A week of it

[XF650]

Last weekend I was rescue boat again in kayak section of a well known event. My station is usually a trouble spot & this year was no exception - we lost count at over 30 assists but luckily only two evacuations. The boat gets horribly garked working amoungst the rocks but it's great fun and I have full admiration & respect for the competitors.
Sponsorship rules restrict posting pics of the action but here's one of my jet boat, crewman (son Mark), and our lovely paramedic.


After that big day we loaded up the camping gear & headed with friends to our favourite holiday spot - the Outlet @ Wanaka. Toys for the week included kayaks, mountain bikes, jet boats and of course my DT230 & Graeme's KLX300.

[Aslan]

envious of you Struan - having done the Coast to Coast I'm aware of the carnage that can occur in the gorge - cheers S

[XF650]

There's heaps of riding in Monstaman's backyard and we were hitting the trails most mornings. Have to watch out for mountain bikes though and more & more we are seeing "mountain bikes only" signs on some trails.
We also try to ride new stuff each year and this time we found a couple of crackers. First was the Lake Hawea Station loop. Permission only through farm tracks & DOC Reserve. Highlight is up highest peak which locals call "Top of the World", with stunning views of Lakes Wanaka & Hawea, and both Mt Aspiring & Mt Cook. Please excuse "pose" shots but it was an awesome spot.
On the way back I picked up an old bit of sheep netting that managed to rip off my tail piece, split chain & shock guards & wrapped around my back wheel before taking the bike out from under me. The bitter irony to that is I'm in the fencing business....

[junkmanjoe]

what unit you running in your jet boat..
i ran a Colorado 3 stage behind a 350 chev i had a Hamilton J52.

[XF650]

The 2nd track we hadn't ridden before is to the old Otago Hotel ruins in Skippers. Access to the track is just past the Skippers cemetry & it didn't look like vehicles had used it for a long time. Further in there is a steep drop where legend has it that years ago a guy on an old British bike had to dissmantle it to get it back up! Not sure if thats true or not but you can see in the pic (DT having a rest at the top - way steeper than it looks blah, blah) that it would be very difficult on road tyres - it's a mix of rock & sand. We didn't hang around in the river for long - the sandflies were bloody hungry.
While in Skippers we also had a fang up the Branches Rd, which is very big bike friendly.

[XF650]

T'was another great week camping in Central Otago. Perfect weather, the Lakes were calm (if high) & the trails dry & fast. I would also thoroughly recconmend the Outlet @ Wanaka for anyone's camping holiday - it's got everything, even a MX track behind the Camp! 2nd pic is from hill top above the Camp, looking up Stephenson's Arm.
Other pic of side-car outfit we overtook on the way home yesterday - looks like he's covering all bases:

[XF650]

envious of you Struan - having done the Coast to Coast I'm aware of the carnage that can occur in the gorge - cheers S

I salute you Stephen.

[XF650]

what unit you running in your jet boat..
i ran a Colorado 3 stage behind a 350 chev i had a Hamilton J52.

772 & 3.8 Ecotech Buick (3rd motor since I'v owned it!).
Previous owner sunk it & I'v crashed, bashed & rolled her - a true adventure boat.
Anyone brave enough for a ride??

[timg]

Awesome mate. We loved our week at the Inlet. Neat wee spot. If you ever need crew... Cheers, T.

[Padmei]

envious of you Struan - having done the Coast to Coast I'm aware of the carnage that can occur in the gorge - cheers S

Bloody jetboats- worse than a camera in your face for causing carnage. Then I hear they damage your kayaks as they take you out too!!-bloody hoons. Still the rock garden always sorts out the north Islanders from the real coasters

I thought it had been getting quiet around here for a week- no emails of DT230s for sale.

Glad you had a good break. It musthave been hot down there - we've been fair melting up here

[junkmanjoe]

772 & 3.8 Ecotech Buick (3rd motor since I'v owned it!).
Previous owner sunk it & I'v crashed, bashed & rolled her - a true adventure boat.
Anyone brave enough for a ride??

next time im down..........ill drive...
been looking at picking up another one, or building one again..

JMJ

[Paul in NZ]

The side car is John S's (of british Spares wellington) highly modified pre unit 650... hes a friggin legend. Rides it all over, locks her up and honks off on the MTB...

I reckon if it ever broke down he could make a part from almost anything if you gave him a battery drill and a hacksaw. Bloody good guy and a mechanical / machinist genius....