Limbimtimwim rips the face off the South Island

[limbimtimwim]

Shouldn't do this, it's gay.

But I don't feel like reading my book right now.

So today I went to the South Island. The ferry cross was pretty smooth. Went to dear ol' dads house near Picton, took of most of my bags and rode around Port Underwood Road, with a minor detour (18km round trip) to Ngakuta Bay*.

The tarmac section of Port Underwood Road is heaps of fun, the road is bumpy and quite twisty. It's like an 8 out of 10 for twisty (If the Akatarawa Road is a 10). There is the odd log truck though, but they seem to be driving pretty sensibly, so if you do as well there should be no problem.

The detour to Ngakuta bay was fun. The road is has a lot of up, down and corrugations. The road was very dry and the gravel just slides around on top of the hard dirt. Good fun up hills though. From the road you can see a whole lot of mussel farms. You follow some power pylons out. And the pylons go between the hills in a way best described as 'flamboyant'. The designers had some fun putting these up. I assume these power lines are part of the cook strait cable system. They don't hum at 50hz.

The gravel section of PU Road is quite sensible. Only a few bits are corrugated so badly you have to hum as you go over the bumps. You hum so you sound like a motorboat when you hit a bump. There are several bays as you go around, each with a few houses. Each one seems to have a novelty plaque engraved with a note about the local history and an item of relative antiquity, like a iron pot I presume was for boiling up whale blubber. MMMMmmm blubber.

At Robin Hood Bay there were some surfers enjoying themselves. Once round a few more corners I could see for miles along the Marlbourgh coast.

I then got stuck in some sand, but managed to extract myself. I felt like a pro. Of course a pro wouldn't have got stuck. And would have read the signs saying 'Soft ground'. I felt like a challenge.

Tomorrow, Keneperu Sound and/or French Pass.

I took some photos.

* There are several Ngakuta Bays, it appears

[koba]

You bastard.
Im jealous.

[Hitcher]

Bastard! Roll on March...

[skelstar]

Ahahah... I told you it had to be done. Tell all the kids how you're posting this Simon... hope its not using the satelite that the Navy is shooting down next week :)

Oh yeah, hows the tank range going?

[sAsLEX]

They don't hum at 50hz.


DC.


Some nice pics, I aint jealous at all, though looking forward to a little pootle down to Fielding this weekend.

[Grub]

Now you stop that ... this instant! Any more of this and I will start thinking about advencha bikes.

I am a sprotsbike rider. I am a sprotsbike rider. I am a sprotsbike rider. I am a sprotsbike rider. I am a sprotsbike rider. I am a sprotsbike rider.

[Deano]

Now that beats painting the house in your holiday.

[sAsLEX]

Now you stop that ... this instant! Any more of this and I will start thinking about advencha bikes.

I am a sprotsbike rider. I am a sprotsbike rider. I am a sprotsbike rider. I am a sprotsbike rider. I am a sprotsbike rider. I am a sprotsbike rider.

HTFU.


He doesn't sound like he has stretched the Adventure part of the bike, any bike will ride on gravel......

[Grub]

any bike will ride on gravel......

Yeah but not every rider ... lol

[limbimtimwim]

DC.Yeah I know. I'm fascinated by the whole Manapouri thing.

Yeah but not every rider ... lolI wouldn't do that Ngakuta bit on a plastic bike.

Oddly enough, when I got to Whites Bay I met a V-Strom at the join between the seal and the gravel. They turned around.

[Blue Velvet]

Nice pics. Number 4, wow, the colour of that water.

Kinda makes me miss my dual purpose bike. But the gixxer is actually quite nimble off road. Heh

And I thought the pro's do get stuck on purpose, just so they can get un-stuck?

How far are you riding limbimtimwim, how long are you taking, etc...

[sAsLEX]

Yeah I know. I'm fascinated by the whole Manapouri thing.


Manapouri pretty much feeds the Ali plant down south not much comes north from there....... Jantar or K14 could confirm.


If you ever get the chance go for a look around the station down there, carved out of the rock into a huge underground cavern which cost a few lives.

[limbimtimwim]

Today the goal was to go to French Pass.

