The beauty of the Sth Island !!!

[MD]

Mark,great to hear the December dash lives on,I am a little suprised to hear,this year no one had their bikes impounded or fell off(sorry brent)
Sounds like a fantastic trip
Say gidday to Dion for me & glad you enjoyed riding the Senna,now can you see why you spend the extra money
Was the memorial for Grant??

Hi, I just realised who you are! Doh. Thanks for everything you've done for me over the years and look forward to seeing you around. A hell of a lot of people appreciated dealing with you.
Yes it was Grant's memorial. No one arrested this time, no bikes upside in a tree.
The memorial is a really nice silver plague on a rock. Each year the boys add another rock when on the Dash.
And yes one ride and you appreciate how special the Senna is. You never told me that was a tourer you sold me. Where's the hard luggage attach?
Cheers

[k14]

K14- oh bugger another name I wasn't aware of. Sorry mate. I had a nosey around Cromwell too. That road out of Clyde (HW8?) was stunning with that weird enormous brick terrace structure on the other side of the dam. Water drainage so I was told. One of the seven wonders of NZ that. And don't start me on the joy of the crown range- absolute bliss on a bike like mine.

yes indeed. known as the Cairnmuir slide. It isnt actually brick, it is terraces with a special membrane covering it to stop water getting into the rock, thus preventing a landslide. Something equally interesting is directly below the road opposite. One of the various tunnels through the gorge, goes approx 60m down and along below the road (and at a lower level than the bottom of lake dunstan) for about 2.5 or 3km.

Just a useless piece of info anyway.

[jumma]

Good read MD. Just got back from the south myself and found the Lindis and Crown ranges my favourtie two bits of road. The Haast Pass was amazing too, absolutely stunning scenery if you get time to enjoy it. Gutted I didn't take more photos but once I got going I didn't want to stop.

Nevermind, I know it won't be long till I'm tying the bike down on the ferry again.

[vifferman]

Bastids! Youz all bastids!

The Sarf Oilund is like my spritual home (well, it's probably genetic or summat, seeing as my Dad's family all come from there). Everytime I visit Central Otago and environs I feel like I've arrived.

Thanx for the pix - it's high time I rode those places instead of just driving around them.

[Alice]

Very jealous reading your story, sounds like you had an awesome time.
I love the country down there, Kaikoura, across Arthurs Pass, the West Coast, Franz and Fox, Hasst, Wanaka, Catlins Coast, back inland through Roxborough, Mount Cook, The Lakes in colours that are so beautiful, its pure magic down there.That country does something to your soul that cannot be described unless you experience the feeling I mean.

Good roads, hardly any traffic outside of the cities, and chances of seeing cops on the road less.I guess you had detectors anyway.

[gijoe1313]

Brilliant - just brilliant. Definitely brings back memories when I did the SI in a cage. This year I will be going back on my little twofiddy! Great photos and it sounds like you had an awesome experience. Will be great to get back down there again, but on two wheels of freedom!

[NinjaBoy]

Sounds like you had a great trip... and good to meet up again with you in Welly on Friday.

I'm planning a similar trip early next year when the weather is less ummm... rugged. Thanks for the luggage tip although I'm a cheap bassa who can't bear to throw anything away.

[limbimtimwim]

GAH!!!

This just makes me wish it was Feb. already so I can be on holiday again.

[Macktheknife]

Thanks for the luggage tip although I'm a cheap bassa who can't bear to throw anything away.

I have a similar way, just buy new socks/undies/shirt at warehouse or such every day, no washing, drying or faffing about. Costs a little bit but worth it for the ease of travel, $7-$10 per day = lots less luggage.

[limbimtimwim]

I have a similar way, just buy new socks/undies/shirt at warehouse or such every day, no washing, drying or faffing about. Costs a little bit but worth it for the ease of travel, $7-$10 per day = lots less luggage.

Per day? Come on, wear 'em a couple of days

[gijoe1313]

Per day? Come on, wear 'em a couple of days

Remind me not to stand downwind of you after touring for a couple of days!

[idb]

Meh!
I just call it 'outside'.

[Ghost_Bullet]

The South Island uh

[MD]

Sounds like you had a great trip... and good to meet up again with you in Welly on Friday.

I'm planning a similar trip early next year when the weather is less ummm... rugged. Thanks for the luggage tip although I'm a cheap bassa who can't bear to throw anything away.

Umm. I seem to recall you throwing your bike away! But you can't part with your dirty laundry? Go figure. Just joking. Really good of you guys to travel so far to farewell Bruce. Now look after that ZX6R tourer. You shouldn't be riding it likes it's a sports bike on a racetrack anyway.

[NinjaBoy]

Umm. I seem to recall you throwing your bike away! But you can't part with your dirty laundry? Go figure. Just joking. Really good of you guys to travel so far to farewell Bruce. Now look after that ZX6R tourer. You shouldn't be riding it likes it's a sports bike on a racetrack anyway.

Don't confuse me with the other Ninja rider (Nhuanh) - I have the Titanium Silver one.