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View Full Version : Six go wild in the SI - Part III



skelstar
2nd February 2006, 10:11
...continued from Part II

Day Eight - Nelson outskirts
Friday morning starts by gassing up (20th time on the trip?) and heading out to the Buller Gorge road. Another fine piece of bitumen was dispatched and we found ourselves in Murchison. Its starting to really warm up and the girl in a nice cafe tells us that it was 39degC the previous day. Aye corumba. An hour later and we havent ventured further than our cold drinks and ice coffees. KS19 takes a hazardous trip out into the sun to look for more shade and finds an apple tree down by a river. Limbimtimwin turns up on his new RVF400 (v-sexy bike) and we all eventually head down to the tree. Mr Wippy magically finds us down the road and is being followed by Zapf on his bike! Made for a very funny image indeed.

After a couple of hours of lounging in the heat we attempt the road between Murch and Motueka with the view of riding the Takaka Hill. We were a little worried about melting tar on the, again, enjoyable route through to Mot...but it didnt seem too bad although some of it was shiny. Managed to avoid bothering THREE HP cars along the way (despite Paul Jnr's 140 of the best). Once in Mot it was getting a little late, and a couple of us had had a bad ride ([edit] skelstar ran off the road) for the last few kms. We decided to head straight for Liz's brother's place outside of Nelson. A couple of abrupt braking manouvres later we were ascending Grant's (or is it 'Gary' mbob?) gravel driveway. Zapf has overcome his fear of gravel at this stage and perhaps had motivated himself with thoughts of un-photographed German tourists at the top? Once a lovelly Venison stew had been consumed we retired to bed. Five of us in a shed like accomodation, and Ansel Adams headed to a tent up the hill. Grant hadnt told Zapf about the wild-boar that frequents that track some nights so we were understandably nervous for him. Apparently there was no 'rutting' that night (well not in Zapf's tent anyway)...but I did snore and Paul Jnr recorded it on his phone...it wasnt pretty.

Donkey of the day: skelstar (midcorner rider developement)

Day Nine - Home for me, Wanga-vegas for Aucklanders
Almost everyone within a 3 mile radius from where we were staying went for a run that morning. mbob, Zapf and I chose to sleep/survive and got up at a [slightly] more leisurely hour. A big thanks to Grant and his kids for having us at his place. An awesome self-made clay/mud house construction, with an awesome mahogany bench-top in the kitchen. All the door handles were handmade sprung wood sliders...and it didnt strike me till sometime later that the doors had no locks. Very cool.

Departing we headed over the lovelly Whangamamona Saddle (sp) and on to Havelock. I wasnt having a good time with right-hand corners at all on this trip. This continued as we rode over the Queen Charlotte Drive once again. It wasnt till I got to (probably) the penultimate uphill corner that I realised that I wasnt looking deep into the corner enough, and my righthand riding improved remarkably...with only the downhill left. Oh well. A pleasant sailing over on the ferry. Reminising and bullshitting continued until saying good bye to the group at caltex in Wgtn. This leg of the trip was significant as I lead the group for the whole 5kms...:not: . I was quite sad to see all of my *new* riding buddies leave.:spudwave:

Donkey of the day: motoBob (the guy cant win eh?)

Day Ten - Auckland
KS19 says:: After saying au revoir to skelstar in Wellington, we headed north to Wanganui via the Paekak Hill. Despite managing to nearly get myself killed by severly misjudging the 200kph speed of an oncoming Ford Falcon Ute over the hill, the views from the top were amazing. What a great ride you Welly guys have so close to home.

We wound our way to Wanganui via Shannon and some stunning backroads between Fielding and Fordell, arriving around 8pm in time for hamburgers and bed.

The next day was to be our last. After numerous debates over which way to ride home we finally headed through the Paraparas to National Park. Here we decided we needed to delay the trip home so found a cafe in the railway station and wasted a couple of hours over coffee. Next stop was Pirongia where the cafe was closed but the pub next door provided us with suitable refreshment.

Zapf left us here to head home in time for dinner. Further north in Te Kauwhata Motobob and I took a right hand turn and headed toward Kaiuaua while Paul and Liz hit the motorway for home. Motobob and I finished the trip with fish and chips on the beach at Kaiuaua and a slow cruise up the Kaiuaua coast on sunset arriving home about 1030pm. A great end to a brilliant trip.

Can't wait for the next one!

Finally from me
Thanks Jill for inviting me...listening to my over-analysing, ta to Zapf for the Hornet ride (closed road testing you know :whistle:), motobob for being a laugh, and was great to meet Paul J and Liz...you guys were cool. Next time.

limbimtimwim
2nd February 2006, 10:36
Skelstar had problems picking his ice cream. He looked like a little boy all embarrassed by the choices.

skelstar
2nd February 2006, 10:38
Nice one. Well it WAS a hot day.
No really...I was wondering why anyone would paint a van pink and violet/blue like that.

limbimtimwim
2nd February 2006, 10:44
Nice one. Well it WAS a hot day.FUCKIN' AYE IT WAS.