Going to French Pass involves going along Queen Charlotte Drive, which one of the most fun roads around. It winds left and right again and again. It's heaps of fun. The speed limit is a joke, 60km/h now. Whatever. Some prick decided to try and ruin it for me though when I went to pass him, he thought it would be funny to straight line the corner infront of me. So I pull over and have a smoke rather than infect their rear-view-mirror any more. It's a good morning for a smoke looking down on Ngakuta Bay*. The sun is shining and the tar hasn't melted yet.

I stop in Havelock for a coffee, a sandwich and more nicotine, the coffee is better than expected. And she undercharges me. I inform her. "Don't worry about it". Sweet. She must like my face. Which you can't see for the facial hair at the moment.

I stop at Pelorus bridge and take a photo. The water is so clear you can see each stone on the bottom. And it's quite deep.

I fill up at Rai Valley, the fuel tank on the DR-Z is 10 litres, and doing a consistent 105km/h I'll hit reserve in 125km.

The road to Okiwi Bay is good fun, it starts off going up a valley with only a few corners, then it tightens up a bit and you climb up and down a bit till you reach Okiwi. I note a sign advertising petrol. The road from Okiwi to Elaine Bay right now is a bit of fun. It's quite bumpy and plenty curvy (About an 7/10) and is starting to melt. Logging trucks have flogged it quite a bit. I encounter one on the way up and he pulls over with a wave. Chur bro. Up up we go. Through the forest you can catch glimpses of the ocean below and landmasses off to the side.

I go down to Elaine Bay since the sign promises it is only 2km. It's a real nice spot down here. There is a kayak hire place a thin jetty and a couple of young South American type looking ladies changing into their bikinis. Sorry no pictures, that would have just been blatent perving. They get a nod, I get a wave.

Back at the top of the Elaine Bay hill is where the gravel road to French Pass starts, 20km of it. This is a great road, and even the most gravel timid could tackle this road in summer. It is smooth and wide. It begins in native forest, but this changes to farmland rather abruptly at a cattle stop. I stop and consume nicotine and stretch my legs. I look back at the bike and.. lo.. tyre tracks head up a hill. The view would be better up there. So I'm a little cheeky and leave the road for a better shot up the hill. Weee!!! Go little DR-Z!!! Oh fuck who hid those rocks there? And those bumps have transformed into jumps... Anyway, I didn't die. And the view was even more spectacular.

Once rolling through the farmland the views from the road, which clings somewhat tenaciously to the side of the hills, is just amazing. You are quite high, and the sea is all the way down there. It's cool.

French Pass, the village, is quite a busy little place. To my suprise, you can buy fuel here (91) so I fill up.

So I head back and make the decision to go to Bulwer. More spectacular views. There is one spot with Cissy Bay on one side and Admirality Bay on the other. It looks pretty cool.

This is a 'hum like a motorboat' road. It's not like the French Pass road. It's rough and ripped up. It's steeper and the corners tighter. Plastic bikes need not apply.

More clinging to the sides of big hills. I ride down to Bulwer the town, there isn't much to see. There is a golf club near the shore and a box full of golf balls. So there isn't much to do in Bulwer. There is a fish farm. The road itself is pretty fucked. So I start to ride home.

For some reason I ride like a man possessed. I have no idea why, but all of a sudden I am on fire. Braking stupid hard on gravel. Spinning it up out of corners. No slowing down for rough bits. I stop at the crazy remote mailbox and take a photo.

And now I see my mudguard is about to fall off. Again. Fucking crap design. I tie it up with shoe laces.

Still possessed by the spirit of Rossi I ride home only pausing to take a photo of the valley.

[limbimtimwim]

And some more

[skelstar]

Awesome Simon. You're like Uncle Travelling Matt!!!

<img src="http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=86847&d=1203592667">

[limbimtimwim]

Kinda makes me miss my dual purpose bike. But the gixxer is actually quite nimble off road. HehI fucken hated my K6 on gravel. The front brakes were too good.
How far are you riding limbimtimwim, how long are you taking, etc...No idea. How long? I am supposed to be back at work on the 3rd.

