Hitcher
14th October 2004, 19:23
Day 12: Wednesday: Alexandra – Tarras – Omarama – Twizel – Mt Cook – Fairlie – Geraldine – Mt Somers – Ashburton
<< Part IV (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=5807)
The weatherman promised a frost overnight in Alexandra but there was no sign of anything when we emerged from our motel. Mrs H’s Dad, who we had spoken to on the phone that morning, advised us of 6 degrees of frost in Ashburton. Two nights before a late southerly storm had dumped snow in Canterbury and freshened up a lot of the peaks on the various ranges. The day was cloudless, sunny and full of promise.
While loading the bikes up I got chatting with the motel’s groundsman who turned out to be a stalwart of the Chatto Creek Motorcycle Club – famous for organising the annual Chatto Creek 1,000 miler.
Today’s journey took us briefly back over part of yesterday’s ride as we headed back up Lake Dunstan to Cromwell. However this time we did not cross the lake, continuing up its eastern side to Tarras. This is another fast and easy ride. It is also picturesque, this time with views across the lake to the Pisa range and up the valley to Hawea and Wanaka, with a glimpse of Mt Aspiring in the far distance.
We can recommend highly the café at Tarras for great food and coffee. We sat in the sun and fed the birds while watching the farmer across the road muster sheep. A farmer driving a large John Deere tractor with silage wagon arrived to collect his mail and then wandered across and admired our rides. Turns out he was the proud owner of a Kawasaki ZZR1200 and a member of the Wanaka Motorcycle Club.
Our ascent over the Lindis Pass to Omarama couldn’t have been better. The weather was perfect, traffic was light and, part from one patch of roadwork near Morven Hills station, road conditions were as good as you could wish for. The Lindis Pass is probably the least threatening of any of the South Island passes we have traversed. It had escaped the recent southerly snow and there was no grit in sight. We had a great ride to Omarama and then on to Twizel for fuel. This was a fast but safe ride. It is nice to be able to travel at speed and still take in all of the sights and smells of the surrounding countryside.
Refuelled at Twizel, we headed up Highway 80 to The Hermitage. Although the lighting was flat beneath a high cloudbank, the views up this road were magnificent. Although there was no evidence of recent snow on the road side of the lake, on the other side snow extended down to the lake edge in places. Mts Cook and Tasman were the stars of the show as we rode straight at them for most of this leg of the trip.
We stopped for our $5 flat whites at the Hermitage’s café and thought fondly of our Nelson biker friends who had shared this experience with us during our last visit in March.
We stopped at Peters Lookout on the way back out and took heaps of photos before continuing on to Tekapo, via the Salmon Farm road. This road follows the diversion canal (that contains the salmon farm) from Lake Tekapo to Lake Pukaki. At the Pukaki end, which is the end we entered by, there is a sharp climb up near the penstocks. We stopped at the top and took more photos. The views of Mt Cook from this vantage point are magnificent, as are the views in the other direction across the arid tundra of the McKenzie basin down to Lake Benmore.
After refuelling at Tekapo, we stopped for photos at the Church of the Good Shepherd and the bronze statue of sheep rustler McKenzie’s dog Wag. No sooner had we taken off helmets and gloves and retrieved the camera from the tankbag, the doors of the church opened and out walked a bride and groom, followed by the rest of the wedding party. They did well to keep a busload of Chinese tourists out of their formal photos!
At the top of Burkes Pass the snow was down to the sides of the road and the temperature dropped somewhat. The winter vista was simply stunning. Reaching Fairlie we retraced our tracks of a few days ago to Geraldine. From the top of the hills from Allandale the air was that clear you could see from horizon to horizon.
Geraldine provided an opportunity for coffee and ice-cream, and a leisurely sit in the late afternoon sun.
We decided to take a circuitous route to Ashburton via Mt Somers and back down Greenstreet to Ashburton Forks. From Mayfield to Mt Somers there was ample evidence of the recent snowfall to be seen. The sun was starting to set behind the Alps, stretching golden light and long shadows in front of us.
Again Mrs H’s folks warmly welcomed us, and our rides were shown to their favourite stable for the night.
