Coming to New Zealand for a 6 week tour (Jan-Feb 2011)

**olegeezer** · 7th February 2011, 20:50

Saturday, February 5 The temps were cool when I left Christchurch and the skies were overcast. I stopped and put on my "possum" sweater. It felt good and I knew I was headed for higher elevations and I would need it. As I started to climb towa
rd Arthurs Pass, the temperatures suddenly got warmer? Not sure why but I had to take the sweater back off. I stopped at some good outlooks and got to see a Kea bird up close. Pesky critters they were, landing on the Givi top box and trying to eat whatever they could. Their behavior reminds me of crows or ravens in the states. Signs were posted saying not to feed them so I didn't. They are alpine parrots, olive green in color with some reddish orange under their wings. I got to do the "cha cha" with one on a fence rail. They were quite inquisitive and not very afraid of humans with high vis jackets and helmets on. By the time I made it to Greymouth it was drizzling rain. Some young men at the hostel I was staying in asked me if I wanted to go to a rugby league game this evening and I said "YES". I bought their extra ticket. The New Zealand Warriors were playing the New Castle Knights (Aussie team) for a charity match in memory of the 29 miners lost in the recent explosion at the Pike River mine. New Zealand won and after the game it began raining.

Sunday, February 6 The weather was wet again on the west coast, so I decided to head east and ride some new roads. I rode toward Reefton and stopped for breakfast where two riders were sitting outside having coffee. I had the muesli again and asked the two men if I could follow them down to Hanmer Springs. They said yes and I followed them down through Lewis Pass and we found a backpackers place and ended up having a Thai dinner together.
The town had hot springs you could soak in but I passed since the weather was hot enough for me anyway. As usual, the ride was nice and scenic all day after the fog cleared. Warren and Richard were riding a gravel road to the northeast for approximately 200km the next day which I had to decline. We met several foreign travelers from Latvia, Holland and Germany. All had interesting tales to tell. Some ride buses, some ride bicycles, some just hitch-hike but they all get around somehow. You meet them everyday and its great to hear and swap stories.

Monday, February 7. I got up early and planned breakfast on the road. It was a good morning to ride, just as the sun was coming up and illuminating the higher peaks around Hanmer Springs. I had a great ride all the way to Kaikoura and I went in to a cafe for the usual. As I was eating, it began to rain and I thought it would be a good day to do laundry and find a bar with the superbowl on. It went according to plan. It's still raining but is supposed to be clear tomorrow and I will head further north toward my ferry trip. I may even have a tear in my eye when I leave the south island.

**Hawkeye** · 7th February 2011, 21:33

Originally Posted by olegeezer

It's still raining but is supposed to be clear tomorrow and I will head further north toward my ferry trip. I may even have a tear in my eye when I leave the south island.

Great reading Joe! When are you due across the ditch again? Have you got anywhere to stay. You welcome at my place (25k from the Welly ferry). Got a bed and a place in the garage for the bike if you want a bit of comfort before heading North again. Just give me a call.

Hawkeye

**olegeezer** · 8th February 2011, 07:11

Thanks Hawkeye, I plan a few more days around Golden Bay and then proceed to the ferry.Leaving Kaikoura now, looks to be better weather today!! Riding up the east coast.
Ride safe, stay left........

**Hawkeye** · 8th February 2011, 12:55

Originally Posted by olegeezer

Thanks Hawkeye, I plan a few more days around Golden Bay and then proceed to the ferry.Leaving Kaikoura now, looks to be better weather today!! Riding up the east coast.
Ride safe, stay left........

Offer is open for when you do come across.

**olegeezer** · 8th February 2011, 17:51

A few pics taken along the way. Kiwi bikers Warren and Richard, botanical garden in Christchurch and Kea bird doing the cha-cha.
The northwest coast here seems to have a lot to offer. Going exploring tomorrow. The hotel host told me he could keep me busy for 5 days just doing the major stuff.
It was beautiful riding into the place for sure.

**Ocean1** · 8th February 2011, 20:47

Originally Posted by olegeezer

A few pics taken along the way.

I see your camera is still talking 'Murkin.

**olegeezer** · 8th February 2011, 21:12

Ocean1, I googled that term and still don't understand it!! Maybe it's best not to discuss it here??(according to google). Sorry if misspelled Takata, I'm even worse at pronouncing these names. I'm looking forward to hitting a beach or two here tomorrow.

**pete376403** · 8th February 2011, 21:17

'murkin - would be an attempt at US regional (deep south, maybe) pronunciation of "American" . The other word that sounds similar is merkin - and that means something else completely.
Looked at your pictures again - date format month -day- year = American. We tend to use day -month -year

**olegeezer** · 9th February 2011, 06:58

thanks for clearing that up Pete!!

