South Island Passes Ride 2008

[tri boy]

Inter Islder is booked. 7th/Feb.
marks is gunna join the ride to ChCh, and maybe more.
Jantar, if you can PM some ph#'s, and meeting places to me all should be sweet.

[timg]

Just one week to go before tri boy, Delphinius, Helenoftroy & I hit the road I've posted a very abreviated version of Jantar's excellent route sheet that should give some idea of where and when we are going and staying. Hopefully some of the local KBers can join in for parts of the ride as we pass through or for a few bevvies and tell a few lies. PM us for cellphone numbers. Cheers.

Day 1 11.02.08 (424 km)

Meet outside The Marine in Sumner, Christchurch at 08:15 ready for departure at 08:30
Follow SH1 through Amberly, then follow SH7 to Weka Pass. Continue on to Hamner Springs, Jacks Pass, Jollies Pass, Wards Pass, through Molesworth and up the Awatere Valley. Taylor’s Pass, Weld Pass and Dashwood Pass, Redwood Pass then Picton.

Accomadation at The Villa, 34 Auckland St, Picton.

Day 2 12.02.08 (550 km)

Picton to Havelock to Nelson, Hope saddle, Braeburn track, Murchison & Springs Junction. Head East over Lewis Pass & Weka Pass to Christchurch.

Accommodation at: The Marine, 26 Nayland St, Sumner.

Day 3 13.02.08 (618 km)

From Sumner to Evans Pass, Dyers Pass & Gebbies Pass.
Head to Motokarara, Coes Ford, Leeston, Rakaia, Geraldine, then Fairlie.

Follow SH8 to Burkes Pass, McKenzie Pass, Little Pass, Hakataramea Pass, Meyers Pass, to Oamaru. Back roads to HW85 over the Pig Root to Kyeburn then Naseby

Accommodation at: The Royal Hotel Naseby

Day 4 14.02.08 (606 km)
From Naseby over Danseys Pass, Ahuriri Pass, Lindis Pass, Tarras, Hawea,
Makarora, Haast Pass, to Franz Joseph.
Accommodation at Glow Worm Cottages 27 Cron St, Franz Joseph.

Day 5 15.02.08 (525 km)

Franz Joseph through Ross to Hokitika, Arthurs Pass, Porters Pass Springfield, Sheffield, Oxford, Lees Pass, Okuku Pass to Rangiora, then Sumner where we started from.

[tri boy]

Just a quick update on progress so far.
Marks and myself managed to take in Pt Underwood ride, Molesworth, and Rainbow, with a few added tracks thrown in for good measure.
A couple of enjoyable nights were spent at "Top House", just out of St Anauad while the weather settled a bit. (a reallycool ghost named Sydney sat on my bed on the first night.
We headed for Picton to meetupwith the sth crew, and so Mark could cross the strait to attend to some workissues.
Hopefully the weather will hold, so I can take in some rides further sth.
Will probably shoot back down the Molesworth toaccess the sthern region.
But now its time for a beer, and a chat with a few Backpackers.

[SDU]

Hope everyone is having an awesome time. And Helen is behaving herself
I was working in the weekend otherwise it would have been good to meet up in sumner b4 the ride kicked off.

[marks]

Ja reallycool ghost named Sydney sat on my bed on the first night.

sure Brent - try and blame that stain on a ghost


whatever...

[helenoftroy]

Hope everyone is having an awesome time. And Helen is behaving herself

The cheek of it!!!!I always behave!!!

timg and Delphinus headed off from St Albans Monday morning on the big adventure

They had fantastic weather heading thru the Molesworth (Jack evidently had a wee off & Tim a puncture)and are in Picton tonight- not sure if Tri boy is joining them today...

Theyre back to ChCh Tuesday night and are at the Marine,Sunmer if anyone wants to catch up with them

I will head off with them Wed morning heading south

[MyGSXF:Me]

They had fantastic weather heading thru the Molesworth (Jack evidently had a wee off & Tim a puncture)and are in Picton tonight

Ah crap.. lost track that this was on now.. txt sent & will hopefully catch up with them on their way through here tomorrow.. ahh.. today!

