Jatz's travels [Archive] - Page 2

JATZ

24th May 2015, 18:10

Part of the playlist from this weekends ride about :D for your listening pleasure while I re-size some pics and get them sorted, maybe have some tea.

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I had a fairly laid back ride :ride:
I also read this on another forum. It struck a chord with me so I thought I'd share

"Now, I don't want to blow the surprise for any of you who haven't done an extensive trip on a motorbike, but most of it sucks. Long hours in the saddle, boring roads, weather, crapulent hotel rooms, road closures, traffic, bad food, no food, broken toll booths, etc. If ride reports were realistic, readers would be crushed to death by boredom and no one would read them. You survive--and enjoy--long rides by ignoring all that crap. You stay motivated because you know that, if you keep going, you'll see or experience something you'll remember for the rest of your life. Something that'll change you. You don't get that with comfort or predictability, so you take the hit and keep your eyes peeled for something worthwhile and memorable.

One of my greatest motivators are these 'environmental influences' that implant themselves inside me. Certain places nail you in the gut with a 'feeling', a perfect, all-encompassing memory of a particular, peculiar event in time and space. For me, these only happen in solitude and they only happen in random places, like on the edge of a cornfield as a storm approaches or near an irrigation ditch or on the side of a dirt pile on a back road. For a minute or two it's as if the environment funnels all of its energy into you and leaves an imprint that lasts a lifetime. It's as if, instead of me looking out over the landscape, the landscape peers inside of me, leaving its impression imprinted forever. "

From AntiHero and his RR over here
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1000338&page=101

I think it applies to rides of a day or a week, or more, it doesn't matter.

JATZ

24th May 2015, 19:10

Well... You may remember, back in January I went over the Sounds, trying to link up a couple of roads I could see on a map, it didn't happen due to an alleged locked gate at one end :weep:. I've been thinking about it for a while now, and checked it out when I was over there a couple of weeks ago, in the yoot. I think I must have some form of O.C.D. :scratch:
Anyway... I had a new front tyre to scrub in :banana: and what better place to do it than Kenepuru sound.
I diddled about a bit on Sat morn getting the tyre fitted by the professionals (yeah, I know... a purist would've done it themselves, but I woke up feeling lazy :msn-wink: ) Threw some stuff in the panniers, and George in the tank bag and hit the road early afternoon, under a watery winter sun. Through Nelson, grabbing some gas and cash on the way through.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3706_zpsamzws8ae.jpg

Then had a cruisey ride over the Whangamoas, even getting overtaken by a shitbox little 323 :eek: which didn't bother me one bit. I realized when I got to Rai vlly I hadn't eaten all day so stopped to inhale a pie.
I carried on.
Some more of the playlist...

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Through Havelock, and around Q.C. drive, where George escaped from his hiding place :rolleyes:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3707_zpsgzjukv0x.jpg

to the turn off at Linkwater, and into the twisties of Kenepuru sound. It really is a nice ride through there :ride:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3711_zps9xb6vlo5.jpg

With some nice views of the sea

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3713_zpsmhy1bnxc.jpg

Got to the head of the sound, a good place to ... "Spot" a horse :facepalm:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3715_zpsbwejfxq1.jpg

Moooving right along... We carried on to Waitaria bay

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3716_zps9yjnofbw.jpg

And took the road over the hill to Manaroa

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3718_zpst9juzbqn.jpg

The day was getting old by the time I hung a right towards Clova bay

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3721_zpsroj3pqeo.jpg

And made my way towards the D.o.C. campsite there. The sun was going to bed by this stage

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3722_zpspmc6crad.jpg

Followed by this little show.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3726_zpsl7fluieb.jpg

Sometimes you just have to switch the bike off and take a moment. Just be there, and appreciate where you are in the universe, and what is around you. It was one of those moments.
Anyway... We got to the campsite in the dusk/dark and I hastily set up camp and cooked tea,(Beef in red wine with mashed spuds and couscous, in case you were wondering:D )while the torch batteries slowly died :Oops:

JATZ

24th May 2015, 19:59

After a Veeeeerrrrrryyyy Looooooonnnnngggggg night, I really need to update some stuff :brick: The new sleeping bag from trademe was sortof half warm enough, I'm sure it would've been fine back when it was new, and probably kept Shackleton warm when he was mucking about in Antarctica, but it's past it use by date I think :scratch: Maybe I could donate it to a museum :niceone: Also need to update my sleeping mat... it's a lot thin :(
Or maybe I'm to old to be sleeping on the groundhttp://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/smilies/gerg.gif
Anyway... here's home for the night

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3728_zpsns5htgqv.jpg

I fully expected to be woken by cows during the night, judging by the amount of fresh pooos in the campsite, but they must've herd I was coming and gone to greener pastures. (Bwwaaaahahahaha... see what I did there)
Here's the end of the road at Clova bay

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3730_zpshg2xofrz.jpg

It was going to be a cracker of a day :yeah: I turned around and went back to Manaroa

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3733_zps3zpabqst.jpg

where I had to hang a right and check out the locked gate situation again. It may have been locked before, but was open today :clap:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3735_zpsfcacorqp.jpg

There may or may not have been a sign on the left which said "PRIVATE PROPERTY, NO THOROUGHFARE" or words to that effect. I'm not sure as I didn't jump the creek to find out :innocent: so I carried on...
Looking back to Manaroa

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3737_zpspyayjbyx.jpg

I got to a cross roads and shot off down the middle track, it seemed to head in the right direction

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3739_zpskqcrrwxm.jpg

Pretty soon I popped out at someones garage :facepalm: so I beat a hasty retreat back up the hill and took the right road :2thumbsup

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3742_zpscqfxeiwn.jpg

Before long Ellie bay was reached. so it was time to stop and soak it up a bit

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3746_zpswjb3axqk.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3748_zpsxw3durad.jpg

and chat to a nice chap who came along, I think he was enjoying the day too, going down to the jetty to fillet some fresh cod.
Tearing ourselves away from the peacefulness we carried on to Crail bay then up and over the hill back to Kenepuru sound, stopping on the saddle for an early lunch http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/smilies/DukeGirl_zpsprifav1l.gif

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3752_zpshpqawn9c.jpg

I had a wee panic attack here, when I couldn't find George, I knew he was there somewhere, but I couldn't find him :sweatdrop. It was quite un nerving realising how attached I've become to him. I located him eventually, he'd got wrapped up in the sleeping bag when I jammed it back in the pannier, glad I found him otherwise I would've had to have gone back down to Ellie bay to look for him

This may give you an idea of the lay of the land

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3755_zpsarug7ysg.jpg

Then it was just another gentle cruise back 'round the Sound and onwards towards home. So no pics.
The tyre worked well and hung on remarkably well for a knobbly, there's no chicken strips on it now :devil2:
I think I'm all Sounded out now, for a while, considering that's the 4th time I've been down there this year, and I have some stuff to go shopping for before my next little adventure :2thumbsup

Aslan

24th May 2015, 22:14

great stuff Jatz - lovely pics, excellent prose and I'm loving your reflecting and sharing your philosophy - onya! :woohoo:

Box'a'bits

24th May 2015, 22:37

Dammit, you're making me feel the urge to go down south again. Must....resist...:brick:

Night Falcon

25th May 2015, 10:56

Awesomeness of the Sounds is so much better on a motorbike. Cool RR :niceone:

_Shrek_

25th May 2015, 14:08

Moi

25th May 2015, 14:58

Great photos as usual and enjoyable text... especially like the red sunset photo and the one of Ellie Bay. Seeing them makes up for the unpleasant wind and rain we had most of the weekend...

[KitDaCat is glad to know that George did not get left behind...]

JATZ

9th June 2015, 17:14

This is what Far Away looks like. I'm on the south coast somewhere at the end of a goat track :D
I have thunder and lightning, internets(untill the battery goes flat) and a couch under a leakey roof.
Catch y'all later :cool:
Oooops, forgot to mention... I also have rum :-)

Sent from my ZTE R83

NordieBoy

9th June 2015, 17:36

Sounds like home...

Moi

9th June 2015, 20:29

Bet it has a million dollar view...

BTW, got your clean hanky? And is George enjoying the ride? asks Kit...

Tazz

9th June 2015, 21:07

South, goats and rum? You'll fit right in!

JATZ

10th June 2015, 12:22

Lunch in Riverton.... What else but a cheese roll, among other things
:rolleyes:

Sent from my ZTE R83

_Shrek_

10th June 2015, 23:14

Lunch in Riverton.... What else but a cheese roll, among other things
:rolleyes:

Sent from my ZTE R83

you calling in?

JATZ

11th June 2015, 08:13

you calling in?
Be rude not to big fella :D I'll call ya.

Yes Moi... I have a clean hanky, thanks. It's even dry again now :D

Zedder

11th June 2015, 10:32

It's always enjoyable to read about your travels JATZ.

I've just got back after a few days away on a V-Strom 650 and am looking at buying one shortly for some more off road adventures.

JATZ

11th June 2015, 17:43

Zedder

13th June 2015, 15:29

Hey Zedder... They're a good choice of bike for cruising round the back roads. I was tempted to get one myself, but the styling didn't really do it for me. Besides which, the GS fits better.
Interesting afternoon :D just because there is a road on the map, and a dotted line on the GPS... It doesn't necessarily mean there's a road there :facepalm:

Fair enough. I haven't ridden the 800, only the G650 GS, plus other brands of 650cc but think a V-Strom is a good start too.

Heh, it's that "This could be a road or not" situation that interests me quite a bit.

Monstaman

13th June 2015, 18:58

Oooops, forgot to mention... I also have rum :-)

Sent from my ZTE R83

...told you it would comfort you down the track ... great catching up mate ... gonna come and invade Mot at some stage!!

Sent from my couch using my new wifi :motu::clap:

Cheers A

JATZ

14th June 2015, 21:27

...told you it would comfort you down the track ... great catching up mate ... gonna come and invade Mot at some stage!!

Sent from my couch using my new wifi :motu::clap:

Cheers A

:motu: indeed :D Was good to see you two too, however your both looking stressed, I think a holiday is in order :whistle: Thanks for the hospitality :niceone: I think you may have converted me to soy milk though :eek5:

here's a wee taste of the south coast

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3909_zpsakpkl3jh.jpg

JATZ

15th June 2015, 20:02

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/smilies/tumblr_m0fqo63occ1r5sqx6_zps0jj6oayr.gif

How in Gods name do I stick a map of my route in here :mad::brick::mad:

Now I know why I drink :drinknsin

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/smilies/Megagulpfastestbeerchugiveeverseen_a1ce5f_5257974_ zpswiqxsbyg.gif

JATZ

15th June 2015, 22:13

Well.... Seeing as how I had a weeks holiday organized, and thanks to the wonders of modern technology I'd fixed the busted heated grip on the bike, I figured it'd be rude not to give it a test out :Punk:
Leaving home at a reasonable hour, we headed off through Wakefield. I was having a mental tussle with myself all the way there :blink: I couldn't decide whether to go and rescue Bacon (remember him ?) from Nordie or leave him to gorge himself on Nordie's muesli. In the end I figured a grown man with 1 soft toy was slightly wacky... 2 soft toys would just be downright disturbing :wacko: so left him there.
Not too many pics from the first day as I had my winter gloves on, which are a pain to take pics with. Anyway... we headed through the Buller gorge

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3763_zpsjzsco1d3.jpg

Always nice through there :ride: and hung a left after Inangahua and headed down to Greymouth, where the heavens opened up on us. A quick servo pie :sick: while sheltering from the downpour and we made our way further South into clearing weather. A quick side trip into Lake Kaniere, because George hadn't been there, infact I hadn't been there either

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3767_zpsdzn2fggu.jpg

Nice spot :niceone:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3774_zps3bl2jcqx.jpg

We did a loop of the lake, crossing this river...

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3777_zps4ejb57ej.jpg

And popped out back on the main drag to continue South. Along Bold Head rd and down past Lake Ianthe

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3780_zpsgwpnoovw.jpg

It was getting on a bit by this stage so we made the decision to drop into Okarito and the campground there. It was a nice spot and I'd never been there before either. Quickly pitched the tent in the dusk, cooked up a feed and chatted to young couple from the U.S. of A. about life and stuff.

Day 1

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Day%201_zpswdyaltlx.jpg

I got up earlyish and wandered down to the beach to take in the sunrise ...

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3788_zpskqp8mz2i.jpg

and soak it up... there's something about West coast beaches that I like :mellow:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3786_zpsqcqifj9e.jpg

After pulling this apart to find out why it wasn't going so flash, and cleaning it all up

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3798_zpsiazobiml.jpg

I broke camp and headed back to the main rd. One last look at Okarito lagoon...

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3802_zpscfz0v8xl.jpg

We carried on down to Franz. Passing Lake Mapourika on the way

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3807_zpsrruu32at.jpg

I decided to have a nosey at the Franz Glacier. I couldn't be bothered with the 2 day walk to get to the glacier so wheezed my way to the top of little hill for a look :sweatdrop

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3809_zpsvjakkbrj.jpg

Thats as close as I got... So we carried on further down the road to Fox and hung a right out towards Gillespies beach. This was supposed to have been the destination the day before, but time seemed to just slip away, and I wanted to log this one on the GPS and take some pics.
Here's some farmland

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3818_zpsotmqwq4g.jpg

And a little bit of the road into the campsite

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3821_zpsevogia23.jpg

A sort of arty one... of the beach :shifty:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3831_zpslxmjqxhj.jpg

The weather was turning to crap the further south we got, a little bit wet and starting to cool off :cold:
Here's a selfie of the 2 of us "living the dream" :facepalm: on the West coast

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3852_zpsvsoezyvq.jpg

A quick stop for a toasted sammie in Haast then saddle up and head for the pass

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3858_zps91ork1wb.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3860_zpsctw6y5xi.jpg

It was getting kind of very wet by this stage, so it was just a case of hanging on and hoping it would get better on the other side....
It did :yes: so I put the hammer down a little bit and made tracks to Wanaka :ride: and contacted Mr and Mrs Monstaman, who kindly opened their home to us. It was good to see them again and find out about their trip to America.... ALL of it !! (details here >> http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=789269 )

Day 2

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Day%202_zpsublaixcj.jpg

More Tomorrow :niceone:

JATZ

16th June 2015, 20:30

After a nice evening with the 2motokiwis I dragged myself out of bed at a reasonable hour and had a nutritious brekie. The rain looked like it was still hanging around out west

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3872_zpsdguhwq72.jpg

Just aswell we weren't going that way :banana: We packed up and got away eventually, heading through Cardrona and over the Crown range

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3875_zpshuxdnjly.jpg

No ice this time :headbang: just a bit of grit.
I haven't been to Arrowtown for a while, so figured I detour there and see what was happening. There was a few people arround :blink: I replenished caffeine levels and made a new friend

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20150609_111616_898_zpstx6pegwr.jpg

Now, normally I dislike cats intensely and wouldn't piss on one if it was on fire, but this one was so chilled out and brazen I just let him have his way:mellow: Eventually he realised I was a lost cause and buggered off to where ever cats go when they're not being shifty and eating native birds and lizards :scratch: so I went for a wander down by the river. I finished looking around and hopped back on the bike and wobbled off towards Queenstown. The temp was a balmy 18 deg when I got there. I had no interest in skulking around there so grabbed some gas and headed off South again. Part way down the lake I noticed a few little whirlwinds on the lake and quite a bit of spray being whipped off the tops of the waves

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3886_zpsp0fcypcq.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3888_zpsngtcjqxh.jpg

The pics don't really do it justice, it was quite impressive :yes: I struggled to hold the bike up when I stopped to take a couple of pics, and a fellow traveller was holding onto his missus to stop her being blown over :eek5: Carrying on, with the wind behind me :clap: I noticed fuel consumption was about 1/2 where it usually is at open road speeds :2thumbsup one of the benefits of having a fat arsed bike. I got to 5 Rivers and found a quiet spot to have a look at the map and roll a durry. the bike sat there rocking away on the side stand and I wondered when it would blow over :wacko:
The plan was to head into Mavora lakes and a little hut I'd heard of there, so I swung west towards Mossburn :ride: Now... On the map it looked like a straight road there, but I think it must've been a long right hander, the bike was leant over, alarmingly at times, to the right most of the way there. Fuel consumption had also gone through the roof :eek5:
I reached Mossburn and figured Mavora lakes would be getting a hammering from the wind and the sky looked pretty angry that way too. So in the interests of my saving my health and the planet I turned the bars left and let the wind blow me South again. Down to Tuatapere and then onto Papatotara rd and along Papatotara coast rd and Hump ridge track

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3902_zpsmudvvzdn.jpg

I'd got the skinny from Monstaman on a track/road that went through a farmers yard and carried on. I figured I was in the right place and carried on. I like signs like these :D

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3903_zps76jfvqrm.jpg

I didn't take to many pics on the way in as it was getting late/raining and I was to busy holding onto the bars and wondering where the hell I was heading and where I was.
The track eventually stopped at Waikoau river mouth, where there was some cribs. The sky had really opened up by this stage, with thunder and lightning thrown in. I made myself comfortable in the veranda and settled in for a wild night, glad to not be spending it in a tent.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3906_zpskfqsj8ue.jpg

Day 3

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Day%203_zpseoup5iki.jpg

JATZ

16th June 2015, 21:29

After a cool night, peering out at the stars listening to the surf and watching an orsum moonrise, I got up, grabbed George and wandered the 15 meters down to the beach

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3909_zpsakpkl3jh.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3910_zpsyi5gina3.jpg

George didn't seem fazed by the angry clouds in the distance

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3918_zps8ow9a42v.jpg

I packed up and got ready to hit the road

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3919_zpsytwxgiup.jpg

Wondering what the day had in store :scratch: First along the beach front...

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3920_zpsrnfv3ryf.jpg

Then up the hill and into the forest, through a few puddles

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3921_zps4g5sadis.jpg

You'll have to excuse the quality of the next couple of pics as it was a tad damp again and my lense cleaning hanky had got a bit damp and was buried in the bowels of the tank bag.... Anyway.... through a little creek

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3925_zpsx6aabl5e.jpg

And over a little bridge

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3927_zps8u2wpbg5.jpg

Little wooden bridges like that make me a little nervous when it's that wet :crazy: they can be a little slippery. It was a nice ride in the morning, if a little dark under the heavy tree cover, as I knew where I was going. I had a couple of deer go leaping off the road in front of me at one stage. Pretty soon we left the trees behind and the rain too.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3928_zpslej16cev.jpg

And headed back towards Tuatapere :scooter: Now... Who knew Tuatapere was the sausage capital of N.Z. ??

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3933_zpsxtaag2pf.jpg

I didn't, but I do now :yes: and consider myself a better person for it. I had to pull into Monkey Isl. just to show George that there wasn't really any monkeys there

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3934_zpsxw5gqzx6.jpg

We got to Riverton, where I stopped for a late brunch, then carried on through to Invergiggle. Besides grabbing some gas I didn't stop again. I should spend some time there as I like that town :yes: I've been to Bluff before so figured I'd give that a miss too. I imagine it hasn't changed much :rolleyes:
I continued heading East through the Catlins. I almost had one of those moments through here, no pic though. Try to picture this... I came round a bend, over a hill top and laid out before me was a proper farming valley, the sun was shining, making the green of the grass really pop, so bright it was almost unnatural, there was stands of native in some of the gullies, a gravel road winding across the valley and snaking it's way up the hill on the other side, and an old barn down on the valley floor, all this under a sky the colour of lead.It really was quite stunning. I took a mental picture of it, and carried on, down to Slope point

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3946_zpsm46dqpwv.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3947_zps8nxelvl2.jpg

I won't bore you with the selfie I took there, with George. I thought there would've been more than just a sign and a little light house there, but it was nice to see it was still pretty raw, the cliffs weren't even fenced. Cool:2thumbsup
Anyway... We carried on around the coast a bit more, stopping only to be disappointed by the "petrified forest"

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3958_zpseypsztnw.jpg

I thought the trees would've been standing up, nevermind :weep:
Then instead of carrying on round the coast I consulted the map and picked a route through the middle of it which should drop me around Clinton.
Through the Catlins conservation area

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3965_zpsohdptuai.jpg

and along some more back roads...

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3969_zpsvo0dlv6i.jpg

Popping out exactly where I should've been :clap: A hard right, through Clinton and onto Balclutha where I scored some cool digs for the night

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3972_zpsnmgm8tdn.jpg

Time to do some washing, dry some stuff and charge batteries.
Day 4

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Day%205_zpskjcz61dk.jpg

JATZ

17th June 2015, 20:36

Right... where was I ?

After a rough night in Balclutha, I didn't sleep much :yawn: I gathered up all the crap I seem to carry, chucked George in his spot in the tank bag, rugged up with more layers than an onion and set sail... Intending to head across towards Gore and have a poke around up some back roads before calling in on Shrek. I hadn't gone far before my fingers were numb (despite the heaters being on full) the roads were wet and greasy and morale took a tumble :blink: I decided to just head straight to Shreks up the Clutha river rd.
I thought this would be a cool place to live

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3974_zpsheqcw7fd.jpg

Aside from seeing something that looked like a bear ( I don't think there's bears down there :scratch: ) crossing the road at the other end of a long straight, nothing remarkable happened :yawn: I got to Shreks just in time for a brew :2thumbsup and we chewed the fat for a bit before he snuck Mrs Shreks Harley out of the shed and warmed it up for me. I've never ridden a Harley before so it was nice to tick that off the bucket list. I didn't go far, just up to the Roxborough dam for a quick photo shoot

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20150611_121859_006_zpsbjrdhbq6.jpg

Before I had to get back to the swamp, passing Shrek on the way. He was heading to town, so left me to my own devices. Always good to see the big fellah :sunny:
A quick scan of the map and I picked out a route... down there, through there and onto that road which should put me over there :banana:
I went down there, through Lawrence and hung a left onto Matheson rd, up the hill and it looked like a farm road :scratch:, down the hill on the other side, round a corner and up what looked like a nice track, noticing a nice lake down to the left and a muddy track round it.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3982_zpshfojr7ac.jpg

A quick glance at the GPS and I realized I taken a wrong turn and needed to be down by the lake, a quick u turn and down onto the muddy track. It was slipperier than a bucket of wrestling eels with some good pot holes. Someone had run a mob of sheep along it too :shit: Hard enough to walk on in MX boots let alone ride on

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3983_zpsnmgwzzlf.jpg

Through the gate and across the paddock, following the little dotted line on the devil box. Got to the other end and found this

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3986_zpsqxubga97.jpg

A quick walk on the other side of the gate and the track got much better, shame I couldn't get there. Another u turn and back the way I'd come

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3987_zpsjrsp61np.jpg

I shot back up the wrong turn track hoping there was a way through there, across a couple more paddocks and I could see where I wanted to be. I just couldn't get there, and didn't want to be riding round on private property without permission.
Sooooo... back to Lawrence and get where I wanted to be that way, onto Waipori rd, what a cool road :niceone:
I stopped near the top and had a nut bar while George scuttled off to play in the snow on the road side

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3994_zpsc3vmhazv.jpg

It was a nice place to be

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN3996_zpskehbgng2.jpg

Before long it turned into Waipori Falls rd and went past Lake Mahinerangi

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4003_zpsex4oyjnf.jpg

And through some forestry

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4000_zps8svvploc.jpg

I was just cruising along when all of a sudden the road turned to seal and there was houses and signs of civilization, it reminded me a bit of Taui on the Lake Waikerimoana rd. Anyway... there was a power station there

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4014_zpswwj6d89g.jpg

I took George for a walk up to the crystal falls, I think we were both disappointed by the whole deal, but it was a nice walk anyway.
I thought this was pretty cool, it seemed so out of place

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4015_zpsb9dmzwx9.jpg

We carried on out to Outram and then onto Mosgiel for the night :done:

Day 5

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Day%206_zps073dtfbw.jpg

JATZ

17th June 2015, 21:03

A much better night's sleep and lots of hot showers later I left Mosgiel feeling better and a little bit soggy :facepalm:
Looking back on the Taiere plains from 3 mile hill rd

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4023_zpsqytzpm2a.jpg

Over the top and down the other side I hung a left onto a road which I thought would join another one which should allow me to bypass Dunedin. I should look more closely at things sometimes :blink:
Here's Whare flat rd

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4024_zps6ay5ahwt.jpg

Which should put me onto Rollinsons rd which might let me get back the main rd further on... Or not :no:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4025_zpsiywaksdy.jpg

Never mind... Back through Dunners and head North on the main drag, it was a nice morning for it though :sunny:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4028_zpsrap1dvlp.jpg

Onto Oamaru where I hung out for a bit

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4031_zpscanyaffq.jpg

And looked around some of the old buildings :shifty:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4034_zpsth4se05s.jpg

With some girls I worked with during the harvest

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4036_zps9mmooekw.jpg

George made some new friends too :love:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4037_zps7ts6161h.jpg

I spent a bit to long chilling out and left for Chch a bit later than I wanted, but such is life.
Headphones in, GPS set to navigate and it was just a slog up the Canterbury plains. Arriving after dark and trying to follow a GPS who hasn't been told about road closures and detours :blink:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y_2MjICeDIU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Another day almost done

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4044_zpstnvhcwre.jpg

But not before checking out this thing. It not to shabby :yes:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20150612_202416_587_zpsoa1bb21o.jpg

JATZ

17th June 2015, 21:38

A late start the next day and I pootled off for a ride around on Banks Peninsula with the G.W.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4046_zpspxe1imaq.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4048_zpss3sluddq.jpg

Some really cool riding out that way. Here's Port Levy

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4051_zpsjhnbrpbs.jpg

and Pigeon bay

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4053_zpsqi9p3a0w.jpg

and finished the day in Akaroa

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20150613_171315_288_zpsryhaipqd.jpg

Sunday rolled around and after brekky and saying "G'day to Mulletman and a couple of mates, sorry I didn't catch your names, it was just home time :weep: after dropping of the G.W. Headphones back in...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/--kYVgXjoEk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

put the head down and head over Lewis pass, getting home after dark and realizing I really need to upgrade my head lights :argh:

It was a nice week away, but I don't think I'll head back down there in the winter for a while, a bit over it.

