South Island bikers just a rumour?

[T.I.E]

is it 3 years old allready?

[skidMark]

They aint on SH1, usually opting for the inland route up to kaikoura, / blatting through the back country, i wa rarely on SH1.

some wanker on a gixxer passed me at 300 clicks within about a foot of me once on SH1 down there, hes lucky i didnt pull into the pub i knew he had gone to and rip him a new asshole.

[AllanB]

some wanker on a gixxer passed me at 300 clicks within about a foot of me once on SH1 down there

Probably on his way back to the North Island and late for the Picton Ferry

Ever notice that in the South it is always the Picton Ferry - no matter which way you are travelling on it.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

They aint on SH1, usually opting for the inland route up to kaikoura, / blatting through the back country, i wa rarely on SH1..

What is this SH1 you talk of...????

[Skyryder]

G'day y'all

Yesterday I rode from Picton to Christchurch. (And you do still need your own tie-downs on the ferry.) Wonderfull stuff. All those winding unfamiliar roads and bugger-all traffic, the scenery was a bonus. I had a great big grin inside the helmet. It occurred to me that this was the sort of thing that we have in mind when perusing the new bike brochures but that we all too seldom actually get around to doing.

One thing I did notice though. I did not see one single solitary motorcycle (or scooter) from the time I left Picton until I arrived in Christchurch. Then I saw two scooters and a one bike in what was probably rush hour traffic.
The thought is starting to occur to me that the other biker, (a blue Suzuki Papanui, 4:30PM ish) was probably another North Islander.

I have been walking around today and have so far not seen one single solitary biker.

Am I missing something? Do South Islanders only ride on Sunny Sundays or what? Or do they actually exist at all?

Guess I had better go for a ride in the intrerests of research...

It's just that we ride so fast you don't see us.

Skyryder

[McJim]

Meh, anything North of Balclutha and you're virtually in the North Island. Come to the South Island... there are a few bikers down here.

[Griffin]

ummm... theres a SOUTH island???

[McJim]

ummm... theres a SOUTH island???

Where's Stokes Valley anyway? Is that near Stoke on Trent in England or summat?

[imdying]

Ever notice that in the South it is always the Picton Ferry - no matter which way you are travelling on it.

No, never noticed that, always just The Ferry... it's possible that it's only old people that refer to it as that, that remember when The Ferry left from Christchurch also.

[Griffin]

Where's Stokes Valley anyway? Is that near Stoke on Trent in England or summat?

Stokes Valley is nestled between Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt in the Wellington region of the North Island (We kiwis are so original with our names for places).
It was part of a bundle of land that was purchased from Wellington Maori in September 1839, the deal being finalised on the decks of the 'Tory' anchored in Wgtn harbour. The bundle of land purchased was the areas we now know as Wellington and the Hutt Valley so Stokes Valley was still to be defined at that stage.
Stokes Valley itself is named after Robert Stokes (b1810 - d1880) a surveyor working for the New Zealand Company, who arrived in NZ aboard the 'Cuba' in January 1840. Through the following months he surveyed several parts of Wgtn and the Hutt Valley, and during this time he gave his name to a small Valley in the Hutt... Stokes Valley.
Interestingly Robert Stokes was one of a group of the first ever 'white men' to cross the Rimutakas into the Wairarapa (a renowned route for us bikers) and was a staunch advocate for the construction of the Rimutaka railway line.

Now you know
Where is Invercargill?????

[Griffin]

Just in case your wondering what the 'cost' of purchasing Wellington and the Hutt Valley was to the Crown back in 1839... it was:

100 red blankets, 100 muskets, 2 tierces of tobacco, 48 iron pots, 2 cases of soap, 15 fowling pieces, 21 kegs of gunpowder, 1 case of ball cartridges, 1 keg of lead slabs, 100 cartouche boxes, 100 tomahawks, 40 pipe tomahawks, 1 case of pipes, 2 dozen spades, 12 bullet moulds, 12 dozen shirts, 20 jackets, 20 pairs of trousers, 60 red nightcaps, 300 yards of cotton duck, 200 yards of calico, 100 yards of check, 2 dozen pocket handkerchiefs, 2 dozen slates, 200 pencils, 10 dozen looking glasses, 10 dozen pocket knives, 10 dozen pairs of scissors, 1 dozen pairs of shoes, 1 dozen umbrellas, 1 dozen hats, 2 pounds of beads, 100 yards of ribbon, 1 gross of jews' harps, 1 dozen razors, 10 dozen combs, 6 dozen hoes, 2 suits of superfine clothes, 1 dozen shaving boxes and brushes, 2 dozen adzes and 1 dozen sticks of sealing wax.

[Jantar]

.....Now you know
Where is Invercargill?????

I too have heard rumours of a place called Invercargill. So the Strom is fuelled up and straight after lunch I'm going to head south looking for it. I have been warned not to blink or I may end up at Bluff (Eagle Tavern of course) and not actually see this place Called Invercargill.

[chrisso]

We heard you were coming to town, and we know how bad North Island bikers are that we stay off the road

Aye tis a great part of the world...I used to love riding from Blenheim to ChCh back in the 80s---even less traffic back then...Kaikoura coast is stunning eh!
Used to red-line bike thru the Tunnels..yeeehaaaaaaaaa

[chrisso]

No, never noticed that, always just The Ferry... it's possible that it's only old people that refer to it as that, that remember when The Ferry left from Christchurch also.

Pedantic Alert!!! you mean Lyttletonlol

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

I too have heard rumours of a place called Invercargill. So the Strom is fuelled up and straight after lunch I'm going to head south looking for it. I have been warned not to blink or I may end up at Bluff (Eagle Tavern of course) and not actually see this place Called Invercargill.

In ver car gill wheres that in relation to where I am now???