Today, I think that Rainbow road is in order. Better pack my bags and fuck off.

[Blue Velvet]

You. Lucky. Bastard. Totally jealous. Keep posting pics please.

My leave requests keep getting rejected. Something about workload...

[limbimtimwim]

You are writing in second person narrative today.

You leave dear old Dads a little late, and curse your sleeping in. You go from Picton to St Arnaud via state-snore-way 63 and wish for it to be over. You don't arrive in St Arnaud until a quarter to one. You consider the Rainbow to Hanmer Road, according to your "Hema Maps New Zealand Motorcycle Atlas" takes 3 to 4 hours. But the writer isn't as trigger happy as you are with the shutter button. And probably doesn't smoke as much, enjoy scroggin or have a bladder like a leaky thimble like you do. So you figure it's going to take you 5 hours to do the approx 100km of gravel.

The Atlas also warns you that this road is for experienced gravel road riders. You are not one of those. It doesn't scare you, hell, you've had fun on it. But it's still new to you.

You consider throwing in the towel and stop and take a picture of the start of the Rainbow road, where it is still sealed.

Nah 'fuck it' you think. Motorcycling hasn't killed you yet, and has only given you a scar on your elbow so far.

You put your helmet on and move off. After a while you catch up with a farm quad. He's got a rifle on the front and some small axes. You think he's set up for a murder. 'Stanlake of the alps' you chuckle.

After the quad, you go through a few fords and they are not bad. Some water splashes up you leg and runs down your right boot. Sexytime.

There are apiaries here. Quite a few. And yes, you get stung on the neck just as you are going down a rocky corner and into a ford. You have to keep moving because it's a bit unsteady beneath the wheels and there are lots of bees. Your neck swells up right away against the chin strap and you feel a bit ill. Three minutes later you are not dead of allergic reaction. You now know you are not allergic to bee stings. Bad place to find out. A chatty guy collects your $10 and gets you to sign a waiver. You ask about the state of your neck, he says there is a mark but nothing left behind. Like a sack of poison pumping into your neck. That's how it feels anyway. He opens a gate and says "Have a great day" and away you go. You get a brief flash-back to Manfeild and the wait for that gate to be opened on a race day. But with 3 less cylinders and it's just you here today.

It's pretty cool, the road is better than you expect. There is even a little traffic. The rockeyness reminds of you of hills near Cromwell. Exposed and barren not covered in soil like those not far away in the 'sounds. The grasses are not totally brown here, there is some colour. The river flows with at some effort. There are two sets of power pylons running along this road. You think one set needs a paint, they are turning brown. The newer set has a curious two isolator getup for the top pair of cables. The old ECNZ logos on many of the signs give you a hint at the possible reason for this road. That your satnav does call this the 'Wairau Hanmer Springs Hydro Road' is another clue.

In a thin section of road you encounter a pair of Honda CR-V. Around the corner from them is a waterfall. You stop and take a break. You smoke, have a drink, eat some scroggin. Pollute the river with your disgusting urine. Take a picture. Around the next corner is a guy walking up the road in waders and carrying a fishing rod. Strapped to his back is net. Extreme fishing.

You dispense with the thinking, and begin with the enjoying the ride. There are one bit that is a bit tricky, it's all rocks and steep. The scenery is awesome. The hills tower above while you weave your way below. You come to a gate that welcomes you to Molesworth station. And the 20th warning about didymo. As you begin your way up a gentle slope, there is a odd pyramid of gravel and dirt as high as your axle in the middle of the road. The cause is a grader doing it's thing further up the hill. The driver looks surly and focussed on his job. You ask yourself: Is driver a grader difficult?

The view from the top of Island Saddle looking South is fantastic. The road is steep enough to turn over the engine with you and your luggage on the bike, so your photo is taken gingerly with a foot on the brake.

After this the road flattens out. There is a signpost to Lake Tennyson to your right. You've started late and blown enough time, so you leave it for another time. There is another gate informing you of your entrance to private property and you expect the road to go down in quality again. But no, it's flat and only has a thin sprinkle of gravel.

