SI adventure trip 2026

[SaferRides]

Mainly on sealed roads with 3 days of soft adventure riding, Molesworth, Nevis and Hakataramea. There are 3 of us on a 1250 GS, V-strom 800 and me on the R1. I was going to buy or borrow an adv for the trip, but decided to bring the R1 instead as it enjoys the SI and I can do some good rides on the adv days.

Arrived in Blenheim yesterday after a very pleasant crossing on the Livia. It was one of those good days in Wellington, and just a slight swell after leaving the harbour.


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[F5 Dave]

Nice. One of my drivers for an adv was to do molesworth, will taken in rainbow as well, but next year for me. Have fun.

[release_the_bees]

Nice. One of my drivers for an adv was to do molesworth, will taken in rainbow as well, but next year for me. Have fun.I've done them both in the 4x4. It was an amazing day and a half of driving, with an overnight stay camping at Lake Tennyson for New Year's Eve. I definitely plan to do it again on two wheels sometime. Especially now that I have my late father's KLR650 in the garage.

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[Kickaha]

Nice. One of my drivers for an adv was to do molesworth, will taken in rainbow as well, but next year for me. Have fun.

Rainbow is the better ride of the two and at the St Arnaud end the Porika track is not far away

[F5 Dave]

I have coffee table book (from my late father) of Molesworth, but yes want to overnight Hammer and do both. Will look up Porika. Must look up some mates in St Arnaud as they were building but never have spare time when passing through.

[BMWST?]

Its so easy to do both Rainbow and Molesworth .If you want something a little milder do the Braeburn from St Arnaud to Murchison as a gateway to the west coast. Can Camp in the Molesworth at 1 of 2 campsites or at lake tennyson or cold water creek in the Rainbow or of course overnight at Hanmer The rainbow has a couple of fords and a couple of creek crossings. Conditions can change very quickly there if it rains

[release_the_bees]

I'm glad I wasn't on the bike when we met this guy in the middle of the road!
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[SaferRides]

Day 2, Blenheim to Hanmer
The adv group had a great ride today, apart from both the GS and V-strom riders dropping their bikes. They said it was a good ride up to Molesworth station and a bit rough in places after that.

I went up the Awatere Valley until seal end. There was a lot of metal on the first unsealed section, which the R1 does not like, so I turned around. Really enjoyed the ride up the valley though.

Good ride on SH1 to Kaikoura, then the inland route to Hanmer. Most of the road is good, but unless you could see through a corner, you couldn't be sure the surface was OK. After finding broken seal past an apex, I dialed it back a bit. Hoping the front rim is OK...

Most fun was the last part into Waiau. Straights connected by fast, sweeping corners, so I let the bike have some fun.

Looks like a wet ride to Ross tomorrow, but the next day should be fine.

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[BMWST?]

Yes I found the inland route a bit sorta disjointed. I normally find that a road has a certain rythym but I found the beginning of that road(I was going in the opposite direction) didnt gel with me. As you say a bit bumpy and some loose seal I think. I think this was the only 15km hr corner on the trip on that road.

[SaferRides]

Yes I found the inland route a bit sorta disjointed. I normally find that a road has a certain rythym but I found the beginning of that road(I was going in the opposite direction) didnt gel with me. As you say a bit bumpy and some loose seal I think. I think this was the only 15km hr corner on the trip on that road.I certainly wouldn't make an effort to ride it again. I took the 15 km/h corner in 2nd, there are tighter hairpins marked as 25 near home.



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[SaferRides]

Day 3, Hanmer to Ross
We had a very pleasant, warm evening in Hanmer, then a wet day off and on on the West Coast. Since arriving in the SI we've been joined by 2 others, one riding a Himalayan and the other a V-strom 1000. So we didn't stay together much!

The original plan was through Lewis Pass to Reefton for brunch, then straight to Ross with a couple of side trips. But not the best day for stopping and looking at stuff, so we turned right at Reefton, rode the Lower Buller in heavy rain, then down the coast, which was mostly patchy rain.

Really enjoyed parts of the ride. I'd never ridden from Springs Junction to Reefton before, which was a great ride. From the Westport junction to Punakaiki was one of my favorite rides from the last trip, and it was even better with waterfalls of mist flowing from the hills to the sea. Very West Coastish.

No photos, sorry.

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[F5 Dave]

Seen in south wairarapa today:

Yer 'avin a larf yeah? I took at 50 waiting for something, but no.

[SaferRides]

Seen in south wairarapa today:

Yer 'avin a larf yeah? I took at 50 waiting for something, but no.We came across the same sign at roadworks near Levin, and had the misfortune to be following a tourist who slowed from 30 to 10.

You really have to wonder who thought it was a good idea.

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[BMWST?]

10 km hr! Its almost walking speed. 6km hr is a fast walk!

[SaferRides]

I had planned to document the trip each day, but for various reasons, this has proved to be a bit of an ask.

The adv riding has been more challenging than some expected. The two offs on the Molesworth were minor, but getting stuck under a 220 kg bike in a ford resulted in a reappraisal of the potential risks. The decision was made to ride to the Nevis summit yesterday instead of going through to Kingston, and a planned ride on Thompson's Track has been dropped.

Anyway, I'm having a good time on the R1. The Crown Range was fun yesterday, even on a Sunday afternoon with traffic! I was surprised to find it's still 100 km/h. Made a total mess of one hairpin when I took it in 2nd instead of 1st and had to stop halfway around the corner. Most embarrassing.







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[SaferRides]

Day 5: Wanaka to Bannockburn to Wanaka

I'll skip Day 4 Ross to Wanaka as there's no route options and I expect most of you know that road well. Very pleasant weather and stunning views.

We stayed in Wanaka 2 nights and did a loop to Bannockburn and the start of the Nevis, then back over the Crown Range. I visited the Mt Difficulty winery while the others rode to the Nevis summit and back. One of the more scenic vineyards in the area.

The ride from the Crown Range summit down to Cardrona is one of my favorite SI roads. Despite a shit ton of traffic, I was only held up right at the end. Fortunately only one campervan and the slow cars were easy to overtake going into corners.

Stopped at the Cardrona pub and was very surprised to find Urbanaut Southern Lakes on tap! Perfect end to a very pleasant ride.

View from Mt Difficulty winery.
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[BMWST?]

We appreciate the late night posting going on here!

[SaferRides]

I've aggravated an old neck injury and am avoiding device time while it settles down. So just brief posts and photos.

We're in Christchurch having taken a meandering route through the Maniototo, North Otago, McKenzie district and Canterbury hill country. Generally good weather, apart from high winds and low cloud from Lake Pukaki to Fairlie.

Photos are from near Kakonga and the Rakaia River at Coleridge village.

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[F5 Dave]

Nice.
Just thinking how lucky visual sharing easy.

[roogazza]

Cheers SaferRides, you still on the R1 ? Not good for the neck huh ?
Thats how I came to trade the GSXR1000 in on the 1400. Became too much of a pain to ride.:yes:

Hey still out there , turn 77 on the 10th April I've had a better run than most. xxxxxxxx

[BMWST?]

Nice.
Just thinking how lucky visual sharing easy.
Yeah I like how tapatalk just embeds a decent picture ,its a pain to use the attchment tool .

[SaferRides]

Cheers SaferRides, you still on the R1 ? Not good for the neck huh ?
Thats how I came to trade the GSXR1000 in on the 1400. Became too much of a pain to ride.:yes:

Hey still out there , turn 77 on the 10th April I've had a better run than most. xxxxxxxxYes, I couldn't leave the R1 at home as it loves SI roads. Bit thirsty though, but it's worth it.

Neck didn't happen when riding, that's usually fine. It's been a problem on and off for 50 years now after an accident and it might be time for surgery.

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[SaferRides]

This arrived at our motel. One owner from new, original condition. Either the owner doesn't know what it's worth or just rides it anyway. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20260320/a42563bde15cf173b7999f33d2fb0120.jpg

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[SaferRides]

Back in the NI. The R1 is not happy and neither am I.

Heard more horror stories about cancelled ferries today. We were on the Livia for both crossings and more or less on time.

One unexpected treat was the road from Nelson to Picton. All of the 60, 80 and 90 limits are gone - 100 km/h all the way to Havelock. Why hasn't this happened on other state highways?

Wellington on a good day. Again!



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[jellywrestler]

Seen in south wairarapa today:

Yer 'avin a larf yeah? I took at 50 waiting for something, but no.

wont be long before we have to reverse through roadworks.

[SaferRides]

wont be long before we have to reverse through roadworks.Went through the same roadworks today north of Foxton. Still 10 km/h.

Maybe the next stage is a convoy followiing someone with a red flag?

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[SaferRides]

Safely back in Auckland after an overnight in Ohakune. I was going to stop in Turangi, but it was booked out for a mountain bike race. Found another speed camera trailer on SH4 south of National Park, or Waimarino as it is now called. Surprised to see them out in the wild, must only be a matter of time before someone has a go at one.

It was a great trip. Over 5,000 km and the R1 went well as usual. I have a bent rim on the rear wheel to sort out, and the bike needs a serious clean, mainly thanks to road works. But we had a great time - I must not wait another 4 years for the next trip to the SI. If I could find a suitable home, I'd be tempted to leave the R1 in the SI and fly down every few weeks.

We will have a rethink about how to do adventure rides - the others have realised that fully loaded bikes like the GS are not the way to go.


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[BMWST?]

We will have a rethink about how to do adventure rides - the others have realised that fully loaded bikes like the GS are not the way to go.



