Jatz's travels

[young1]

A quiet sunday afternoon pootle up the Motueka valley, and some other places, running in the new GPS
I do like the Autumn colours

Great photo

[Transalper]

Nice, I do like the Autumn colours too.

[JATZ]

Was that Anzac Day? Thought I seen you trickling through Tapawera?

Nah it was last sunday afternoon. I was logging some GPS routes for RemoteMoto
Anzac day I was off to Chch, then Cheviot and a snuffle around out towards the coast on the Sunday. Followed by a hell ride home in the dark with strong winds and rain it wasn't pleasant.
Was that you on the old XR ??

Great photo

Nice, I do like the Autumn colours too.

Thanks guys here's another one

[Moi]

Those trees almost sparkle in that autumn sunlight...

That's a really great photo

[JATZ]

Soaking a bit of bait this evening, in Kenepuru sound, waiting for the fire to die down before cooking a bit of steak...
Life is good

Sent from my ZTE R83

[eldog]

Soaking a bit of bait this evening, in Kenepuru sound, waiting for the fire to die down before cooking a bit of steak...
Life is good

Sent from my ZTE R83

your mbkie gota canopy now - thats BMW for ya.

I always enjoy your travels, an inspiration.

Theres a few people who post who I really enjoy their writing and pictures, your one of them. Keep up the good work. Maybe one day I might be good enough to try this too.

[JATZ]

your mbkie gota canopy now - thats BMW for ya.

I always enjoy your travels, an inspiration.

Theres a few people who post who I really enjoy their writing and pictures, your one of them. Keep up the good work. Maybe one day I might be good enough to try this too.

Yip... the s**t you can get from Touratech is out standing

But seriously, sometimes it's just easier to lob some crap in the back and take off. Gives me somewhere to make a little nest for sleeping in too Next time I'm taking the bike and the decent camera

Happy to have you along for the ride too

[JATZ]

Part of the playlist from this weekends ride about for your listening pleasure while I re-size some pics and get them sorted, maybe have some tea.



I had a fairly laid back ride
I also read this on another forum. It struck a chord with me so I thought I'd share

"Now, I don't want to blow the surprise for any of you who haven't done an extensive trip on a motorbike, but most of it sucks. Long hours in the saddle, boring roads, weather, crapulent hotel rooms, road closures, traffic, bad food, no food, broken toll booths, etc. If ride reports were realistic, readers would be crushed to death by boredom and no one would read them. You survive--and enjoy--long rides by ignoring all that crap. You stay motivated because you know that, if you keep going, you'll see or experience something you'll remember for the rest of your life. Something that'll change you. You don't get that with comfort or predictability, so you take the hit and keep your eyes peeled for something worthwhile and memorable.

One of my greatest motivators are these 'environmental influences' that implant themselves inside me. Certain places nail you in the gut with a 'feeling', a perfect, all-encompassing memory of a particular, peculiar event in time and space. For me, these only happen in solitude and they only happen in random places, like on the edge of a cornfield as a storm approaches or near an irrigation ditch or on the side of a dirt pile on a back road. For a minute or two it's as if the environment funnels all of its energy into you and leaves an imprint that lasts a lifetime. It's as if, instead of me looking out over the landscape, the landscape peers inside of me, leaving its impression imprinted forever. "

From AntiHero and his RR over here
http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...00338&page=101

I think it applies to rides of a day or a week, or more, it doesn't matter.

[JATZ]

Well... You may remember, back in January I went over the Sounds, trying to link up a couple of roads I could see on a map, it didn't happen due to an alleged locked gate at one end . I've been thinking about it for a while now, and checked it out when I was over there a couple of weeks ago, in the yoot. I think I must have some form of O.C.D.
Anyway... I had a new front tyre to scrub in and what better place to do it than Kenepuru sound.
I diddled about a bit on Sat morn getting the tyre fitted by the professionals (yeah, I know... a purist would've done it themselves, but I woke up feeling lazy ) Threw some stuff in the panniers, and George in the tank bag and hit the road early afternoon, under a watery winter sun. Through Nelson, grabbing some gas and cash on the way through.



Then had a cruisey ride over the Whangamoas, even getting overtaken by a shitbox little 323 which didn't bother me one bit. I realized when I got to Rai vlly I hadn't eaten all day so stopped to inhale a pie.
I carried on.
Some more of the playlist...



