Pissed Penguin Rally 19-20-21 Sept

[Ruralman]

Hi all
last year I had a few KB adventure riders doss down at my place on the Friday night prior to the PP rally on the Sat.
Anyone planning on going this year? I haven't been n here much lately but we could do much the same as last time with a BBQ feed on the Friday night and a back country route to the site on the Sat morning.
Sounds like there theres a gathering at Scumdogs at Balclutha on the Friday night as well.
If you want to leave decisions to the last minute to see what the weather is doing then just post to that effect - if its bucketing down we might find something else to do as well.
cheers
Bruce

[_Shrek_]

hiya Bruce
heading for scummy's with far-que & XF650 if there is still room will give you a :mobile:

maybe we could stop at Dunners on the way home & the princess can make us brunch :whistle:

[XF650]

Any adv bikes going to the Rally are invited to join us, leaving Friday 19th. Looking to go via McKenzie Country to Danseys, Maniototo to Bendigo via Thompsons Track, Cromwell to Lawerence etc.
Final route subject to weather & ground conditions
If interested ping us a PM

[Ruralman]

Any adv bikes going to the Rally are invited to join us, leaving Friday 19th. Looking to go via McKenzie Country to Danseys, Maniototo to Bendigo via Thompsons Track, Cromwell to Lawerence etc.
Final route subject to weather & ground conditions
If interested ping us a PM

Got a nice ride planned from here to the rally site - only about 20km of gravel and its a very wide well maintained gravel road - over some great backroads. Anyone else interested could meet up with us in Lawrence in the morning.

The route would be Lawrence, Clydevale, Clinton, Clinton Gorge, Owaka Valley, Owaka for coffee and maybe an early lunch, then a short trip through to the rally site

[Ruralman]

At Olriders suggestion I will try and set up a crossing of the Clutha river on the punt for Sat am about 10am at Tuapeka Mouth.

Anyone else interested in joining in for this?

[XF650]

I'm in for a punt

[Delphinus]

Hi all
.... with a BBQ feed on the.....

Count me in!

[XF650]

Last call for adv ride to PP "the long way". We are meeting up in Geraldine tomorrow morning @ 9am. Checked with locals along the way & our route is sweet.

Bit of a panic when I found new EO9 rear was flat late today but new tube fixed that. Weather forcast for the weekend is getting better all the time & can't wait to try out the new tent.

[NordieBoy]

Have fun. Stay dry :D

[far queue]

Had fun, stayed dry :D

[Ruralman]

Had fun, stayed dry :D

You would have had more fun if you'd come down the Tahakopa Valley with us - and we could have fed you to the hillbillies:devil2:

[XF650]

Got home tonight with the trip meter showing 1,552km's. A good two thirds of that was on gravel so I'v really scrubbed in the EO9's now. And great tyres they are too - seal or gravel, I'm very impressed with them.
The trip sort of went like this:
Met shreck lone rider (Keith on his tractor)) & far queue (Owen on his fuel tanker) at Fairlie on Fri morning. ChCh must be in a different time zone because they were very late. On to the Haldon Rd from Dog Kennel corner & into BlackForest Station. Paid our "gate fee's" & hit the track.

[XF650]

Big gap in pics now (too busy riding but hopefully the others took some) but we got to Oldrider's place in Otamatata to find John had already left (that bloody ChCh time zone). However Mrs Oldrider still insisted that she feed us & served up an enormous lunch of soup, mince on toast & cheese toasties. Thanks Pip. Of course Shreck cleaned up the leftovers.....
The next leg was through a well known Pass that was actually closed. However with a bit of man-handling bikes under & around barriers, we soon got to a certain watering hole for some well earned refreshments - the cold brown fizzy type.
By now we had realised that we didn't have time to ride Thompsons Track so we shot over to Hyde via a sweet bit of gravel from Wipiata. Then down through Middlemarch to Clarks Junction where the others left me for a more direct route to Scumdogs place. Meanwhile I turned back inland via Lake Mahinerangi to try to find the way to my digs at Ruralmans place near Lawerence. Oldrider had gone this way too and we both struggled with the type of gravel the council are laying through there. It looks like railway ballast - sharp edged nuggets that felt like we were riding on golf balls but that would bloody hurt if one had an off. Real nasty stuff and formal complaints were laid that night with a certain District Councilor (who was also our host). Anyway it was dark before I got to Bruces place & I missed one corner because of the usless Freewind lights - managed to stay upright though & luckily had enough room before a fence to bounce & steer my way out of the rough & back onto that crap gravel.
Ruralman was his usual convivial self & we all went to bed well fed & talked out. Thanks again for the hospitality Bruce.
Pic is next morning - Oldrider loading up. I was ready to go an hour before everyone else!!