You cruise along the straights in top gear keeping an eye out for livestock, but there is little. You get a minor zen moment as you see the trip meter roll around to 100km and the cloud rolls in. You smile as you come to the intersection that marks the beginning of Jacks Pass, the road down to Hanmer Springs. As you come down the road it appears that you were in fact so high up, you were in the clouds.

The road turns to seal, and at the intersection before you is a camping ground. You check in and get a caravan and blob out.

You write this silly missive and realise you have written wayyy to much.

You hope the two older Australian gay men in the camper next door don't keep you up with gay humping all night.

[limbimtimwim]

You post some more pictures.

[Kendog]

You are writing in second person narrative today.......

That was a great read.

[justsomeguy]

This is living at it's finest.:clap:

Thanks for letting us share in your trip Simo'.

[limbimtimwim]

Limbimtimwim is writing things down in the 3rd person today.

Limbimtimwim went to a race (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=67315) today.

[T.I.E]

and wicked photos nice work sir, im throwing in the road towel and thinking enduro. tarseal roads only go so far.
and with my curiosity off road is the key.
bling to you sir.

[Xaria]

Awesome write up. Sounds like you are having fun, and those are some AWESOME photos

[jrandom]

:corn:

Awesome stuff Simon. I think I need a chook chaser...

[Hitcher]

One is waiting for the fourth-person.

[Madness]

How did the gay humping go Simon?

Sounds like an awesome trip, time for some enduro tyres on the Zed.

[limbimtimwim]

One is waiting for the fourth-person.I was going to get to that. It was Skelstar's idea. And yes, he suggested 4th person.

Ahh.. Skelstar.

[limbimtimwim]

How did the gay humping go Simon?Luckily, not a sound. I think they were to exhausted from all the arm waving, moaning, bitching and talking endlessly about flying first class and staying in a 5 star hotel.
Sounds like an awesome trip, time for some enduro tyres on the Zed.You only need to jack up the suspension about... 20 centimetres too.
No problem.

[limbimtimwim]

Today LBTW is giving it a go in the mythical forth person narrative. But I suppose he has no good example to work off and that's why it doesn't make sense.

The Anglo-Italian motorcycle club members are talking over a beer at the pub at the Ruapuna race track.
"Where is the hairy smelly guy from yeserday who was hanging around with those two on the black and yellow Ducati's"? asks Geoff "Bones" McClean.
"I heard he got into a fight and destroyed six pubs before the police tazered him." reports Harry "Guts" Robertson
"I was told he was going to ride up to Arthur's pass and shag some tourists and then come down the alternate route that starts at Lake Lyndon" says Mary "Mad Dog" Smith.
"That's impossible!" exclaims Bones. "No man could do that! He would have to be a man of steel!"
"Well, I heard he was going to try" says Mad Dog.
They all shake their heads in amazement.
At that, Guts proposes a toast to the awesome legend of the hairy smelly guy and they all down their Coke Zeros (With a twist of lemon) in one gulp.

Sally Smallman works in a little family run Coffee shop that is in Darfield. She's not as pretty as her little sister so she is out the back slaving in a hot kitchen. She gets an order for a long black and to heat up a scone. She does both and gives the order to her mother who then delivers it to the customer she never sees. Because her little sister is better looking. She hates her little sister. Sally does know that her scones are quite fluffy and her coffee is good, and takes solace in that fact. Sally has a special knife prepared for her sister in the bottom drawer.

Gus Cheeseman works at the Caltex in Springfeild. He's in the workshop changing the oil in his car, using works' hoist on his day off. It's pretty much the only perk he gets. Gus hears what he supposes is single cylinder motorbike come in and take what he imagines is small amount of fuel and leave a minute later in the direction of Arthur's pass.

Bob Glen's friend was in the cycle race over Arthur's pass. To help out, Bob was acting as a marshal on the West Coast side of the Arthur's pass. Bob hears at the party afterwards about this loon on a black motorcycle with too much luggage was passing all the cyclist (Safely) and then stopping 5 minutes up the road and taking photos. And then doing it again. Apparently he filled up his tank at Arthur's pass village and then back the way he came. But not after giving the glad eye to all the young tourist women. Bob thought that was rather sexist of him, but then realised the real reason he was at this whole cycle thing was so he ogle his friend in her lycra cycling clothes, and perhaps this mystery erratic person wasn't so bad after all.

