South Island ride

[Lou Girardin]

I've just got back from a week down there, what a great place. It's been 21 years since I did a tour by bike and it's still as good as I remembered.
We crossed the ditch on Sat 14th and stayed with a mate in Blenheim. Sunday morn and it's off to Nelson to drop some gear off at the in-laws place.
Then, Wayne and his '78 beemer, who had been moaning that we'd leave him for dead, pissed off. Bugger, he can ride and knows the roads too.
The roads are magic, almost no traffic and well surfaced fast sweepers with the odd tight stuff thrown in.
!st night in Westport, dinner at the Irish bar, pork roast and 3 veg = $11.95, 2 beers $6.30. Damn near what you pay for a latte and muffin in Auck.
Next morning it was off to Greymouth and over the Arthurs Pass. Hordes of Hardleys heading north from their rally down south. Just as well most of them don't wave, we would have had really sore arms.
From Arthurs Pass on, the scenery takes your breath away. Around every corner is another snow topped mountain or braided river. Amazing.
We had intended to stay at Amberly. But we got there early, so Wayne thought he'd head back home to catch Billy Connelly and we decided to try to get to Nelson over the Lewis pass. This was an even better road than Arthurs, but the scenery wasn't as good. So, 350km's and 3 1/4 hours later we were almost at Richmond. Except, that my genius riding buddy didn't take the '214km to Nelson' sign seriously when we gassed up at Springs Junction and only put 10 dollars in. One quaint feature of rural Sth Island is that gas stations shut around 6.00PM. After running on fumes for 10km's, we found a card pump. 18.6 litres in an 18 liter tank! Finally home, there were more rides to tell, but I'm late for work.
Lou

[Hitcher]

You're just whetting my appetite Lou! Mrs H and I have two weeks booked from 5 March. We're on the Bluebridge on Sunday 7 and from there have no firm plans. The West Coast is a must -- particularly a run up to Karamea. So too central Otago. Otherwise we'll make the decision whether we go clockwise or anticlockwise once we get a look at the weather forecast...

[duckman]

You're just whetting my appetite Lou! Mrs H and I have two weeks booked from 5 March. We're on the Bluebridge on Sunday 7 and from there have no firm plans. The West Coast is a must -- particularly a run up to Karamea. So too central Otago. Otherwise we'll make the decision whether we go clockwise or anticlockwise once we get a look at the weather forecast...

See ya down there Mr H, I'm crossing the watery bit on the 7th and I've got about 8 days in the south.

[Lou Girardin]

Hitcher, try the inland route to the dams, Lindis pass, etc. I think it's more interesting than the coast road. have a good ride.
Lou

[merv]

South Island is great. Upper Buller Gorge down to Inangahua is a favourite of mine, likewise all the roads around there like lower Buller, coast road to Grey from Westport, plus inland routes to Springs Junction and Reefton. I also enjoy the passes especially Lindis - how's the cop quota down there these days? Haast Pass is magic past the two lakes on to Makarora and then over the pass to Haast and the ride up to Franz is heaven. Even Crown Range road is great on a road bike these days as its been sealed for a few years now likewise the trip round the lake from Queenstown to Glenorchy. Basically you can't go wrong, the roads are fun with less traffic than you get in the North.

[Kickaha]

If anyone heading south wants a place to stay pm me I am just out of Christchurch and have a spare room and bed.

[dangerous]

If any of you guys that are comming down this way have any questions about which route to take then just ask, and as you come of the motorway into ChCh don't forget to toot at the 6th house on ya left

Duckman try and get away sooner cos on the 6-7 march is the biggest SI rally at Waimate called the March Hair and that goes for you to Hitcher

[750Y]

If any of you guys that are comming down this way ... and as you come of the motorway into ChCh don't forget to toot at the 6th house on ya left

blow that, pick up a dozen cold reds and bowl on in there, they need some decent beer down those parts, trust me i was forced to drink CD last week in CHCH, not a pretty sight but better than speights. Drink speights..got no mates.

[Lou Girardin]

Our trip was almost totally cop - free. Saw one north of Greymouth, he didn't even check me. Saw another between Oxford and Amberly, but got a warning well before he saw us. But this isn't normal, last time down there I saw packs of the critters.
Lou

[LB]

Great report Lou, I love reading about the Sth Island - it brings back nothing but wonderful memories of my own rides!! Agree with all the others re the good roads.

[Pickle]

See ya down there Mr H, I'm crossing the watery bit on the 7th and I've got about 8 days in the south.

We are taking a week off and crossing the ditch on the 3rd April, heading to Hokitika then onto Queenstown, Te Anau and Doubtful Sound. Looking forward to the great roads and hospitality. Going to catch up with some mates doing the Gypsy Tour in Queenstown. Looking forward to the Buller gorge and the whole West Coast.Does anyone know if the Catlins are completely sealed yet? Will be in ChCh Sat of Easter and possibly the Fri
Is that bastard cop still hanging around Cheviot revenue raising?

[LB]

We are taking a week off and crossing the ditch on the 3rd April, heading to Hokitika then onto Queenstown, Te Anau and Doubtful Sound. Looking forward to the great roads and hospitality. Going to catch up with some mates doing the Gypsy Tour in Queenstown. Looking forward to the Buller gorge and the whole West Coast.Does anyone know if the Catlins are completely sealed yet? Will be in ChCh Sat of Easter and possibly the Fri
Is that bastard cop still hanging around Cheviot revenue raising?

About this time last year the Catlins still had quite a bit of gravel. Some of the e-riders went through in the pissing down rain, the gravel had only been re-laid a day or two earlier, and a Big Mack came barrelling up behind them and sat right up their dates till they could find a reasonable place to pull over.

Give me the tarmac any day......

Don't know about the Cheviot cop, but I never take any chances round that area, even 20 years after I last knew for certain that he was still there!! (he must be related to the one who used to live at Waverley!)

[Kickaha]

Is that bastard cop still hanging around Cheviot revenue raising?

We saw three between the Conway and Cheviot coming back from a trail ride a couple of weeks ago,but there had been a fatal round the Bluffs.

Cop in Cheviot a few years ago let two of us off a 125kmh ticket,with just a little talk and told to slow down.

[dangerous]

Is that bastard cop still hanging around Cheviot revenue raising?

Ohhh yeh...... the problem is he got wet, and multiplied on avarage 5 between Picton and ChCh this does not include the camera van and Laser gun Who I might add hides in the bush believe me! I was done (in my truck)while passing a car 10 at night on the only SAFE straight north of Kaikoura (Clarance)
You should be safeish on the west coast but if you are comming back up the east coast then dont push it.

[igor]

I've just got back from a week down there, what a great place. It's been 21 years since I did a tour by bike and it's still as good as I remembered.
We crossed the ditch on Sat 14th and stayed with a mate in Blenheim. Sunday morn and it's off to Nelson to drop some gear off at the in-laws place.
Then, Wayne and his '78 beemer, who had been moaning that we'd leave him for dead, pissed off. Bugger, he can ride and knows the roads too.
Lou

thats not Nanny Brock ya talkin about is it