Day 13, Thursday: Ashburton – Christchurch – Waipara – Culverden – Mt Lyford – Kaikoura
For the second time on this trip we bid our fond farewells to Mrs H’s folks, this time heading north to Christchurch to do an errand. SH1 from Ashburton to Christchurch has little to commend it – compared with its alternatives. Our view was coloured by a strong crosswind that made riding most unpleasant. The traffic was plentiful and unco-operative.
Returning to our bikes on Colombo Street, who should we meet but fellow Wellington KBer MathewT!
We left Christchurch via New Brighton and Burwood, stopping for lunch at the café on the Pier.
The traffic northward up SH1 was heinous. I thought we were never going to make Amberley. The wind had eased slightly since the morning but was still of considerable strength.
Turning onto SH7 at Waipara, the traffic evaporated as if by magic! We had a pleasant run through to Culverden, starting with the magnificent Weka Pass road. There is an urban legend in the South Island that the Frog (a limestone outcrop in the Weka Pass that looks a bit like a frog, if you’re that way inclined) has been blown up to stop it falling onto the road. I can refute that piece of mischief right now. The Frog stands proudly in the place it has since before there were people who knew what frogs were.
The countryside through the Hurunui was green but not lush. The memory of winter was still very recent, as we would discover a little further up the road.
We took the Highway 70 route through Waiau and on to Mt Lyford. The road to Waiau is fast and mostly straight. But soon after Waiau gets really tight and twisty. Lots of tight, technical corners and – horror upon horrors – deep drifts of ice grit! Needless to say we rode well within ourselves on this section. There was lots of snow around from the dumping earlier in the week, adding to the appeal of what is a very scenic ride.
Emerging back onto SH1 just south of Kaikoura, the afternoon was positively splendid. So we decided to head into Kaikoura and organise accommodation as a priority. Having done that, we took a two-up jaunt down SH1 to Goose Bay and back. We had the road to ourselves, there was no wind and the mix of late afternoon light and long shadows added to the appeal.
Returning to Kaikoura we dined at Mrs H’s cousin Murray Boyd’s establishment, Donegal House, where we were made most welcome. The food here is highly recommended to hungry bikers, as is the Guinness!
Part VI >> (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=5851)
<< Part IV (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=5807)
The weatherman promised a frost overnight in Alexandra but there was no sign of anything when we emerged from our motel. Mrs H’s Dad, who we had spoken to on the phone that morning, advised us of 6 degrees of frost in Ashburton. Two nights before a late southerly storm had dumped snow in Canterbury and freshened up a lot of the peaks on the various ranges. The day was cloudless, sunny and full of promise.
While loading the bikes up I got chatting with the motel’s groundsman who turned out to be a stalwart of the Chatto Creek Motorcycle Club – famous for organising the annual Chatto Creek 1,000 miler.
Today’s journey took us briefly back over part of yesterday’s ride as we headed back up Lake Dunstan to Cromwell. However this time we did not cross the lake, continuing up its eastern side to Tarras. This is another fast and easy ride. It is also picturesque, this time with views across the lake to the Pisa range and up the valley to Hawea and Wanaka, with a glimpse of Mt Aspiring in the far distance.
We can recommend highly the café at Tarras for great food and coffee. We sat in the sun and fed the birds while watching the farmer across the road muster sheep. A farmer driving a large John Deere tractor with silage wagon arrived to collect his mail and then wandered across and admired our rides. Turns out he was the proud owner of a Kawasaki ZZR1200 and a member of the Wanaka Motorcycle Club.
Our ascent over the Lindis Pass to Omarama couldn’t have been better. The weather was perfect, traffic was light and, part from one patch of roadwork near Morven Hills station, road conditions were as good as you could wish for. The Lindis Pass is probably the least threatening of any of the South Island passes we have traversed. It had escaped the recent southerly snow and there was no grit in sight. We had a great ride to Omarama and then on to Twizel for fuel. This was a fast but safe ride. It is nice to be able to travel at speed and still take in all of the sights and smells of the surrounding countryside.