Where to next ?? International ?

Maha

17th June 2015, 21:42

That Pigeon bay photo is wow! James.

Moi

17th June 2015, 22:17

JATZ

21st June 2015, 19:31

Another great write-up and superb photos. We are fortunate to live in a beautiful country and it's great to see it through another person's eyes.

Thanks.

International travel? what about Waiheke? :laugh:

Waiheke ?? .... Hmmmm, haven't been there :scratch: Do I need a passport ?? :rolleyes:

I'd love to go for a ride round Rangitoto :ride:

JATZ

21st June 2015, 19:43

I really need to upgrade my head lights :argh:

Thanks to the good buggers at MotoMox..... SORTED !!

Old low beam :brick:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20150620_115618_178_zpsfxnguqc3.jpg

A little bit of dismantling to get to the right wire :eek5:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20150620_125500_211_zpsxxbldzds.jpg

A little bit of solder here and there

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20150620_153327_439_zpsdtvwzlhw.jpg

VOILA !!!

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20150621_132829_345_zpsygc03htj.jpg

They even look the shiz :yes:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20150621_132634_075_zpsj5tfqyfk.jpg

And after that I said goodbye to an old friend :bye:

A little music to set the tone :weep: (works best if you play the music while watching the other vid)

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UjM6zjwi4R0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Good bye my old friend.... we've had some good times, and some not so good :mad: May you guide an angel down some godforsaken muddy shity track in the back of beyond

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pxOWQwaT2JU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

timg

22nd June 2015, 07:53

Thanks to the good buggers at MotoMox..... SORTED !!

A little bit of dismantling to get to the right wire :eek5:

Ha! Looks similar to what I needed to do to change a blown build on the Transalp! :pinch:
Nice ride :)

young1

22nd June 2015, 22:55

Awesome scenery, thank you for sharing.

Moi

22nd June 2015, 22:57

Waiheke ?? .... Hmmmm, haven't been there :scratch: Do I need a passport ?? :rolleyes:

I'd love to go for a ride round Rangitoto :ride:

I thought you needed a passport to cross the strait... :facepalm:

You can walk round Rangitoto... might be able cycle it...

RMOTO

23rd June 2015, 12:40

...And after that I said goodbye to an old friend :bye:

Ha, I was only joking when I said set fire to it!! Crazy mofo :laugh:

Tazz

23rd June 2015, 13:07

Always a good read this thread, cheers dude.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20150613_171315_288_zpsryhaipqd.jpg

Good spot. We took a long term lease and had the shop on the end there built for us yonks ago. Used to be able to fish and jump out that top window quite nicely :laugh:

JATZ

23rd June 2015, 20:49

I thought you needed a passport to cross the strait... :facepalm:

You can walk round Rangitoto... might be able cycle it...

I spent a bit of time cruising round over there as a youf, the scouts had a batch we stayed in. It's a cool place. I've visited some of the other islands in the gulf, but never Waiheke.

Ha, I was only joking when I said set fire to it!! Crazy mofo :laugh:

it was either that or a viking funeral but I didn't have time to build a boat :eek5: and it's a bit of a walk to the dam...

Good spot. We took a long term lease and had the shop on the end there built for us yonks ago. Used to be able to fish and jump out that top window quite nicely :laugh:

I would've stopped in and got something for the G.W. but the place was shut :whistle:

Ha! Looks similar to what I needed to do to change a blown build on the Transalp! :pinch:
Nice ride :)

You should get a BMW :rofl::rofl:

_Shrek_

23rd June 2015, 23:50

I spent a bit of time cruising round over there as a youf, the scouts had a batch we stayed in. It's a cool place. I've visited some of the other islands in the gulf, but never Waiheke.

you can take the bike across that way you'll get around better :yes:

Tazz

24th June 2015, 10:08

I would've stopped in and got something for the G.W. but the place was shut :whistle:

Not ours anymore, just some copycats. Pop in next time you are in Picton. Got some tea towels out back I can donate. I'm sure she'll love and treasure em, plus you can use them to clean your visor. Win win. :sweatdrop :laugh:

Keep up the good work :niceone:

SVboy

24th June 2015, 10:38

That was me with Mulletman in Akaroa. Good to see the stuffed one in person!

JATZ

8th July 2015, 20:52

Just because the thread needs more pics :msn-wink:
Doing stuff today, while I thought about the next adventure... excuse the crap cell phone pics

And the words of David Coverdale sprang to mind
I don't know where I'm going :scratch:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20150708_135934_461_zpshb4joxb6.jpg

But I sure know where I've been :niceone:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20150708_135952_745_zps9avkixgg.jpg

FYI
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2fP9hW7655U" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

JimmyC

9th July 2015, 20:41

Great album :rockon:

JATZ

26th August 2015, 14:42

Just because......

Sent from my ZTE R83

unstuck

26th August 2015, 14:47

Ah rootraking, one of my favorite pastimes. :niceone:

clint640

26th August 2015, 14:50

Good to know I'm not the only weirdo taking pics of a soft toy while out for a ride today. :laugh:

Great day for it down here, even if it was only the commute to work.

Clint

JATZ

15th September 2015, 21:04

Also the plan is to click over 100,000 k's on the bike this year, just because :D

That statement may have been a bit premature :facepalm: I've been a bit slack lately. Only rode to Takaka for a kebab and out to Hori bay one afternoon since the last trip south. But I'm working on it :sunny:

The trip North was good, however there was to many wheels involved for it to be a part of this thread :psst:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4308_zps1qaxdnsm.jpg

Despite my whining and bleating on a daily basis about how much better it would be on the bike :ride: and pointing out the huge grins on the faces of every biker who went past. However we saw some nice/interesting/cool things.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/PANO_20150828_082030_963_zpsqjrbs411.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4173_zps44oe5egd.jpg

Even did the touristy thing in Waitomo with a heap of Asians who must've been taking a break from house hunting in Auckland, Quite cool really :niceone: the pics don't do it justice really

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4261_zpsqljlm4ho.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4269_zpszh7zoahz.jpg

Aaaaand I picked up a set of tyres for the bike, thanks to Laava.

Laava

15th September 2015, 21:08

Chur! Feel a bit stink about not having you guys in for a cuppa, but I had an appointment to get to and you guys were running out of day! Where did you end up spending the night?

JATZ

15th September 2015, 22:24

Right...
Seeing as how I had a new set of tyres waiting in the lock up I figured I'd best finish off the old ones first :yes: and I needed some helmet time.... badly :eek5: A ride round the block should do it nicely, seeing as how the weather's warming up :sunny:
I loaded up some crap, and George, and hit the road after a bit of a lie in,just to make sure the frost was gone :innocent: making my way to Tapawera and along the Dry Weather rd and then out to Lake Rotoroa

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4310_zpsjzgjhzra.jpg

Through the Braeburn track...

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4311_zpsvc72jy0o.jpg

I didn't even stop in Murch, it was such a nice day and I was in the groove :scooter: Through the Upper Gorge and hung a left towards Reefton for a bit of gas

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4313_zpskwalvmcn.jpg

I'd had a quick look at RemoteMoto and decided to go through Bell Block rd as I hadn't been there before. So I took a left towards Nelson creek. At one point I was flicking around the GPS seeing where Kangaroo Creek rd went (just because the name interested me:yes: ) when a local stopped to see if I was all good. He recommended I didn't try it on my bike, so I'll have to go and have a look later, possibly with company :yes:
Anyway... Carrying on to Bell Block rd and past Lady Lake. I took a little lumpy side track to see if it went to the lake, it ended in a swamp after about 50m :brick: so I didn't see much of the lake. Nevermind... On to Crooked creek which was as good a place as any for a brew. George musta been gettin cramped too.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4318_zps5qkod6dw.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4322_zpspkb7oyvq.jpg

Feeling re-charged, George assumed the position in the pannier and we carried on out to Jacksons and over Arthurs Pass. There wasn't much happening there so we carried on. I was looking for the turnoff to Mt White station, which I found easy enough, thanks to the huge sign :blink: I'd seen a couple of campsites up there which'd be a good place to stop. After going to the end of the road and had a look at Lake Letitia.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4323_zpsspj2zwdn.jpg

Nice spot :D

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4327_zpspwwvt1ch.jpg

Then back to Andrews shelter campsite. Awsome... under cover parking even :Punk:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4328_zps2tgpor2m.jpg

Set up the tent and cooked tea then yarned a bit with some folks from Dunedin.
The next day dawned just as perfect as the first :sunny:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4332_zpsli050p7s.jpg

After shaking the ice off the tent and packing up it was time to get under way.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4333_zpswh84waqn.jpg

I put the headphones when I got back to the main rd

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KO3l733WRN0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Damn it was good to be alive, sun shinning, good tunes, swooping through the bends :woohoo: It was one of those days. I needed this.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/PANO_20150913_093542_442_zpsur0ekbva.jpg

Over Porters pass and into Springfield for some much needed juice, George had to get out and get his photo taken in the giant donut

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4339_zpsfcau0lck.jpg

We didn't hang around long and made tracks through Oxford, which seemed to arrive way to quickly :innocent:
I was flicking around the GPS again and saw a track out the back of Rangiora which meant I could bypass the town. It was quite busy with walkers and mountain bikers on a sunday morning, but I'm sure they didn't mind me sneaking past :innocent:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4343_zpsalw12zqa.jpg

I had no idea Rangiora had an airport :blink: with some interesting looking winged things lurking in hangars. We popped out back on H/way 1 at the Waimak bridge and headed North, the day was still young so I turned the bars left at Innes rd and wobbled around some random back roads for a while.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4345_zpsxazjegjh.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4349_zpszwjcsvdh.jpg

Eventually getting to here

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4347_zpslkobza5r.jpg

Where I banged a waypoint in for home and told GPS to get me there, which it did, nicely :yes: Over Lewis pass

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4352_zpsafhehtwv.jpg

With a small detour over the Maruia Saddle rd, where once again George had to put in an appearance

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4356_zpsmju52xqk.jpg

I love the last bit of that rd :love: it never seems to rut up and is always swept clean (touch wood). Then the last stretch home, still trying hard to finish the rear tyre :innocent: Which I think I did, it won't last another trip.

I think I need some more helmet time though :sunny:

JATZ

15th September 2015, 22:26

Chur! Feel a bit stink about not having you guys in for a cuppa, but I had an appointment to get to and you guys were running out of day! Where did you end up spending the night?

Tutakaka, or Toots as the locals call it :yes: even got an upgrade to a room with a view of the marina.

The Panorama pic above is of the Poor Knights from out towards the light house there

awa355

16th September 2015, 00:35

I see?? It is okay for you to wear a helmet, poor George has nothing:nono::nono:

Lovely country, Thanks for the photos.

Woodman

16th September 2015, 07:19

Good, and yeah its getting warm again. Itching for a long ride.

Edit, what tyres did ya get?

JATZ

16th September 2015, 17:10

I see?? It is okay for you to wear a helmet, poor George has nothing:nono::nono:

Lovely country, Thanks for the photos.

Don't worry... I've been thinking about a helmet for the stuffed one, I just haven't found one yet:crazy: I may have to manufacture something.

Good, and yeah its getting warm again. Itching for a long ride.

Edit, what tyres did ya get?

I was glad I'd left the liners in the gear in the morning and evening so it's still not that warm yet. I would flick ya a txt next time I go, how much notice do you need ? I only need about an hour :innocent:
Installing a Karoo on the rear to match the one on the front, see how long it lasts :shutup:

Padmei

17th September 2015, 07:47

Goodness my old man you get around.
Lovely pics & RR
Thanks for sharing

Underground

17th September 2015, 11:18

I stayed in that Andrews shelter a few weeks back, awesome facility and there was no need to try to pitch my tent on the snow, even has a dunny.

JATZ

7th October 2015, 17:27

Ah rootraking, one of my favorite pastimes. :niceone:

Same... I get a sense of satisfaction from taking a scrubby/gorsey bit of waste ground and making a paddock, same with mowing/mulching/power harrowing.

Aaaaand...

I do like it when shiney things turn up in the letter box :yes: bit like a magpie really. Especially when they come with lots of stickers :D

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4359_zpswicrw75v.jpg

I should be able to use the rear brake while standing up, without dislocating my ankle to do so now :niceone: only taken 3+ yrs to get it sorted. Better go test it out now...

NordieBoy

7th October 2015, 18:10

Should have got Padders to slap a set together for you. Only cost half as much...

pete-blen

7th October 2015, 18:51

Pivot pegz !!!!!!!

There is a cheaper option....

Padmei

7th October 2015, 18:53

I heard my name mentioned & had to wait 10 mins for this fricking page to load - what's up with that? Where's the page break function?

Pivots are good...

if they're crafted by an artisan in a shed... Wouldn't catch me riding with something symetrical & fully functioning:bleh:

Padmei

7th October 2015, 18:54

Pivot pegz !!!!!!!

There is a cheaper option....

Fricking horse shoes Pete????? you've been down south too long

_Shrek_

17th October 2015, 10:16

I do like it when shiney things turn up in the letter box :yes: bit like a magpie really. Especially when they come with lots of stickers :D
I should be able to use the rear brake while standing up, without dislocating my ankle to do so now :niceone: only taken 3+ yrs to get it sorted. Better go test it out now...

:cool: & they're good to use, but I'm getting mine extended by 2cm, I find them a bit short, but that may have to wait for winter now

JATZ

26th October 2015, 19:43

Pivots are good...

... Wouldn't catch me riding with something symetrical & fully functioning:bleh:

Ahhhhh.... that explains much about Schmitty then :Pokey:

Pivot pegz !!!!!!!

There is a cheaper option....
Thanks Pete, but they're not quite shiney enough, otherwise I'd get a set

:cool: & they're good to use, but I'm getting mine extended by 2cm, I find them a bit short, but that may have to wait for winter now

So far so good, although I've not tested them standing up yet, passengers get a bit weird when you stick ya bum in their face :whistle: I've still got to muck around with the levers a bit to get them in the right place, should be sorted by 2018

JATZ

26th October 2015, 21:05

Saturday morning had me loading the bike in glorious sunshine getting ready for a trip down the coast to have a look at the street races in Greymouth. I haven't been for the last couple of years so it was about time I did, just to see if anything's changed.
I swung by the G.W's place to load up the last of the crap we would probably need for an overnighter. There wasn't going to be any gates on this trip so she was promoted to head photographer for the weekend :eek5: this'll be interesting...
The Gorse and Broom were looking particularly radiant heading through the Tadmore/Glenhope rd

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4403_zpsxya0xajs.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4404_zpsuixrqazn.jpg

Then made our way to Murchison without incident and hung a left in town and wobbled up towards Maruia saddle. with a brief stop at Horse Terrace bridge for a snack, and I grabbed the camera

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4411_zpsfpkedm2y.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4408_zpsjokh2qoi.jpg

:whistle: I don't think the co pilot was to keen on the muesli bar

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4407_zpsfixuumck.jpg

Carrying on over the saddle and down the other side I was directed to stop so she could take a pic of me. it was a bit soft where I turned around :yes:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4412_zpshy9q67s9.jpg

But I got going again :2thumbsup

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4414_zpsslgsgxqv.jpg

We cruised down the Maruia West Bank rd and onto Springs Junction. we didn't stop there, although the new owners seemed to have made things better when we stopped there a couple of weeks ago.
I had been boycotting the place after coming over the Lewis last year in rain and snow, on one of my trips. I pulled in wet and cold hoping for a nice warm brew, only to be told they couldn't supply one. I hadn't been back until a couple of weeks ago when we pulled in wet and cold after another wet crappy trip up from Chch and with no other options we went in... the food was hot :yes: but still average, and the coffee machine was running.
Anyway... We carried on over the Rahu saddle

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4420_zpsvhuxhkwe.jpg

and into Reefton. A quick bite to eat, gas for the bike and we were back on the road heading South. The photographer hadn't been to Lake Brunner before so we thought we'd go and have a look. We shot down to the ramp for a bit of a leg stretch, and to let George out for some air :sunny:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4425_zpsnyzdetdj.jpg

I get some sort of sick pleasure out of watching some people struggling with launching and retrieving boats at popular ramps. Some are like well oiled machines, but others are incredibly incompetent/impatient/imbecilic, I shouldn't judge, I've probably been the second one on occasion myself :facepalm:
Anyway, I thought this was pretty cool, pop popping around in amongst the large trailer boats and jet skis

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4427_zpskt1buuik.jpg

We carried on 'round the lake and headed for Kumara via Mitchells

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4431_zpsta8adiyi.jpg

Blasted through Kumara and headed for the Old Christchurch rd. I did have a plan of where I was heading, sortof, half remembered from looking at a map a few days before. I was looking for a road that would link up with the Stafford Loop rd. Duffers Creek rd it was called. I found it alright, but part way along it had some rocks and logs blocking access. Nevermind... there was a track heading away to the right that followed some power lines.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4435_zpsvyqsiiyg.jpg

Some walkers emerged from Duffers Creek rd and said it was blocked at the other end too, but I could follow the power lines through to Kumara/Kapitea reservoir, so long as I didn't mind some puddles. Sweet.. We'll go that way then :D

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4437_zpseqmy7w7p.jpg

What a cool little track :ride:
I should really have checked out RemoteMoto before going, which would've told me Duffers creek was blocked and the other track was a grade 3 and where it came out. Next time maybe.
This is a little bit of the Kapitea reservoir

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4438_zpsdqsfbcze.jpg

After that little diversion we got to the designated campsite for the night at the Goldsborough D.O.C. campsite. Pretty soon the locals came to see what we were up to

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4444_zps2uid9o9s.jpg

I busied myself setting up camp

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4450_zpsn6kazuao.jpg

While the co pilot fretted about helmet hair:whistle:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4449_zpsjv2813dq.jpg

and George went play with some of the residents, although I don't think they thought much of his flying tackles:wacko:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4448_zpsz0cmp9br.jpg

After domestic duties were taken care of we went for a wander up German Gully, just across the creek from the campsite. some of us walked, others took a more leisurely mode of transport

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4457_zpsssobqr8p.jpg

No wonder he's getting a fat arse :shutup:
Anyway... it was a nice walk through the bush, there was trees and rocks and moss

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4455_zpsnexxbgbr.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4466_zpstmgs6nwg.jpg

And a cave

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4452_zpsmzequb1j.jpg

Thats about it for day 1...

JATZ

26th October 2015, 22:11

We got up next morning, had a quick brew and packed up, aiming to get into Hoki for a big breakfast, complete with all sorts of processed meat products, which, according to the latest research, will give you bowel cancer :facepalm: so with great anticipation we set sail :scooter: ....
Got about 200m from the campsite before the normally reliable GS started making some god awfull noises from the back wheel.
I think I know what that is I said :weep: I quickly whipped off the back wheel and sure enough one of the wheel bearings had shit itself, brekky's going to have to wait :mad: I whipped out the seal and circlip and proceded to try and get it out using my longest torx key and a rock

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4469_zps0g5qfux0.jpg

The damn thing wouldn't budge :mad::mad: despite putting a bit of heat on it using some white spirits from the cooker.
Before long a guy wandered along to see if we needed help, I explained the bearing had let go and I needed to get to Repco in Greymouth to get another one. He offered to give me a lift so went and got his van, came back and offloaded his wife/partner, one dog and a couple of chairs for those staying behind to sit on while we went off to get things sorted. We got to Repco where they had the bearing I needed, I also got a long 3/8th drive extension to use as a punch (40% off sales are great :D ) as none of the punches they had would be long enough. I think it'll live in my bike tool kit as I don't have 3/8th drive socket set to go with it. I had to borrow a hammer from the shop as I hadn't bought my rock with me, and sure enough I got just the inner race of the bearing out, along with what was left of the balls. SHIT !!! :shit:
Now... there's a lip that the bearing sits against inside the hub so there was no way to bash the outer out, I've been here before, all I need is a welder to give it a couple of spots and it should pretty much fall out. The young fellah from Repco came out to see how we were getting on and I explained what had happened and if he knew where I could get a welder, on a sunday morning, when the town's pretty much shut down for the races. "No worries" he said, I'll give my flattie a call, hope he's up, and he can bring my mig down, be about 20 mins :clap:
We stood around yaking for a bit, where I found out the guy from the van was Hec, a fencer from Carterton, he'd arrived at the camp at 6 that morning on the start of a 2 week holiday doing some prospecting, and the young fullah from Repco likes Fords, but I won't hold it against him :sunny:
Anyway... the welder and flattie arrived so I set to, the bastard shell still wouldn't move so Repco guy scuttles off to grab a bearing puller off the shelf while I put some more weld on the shell for the puller to grip onto. It was pretty tight and there was some ingenuity going on to get the pullers to work but we got there in the end, with a little help from a crowbar too :rolleyes:
Hec and I piled into the van , and headed back to the girls, we'd only been gone about 2 1/2 hrs by this stage :whistle:
The wheel slotted back in sweetly, I didn't even have to remove the ABS sensor which has a habit of getting caught up, and I said bye to Hec and Hayley, true good buggers who wouldn't accept any $$ compensation. I hope the sun shines on them for the rest of their holiday and good things come their way. Also a big thanks to the young fellah at Repco (I can't remember his name) Repco eh...what an auto store oughta be :msn-wink:
That little drama out of the way we headed into Greymouth to catch a little bit of the racing, and for some to go find some facility's while I got some maccas to inhale, we were both ravenous by this stage :blink:
We caught the 3rd round of racing, and my fingers are getting worn out from all this typing so I'll just stick in a couple of pics of the racing while they recover...

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4478_zpsoj4fpfhm.jpg

Nasty little dip on the corner in the next pic, but that's part of what makes street racing interesting

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4486_zpsgzntlvq1.jpg

'Tards

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4489_zpskhoqdtn4.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4496_zpsvyeovjvd.jpg

...wish I could do this

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4497_zpsstq3xbnj.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4515_zpsgd9ylsqq.jpg

on purpose and without shitting myself :lol:

I think the camera is slowing down :( cause I got a few shots like this too

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4532_zpsznhz7ddh.jpg

We got away about 3ish for an eneventfull ride back home, always conscious that the roads would be well policed, which they were :Police:
All in all a good weekend, I do need to go back and poke around some more though.... after I replace the rest of the bearings :whistle:

Woodman

27th October 2015, 06:22

Cool story bro

NordieBoy

27th October 2015, 18:24

Bearings wear out?

Padmei

28th October 2015, 07:05

Good story bro.
re Springs junction - Used to like stopping & getting real old school road food- white bread, egg or cheese& onion sammies. Called in the other week & the bread was the cheapest stalest cardboard I'd had. Grrrr.

Some nice looking gravel in your pics.

NordieBoy

28th October 2015, 09:52

Stale cardboard! Yuck!

Mmmm....
Fresh cardboard...

:drool:

puddytat

28th October 2015, 11:16

JATZ

28th October 2015, 14:35

Im afraid to say that once the place got taken over by immigrants, Springs Café turned to custard. I do have sympathy for the poor buggers working there ,one bloke was Afghan I think & he had had no days off for 3 months & his family was still back home.
I hear what your saying... It should be a destination, not somewhere to be avoided. 20 yrs ago it used to be good :D

Stale cardboard! Yuck!

Mmmm....
Fresh cardboard...

:drool:
Reminds me of a muesli bar I had once....

Good story bro.
re Springs junction - Used to like stopping & getting real old school road food- white bread, egg or cheese& onion sammies. Called in the other week & the bread was the cheapest stalest cardboard I'd had. Grrrr.

Some nice looking gravel in your pics.
I/we/you/someone should organize a weekend exploring some of the roads/tracks out the back of Greymouth, some good riding down there.

Bearings wear out?
Aparently :facepalm:

Woodman

28th October 2015, 18:31

.

I/we/you/someone should organize a weekend exploring some of the roads/tracks out the back of Greymouth, some good riding down there.

Yes, when? organise it. Two days should do.

Padmei

28th October 2015, 19:37

Im afraid to say that once the place got taken over by immigrants, Springs Café turned to custard.

No tried the custard, that was hard too.

(Well if Nordie can post bad ones I can too)

Padmei

28th October 2015, 19:40

I/we/you/someone should organize a weekend exploring some of the roads/tracks out the back of Greymouth, some good riding down there.

Hey I'll do it:woohoo:

Unless of course there is organising, planning or commitment involved then I leave it someone else & read the ride reports...

NordieBoy

29th October 2015, 07:09

Organising, planning, commitment or a sense of direction...

JATZ

1st November 2015, 20:15

:banana: New bearings ordered, along with new seals and I dropped the wheel spacers at the engineers to get some new ones spun up. The old ones had a little bit of wear so wouldn't seal out the water/dust/crap. So I should be good for another 90 thou k's :ride:

Hey I'll do it:woohoo:

Unless of course there is organising, planning or commitment involved then I leave it someone else & read the ride reports...

See the Nelson rideout thread... also on that "other" site :psst:

Aslan

3rd November 2015, 22:19

great report James - I don't visit here often but your travels / report / sense of humour / wit are always worthwhile - you've my respect for the native cunning you brought to bear in addressing the collapsed wheel bearing - onya!

JATZ

27th November 2015, 20:13

finally got some screen time...

I/we/you/someone should organize a weekend exploring some of the roads/tracks out the back of Greymouth, some good riding down there.

Someone did organize.... was a good w/end, more to come nek week :D

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4649_zpsxe6yxksq.jpg

Muzz67

28th November 2015, 05:51

finally got some screen time...

Someone did organize.... was a good w/end, more to come nek week :D

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4649_zpsxe6yxksq.jpg

It's goin to need a good length of chain and a couple of metres more water to succeed as a mooring block.

Moi

28th November 2015, 07:31

finally got some screen time...

Someone did organize.... was a good w/end, more to come nek week :D

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN4649_zpsxe6yxksq.jpg

Dear Insurance Company,

I had parked my bike safely...

JATZ

3rd December 2015, 19:28

Dear Insurance Company,

I had parked my bike safely...

It's goin to need a good length of chain and a couple of metres more water to succeed as a mooring block.

Hope you guys didn't get a spanking for quoting images :spanking:

JATZ

3rd December 2015, 20:59

Right.... I've cleared my diary and made time for a RR from the other w/end.
This was s'posed to be a poem instead of a story...

But I strived and I tried, but time after time
I drew a blank, finding words that would rhyme
So after sleepless nights, and troublesome days
I gave it away,and went back to old ways
So here is my tale, Enjoy the words and pics
As much as I enjoyed hanging out with these dicks :facepalm:

After the last trip to the West Coast there was murmurings about another w/end knocking around some of the other tracks the area has to offer. Plans were formed and dates set, GPS tracks downloaded/uploaded, wheel bearings and new used tyre fitted :D oil and chain tensioned, and bags packed. The forecast wasn't looking to flash for the saturday, but we still went anyway. I headed over to Wakefield to meet Woodman, wondering what I'd left behind :scratch: We hung about for about 3 mins :wait: waiting for another to turn up (which never happened...yes I'm looking at you Underground :whistle: ) before heading off to Murchison for a pie and to pick up Puddycat,

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4565_zpsrjh8sw3b.jpg

then through the Gorge

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4567_zpsdjofybwh.jpg

and onto Inangahua to meetup with RMoto. Now, although I thought I had things sorted navigation wise, it was good to have Josh along as a backup navigator :niceone: He suggested having a look up Perseverance rd on the way to Reefton and poking our noses up a wee side track at the same time. We found the road alright, which is a nice little dead end road. After a brief stop at the end to check out the river, a pile of rubbish and discuss how you get across the yawning chasm that blocked our path we turned tail and went back the way we'd come, Woodman and P-cat must've been hungry as they went straight past the interesting little side track :facepalm: RMoto tried to chase them down while I waited... with company :D

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4570_zpsdgxdg3uz.jpg

The other 2 must've been REAL hungryhttp://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/smilies/DukeGirl_zpsprifav1l.gif cause he couldn't catch them and returned alone

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4571_zpsona5nxco.jpg

Nevermind... I was getting a wee bit peckish myself and also needed some more caffeine coursing through my veins.
Onto Reefton then...
After lunch I made a quick call to the Napoleons hill contact to check on access as it was getting kind of damp in Reefton by this stage:blink:, it was still all good so we saddled up and hit the road down to Ahaura and the turnoff, and headed to the farmers house to pay the toll and get the gate unlocked.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4572_zpsewpzrsck.jpg

It's quite a cool house with a big water wheel in the front yard for power generation. the place sure has changed since the last time I was there, there was native bush where the house a paddocks are now.
Pretty soon we were off again, heading up Napoleons hill

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4573_zpsp7pw1ecf.jpg

Through some puddles

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4575_zpsqbq4m3sv.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/karamea-to-christchurch-through-tunnels-96842_zps8p6v7775.jpg

Following our guide

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4576_zpse7ww5jnx.jpg

Down into Nobles creek for the interesting bit

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4577_zpsj0zzo1n4.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/karamea-to-christchurch-through-tunnels-96844_zpsmqifknle.jpg

It's an interesting surface to ride on, made more difficult by the fact you want to look around, not keep your eyes on where your going

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4587_zpsqe6hrclk.jpg

The rest of the crew decided to head up a steep little side track to see where it went, I chose to hang out at the bottom and take pics of them coming back :mellow:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4583_zps6rbx69ia.jpg

After that little interlude we carried on and went through the tunnels

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4588_zpsqkprn66p.jpg

It really is a cool track that one :sunny: After the tunnels there's just a couple of little river crossings before you get back into civilisation

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4597_zpsc9e5wrvm.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/karamea-to-christchurch-through-tunnels-96858_zpsff2ignse.jpg

RMoto had said the crossings were a bit slippery :blink: but we all got through alright... Except...... on the last crossing mr P-cat decided to give his bike an all over wash :shit:
No drama though, just a matter of getting the water out of places it shouldn't be, which takes time. sortoff a one man job so the rest of us just stood around looking, offering moral support and technical assistance where required

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4599_zpsfwbkplff.jpg

After a bit of faffing about and lots of kicking, it's a kick start only model :hitcher: the bike still wouldn't start. Woodman produced a hank of rope the likes of which I'd never seen before :blink:, it was wound up in such a way it fits in the downtube of the Beemers frame. Looked mighty queer and somewhat phallic but proved to be our savior, you'll have to get him to show you sometime.
Anyway...back to business. All hooked up and ready to roll

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4601_zpsp2vrweuf.jpg

Up a nearby hill, with a weeeee bit of pushing, but they got there in the end

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4604_zpslzg0dcup.jpg

Luckily it started :sweatdrop near the bottom of the hill and we were away :wings: we popped in to the farmhouse to see the farmer and drop a wee something off and while there P-cat checked his oil, which resembled white paint and had about the same consistency. The farmer had a poke about his shed and found some oil so the bike was wheeled into the workshop where the old oil was replaced with some fresh new stuff

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4605_zps4vjx4xc2.jpg

Bloody good farmer that one :niceone: couldn't do enough to help.

Waihou Thumper

3rd December 2015, 21:29

Nice photos and report...
Have to add....

317684

JATZ

3rd December 2015, 21:52

After that little break, we saddled up again and headed for Nelson creek and a bit of a pow wow about what to do next. Woodman dropped of his luggage at the pub and double checked he had booked a room. He wasn't to sure as the publican was a bit vague and there was a darts tournament on. While the rest of us waited wondering whether to drop off panniers/set up camp in the reserve the publican came scuttling over to offer us the use of some comfortable couches out the back if we wanted, good to know :banana: We found out the kitchen shut at 9 so we'd best be back before then if we wanted a feed. All good :2thumbsup
We had a bit of time to kill so decided to go have a look up another track, The lake Ahaura track and come back via the Lake Hochstetter track.
By the time I got to the turnoff RMoto and Woodman were waiting at the bottom, RMoto nodded so I pointed the front wheel up the track and took off.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/karamea-to-christchurch-through-tunnels-96862_zpstbrxooh0.jpg

I hadn't gone far when I thought, shit :shit: that's a little lumpyer and slipperyer than I was expecting, ah well, to late now, onwards and upwards :ride:
Before long the road side vegetation closed in....

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4610_zpsuhepitrk.jpg

And got thicker and thicker, wetter and wetter and pricklyer and pricklyer :blink: and got quite unpleasant. Couldn't have the visor down, just a matter of pushing through and hoping it got better, and you didn't get wiped out by a big branch :yeah: At least those with screens had something to hide behind.
Before long we got to the first hurdle, which was steeperer and more gnarlier than the pics suggest, infact, it was just about vertical and the ruts were meters, not feet, deep.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/karamea-to-christchurch-through-tunnels-96866_zps30pwckea.jpg

After a bit more pushing through solid, sodden scrub we got to the next bit that could've be tricky, A wheel swallowing hole in the centre of the track and another on the right, the only option was to go left and up a bit of a step, after making a little ramp :headbang:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/karamea-to-christchurch-through-tunnels-96868_zpskzsym9bh.jpg

Then more pushing through scrub :facepalm: You needed to stick to the wheel tracks as riding over the mossy wet rocks/leaf litter in the centre was like riding on ice with bald tyres.
It was getting late by this stage, and dark :eek5: and we needed to get back to the pub for a feed, I know I'd decided a boil in the bag meal just wasn't going to cut it this night.
Before long, actually it seemed like an eternity, we arrived on the most glorious forestry road I've had the pleasure to ride on, actually it was pretty ordinary, but felt like a highway after the last few k's, time to put the hammer down and use 2nd and 3rd gear :2thumbsup I gave the Mosko panniers a good hit on a pointy stick going round a bend at one stage, hard enough to shift the bike sideways. I'm sure I heard George cry out even. I fully expected to see a hole in them, but no damage :banana: good gear that :D
We navigated our way back to the seal and made very good time (luckily there was no :Police: or I think 3 of the 4 of us would be walking), through swarms of huge sandflies back to the pub with only a couple of minutes to spare before the kitchen shut. Sorry I didn't hang about P-cat, but I was pretty damn hungry by this stage :D
Anyway...No one really wanted to pitch a tent in the rain by this stage so after a good feed, a hot shower and some beers:drinknsin we had a good night, RMoto showed us how to sink balls while I made a dick of myself and remembered why I don't really play pool. Eventually got to the couches (which are very comfy :2thumbsup) about 1. I really like West Coast pubs, There's something about a place where you just leave your cash on the bar and when your bottles empty they just replace it and take the right cash from your pile, also friendly, pool playing publicans and bar staff are good value.

JATZ

3rd December 2015, 23:26

O.K.
Sunday morning felt like a Sunday morning, a bit of wind and a few showers passing through but it was s'posed to clear. I should mention here the owners 3 Rottie dogs whom I got to know while I was outside having breakfast. They had set up camp out the back on our gear which had been thrown there the night before. These things are HUGE !! Mum and her 2 pups which seemed about the size of small horses, quite intimidating, but apparently friendly, "yeah right" how often have you heard that ?:shutup:
Anyway... After brekky we loaded up and went to take off for the day, except... there was Air Head issues

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4615_zpsnfqae6uq.jpg

Not a good pic, but you get the idea. Luckily Woodman had the necessary tools to diagnose and fix the problem. I guess that's the beauty of old bikes, you spend enough time fixing them you know em inside out and all the little idiosyncrasies (is that spelt right ? :scratch: ) I woulda called roadside rescue :shutup: Pretty soon we were on our way again, down the road and onto NoTown rd

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4617_zpsheius9rh.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4619_zpsrkea4qcq.jpg

hopping we could join up with Arnold valley rd, before long we came to this :blink:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4621_zpsys6yicvw.jpg

No way around it... backtrack a little and have a look up a couple of side tracks which looked like they may get us round it

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4624_zpsvejrqn24.jpg

Nope :no: no joy there... Back the way we'd come

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4622_zpsuxcrwks4.jpg

And onto the seal for a bit and up Arnold vlly rd to Lake Brunner for lunch at the stationhouse ( http://www.lakebrunner.net/ ) not to shabby either:drool:
Suitably refreshed we got underway again and headed over Maori gully rd

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4633_zpsbobqneak.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4625_zpswlswdc9j.jpg

This is where the local knowledge of RMoto came in handy, as my GPS had decided to play silly buggers and I had no real idea where we were or where we were going. Gee that sounds familiar :shutup:.
We got onto No Name rd which is another I've been meaning to do for a while and then onto Cape terrace rd for a bit.
I'm going to have a bit of a rant here....
Y'know what pisses me off ? This sort of shit :mad:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4642_zpsuulpz5nw.jpg

I've lost count of the number of times I've been somewhere and people have dumped their rubbish at a road end or picnic area. Junk food packets and beer cans litter the country side. "Energy drink" cans and bottles, I mean FFS you've just had an energy hit, surely you have the energy to put the rubbish in a bin or somewhere for disposal later. I have been known to stop and pick it up if I have room, and get rid of it later, it's not that hard

/Rant off

After cruising along Cape terrace road for a bit we had a look down Blackwater creek track,

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/karamea-to-christchurch-through-tunnels-96882_zpsor3enb6b.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4647_zpsozo3i96b.jpg

RMoto didn't recommend going right through after the previous days wetness, there's some good puddles on that one DAMHIK :facepalm:

We turned around where it starts getting rough. After someone decided to ride through the biggest, deepest, muddyest puddle in sight :laugh: then had the cheek to park his bike on my foot when trying to pull him back out of it

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4648_zps1ev0lguy.jpg

After extricating the big whale we turned around and headed back up the hill.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4640_zpspspceqea.jpg

And back onto Cape terrace rd, I think :scratch: It went a bit pear shaped here, nav wise :blink: We got onto some forestry tracks heading for somewhere else, what followed was a scenic tikki tour of some tracks that led vaguely in the direction we wanted to go :yes: :no: :D

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/karamea-to-christchurch-through-tunnels-96878_zpsnbjplw5x.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4645_zpsh5sfsjg1.jpg

There was lots of gorse :blink: thankfully not over hanging stuff. A gate with a nice ride round :Punk:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4635_zpssqdmmgbc.jpg

A tree to navigate under

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4638_zpsqghklzm3.jpg

some of us took an easier route :yes:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/karamea-to-christchurch-through-tunnels-96880_zpsn0jzu9d4.jpg

And some nice bush to ride through. Eventually finishing up at another one of these

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/West%20Coast%202015/DSCN4652_zpsifzn8dmr.jpg

Which seem to be making a regular appearance 'round the place. Never mind we had an alternative route to get back to the main rd.
Back on the main drag just south of Greymouth we said our goodbyes, RMoto heading for Chch and the rest of us heading North.
Headphones in for me :woohoo:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dR3ccmWmLhk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Just part of the eclectic playlist.
I lost sight of Woodman and couldn't see P-cat in my mirrors for very long so it was a solo ride to Reefton where I caught up with Woodman. I waited for P-cat for a bit but got bored and gapped it alone up to Murch where P-cat caught up while I was chillin at the servo. Then it was just a "spirited" ride through the Kawatiri gorge and Mot valley to get home:Punk:

JATZ

4th December 2015, 00:02

Post script.....
That was a bloody good weekend's riding with good company. A bit wierd ridding with other people at first, but not unpleasant :D must do it again sometime.
Thanks to RMoto for some of the pics, a lot of mine were pretty shabby, and for the nav expertise.
I also have new indicators :woohoo: Not something I want to replace again in a hurry, typical BMW pricing :weep:
And thanks to the good buggers at MotoMox a nice shiney new headlight guard. Like to see the West Coast bush try ripping that bad boy off :yes:
And I'm still picking gorse out of nooks and crannys on the bike despite a good going over with compressed air and a thorough cleaning :mad:

rustys

4th December 2015, 07:59

l Enjoy reading about your guys Adventures, stories and pictures.

RMOTO

4th December 2015, 08:01

Great write up mate! When are you planning the next indicator eating trip?

Moi

4th December 2015, 08:15

l Enjoy reading about your guys Adventures, stories and pictures.

+1 :niceone:

Always enjoyable reading and nice photos too...

Box'a'bits

4th December 2015, 08:40

+ 2 :yes:. FTCR.

Padmei

4th December 2015, 15:59

Bloody good stuff bro.
Good pics almost like i was there

JATZ

4th December 2015, 16:12

Great write up mate! When are you planning the next indicator eating trip?

Not sure yet :scratch: I.m thinking of heading to Fonganui for the boxing day races, but I need to gather lots more brownie points for that, ...or just go, then ask for forgiveness :laugh:
One things for sure though, your being enlisted as chief navigator :D

Also, Puddytats effort in the river and then undrowning the bike got me thinking (:shit: ) ...
How easy is it to clear the water from a GS ?
I couldn't find much on youtube but it looks like an awfull lot of work to get to the spark plugs :blink: and then there's a special tool to remove the spark plug leads, more crap to carry :facepalm:
Here's a wee vid I found

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5ivQ7upGImo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I don't think I want to put it in a river :no: Maybe I should get a Ural sidecar and not worry about it :niceone:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jgxv8WqEU2o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Woodman

4th December 2015, 17:28

Good stuff.

Muzz67

4th December 2015, 19:28

Where the hell is the air intake on those Urals? (assuming they breathe air)

Tazz

4th December 2015, 20:56

Where the hell is the air intake on those Urals? (assuming they breathe air)

They pull that off and carry it over the river first just to be safe :bleh:

JayDNZ

4th December 2015, 21:36

Awesome write-ups JATZ.... Makes me want to get on ma bike and riiiiiide!!! :scooter::woohoo:

Aslan

4th December 2015, 22:05

another great write up and pics James and Josh (for his pics) cheers S

XF650

5th December 2015, 06:57

Excellent - makes me reminisce.

eldog

5th December 2015, 08:31

This thread always worth a good read - Champion. :yes:

One day I might try something like this.

Box'a'bits

5th December 2015, 08:59

Where the hell is the air intake on those Urals? (assuming they breathe air)
The modified intake for those bikes is in the chair of the Ural. You can see a flexi accordion pipe going across in one shot

puddytat

5th December 2015, 15:42

He has good taste in Music too...

JATZ

25th December 2015, 12:29

Waihou Thumper

27th December 2015, 14:10

https://youtu.be/tDoMoRRQgSQ

[emoji2]

Sent from my ZTE R83

They sailed on Christmas day? Or are you just sort of planting a seed mate:)
You in the Norf?

JATZ

27th December 2015, 20:18

They sailed on Christmas day? Or are you just sort of planting a seed mate:)
You in the Norf?
Yeah.... They sailed on Xmas day. Was a good crossing, not heaving with people. I've been knocking round since then, currently I'm in Ngawi. Catch up with the boy in Wellington tomorrow before heading home in the avo :D

JayDNZ

28th December 2015, 09:44

https://youtu.be/tDoMoRRQgSQ

[emoji2]

Sent from my ZTE R83

I hear its quite expensive to take a car on the ferry, a friend travelling today is paying $300 each way.... Presumably its cheaper to take a bike?

Tazz

28th December 2015, 10:39

Ports never sleep eh. All the freight still goes so no point in not taking passengers :)

If you have time and feel like a yarn rock on in on your way back through bud. Otherwise Merry Christmas and all that jazz!

JATZ

28th December 2015, 20:57

I hear its quite expensive to take a car on the ferry, a friend travelling today is paying $300 each way.... Presumably its cheaper to take a bike?
I did something completely out of character and booked the ferry about 10 days out from Xmas so I got a reasonable fare heading north, about $130, the southern crossing nearly gave me a coronary @ $140ish :gob: a lot of the other sailings were booked out.

If you have time and feel like a yarn rock on in on your way back through bud. Otherwise Merry Christmas and all that jazz!
Sorry fellah... All I wanted to do after getting off the boat was hang a right at the roundabout and regain the will to live :D and get home to a looooooooong hot shower

If I get the laptop back tomorrow I'll be able to sift through some pics and maybe, just maybe, post some up :yes:

JATZ

1st January 2016, 20:45

He has good taste in Music too...

I've got their discography here somewhere, some coool tunes :niceone: and some which are just weird :blink:

JATZ

1st January 2016, 22:03

Right, I have a small bucket of coffee, some mellow tunes playing, and not much else to do, so I thought I'd chuck up some pics of my day at the races, in Wanganui, as well as some other stuff :D

I've wanted to get to Wanganui to have a look at this Cemetery circuit for a wee while now, and decided this was the year to do it, just because :yes: I'd been super organized and even booked a spot on the ferry for Xmas day :sunny:
Xmas eve had me chucking some stuff in the panniers and looking at the bike in preparation, just as well it didn't need anything done :facepalm: Clean oil in the sump, brakes...check, lights... check, tyres... check, air in the tyres...check :niceone: Good to go.
After a late Brekky I waved bye to the G.W. and headed over to Picton in glorious sunshine, surprised at how much traffic was on the road, we had a pretty good run round the Q.C. drive and got to the ferry in good time :msn-wink: It was another smooth sailing

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/IMG_20151225_142022_758_zpskarwugyr.jpg

with not a lot of people on board so I snagged a window seat and settled in. George was enjoying the break away from the house too :yes: and I had a couple of naps :sleep:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/IMG_20151225_144254_959_zps9pbbdrxi.jpg

Then we headed up the coast towards Wanganui. Still a mint day :sunny:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4817_zpsx5e8gwad.jpg

listening to some tunes...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jDyZj4msaoE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I used the campermate app to sort out some digs for the night when we got there. The place wasn't to bad,

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4819_zpstvlrfwwu.jpg

although power points were a scarce commodity due to all the other tablets/phones being charged up by the other residents:blink: I found one though after a bit of detective work and went of to set up camp and heat up some tea, Beef stroganoff with mashed spuds and couscous, incase you were wondering <_<
All evening I could hear the neighbour having a domestic which put a bit of a dampener on things though. I was tempted to poke my nose over the fence, Wilson styles :D http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/Wilson_zps8t0tmj0k.jpg and try and explain that "F**k you Bitch ! Get your fat F**ckin arse home !! Now!! Bitch... (multiple times)followed by items being thrown, and lots more swearing, probably wasn't the best method of resolving the situation. But I stayed out of it:shutup: and nodded off anyway.
The morning arrived and I could hear the bikes doing warm up laps not to far away, which sent me into a bit of a panic as I figured racing must be starting soonish. So I quickly skulled breakfast, broke camp and scuttled off into town. After asking a fellow biker where the races were I found my way to some covered parking and secure gear storage, I hope the local touch team uses my donation wisely :cool: It turns out I got there a couple of hours + before the racing started :facepalm: nevermind... I beat the crowds, had a wander round the course/pits, got a t-shirt and found a shady spot to watch some of the racing.
I'll just stick some pics here of the bikes :D

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4820_zpsedaoavgh.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4825_zps3dvauip4.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4859_zpsnuvriz5n.jpg

I really wanted to see these things going round the course

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4888_zpsqz6e5cky.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4890_zpsfygh3r4r.jpg

The classic sidecars were my personal favorite

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4904_zpsg6qswuij.jpg

This local duo were pretty loose

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4903_zps9yronv9b.jpg

Looked like bloody good fun though. 1 or 2 of the motards got a bit loose coming through here :ride:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4865_zpsnf23ybyn.jpg

Anyway... about mid afternoon I was getting a bit sick of being baked by the relentless sun :sweatdrop: so wandered off to the river to find a bit of shade and eat my icecream

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4896_zpsbmon8sed.jpg

We took a vote and decided we'd seen enough racing and needed to get a bit airflow moving round the body, So back to the bike, get the gear and saddle up :woohoo: I'd found a (cheap) spot to camp the night, once again using the app, so I had a nice purple line to follow on the GPS :laugh:. We made our way back through Bulls and bypassed Palmerston North on some back roads. The traffic was pretty good and didn't hold us up much. Through the gorge ...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3f7KAETdxi0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4913_zpsscbizzeq.jpg

And onto the bustling metropolis of Dannevirke :wari: where it was time for a late lunch.

