Kiwi Biker forums - Blogs - snodpete https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/blog.php/19505-snodpete Kiwi Biker - New Zealand motorcycle community en Mon, 11 May 2026 22:40:04 GMT vBulletin 20 https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/images/BP-Brown/misc/rss.jpg Kiwi Biker forums - Blogs - snodpete https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/blog.php/19505-snodpete Cape Reinga to Bluff in 2010... the top! https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1893-Cape-Reinga-to-Bluff-in-2010-the-top! Tue, 28 Dec 2010 01:22:18 GMT The slowest NZ traverse ever. [3]

Cape day dawned fine and warm - we headed in to Awanui and fuelled up for the final leg north. Northland was looking more prosperous than our collective memories of 15-20 years ago, and the road improved the closer we got to Cape Reinga. There was about 15km of gravel but it was formed-ready-for-seal gravel and the new-ish top end of SHW1 sweeps over hills and around bends as if designed by a biker. The Cape itself has been truly DoC-imated: large carpark with tourist coach only zones, swish dunnies, and uniformed workers. The lighthouse walk begins through an archway ringing with piped birdsong, then winds its smooth wheelchair-friendly way past new plantings and info panels to the lighthouse. On a quieter day it would have been fun to ride down there; that may have to be a winter project. We spent an hour or so there then went a few km back down the road and turned into Taputaputa Bay, finding a campsite under some pohutukawa just above the beach.

Mosquitoes! Unbelievable clouds of them buzzed just outside our tent screens from sunset to dawn; we were keen to pack up and get out of Taputaputa ASAP, heading down a side road to check out Te Paki stream en route. I had considered riding it and down 90 Mile Beach but chickened out at the thought of salt n' sand eating away at the DL so far from home; it will keep ;-). We rode through Ahipara then towards the Hokianga, loved the cafe at Kohukohu and met some friendly Harley riders on the Rawene ferry. We carried on through Waipoua Forest, greeting Tane Mahuta on the way, finally ending up at a wee cabin in the motorcamp at Bayly's Beach.

Memory of the trip home is a bit vague; we still managed to to stay with friends in Titirangi, family near Rotorua and spend 2 nights with friends in Dannevirke. We left the land of Danes in the morning, easily making the 1pm ferry, then hauling up the Wairau Valley and home still in daylight to complete the longest days travel (573km including the Strait...).

Some observations: NZ roads are ROUGH; granted, we were pretty loaded up so felt most bumps, but there are some shitty surfaces, off-camber corners and nasty dips on roads you could reasonably expect to be better. I'm now certain road design is a major contributing factor to our appalling road toll. [NEXT]
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]]> snodpete https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1893-Cape-Reinga-to-Bluff-in-2010-the-top! Cape Reinga to Bluff in 2010... made it! https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1892-Cape-Reinga-to-Bluff-in-2010-made-it! Tue, 28 Dec 2010 01:04:33 GMT The slowest NZ traverse ever. [5]

Returning to the correct route without further mishap, we headed up the amazingly wide gravel of Styx-Patearoa road. I wondered ruefully if the heavy rain that drenched this country the day before would have made much of Dunstan Trail II as nastily greasy as 'our' puddle... It turned out OK, I was probably more cautious but rain held off (though we did have a hail shower) and I was pleased to see the Clark valley woolshed and gravel under our wheels again. We were cruising along nicely at about 80km when an off-camber crest led to a pants-soiling moment as I 'gently' applied the rear brake - it would have been gentle if the pedal wasn't now 2 cm higher... there was a moment of tail out, opposite lock action; I got a mysterious whack on the back of the helmet after that one.

That bit of road from Clark Valley into Dunedin has go be be one of the nicest motorcyling roads in NZ; high up with long views and sweeping corners. We stopped at Clarks Junction pub for lunch, but no one bothered to emerge to serve us so we used the dunnies and left again. Next stop was McIver & Veitch on the way into Dunedin where I got the brake pedal sorted (needed a bit of gas on the cheese), then to our mates place for her birthday barbeque and a bed for the night.