Refuelled at Twizel, we headed up Highway 80 to The Hermitage. Although the lighting was flat beneath a high cloudbank, the views up this road were magnificent. Although there was no evidence of recent snow on the road side of the lake, on the other side snow extended down to the lake edge in places. Mts Cook and Tasman were the stars of the show as we rode straight at them for most of this leg of the trip.
We stopped for our $5 flat whites at the Hermitage’s café and thought fondly of our Nelson biker friends who had shared this experience with us during our last visit in March.
We stopped at Peters Lookout on the way back out and took heaps of photos before continuing on to Tekapo, via the Salmon Farm road. This road follows the diversion canal (that contains the salmon farm) from Lake Tekapo to Lake Pukaki. At the Pukaki end, which is the end we entered by, there is a sharp climb up near the penstocks. We stopped at the top and took more photos. The views of Mt Cook from this vantage point are magnificent, as are the views in the other direction across the arid tundra of the McKenzie basin down to Lake Benmore.
After refuelling at Tekapo, we stopped for photos at the Church of the Good Shepherd and the bronze statue of sheep rustler McKenzie’s dog Wag. No sooner had we taken off helmets and gloves and retrieved the camera from the tankbag, the doors of the church opened and out walked a bride and groom, followed by the rest of the wedding party. They did well to keep a busload of Chinese tourists out of their formal photos!
At the top of Burkes Pass the snow was down to the sides of the road and the temperature dropped somewhat. The winter vista was simply stunning. Reaching Fairlie we retraced our tracks of a few days ago to Geraldine. From the top of the hills from Allandale the air was that clear you could see from horizon to horizon.
Geraldine provided an opportunity for coffee and ice-cream, and a leisurely sit in the late afternoon sun.
We decided to take a circuitous route to Ashburton via Mt Somers and back down Greenstreet to Ashburton Forks. From Mayfield to Mt Somers there was ample evidence of the recent snowfall to be seen. The sun was starting to set behind the Alps, stretching golden light and long shadows in front of us.
Again Mrs H’s folks warmly welcomed us, and our rides were shown to their favourite stable for the night.
Day 13, Thursday: Ashburton – Christchurch – Waipara – Culverden – Mt Lyford – Kaikoura
For the second time on this trip we bid our fond farewells to Mrs H’s folks, this time heading north to Christchurch to do an errand. SH1 from Ashburton to Christchurch has little to commend it – compared with its alternatives. Our view was coloured by a strong crosswind that made riding most unpleasant. The traffic was plentiful and unco-operative.
Returning to our bikes on Colombo Street, who should we meet but fellow Wellington KBer MathewT!
We left Christchurch via New Brighton and Burwood, stopping for lunch at the café on the Pier.
The traffic northward up SH1 was heinous. I thought we were never going to make Amberley. The wind had eased slightly since the morning but was still of considerable strength.
Turning onto SH7 at Waipara, the traffic evaporated as if by magic! We had a pleasant run through to Culverden, starting with the magnificent Weka Pass road. There is an urban legend in the South Island that the Frog (a limestone outcrop in the Weka Pass that looks a bit like a frog, if you’re that way inclined) has been blown up to stop it falling onto the road. I can refute that piece of mischief right now. The Frog stands proudly in the place it has since before there were people who knew what frogs were.
The countryside through the Hurunui was green but not lush. The memory of winter was still very recent, as we would discover a little further up the road.
We took the Highway 70 route through Waiau and on to Mt Lyford. The road to Waiau is fast and mostly straight. But soon after Waiau gets really tight and twisty. Lots of tight, technical corners and – horror upon horrors – deep drifts of ice grit! Needless to say we rode well within ourselves on this section. There was lots of snow around from the dumping earlier in the week, adding to the appeal of what is a very scenic ride.
Emerging back onto SH1 just south of Kaikoura, the afternoon was positively splendid. So we decided to head into Kaikoura and organise accommodation as a priority. Having done that, we took a two-up jaunt down SH1 to Goose Bay and back. We had the road to ourselves, there was no wind and the mix of late afternoon light and long shadows added to the appeal.
Returning to Kaikoura we dined at Mrs H’s cousin Murray Boyd’s establishment, Donegal House, where we were made most welcome. The food here is highly recommended to hungry bikers, as is the Guinness!
Part VI >> (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=5851)