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Thread: Eight days through the South Island

  1. #1
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    27th December 2006 - 07:46
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    Eight days through the South Island

    It was time for the Shiver and me to have another camping trip around the South Island New Zealand.



    This is the route I took. Starting and finishing at the ferry terminal at Picton, then 7 nights, 8 days and about 2700km.



    A somewhat dreary ferry crossing, here coming into Tory Channel.



    But the weather dramatically improved as I rode south. Turned west up the Awatere Valley where some excellent wines are grown.



    And then onto the Acheron Road through Molesworth Station. The road is 210 km long with about 150km of gravel. It rises to about 1200m and I once camped there on New Years day when it snowed. No snow today, just great weather.


  2. #2
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    27th December 2006 - 07:46
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    The country was very dry.



    About two thirds of the way through is an excellent camping spot with about half a dozen other vehicles (but no bikes).



    Some of the rugged hills around the camp site.



    And one of the locals.

  3. #3
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    27th December 2006 - 07:46
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    Being close to the equinox the sun rises later, so it was a relatively early start in the cool of the morning.



    Being near the end of the summer season, the road was often quite badly corrugated. The Shiver handled the gravel fine (Michelin Road 5 tyres), but the rear suspension did suffer in the corrugations.
    There were quite a few bikes, mainly adventure / dual sport bikes (including an Africa Twin which had to ride about 50km on a flat front tyre), but a few trail bikes (including one that flew out of a corner but was thankfully unhurt).


    Much of the road is very isolated with no cellphone reception.



    Nearing Hamner Springs. I remembered there are two passes into Hamner Springs. Jack's Pass and Jollie's Pass. One is difficult, the other not so. Jollie's Pass proved quite challenging on a road bike loaded with camping gear!



    I then rode south, bypassing Christchurch, then west to Arthurs Pass. I camped here at Lake Pearson and had a glorious swim in the lake.



    A wonderful starry night!

    [To be continued]

  4. #4
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    16th December 2006 - 11:22
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    Great photos. Jollie's Pass was challenging enough in a 4x4 last year. I can only imagine it on a fully laden bike.

    Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

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    Thanks for sharing some cool pics

  6. #6
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    Yeah wife trying to get to sleep but I keep insisting on showing her the next one.
    Don't you look at my accountant.
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  7. #7
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    great pics and a great pic and some choice words of the view of Isolated Flats.

  8. #8
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    13th March 2003 - 11:47
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    Great to see your ride photos Frodo
    Cheers

    Merv

  9. #9
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    24th November 2015 - 11:20
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    Excellent photos there. I rode Molesworth on Wed this week and your photos are better than mine.

    Jollies was quite rough on a DR650 so all kudos to you for doing it on a Shiver!

  10. #10
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    Great work Frodo! Really enjoying this report, brilliant photos too.

  11. #11
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    27th December 2006 - 07:46
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    Thanks for your comments.
    A fantastic country we live in, eh!

  12. #12
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    27th December 2006 - 07:46
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    The next morning started dreary with low cloud. This is heading up to Arthur's Pass.


    But the weather cleared at Arthur's Pass, which is great because this is a brilliant road when dry.


    I had a coffee in Arthurs Pass village, keeping an eye out for this kea, which was sizing up my bike.


    The great weather continued down towards the coast.


    Highway 6 down the West Coast is one of my favourite rides.


    With the Southern Alps as a backdrop.

  13. #13
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    27th December 2006 - 07:46
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    The ride on a partly gravel road out from Fox Glacier to Gillespie's Beach was worth it. I left the low cloud for a brilliant sunset.


    Some of the campers built a fire and we were treated to a glorious Milky Way, and gave a blood donation to the local mosquitoes!


    The moon was bright enough to illuminate the Southern Alps but not obscure the stars. Mt Tasman is the high peak on the left and Mt Cook / Aoraki on the right.


    The next morning some rare Hector's dolphins swam past to bid me farewell.


    The morning cloud followed me southwards.


    But thankfully the weather cleared up through Haast Pass, another great road.


    Riding along Lake Wanaka towards Wanaka.


    That night I rented a cabin alongside at Glendhu Bay, Lake Wanaka - first shower in four days!

  14. #14
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    27th December 2006 - 07:46
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    Another cloudy, cool start to the day so I dropped into the Cardrona Hotel for a coffee.


    I was soon joined by two guys who had almost completed riding their bicycles the length of New Zealand. Motorbikes are much easier!


    I rode south from Queenstown along Lake Whakatipu in morning cloud. The last time I rode this way, it was into a rainstorm! I had six of seven days riding in rain. Not this time though!


    But the weather cleared and the sun shone brightly by the time I got to Te Anau. A great ride up the valley towards Milford Sound.


    The scenery is dramatic (and the road brilliant) riding into an ever-narrowing valley towards the Homer tunnel.

  15. #15
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    27th December 2006 - 07:46
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    Thanks to covid closing the border to most overseas tourists and arriving late in the day, Milford Sound, normally one of New Zealand's busiest tourist destinations was almost deserted.


    Mitre Peak.


    And a stunning sunset - just me and the sandflies! I had an interesting ride at night back to my campsite at Knobs Flat in the Eglington Valley.


    I packed up camp early to escape the early morning cloud - a bit of a pattern here. I had just enough fuel to make one trip into Milford Sound from Te Anau - I'm glad I went the previous night!


    The morning cloud cleared by the time I rode past Lake Te Anau.


    Then back up Lake Whakatipu - this time in brilliant weather.

    [To be continued]

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