Paturoa does the Brass Monkey Part III

[paturoa]

Got up not so early and did the shower thing etc.

Slap up breaky in Picton and headed off a bit too late at 9:30 down the East coast. Lots of green shite all over the roads, noticably more this year than before.

Nice trip down the coast and gas up at Cheviot with scones and coffee.

Right turn at amberly and then the inland route through to Geraldine for gas.

Well there were lots of signs saying "Grit / Ice" all over the place and there was none anywhere. So somewhere near Glentunnel there was however a shit load of grit just over a blind on a blind crest into a tight left / right sweeper. Well fuck me they hire some retards in the councils down there.

We then went inland again and stopped at the camp ground at lake Tekapo for the night. xgnr recommends the Tekapo burger at the pub.

pic1 - packing the bikes before leaving Picton
pic2 - at Lake Tekapo camp ground
pic3 - ditto
pic4 - ditto
pic5 - ditto
pic6 - ditto

[paturoa]

and some more day 2 pickies. All at Lake Tekapo

[paturoa]

We dragged our sorry selves out of bed (I had the good cabin with an excellent heater and electric blanket).

Jock turns up with a loaf of bread and coffee stuff and makes up a storm of toast and coffee for us.

xgnr tells how he locked himself out of his cabin and had to break in.

After sun up we headed off via to site and it was a nice morning ride through to lake Pukaki for some photos.

A quick chat to a friendly local saw us of towards the Lindis pass. Just as we got to the first sign saying "Ice / Grit" Jock had a testosterone bust and went flying past at an expensive pace. We didn't see him again till we got to Cromwell.

Lunch at Cromwell after giving the bikes a drink was good. Jock almost had a low speed drop when parking his bike at the cafe which had xgnr and myself in stiches at the panicked movements. Just visualise someone doing the quick lean / leg hop as a bike starts going off balance and rolling backwards.

Well off to the site and the excitement was building until about 5 k short when light rain started.

Set up the tent and flag and looked for the fire drum and wood. Well bugger me, someone had taken ours and there was no wood anywhere to be had.


An excellent night socailising at the large fire and around several others.

I met up with an old friend Dr Bob, and had a good yak.

All pics before kick off at Lake Tekapo

[paturoa]

more pics

1 - look at the gap from the shore to the water edge
2 - Lake T
3 - where is all of the water?
4, 5, 6 - lake P photo stop

[paturoa]

and more

I have no idea who the people were in pic 4 but it was another brick so I thought xgnr would like that.

mmmm lunch and an old neat bridge near Ophir.

[pete376403]

I saw the KB flag on the fence not far from where I was camped but every time I went over there was no-one to be seen. So where the bloody hell were ya?

[paturoa]

xgnra and Jock were on the Tuesday ferry and I was booked on Monday's 10am so I went home by myself.

I set off just before 9am and hit fog just east of Idaburn. Took the last photos of the trip near some snow somewhere along the Pig Route.

Gassed up in Omaru and took the inland route again (past Mt Hutt). The weather was good and I spotted the no sign grit corner with plenty of time to spare.

Not much else happend and I woke up again at Oxford when the bike desparately needed and drink and I desperately needed a pee. Quiet trip though to Kaikoura for another fuel stop as I couldn't make picton without another stop and my rs was getting sore.

I thought I'd go right through to Picton so I did. I called in at the Interislander ferry to see if I could get on an earlier sailing but just missed the 6pm. Still not bad 750ish km in 9 hours with 3 stops. (Wises says the direct route through CHCH is 738 km).

There was an 11pm sailing so I booked on that and sat out a few hours in Picton waiting.

I met up with 3 other bikers and had a good chat with Tony on a replica Dakar BMW (the one with the twin headlights and Playboy stickers).

Got to welly just after 2am and found a crap motel in Otaki to kip for a few hours.

[paturoa]

I left Otaki about 10 am and got home just after 5pm.

I had an arsehole cager tailgate me on the Desert road through the twisties when it was pissing with rain - they are everywhere.

Very boring return leg, nothing of note.

Home to a roast dinner and cold beers - ahh heaven.