Depends what you want to do. I would prolly do the Molesworth but would not do rainbow alone. And be very careful with weather. I am fine with any NZ gravel road,but as your mates found 250 kg is a lot to handle. I try to plot real back roads and out of the way places. NZ is just so much more than state highways. This is esp true of the north island

[F5 Dave]

I find it's kinda fun on my mildly tuned 450 twin. Power hasn't worried me, but also a factor of the group you are in.
The other advantage is when I hop on my roadbike it feels --Fast-

I do wonder about the 21" Katieboom 390. Undoubtedly it'll be better and easier off road, but the single may be a touch tiresome on road sections.

[SaferRides]

I find it's kinda fun on my mildly tuned 450 twin. Power hasn't worried me, but also a factor of the group you are in.
The other advantage is when I hop on my roadbike it feels --Fast-

I do wonder about the 21" Katieboom 390. Undoubtedly it'll be better and easier off road, but the single may be a touch tiresome on road sections.
Yes, one of the guys that rode with us suggested the 690 Adventure - interesting thought, but it's a KTM...

The issue is getting down to the SI from Auckland, but when you add up all of the costs to do so, it may be worth considering having the bikes shipped down to Christchurch. What I have learnt is it's best not to compromise. I've had a ridiculous amount of fun on the R1, but would like to do some of the adv rides next time - I grew up riding dirt bikes.

[SaferRides]

My neck is coming right after some physio, but realistically I doubt that I will write up each day now. I thought a list of awards might be fun instead. So, after careful consideration on the mostly boring ride from the ferry to Auckland, here goes:

Best day's ride: This was difficult, but it has to go to Ross - Wanaka. South Westland is stunning on a fine day, Haast Pass was fun despite the camper vans, and Lake Hawea was magnificent. The day in the McKenzie country is the runner up, especially the picture postcard view riding towards Mt Cook.

Biggest adrenaline rush: Crown Range Road from the summit to the Cardrona pub. A close second was riding down Takaka Hill towards Motueka, which was a constant series of "How brave do you feel" blind corners.

Best pub: The Vulcan in St Bathans. An English country pub transplanted to NZ. But read on...

Best pub food: The best meal I had was the lamb rump at the Waipiata hotel - we just don't get lamb like that in Auckland. Runner up goes to the blue cod at the top pub in Kurow. Huge fillet perfectly battered and deep fried.

Best pub experience: The Historic Empire Hotel in Ross. We were there on a Saturday night, which undoubtedly helped.

But really, there were no bad pub experiences. O'Flynns in Hanmer was a bit average, but otherwise they were all good. We were surprised how many were run by Indians though.

To be continued...

[BMWST?]

Yes, one of the guys that rode with us suggested the 690 Adventure - interesting thought, but it's a KTM...

The issue is getting down to the SI from Auckland, but when you add up all of the costs to do so, it may be worth considering having the bikes shipped down to Christchurch. What I have learnt is it's best not to compromise. I've had a ridiculous amount of fun on the R1, but would like to do some of the adv rides next time - I grew up riding dirt bikes.

if you booked ahead some you coul get some good flights I guess. Dont try that with Dunedin,it cost me a fortune to fly down there at shortish notice. Its not a problem for me I live 11 minutes from the interislander,and I kinda enjoy the ferry trip. Its a nice way to start and fimish IMHO

[SaferRides]

if you booked ahead some you coul get some good flights I guess. Dont try that with Dunedin,it cost me a fortune to fly down there at shortish notice. Its not a problem for me I live 11 minutes from the interislander,and I kinda enjoy the ferry trip. Its a nice way to start and fimish IMHOWith some forward planning, you can get Jetstar flights AKL-CHC for well under $100 each way.

I quite enjoy the ferry trips now, but the stress is whether they'll be late or even sail. It's to be expected given the age of the current fleet - even the "new" Bluebridge ferry is 18 years old.

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[SaferRides]

Not too much went wrong, but the one Worst award was well deserved:

Worst road works: Fairlie to Geraldine. There were plenty of road works in general and the Stop Goes became a little tiring at times. But this stretch of road was out on its own. Over just 45 km I lost count of the number of road works. It was like they started work on a stretch of road, decided they'd done enough in the meantime, and moved a few ks along the road to start again. I felt sorry for anyone who had to drive that road daily.

Best road surface: In general, the roads on the West Coast were in good condition given the issues they have to deal with. The road from north of Nelson to the start of the Rai Valley was great, especially the windy section after Hira which is mainly asphalt.

Best value accommodation: Forest Peak in Hanmer. Hard to argue with $195 for a 1-bedroom unit, although it is a bit of a trek from the town.

Best petrol stations: NPD. We gave up using Gaspy in the end as NPD was consistently the cheapest. Plus their terminals use Paywave and I was able to use my phone - very quick.

It was a great trip, and I won't be waiting four years to return!