JATZ

1st January 2016, 23:55

All satisfied now, we made our way out of town and hung a left onto Miller st then Webber rd. I remember seeing the name Waitahora rd somewhere so hung a right when we got there. There was some nice views along the way

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4916_zpsfxh1yt5y.jpg

and got to another couple of names I remembered from somewhere, Coonoor and Towai rd's

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4917_zpsrgpax7ls.jpg

Be rude not to go and have a look I thought, George didn't object, so we carried on along Towai rd. More views of rural N.Z.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4919_zpsvvryhf4f.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4924_zpstxpy4dp9.jpg

Just cruising along.....

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WM8bTdBs-cw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

We got to the intersection of Towai and Waihi vlly rd's and I could see on the map there was a waterfall just up the road. This I have to see :yes: cause I love a good waterfall, and I had time to kill. Before long we arrived at the carpark, I loaded up George for the walk down to see it, intending to go all the way to the bottom

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4926_zps4fadkklx.jpg

We didn't go to far as one of my boots was making some funny noises :eek5: I'd had to glue the sole back on before we left home and wasn't sure if the Ados was up to the task. Nevermind though, I saw what I needed to see from the top :D

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4930_zpsqw8jhyee.jpg

I contemplated staying there, there was water and toilets and tables even, but there was also still a bit of daylight left. so we carried on. Back the way we'd come and onto Manuhara rd then Pahiatua/Pongaroa rd.
I like old buildings too :yes: I wonder why they're not used anymore, and whats inside, and why are they just left to deteriorate

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4933_zps1gmfizqy.jpg

I found my way to the nights campsite without any trouble at all, thanks to the little devil box on the handle bars, and set up camp, at the Pongaroa Domain. Water on tap but no shower or toilet unless you get the key from the pub or shop in town:2thumbsup: I set up camp to the sound of sheep baaaing, magpies warbling and dogs barking across the other side of the valley, all very rural :cool:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4936_zpsprxxf49h.jpg

I decided to head into town and pick up the key from the pub, maybe grab a steak and a couple of cool frosty ales while I was there:drinkup: and spend the evening maybe chatting to some locals. Sadly when I got there the pub was shut :no: with no sign of life anywhere. So I wandered down to the shop, it was shut too and wouldn't open for a couple of days. I resigned myself to boiling another bag of stuff and having it with some couscous :crybaby: Nevermind, it was a nice setting, listening to the rural sounds and watching the sheep on the rugby field. Y'know they really are quite busy little critters when you just watch them quietly, some of them settling down for the night, others playing and some just hanging out amusing themselves. I nodded of to the sound of moreporks moreporking in the big macrocarpas, sheep coughing and baaaing and some woman giving her man a hard time in a house down the road :facepalm: Must be the season for it.
Next morning I had a lie in and packed up slowly. I had an idea where I wanted to be that night but nothing was set in stone.
I grabbed George and wandered up past the derelict (?) scout hall to the entrance to the Centennial Gardens I'd spotted the night before.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4940_zpsr9b3608b.jpg

It was very overgrown and a bit sad to see it in such a state. I imagine it would have been the pride of the town at one time.
Anyhow... Back on the bike and time to head south. I had to get a pic of the playground entertainment though, it made me smile to think of them starting the little ones riding quads in kindy, getting them ready for a life on the farm :D

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4942_zpspsxkkpft.jpg

For the record, H/way 52 is a reeal nice way to start the day :scooter: and this seemed appropriate :clap:

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LPag10yN01g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4943_zpsdxuri51a.jpg

Another old farm building that made me stop for a pic

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4944_zpsm07qj2b1.jpg

Before long I swung the bars left and headed off up Huia rd then along Waihoki vlly rd. This little tyke lept up in front of me at one stage and ran along the road long enough for me to get a couple of pics

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4945_zps4fxk0vmp.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4946_zpseieqtvgf.jpg

I like seeing them things in the wild. It's a nice spot up there

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4948_zpsewfwa0ds.jpg

Before long we were back on the main rd and heading back south. We got to Alfredton where I went left again, along Castlehill rd and onto Tinui rd, before long I came to Springhill rd, the sign didn't say "no exit" so in my book its fair game for heading up, see where you end up :D The GPS said it joined up with Coopers rd which was sort off vaguely in the direction I could be heading and if it wasn't then I'd deal with it later :facepalm:
It was a nice little road and I saw this

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4954_zpsqepel53e.jpg

The picture doesn't really do it justice :oi-grr: the colors were much more vivid in real life, and this

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4955_zps4tondcca.jpg

I got to a couple of farmhouses right next to the road, rode past/through a workshop/yard area, accross a little bridge, through a wee ford and came to some yards and a gaggle of horses:eek5: It didn't look like a public road :no: I went to one house to ask about access, there was nobody there so I went to the second house (nice gardens :yes: ) Honestly, it was like a scene from the Quiet Earth. Keys in the ignition of the Hilux, doors and windows wide open, boots next to the door and a quad just over there, just nobody around, kindoff spookey. I cleared out then. I ran across a young fellah down the road who confirmed my suspicions though, it doesnt join up with anything :oi-grr:
Nevermind I'll find something else to do... I came to a little pub/cafe at Tinui so thought I'd stop for lunch/breakfast, something without couscous would be good :yes:
This fit the bill nicely

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4956_zps9vipgpcg.jpg

After that and spending too long chatting to a local about bikes/farming/hunting/the district it was time to make a move. I've never been to Castlepoint and I figured it must be a nice/popular spot judging by the stream of traffic heading that way.
It was alright... :yes:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4960_zpssxtzpn2n.jpg

I hung around just long enough to look around, chat to an old couple and smell the sea air before making my way back towards Masterton, to pick up some more food and a doohicky to charge the phone from the bike.;)

JATZ

2nd January 2016, 01:11

Right... re-stocked, re-fueld, re-freshed (I had an ice cream :D) we buggered off down the road through Carterton, bypassed Martinborough and shot off out towards lake Ferry :yawn:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4964_zpsvvgwkfcl.jpg

I could feel the knobbs getting burned off the tyres on this stretch :crazy: It was still a beautiful day though :yes: the colors seemed so strong

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4965_zpsfh7kqhcw.jpg

We reached the coast before long, and what a sight it was, what a cracker day :sunny:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4966_zpszkgt4uou.jpg

and stopped at Ngawi for a leg stretch/photo stop

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4973_zpskj2mvcky.jpg

Before carrying on further round the coast past Cape Palliser. I had planned to camp further up the coast but the wind was getting up when we started heading back up towards White Rock. The bash plate got a good workout along this stretch, with one hit hard enough to do this :gob:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/IMG_20160101_141559_342_zpskq7q4tva.jpg

With another smaller crack on the other side.
I turned around here, figuring I could find somewhere more sheltered to pitch the tent

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4974_zpspsz2mqij.jpg

Back the way we'd come...

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4975_zps6uzajg8r.jpg

I stopped back down the coast a bit for another photo stop

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4983_zpsf7zbc2ql.jpg

and to check out the wildlife

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4981_zpse4isljyr.jpg

I counted 32 of the furry little buggers while I was standing in one spot, and that doesn't include the ones who were hiding in crevasses and behind rocks, IMHO that's a plague :eek5: but that may just be the fisherman in me talking :lol:
Anyway... We headed back through Ngawi and I kept my eyes peeled for somewhere to camp, there was quite a few options, but most were occupied by other people. I eventually managed to score a bit of prime beachside real estate

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4984_zpsk9cd7yjb.jpg

with the nearest neighbors about 100m away :banana:
It turned into one of "those" evenings, the wind dying away to nothing, the sun slowly slinking off to warm somebody else, the hills behind me seeming to glow. It truly was a special evening to end a cool day

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4987_zpsipjeveeb.jpg

Not a bad view from the bedroom either :yes: can even see the South Isl.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4996_zpstva7ekyg.jpg

And for tea... Apricot chicken with couscous, and on the side.... couscous :facepalm: :puke: I don't think I'll be chowing down on that again for a while :no:
Once upon a time, many many years ago I spent 8 days hunting in the N.W. Nelson national park, where 2 min noodles were a side dish for most meals. To this day I won't eat them unless there's nothing else. Hope couscous doesn't end up the same as it's so easy to carry/prepare, but I digress....

I woke up the next morning and when I peered out the door I could see a cray boat working his pots just off the coast. It just seemed "right" :yes:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4997_zpscqahqfer.jpg

I slowly packed up, just wanting to hang out for a while, but knowing I had business to take care of in Wellington and a ferry to catch :( It was a vey subdued ride back along the coast, just cruising along ::mellow: Into Martinborough for a coffee then over the 'Takas singing along to Bob Marley..... badly :D

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S3UqvWk8-uw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Through Wellytown and up to Karori to catch up with the boy and g/friend for a bit, he seems well :D :wavey: He suggested a side trip out to Makara wind farm, just take the second left after leaving his place and follow your nose. We did and the ride was worth it :ride:
Y'know... I think I've been here before :scratch:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/DSCN4998_zpsqefq4rsc.jpg

But I came in from the other end that time. We made our way back to Wellington and the ferry, but not without a little side trip up a couple of steep twisty little roads (The Rigi and down Garden rd) To this day I have no idea why the devil box told me to go up there, Maybe it was just to keep me from thinking I had it sussed ? I have no idea :wacko:
Got to the ferry with plenty of time to spare, and where some chic said my bike was pretty flash for a "farm bike" :gob: I was speechless, it's never been called a "farm bike" before. Shortly we were back on the boat for another :yawn: crossing. You know it's calm when you can see the upwellings of the current and the only white caps are from the tide

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Wanganui%20and%20more/IMG_20151228_153222_409_zps4xr5ofkf.jpg

The ride back through Q.C. drive was just a series of rolling road blocks but I had some tunes playing again

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xTgKRCXybSM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

and still got home before dark :D

Where to next ?? after I get some new rubber, chain and sprockets. Seeing as how Santa didn't come through for me :weep:

The Baron

2nd January 2016, 07:15

Wow. That was a great read. Thanks for taking the time to share.

Ride safe.

Waihou Thumper

2nd January 2016, 07:26

Good stuff mate...
I am gonna kill off a few Mototokens in the next few days! :)
Also going to suggest a few more to include for the North Islanders!
As for the trip south? Not this time I am afraid.

Padmei

2nd January 2016, 08:47

Great report James.
You have made my unsure mind up for me. I'm gonna book a sailing for Monday to ride to Auckland for my bros 65th birthday.
Shit I hope the bike makes it.

Moi

2nd January 2016, 09:11

Great read, great photos... a bit of everything - architecture, landscapes, culture, agriculture, machines, food, drink, dietary advice...

Thanks, really enjoy reading of and seeing yours and George's adventures.

Ocean1

2nd January 2016, 09:26

My back yard. Nice to see it through someone else's eyes, cheers.

Box'a'bits

2nd January 2016, 13:03

Cool read thx Jatz.

Haven't heard the Headless Chooks in an age...really enjoyed that

ruaphu

2nd January 2016, 17:41

Brilliant write up and great pic's, thanks for that.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

bart

4th January 2016, 23:59

Aslan

5th January 2016, 21:33

superb write up and pics as always James - looks like you had a great time - go well Cheers Oaters aka Aslan :)

JATZ

5th January 2016, 21:36

Wow. That was a great read. Thanks for taking the time to share.

Ride safe.

Great read, great photos... a bit of everything - architecture, landscapes, culture, agriculture, machines, food, drink, dietary advice...

Thanks, really enjoy reading of and seeing yours and George's adventures.

My back yard. Nice to see it through someone else's eyes, cheers.

It's a nice back yard you got there :yes: I like poking around in it, it's got everything anyone could want

Cool read thx Jatz.

Haven't heard the Headless Chooks in an age...really enjoyed that

It's a pretty eclectic playlist I have, I never know whats going to show up next

Brilliant write up and great pic's, thanks for that.

Good stuff mate...
I am gonna kill off a few Mototokens in the next few days! :)
Also going to suggest a few more to include for the North Islanders!
As for the trip south? Not this time I am afraid.

You'll have to get back down here at some stage.... you know you want to :D

Thanks for reading you others, makes it worth while :2thumbsup

JATZ

5th January 2016, 21:44

If I'd known you were in Dannevirke I would have invited you around for a beer.

I spent many hours swimming and eeling at that waterfall growing up. Awesome spot.

That derilect woolshed is about 2km down the road from the family farm. In fact, the land on the opposite side of the road belongs to the old man. I remember that shed being used by the neighbour when I was a kid.

There are a lot of old buildings around the area. Most the farms out there have doubled in size in my life time, so there are a lot of redundant buildings. Most end up being used for fire brigade practice.

You should have had a nosey at the Makairo track while you were there. You went past the east entrance.

Maybe next time eh ?
It's quite cool seeing the old buildings dotted about the place. Shame the fire brigade uses some of them for practice. I did recognize the name Makiro on a signpost, it's your's and MarkS's, RR's, among others, where I remembered the name from. If I'd shot up Makiro rd east i would've been on it, yeah ? However... post trip googling of it found this >> http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/makiro-track-mission.149226/ . Is it still like that ?

bart

7th January 2016, 18:42

Maybe next time eh ?
It's quite cool seeing the old buildings dotted about the place. Shame the fire brigade uses some of them for practice. I did recognize the name Makiro on a signpost, it's your's and MarkS's, RR's, among others, where I remembered the name from. If I'd shot up Makiro rd east i would've been on it, yeah ? However... post trip googling of it found this >> http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/makiro-track-mission.149226/ . Is it still like that ?

Add an 'a' and google Makairo and you might get a few more results. I went through about a month ago and it wasn't too bad. No trees down or slips. There's a nasty little rut going down the centre of the track for about 20 metres towards the east side, but no drama if you take it easy. Its not really a track to do solo as if you do get in trouble, it's a long walk out.

Looks like you had a good trip though. There's some big country out that way that very few people get to see.

JATZ

7th January 2016, 20:50

Add an 'a' and google Makairo and you might get a few more results. I went through about a month ago and it wasn't too bad. No trees down or slips. There's a nasty little rut going down the centre of the track for about 20 metres towards the east side, but no drama if you take it easy. Its not really a track to do solo as if you do get in trouble, it's a long walk out.

Looks like you had a good trip though. There's some big country out that way that very few people get to see.

:facepalm: Sometimes speeling's not my string suit.

I hear what your saying doing it solo, sometimes it is a pain travelling alone, you've got to be a wee bit careful about where you go and miss some good off the beaten track bits.

_Shrek_

9th January 2016, 07:52

JATZ

20th January 2016, 20:06

nice write up James :apint: & it's nice to see breakie running down the road :whistle: we were up at Castle point for our sons wedding last April we did some nice riding up through there... before work was calling again
Hey Big Fellah.... and Cath too :wavey: You wouldn't eat Bambi would you ?? :blip: You shoulda given me a holler when you were in the hood.
Damn work always gets in the way of living eh, still.... it's a necessary evil

JATZ

20th January 2016, 20:49

This one's not really bike related, however I did discuss riding and trips during the weekend, so I figure I can put a little story about it here :whistle: besides which... someone might read it and like the pics :D

I'd been having a bit of a go at the snapper locally before Xmas with some success but still had a fishing itch to scratch, besides which I had a yearning for some fresh blue cod, and what better place to go than the Marlborough sounds :2thumbsup
I loaded up the ute and headed through Nelson late sat morning after stopping for some supplies and to diddle about a bit. Over the Whangamoas the cloud closed in a bit

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5020_zpscs81eccu.jpg

which was good as it was getting kind of warm in town :sweatdrop from there it only cleared down in the valleys. I turned off just before Rai valley and made my way through Okiwi bay, I had thought about stopping there and popping out for a quick fish, just to get into the swing of things:yes: But gave it a miss as it's a long paddle out to where the fish are, and it looked a bit crappy

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5021_zpsstbu6cb1.jpg

I carried on up the hill and headed out towards French pass, back into the cloud

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5023_zpseztllwk8.jpg

It was not a fast trip :nono:I could hardly see where I was going at times :gob: . I hung a right when I got to the turnoff to Ligar bay/Bulwer and made my way out towards Bulwer, at times just feeling my way along the road. Other times it opened up and the views were out standing, as always :yes:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5029_zpsxnr9lok4.jpg

Past this interesting looking bush

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5026_zpsoxowdnd7.jpg

then back into the cloud

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5031_zps55uvj2gj.jpg

I had a slight detour down into Waitata, but it didn't really do it for me at the time, so I carried on to Bulwer where I was greeting by a couple of locals

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5032_zpsgv5azwvv.jpg

I quickly geared up and put to sea, I hadn't gone far before dropping a line over and catching the target species :woohoo: Got my quota too :yes: all 2 of them :facepalm:. Okay... that took about half an hour.... what am I gunna do now :scratch: ? I ended up just paddling around, to a nearby beach.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5039_zpsactttwmw.jpg

then to a point accross the other side of the bay, prospecting for something else on the way, then I made my way over to the Salmon farm for a look around. A couple of hours later I was ready for a brew so went back to the ute to boil the billy, I had milk too even :woohoo: such decadence, I don't carry milk when on the bike.
Another of the locals came over for a sticky beak. He seemed like a friendly critter

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5044_zpsng8grb7a.jpg

I couldn't see anywhere to sneak off to to settle down for the night there, so made my way back to the ridge top and found a quiet little spot to set up. The view wasn't to shabby either

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5046_zpswjtgvssu.jpg

Mmmmmm.... fresh cod for tea, wrapped in fresh bread topped with an egg :drool: Just 1 though, don't wanna be a glutton :D While there I txt Underground to see about using his access into Admiralty bay on the other side of the hill. That sorted I went to bed and listened to the Weka's going silly and the mosquitos buzzing around like mad buzzy things.

I got up early next morning and smashed breakfast watching the sun come up

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5047_zpsbppgepvc.jpg

I thought this was pretty cool

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5050_zpsjjrsdzqk.jpg

There was still a bit of fog around, but thankfully I was above it :2thumbsup

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5053_zpsmsex0jqn.jpg

JATZ

20th January 2016, 21:31

On the Sunday I made my way back toward Undergrounds, even remembering where to go :woohoo: although there's not to many options out that way. Down his access way and onto the beach, the sea looked good

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5056_zpsfz1xbcho.jpg

I do like a calm sea when out in the "yak" :yes: I've been tipped out in rough stuff and it wasn't pleasant, even lost my good spinning rod :weep:
I had a good paddle around some mussel farms and over to a distant point, just enjoying the morning. Then it was time to get down to business. Second fish to come aboard was a keeper.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5059_zpsmtejkudp.jpg

Then another good keeper:Punk:..... okay, now what, I had my quota already

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5066_zpsiubj0hlb.jpg

so I rigged up a wobbler and paddled around looking for a kahawai, sadly there didn't appear to be any around,or I wasn't paddling fast enough :facepalm: so I checked out some wildlife

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5062_zpsmacnje6a.jpg

By this stage it was smoko so I paddled back to the ute, loaded up and went up the hill to catch up with Mr and Mrs Undrground, arriving just as the fresh coffee was being poured, absolutely impeccable timing on my part :yes: We chatted about bikes and biking (BOOM... There's the tie in) among other things. He said he'd got a few Gurnard just out from the mussel farm, I was keen on some of them, and he offered the use of his dingy, thanks Underground :yes:
Refreshed and full of vim and vigour I trundled back down to the beach and put to sea in the little cockle shell

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5079_zpsjbbtuom0.jpg

It's been a long time since I last rowed a boat but I got out to where I needed to be pretty quickly. There was a boil up of kahawai about 30secs after I stopped rowing so I frantically grabbed a rod and chucked a wobbler into the ocean, hooking up almost instantly, not a bad fish either, I thought it was going to wrap the line round the mussel lines on a couple of occasions :gob:
I also got this little thing for the cat

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5067_zps9rhy0lub.jpg

After that it all went quiet so I got acquainted with this little fellah, he didn't want to leave his perch untill i nudged the boat into the float.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5071_zpskj1upove.jpg

The fishing went dead after that, not even the cod were biting, just 1 spikey dog was all I got :weep: so I pulled pin and rowed in the general direction of the beach. It had turned into a stifling hot day with absolutely no wind

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/DSCN5077_zpsy1rlduul.jpg

After that it was time for the long drive home, with the aircon working overtime :yes:
It's a bloody nice spot out there, I'll have to go back before to long, maybe on the bike next time ?http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Fishing/yakn%20bike_zps06k2uxex.jpg :scratch:

Moi

20th January 2016, 22:02

Doesn't matter you weren't on two wheels... good story and superb photos, especially the sunrise and the cobweb. :first:

Pan fried fresh fish... boiled new potatoes... chilled white wine... :drool:

Box'a'bits

21st January 2016, 09:10

Gotten too used to likes on the other site. Good yarn...:yes:

puddytat

21st January 2016, 09:37

Its a better yarn if you read it with a voice over in your head from David Attenborough....:yes:

Woodman

21st January 2016, 16:55

Its a better yarn if you read it with a voice over in your head from David Attenborough....:yes:

I'd be happy if the voices in my head were only David Attenborough,

Good stuff James.

NordieBoy

29th January 2016, 20:41

Sounds like you didn't even need me to chum the water...

Padmei

31st January 2016, 20:12

Cool story bro. I keep thinking I see you on the bike - there must be a few around.
Went over to Totaranui with the rest of Nelson for a week & went paddle boarding around te headland. While we were chatting with a kayak fisherman a seal came nosing around us - they're just like long slippery dogs that can swim underwater.
You can see a lot more from the standing position however when you are floating over a stingery it makes you more aware of your stability:shit:

JATZ

5th June 2016, 17:28

GORE !!! :eek:

NordieBoy

5th June 2016, 19:16

GORE !!! :eek:
Voluntarily?

RMOTO

6th June 2016, 08:20

Voluntarily?

I bumped into Jatz heading into Lake Mahinerangi, I had my ear plugs in so I could be mistaken but I am sure I heard him say he was heading down to Gore for the Golden Guitar Awards and he was playing a rendition of MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This" on the banjo.