[XF650]

Sat morning we got taken accross the Clutha on the Tuepeka Ferry. The Ferryman said they had only lost one car off it !! Pic is of Scumdogs "guests" on the first load - it sure looks like Shreck's side of the punt looks lower than the other....

[XF650]

Ruralman then led us to the Rally via Clinton & lunch at Owaka. After pitching the tents he took us on a tour of the Catlins - a great mix of gravel through the forestry (incl a village that looked like the setting for "Deliverance") plus a decent fang through the twisties of the glorious Catlins highway. I was really pushing the EO9's & am real proud of the wear on the front side knobs (see pic).
Another "achievement" for me that day was overtaking a Ducati Multistrada, plus a Triumph 600 & a Yamy 600 sports bikes. OK, I'll admit we were on gravel at the time, but that's about as good as it gets for a Freewind!!
While on that ride we came accross a dude (from Invercargill?) who had filled his KTM 950 SM with diesel, so I gave him a hand to drain & flush the tank (well, plenty of advice anyway).
The Rally itself was great, even if it was really just the excuse for the ride. There will be Rally pics & stuff over in the "Meetings & Events" forum.

[XF650]

Sunday I tagged on with Jantar & Oldrider to Alexandra. We got hit with vicious norwest side winds at Ettrick, to the extent I got blown off the road (yes, my 2nd trip into the roadside for the weekend). Managed to keep upright & momentum going through the grass for another 100m before I could get back on the seal. Was worse though getting blown towards centre line with oncoming traffic. Stopping didn't seem an option - without momentum I'm sure the wind would have just blown the bike over. I think my issue was the top heavy load way back over the back wheel, making the front too light, so I ended up sitting right up on the tank & hanging on for dear life. By the time we got to Jantar's place we were all exhausted.
Oldrider headed for home via the Lindas while I rode into the Maniototo to do some work (farm) calls. Those gravel roads in there would have to be some of the best in NZ - not much loose stuff & plenty of grip, more like swept dirt. Got to Oamaru for the night via the Pig Route & Trotters Gorge, both valley's relatively sheltered from the high winds. And yes, there is a gravel connection to avoid going into Palmerston.
Monday headed to Kurow via Enfield and any gravel bits I could find. Plus had a crack at finding my way through the old Kurow Creek track (where I found the up market dunny) but chickened out at the river crossing - it was deceptively swift, deep & rocky. Didn't feel confident enough, being on my own in a remote spot if I got it wrong. Can't wait to go back there though, with other bikes around to pick me up!!

[XF650]

After finishing a work call at Kurow I met Red KLR650 (Stu) to ride the Clarksfield Rd from Highway 82 to Waimate (the back way). First pic is top of first climb, looking back over the Waitaki Valley.The road then heads towards Elephant Hill via some real twisty loose gravel and heaps of negative camber corners......
Next pic is corner where Stu binned his (previously) spotless KLR. Note that the skid mark is his, not mine, & that just past where he is standing is a steep drop off. He blamed his tyres, which is understandable if you look at pic 3. Stu is normally very competant on gravel and certainly one of the fastest I have tried to follow - I was eating his dust all afternoon. But he sure blew that one, something we all do at some time or another. It's just worse though if there's some prick following with a camera !!
Under those jeans in the last pic is some gravel embedded in that knee.

[XF650]

Our quest for more gravel included the road to the Waimate Plane Table on the hill top where the white horse monument is. Great views from up there & often frequented by couples at night (a Waimo told me!!).

[XF650]

We continued to follow the gravel along the foot of the Hunter Hills, right through to Cave. These roads are Stu's playground and includes BackLine Rd, possibly the most varied & interesting gravel road for m/bikes in South Canterbury. Off this road is Mt Studholme, worthy of a adv ride up to the transmitter alone. Plus there are other tracks heading up from Mt Nimrod. We stopped at the Guns Bush camp to check out it's suitability for a KB event, ala South Canterbury Dusty Butt anyone?? Last pic shows sun setting on Mt Hutt in the distance - my beacon for home. Thanks Stu, a fantastic way to finish my Pissed Penguin (by gravel) trip.