[Jantar]

Today should see them going through Nelson, down to Lake Rotoroa and the Braemar track, then sealed roads back through the Lewis Pass to Christchurch. An easy day after yesterday.

[MyGSXF:Me]

Just spoke to Jack.. heading out shortly to meet them on the road..

[Ruralman]

Just spoke to Jack.. heading out shortly to meet them on the road..

A wee off??? - does this mean he's buying me a new rainsuit??? Hope he's OK. He texted me about the puncture but didn't hear about the other! When did they make it to Picton?

[MyGSXF:Me]

Home again.. met Jack & Tim 3/4 way up the Whangamoa's.. didn't recognise Jack on the XT was busy lookin out for the bumblebee Triumph but recognised Tim! anyway.. quick u-turn & soon caught up.. very cool to be able to ride into town with them! Escorted them home for a coffee & chat.. where they exchanged a couple of stories of their escapades thus far.. apparantly, there IS a "Jack's Pass".. which is now thoroughly christened.. by Jack!! aye Jack.. then back on the road. I had to be home by 1.45 for an appointment, so only went as far as the Kawatiri Junction turnoff, where I bid the boys a faretheewell & headed for home again. Sounded like they were having a great trip thus far.. enjoying a cruisy ride & taking in the scenery! Tis raining heavily now, so I hope they missed it their direction!

[tri boy]

Crikey,
It sure can rain down this way. I went a seperate way from timg and Delphius this morning, as I'm trying to minimise the amount of tarseal riding to save the rear TKC.
Planned on heading up Hwy70 near Kaikura for some hill work. Not bloody likely! The hills dissapeared under a low cloud cover and rain from 50km nth of Kaikura, all the way to Sumner.
Still a cool ride, and the bags and wet weather gear held out well.
Had a looksy at the water running out of the Hurunui and another river, and it looks like a heap got dumped up in the hills.
Fingers crossed for better weather, but Thrs through to Sat is looking sleazy.
Nevermind, at least I brought rain to the parched hills. No need to thank me........

[Jantar]

Today they are due to head across the three passes on Banks Penisula, through Geraldine and Fairlie to Burks Pass, into the hills over McKenzie Pass, down Haldon road to Little Pass, then over Hakataramea Pass and Meyers Pass to the east coast. Down to Palmerston, over the Pig Root, and I'll meet them at Naseby.

[RedKLR650]

Hi all,
Got a call from timg last night wondering if I'd like to catch up with the fearsome foursome this morning for a few km's of todays leg of the passes ride.....

Sprinted up to Fairlie only to find they had stopped for a long lunch.....

Finally got away from the Old Library refreshed and ready to go around 1.30pm, with first stop being Burkes Pass, although Triboy left us at the turnoff to Rollesby road ( which leads to McKenzie Pass ) in order to save some tire wear on those dreaded knobblies....

We trundled up the pass with an obligatory photo opportunity in front of the B/P monument, then back down the hill to try and catch the elusive Triboy.....

Another brief photo opp at the monument to McKenzie's capture ( he was a sheep rustler ), on the lower side of the high altitude McKenzie Pass, before crossing a small stream and heading down the long straight shingle to the Haldon Arm road

( Apologies for date appearing on images, using new P+S camera and didn't realise it was putting the date on images )

0001 Burkes Pass Monument Photo Opportunity
0004 Helenoftroy heads up Rollesby Road
0006 Delphinus at McKenzie Pass peak
0011 Group shot at Monument to McKenzies Capture
0014 Triboys Scrambler leaving the stream at the McKenzie monument
0015 KLR in front of Delphinus leading timg down to the Haldon Road......

[RedKLR650]

Haldon Road leads to Little Pass where we met up with a shepherd on the exact location of the pass, where after a brief chat we turned around and tied to beat the grader back to the corner, as the freshly graded shingle nearly caught a few out ( including myself ) just after leaving the seal at the bridge on the way up.....

After turning into Haka Pass Road, we stopped for another photo op at the summit

0021 Delphinus just past the grader on Haldon Road
0024 Triboy attempting to round up sheep.....
0025 Discussions of drought with a shepherd at Little Pass
0028 Timg on Haka Pass Road
0032 Todays team at the Haka Pass Summit
0033 Haka Pass summit sign