JATZ

6th June 2016, 09:44

I bumped into Jatz heading into Lake Mahinerangi, I had my ear plugs in so I could be mistaken but I am sure I heard him say he was heading down to Gore for the Golden Guitar Awards and he was playing a rendition of MC Hammer's "Can't Touch This" on the banjo.
I can tell you it went off :) the crowd went wild. George did a stunning job on backup vocals and percussion too :yes:
Sitting in Invers now, nibbling on some french toast, waiting for E. Hayes to open

Night Falcon

6th June 2016, 17:25

I can tell you it went off :) the crowd went wild. George did a stunning job on backup vocals and percussion too :yes:
Sitting in Invers now, nibbling on some french toast, waiting for E. Hayes to open

big banjo fan so bought one few months back. Learning the Ballard of Jed Clampett as my first numba - hard to get used to the high top string after playing guitar for 30yrs :scratch: Banjos like the KLR of the instrument world - not fancy but still puts a smile on ya dial

Box'a'bits

7th June 2016, 09:16

big banjo fan so bought one few months back. Learning the Ballard of Jed Clampett as my first numba - hard to get used to the high top string after playing guitar for 30yrs :scratch: Banjos like the KLR of the instrument world - not fancy but still puts a smile on ya dial
Better dial those pain meds back a notch...;)

JATZ

12th June 2016, 16:04

Crikey :gob: it really has been to long since I stuck some stuff in here. It's a crappy Sunday avo and the fires going so a good oportunity to get up to date I'll go back a couple of months to catch up :yes:
Easter this year was the first time on the bike since the trip North, other things (like fishin/yakking/biking) got in the way a bit :scratch:
A quick trip through Molesworth before it shut for the season. I didn't leave home till mid day so it was a reasonably steady pace and I didn't take many pics.
I stopped briefly at this bridge,

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20160326_180421_119_zpskworns5b.jpg

I don't know what the fuss is about, it seemed to be working fine not that long ago :yes: Or maybe it's because of that day:scratch:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSC09565_zps4hkkicsq.jpg

I camped at the Acheron accom campsite that night. Next day I had to go into Hanmer and over the Lewis as the Rainbow was shut :weep:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20160327_094002_528_zpsjlw9f9jb.jpg

The day after I got back I tried to take the G.W. for a ride up to Inwoods lookout, sadly, it didn't go according to plan :whistle: The bike stopped in Wakefield :scratch: A couple of calls and the cavalry arrived :niceone:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/broken_zpsspeur1an.jpg

Pic from Nordie

Turns out it was the stator again, so I loaded it onto the ute and dropped it off in Chch for repairs :doctor:
A couple of weeks later I was here

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20160416_091840_079_zpsnvckatjs.jpg

Then onto one of these loser cruisers, Been years since I caught one

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20160416_101259_062_zpsfv9pmfop.jpg

The ride home was good though :yes:
I've been meaning to have a look at this Kaiwara road for a long time.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN5148_zps6nuly2jt.jpg

The turn offs at the Hurunui river bridge. and it pops out at Culverden.
This little cottage is there

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN5153_zpsqj4zlth4.jpg

And this sign

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN5159_zpsz5oqm4cc.jpg

George got all shy when I pulled the camera out

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN5163_zpsns5n1eyp.jpg

Nice view looking towards Culverdenish

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSCN5161_zpsnrwzqby2.jpg

Nice to get that one knocked off :niceone:

JATZ

12th June 2016, 16:46

Fast forward to the other week...
I turned up for work on the Monday and the boss asked what I was doing there, he thought I was having some time off, be rude to disappoint I thought :yes: So I flicked Aslan/Oaters/Stephen a mssg to see if he wanted some extra company for the trip to the Brass, The reply was positive so I set about getting the bike ready with some bits that'd been sitting in the shed for a while.
All seemed in order, except for a test ride.... Up Takaka hill :banana: and out to Canaan. Always a good place to test things out.
Wouldn't want to get things messed up on the road to Canaan

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSC00207_zpsyrwujhuw.jpg

Those rocks are pretty solid :eek:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSC00213_zpskqalfeil.jpg

I had a bit of a wander round when I got to the festival area

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSC00220_zpsdpkh27od.jpg

Playing with the settings on the camera

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSC00222_zpsmntbj0lq.jpg

Was a nice day for a ride :ride:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSC00237_zpsgczhxdey.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSC00240_zpsdd4yvz5a.jpg

Nothing broke, and everything held together as it should :niceone: So off home to pack up and wait for the Thursday....

JATZ

12th June 2016, 17:26

Thursday morning rolled round eventually and I had a rendezvous in in Murch to make, kinda hard when the temp outside is low single digits and the G.W. has started the fire before heading out for the day :weird:
Nevermind, wrap up warm and head off :cold: All was good, temps were nudging zero but no ice, till I got over the Glenhope saddle and hit the fog :doh:
Got to Murch in good time and had a brew while waiting for my companions, who arrived right on time :niceone: A quick chat and we set sail over the Maruia saddle.
Travelling along this trip were.... in order of appearance
Stephen

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00251_zpsylbsmuuj.jpg

Jamie

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00252_zpsulq7at1u.jpg

and of course... George :D

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00288_zpsfqmtrijx.jpg

:ride: Over the saddle, through the Westbank rd and down to Springs Junction, hang a right and head for Reefton :yes: The temp didn't seem to get any colder but we all felt chilled when we got to Reefton for some reason. A good excuse to stop and have some lunch

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00255_zpsxdjamat7.jpg

After warming up a bit we headed off for Lake Brunner and a along the Kumara Inchbonnie rd

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00256_zps4k3yeipp.jpg

Was a beautiful day :sunny:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00263_zpsbdsesous.jpg

We detoured at Kumara and shot through the Goldsborough, I was looking for the little track from my last trip down there, but missed the turnoff :doh: Anyway... we got to Hokitika and had a beer at Stellas, and some interesting conversation :psst: before pushing on to the Birdsong backpackers for the night. Nice place :niceone: a couple of bottles of red and some good company, Jamie was also introduced to the marvels of Kaweka food :msn-wink: a good first day.

Woodman

12th June 2016, 18:10

More..............

JATZ

12th June 2016, 18:51

Next day was a fairly leisurely start as we sat in the sun with a couple from the previous night, soaking it up like lizards on a rock :sunny:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00277_zpsvcagwm0u.jpg

If your in Hoki and need/want good coffee and food, give Stellas a try :2thumbsup I wandered across the road and down to the beach

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00266_zpsnuoymvua.jpg

We eventually dragged ourselves away and headed south. The group got broken up at Franz when I stopped for gas which turned into another caffeine injection with Stephen while Jamie carried on. We got underway again, only stopping for a little walk to see the glacier at Fox. Always a good ride down the Coast :ride: :sunny: We caught up with Jamie at Haast and decided to press on for Wanaka as the pass would be treacherous in the a.m.
I tried to get ahead to take some pics of the others coming through the Gates, but I obviously wasn't quick enough :facepalm:
This is about all I got

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00290_zpsr7ouqdkl.jpg

There was a bit of ice about :yes:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00292_zpsivhwymfh.jpg

We made it to Makarora where it was starting to cool down a bit and decided to spend the night there, good decision IMHO :niceone: Good food ( the Makarora burger was first class) warm digs and cold beer, what more could you need :first:
Nice little chalets

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00295_zpsr7lcavlg.jpg

Even have ones for the larger groups

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00296_zps2rw1uekg.jpg

And if anybody's passing through.... I think I left one of my socks there :facepalm: there is a reward as it was one of my favorites :weep:
One of these things is not like the others..... one of these things just isn't the same.... :whistle:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00294_zpse7hxkly7.jpg

Heading out of Makarora

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSCN5179_zpsl9tiskqw.jpg

And down the side of Lake Hawea

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSCN5180_zpscpq7jrlc.jpg

Seriously... I couldn't stop grinning at this point :D what a way to start the day :ride:
To soon we arrived in Cromwell where Stephen led us to his favorite smoko stop when in town. Jamie and I wondered what the hell he was doing turning into a garden center, who knew it was theee place to go ? it was good :yes:
Pretty soon we were on our way to the rally site at Oturehua to set up camp and settle in. Parked a discrete distance away from the big fire

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00317_zpsf712qbvm.jpg

amongst some good people. Wandered around a bit and chatted to some other folks, wandered round some more and just hung out...
This thing was on display

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00309_zpsx5gvu6c7.jpg

The mascot on the screen may give a clue to the owner :scratch:
Had tea and some informative conversation re the stars and waited for the fire to start, which it did

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSCN5187_zpstmtm77tg.jpg

That is one impressive fire to warm yourself with :yes:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSCN5196_zpsirfjb9qx.jpg

There was a damn good fireworks display

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSCN5195_zps1kinkbkp.jpg

Then I sat around the little fire on the hill talking shit with other like minded souls, not a bad way to spend an evening, except for the fire having to be left to die for a bit as a helicopter was coming in to pick up someone who wasn't feeling to flash.

Box'a'bits

12th June 2016, 20:48

More please....:yes:

JATZ

12th June 2016, 20:55

O.K.... where was I ?
After a decent nights sleep where only my feet got a little bit chilly (-5 apparently) I went to say "G'Day to this guy riding a Ural sidecar

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00323_zpszbos9kbs.jpg

He's been around a bit...

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSCN5202_zpsjcrdrwtv.jpg

There was more place names on the guard, which I didn't get a pic of. More info on his travels over here http://www.thetimelessride.com/US/WhereisHubert.html
Some people make "living the dream" a reality, he's one of them :yes:
Waited for the frost to thaw a wee bit and packed up camp

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00320_zpsctvabcj4.jpg

and headed for Ranfurly and some brekky, maybe catch up with Jamie who'd left the night before (leaving me in charge of his meal voucher :niceone: cheers fellah ) At this point I said :wavey: to Stephen who was heading for Wanaka and found my way out of town and out towards Mosgiel

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00324_zpsoq2mnggo.jpg

On my way I bumped into RMoto(Josh) going the other way,so I chased him down and stopped for a chat, he was on a mission to set some new Motookens and look at some new stuff, sadly I didn't have enough fuel so couldn't join him :weep: so carried on out to Mosgiel and down that piece of seal that goes from Cape Reinga to Bluff.
I got to Gore and figured that was enough for one day, so grabbed a cabin and hung up the helmet for the day.

JATZ

12th June 2016, 21:45

Got up earlyish the next morning, threw my crap in the panniers and hit the road for Invergiggle before the sun got up
I had a bit of time to kill, waiting for E.Hayes to open so grabbed some breakfast and chilled out. I'd heard a bit about this store/exhibit thing so wanted to check it out for myself. ... It was alright :yes:
Some interesting things to look at amongst the spanners and letterboxes.
This was pretty cool

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00340_zps7yh3nlt1.jpg

And this thing

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00345_zpsmdmgnydn.jpg

And this...

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00350_zpsrcu3lmp9.jpg

Lots of other cool things to look at including some old shitbox thing that went really really really fast, an Indian that they made a movie about :psst:
After I'd had my fill i headed for the door, feeling a wee bit guilty about not buying anything :innocent: Saddled up and headed for Bluff

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00358_zpswwp8gxuo.jpg

Got there alright, obviously, and rode up Bluff hill, not a bad view from up there, a little breezy though :yes:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00353_zpsxecxsufc.jpg

One day George... one day we'll get there

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00356_zpszmvlkerr.jpg

This was kindoff cool in a broken down rotting sort of way

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00364_zps7vjenfkw.jpg

We headed East for a bit and got to a wee place called Fortrose

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00388_zpswyvpzrav.jpg

Nice little spot :yes: I wonder how long that little pillar of rock will stand there for with the see pounding away at it ? I didn't get to close to the cliffs either :eek5:
Moving right along... the next stop was Waipapa point lighthouse

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSCN5209_zpsgdop8n9j.jpg

There was a bit of a maritime disaster here with a reasonably large loss of life, I'll let you find out about it by going along yourself....or Googling SS Tararua :whistle: In person is probably best though :yes:
Next stop, Curio bay, there's some stuff there... I chose not to go check out the fossilized forest, for obvious reasons ( I needed to keep my socks dry)

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00420_zpssa94ij56.jpg

Next on the list, which I was making up as I went, was a waterfall. After I'd been past this sign, I love signs like these :Punk:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00436_zpspfrhtsns.jpg

I hung a left at the Whistling Frog bar/cafe and went down the road to McLeans falls. Walked through here...

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00440_zpstfqlpsdl.jpg

Crossed a bridge over this...

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00444_zpsyqacwmf5.jpg

Waddled up these...

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00446_zpsw8dixl82.jpg

And got to here...

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00453_zpsjpwqiy9b.jpg

Definitely worth the walk :yes:
I got back to the bike, jumped on and headed up the hill, thinking to myself... something ain't right :scratch:
Oooooo Look..... a flat tyre :doh: I chucked some air in it and made my way back to the Whistling Frog , had a beer and thought about it some more.
It wasn't going to fix itself so out with the tools and get into it

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00456_zpsf8tafm32.jpg

I told myself if it wasn't done by 5:00 I'd get a cabin at the campground there and sort it in the morning.... I left at 4:56 :woohoo: heading for a little place called Pounawea I'd heard good things about

ducatijim

13th June 2016, 10:52

RMOTO

13th June 2016, 17:45

Another great installment of your bike wanderings, great to catch up again mate, albeit brief.

Catch up the top of the South very soon

Cheers, Josh

JATZ

13th June 2016, 20:41

Love your style James! Great to meet and ride with you.:yes:

That pic above is why I will never have tubed tyres again, hence the gs7 as opposed to the gs8......for the life of me I wonder why all spokies are now not tubeless compatible?

I can tell you are a man who just takes those things in his stride and keeps on keeping on......good onya mate!

Till the next time, keep up the great reports .

Good to meet you too fullah :niceone: ditto the riding bit...
Not sure how I'd get on re-seating a tube less tyre, it's hard slow work with my little pump ( 873 pumps of the handle to be precise :sweatdrop ) and a tube.

Another great installment of your bike wanderings, great to catch up again mate, albeit brief.

Catch up the top of the South very soon

Cheers, Josh

True... shame I didn't have the juice to join you on the exploring. Just lemme know when your here, might even be able to find a corner for you to chuck your sleeping bag if you need it :yes:

Woodman

13th June 2016, 20:59

Good to meet you too fullah :niceone: ditto the riding bit...
Not sure how I'd get on re-seating a tube less tyre, it's hard slow work with my little pump ( 873 pumps of the handle to be precise :sweatdrop ) and a tube.

Shouldn't need to reseat it if just fixing a flat. Don't even need to remove the wheel. In saying that I haven't had to fix a tubeless puncture yet, and still carry tubes on my scarce longer trips.

Good writeup, and we need to plan a ride sometime.:banana:

JATZ

13th June 2016, 21:33

Last little bit....
I found my way to Pounawea.... cruise through Papatowai, on to Owaka and hang a right just as you reach the edge of town. easy az, although I had to stop and check the map in the headlight a couple of times :innocent:
I scored a unit for a really sharp price which was roughly 4 meters away from the high tide mark, absolute beach front :woohoo: This place ... http://www.catlins-nz.com/pounawea-motor-camp/

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSCN5219_zpsw84azzgg.jpg

After txting the boss to let him know I might not be into work the next day and an extra long HOT !! shower I stumbled over to kitchen to cook tea and spent a nice evening yakking to a French teacher... from France :yes:, who had the weirdest knitting style I've ever seen in my life :blink: must be a European thing :scratch: George enjoyed the fire too

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00458_zpsbhcai7q8.jpg

I'd heard the sunrise here was pretty good, so got up early to have a look, although the sun didn't get up till around 8ish, so I was ready for it :sunny:

It didn't disappoint

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00460_zps22toksvm.jpg

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00466_zpssz895pvb.jpg

It truly was special, sitting there watching the world waking up, in a beautiful part of the planet :first:

I wandered a round a bit, just taking my time, soaking it up.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSCN5217_zpsgzxhhvpw.jpg

Eventually... I knew I had to make a move, so re-packed the bags, slipped on the summer gloves :facepalm: 'cause I thought I'd take some more pics, :oi-grr: and hit the road. Pretty soon the frost started to get thicker on the road sides, the temp dropped to -5.5 on the dash and I got stuck behind a cattle truck spewing poooos out the back :sick: I eventually had enough space to get past the truck, and carried on to Balclutha. I can assure you it was stunning, riding through the rolling hills with the sun shinning like diamonds on the ice crystals, but I didn't stop to snap pics of any of it due to the truck looming behind me, and I figured my hands would be next to useless ( I wasn't sure my fingers were still there :shit: ) despite the grips being on max.
Anyway.... I did stop at Balclutha, nice river :yes:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00472_zpspwqxtety.jpg

Then I HAD to stop at Waihola. I also need to cut down on coffee in the a.m. :blink:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00474_zpswmlpt6bq.jpg

Water slide ??

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00475_zpsne6idkoq.jpg

After that I just buzzed on up the main drag, calling in on XF650 in Ashvegas, who took me out to the Spring Lynne motorcycles to look at some bikes http://www.springlynnemotorcycles.co.nz/museum.html Some cold old machines there, worth a look if you can get there. I left my cameras and phone back with the bike so no pics :weep:
I accepted the offer of a bed and enjoyed sleeping in something that didn't have a zip down one side :D
Cheers Struan :2thumbsup

Next day I had to get home, judging by the reply from the boss, who needed my expertise on the chain digger while it was dry, so it was just more buzzing up highway 1 with a brief stop at motomox headquarters en route.

Last couple of pics...

Lunch in Cheviot

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSCN5224_zpsgqbewuhf.jpg

A cracker day for a ride up the coast :sunny:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/Brass%202016/DSC00477_zpsqtlvl1xf.jpg

That's about it for this trip... I must do it again sooner rather than later...

Aslan

13th June 2016, 21:53

great report and pics from your trip to the Brass and beyond James - great to spend time with you again

Riding from my daughter's at Wanaka to my son's at Dunedin last Tuesday there was a lot of ice on the road - descending to Clyde from the Cromwell Gorge, ascending the hill out of Alexandra and in the Manuka Gorge

On the Wednesday I went out to my old stamping grounds - the Otago Peninsula over Highcliff Road descending to Sandfly Bay, ascending to Sandymount Reserve and around Hooper's Inlet - some excellent gravel riding

Thursday saw me head to Tim G's at Rolleston via the Haka & McKenzies passes - really mild - 18 degrees through the Haka.

Had a 'moment' near the summit of the Haka when I met a Land Cruiser coming the other way on a narrow corner :(

All in all great travel - hope to ride with you again in the future - the Burt later this year perhaps

Cheers Oaters, aka Aslan or Stephen O :)

Night Falcon

14th June 2016, 09:09

Moi

14th June 2016, 11:11

:first:class read...

:niceone: as always...

Aslan

14th June 2016, 11:59

yup excellent write up Jatz!

On another note.....can ya tell us a bit about the F800?

what sort of mileage ya get from a tank of gas?
is she comfy on a long days ride?
whats the suspension like?
any hassles with her....didn't ya have stator problems?
how many K's ya done?
do ya own servicing?
no reason for asking but what ya reckon bout THIS (http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/dual-purpose/auction-1104117107.htm) or THIS (http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/dual-purpose/auction-1104552630.htm)

Marty - the Lower Hutt one looks good value - low kms - if i didn't own an R12GS I'd be interested in that one

Send me a PM if you want accommodation whilst taking a look / delivery - you could ask the vendor whether he'd be willing to have a respected BM mechanic on the Kapiti Coast take a look for you - I don't know the bike / owner which simply says he or she hasn't been at BMWOR events when I have - I'd say an F800GS or Tiger would be a sound choice from what I read of your dilemma - cheers Oaters

Jatz - as you were with your excellent thread :)

ducatijim

14th June 2016, 16:44

Totally off topic, sorry, but this is the machine I was talking with you James, about, while enjoying Makorora!

JATZ

14th June 2016, 20:21

Totally off topic, sorry, but this is the machine I was talking with you James, about, while enjoying Makorora!

Looks like a bit of a beast :gob: I reakon I could pilot it though so long as there was no narrow gates to get through or corners to go round. I'll check out that website this week sometime.

yup excellent write up Jatz!

On another note.....can ya tell us a bit about the F800?

what sort of mileage ya get from a tank of gas?
is she comfy on a long days ride?
whats the suspension like?
any hassles with her....didn't ya have stator problems?
how many K's ya done?
do ya own servicing?
no reason for asking but what ya reckon bout THIS (http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/dual-purpose/auction-1104117107.htm) or THIS (http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/dual-purpose/auction-1104552630.htm)

I'd go for the 09 one. I just prefer the looks of them.
I get about 300-350k's per tank riding sensibly that reduces considerably when riding recklessly. 17l tank and av fuel use is around 4.5 l/100 k since I've owned it.
I use an airhawk for longer/multi day rides. The stock seat on is pretty hard.
Yip, new stator (2nd one) installed, from memory it was around $380 new. It came up in my pre purchase research as a weak point so not unexpected.
I got mine at 35000k's and its done 97000 now (?) aside from the stator and wheel/steering bearings it's been great, trouble free.
I have mine serviced by a professional as they know more about the bikes than me and he's very knowledgeable and has the right tools and software to do it properly. I still have the original service book which shows the bike has been serviced/maintained at the right intervals. I change oil/filter in between 10000k serices and clean air filter. If your prepared to go deeper there's no reason why you couldn't do it yourself. I know my limitations.
Suspension has been built to a budget, it's adequate but not out standing. Of course it can be upgraded, but thats extra $$
Compared to your past rides it'll feel like an under sprung slug.
FWIW the bike fits ME and is the right balance of compromise (always a biggie with dual purpose bikes) Not as fast or as well suspended as KTM but I don't need to go faster or bounce better. however I wouldn't mind some 990 forks up front (but then I'd have to do something with the rear :facepalm : ) Also.... if it's good enough for whiny Boorman and Obi Wan to ride BMW's round the world then they're good enough for me :D
I suggest you take one for a looooong strop, see if it works for you

great report and pics from your trip to the Brass and beyond James - great to spend time with you again

Riding from my daughter's at Wanaka to my son's at Dunedin last Tuesday there was a lot of ice on the road - descending to Clyde from the Cromwell Gorge, ascending the hill out of Alexandra and in the Manuka Gorge

On the Wednesday I went out to my old stamping grounds - the Otago Peninsula over Highcliff Road descending to Sandfly Bay, ascending to Sandymount Reserve and around Hooper's Inlet - some excellent gravel riding

Thursday saw me head to Tim G's at Rolleston via the Haka & McKenzies passes - really mild - 18 degrees through the Haka.

Had a 'moment' near the summit of the Haka when I met a Land Cruiser coming the other way on a narrow corner :(

All in all great travel - hope to ride with you again in the future - the Burt later this year perhaps

Cheers Oaters, aka Aslan or Stephen O :)

It was a good few days riding, couldn't have been better weather wise. I only had one moment, chasing an Alpha Romeo Giulietta through the bends this side of Pelorous. Cranked over flying round a bend when I hit a large patch of shiney wet seal :eek5: I did pucker up quite a bit , then slowed down.
The Burt you say.... (scuttles off to see when it is) .....yeah I could be keen, depends :scratch:

EJK

14th June 2016, 20:30

Amazing thread!!!! You should write a photo journal book!!! One of those A4 sized big ones!

Woodman

14th June 2016, 21:11

Night Falcon

14th June 2016, 21:15

Thanks for the info Jatz, thinkin hard bout the 09....will see :scratch:

BrendanZX9R

15th June 2016, 11:30

Thanks for the info Jatz, thinkin hard bout the 09....will see :scratch:

Heya night falcon. my old man bought an F800gs and for what its worth i am really impressed. So smooth and comfortable and very capable.

Love the write up on the monkey Jatz. How good was the weather! a bit icey through haast on the way home though.

_Shrek_

28th June 2016, 13:03

JATZ

30th June 2016, 20:58

starting to think you don't have a job James....:msn-wink: good wee catch up, must be time for a proper one next time you're down & I'll get Mm over & maybe a :ride: then few :drinknsin :drinkup: & the girls can cook for us, knowing they can't see this post :laugh:

Sounds like a plan :scratch: I'm there... specially if "the girls" are cooking :yes: I'll try and get down your way for the Burt.

Amazing thread!!!! You should write a photo journal book!!! One of those A4 sized big ones!
A Book :gob: thats one of those things made with like ...paper innit ?
I did look for you at the Brass but ... :confused:

10bikekid

23rd July 2016, 17:42

Just checking in to say Hello, some good travel shots there, dont forget next time your in Auckland to pop in again James
<a href="http://s603.photobucket.com/user/800rider/media/161_zpsrmukaz81.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt119/800rider/161_zpsrmukaz81.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 161_zpsrmukaz81.jpg"/></a>
Or we could go out here or something <a href="http://s603.photobucket.com/user/800rider/media/20160213_083305_zpsg9pap1io.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt119/800rider/20160213_083305_zpsg9pap1io.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 20160213_083305_zpsg9pap1io.jpg"/></a>

JATZ

27th July 2016, 20:41

Just checking in to say Hello, some good travel shots there, dont forget next time your in Auckland to pop in again James
Dodgy pic removed...
Or we could go out here or something
Cool pic goes here...

Should be there for Xmas at this stage, I'll try and bring the bike :D

10bikekid

27th July 2016, 22:14

Should be there for Xmas at this stage, I'll try and bring the bike :D

Nice, no need to bring a bike as you can look at mine, even watch me ride one if you like :) , PS have this new Toy for you to view as well
<a href="http://s603.photobucket.com/user/800rider/media/20160522_085500_zps0tdmjuwl.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt119/800rider/20160522_085500_zps0tdmjuwl.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 20160522_085500_zps0tdmjuwl.jpg"/></a>

JATZ

29th December 2016, 07:46

It's been a while, but I past a wee milestone on the road between Wairoa and Napier this morning. Cool bit of road that one.
Enjoying the bike more now than the day I picked it uphttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161228/acd22af38fd8400b9f26e6d1c2d7f101.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161228/66c2cafd22dae061a7501388835f461b.jpg

Sent from my ZTE R84 using Tapatalk

RMOTO

29th December 2016, 18:00

100,000 km... nice one James :)

Gremlin

29th December 2016, 19:00

Congrats on the 100k :niceone:

Underground

29th December 2016, 20:24

Shit you ride a lot James! puts me to shame.
How long have you had that bike?

TuckerBag

3rd January 2017, 10:51

100k! Well done indeed Mr Jatz!
I haven't read through all of this thread yet, but what I have read is quite inspiring.
I sold off my XT400 (http://xt400adventureriding.blogspot.co.nz/) and NXR125 (DB1k 2009 & 2010) a few years ago now.
But have recently bought a TDR250, so hope to do some more adv riding with that soon.
Good to see you are still hard at it.
Cheers, TuckerBag. (Winton)

JATZ

3rd January 2017, 20:34

100,000 km... nice one James :)

Congrats on the 100k :niceone:

Cheers Fellahs :niceone:

Shit you ride a lot James! puts me to shame.
How long have you had that bike?

Not as much as I should though. Been a bit quiet just lately. M'be I need to do some of these long distance ride things. Know anything about those ? :scratch: I've had the bike around 4 yrs I think

100k! Well done indeed Mr Jatz!
I haven't read through all of this thread yet, but what I have read is quite inspiring.
I sold off my XT400 (http://xt400adventureriding.blogspot.co.nz/) and NXR125 (DB1k 2009 & 2010) a few years ago now.
But have recently bought a TDR250, so hope to do some more adv riding with that soon.
Good to see you are still hard at it.
Cheers, TuckerBag. (Winton)

:gob: Now there's a name from the dim, distant past :gob: Last time I saw you, you was disappearing in a cloud of dust over the Old Dunstan on the little 125, after asking if you could ride with ex MrsJatz and I in Lawrence, you were worried you'd hold us up though :rofl: Fat chance of that happening. I also recall you getting a knee down coming down Altimarloch on an early D.B. :shit: that was priceless.
Good to see your still around :yes:
I've been super slack at taking pics and updating this thread. I may just have to resurrect it a bit, know I know people still read it.

Interesting blog thing you've got going there.

JATZ

21st June 2017, 20:14

Goodness.....it's been a while :gob:
I've been a bit quiet just lately. not getting out as much as I should. Anyway... I thought I'd update this thing a wee bit.
Firstly. After much soul searching and a small number of tears (like this guy :weep: ) I let the 800 go to a new home. I couldn't even bring myself to take any pics on the way to Springs Junction on the delivery ride. So here's a file one
http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/DSC00220_zpsdpkh27od.jpg

But on the + side I've been trawling trademe looking for a replacement in the future :banana:

In other news...

I got this:niceone:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20161128_170811_zpsuptf3xwu.jpg

Which I've only really ridden a handfull of times :scooter:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20170226_120419_zps4yjrf1ib.jpg

It was only closed if you were in a car or on a big bike :yes: which I wasn't

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20170206_150308_zpss4qty1gn.jpg

It was good to poke around the forestry for a bit, without worrying about dropping the thing.

It's spent most of it's time in bits while I toiled away in the rat race and waited for some of these.

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20161130_163048_zpsu5wbm85t.jpg

Anyhooo... Now it looks something like this :woohoo:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20170507_151859_zpsdq0xgv4u.jpg

I also had to organize one of these official looking pieces of paper for it :clap:

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20170424_183600_zpsylzw3gpl.jpg

Piled up all the stuff I think I might need

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20170517_181154_zpsvakpdgu6.jpg

Cleaned the bike meticulously with a double waterblasting, all over :sweatdrop going over every little crevice and crack.
The bike was then shrink wrapped for the ride (on the back of the ute :shifty: ) to Chch to be loaded into a container.

Now I'm getting mildly excited :woohoo: Jump on a couple of planes shortly and follow the bike.
I'll try to keep this updated as I go but internets could be in short supply. And I mighteven use a proper camera to take pics, not just my phone.
Or I'll just stick some shit on here when I get back.

eldog

21st June 2017, 20:59

Amazing thread!!!! You should write a photo journal book!!! One of those A4 sized big ones!
+1 maybe even one of those A4 landscape ones

similar to Taureau Global by Mark Thompson a NZder
self published his own book.

anyhoo enjoy the ride looks like it could be epic.

:headbang::niceone:

Moi

21st June 2017, 21:29

Enjoy your ride, look forward to reading all about it.

Glad to see George is going along to keep an eye on things!

Jeff Sichoe

23rd June 2017, 10:24

Just caught up in this thread, looking forward to new tales!

Muzz67

23rd June 2017, 11:16

http://https://www.adventureridingnz.co.nz/shop/gpcustom/suzuki-drz-400-bashplate/ (http://www.adventureridingnz.co.nz/shop/gpcustom/suzuki-drz-400-bashplate/)

JATZ

23rd June 2017, 15:27

http://https://www.adventureridingnz.co.nz/shop/gpcustom/suzuki-drz-400-bashplate/ (http://www.adventureridingnz.co.nz/shop/gpcustom/suzuki-drz-400-bashplate/)
Ha !! Good spotting... I have one already, thanks.
It was off for cleaning and I wanted to ditch the torx head bolts for ones that would fit the tools I'll be carrying. No point in carrying 2 extra tools for one specific job.
I wanted to try the GP custom plate but couldn't find where to order one, I don't really browse the advnz site. Besides which I had some other bits to get from B&B in Oz

NordieBoy

28th June 2017, 22:24

Hmmm, another DR.
Take spare needles, jets and rear sprockets.

I know how you treat them :devil2:

JATZ

30th June 2017, 20:31

:gob: dafuk happened to my pics ??

Photobucket can take it's adds and demand for $40/month and piss right off.

Just as well I've got a plan B :scratch:

JATZ

30th June 2017, 20:33

http://i412.photobucket.com/albums/pp201/ztaj/Jatzs%20Travels/IMG_20170514_153209_zps9lcdslxw.jpg

Transalper

30th June 2017, 21:39

Is there a plan C, I still see nothing.

Gremlin

30th June 2017, 23:16

Is there a plan C, I still see nothing.
Fixeded it for him

NordieBoy

30th June 2017, 23:18

I think photobucket has broken a needle AND dropped a jet...

JATZ

1st July 2017, 11:35

Fixeded it for him
Not quite... Think I'll have to find somewhere else to host my pics.

JATZ

1st July 2017, 11:37

Maybe I could use Tapatalk ?https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170630/909107f15a1c9f9de5421c398c576847.jpg

Sent from my ZTE R84 using Tapatalk

Gremlin

1st July 2017, 12:19

Not quite... Think I'll have to find somewhere else to host my pics.
Ah, I'd probably suggest starting a second account?

JATZ

6th July 2017, 09:43

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170705/2889f3bb82f491ba7a651cf106c5d5f1.jpg

Pic taken after glass gorge. Heading for Leigh creek for gas
We're going to spend today exploring some tracks around Warraweena station (google it)

Sent from my ZTE R84 using Tapatalk

JATZ

11th July 2017, 16:04

One from the other day....
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170711/97042e7b4de92214155f09310010985b.jpg

In Coober Pedy now. Waiting for pizza

Sent from my ZTE R84 using Tapatalk

Tazz

18th July 2017, 13:03

Hope you blinged up the bike a bit with a few local opals while in that hood!

JATZ

22nd July 2017, 09:39

Couple more phone pics...

Sent from my ZTE R84 using Tapatalk

JATZ

22nd July 2017, 10:58

331876331877

That's better...

Sent from my ZTE R84 using Tapatalk

JATZ

30th January 2018, 19:05

Time for some more pics... From last weekend

Sneaky camp, somewhere sneaky:shutup:

https://i.imgur.com/etKYisF.jpg

Near a lake

https://i.imgur.com/vJErOUW.jpg

Mackenzie pass

https://i.imgur.com/z6QejgN.jpg

Dunstan rd (?)

https://i.imgur.com/YheoMuk.jpg

Rock Rabbit

https://i.imgur.com/efLSCfh.jpg

Poolburn reservoir

https://i.imgur.com/qjY24KV.jpg

JATZ

30th January 2018, 19:29

A church:woohoo:

https://i.imgur.com/ghUdKYo.jpg

Insulation needs some attention

https://i.imgur.com/UfaPljw.jpg

Don't ride to close to hard pieces of the planet covered in grass

https://i.imgur.com/FARch4b.jpg

Thankfully the Bourbon remained unscathed:sweatdrop

Another camp... not so sneaky

https://i.imgur.com/53HZtsx.jpg

Watching the sun go to bed

https://i.imgur.com/3tbXFKr.jpg

Lake Onslo rd

https://i.imgur.com/OB1J7tX.jpg

The Shreks weren't home so I shot up another road and went to a ROCK !

https://i.imgur.com/pIx0FHj.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/S7xKLyk.jpg

Watched a bird for a bit

https://i.imgur.com/VdlSHrJ.jpg

Down the hill... into town... then up another hill, or 2

https://i.imgur.com/b5wVYpZ.jpg

there was some ancient ruins

https://i.imgur.com/bAUlJ1X.jpg

almost to the other end

https://i.imgur.com/95Kx6uv.jpg

then nothing happened, nothing at all.... I didn't get fuel or food, just rang 2MotoKiwis and met up briefly:facepalm: was a great ride over the Crown Range though:woohoo:

Carried on past Lakes Hawea and Wanaka

https://i.imgur.com/i74Q6Mc.jpg

And camped just past Hells Gate, not very sneaky again

https://i.imgur.com/90urhna.jpg

then came home, over this river

https://i.imgur.com/LlB5lnC.jpg

rambaldi

30th January 2018, 19:57

Is that mainly over Lake Onslo road or others as well? Man that scenery is beautiful. Just the terrain that is making my next bike be a little more off-road capable.

JATZ

30th January 2018, 20:17

Is that mainly over Lake Onslo road or others as well? Man that scenery is beautiful. Just the terrain that is making my next bike be a little more off-road capable.
Dunstan rd, Serpentine where I camped among the rocks. Then Onslo. Waikia(?) Rd to the big rock then Symes rd. Hawkdun rd to the Nevis.after that.
I would take the 950 over all of it, although the 4hundy is easier to drag out of a bog on the Serpentine :facepalm:

JATZ

21st October 2019, 20:18

It's been a while... perhaps I should update this ?? :whistle:

SVboy

22nd October 2019, 13:29

Bring it big boy!

JATZ

12th November 2019, 20:24

Bring it big boy!

Working on it.... It was so much easierer when photobucket was free. Almost there though:brick:

JATZ

26th March 2020, 17:43

Strangely enough, I find myself with a bit of time to kill over the next wee while so thought Id make a start on chucking a few words and pictures together, to amuse myself...

Canada and Alaska has been on my radar for a while now, but I'd had no luck tracking down a hire bike company who would rent me a bike and allow me to go where I wanted, so I'd put it on the back burner and focused on other stuff. Then late 2018 i stumbled on a post on F/book where some random wanted to know if anyone was keen to go riding in Canada. I considered it for about 2 minutes and fired off a pm. then waited... and waited.... and waited....:corn:
A couple of months later I had a message out of the blue, I was on holiday at the time so said I'd call when I got home.We had a phone call and discussed a couple of things, went through some "not negotiable" things and sorted out the timeline.

Looks like I'm going to Canada :doobey::Punk:
what followed was a whirlwind of organizing on my part, esta's, eta's bike shopping and purchasing, insurance company letters, telling the boss I would be away for 2 months, meeting my travel buddy for a coffee when I happened to be in Orkland on business and a hundred other things.

Fast forward to July 19 and I was on a plane to Vancouver :2thumbsup That's quite a long flight :mellow: but went quick enough. customs was a piece of piss and I was shortly spewed out onto the streets of Va, got a cab to my BnB in Surrey and settled in. Next day I went to pick up my bike, Google maps said "its not far" so I figured I'd walk....:facepalm: I had clothes suitable for winter in NZ and it was about 30 deg, and google was full of shit. after she directed me down here

https://i.imgur.com/hroNLpd.jpg

A cab just happened to stop at an intersection in front of me so I piled in and got to my destination. Got the paperwork out of the way... Reg/insurance (about $1100 nz for 3 months,with a 40% disc because I'd had no claims, remember those letters from Ins.co's ?) so don't bitch about our rego fees', new plate, owners paperwork, a rundown on how to operate the bike, a recommendation on where I could go for a quiet pootle. I was let loose on the streets of Canada... they drive on the wrong side of the road for starters, and their road rules aren't quite the same as ours :wacko:
I managed to get out of town, nerves still intact, and found some quieter roads, I had to get a pic of this dude

https://i.imgur.com/RT8da2e.jpg

and a wooden Sasquatch:2thumbsup and some random tourist who photobombed my shot.
Before long I arrived at Lake Hayes, very touristy, and rode through a carpark and about 20m into the park, to get a shot of my new ride.

https://i.imgur.com/TIqnCLm.jpg

Pretty cool aye ? :banana:
I'd been there maybe 2 mins before I was accosted by a woman with badges on her shirt telling me I can't just go riding through a carpark and into a park, I'd best move NOW ! or the authority's would be all over me. DANG !! time to move.
Grabbed a bit to eat and made my way back into town. 1 more shot of the bike before I settled in for the night.

https://i.imgur.com/oK7QUk8.jpg

JATZ

28th March 2020, 15:42

Next day I just hung around Vancouver, riding here and there, no real urgency...and got used to buzzing around a big city with different road rules:innocent: I met up with my traveling buddy briefly, lets call hi Si, then shot out to have a look at a park that I found on google maps.
There was a monument to the fishing industry

https://i.imgur.com/zGEqvUv.jpg

Some people flying kites

https://i.imgur.com/Vkuu1y1.jpg

Boats cruising by

https://i.imgur.com/oRSvMjZ.jpg

Family's picnicking.....and a guy just over there chuffing on a bong :blink: I didn't realize it was legal, maybe I need to do some more homework on destinations.
Google recomended a spot called Vancouver lookout so I banged it into the phone and set off, thinking it would be a hill or summat, I had no idea it was a tower smack bang in the middle of the city. Cool views though:woohoo:

https://i.imgur.com/416AkJf.jpg

Next up was a ride around Stanley park, pretty cool, although places to stop for pics appeared a bit limited. I did risk getting this one.

https://i.imgur.com/Zs0JNtO.jpg

A brief note on Canadian drivers. the speed limit around town is 50, most people were doing around 60 and no one cared, everyone just flowed together. M/ways are 100, mostly, 110 was normal, by everybody. At traffic lights the cars behind always left a decent amount of space, and 4 way stops worked just fine, try that in NZ and see what happens :shit:
Next day I met up with Si and moved in with his brother (and sister) in law.

https://i.imgur.com/to3ZgyH.jpg

Bet you were thinking I'd left George at home:msn-wink: That tree line in the background is Point Roberts, US territory, it's quite bizzare

Went and did some last minute shopping. I needed to replace the MSR fuel bottle and lighter that CAA removed from my luggage, but they left the 2 fuel bladders that were in the same bag. Si picked up some Bear spray. just the Canadian brew, not the full strength US brew.
The entrance way to the Bass Pro shop in Tsawassen was something else, unfortunately, I only had cell pics so nothing to post, I'll explain later... :facepalm:
Next day, we were off...:ride: with detailed instructions from the sister in law how to get through and out of Vancouver. I was navigating so it got all messed up and ended up taking 3 time longer than it should've :innocent:
Once we got free of the city and onto the road to Whistler it was way more betterer. We arrived in Whistler just in time for a coffee, about 3 hrs after leaving the city. Not really my kind of place, very touristy/mountain bikey/pretty peopley.

https://i.imgur.com/Lhsvrnh.jpg

It was however my first Tim Hortons experience, the Canuk Starbucks. Average coffee, very hot, and damn quick.
Here's a pic of the entrance to town...

https://i.imgur.com/T89UiLe.jpg

Back on the steeds and onwards, past a lake

https://i.imgur.com/w9GS2GH.jpg

Up a hill or 2

https://i.imgur.com/eiYxSgM.jpg

Past some signs

https://i.imgur.com/j3oUEuI.jpg

Eeeeeek :blink:

And logging trucks

https://i.imgur.com/LQSyo9v.jpg

Then into Lillooet (love the place names)for gas. I think we were supposed to get to Williams lake for the night, but spied this st the turn off

https://i.imgur.com/jUdzj1r.jpg

There'd been a slide and it wasn't going to be cleared anytime soon, so we swung right and headed for Kamloops for the night. Past this replica Western town.

https://i.imgur.com/rVPrpel.jpg

The owner must've been having a bad day cause he came out and squawked at us about blocking the road and told us to move on, quite loudly too I might add, it was little more than a gravel driveway :facepalm:
Campsite for the night in Kamloops

https://i.imgur.com/6RFU3Rx.jpg

JATZ

28th March 2020, 17:21

Next day was just a slog to get back on track, not to many pics. Through Little Fort, over a hill and back onto the main rd heading for Price George.
Its taking me a while to find relevant pics on imgur, they're all out of order and it takes a while to sift through them, and it was several months ago I was over there :confused:...
I'm pretty sure we just bombed along the h/way

https://i.imgur.com/btfXF3x.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/IUTS4ca.jpg

past trees and rivers and lakes,road signs

https://i.imgur.com/WjMYQEl.jpg

and a burning car (no pic) nothing remarkable. And into Prince George and set up camp

https://i.imgur.com/DzSMZR0.jpg

There was a bit of light rain over night and I woke up in a small puddle, not what I expected from an almost new tent. I made an executive decision to ditch the tent and replace it with something else. Into town to a camping store... and picked up a shiny new one :clap:It's interesting that the price on the tag does not include tax, ever. It can be quite a shock when you get to the register:eek5: I left my old one at the store, to be picked up on the way back through, and the nice girl in the shop even offered to take it home and dry it out for me.
Anyway.... more h/way riding, nothing remarkable again...

https://i.imgur.com/Vldf2hC.jpg

Interesting buildings...

https://i.imgur.com/i8A7tzw.jpg

And into Dawson creek, home of Mile 0 of the Alcan H/way :banana::clap:

https://i.imgur.com/ltOQxKQ.jpg

We grabbed rooms in a motel 'cause the weather still looked dicey, and it came with a free breakfast, then went out for tea. I may have had a couple of ales to celebrate (as you do) :drinknsin Si didn't 'cause he wasn't a drinker....yet :devil2: and on the way back to the unit I may have gone through a red light, thinking it was a 4 way stop. Unfortunately there may have been a :Police: watching. There wasn't to much converastion going on as I left my papers/passport back in the motel, but she was real good about it and let me off with a stern telling off and a warning to keep to the rules. Lesson learn't, it could've been a trip ending experience.
Next day Si needed to find a doc as he'd been feeling pretty crook since arriving, while I went and took some more pics

https://i.imgur.com/BcIMqr7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/LabifBg.jpg

then hooked back up with Si to go get his prescription filled. Check out the size of those car parks :shit:

https://i.imgur.com/haiaC0S.jpg

Suitably drugged up, we headed off north. More h/way...

https://i.imgur.com/G5oMrIn.jpg

Past a beaver dam

https://i.imgur.com/9pZrx5b.jpg

How cool is that !!
Then it was just more riding, we could see a weather window opening up which would mean we'd have a good run further North. Just had to get to a rendezvous with another couple of riders. Not to many pics from the rest of the day, into Fort Nelson for a quick bite at a servo and book a cabin at Toad river. It was still raining off and on, and getting dark but the ride over Stone mountain had us both grinning like idiots., love to go back and do it in the dry.
No cell coverage at the cabins but WiFi if we walked over to the owners house ( they also had wolf skins on the wall, one of which was shot on the property) I was also thankfull I'd invested in Klim gear before the trip. Si was drenched, with water squirting out the end of his boots. I had a mildly damp foot, but I think that was sweat :sweatdrop

TBC...

Laava

28th March 2020, 17:41

Awesome mate! My wife and I were there in May on the way home from the Uk, Iceland Mallorca etc. we spent about a week in Vancouver, went on a day trip to Whistler which was exactly as you described, and went up Grouse mountain etc. Made the common, as it turns out, mistake of walking from chinatown to Gastown and you end up in the worst part of town stepping over and around all the junkies. There was a native lady going from one to the next asking them if they were OK and trying to help them get comfortable, she was asking us where we came from as well. Just one of lifes wonderful selfless people doing a job most people would dread. The shops selling weed and all the gear associated were everywhere in the city!
Look forward to your next installment

JATZ

28th March 2020, 19:43

I sort of know the area Laava, that bit comes at the end.

JATZ

28th March 2020, 21:21

Next day the weather must've been looking a bit better and we had places to be again. Off through Liard hot springs ish, I think :scratch: Saw our first Moose.

https://i.imgur.com/xFnljEz.jpg

Just a li'l one, but it was big enough We'ed also spotted bears on the side of the road.

https://i.imgur.com/ng7MP8S.jpg

Not sure how close you can get before they take offence and I didn't really want to find out.
We grabbed a bit of gas at this place, just because it was so old skool.

https://i.imgur.com/P33jJmH.jpg

We buzzed through Liard hot springs, without taking a dip..... just buzzing along soaking it all up... nek minit :gob:

https://i.imgur.com/bGOxYEJ.jpg

And...

https://i.imgur.com/AOgR2ua.jpg

That was way cool:2thumbsup
Then onwards to Watson lake, past this sign...

https://i.imgur.com/hSIi10k.jpg

and the sign post forest

https://i.imgur.com/XbW1O6P.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/2aVXfb8.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/b8bTmfr.jpg

There's an interesting story behind it, but IMHO it's become a bit over the top. It's a place I've wanted to visit for a while and I'm glad I did, but I wouldn't go out of my way to revisit it. We had some lunch and deliberated about fuel range and availability of said fuel then made the call to head to Ross river, finally a bit of gravel and getting away from the crampervans and 5th wheelers. Mind you, they don't dawdle around over there, they go the same pace as everyone else on the road, about 110 to 120.
Anyway it was nice to get down a little back road.
I saw this guy from quite some distance, so stopped to get a pic. that is full zoom from where I stopped, and even then you could tell he/she was a BIG animal

https://i.imgur.com/caO0IBw.jpg

Not long after I stopped to chat to a lone cyclist who was passing through, he was heading for South America :weird: Had his bear spray in easy reach on his handle bars, but seemed unconcerned about camping all alone in the area.
Moving right along we were nearly at Ross river and thinking about bedding down for the night, this had nice indoor out flow but seemed a bit rundown

https://i.imgur.com/hQNPIix.jpg

when I spied a sign saying... The View camping, or something, ADV riders welcome. Awsome :2thumbsup That'll do. We went up a fairly steep driveway and ended up at a couple of houses surrounded by forest and old machinery, and some random guy leaning against the steps.
He said... "You guys wanna stay ? Neil'll be out in a sec" Next thing Neil comes out and proclaims we look thirsty, would we like a beer ?I nodded but Si couldn't, he's gluten intolerant. Bear in mind this all happened before I'd even got off the bike or taken my helmet off.
Here's the view from The View

https://i.imgur.com/ttcc1vb.jpg

It's better in the flesh, trust me :yes: I pitched my tent on the front yard while Si took the soft option and bunked down in a spare cabin with a random hitch hiker Neil had picked up earlier that day and a sparky who was there to do a bit of wiring. June (?) the wife cooked us all a meal while the rest of us made a dent in the beer stocks, except Si. and learnt about the history of the area, the last trapper and trapping in general, which Neil and June did from there other cabin, deep in the woods, during the winter. I crawled into bed about 10:30 or 11. After taking this snap out the door of the tent.

https://i.imgur.com/QzhFpNO.jpg

We must've been getting fairly well north by this stage.

JATZ

28th March 2020, 21:41

Next morning, after a home cooked breakfast and leaving a few $$ on the table, hopefully enough to cover costs( he just said make a donation and sign the guest book) we saddled up and headed for Ross river town. We passed this guy who just looked miserable

https://i.imgur.com/WSWD7QG.jpg

and made it to town for gas and a peek at some giant wooden suspension bridge

https://i.imgur.com/FofQXm9.jpg

and a church

https://i.imgur.com/Ko7K92H.jpg

we buzzed off towards Dawson city and a rendevous with another couple of bikers. Once again it was just main rds, buzzing along at speed that would get a reasonable fine here, dodging rain and showers

https://i.imgur.com/YMO8YKb.jpg

Only stopping for gas, the odd snack and once or twice to take in the epic vistas:2thumbsup
We rolled into Dawson City late in the day, both pretty shattered and found out where Mike (from Wellington) had booked us into accom, on the other side of the river...

TBC tomorrow... maybe

GSers

29th March 2020, 17:51

Thanks for the ride report Looks awesome.

JATZ

30th March 2020, 15:34

So, we found out where Mike was, he'd sorted the accom for the stay in Dawson, and took a guick ferry ride across the Yukon to meet up.

https://i.imgur.com/Nyf0qbP.jpg

the ferry runs 24/7 and there's no charge :wari: We stayed at a place called Dawson City River Hostel, very rustic and basic, but it served its purpose. After offloading our crap we caught the ferry back to town and picked up some supplies and I got robbed at one of the hotels :shit: $18 Can for a six pack of beer, Dang, just aswell I wasn't reeeal thirsty. Back to camp and we spent the evening getting to know each other and waiting the 4th member of the team to show up, which he did. A Norwegian guy who'd been travelling the world on his Tenere for the last 5 yrs.
We spent the next day cruising around town, picking up some last minute things and just hanging out.

https://i.imgur.com/I7BDoI2.jpg

Doesn't matter where you go, there's always a Chinese restaurant/takeaway

https://i.imgur.com/OelG2Pn.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/zucl0Qf.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/eDO2l78.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/W8r0Xwn.jpg

It makes for a long day when the sun comes up around 5 am and it doesn't get dark till after 12 :mellow:
Next morning we gathered up Norwegian guy, we'll call him Kurt, and made our way to the start of the Dempster

https://i.imgur.com/HpMmXpD.jpg

We'd all been reading RR's and watching youtube vids about this stretch of road. It's claimed a few lives and there's been a LOT of casualtys, souls who haven't made it to the end. I couldn't see why, it's just a gravel road :confused:
What followed was a full days riding on rolly gravel, with the odd bit of dirt thrown in, smooth gravel with embedded rocks, and some deep thick sandy stuff, which almost had some pulling pin. It was similar to Aussie sand, so I just lent back and powered through, although I'll admit it got a bit messy at times and a little bit of weee's may have escaped.:o
As always, the scenery was stunning, I'll just let the pics describe it

https://i.imgur.com/QbvWbQe.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/sNkCTjc.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/sQdzs4q.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/nhyyZOR.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/qIa5GRT.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/wwXAPoL.jpg

Through Tombstone.... and over the Ogilvie ridge

https://i.imgur.com/64zKSvi.jpg

You'll have to excuse the smokeyness of the pics as it was forest fire season and there was a bit of haze about. After a full day riding we got to Eagle plains

https://i.imgur.com/mL5PnQo.jpg

and washed the dust out with a cold frosty ale, as you do :drinkup: (not quite like that smiley though, just 1) I did take a pic of the Wangamomona Hotel bar towel on the bar on my phone, but....
We paid for a campsite and managed to get 4 tents on it so it was quite economical, they have BIG sites, although they're mostly gravel. It was at this point that I discovered I'd lost my phone :gob:
All travel details, the diary I keep when travelling, electronic copies of entry visas, access to bank accounts, pics of work stuff, absolutely everything, the shot of the Wangamomona bar towel. FREAKING OUT !!!
I thought maybe the Crows had run off with it ? They have a reputation for getting into everything, even unzipping tank bags, very destructive and very inteligent

https://i.imgur.com/x4TSDdL.jpg

Its got me stuffed why the owners don't shoot them.
Ayway, I hunted through all my stuff, all my pockets, we all asked around,I hunted through all my stuff, all my pockets, I spoke to the owners, I could make a phone call to the bank but it would cost $75 Cad cause it was a sat phone, and wouldn't work when I entered extra numbers after being connected, so I hunted through all my stuff, all my pockets, tried a pay phone, I hunted through all my stuff, all my pockets.... But it was gone :weep: No point ringing it, no cell coverage and it was on flight mode. It was a sad day.

JATZ

30th March 2020, 17:11

It was a restless night, it never really gets dark at this time of year, and I kept waking up to check through all my shit, multiple times. Ahhh well, best move on, maybe someone will hand it in while I'm gone and I'll pick it up on the return.
More "interesting" gravel followed, long straights, hills, bends, cool scenery. The sort of place where speed can get away on you :2thumbsup Nek Minit you'll hit some deep stuff, or something changes and it all goes pear shaped. THIS is why it claims so many, it's a long way and you can never fully relax.
Ayway... another Milestone

https://i.imgur.com/78ux83a.jpg

Then into another territory...

https://i.imgur.com/7SExui3.jpg

And an idea of how far we had to go

https://i.imgur.com/SAM1kJD.jpg

Some more long straight roads

https://i.imgur.com/trGolE4.jpg

Nice scenery

https://i.imgur.com/MG7j4Rc.jpg

We all stopped for lunch after the first ferry crossing. People actually live here, I imagine it gets pretty bleak in winter

https://i.imgur.com/vBGOVG5.jpg

Then on to ferry number 2 for the day, at a little place called...

https://i.imgur.com/IzxgG4E.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ekNS3uf.jpg

Then it was just a grind, the scenery didn't change much, the road didn't bend much, the surface didn't get any better, but it was still really fricken cool to be there :scooter::2thumbsup
After some hours, its hard to tell as it stayed properly light by this stage, almost 24 hrs, we arrived in Innuvik.

https://i.imgur.com/cYgKcHC.jpg

Kurt and I opted for a campground while Si and Mike pussied out and got a BnB

https://i.imgur.com/jYVAxvt.jpg

With a Slovak guy and his wife who'd ridden from up from Argentina, we'd met them the night before at Eagle plains. He's a really interesting guy, been riding for years all over the world.
Sewer lines

https://i.imgur.com/86ZtJQV.jpg

I had a shower/feed then went for a wander round town, taking pics of interesting things, I eventually found a police station and reported the lost phone, just incase someone handed it in, and for insurance purposes. then tried to get some kip, next day was gunna be awsome.
Next day we all met at the BnB and offloaded panniers/excess gear and hit the fuel station, before the last 150k's to Tuktoyuktuk. I'd seen this place on a map years before and decided I wanted to go there, and now I almost was :clap:
Damn It was cool, the road surface was the worst yet, the gravel was thick thick thick, even taking off normally with no excess throttle would have the TC light winking at me. we were all glad to have lost the luggage.
Some intersting flora.

https://i.imgur.com/8R9dNR9.jpg

And a road sign

https://i.imgur.com/a2NuVeu.jpg

I didn't see one though. :no: Bit of a shame.
There was some Pingos (google it)

https://i.imgur.com/RS2mRxT.jpg

and we made it to the destination

https://i.imgur.com/QDV8a8c.jpg

Just a little bit further to the end of the road

https://i.imgur.com/Y2wX58k.jpg

George was there too

https://i.imgur.com/TL1tMNB.jpg

Some celebrated by taking a partial dip

https://i.imgur.com/k8qP7fo.jpg

Perhaps they didn't see the sign.:shifty:I just picked up a small stone :yes:

Then it was off to Grandma's Kitchen for a feed of Whale :2thumbsup It was a wee bit difficult to find, but we got there in the end

https://i.imgur.com/5Jn6Cj3.jpg

It's a bit different, I'm not sure I could do a whole fillet though :oi-grr: I needed some fries too. We mucked about a bit, taking pics and posting postcards.

https://i.imgur.com/yf89j6r.jpg

before heading back to Inuvik. We had a meal out to mark the occasion and Si lent me his spare phone (who carries a spare phone ? :scratch: ) so I could hook into the wifi at the BnB and let those at home know I was ok.

Gremlin

30th March 2020, 18:23

So the year round highway extension from Inuvik to Tuk is complete...

Definitely on my to-do list.

JATZ

30th March 2020, 21:47

It's a cool place Gremlin, but getting busier and busier apparently. The locals were very friendly and it still has that untouched feel to it, I'm not sure how long it'll last though.

After a night in Inuvik I packed up and headed around town again, armed with the camera.
Giant log structure

https://i.imgur.com/4OpokHG.jpg

Some houses

https://i.imgur.com/IVqABl6.jpg

A store

https://i.imgur.com/WwGEx6W.jpg

After working up an appetite I headed up to the BnB where the host had offered to cook breakfast. It was delicious too. I also got a bit of insight into living so far North, F'rinstance they only go into town every couple of months to do the grocery shopping. Town being Whitehorse, a mere 1200+k's away :gob: thats one way. It's a different way of life.
Moving right along, Si, Mike and I began the long trek south. Kurt would catch up with up with us further down the road (He doesn't do early mornings :zzzz: )
Heading South...

https://i.imgur.com/WATGrUq.jpg

We headed into Fort Mcpherson for some gas and a snuffle round the place that makes canvas goods and sends them all over the world and the visitors center. We got chatting to a local there who was trying to offload a genuine NT, bear shaped licence plate. It was a red one which made it quite rare. I ended up scoring it for a reduced price :niceone:
Then we carried on covering the miles. getting along pretty good :ride: when all of a sudden a big GS went flying buy, rider up on the pegs, showering gravel everywhere, he was certainly shifting along, followed closely by his mate on an ST 1300, up on the pegs, showering gravel all over :eek: We caught up with them at Eagle plains that night, they'd ridden from Inuvik to Tuk and back to Eagle that day. We also caught up with Kurt there, He'd gone past us when we were at Fort McP.
Next day was more of the same heading back to Dawson City, the road had smoothed out a bit and the deep sandy stuff had disappeared. Back in Dawson we found a place to stay on the right side of the river and settled in. Having ridden just shy of the entire length of SH 1 on gravel roads. It's a big place. Time for a debrief... I shot into town for a little something malty and alcoholic and came back with that and this..

https://i.imgur.com/tPidPRG.jpg

Damn that was good :yeah:

We spent the next day just hanging round town, I showed Kurt how to change the tyre on his Tenere, without pinching the tube :niceone: It also started raining offnon, we picked the weather perfectly.
Funnily enough we were chatting do some people in a caravan who'd we'd past, stopped on the Dempster. They'd had several punctures, and run out of spares. It took 2 days for them to get mooving again. Waiting for a tyre guy from Whitehorse. It is a busy road at times, but when it does go bad your a long way from help.
Next day, Si and I said goodbuy to Mike who was heading west and south, and Kurt who was still sleeping:sleep: , crossed the river one last time and headed off over the top of the world h/way. Apparently the views are stunning, on a good day, it was still damp and a bit cloudy for us but still cool, none the less

https://i.imgur.com/52ya5E7.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/PPwlgU0.jpg

Then through the Northernmost border crossing on the mainland and into the USofA. Si got through ok, but they couldn't find my ETA so I had to fill out forms:mad: Change the speedo readout to Mph, change the $$ to green backs and ride off over some of the smoothest tarseal I've ever had the pleasure of riding on... for about 5 miles:scratch: After which it turned into a slippery slidey dirt track, staying upright was a challenge

https://i.imgur.com/i8jGCGN.jpg

That's a good bit.
Pretty soon we got to Chicken

https://i.imgur.com/NLTNVEH.jpg

Downed a cup of US coffee, got another fridge magnet and carried on. Spied this critter on the side of the road, she dived into the pond and swam away.

https://i.imgur.com/utJs5Uo.jpg

She clambered out and just melted into the trees. I don't know how they can just disappear like that :scratch: buts its crazy. Maybe they are still in Fiordland.
Anyway... we carried on and rolled into Tok (pronounced Toke :doobey: ) Still raing, and grabbed the nearest cabin for the night, went out for tea and agonized over/debated the whole tipping thing. I think we left enough:confused:
After checking out multiple weather forecasts, consulting the map, working out a timeline and checking the weather again it was decided to head south and check out Valdez. The first bit was just boring h/way.... get on with it :scooter:, highlight for me was seeing the speedo get to 100 :shit: After the turnoff to Anchorage it started to get more interesting, getting into some hills. There was roadworks

https://i.imgur.com/Td9REwO.jpg

Glaciers

https://i.imgur.com/XxNfe7h.jpg

Views

https://i.imgur.com/aHyBa4U.jpg

and

https://i.imgur.com/qMCfdWC.jpg

Those posts indicate the snow level, apparently they get up to 30 ft in winter

and signs. I would've called it a mountain :D

https://i.imgur.com/E3rBaJ5.jpg

We eventually got into town

https://i.imgur.com/mUc1nyO.jpg

We ended up scratching round, looking for a campground that measured up, didn't leave you feeling like a goldfish or have "Bear in the area" advisory notices. We settled on one just on the edge of town. I'm not sure what Si got up to but I ended up with a bunch of GI medics who were on a team trip before they got sent to Afganistan. It was an interesting evening/night/morning. Good guys and girls :devil2:

Laava

30th March 2020, 22:42

'kin awesome bro!

JATZ

31st March 2020, 12:49

It was a fairly leisurely start the next morning, we were both following the Norwegians example somewhat, by this stage. We bumbled into town for brunch.

https://i.imgur.com/VFSy7UM.jpg

Checked out the port

https://i.imgur.com/d4h2sks.jpg

went on a Valdez fridge magnet hunt, unfortunately with out any success:facepalm: , but did learn a bit about the town from a store keeper :yes:
Then it was time to get mooving, back the way we'd come. Almost to the turn off to Anchorage we turned the other way and headed for a little place called Chitina, then the seal got narrow and a little bumpy. I spied these souls catching salmon, i similar setup/method to how we catch whitebait.

https://i.imgur.com/6lc9bzr.jpg

The road turned to gravel not long after that, and once again it was that trying rolly stuff, I think we both struggled a bit. Nice views though

https://i.imgur.com/z2N3CR3.jpg

Maybe it was hunger causing the lack off concentration :scratch: Time for a snack

https://i.imgur.com/kiwF4Qj.jpg

Notice the French ? everything has both English and French on the label, Perhaps we could look at doing that with both our official languages ?
Carrying on nothing had changed, then we came across a couple of graders grading the road, and it got even worse, no wheel tracks, just thick loose marbles. The end of the road was a welcome sight, at an old mining town called McCarthy. we were fairly late getting there but managed to have a bit of a poke around

https://i.imgur.com/UOtCOPr.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/JeQgzjy.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5fhyIUf.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/6KvYftb.jpg

It's a nice spot, and well worth the trek in to see it. Under those piles of gravel in the last to pics is ice, it's the foot of a glacier :cold:
There was an accom house there, we did consider briefly getting a room but the prices started around $1100 for a night and went up from there :blink:, so tenting it was.
We paid for the site and I went riding around to select something suitable, it turns out the Vstrom has a lower ride height than I'm used to, or maybe it was the size of rocks in the morraine :facepalm: Easy fix with a big spanner and a couple of rocks though:yes:
Here's the site.

https://i.imgur.com/RzwFjYr.jpg

and a friendly local

https://i.imgur.com/3QvYlIk.jpg

I't the first night where we actually packed all food in a pannier and took it well away from camp, probably wouldn't make any difference though as personally I'd had food in panniers/gear bag/tank bag and pockets. Something I need to work on in future. Got up the next morning, packed up and started heading back out, it didn't seem so bad on the return journey (it never does) and got back to Chitina

https://i.imgur.com/3sr7H4b.jpg

Time for some lunch, at the only place in town

https://i.imgur.com/k1JYCZQ.jpg

Mostly satisfied,we carried on, back over familiar territory, and got to the servo at the turnoff to Anchorage. Now, this place was absolutely humming with people, cars,trucks R.V;s, people all over the place, and the line for the single toilet was unbelievable. We turned towards Anchorage and went about a K up the road to get fuel, use the toilet and get a drink. There was nobody there :woohoo: seems sheeple are sheeple the world over eh ?
We wobbled into Anchorage later that day and found a spot to stay, and that's about it.... pretty uneventfull.
Next day after Si had to get some telecomunication issue sorted, which he did, and I had to get some telecommunications. which I did, i didn't get robbed either which was cool. Mike had given me a US sim card to use which still had data so I was fully self contained mobile again. Si had been getting more and more frustrated with his tent too. Macpac do make a good product, but I could have my tent up, bedding sorted and tea half cooked by the time he got his up, so we went tent shopping:yes: After getting organised we buzzed off down toward Seward, apparently there's a campground where you can stay right on the beach. There was. We got a spot next to a Mexican (?) fullah, Martine, who'd been riding his little XT250 around for a couple of years.

https://i.imgur.com/NrOV42c.jpg

Notice Si's palatial new MSR, the thing was HUGE !! but his wife was coming to join him later hence the extra space. And it was way cheaper than buying the same item here in NZ

It's a nice spot Seward, otters playing just off shore

https://i.imgur.com/DsexCaX.jpg

Art instalations on the beach

https://i.imgur.com/HodRu21.jpg

or maybe that was an old jetty, still looked pretty arty, in an arty sort of way:sunny:

The RV park was just along the beach a bit. An essential piece of motorhome equipment seemed to be a flag for these people, patriotism is alive and well it appears

https://i.imgur.com/9b9HAnU.jpg

We spent a day in Seward just mooching around, doing domestics and relaxing. Looks like it's mile 0 of the Idditarod trail to Nome too

https://i.imgur.com/qhaQPTr.jpg

I took of for look at some glaciers, a salmon weir, a waterfall and some other random shit, but I won't bore you all with more pics.

JATZ

1st April 2020, 13:53

Next day....
Si had discovered one of his fork seals was leaking, just as well we were heading back through Anchorage, he made a couple of calls and found a shop who had a seal saver device/tool/thing, who carries a spare phone but not a vital tool like that ?:dodge:
We found the store, I don't recall the name of it but I liked it.... a lot.
Free coffee:2thumbsup
Some cool bikes on show:2thumbsup

https://i.imgur.com/VmBBsAN.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/gffaxRd.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/RuN4cwy.jpg

And a seal saver:2thumbsup as well as super friendly staff, I picked up a rotopax, just in case.
I'd been googling accom for the night while Si was busy and managed to find a place in a little town called Talkeetna, a bit further north. So north we went :ride:
Found the place alright, and once again was offered refreshment before even getting off the bike.

https://i.imgur.com/ol0aBsx.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/WMXdi5Q.jpg

Travis cut us a real sharp deal on a room each too :yes: If your ever in the hood, I can recommend it. We wandered into town to get some tea and ended up at a cool spot, once again the name escapes me. Here's a little bit of the town

https://i.imgur.com/6ESKxEt.jpg

Youve gotta love a place where you can take the side by side to town :yeah: sorry for the blurry pic, but I was in a hurry and that thing wasn't hanging round.
Here's a small selection of the different beers available, apparently there's quite a few craft breweries in this neck of the woods

https://i.imgur.com/9UuCvmQ.jpg

crappy/wobbly cell pic again. The long white handle looked interesting so I had a couple (?) of pints from that one. I found out its actually an Oosik, you'll have to Wiki that one. Travis showed up later in the evening so we had to stay for another, then Si went back to the unit and left me and Travis to it, once again it was a long night, with multiple stops :drinknsin:drinkup: I even scored a pint glass from the Denali brewing co, which Travis posted home for me, quite chuffed with that :D
Consequently it was a slow start the next morning, we headed back into town again, but the tourists had arrived and it was super busy. It seems the cruise liners dock in Seward and punters catch the train up for the day. Time to move on...
Past this place, it would've been nice to take a tour,

https://i.imgur.com/qCGKxTM.jpg

but there was another weather window opening up so we needed to get cracking
:scooter: past this random looking, rundown structure, next to an equally dilapidated, disused gas station

https://i.imgur.com/DuMIerU.jpg

Through Denali state park and McKinley despite the ominous looking clouds it was supposed to get better

https://i.imgur.com/I6Sogkv.jpg

although I did have to stop and put another layer on under the jacket.
We made it to Fairbanks and found some digs for the night :zzzz:
Next day was time for a service and some new rear tyres, no fork seal available at the only shop we found open. We ended up at the local BMW/Harley/Honda/Polaris dealer, they wouldn't touch our Suzuki's because they weren't a brand they deal with. But we could take the wheels off and they'd put new tyres on, and we'd have to do the oil/filter change ourselves though ( Si had 2 spare oil filters:wari: what a guy) and not on the propety, liability issues I guess:scratch: Just as well they were down a dead end street

https://i.imgur.com/5sLVWxa.jpg

Once that was taken care of we still had a some time to kill so went to somewhere I'd seen while flicking around google maps, it seemed like a must do destination while in Fairbanks, and only 20 miles out of town...

https://i.imgur.com/b2j9MMe.jpg

It was full of all sorts of touristy tatt so we both picked up some fridge magnets and stickers.
New digs for the night and an interesting conversation with the waitress about tips and tipping., it was still doing both our heads in :eek5:
Next day, with clearing skies we headed out of town and onto the start of the Dalton

https://i.imgur.com/x5C0YVp.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HlvWIU1.jpg

For some reason most of Si's shots with me in them, I'm fussing about in my tank bag:wacko:

JATZ

1st April 2020, 15:55

Si and I trundled off up the road, mind full of how slick that dirt road surface be when wet. They also spray it with calcium/water to help bind it together. When its wet it's like riding on ice and builds up on the wheels to the point they wont even turn. Hence the reason we had been watching the forecasts so intently.
The road alternated between dirt, gravel and potholed seal, with some sizable potholes:eek: and roughly follows the Alaska pipeline

https://i.imgur.com/NfVz3j3.jpg

That's it on the left. Quite a bit of truck traffic on the road, but they're pretty good at keeping right.

https://i.imgur.com/ef8TS8z.jpg

Back over the Arctic circle

https://i.imgur.com/9ETa9n2.jpg

I'd seen this thing making it's way towards the road, but I wasn't sure if he'd cross, so I stopped anyway.

https://i.imgur.com/G4OqL8u.jpg

He just sauntered accross befor melting into the undergrowth on the other side. We eventually made it to Coldfoot and fueled up, before heading for Wiseman. I stopped outside the first accom place we came to and the owner virtually came running out. He made a good offer for a tent cabin with breakfast thrown in, how could we resist :D
Tent cabin...

https://i.imgur.com/HN44tjD.jpg

It was an interesting place to wander round, which we both did :yes: taking pictures and snuffling. Lots of history there.
Next day we off loaded panniers and headed north, for Deadhorse, what a cool ride,

https://i.imgur.com/YJHCk9B.jpg

Over Atigun pass

https://i.imgur.com/PT9BNtg.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/95aWteb.jpg

It's waaaay steeper than it looks on ice road truckers, those guys definitely are skilled operators, getting over it in the winter. The consequences of getting it wrong are almost certainly fatal.
Here's some wildlife...

https://i.imgur.com/RG5C0C6.jpg

and out onto the North Slope

https://i.imgur.com/YPyk3h3.jpg

Looong straight roads, sometimes dirt, sometimes gravel, you could really open the taps:headbang: until hitting some corrugations, not little garden variety corrugations, but seriously big ones, filled with deep soft marbles :eek: We ran into Kurt at one stage, Si did some repairs to his bike which had developed some rattles:msn-wink: We arranged to meet up again that night, and he gave us a heads up on where th get a feed in Deadhorse.
Deadhorse itself is just a massive industrial area, very hard to find your way around. We eventually found the sign, after Si had had a runin with the Prudhoe bay security guy :tugger: ( He needs to work on customer relations, pays not to argue though, he has a gun :whistle:

Here's "the Sign"

https://i.imgur.com/KoiEEZi.jpg

Drilling rig parking lot, they drive them out onto the tundra when it's frozen, otherwise they'd sink

https://i.imgur.com/5dcgBhm.jpg

And here's Brooks Camp where we got into "the spike room"

https://i.imgur.com/fzRcn7O.jpg

for $15 a head. All sorts of food and drink, pretty much anything you could want. and as much as you could eat :2thumbsup We had to wear these little overboots though

https://i.imgur.com/ubPxCoY.jpg

anywhere in the building, and disposable gloves and hairnets while in the spike room. I'll never forget the sight of a guy in there dressed in full camo, sporting the required sanitary extras and carrying a sidearm, bizzare.
After eating plenty and loading up packpacks for tea :whistle: we fuelled up and headed back to Wiseman. The plan was to just ride and not stop, but we couldn't resist stopping regularly and staring at the gobsmaking scenery.
And wildlife

https://i.imgur.com/VEEJmWl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/lTBqbHP.jpg

We were cruising along between 60/70 m/ph and the big trucks were catching us up, best to pull over and let them past (and take more pics :D )
Made it back to Wiseman in one piece, where Kurt had pitched his tent and we were joined by 3 other mototravelers from various parts of the globe, but all travelling together. A very social time.
Here's our host for the stay.

https://i.imgur.com/TVg8CKV.jpg

Apparently it gets down to -40 there in the winter, when asked how he deals with winter he said "I shut the door, get in my truck and head into town to (Fairbanks) to stay with the wife :D sounds perfect.
After breakfast we saddled up and started the trek back to Fairbanks. Only stopping for pics and a feed at Yukon river, where we met a couple of Aussies who'd started in Antarctica (on a boat) then ridden up from Ushuia. I'd been following their RR on Adv rider for a while. Was good to meet them.
A sobering reminder to be carefull. It was a straight piece of road.

https://i.imgur.com/d1hLbTm.jpg

Just out of shot is the panniers and gear scattered about the place. It had been there a while.