Miguel Santos is in a bar in Barcelona. He is listening to a conversation on the other side of the room. The conversation is in English, so he doesn't understand it all. But he gets the general idea of what is going on. The people on the other side of the room are talking about a website they don't read, but their friend an "Ex-pate kiwi" (Whatever that is) does. The Ex-pate read about a encounter one of his buddies from a a place called Christchurch had today in the small town of Lake Coalridge. Apparently he met an enthusiastic young fellow on a black Suzuki. This guy related to him how he had a great day up Arthar's pass (That sounded dirty thought Miguel) but was under-wealmed by the road down. Apparently this guy had gone to look at the dam intake and didn't see much. So he went to the powerhouse, but couldn't see much. So then he had a chat with this guy on a DL 650 under a tree. Apparently his intended destination for the evening was a town famous for taps. Or tap dancing. He wasn't sure.

David White lies awake in bed wondering if, somewhere, somehow, some gimp has tried to write something he didn't have the skill to pull off.

[limbimtimwim]

Apparently these pictures were taken by LBTW. But we don't know for sure.

[limbimtimwim]

Apparently replies have to have at least 10 characters.

[jrandom]

Apparently replies have to have at least 10 characters.

Heh.<tencharacters>

[Blue Velvet]

:corn: <tencharacters>

[limbimtimwim]

I'm too tired to do tricky writing, so I'll stick to the facts and keep it simple.

I left Methven on a cool morning (I busted out the warm gloves and my hoodie) and went up Mount Hutt to get a look at the view. It's pretty damn awesome from up there. On a clear day I am sure it would be utterly remarkable. I took a lot of photos and intend on stitching them up into a single shot, but I can't be bothered right now.

After that it was Geraldine for a coffee and then to Fairlie via a random turn off I took. It was nice, but I was expecting "Hanging Rock Bridge" to be something pretty cool, but it was a bit naff. Looks like a pleasant spot though.

After that, it was up the road a few klicks and onto Haldon Road which makes it's was to the Hakataramea Pass. The road out there was pleasant enough, but you are far removed from the scenery, in the middle of a plain for quite a while. However, once you get closer to the pass the hills come in at me and I felt a bit more involved with the whole thing.

There are a few fords to cross, some of them have dried up. Those that remain are pretty pathetic really. The road itself is wonderful, mostly clay and thin gravel. So I motored along quite quickly. Once over the pass itself you enjoy a small valley and a few small creeks passing by the road. There is no fence between the road and the farm, so you have to watch out for livestock. I really enjoyed this bit, it was very easy going and you could just cruise without 'working it' along.

The road opens up again and there are a couple of gravel straights that could be over a km long, again the road is smooth with very little corrugation.

I stop at the camping ground in Kurow, where it is highly pleasant. The moon has just risen in the clouds. I can hear the river not far away. It's making me sleepy. Also my internets doesn't seem to work very well in the cabin and I am getting a little cold.

Next time in the style of Suzy Cato.

[Kendog]

Great set of photos in that last post.

Remind me to invite you on my next decent ride, you do great write ups :niceone:

[limbimtimwim]

And some more

[Blue Velvet]

Great photos

Agree with him. What camera are you using LBTW?


I was expecting something pretty cool, but it was a bit naff

Hmmm. There was a cool, old, rickety wooden bridge on SH54 that had stunt-ramp-like ends which meant airborne bike at very low speeds. Found on Sunday ‘they've’ now leveled it off and transformed it into a tarmac nothing <_<

:corn:

[limbimtimwim]

Hello Children!

Today we are going to take a trip out of Southern Canterbury and into Northern Otago! Isn't that exciting!?

Let us leave the camping ground and the swift Waitaki River in Kurow. But first let's get a quick coffee from the shop in Kurow, staffed by a jolly round fella and a not-too-bright blonde girl. Now we go a short distance down the road to Duntroon, where the is a delightful church with a mowing the lawns. Silly sheep. The church looks old, but well maintained. Just up the road is where the Maerewhenua river joins the Waitaki, isn't it nice children?