We had to be back in Westport by Saturday, so the idea was to get to Bluff and beyond via the Catlins on Weds. This started well, but on emerging from a visit to the Owaka information centre I noticed the rear tyre looked a bit sad; it wasn't flat but certainly softer than it should be. So off back to the gas station where we had just fuelled up for some air - some went in but more was coming out... Closer inspection of the Shinko showed tread blocks lifting and splits forming in the casing - this was the SECOND Shinko 705 on the DL that has failed like this, the first after our northern trip - that was replaced by the retailer now this one has done the same. Seems these tyres aren't suited for heavily laden adv bikes. The woman at Owaka Motors helped us track down another tyre via Balclutha - I settled on a Michelin Anakee (silly name) which cost $400. all up and would hopefully be delivered from Chch next morning. Our saviour from the garage, poignantly named Charitee, drove us and our gear to Pounawea and found us a bed in the old Christian camp there. Our unscheduled stop at Pounawea was very pleasant, it's a lovely place with great bushwalks and abundant birdlife.

Weather next day was iffy with misty drizzle but the tyre news was good: Michelin arrived about 10:30 was fitted by gruff mechanic Perry (who rode bikes for Anthony Hopkins in 'World's Fastest Indian' apparently...) and we were mobile again just before 12 with Bluff in our sights. We rode to the end of SH1, took some evidential photos, then found a cafe for lunch - no oysters alas. The weather had brightened as we moved east, heading towards Riverton and beyond, pausing at Cosy Nook and Monkey Island and finally fuelling up at Tuatapere. We no longer had time for a side trip to Te Anau / Milford Sound (now filed away for a future adventure), so swung back east through Ohai and Nightcaps aiming for Kingston. Those Southland coal towns looked poor and shabby the way Buller ones did 20 years ago: closed shops, paint peeling off houses, idle youth shuffling aimlessly in the streets. It's a timely reminder that Buller's current relative prosperity depends entirely on the fleeting appeal of shiny blackstuff that will be all dug up eventually... then will it be back to shabby and idle for us?

The Kingston Flyer Tavern was busy but we found a table for some great pub food and interesting conversations with the skinny incoherent Irishman sporting a Harley-Davidson leather jerkin but no bike... Friday we were aiming for Okarito on the coast near Franz Josef, the forecast threatened rain and as we heading up the lake towards Queenstown the northern skies were dark. Made a detour into the Q'town CBD which was a mistake: got tangled in one-way streets and dawdling Mercedes 4WDs with drivers too rich to indicate; took a pic on the shore and bolted for Arrowtown, altogether a town of more friendly scale and pace. Found Ruth sometime later and she said Arrowtown had the best lolly shop in the universe. We then crossed the Crown Range, now one of my fav roads (amazing surface, you could skateboard down it!) to lunch in Wanaka. Moving on towards Makarora the expected rain began half way up Lake Hawea, we stopped to gear up then continued through intermittent showers all the way to Haast. It eased and we had a good run right to Speights in Franz - a favourite dining spot. There were outside heaters on so we dried a bit while the skies opened again as only they can in South Westland as we made our final run to my dad's house in Okarito.

Saturday was a bit dryer and we grew warmer as we rode north, Hokitika was a lunch-and-lose-the-wet-weather-gear stop, then on to sombre Greymouth and a quiet ride up the coast road to home. We made Westport in sunshine and time for Ruth to attend her singing group rehearsal. It had been a great week; some wonderful roads, new sights, a sprinkling of drama and adventure but no life threats...
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]]> snodpete https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1892-Cape-Reinga-to-Bluff-in-2010-made-it! Cape Reinga to Bluff in 2010... we go south https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1891-Cape-Reinga-to-Bluff-in-2010-we-go-south Tue, 28 Dec 2010 01:03:57 GMT The slowest NZ traverse ever. [4]

On Sunday 12th December we left Westport and rode south, via the coast road, Moana and Arthur's Pass. Our destination was Timaru so Ruth could catch up with a museum exhibition she had assisted with over winter. We cut through Lake Lyndon Road popping out right at Rakaia Gorge Bridge where we had a spell; nearby tourists expressed amazement we had ridden over gravel, I accepted the implied complement to my great skill... In fact the loaded DL was a handful in the deep gravel and we'd crept gingerly round the sharp corners particularly on the zigzag. The remaining ks to Timmers were a little tedious and uneventful (though less mind-numbing than SH1) - at least traffic was light.

Monday we aimed for the Maniototo via back roads, it was warming up as we set off towards the hills behind Fairlie anticipating uncomfortable heat and dust. The Limestone Valley was dry and nearing McKenzie Pass cloud came in making it pleasantly cool - great riding conditions. Stopped at the top and also at the memorial to the misunderstood Scotsman; there's something in my heritage that has more sympathy for McKenzie than the early 'landed gentry' whose flocks he allegedly stole, it would have taken some skill sneaking mobs of sheep through there for sure and strange that he was later fully pardoned.

We joined Haldon Rd briefly then set off up the Hakataramea Valley. Skies were dark to our right covering the Alps and I felt concerned about the state of the Dunstan Trail which I wanted to cross to Dunedin on Tues; heavy bikes with streety tyres and wet clay don't mix ;-). At the top of Haka pass we met Jim a retired farmer just delving into his nice wicker hamper for ham sandwiches and a cuppa. Exchanging pleasantries, he took our photo and we continued on to Kurow. Lunch at the pub was nice, though the two already wobbly booted locals drinking cask wine at 1pm were a bit of a worry...back on the seal and off towards Duntroon and Danseys; I was looking forward to crossing this pass after considering it in June to make our trip to the Brass more interesting, fortunately we benefited from Struan's 'reconnaissance' the day before..! Met a couple of vehicles through this spectacular pass then pulled up at Dansey's pub; Ruth thought we had intruded upon someones' farm house, but a cold Speights allayed her concerns.

After a few photos we headed into the Maniototo, loving Naseby and looking unsuccessfully for a bed in Lawrence before calling at the Wedderburn tavern. We were gently persuaded by publican Cheryl to try the cottages by the rail trail across the road. We settled into one, feeling slightly guilty for having an engine on our bike, and later enjoyed a lovely meal at the tavern washed down with Central Otago pinot noir. The sun set under brooding skies which didn't bode well for the Dunstan.

Tuesday began fine and warm, we rode to Oturehua and fueled up just like we had on a much colder day last June. The skies ahead looked pretty dark in places but we pressed on up the valley following cooneyr's GPS directions to the beginning of the Old Dunstan Road. The country got progressively more interesting and the riding more adventurous though the road was mostly dry and again mercifully free of traffic. Poolburn reservoir appeared bathed in patchy sunlight and the rustic cottages dotting its shores- an intriguing and enchanted place. Eventually we passed through this other-worldly landscape descending into the Styx valley; I turned right instead of left and rode a few km down an interesting farm road before noting on the Garmin we were moving away from, rather than toward the next waypoint. We did a u-ey, crossed back through a puddle then lost the front end in greasy clay and slid off! Main damage was to pride, next a very bent brake pedal, the front indicator dismantled itself (broken before) and there were some new scratches on the front plastic. Ruth grazed her hand that was glove free for photographic purposes (lesson learned!). We picked up the laden beast and patched up what we could; I managed to bend the pedal back to usable (but much higher) position with my boot (it seems to be made of some kind of silver cheese) and tape still holds the indicator together. [LAST]
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]]> snodpete https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1891-Cape-Reinga-to-Bluff-in-2010-we-go-south Cape Reinga to Bluff in 2010... barely https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1881-Cape-Reinga-to-Bluff-in-2010-barely Tue, 28 Dec 2010 01:03:18 GMT The slowest NZ traverse ever. [1]

In January, pillion partner Ruth and I set off on the Wee-Strom to get to Cape Reinga, somewhere I had never been which made it a suitable goal for our first decent motorcycle trip. Yesterday we returned from Bluff, completing a New Zealand traverse of sorts. Here are some memories of that ride.

Between Westport and Nelson we encountered what proved to be the wettest weather of the whole northern trip, made more intense being stuck behind a Talley's truck in the upper Buller Ggorge. Lesson: Cordura is only sort-of waterproof. Next day we rode to the ferry via Linkwater and met the usual handful of bikers queuing and ready to chat and compare travel stories. Particularly impressive was the 72 year old farmer returning north after a 3 day enduro event in Marlborough! It was my second time with a bike on the ferry but the first with the DL; there were plenty of strops (plus our own) and soon we were secured and off to a possie in the upper deck. The ferry was pretty full so the proportion of 'poor sailors' high - nearer Welly the crew came around with sick bags and ice which only seemed to encourage the vomiters.. It was a wee bit nasty for the final 30 mins with a southerly roll caressing us into harbour. After docking we were keen to leave all that unnecessary bile behind and continued north via the motorway (a novelty to we 'Coasters!) to our friends in Palmerston North.

Next day had a vague plan of getting to Whanganui and then up the river road; having little idea what that road would be like we left destination ideas open. Apart from a forecourt incident in which Ruth's helmet fell from the bike scratching the visor - she was not impressed - the ride to the beginning of the river road was OK: some nice curvy sections near Whanga-town - but the River Road itself was a highlight. We spent some time exploring Jerusalem; at Pipiriki we arrived in time to witness a haka performed in waka, the sounds magnified to spine-chilling intensity by the close gorge walls. The road out to Raetihi was the more challenging gravel part; we got in there mid afternoon so continued on past National Park, checking out The Chateau in passing, finally checking in to the shabby but characterful Waitomo Caves Hotel. Ruth was much taken with the frayed and stained furnishings proudly hanging on in reflection of more prosperous times. [NEXT]
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]]> snodpete https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1881-Cape-Reinga-to-Bluff-in-2010-barely Cape Reinga to Bluff in 2010... almost https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1882-Cape-Reinga-to-Bluff-in-2010-almost Tue, 28 Dec 2010 01:01:59 GMT Slowest NZ traverse ever [2]

Next day's destination Devonport, Auckland. We sought out some back roads again, riding via Kawhia with its amazing paua patties, Raglan and Pukekohe, resisting the dreaded AK motorway until Drury, where predictably all forward movement stopped... seriously, how do you Orklind ppl handle this? On second thoughts it's fine, you have nothing to worry about (Thinks: If I dis it too much they'll all want to come south and fill up our wide open spaces...). We made a side trip up One- er... NO-Tree-Hill to escape the worst of rush hour and view the metropolis. Low light of our Auckland experience came next day as we tiki-toured and got a ticket in our hosts borrowed car for crossing Grafton Bridge - Bus lane sign? What bus lane sign..? Who does it profit to fine out-of-town people who are only likely to return and drive on your streets after more years/councils have passed and different places will be off-limits? $120 worth of encouragement to continue bad mouthing Aucklanders I reckon!

Rested after 2 nights in Devonport (an opportunity to wash the corrosive cement-like shite off the bike that's used on North Island roadworks) we headed for the Bay of Islands, stopping at iconic Puhoi pub en route where a fellow traveller warned us of the queued traffic just north. We sat in line for 5 minutes until a 'local' on a cruiser showed how things are done up here: we followed him for about 15km on the shoulder past hundreds of motorists apparently resigned to moving a few metres a minute. Encountered our second lot of rain near Whangarei, arriving at the appointed Kerikeri BP station where our host was waiting to guide us to his home - the manager's house on Mataka Estate - playground of ridiculously wealthy foreigners. That night we got up close and personal with some local kiwi (feathered kind), talked about old times and generally bullshitted the balmy Northland night away. Late next morning we cruised up the coast via a sequence of beautiful bays settling on the Mangonui hotel for the night, having some of their beautiful fish-n-chips for tea - bliss! [NEXT]
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]]> snodpete https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1882-Cape-Reinga-to-Bluff-in-2010-almost