DougieNZ
4th December 2007, 20:26
The Chatto Creek 1000 Mile event is held annually, departing from the Chatto creek Pub in Central Otago. The route is changed each year, and the Map is published on the Friday night prior to the 12.00 Saturday departure. This was the 12th running of the event. I was really looking forward to the run. Although I now live in Wellington, I have done most of my riding in the South Island, so know the roads a lot better than those in the north.
I arrived at the pub at 9:30am to be greeted by Peter the chief organiser saying “Hi, you must be Adrian from Wellington”. What a nice welcome! Soon after I also met Jantar from the Kiwibiker site. I spend the time before the rally studying/tracing the route map carefully then saying hi to a few of the riders and checking out the various set ups. After some deliberation, I had decided to add a radar detector to my equipment list for this run, and it was interesting to see the various set ups of this and other equipment from other riders.
Before I know it, it was time for the riders briefing had arrived. So it was in to the pub for a careful briefing on the route and the usual safety issues. Interestingly, the briefing was recorded for use later is required. Fair enough.
Briefing over, it was final adjustments and away. The first leg took us back to Alexandra and out to Tarras, then Wanaka and over the Crown Range. The weather was great, roads in good condition and the scenery – awesome. I couldn’t resist a couple of photo stops. The scenery on that Crown Range road is just magnificent. It has plenty of twists and turns and the brakes do take a bit of a hammering on the downhill side. With a few 15km/h recommended speed corners. A bit of a rarity... Then a short trip to Frankton, and down the Devil’s Staircase and then to Mossburn for the first checkpoint at 270km. Even with the 2 photo stops, I was in the 1st half of the field through. I decided to fuel here although I still had plenty, I might struggle to get to Bluff. I was a little conscious that fuel availability in southern parts is a little scarce – particularly after hours.
The southern coast is a great road, if you have never done it. Magnificent coastal/sea views. The wind certainly got up over this section, and it was heading for the southern coast that I had my only serious incident of the trip. A combine harvester decided to pull across and block the road in front of me. I braked hard and would have stopped OK, but he finally saw me and backed up enough to give me passage. I shook my head at him, as it happened on a 3-4 km stretch of straight road and he was travelling towards me! He can hardly have not seen me approaching – surely? That drama over it was through to Invercargill and Stirling Point Bluff for the 2nd checkpoint at 488km Run. Time for a bit of warm clothing now as it had clouded over a bit. A quick chat with Charlie and more fuel, and it was off on the next leg via the Catlins scenic road and Balclutha. Once again this scenic route is well worth a ride. It’s another good combination of twisty roads and wonderful scenery. I just can’t get enough of that sort of road! Before I knew it, I was in Balclutha at checkpoint 3 having travelled 681km. Over 1/3 distance done and feeling pretty good. I didn’t stop for fuel here, as I had already calculated that I had enough now for the run back to Alexandra. So it was up state Highway 1 to Milton for the turn off to Alex.
This was one of the more bizarre parts of the trip. Early in this road, I was in a group of 5 riders, when we were passed at high speed by an orange 300ZX. He seemed to be travelling at a decent clip, so we all slipped in behind him. We must have travelled quite a few km in a group when west of Raes Junction we came across a police 4WD vehicle that was travelling at quite a sedate speed. Everyone fell in behind him. I thought this would be a good opportunity to take a leak. Just as I was pulling in to a side road, I saw a mufti car turn on its lights and pull a rapid “u turn” and speed off in the opposite direction. Of course all sorts of thoughts were going through my mind on what was up. Had someone *555’ed the ZX or bikes and could I expect a roadblock further up the road?
I arrived at the pub at 9:30am to be greeted by Peter the chief organiser saying “Hi, you must be Adrian from Wellington”. What a nice welcome! Soon after I also met Jantar from the Kiwibiker site. I spend the time before the rally studying/tracing the route map carefully then saying hi to a few of the riders and checking out the various set ups. After some deliberation, I had decided to add a radar detector to my equipment list for this run, and it was interesting to see the various set ups of this and other equipment from other riders.
Before I know it, it was time for the riders briefing had arrived. So it was in to the pub for a careful briefing on the route and the usual safety issues. Interestingly, the briefing was recorded for use later is required. Fair enough.
Briefing over, it was final adjustments and away. The first leg took us back to Alexandra and out to Tarras, then Wanaka and over the Crown Range. The weather was great, roads in good condition and the scenery – awesome. I couldn’t resist a couple of photo stops. The scenery on that Crown Range road is just magnificent. It has plenty of twists and turns and the brakes do take a bit of a hammering on the downhill side. With a few 15km/h recommended speed corners. A bit of a rarity... Then a short trip to Frankton, and down the Devil’s Staircase and then to Mossburn for the first checkpoint at 270km. Even with the 2 photo stops, I was in the 1st half of the field through. I decided to fuel here although I still had plenty, I might struggle to get to Bluff. I was a little conscious that fuel availability in southern parts is a little scarce – particularly after hours.
The southern coast is a great road, if you have never done it. Magnificent coastal/sea views. The wind certainly got up over this section, and it was heading for the southern coast that I had my only serious incident of the trip. A combine harvester decided to pull across and block the road in front of me. I braked hard and would have stopped OK, but he finally saw me and backed up enough to give me passage. I shook my head at him, as it happened on a 3-4 km stretch of straight road and he was travelling towards me! He can hardly have not seen me approaching – surely? That drama over it was through to Invercargill and Stirling Point Bluff for the 2nd checkpoint at 488km Run. Time for a bit of warm clothing now as it had clouded over a bit. A quick chat with Charlie and more fuel, and it was off on the next leg via the Catlins scenic road and Balclutha. Once again this scenic route is well worth a ride. It’s another good combination of twisty roads and wonderful scenery. I just can’t get enough of that sort of road! Before I knew it, I was in Balclutha at checkpoint 3 having travelled 681km. Over 1/3 distance done and feeling pretty good. I didn’t stop for fuel here, as I had already calculated that I had enough now for the run back to Alexandra. So it was up state Highway 1 to Milton for the turn off to Alex.
This was one of the more bizarre parts of the trip. Early in this road, I was in a group of 5 riders, when we were passed at high speed by an orange 300ZX. He seemed to be travelling at a decent clip, so we all slipped in behind him. We must have travelled quite a few km in a group when west of Raes Junction we came across a police 4WD vehicle that was travelling at quite a sedate speed. Everyone fell in behind him. I thought this would be a good opportunity to take a leak. Just as I was pulling in to a side road, I saw a mufti car turn on its lights and pull a rapid “u turn” and speed off in the opposite direction. Of course all sorts of thoughts were going through my mind on what was up. Had someone *555’ed the ZX or bikes and could I expect a roadblock further up the road?