Now we leave state highway 83 and go towards Dansey's pass. As you start your travel through the pass, it is obvious you are leaving behind the sweeping vistas of Canterbury and enter the more primitive looking Otago region. Isn't this exciting?

The road is a mostly gentle climb up hills that have rocks poking out of them at all angles, in a manner that looks like splintered wood and broken bones. Just like Jimmy's bones after he fell of the jungle gym. Wasn't that funny when Jimmy hurt himself? Yes it was! If you keep and eye out you can see remnant's of people living long ago, like old bridges. And the Dansey's Pass hotel, which just so happens to have a vintage Vauxhall car rally is on. Many people have brought their cars over from Australia to be here. Isn't that crazy? The people and their cars should have died off years ago, but mysteriously they persevere with life.

Now we go to Naseby and get a bagel. You need to do some bike maintenance and feel like relaxing with your book, so you go to the camping ground there.

Wasn't that fun children?!

[limbimtimwim]

Kiddies, I just want to tell you 10 F C!

[limbimtimwim]

Tomorrow I will be writing in the style of a full of himself asshole

So back to usual then.

[oldrider]

Tomorrow I will be writing in the style of a full of himself asshole

So back to usual then.

Let me write like an arsehole and say, hey, judging by your pics, you went right on bye my little village and didn't even say hello! :nono:

Where's your KB spirit man? (if there is such a thing) :bye:

Enjoy the rest of your ride. :ride: John.

[Blue Velvet]

you went right on bye my little village and didn't even say hello!


I'm a full of myself asshole

:corn:<tencharacters>

[SDU]

Awesome piccies & write up this man deserves a DB:apint:

[wayne708]

Excellent pics and write up Simon, and concidering I was taking to you at Paeroa a week and a half ago you sure have run down some miles since then.

[elle-f]

:2thumbsup i am loving these write ups........(i know the two thumbs up looks gay but its all there was)

[limbimtimwim]

Old Dunstan Road yesterday. No internets in Becks.

Wasn't that brilliant, I have to say. Road was too easy, scenery too samey. Perhaps if I had done this road first I'd have more to say.

I had a better time talking to the publican and the punters at the White Horse hotel in Becks where I stayed the night.

Nice place that White Horse, I recommend it. It gets the 'LBTW 5 stars of good'.

[limbimtimwim]

And some moreeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[limbimtimwim]

There was a rock with a tap in it.

[limbimtimwim]

Agree with him. What camera are you using LBTW?A Pentax K100D. It does the trick. I'm forever fixing the colour though.

[limbimtimwim]

I did Thompson's Track from Omakau to Tarras today. That was really good.

Then I did Skipper's Canyon, which was really really good. There should be a sign at the end saying "You fucking made it!! Have a free gold bar!!" but there isn't.

I must sleep now. Maybe tomorrow I'll post the pictures and write stuff. That mostly concludes the gravel road riding. I need to be back at work on Monday and the back tyre about to hit the wear indicators round the middle, much to my annoyance.

[limbimtimwim]

Thompson Track

I left the White Horse in Becks and went to the beginning of the Thompson Track. You get some serious Graeme Sydney like scenery as you head out. The table top like plain with the hills bordering it. Quite cool I can assure you. A couple of times I came around a bend and had to jump on the brakes just so I could take a picture. One to show the kiddies when roads are banned by environmentalists.

As you climb you have a rocky mountain to your right and a grass covered one (That looks higher) infront of you. The view back down to the proceeding plain is pretty cool.

I met some people on a Honda Riders Club tour. They were riding their wee-strom 2 up by themselves while the rest of the tour went around the gravel. The fools were missing out. Though I would not take a proper sports bike along this road due to the fords.

Along the road there is an old hut that I imagine was used by people driving stock in times gone by. As the HRC guy pointed out (Stating the obvious a bit) the vegetation around the hut was pretty hardy looking stuff. If the weather closed in the hut with it's fire could would your life in the middle of winter. Don't know where the horses would have ended up though.