[cobber]

Ruralman then led us to the Rally via Clinton & lunch at Owaka. After pitching the tents he took us on a tour of the Catlins - a great mix of gravel through the forestry (incl a village that looked like the setting for "Deliverance") plus a decent fang through the twisties of the glorious Catlins highway. I was really pushing the EO9's & am real proud of the wear on the front side knobs (see pic).
Another "achievement" for me that day was overtaking a Ducati Multistrada, plus a Triumph 600 & a Yamy 600 sports bikes. OK, I'll admit we were on gravel at the time, but that's about as good as it gets for a Freewind!!
The Rally itself was great, even if it was really just the excuse for the ride. There will be Rally pics & stuff over in the "Meetings & Events" forum.

there aint much rubber hanging onto the road at lean angle is there definately wouldnt want to clip a wet patch of seal.

[cooneyr]

....We stopped at the Guns Bush camp to check out it's suitability for a KB event, ala South Canterbury Dust Butt anyone??....

Thanks for the ride report XF. Some interesting places to check out around that area. Another option instead of Gunns Bush is Atwill Park at Kelceys Bush just a little bit south.

Cheers R

[XF650]

there aint much rubber hanging onto the road at lean angle is there definately wouldnt want to clip a wet patch of seal.

The only time I felt the tyres step out (on seal) was when cornering on damp lichen along that road from Clydvale to Baumont.

[XF650]

Thanks for the ride report XF. Some interesting places to check out around that area. Another option instead of Gunns Bush is Atwill Park at Kelceys Bush just a little bit south.

Cheers R

I remember seeing that Kelceys Bush sign - a good excuse to go back for another look. The Gunns Bush camp till recently was owned by the Methodist Church but the new owners have lifted the "no booze" ban. Stu has got their details.

[cooneyr]

I remember seeing that Kelceys Bush sign - a good excuse to go back for another look. The Gunns Bush camp till recently was owned by the Methodist Church but the new owners have lifted the "no booze" ban.

Though the Gunns Bush camp was the churchy one. Atwell Park (Kelceys Bush) is the scout camp - no problems with booze there and there is heaps more space for camping. Not sure if the digs are quite so nice at Atwell Park.

Cheers R

[RedKLR650]

Though the Gunns Bush camp was the churchy one. Atwell Park (Kelceys Bush) is the scout camp - no problems with booze there and there is heaps more space for camping. Not sure if the digs are quite so nice at Atwell Park.
Cheers R

We got all the info yesterday

$8 per adult if tenting, $14 to use the bunkrooms and the people there seem fairly flexible on things. Alcohol OK as long as we're not going to be causing mayhem..... ( I guess Mayhem can be interpreted differently by different people ):Pokey:

and some GREAT shingle roads in the area......:headbang:

Cheers for the invite yesterday Struan, now I'd better fix that indicator..... :doctor:

Stu

[marks]

great report Struan

I'm insanely jealous

I will be down in late Nov or early Dec for you to take me on a guided tour...

[timg]

so I'v really scrubbed in the EO9's now. And great tyres they are too - seal or gravel, I'm very impressed with them.
Now you know why I'm so rapt with the TKC80's on my bike :) A good allround choice. Just don't push too hard on wet seal.

[far queue]

You would have had more fun if you'd come down the Tahakopa Valley with us - and we could have fed you to the hillbillies:devil2:But, but, but, we got to the site and after I'd set up camp, I went and paid my fee and had a look around. When I came back you'd all buggered off :bye: I didn't know you lot weren't staying the night, and didn't know you were heading out for another ride :confused:


Got home tonight with the trip meter showing 1,552km's. A good two thirds of that was on gravel so I'v really scrubbed in the EO9's now. And great tyres they are too - seal or gravel, I'm very impressed with them.
The trip sort of went like this:
Met shreck lone rider (Keith on his tractor)) & far queue (Owen on his fuel tanker) at Fairlie on Fri morning. ChCh must be in a different time zone because they were very late. On to the Haldon Rd from Dog Kennel corner & into BlackForest Station. Paid our "gate fee's" & hit the track... etc, etcWhat he said, but I came straight home on Sunday for a round trip of 1272km. Here's some more pics ...

1. Shrek on Black Forest Rd
2. XF650 on Black Forest Rd
3. My bike on Black Forest Rd
4. Ruralman arriving at the punt
5. Hayden, ?, Delphinus, Ruralman, Cold Comfort, XF650 assembling the group back together on the way to Owaka for lunch.

There'll be more on the PP thread in meetings and events shortly, I'm just off to do that one now ...

[_Shrek_]

The Rally itself was great, even if it was really just the excuse for the ride. There will be Rally pics & stuff over in the "Meetings & Events" forum.

I put mine in there forgot about this thread :doh: