Here you go, this was my Mild Monkey, I mean Brass Monkey ...
Friday
My mate (KLR650) and I left Chch at around 1200 and slowly worked our way out of town in the drizzle and stop start traffic and slowly overheating inside our wet weather gear. Once we cleared Chch and got up to a decent speed temperatures returned to normal and the drizzle stopped around Hornby. A quick stop at Ashburton for lunch and fuel then continued down to Temuka then inland to Albury where we met up with Transalper and Co – this made us 7 in the group. I had a thermometer attached to the bike and the temperature had varied between 11 and 8 deg to this point. We all headed off to Mackenzie Pass from here, the 1st part of which had new deep gravel recently laid, which made for an interesting ride. There was ice in the roadside ditches and one bridge was white with frost but the road itself was fine. The 2nd half of Mackenzie Pass was fogged in so it was visor up to see properly which got a bit chilly as the temp had dropped to 0.3 deg through here. Out of the fog and onto Hakataramea Pass which didn’t have new gravel and was in good condition and so with time getting on and wanting to get as far as possible before dark the pace was picked up – yee ha. Only one gate to open this time and the fords were all low so was able to keep up a good pace and made it off the gravel in failing light then the last 40km to Kurow in the dark where we stayed at the motor camp for the night. Overnight low here was 5deg.
Saturday
Left Kurow and met up with Lemans and SDU to go over Dansey’s Pass. Uneventful ride in great conditions, plenty of other bikes on the road including some nice road bikes, big cleaning job coming up for those guys I imagine. Spotted a nice looking Indian at the top - well done that man. On to the compulsory stop at the Dansey’s Pass pub – lots of bikes there and nice and warm inside. The ride over the hill was at about 6 deg, and no sign of any bad weather on this day. Continue off the pass, through Naseby and on to the rally site to find the KB flag and set up camp. Warm on site, no sign of ice, sunglasses needed but no jacket, temp was 12 deg. Temp dropped to around 5 deg when the sun went down.
Sunday
It rained during the night so I figured that would put an end to any ice, and sure enough, I checked the thermometer in the morning to find the overnight low had only been 3.1 deg outside the tent. The lack of ice/frost and the soft ground conditions confirm the warm temp (warm for the Brass that is). The road bikes were having some trouble leaving the site on the slippery conditions but the adventurers were fine. Left the site and headed back to Dansey’s Pass in patchy drizzle which turned to rain as the altitude increased and became fairly heavy at times approaching the top of the pass, then stopped completely once over the top. About halfway back down we came across a chap on a BMW F650 whose spring had popped off the side stand causing the stand to drag on the ground. Stopped to give him a hand and then my mate on the KLR noticed he had lost a bag off his bike, so got the BMW going while the KLR back tracked looking for the bag. Eventually the KLR returned with the soaked bag – it had landed in a small steam to make a dam of itself. Continued on to Kurow for lunch and fuel, then back onto Hakataramea Pass, where it was raining off and on. Started raining properly about 20km before Fairlie. Lots of bare tar patches which I was quite cautious of in the wet conditions with knobblies on the bike, also the visor was fogging up so had to stay partially open – this was the worst part of the trip in the cold and wet conditions, then the last stop at Gelraldine for more fuel and apply more Rainex and Fog Off to the visor – that cured the fogging problems. From there it was a straight forward ride home down Thompson’s track to Rakaia and home to Chch, hot shower and hot food at 6pm.
Highlights for me …
MacKenzie Pass, Haka Pass, Dansey's Pass, Dansey’s Pass again, Haka Pass again … mmm all the dirt road stuff. Not much in the way of photos here – I was having too much fun to stop.
Lowlights …
Only one – the road 20km before Fairlie through to Geraldine on the way home – cold, wet, fogging visor, poor road conditions.
Photo’s
1. Group of us at the top of Dansey's Pass on Friday
2. The Indian at the top of the Pass
3. Dansey’s Pass pub
4. Camped at the rally
5. Dansey’s on the way home while waiting for the KLR to get back
The views expressed above may not match yours - But that's the reason my Dad went to war - wasn't it?
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, .... but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out,... shouting "man, what a ride"!!!
Its colder outside now than it was at the rally!
), so it became the envy of surrounding area.
).
cheers all
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Otago Daily Times
Originally Posted by paturoa
it may be a big bike but i know whos legs its been between
But NOT this time. I know it wasn't me because I was kept awake all night by the loudest snoring I've heard in many a year.
My brass weekend
Got to the rally site and the KB flag about 4:30pm, just in time for brief giddays before the group photo. It was good to meet more of the crew, drink and talk bikes 'round the fire, as one does. The rally was really cool, well organised and a great place to chill out. Someone remember to pack a grinder to make some holes in the fire drum next year, OK?!
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