**olegeezer** · 10th February 2011, 15:19

Originally Posted by Ocean1

I see your camera is still talking 'Murkin.

OceanicOne..... it took a while and some splainin, but I finally got it. Strange thing is, I have used that term to make fun of fellow Murckins myself but I don't think I ever saw it in print. As to the camera date, yes we do have a way with numbers and measuring systems in Amurika don't we??

**BMWST?** · 10th February 2011, 15:34

Originally Posted by olegeezer

OceanicOne..... it took a while and some splainin, but I finally got it. Strange thing is, I have used that term to make fun of fellow Murckins myself but I don't think I ever saw it in print. As to the camera date, yes we do have a way with numbers and measuring systems in Amurika don't we??

you have your own liquid measures,drive on the wrong side of the road and yer light switches are upside down!

**olegeezer** · 10th February 2011, 16:17

Saturday, February 5 The temps were cool when I left Christchurch and the skies were overcast. I stopped and put on my "possum" sweater. It felt good and I knew I was headed for higher elevations and I would need it. As I started to climb towa
rd Arthurs Pass, the temperatures suddenly got warmer? Not sure why but I had to take the sweater back off. I stopped at some good outlooks and got to see a Kea bird up close. Pesky critters they were, landing on the Givi top box and trying to eat whatever they could. Their behavior reminds me of crows or ravens in the states. Signs were posted saying not to feed them so I didn't. They are alpine parrots, olive green in color with some reddish orange under their wings. I got to do the "cha cha" with one on a fence rail. They were quite inquisitive and not very afraid of humans with high vis jackets and helmets on. By the time I made it to Greymouth it was drizzling rain. Some young men at the hostel I was staying in asked me if I wanted to go to a rugby league game this evening and I said "YES". I bought their extra ticket. The New Zealand Warriors were playing the New Castle Knights (Aussie team) for a charity match in memory of the 29 miners lost in the recent explosion at the Pike River mine. New Zealand won and after the game it began raining.

Sunday, February 6 The weather was wet again on the west coast, so I decided to head east and ride some new roads. I rode toward Reefton and stopped for breakfast where two riders were sitting outside having coffee. I had the muesli again and asked the two men if I could follow them down to Hanmer Springs. They said yes and I followed them down through Lewis Pass and we found a backpackers place and ended up having a Thai dinner together.
The town had hot springs you could soak in but I passed since the weather was hot enough for me anyway. As usual, the ride was nice and scenic all day after the fog cleared. Warren and Richard were riding a gravel road to the northeast for approximately 200km the next day which I had to decline. We met several foreign travelers from Latvia, Holland and Germany. All had interesting tales to tell. Some ride buses, some ride bicycles, some just hitch-hike but they all get around somehow. You meet them everyday and its great to hear and swap stories.

Monday, February 7. I got up early and planned breakfast on the road. It was a good morning to ride, just as the sun was coming up and illuminating the higher peaks around Hanmer Springs. I had a great ride all the way to Kaikoura and I went in to a cafe for the usual. As I was eating, it began to rain and I thought it would be a good day to do laundry and find a bar with the superbowl on. It went according to plan. It's still raining but is supposed to be clear tomorrow and I will head further north toward my ferry trip. I may even have a tear in my eye when I leave the south island.

Tuesday, February 8. Kaikoura looked really nice this morning as the fog lifted and I got to see the mountains for the first time. It was time to go north so, like the rest of the tourists, I packed up and got on my trusty steed and headed for Blenheim on route 1 which paralled the coast. Nice ride and the temps were comfy and the sun was out. I took route 6 to St Arnoud just to ride a different road and I guess this was the most straight stretch of road I have encountered in the south island. But it was a pretty, wide valley, with high mountains on both sides. Vineyards bordered the road a good portion of the way. It just seems like you can't find a road here with BAD scenery. Which is good! As I neared Tanaka I had to climb (Tanaka Hill) the mountain, and I don't know why they call it a hill but back home it would be a mountain. Great views from the mountain and you could see the ocean in the distance. Curvy and steep the road was and populated with many large trucks. But it was all fun and I found my next hostel with no problem. The guy running it said he could keep me busy for 5 days just looking at the major stuff. We shall see but I have planned to proceed further north in less than five days?

Wednesday, February 9 I got on the road early to a Wainui Bay and had to ride about 1km on gravel to get to the car park. There was a group of people, looked like all retirees gathered in the parking lot as I pulled in. One gentleman took me to a map and instructed me on what I could do there and gave me a few good tips on avoiding getting caught in the tide on the beach. I tagged along with their group of about 15 and got to talk to several of them during the trip. The beach and mountain just behind it were great and it was an easy hike to get to Taupo point where a few of us took a "brief" swim in the Tasman Sea.
The water was cool but refreshing they say here. We were on the trail about 2 hours and I headed back to Takaka and decided to go to Farewell Spit and ended up taking a guided tour in a "made for sand" 4WD bus. It was good and the driver was a pretty good talker and guide. The tour did not end until 915pm and I had to drive back to my room in the dark. I feel more comfortable riding the bike at night here because I have yet to see any large road kill on the side of the roads. There was almost no traffic also.

