2 hours later I stopped at Haast and didn't fill up, instead I just checked that they had 24 hr fuel available. Another 40 minutes along the road I stopped at the salmon farm, a lovely wee cafe type place for a late lunch. I didn't eat much though as it was the most expensive food I had ever seen anywhere.
Next stop was at Fox Glacier that also has a 24 hr card pump, and as it was well over 300 km since my last fuel it was time to give the bike a drink. As I usually do, I flipped up the helmet front before entering to pay, but as I entered the building the lady behind the counter freaked out. (I didn't know I was that scary) and she wouldn't even look in my direction until I removed the helmet completely. She explained that she had been the victim of a holdup (in Auckland) where the assailant wore a helmet and pointed a firearm at her, and now she is terified whenever she sees a helmet. Maybe she needs some other job rather than working in a service station?
On the next stretch I found two of our donut eating friends within a short distance. I saw one before he turned on his radar, but the detector warned me about the second one. Not that it mattered much because on this ride I was sticking pretty close to the speed limit anyway.
I bypassed the next couple of petrol stations along the way (Franz and Harihari), but stopped at both of the ones in Hokitika. However neither of these were 24 hrs nor did they have card pumps. A customer at one of them though that the BP in Greymouth was open 24 hrs, so that became my next stop. Sure enough, open 24 hrs, and on the route for both options I had for the 1000 miler. It was exactly 100 km to Westport where I arrived at 5:30 pm, filled up and learned that they closed at 7:00 pm, but the service station at the other end of town had a 24 hr card pump. While filling up, a truck driver asked if I was part of the group of motorcyclists that were stopped in the Lower Buller Gorge due to one of them crashing. I was able to assure hime that I wasn't part of that group. He thought that the rider was OK, but the bike had left the road and gone down the bank.
I found somewhere to stay the night in Westport, and as I checked in the proprieter suggested I park my bike in the yard where it would be locked in for the night. I thanked hime, but said that before I did that I would head off to Karamea for dinner, and would be back by 21:00. He was suprised as he reckoned he couldn't drive there an back in that time, let alone eat dinner as well.
This section of the ride was a highlight. A fantastic road with some nice short straights, and lots of bends. Tight bends, sweeping bends, uphill bends, downhill bends, and all with beautiful scenery. I last travelled this road many years ago, and I had forgotten just how good it was. At the end of the road (not the actual end, just the end as far as I was riding) I stopped at the Karamea pub for dinner, and a nice feed it was too. While there I was approached by another small group of motorcyclists who were staying the night. They were on a Cagiva, a Guzzi, and a Vstrom. I mentioned the crash I had heard about earlier, and they suspected it may have been one of their friends who was supposed to meet up with them and the group hadn't arrived. They mentioned a TL1000 as being one of the bikes. With my belly full, I headed off into the setting sun and back to my accomodation. As I rode the Vstrom into the enclosed yard, there sat a TL1000, so I parked alongside.
I intended getting up at 7:00 am and on the road by 8:00, but intentions don't always work out. I was woken out of my slumber by the sound of a TL1000 starting up, and when I looked at my watch it was already 08:30. I jumped out of bed, raced to the bathroom, back to my room and into my leathers, and finally checked out at 09:00. At this point I met the other three motorcyclists who stayed there, but only two bikes. One rider was feeling a bit sore, but no real injury, apart from his bike that had smashed the front forks off when he left the road. We met up again at a cafe for breakfast, and they confirmed that they had been planning on meeting the other three at Karamea where I had dinner. The real suprise came when they mentioned that the rider on the Vstrom, whom I met the previous evening, bought his bike in Motueka. It was a 2006 Vstom, one owner, and 56000 kms on the clock. It was also bright red. Sound familiar?
By 09:30 I was fuelled up and on the road again, this time with overcast skies. Past the spot where the previous day's crash had occurred, and on to the next potential 24 hr fuel stop in Reefton. Yes, the owner confirmed 24 hr card pump was available, and I was sure that most bikes could fill up here and reach the next manned 24 hr service station. Therefore I was suprised to discover the next town, Springs Junction, also had a 24 hr card pump, and the following town, Culverden, had two. The wind started to pick up from the northwest and the day became hotter. I stopped for fuel in Amberley at a known 24 hr service station, and parked my bike next to a group of mainly V-twins. For the first time since 1973 I received agro about the type of bike I ride. One particular leather clad gentleman insisted that I not park anywhere near their bikes. At first I thought he was just joking, but it turned out he was very serious. I can't understand why he thought my Vstrom would show up his tractor, with the distances I've been riding and the road dirt and insects I've picked up my bike looks more like a tractor than any of theirs. But I guess this dude could see the quality underneath it all, and so didn't want any superioir bike near his. As I left I apologised for daring to show his up.
Now heading towards home, (only 500 km to go) I stopped for a quick bite of lunch at a fast food stop in Hornby. Well make that a slow food stop. It must have been trainee day.
The norwester eased up as I checked out another 24 hr card pump in Mayfield, then came the rain. So? its only water. I did put on extra wet weather gear, and dismounted the radar detector to stop it getting wet. Traffic started getting heavier, and I realised that the weekend holiday traffic had started. My last fuel stop at Tekapo also proved to be a 24 hr card pump, so that confimed this route would be suitable for the 1000 miler. Another 60 km and the rain suddenly stopped. I took off the wet weather gear in Omarama, remounted the radar detector and rang home to say I was only 90 minutes away.
Now the idiots were on the road. Up to now traffic had been generally well behaved and sensible. However as I cruised along at 104 kmh exactly I saw a van approaching from the rear. He passed me like I was standing still so I sped up just enough to see what speed he was doing. He was bang on 130 kmh. Now on a straight piece of road with light traffic that would be fine, but this was a windy piece of road in the Lindis, with holiday traffic, and he had a large number of kids in the van. I passed him back again when he slowed for other traffic on the hilly section, but a while later i saw him catching up again. At about that point I also saw a speed camera van at the side of the road. I slowed down only sligthly, the van didn't. 40 km further down the road my radar detector went off. I didn't get a ticket, the van driver did.
I finally arrived home at 7:00 pm. 1601 kms with a moving average speed of 91 kmh. Yes, an easy route for the 1000 miler. :woohoo: