To Kaikoura and beyond...

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 1st January 2007, 10:55

Well I head off to Kaikoura tomorrow (2/1/2007) basically its just a trip to show my face to my foster parents and to say yup Im still alive... then heading back on either the thursday or friday... depends how much of the family thing I can put up with...

So if there are any Kbers who want to join in along the way, ride part meet have a coffee... let me know errr...

hopefully get some good weather though its not looking that great at present

PS. I do get lost in ChCh so I usually use the bypass road

Oh and hopefully leaving Dunedin around 9am ish...?

**Hitcher** · 1st January 2007, 16:22

I can report that SH1 to Kaikoura is in good nick, apart from an endless daisy-chain of cagers and maggots. Watch out too for HPs patrolling the potentially quicker bits of highway. And Kaikoura is full of all manner of vehicles whose owners brains are disengaged. Apparently it's the holidays. Be very careful.

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 1st January 2007, 16:25

Thanx for that... yeah trying to keep that speed down...

**miSTa** · 1st January 2007, 16:26

Would be good to catch up but unfortunately not this week. See you next week at Glenorchy.

Have a great trip.

**MyGSXF:Me** · 1st January 2007, 16:35

Have a good trip mate!!!

& if ya wanna add an extra day or two on.. there's a place for ya to crash in Richmond!!

Jen

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 2nd January 2007, 06:33

Looks out window...

bugger gunna be a slowish long wet day....

Though does seem to be clearing from the south...

Thanx for those that have offered coffee stops

pS... ummm yes better add essentials to my pack... errrrr loo paper...lol

**GSX-RJIM** · 2nd January 2007, 07:11

Dam I wish I could be down there riding with ya, I'm stuck in big smelly old Auckland, dreaming of the pig route. Have fun.

**Silage** · 2nd January 2007, 21:25

Good you could drop through for coffee NH and nice to meet you.

If you are on line over the next few days and when you know your movements back from Kaikoura, put a post here cos I could be interested in meeting you in Cheviot or somewhere - the weather is looking good for later in da week.

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 4th January 2007, 20:11

Originally Posted by Silage

Good you could drop through for coffee NH and nice to meet you.

If you are on line over the next few days and when you know your movements back from Kaikoura, put a post here cos I could be interested in meeting you in Cheviot or somewhere - the weather is looking good for later in da week.

Hi Alan and family...
Thank you for your kind hospitality, if you are ever in Dunedin let me know as you are more for a coffee etc :-) was good that you could join me for a quick ride down to Rikaia... very straight roads there in canterbury :-)

Hope we meet again and go for a real ride with ummm things called corners

Also thanx 98tls (mike) and partner... for there kind hospitality....pitty could go for a ride... did you get your clutch fixed?

Regards

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 5th January 2007, 13:44

Well the 2nd of Jan came and I decided to haul my arse out of bed, and look out the window… the forcast was for clearing fine weather… well to my disgust it was damp and miserable… anyway loaded the bike and headed off. Once I got up and over the Killmog the roads cleared and stayed like that all the way up the country side.

My first stop was Shag Point (why because I can) it was really just a photo shot cause I just like the rugeredness of the beach.

My next stop Oamaru to met Mike or commonly know as 98tls. Got there without incident. Mike had his clutch in pieces, apparently this crotch I mean clutch was to tight ;-) Had a cuppa and a chat about everything and absolutely nothing all the normal stuff… Next stop Timaru for some gas and then onto Ashburton to visit a friend who wasn’t home how inconsiderate of her…

Into Christchurch and well those long straights are mighty boring but yah a corner crossing the railway lines wee… yahoo.. oh more straight road 

Meet up with Silage and family and had a lite-lunch and a cuppa (thank you Allen and wife) chatted again about everything and nothing… Back on the bypass road and heading north to Kaikoura. Entering the hills yah some twisties I can have some fun with… barreling up through the hills I decided to stopped at the top of the Kaikoura hills at the Welcome to Kaikoura District sign and took a few photos… and the first car to come up the hill was Mr Plod… just a reminder to keep the speed down.

Along the water front from Goose bay till about the Kaikoura Air field is now 80km zone, which I forgot Alan told me

Not a problem, I just add another 20 minutes to my arrival time 

Anyway arrived with out incident and surprisingly still in tact not to sore or stiff. Though my rear end did well start to feel uncomfortable… but heck I get edgy after 10 minutes in a car so I didn’t do to bad…

Next day, I went up the Blue Duck valley to visit an aunty and did the family thing visiting sisters new borns and all that. Received a txt from Allen that he wants to go for a ride… kewl…

Leaving Kaikoura on the Thursday which was clear skies I went up the lookout and got some photos of the bay.

Now up until this point there had been no incidents and most of the other drivers had been behaving themselves. Just south of the Kaikoura hills coming down a bit of a hill and right hand sweeper a camper van trying to over take another motorcycle (that was doing about 90km) the bike slowly be pushed onto the shoulder… I had to pull in the reins saying wow baby wow down to about 30kms to give room and time for the campervan get back into there lane and give them the bird… I could also hear the car behind me locked up and I was also hoping like hell that I didn’t get hit from behind.

Further down the track on a pretty long straight. There was a line of traffic heading towards me… I see a cage pull out from behind a truck and then pull back in as they must have seen me and the rest of the on coming traffic… (I know my head light was on because I cant turn it off) a couple of seconds later the same car pulls out and starts to overtake the truck and trailer. Again I had to pull in the reins and slow to about 30km this time it was a bit tighter it would have only been a metre or two room for error by time the car pulled in to its lane… the truck had also slowed to help.

Reaching ChCh and back at Alans place for a wonderful lunch break and Alan joined me down to Rikaia, well he was escorting me off his property to meet up with another KBer (Sorry I forget which one) Continuing down to Ashburton to try and meet up with my friend this time she was home, had a cuppa

South of Oamaru another over taking maneuver, similar to the others above… people have no patience

Next time I try and do the inland road which I have done many times as I use to Live in Mayfield... The rakaia gorge is a great and its not so boring...

But this time round had to visit to manny people on the main trunk line.

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 5th January 2007, 13:47

Some more Kaikoura Bay and Mt Fife and the Treehouses (North of Kaikoura) Rich americans stay and the go hunting deer...

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 5th January 2007, 13:52

Bike loaded for the trip home and view from up the blue duck valley

**MyGSXF:Me** · 5th January 2007, 14:26

Geez mate...

you carry more gear on ya bike than 'I' do!!!!!

Great to hear you had a 'relatively' safe trip..!! Bloody tin top drivers aye.. should all be rounded up & NUKED I say!!!

Jen

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 5th January 2007, 14:34

Originally Posted by MyGSXF

Geez mate...

you carry more gear on ya bike than 'I' do!!!!!

Great to hear you had a 'relatively' safe trip..!! Bloody tin top drivers aye.. should all be rounded up & NUKED I say!!!

Jen

well the sleeping bag took most of the space in the main pack, also xmas pressies, was a test to see how much i can carry too... :-)

the two main incidents with cages really gave me a fright (both of them.. the third wasn't as bad) so just saying...

Becarful out there, look ahead, know your surroundings, ride to the conditions.