Through Havelock, and around Q.C. drive, where George escaped from his hiding place



to the turn off at Linkwater, and into the twisties of Kenepuru sound. It really is a nice ride through there



With some nice views of the sea



Got to the head of the sound, a good place to ... "Spot" a horse



Moooving right along... We carried on to Waitaria bay



And took the road over the hill to Manaroa



The day was getting old by the time I hung a right towards Clova bay



And made my way towards the D.o.C. campsite there. The sun was going to bed by this stage



Followed by this little show.



Sometimes you just have to switch the bike off and take a moment. Just be there, and appreciate where you are in the universe, and what is around you. It was one of those moments.
Anyway... We got to the campsite in the dusk/dark and I hastily set up camp and cooked tea,(Beef in red wine with mashed spuds and couscous, in case you were wondering )while the torch batteries slowly died

[JATZ]

After a Veeeeerrrrrryyyy Looooooonnnnngggggg night, I really need to update some stuff The new sleeping bag from trademe was sortof half warm enough, I'm sure it would've been fine back when it was new, and probably kept Shackleton warm when he was mucking about in Antarctica, but it's past it use by date I think Maybe I could donate it to a museum Also need to update my sleeping mat... it's a lot thin
Or maybe I'm to old to be sleeping on the ground
Anyway... here's home for the night



I fully expected to be woken by cows during the night, judging by the amount of fresh pooos in the campsite, but they must've herd I was coming and gone to greener pastures. (Bwwaaaahahahaha... see what I did there)
Here's the end of the road at Clova bay



It was going to be a cracker of a day I turned around and went back to Manaroa



where I had to hang a right and check out the locked gate situation again. It may have been locked before, but was open today



There may or may not have been a sign on the left which said "PRIVATE PROPERTY, NO THOROUGHFARE" or words to that effect. I'm not sure as I didn't jump the creek to find out so I carried on...
Looking back to Manaroa



I got to a cross roads and shot off down the middle track, it seemed to head in the right direction



Pretty soon I popped out at someones garage so I beat a hasty retreat back up the hill and took the right road



Before long Ellie bay was reached. so it was time to stop and soak it up a bit





and chat to a nice chap who came along, I think he was enjoying the day too, going down to the jetty to fillet some fresh cod.
Tearing ourselves away from the peacefulness we carried on to Crail bay then up and over the hill back to Kenepuru sound, stopping on the saddle for an early lunch



I had a wee panic attack here, when I couldn't find George, I knew he was there somewhere, but I couldn't find him . It was quite un nerving realising how attached I've become to him. I located him eventually, he'd got wrapped up in the sleeping bag when I jammed it back in the pannier, glad I found him otherwise I would've had to have gone back down to Ellie bay to look for him

This may give you an idea of the lay of the land



Then it was just another gentle cruise back 'round the Sound and onwards towards home. So no pics.
The tyre worked well and hung on remarkably well for a knobbly, there's no chicken strips on it now
I think I'm all Sounded out now, for a while, considering that's the 4th time I've been down there this year, and I have some stuff to go shopping for before my next little adventure

[Aslan]

great stuff Jatz - lovely pics, excellent prose and I'm loving your reflecting and sharing your philosophy - onya!

[Box'a'bits]

Dammit, you're making me feel the urge to go down south again. Must....resist...

[Night Falcon]

Awesomeness of the Sounds is so much better on a motorbike. Cool RR

[_Shrek_]

After a Veeeeerrrrrryyyy Looooooonnnnngggggg night, I really need to update some stuff The new sleeping bag from trademe was sortof half warm enough, I'm sure it would've been fine back when it was new, and probably kept Shackleton warm when he was mucking about in Antarctica, but it's past it use by date I think Maybe I could donate it to a museum Also need to update my sleeping mat... it's a lot thin
Or maybe I'm to old to be sleeping on the ground

or maybe you just need some concrete pills

some very nice country you're in there Jatz & the pic's

[Moi]

Great photos as usual and enjoyable text... especially like the red sunset photo and the one of Ellie Bay. Seeing them makes up for the unpleasant wind and rain we had most of the weekend...

[KitDaCat is glad to know that George did not get left behind...]