[paturoa]

I saw the KB flag on the fence not far from where I was camped but every time I went over there was no-one to be seen. So where the bloody hell were ya?

Walking around yaking, drinking etc etc. We didn't have a fire so there was no congregation point like other years.

I'll have to fix that for next year.

[mbazza]

Glad to hear you got back safe and sound Paturoa. great to meet you again.

Check out my Brass photos @ http://picasaweb.google.com/munro.barry

I did grab a drum for the fire (twice) when I arrived just after noon. Each time I went off to secure firewood some &%@##* biker knicked it!

You'll have to bring one down on the brick next year! Cheers.

[xgnr]

Well what a journey.

The Jock and I headed away from the Brass a coupla hours after Mr "I have an early sailing" Paturoa.

Entertainment provided by a number of bikes going horizontal trying to get up the very slight but very slippery hill on the way out of the site. The older and wiser amongst us waited a while and rolled thru the empty camp sites. Both feet down and a determined focus on staying upright helped.

Decided to head back to Cromwell for Gas.Thick fog a bit cool.
.
Noticed the flashing red and blues in the distance and sure enough here was Mr Plod pulling over all bikes for a "Good Morning... speak your name and address please" into the breath thingy.. Jock and I had not "blown the bag" for 20 years plus so was a bit of a novelty.

One wonders if there should have been some effort put into preventing riders hitting the road (i.e. a pre-road test option) rather than waiting down the road to nail them the next morning.

Gassed up at Cromwell and decided that back via inland route was for Pussies. We would go via Haast.

Of course this was a very wet trip but you just cant deny the beauty of the we(s)t Coast.

Lunch and a thaw out at the Haast pub (just around the corner from the first cafe guys... it has an open fire... take the tip).

Nice cruise up the coast to Hokitika where we stayed at a posh motel and went to the Speights pub for some Kai.

NEVER go to this place for food. No whitebait patties, the roast had one serving left. The kebabs Jock had were stunning for how bad they were and my Stuffed chicken was as freezer burned as you could get eeeeeewww.

Auckland prices and food so bad I am sure Ramsay would be speechless. Jock was told off for upsetting the cook. I just refused to pay (and didn't eat BTW). Back to the motel for an early night and Le-Snack for Dinner. Jock's sherry took the pain away tho'.

Cruised up the coast and turned off just before Westport as the whanau were working so no point stopping in, cool and a bit foggy but great views, gotta enjoy those road/rail bridges.

Zoomed through the Buller gorge, weather fine now, damp roads and only a few camper vans.

By passed Nelson city and stopped at Happy Valley for lunch and a beer. nice...

[xgnr]

Ok so fully Lunched up and with a run to Picton to be completed we toddled off over the fine roads. A couple of hair raising (not that we have many left of course) moments with grit and shiny black bits.

I had to make a few calls and needed to stop at Havelock so Jock continued on to Picton. Little did I know that would be the last time I would see him.

Got to Picton around 4.30pm on the Monday and after checking if there was an earlier sailing (nothing available until Tuesday 1.45pm according to the signage) I resigned myself to the 10.00am on Tuesday and found a nice cabin to spend the night.

Jock rang a bit later and advised that he had wandered into the Bluebridge ferry and scored an 8.00 am sailing for 10 bucks more than my pre-booked special Brass rate. Hmmm bugger... but good for him.

So, an early night and then onto the ferry next morning... chocka it was. Fulla bikes (all from the BM) filled the slots.

Got across to Wellington at about 1.15pm then headed north as fast as legal to get over Desert rd and somewhere sort of warm before dark set in.

Reminder of the GC, ride, gas up, eat , climb on ride, rain, headlights on full where possible, avoid the grit...

Turned off towards Taurmaranui, Pirongia route, got used to the dark and zipped along with the Mp3 player going.

Arrived back back home at around 9.00pm. Tired but happy. Will work out the gas cost one day but hey... Its the journey that counts.

As dearest partner sez... "mad bastards ...all that way for a wet night in the middle of nowhere" but thats not the point right.

Thanks to Jock and Brian. Great travel companions. Lets do the Cold Kiwi

Some stats... Total K 3,200km. Moving Average 84Kmh, Moving Time 38 hrs

Till next year

Stu