After that you wind down the road (It's not too steep) towards Bendigo. From there I went to Tarras and had a coffee and a bite to eat.

Skipper's Canyon

I hate Queenstown. Luckily on my way from Tarras to Skipper's Canyon I had my satnav with me. It provided me with a route that avoided it's disgusting disgustingness. The road that goes up to Skipper's Canyon also goes to Coronet peak, and if it wasn't full of tourist buses it would make a great hillclimb race track. There are a multitude of signs warning you about this road and how your insurance is most likely invalid. I take them with a grain of salt, expecting these just to keep tourists in Daihatsu Sirion mini cars (There are a lot of these) away from the road in case they freak at the sight of their first gravel road.

No. No. No. These signs are not idle threats.

The drop offs from the edge of the road are not adequately described as "vertical" If there was something more vertical than the word vertical, I would use it.

There are some sheep on this road, and I encounter a small bunch. Four or five run away from me off up the hill, but one cannot climb it and falls back onto the road. It get's really paniced now, and away from me towards a cliff and leaps through a bit of tall grass on the downhill side. As I get nearer where the sheep went and round the corner, I see that there is a massive drop off there. And no sheep. I am pretty sure the poor thing lept to it's doom. I didn't intentionally do this, I'd never do something like that, I could see it was going to happen in my minds eye and slowed right down to a crawl.

The road is pretty damn spectatcualar, but you have to go slow. Some of it is just solid rock, the rest a very fine kind of sandy stuff, almost like ash, that it appears my tyres grip quite well.

After the canyon you follow the shotover river north, the road is a little less risky but it's still pretty high. You can see way way down into the river below. Eventually you get to a bridge that looks about 400 years old. Though the steel cables that make up much of it's construction look new. And the concrete anchors at the end. So it is looked after in some way. This doesn't make me any happier riding over it as I am scared of heights. I can't stand on a chair or a table, so this is pretty nerve-wracking stuff for me. I think this is where in the LOTR film they did that scene where that elf chick casts a spell and the river whips up into some horse type stuff and washes away the bag guys.

After bridge the road turns into some big ruts. And some nice forest. Which looks a lot like the road where Frodo and the Hobbits are walking before they first encounter the ring wraiths and Frodo implores the little guys to "GET OFF THE ROAD!!". Funnily enough a Land Rover Defender with the numberplate "Bilbo" is just around the corner. ODD.

Skipper's itself has an historic school and homestead you can have a look around in. The NZ flag flaps proudly in the breeze.

That concludes the gravel riding. My Avon Distanzia rear is shot. Super Motard compound you see. It's square. I've just replaced it with a Pirelli Dragon Corsa SC2, which has such a steep angle to the sides the handing of the bike is radically different. I think it's a bloody soft tyre too because for a laugh I gave the rear brake a good push and..... No lockup. It's crazy. I think it'll be square too by the time I get to Picton :(

[limbimtimwim]

And some more of Thompson's Track

[limbimtimwim]

Skipper's Canyon

[limbimtimwim]

Skippy Skip Skip

[Kendog]

Thompson Track.......

Shit a brick, I am loving your photos and write ups!!!!!

[Kendog]

I am going to add that what you are doing sounds like a lot of fun. A great adventure in fact. Maybe this is something I could get into and enjoy.

Hang on a minute, I followed you onto the 750, what is going on here?

I am a little drunk, I will come back to this train of thought in a few days :apint::drinkup::drinknsin:whistle:

[chrisso]

Well im jealous... Ive lived in Sydney for 17 yrs but come from Blenheim, I worked on a farm at Ocean Bay(next bay north of Robin Hood Bay I think). I used to chase Quail on the Farm bike. Used to be a lot of Paua there im them days,ah the good ol days...... :sunny:

[marks]

I just found this

awesome report

makes me just want to get up and ride to far far away places

cheers


Mark

[chrisso]

Been anyawhere else exciting lately Limbintimbinwim? NZ piccies make me homesick

[limbimtimwim]

Been anyawhere else exciting lately Limbintimbinwim? NZ piccies make me homesickNah. Shame really. I'm regretting it now the weather is so poos.