Much cooler riding up those hills! A kind person flashed their lights at me two corners shy of an HP car and I managed to glide past him without incident.. Would have had some problems otherwise. That Motueka Valley Highway was great, no traffic, lots of corners I could 'see' around, awesome. Never been on that road before.

Keystone19
2nd February 2006, 11:23
Just a couple of additions/modifications required here. You missed mentioning the fantastic road between Greymouth and Westport past Punakaiki Rocks. That and the Queen Charlotte Drive ranked as my favourite roads with Arthurs Pass a close second.

Donkey of the Day award that day actually goes to Skelstar for running off the road entirely between Murchison and Motueka (reference to 'some of us having a bad ride' was really meant to read 'Skelstar was having a bad ride'). Fortunately he actually managed to keep it upright so the story goes but none of us were actually there to witness it so who knows what actually happened...

skelstar
2nd February 2006, 11:29
Donkey of the Day award that day actually goes to Skelstar for running off the road entirely between Murchison and Motueka (reference to 'some of us having a bad ride' was really meant to read 'Skelstar was having a bad ride'). Fortunately he actually managed to keep it upright so the story goes but none of us were actually there to witness it so who knows what actually happened...
Ah yes...but does that count if no-one was there and I admit it? I hardly think Donkey awards should be given out to 250 riders that are trying to advance their riding :).
Ill edit to suit then.

Keystone19
2nd February 2006, 11:40
You'd better put me down for Donkey of the Day award for the ride over Paekak Hill then. Perhaps an award for underestimating the acceleration of the SV versus 200kph oncoming Falcon Ute.

Korea
2nd February 2006, 11:50
Sounds like a great ride/tour. How many K's did you cover???

skelstar
2nd February 2006, 11:56
I personally did 2800+kms, average moving speed of 90km/h which is not bad as my cruising speed was no more than $1.20. GPS derived figures.

You can imagine that the Aucks did a few more km's than me.

Apart from woodscrewws embedding themselves in the tyre the bike went flawlessly. It didnt make many converts on the trip though :)

Phurrball
2nd February 2006, 12:31
*sigh* (ya lucky bastrads!) Hopefully 'tis a bit less HUMID and sticky for you fullas than up here in Auckers.

Wouldn't be hard...

I missed my bike so much when I was down south xmas/New years...took a cage over Arthur's pass, all the while wishing for two wheels less.

Enjoy the mainland! Reading such stories makes me feel a twinge of longing right down to my southern roots.

Keystone19
2nd February 2006, 13:08
Us 'Northerners' managed about 4100km over 10 days.

Thanks to the crew for a brilliant trip:

Skelstar - 'Tail End Charlie'
Motobob - 'Ambassador'
Zapf - 'Voyeuristic Photographer'
Keystone19 - 'Chicken Stripper'

and Paul and Liz who just held the whole trip together really...

Devil
2nd February 2006, 13:08
You'd better put me down for Donkey of the Day award for the ride over Paekak Hill then. Perhaps an award for underestimating the acceleration of the SV versus 200kph oncoming Falcon Ute.
You weren't carrying out a 'Jill Special'* at the time were you?


*The art of passing vehicles while approaching blind corners regardless of oncoming traffic...

Keystone19
2nd February 2006, 13:19
You weren't carrying out a 'Jill Special'* at the time were you?


*The art of passing vehicles while approaching blind corners regardless of oncoming traffic...

Cheeky bastard. But I'm sure Motobob will attest that although the road was straight and the corner was not blind, it was a serious misjudgement of the speed of the oncoming vehicle on my part. My bad.

Devil
2nd February 2006, 13:20
:D
Time for more power then?

limbimtimwim
3rd February 2006, 21:57
Us 'Northerners' managed about 4100km over 10 days. Pfft! I did 6500km in 14 days :-)

Yesss, Queen Charlottle Drive was awesome, I remember going west on that road on my VTR two years ago, it was awesome then, it was even better coming back 2 years later on the RVF going east.

Highlander
4th February 2006, 09:20
*sigh* (ya lucky bastrads!) Hopefully 'tis a bit less HUMID and sticky for you fullas than up here in Auckers.

Wouldn't be hard...

I missed my bike so much when I was down south xmas/New years...took a cage over Arthur's pass, all the while wishing for two wheels less.

Enjoy the mainland! Reading such stories makes me feel a twinge of longing right down to my southern roots.


Mee too, did the round the south trip a couple of weeks back. In the Oddyssey with the kids.:bash:
Taking the two wheeled Honda next time!!!

Kids thought I was nuts waving at all the motorbikes that went past.

Zapf
5th February 2006, 18:20
PHOTOS! :) HERE (http://60.234.65.19/_/photos/200601_20_SI_Trip/)

Hammer
12th February 2006, 20:04
Brilliant write up. Awesome trip. Thanks for sharing that.

skelstar
12th February 2006, 20:05
Twas a pleasure. Really. :niceone: