TOTO

Friday – Picton to Dunedin:

6:30am I wake up, luggage on the bike, filling the bike and I’m off. Riding south, the feeling was much similar to the one I had the previous day – anxious to get to my destination. I get quite happy travelling through new places and as boring as SH1 is it was still interesting to trough some parts I hadn’t done before. The GN was slow but a huge problem as I was staying on a healthy 95km/h most of the time. The thing with the GN250 is that you almost never need to worry about the Smurfs as 95% of the time you cant even reach the speed limit if you are on the motorway or out of town. In that not I had completely got used to not worrying about my speed on the GN because it was not likely I was going to get to the speed limit let alone much higher over it.

The other thing you get when riding the GN long distances is that you are cruising – whether you want to or not. Cruising is all good when you want to look at the scenery or you need to tie up your shoe laces, read a book or play with the GPS unit. Playing with the GPS was what I was doing when I entered into some small town. I hadn’t seen exactly what the speed limit signs said but given that most of the places I had passed through earlier were 80km/h and I was on 75km/h I didn’t bother to slow down more and continued playing with my GPS (while paying full attention to the road ahead of course). All of a sudden the disco lights come on and I’m being promptly pulled over for killing human babies.

It is funny how sometimes when people just hear you say the word “Hello” with an accent they immediately assume that the person from another country has poor communication skills and you need to talk to him like he or she is retarded so you can get your message across.

“YOU. ARE. TOO. FAST. DO. YOU. HAVE. YOUR. MOTORBIKE. LICENSE ?” .

“Sure - I have my full motorcycle license officer” - says I – “ I'll give it to you right away.”

“OH” is what I hear from Mr. Smurf in a disappointed tone, as if to say “Oh, damn, I so wanted to deal with a retarded tourist”

After a small chit chat to assure Mr. Smurf that I’m not a baby killer, I am let go on my way with an $80 fine and 20 demerit points to add to the other 20 I obtained in November last year from a gorgeous Smurfiette who invited me to go skiing (I should have gone)

At about the same time I send a TXT to Gremlin that I have been issued a speeding ticketwho laughs and also informs me that I have angrid the Picton backpacker owners by lubricating my chain in their driveway and therefore we have again managed to damage something not belonging to us. Well its a tradition after all, what can you do.

Went though Christchurch SH1 and found that there was quite the traffic. As it turned out - because of the closed part of the city, people were having go right around which created the traffic. Traffic doesn't stop us – GNs are allowed to use bicycle lanes – surely. Five minute scoot in the bicycle lanes and the GN and I were safely out of Christchurch.

It has to be said that while the GN is not the slowest thing in s straight line – ok, a fat jogger will probably pass it in a straight line – in the twisties it comes into its own league, and because of the short wheelbase and the skinny tyres it can actually turn on a dime. Uphill twisties are not the fastest thing the GN has done, but give if twisties in the flat or downhill twisties and someone who is somewhat competent in riding a rime and that thing can move.

About 50km north of Dunedin, I was tootling along behind a truck, when all of a sudden I see the sun god picking his way through the line of vehicles of which I was part of. I knew that sun beam – it belongs to Gremlin. Xenon light plus another seven forward facing lights with an additional illuminated strips. If you didn’t see that bike coming, it is because you have been permanently blinded by having your pupils burned out due to the brightness. Quick biker sigh language asking if I had enough petrol and me responding that I did, a little wave by the Gremlin and he was gone. Need a helicopter to keep up with that guy

Within a few kms of entering Dunedin I knew that that was a town with a soul that I wouldn't mind spending some time in – streets lined with great architecture as well as countless university girls scarcely dressed. Dunedin has just made my top 5 list of places in NZ to live in the future.

A quick fuel stop and I make it to the motel where Gremlin has just landed and is busy unloading his luggage. If there is a maximum capacity load that this BMW is rated to carry, I'm sure he is within 1 kilogram of it, mind you I was probably doing the same with the GN. A few Honda jokes, eyeing up our motel girls and we decide to head out to dinner. We were aiming for a sushi bar, but it was closed. The Gremlin noticed a small Thai place and a pizzeria in a side street which were both full of people – a good sign when you are looking for a tasty food. Between the two venues there was a gay bar but despite both Gremlin and myself riding Hondas on daily bases we did not brave it to go in. maybe next time when GiJoe is with us . We had some tasty oriental dishes while enjoying the view of Dunedin’s fines examples of females, then back to the motel where were to have some sleep and get ready for the TT2000 the next two days…