**BMWST?** · 11th February 2011, 20:07

Originally Posted by olegeezer

The tour did not end until 915pm and I had to drive back to my room in the dark. I feel more comfortable riding the bike at night here because I have yet to see any large road kill on the side of the roads. There was almost no traffic also.

the biggest wild animal you will find is prolly a hare.The biggest danger re animals at night would be stock which has escaped from a farm

**olegeezer** · 13th February 2011, 06:47

Tuesday, February 8. Kaikoura looked really nice this morning as the fog lifted and I got to see the mountains for the first time. It was time to go north so, like the rest of the tourists, I packed up and got on my trusty steed and headed for Blenheim on route 1 which paralled the coast. Nice ride and the temps were comfy and the sun was out. I took route 6 to St Arnoud just to ride a different road and I guess this was the most straight stretch of road I have encountered in the south island. But it was a pretty, wide valley, with high mountains on both sides. Vineyards bordered the road a good portion of the way. It just seems like you can't find a road here with BAD scenery. Which is good! As I neared Tanaka I had to climb (Tanaka Hill) the mountain, and I don't know why they call it a hill but back home it would be a mountain. Great views from the mountain and you could see the ocean in the distance. Curvy and steep the road was and populated with many large trucks. But it was all fun and I found my next hostel with no problem. The guy running it said he could keep me busy for 5 days just looking at the major stuff. We shall see but I have planned to proceed further north in less than five days?

Wednesday, February 9 I got on the road early to a Wainui Bay and had to ride about 1km on gravel to get to the car park. There was a group of people, looked like all retirees gathered in the parking lot as I pulled in. One gentleman took me to a map and instructed me on what I could do there and gave me a few good tips on avoiding getting caught in the tide on the beach. I tagged along with their group of about 15 and got to talk to several of them during the trip. The beach and mountain just behind it were great and it was an easy hike to get to Taupo point where a few of us took a "brief" swim in the Tasman Sea.
The water was cool but refreshing they say here. We were on the trail about 2 hours and I headed back to Takaka and decided to go to Farewell Spit and ended up taking a guided tour in a "made for sand" 4WD bus. It was good and the driver was a pretty good talker and guide. The tour did not end until 915pm and I had to drive back to my room in the dark. I feel more comfortable riding the bike at night here because I have yet to see any large road kill on the side of the roads. There was almost no traffic also.

Thursday, February 10. I was planning on another hike to a different bay but needed to book another night in my room. I was too late and they had rented it , so I headed for Picton to catch the ferry back to the north island the next day.

Friday, February 11. I caught the 10am Interislander ferrry for Wellington. About 30 motorcycles showed up, most were going to a Triumph rally in Whanganui. I got a good tip on a festival in Napier with a car show, concerts, art deco stuff? for Feb 20 but a motorcycle race in the town of Paeroa is on the same day. I think I will focus on the race.
A good Kiwibiker,(Hawkeye) Kenny offered to meet me at the ferry and he was there when I got off. He finished his work day while I took a cable car to the top of the hill in downtown Wellington. Nice ride and then we rode to his place where he met his 11 year old daughter and computer wiz. We freshened up and took the bikes back in town and they showed me a few sights (Mount Victoria) which has a great view of the city, harbor and airport. The airport is built on land that was raised during an earthquake and was previously underwater. We rode up a real nice hill in Paekakariki which had a stunning view of Pukerua Bay and Kapiti Island in the distance. Wouldn't you know the helmet cam battery died before we got there. We had pizza for dinner and went back to Kennys' place.

Saturday, February 12 . I slept in until 7am and Kenny cooked breakfast. We rode back into Wellington with Chloe riding pillion on Kenny's Katana 750. We went looking for a spare battery for the Hero cam but it was not to be found but I did find out where one was at further north. So we took off riding around Wellington (Mirimar Loop, Kiaro to Makara and took in the Te Papa museum in town. A very nice museum that needs plenty of time to enjoy it all. We were standing in a park with windsurfers all around when I noticed a plaque mounted up on a pedestal. I read the plaque which was in memory of US Marines who camped there during World War II and later fought and died on the South Pacific Islands. I told Kenny and Chloe that my dad and brother were both US Marines and my day had served in the South Pacific, my brother in Vietnam. This plaque was on Pauatahanui Inlet. (for all you current and former Marines). I know there will always be a soft spot in my heart for the Marines. Kenny and Chloe have been great hosts and I hope he will come the US someday so I can return his hospitality.