Once in Fairbanks we grabbed a room and found a shop that had 1 fork seal, so tomorrow would be a maintenance day.
Morning.... Off to Northern power sports, where Si got the seal and was directed out the back where he could dismantle the bike. Much more betterer service for touring riders

Fork...off

https://i.imgur.com/uyjPrxi.jpg

He had the other one serviced too and also decided to change out the chain and front sproket too, the dust/dirt/calcium is really hard on chains, despite regular maintenance. I rode off to look around town. :scooter: And Kurt showed up.... his rear brake hose had given up days before. The mechanic found a hose that may work, so we got into installing it, hoping it wouldn't upset the abs, it didn't, and we got it working :headbang:
They're serious about riding in winter there too, these things were sharp

https://i.imgur.com/ClM5Ckl.jpg

That took care of most of the day, so we went to find a campsite and get some supplies in for tea

TBC...

GSers

3rd April 2020, 09:14

Great Pics and write up Thanks. That's a lot of PK screws.

Bonez

3rd April 2020, 10:43

Good stuff. Nice to see those centre stands being put to good use:innocent:

JATZ

3rd April 2020, 11:08

Next day Si and I packed up and exited the campground, passing a guy who seemed to be setting up for a wedding or summat, chairs were out and a big decorative arch, he may have been a pastor, what was surprising was the pistol hanging on his hip :eek5: Sometimes it's the little details like that that stick in ya brain.
We'd made plans to hook back up with Kurt and go through the Denali h/way. He'd been free camping in someones yard about 20 miles outside town. form memory he met us a bit south of town at a roadside diner. We carried on South, stopping at MacKinley for a break. There was this cool old bar thing there, the floor and walls were all twisted and warped due to the permafrost heaving or something. The pics don't do the warping justice really.

https://i.imgur.com/V0p3So2.jpg

Filled up at Cantwell and made our way onto the Denali. It was supposed to be quite remote and one of those places you don't want to have any issues, due to hungry wildlife, however we found it was nothing like that at all... It was berry season so there was a few families out camping/harvesting and further along LOTS of hunters, buzzing around on quads and side by sides. Hunting season had just started :crazy:

https://i.imgur.com/2DQxHhm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/VbdrVCi.jpg

Still a cool ride though.

https://i.imgur.com/cK3szSr.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/syFEpOQ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/KhUXlBa.jpg

We exited the Denali unscathed and started looking for lodging for the night. This place at the intersection looked a bit rundown

https://i.imgur.com/lsWruHM.jpg

the BnB up the road was full but there looked to be a reserve a few miles south. Turns out there was a cmpground there too. Tents up, food sorted and time for a fire, I like fire :banana:

https://i.imgur.com/O81a72F.jpg

Kurt was heading south next day, to Valdez or somewhere :wavey:. Si and I shot north on the Richardson h/way, the scenery was simply outstanding. I saw what I assumed was my first Bald Eagle here somewhere, no pic though, as it was a long way away.

https://i.imgur.com/uxqMYeX.jpg

Crossed over the pipe line

https://i.imgur.com/yRMqktx.jpg

here's some basic facts about it

https://i.imgur.com/L1Zvfwg.jpg

there was a whole board of interesting info but I won't bore you all with that:yawn:
Then hit some more straight bits

https://i.imgur.com/vfDkLRT.jpg

There's a BIG airforce base in there somewhere. Lunch at Delta junction. Bison burger :drool:

https://i.imgur.com/wSJmsKj.jpg

Then we swung west, heading back to Tok and the Eagle Claw campground

https://i.imgur.com/fvsH57i.jpg

There was a number of options for places to doss down... Including an old converted school bus for larger groups

https://i.imgur.com/r0T9KIC.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HjBDOPJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/QAynWyn.jpg

The ambulance was pretty cool, the smell inside not so much. We settled on erecting our own accom.

Gearup

3rd April 2020, 13:29

What an adventure! Thanks for posting this.

Is Si the Joburble on YouTube? I've seen his NZ motorbiking videos.

JATZ

3rd April 2020, 14:10

Moooving right along, next day we crossed back into Canada and headed south and east, nothing much to report. Just doin the miles, or K's now as we were back in the land of metric :D
Past some buildings

https://i.imgur.com/1fA1rS8.jpg

through some scenery

https://i.imgur.com/w1vPhLr.jpg

still a little hazy due to the smoke. We got to Haines Junction and grabbed a room. Through Whitehorse the next day and onto Teslin lake for the night.

https://i.imgur.com/TZbzq0t.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/LuO3QiG.jpg

Nice mural :niceone:

https://i.imgur.com/8KConaY.jpg

Then back toward Watson lake, not quite to it though, we swung right before getting there and shot off down the Cassiar h/way

https://i.imgur.com/VUihJPn.jpg

More of these bridges

https://i.imgur.com/NhlW79T.jpg

the surface looks like this

https://i.imgur.com/dMTzDrv.jpg

which is a real PITA to ride on:eek: your not quite sure where the front wheels going to go, and just hope the back follows.

Some more hills

https://i.imgur.com/ChX2Xrq.jpg

And I'm pretty sure we stopped at Dees lake for the night. Nice spot, very scenic.
Next day was more of the same.... riding, hills, trees, bears on the road, rain :yawn:

https://i.imgur.com/Bk12nDY.jpg

Apparently it's pretty stunning when it's fine. Past a glacier...

https://i.imgur.com/5Gu9WOJ.jpg

and into Stewart. Then back across the border into Hyder.

https://i.imgur.com/bEFOtsr.jpg

It's quite a strange setup that one. One tiny tourist town in US territory about 2 k out of a Canadian town. They do however have a bear feeding area where there's supposed to be bears feasting on Salmon. The Salmon were there :yes:

https://i.imgur.com/NZ6jUv0.jpg

Lots of them... but no bears. Guess you'll have to youtube it to see where we were. Then off up the dirt road some more where we crossed back into Canadian territory, no official border controls though :sunny: and up to Salmon glacier

https://i.imgur.com/6tC62ys.jpg

George was there too

https://i.imgur.com/X2N3PqK.jpg

Arguably one of the most stunning sights I've ever seen, the furthest point of glacier you can see is about 20k's away. If your ever in the area I can recommend it.
We carried on up the road further,

https://i.imgur.com/zH0q7Z6.jpg

it was reeal nice, but after the glacier things just seemed insignificant.
Back down to the bear viewing area (still none :mad: ) then through the border crossing back into Canada. I do wonder how they're getting on under the current CoVid crises.
We grabbed a room in town, me on one side of the road, with a cool view of the hills, Si on the other side with a view of the guy with a view of the hills :laugh:
I took a stroll around town the next morning with the camera.

https://i.imgur.com/XpABQ1n.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/MRvQ5c5.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/hWWvFGJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/A5KuVLn.jpg

Then it was just fridge magnet shopping and breakfast :yes: before leaving town

JATZ

3rd April 2020, 14:14

What an adventure! Thanks for posting this.

Is Si the Joburble on YouTube? I've seen his NZ motorbiking videos.

Yip....ftcr :bash:

JATZ

3rd April 2020, 14:44

The previous night I'd been googling/ringing around trying to source a new chain for my trusty steed. I'd only managed to find 1 525 chain, at the KTM dealer in Prince George, 700km away. We saddled up and headed out. cant've been to much happening this day as I've only got a couple of pics of interesting buildings

https://i.imgur.com/NyFkgHH.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/zJ6oZw2.jpg

Pretty sure we got to Smithers though.
Not that Smithers :facepalm:
https://i.imgur.com/ynXIkcD.png

The Town.... Once again we sharp deal on a room, because the owner rides too :D
It must've been a pretty unremarkable place as I cant find any photo record of it:scratch: I left early next morning, while Si was still sleeping, as I had an appointment with the chain doctor in Prince George. Once again, no pics, I was just making the k's and watching out for wildlife. Got to P.G. just as the rain started coming down properly, and got a new chain fitted, and got robbed for the privilege:buggerd: . The front sproket was also toast but there wasn't one in town.
Next stop, the camping store to pick up my tent and post it back home :gob: That was turning into one expensive tent. Then I just cooled my heals waiting for Si to show up.
Next day was a rest day, sleep in, domestic stuff, dry out gear. It was to gooder day to not get out and go for a walk though. there was a history/rail museum only a few K's away so off I trotted. Some cool stuff in there too

https://i.imgur.com/Nn6MS5J.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/j5ePlwP.jpg

I was going to wander around some trails, just along the road.... there was a sign there:gob:

https://i.imgur.com/eQsBnjh.jpg

Initially I was all like, MEH !! then as I was about to head across this bridge

https://i.imgur.com/ci243M4.jpg

a couple of people came out saying the bear was just over there.... not far off the path :blink: I decided to look at something else.... and stummbled back to the room, and made some calls trying to locate a front sproket. I found one suitable..... In Calgary :gob:

Gearup

3rd April 2020, 15:01

Yip....ftcr :bash:

Cool, might be a few vids of this trip later then.

That Glacier, wow!!

What the hell does ftcr mean?

JATZ

3rd April 2020, 15:54

I think Si's working on them during the lockdown Gearup. FTCR... fuckin 10 character rule. Try replying with a reply less than 10 chars.

Next... we were off to Jasper and the start of the Icefields parkway. It was pretty much same same heading towards Jasper. However the hills were getting bigger and we crossed into another State

https://i.imgur.com/oxqCj4e.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/iXctgCh.jpg

Cruised into Jasper and was just about to grab a late lunch when Martine (remember him from Seward ?) came rushing over, asking if we had any tools. He needed to replace his front sprocket, the old one was just starting to give issues. He had a new one in his kit. We said we'd take a look. after caffeine and food.
Turns out we didn't have the right tools so I got onto google and found a mechanic,

https://i.imgur.com/OjDXr7S.jpg

he even came to us, in about 10 mins. and gave us moral support, technical advice (I guess liabilty issues again) and a fuck off big rattle gun :D
Definitely time for a new one :yes:

https://i.imgur.com/YITu5wg.jpg

Succeess :D

https://i.imgur.com/XWpRldr.jpg

The guy was so nice he didn't even charge for the callout or time. LEGEND !!
Martine tagged along with us for a couple of days after that, he was a bit concerned he wouldn't keep up on his grossly overloaded 250, but we let him set the pace.

Found a campground right in the middle of the Parkway and managed to get the last spot, and free firewood :woohoo:
It's a crap cell pic, but there's a glacier just across the valley from the camp.

https://i.imgur.com/YqcHFYC.jpg

We discovered the joys of maple whiskey liquor that night too :yes:

https://i.imgur.com/mXbmc6g.jpg

Friendly critters, but damn they're quick

https://i.imgur.com/LRVyhkB.jpg

Carried on the next morning through the rest of it, very busy place

https://i.imgur.com/pdcbOnc.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/gWZM1GY.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/uxeiBXE.jpg

We gave Lake Louise a miss, it was dripping with tourists, all the carparks were full and they were busing people in from overflow carparks down the road. Si's been there before and reakoned we'd seen waay nicer lakes anyway.
You could tell we were getting closer to civilisation too. How cool is that ? special bridges for the wildlife to cross the road, otherwise the road sides were all deer fenced.

https://i.imgur.com/7r1nYS9.jpg

We got into Banff and had a look around

https://i.imgur.com/QUTHLzc.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/JN4dalz.jpg

sortoff a cross between Queenstown and Queen st. Busy as hell too. We grabbed a coffee, and sat down on s garden planter. It's interesting the looks of
scorn people gave to Martine, perhaps because of skin colour or hair style. Stuck up ****? :bash: sorry about that but it still pisses me off... Mooving right along.... We found a campground and set up for the night.

Gearup

3rd April 2020, 17:32

Stunning is the only word for those mountains IMO.

Looks of scorn ay? Some people are disgusting.

Laava

3rd April 2020, 20:55

Amazing bro! I realised ages ago that I don't have the gift for documenting my trips. Lucky my wife is good at it, but I am guessing that you also have some pretty good camera gear? Chur!

JATZ

6th April 2020, 09:48

Amazing bro! I realised ages ago that I don't have the gift for documenting my trips. Lucky my wife is good at it, but I am guessing that you also have some pretty good camera gear? Chur!
Not really, just a little point and shoot, and a cell phone, I use them quite a bit though. I do have a flash harry mirrorless jobbie with interchangeable lenses somewhere, with settings and features that only a pro would use. But after dragging it along on a couple of trips and never taking it out of it's bag I went back to simple stuff.
The folder where I've stored the pics of this trip is about 26 GB. Pics/video from myself, Si and Mike.

JATZ

6th April 2020, 11:16

Si and I left Banff, leaving Martine to fend for himself and headed for Calgary, where there was a new front sprocket waiting for me. I can't recall the name of the shop, but they were good buggers :niceone: Calgary was a crazy busy place after the last few weeks. New sprocket installed, and Si sporting a new pair of boots we headed out of town.

https://i.imgur.com/MKIk4KY.jpg

Lane splitting is not allowed so it was a slow trip, with the temp up around 33c. We escaped alive though, and zoomed through some nice rolling hill country

https://i.imgur.com/c9IqCxO.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/hVvW1wJ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/n5pVNLu.jpg

Through a little place called Crowsnest where a hillside had come down at some point and wiped out a town, it was what I imagine riding on the moon would be like

https://i.imgur.com/WrZ0zmX.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/g3B79D4.jpg

Through Sparwood, home of this...

https://i.imgur.com/TkKhfhh.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/P0UJkHY.jpg

Then into Fernie for the night.
Next day not to much happened, we just rode along :ride: Through Kootenay pass

https://i.imgur.com/VD9HAoQ.jpg

and into a little place called Nelson, a liberal town, home of crossdressers, old hippies and draft dodgers (description provided by a local I was chatting with :D )

https://i.imgur.com/BS4IahP.jpg

Quite a cool spot really. We found a campground within easy walking distance of town and settled in. Next morning we stumbled into town to find some decent coffee.

https://i.imgur.com/I1WUr1K.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/g6rrbwl.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tPDpJ35.jpg

Si went off to find a gluten free brekky while I followed a local to where the good stuff was (IHHO) where he shouted me a Canadiano (like an Americano but instead of being topped of with water it's topped off with filter coffee :eek5: ) because I'm from Nelson (NZ)
Then it was bye bye Nelson :wavey:

https://i.imgur.com/oPz5suV.jpg

and we bounced along the border towards Osoyosss. I seem to recall it rained a bit so not to many pics. These guys were pretty cool

https://i.imgur.com/fsJXet5.jpg

they were a bit suspicious of us though

https://i.imgur.com/xCxHX1h.jpg

It's a shame I didn't get any shots of the large statues on the way down the hill into Osoyoos, maybe next time. The town itself was pretty full, with not to many accom options, we eventually found a spot on the outskirts though :niceone:

https://i.imgur.com/7OuVUBS.jpg

JATZ

6th April 2020, 11:36

Osoyoos town

https://i.imgur.com/8DXfacK.jpg

Nice place, but it was good to be leaving. Over a hill...

https://i.imgur.com/RO7Mobi.jpg

Just buzzing along, heading back to Vancouver by this stage. with only a couple of stops, 1 at a fruit stall

https://i.imgur.com/wcabcTu.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/zDy0p45.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/8nWzgJK.jpg

Not to much else to report. We eventually made it back to Tsawassen/Delta, back where it all began.

MXNUT

6th April 2020, 14:11

Thanks for the great report Jatz.:2thumbsup

This R/R has been the only reason to visit this site, as it has been pretty dead for more than 12 months now.:sick:

JATZ

6th April 2020, 17:29

Thanks for the great report Jatz.:2thumbsup

This R/R has been the only reason to visit this site, as it has been pretty dead for more than 12 months now.:sick:

I'm not ready to go home just yet MXNut.

Anyway.... with the arrival of Mrs Si the next day, instead of hanging around and cramping his style I loaded up and headed out. Destination Vancouver Island for a couple of days. we said our good byes and I wobbled off in to the sunset heading for the ferry, actually it was about mid morning, but sunset sounds better than smoko time:yes:
I arrived just as the boat was loading. It was a very smooth crossing

https://i.imgur.com/DlW2WyS.jpg

It was guite busy getting through some of the smaller passages, before long I was spewed out in a place called Sidney where I grabbed a feed, visited the info centre and started making my way south, just following my nose towards a little place called Sooke, where I started heading north again, just cruising, with no particular place to be :ride:
I stopped at a couple of places looking for somewhere to park up for the night, but settled on a place called Jordan river, and managed to find a spot out of the wind and boil the billy, then went for a bit of a walkabout

https://i.imgur.com/IUTH8cV.jpg

They still fascinate me these "log booms"
Before long the one of the guys parked in the camp sauntered over and asked if Id like to come over for some BBQ ribs and stuff for tea. How could I refuse. Stayed most of the night in front of the fire, yakin and sippin whiskey. Nice couple of "red necks from the interior" there words, not mine :innocent: while there kids ran riot round the camp.
After coffee with them next morning I loaded up and headed further north.

https://i.imgur.com/6kk9bNT.jpg

at a leisurely pace. Some good views out into the Pacific and south towards the USA.

https://i.imgur.com/cseng2s.jpg

I rolled into Port Renfrew, but didn't hang around long, and pointed my front wheel through what I thought was a little gravel road towards Port Albernie, turns out it was all seal but it was a stunning ride anyway:sunny: through forests, over ridges and round little lakes

https://i.imgur.com/sAYnyTM.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/f0LdNlK.jpg

I got back on the main rd to Tofino and buzzed through a stand of MASSIVE !! redwoods. Sadly I only got one pic and it's pretty crap :facepalm:

https://i.imgur.com/rCk0gxP.jpg

Tofino had been recommended as somewhere to go, cause it's supposed to be pretty cool, but a couple of other people had said meh... it's alright if you like crowds, so I swung left at the intersection and went to Ucluelet.
There was a lighthouse there

https://i.imgur.com/XRTPpUs.jpg

and George

https://i.imgur.com/hfP593Q.jpg

and this li'll fella, happily feeding away with tourists wandering around all over

https://i.imgur.com/w5bxXrI.jpg

I picked up a small stone and went back to town to find a camp for the night. Ended up on this expensive piece of waterside real estate

https://i.imgur.com/gHiQ4Cl.jpg

Nice spot though :yes: and even grass to pitch the tent on

Next day I needed to start making my way back to Vancouver so headed for the ferry at Courtenay,

https://i.imgur.com/UvhVZLJ.jpg

trying to bypass major towns. I must've been starting to wind down by now as I hardly stopped for pics at all. No drama getting the ferry back to the mainland, and I started heading down the coast, another awesome road to ride, and another ferry ride

https://i.imgur.com/13Hel9A.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/yLdoaiQ.jpg

Then found a spot to pitch the tent in amongst the tall timber

https://i.imgur.com/do9BlCA.jpg

Next day, the last day on the bike :cry: There was yet another ferry ride, after that I stopped at a beach thing, seeing as how it was another stunning day

https://i.imgur.com/Wnier0g.jpg

Then made my way into Vancouver to find my airBnB. It was a bit different being right in amongst it. Up high in an apartment looking out at this.

https://i.imgur.com/jdetAvA.jpg

TBC tomorrow....

Gremlin

6th April 2020, 23:25

I remember planning my riding on Vancouver Island in 2011... That looks like a nice island for a day trip up to the end and back on the rest day. 1000km round trip! :crazy:
Ok, this island is a bit bigger than I thought, musta been zoomed out a bit, let's pick something closer.
Ah, Tofino looks like a cute wee stop on the edge, remote etc. Yeah, as you know, its busy as hell, with plenty of vehicles. Grabbed some food and got the hell out of town. :chase:

Definitely been enjoying the read...

caspernz

7th April 2020, 14:45

Thanks for sharing! Amazing scenery pics and a cool story to go with it :woohoo:

JATZ

8th April 2020, 12:15

:shit: Crickey... it's yesterday already.

I just hung out in the apartment for the night. Next day the bike was booked in for it's 18,000k service, which is more than either of the bikes at home :innocent: I dropped it off at the dealer then caught the skytrain back to town, then a ferry to the North Shore to have a look around

https://i.imgur.com/zegTpNL.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ivEqHPA.jpg

There wasn't much there that interested me so the ferry was employed again, then I caught a looser cruiser out to Stanley park

https://i.imgur.com/kdbLjQj.jpg

Had a look at the totem pole forest

https://i.imgur.com/aZDYSOT.jpg

and just mooched about, wandering here and there, taking pics of random stuff that caught my eye. Im not sure what this was doing there, looked like some sort enclosure from a zoo. It was empty though

https://i.imgur.com/fYFeFWL.jpg

Then bussed/trained back to get the bike.
Next day was sort out stuff to leave in the panniers day and drop the bike off for storage. Then go stumbling round the hood where I was staying. I stayed near the Pacific central station, and managed to bumble my way aver to Gas Town, through some streets and parks

https://i.imgur.com/bdZdqZ3.jpg

It was an interesting experience:blink:
Seeing such destitute souls milling around amongst such affluence. It really did tug at my heart strings and left me feeling quite sad for the world:weep: I didn't feel like getting the camera out to record it either. Except for this little shack, not 100m from my well apointed appartment.

https://i.imgur.com/GK9HzGz.jpg

Next day was time to pack up and jump on a plane.... with a brief stop in San Fran, and the sun set on another trip.

https://i.imgur.com/yaEG8gX.jpg

It was good to get home and start thinking about the next installment. I hear you can get good lobster in Halifax :psst: