gijoe1313 and Gremlin invade the Mainland!

[rachprice]

Sounds like an amazing trip! Pleasure to read!

[MIXONE]

The first trip I did around the mainland was in a car and like you I knew that I would be back on 2 wheels for a decent look.A very entertaining read guys and I think ninge that you should go work for New Zealand Tourism.

[Sharry]

Absolutely wonderful
The tales of your travels have been eloquently described
It was great reading about the roads, weather, wild animals and the KB community that has supported your journey.

[chanceyy]

just absolutely brilliant reading have really enjoyed your guys forays into the depths of the south island .. well done

[Swoop]

Thank goodness there isn't a ferry to Australia...

[SDU]

Awesome Read! How about an Encore/Sequel
Don't forget to look us up next time you're down in the mainland

[Badger8]

Thank goodness there isn't a ferry to Australia...

You can just ride across at low tide, right?

[Kendog]

Outstanding read. Was a pleasure having you guys over.

[gijoe1313]

The grins say it all!

From left to right ...

The inestimable Gremlin
The red camo garbed ninja gijoe1313
The Scotsman on an Italian McJim

[windingroad]

Wow, great read guys - I am SO looking forward to the Boulevard rally in March - but I can only afford 1 week afterwards to get a bit of a taste of the SI. Thanks for the supreme and diligent efforts in bringing this account to us, your loyal readership.

[karla]

I see a triology in the making ... film, radio, press, sponsorship ... (wish I'd got your signatures now).

Well riden (wridden?) guys!

[Gremlin]

Ok, pics have been uploaded for some of the days, in posts 133 and 135 (wanaka to chch and chch to hanmer springs)

Been procrastinating and otherwise busy, but writing up the final days now

[Gremlin]

I missed the actual dawn... as usual. Maybe I'll see it tomorrow. Gijoe was wandering around as he usually did, and saw the adventure boys head off at 6am. Explains why we didn't see them partying last night I guess.

GiJoe suspects it was sponsored by Yamaha, as they had their banners up in Hanmer, and their van etc as well. He had had a nice walk around town, declared the bakery was open, and the weather was great (I believe I heard something like ... "the bakery is open").

After another pie (who's counting, everywhere had them, so its not like we depleted their stocks (much) and some fluids, it was time to gear up the bikes and head up to Picton via Reefton. I had already ridden the Lewis Pass, GiJoe was happy to let that dictate that we used the other road (and it was a bit further too).

Beautiful scenery again, as had become par for the course, but riding amongst the trees that almost formed a tunnel, it really was beautiful. Plenty of time was spent screeching to a halt, then blasting off again, in search of the best place to take the obligatory pics - and I think I did miss the best spots

The Upper Buller Gorge was re-ridden, and GiJoe declared that it was as good as before (he has remarkable powers of observation doesn't he?). Once out of the pass, it returned to the straights of boredom, and us wondering what we had done to deserve it.

Eventually Blenheim loomed, and it was a quick hop to Picton. We were booked on the 6.15pm sailing, so had to check in around 5.30pm. It was 3.45pm. The lady said that they weren't open, but she could check us in, but we'd just be sitting on the tarmac anyway. I dryly pointed out that the carpark right outside the check-in didn't look too different. I did think that perhaps we could head down Queen Charlotte again, as it had been raining on the way down, so we hadn't taken pictures.

Then the nice lady suggested Point Karaka, and showed us briefly where it headed, and that it was beautiful... Affirmation that we had GPS, didn't need the map, and we geared up and set off again. For the Picton foot passenger check-in terminal. Infernal GPS decided it didn't like Point Karaka, and routed me elsewhere. Told it in simple words where it needed to go, and we were on the same page again

The roads were almost a carbon copy of Queen Charlotte Drive, narrow, tight, 50 kph speed limit, just a few more driveways. Not the road to enjoy the road itself, but the view was good. Karaka felt like it came quickly, but as the lady promised... beautiful. An excellent view of the sound, but I wanted more. We decided to head over to Port Underwood, and if time was against us, we could turn around any time. The road lost its markers, and was often as wide as one vehicle, but a very nice sealed road nonetheless.

On the way, I realised that since we hadn't fueled in Picton, it wasn't going to be a long trip, we had already covered 200km getting there, but if we could make the top, we should be able to get some good pics of the other side, and then return. Sure enough, we weren't disappointed arriving at the top. I even spotted a nice dirt road along the ridge, and reckoned it was what I needed to use to get a central shot of the main side of the sound (the road up presented trees right in front of me, and didn't display the true grandeur of the sound (look GiJoe, a big word!!). GiJoe wasn't happy with this idea, and seems to have given up his ideas of doing what he was afraid of. The scared bugger even stated he wasn't going to save my sorry arse if I got into strife... nice huh?

Well, like always, my plan went swimmingly. Not literally, but it turned out how I wanted it, and I got the shot (and IIII wasn't compelled to give my bike a lie down either). Returning to GiJoe, he was ready to go, but I hadn't taken the pictures of the Port Underwood side, so did so. Returning to vehicle check in, we thanked the lady for her recommendation, and checked in.

I think we have covered the leaving of Picton... but in short... we didn't for two hours. First they had technical issues, and since they didn't elaborate, and I am in IT, I know about understating major issues. Then they finally announced it was a stern door they couldn't shut, but nor could they open. Eventually, it was sorted, and we could be under way. Messages were sent to Kendog and Trudes to keep them in the loop, as suddenly a 9.30pm arrival turned into 11.30pm.

We had already had dinner, done some posting on KB etc before we even left, so the actual 3 hour trip was spent talking shit, talking some more shit, reflecting on the trip (and shit) and talking shit with a ktm shirt wearing guy, that along with a superduke, also had a hornet 900.

Eventually it was time to go down, release the bikes from the tie downs and head over to Kendog and Trudes for the night stop. Amazingly, GiJoe didn't make many references to his desire to ride straight off the ferry to Auckland. Well, either that, or I have perfected my selective hearing capabilities.

Kendog graciously waited up for us, we talked some more shit, then piled into bed. We tried to put GiJoe as far away from humans as possible, they were nice people, and we didn't want to get kicked out in the middle of the night

crikey... this post was a bit long...

[Gremlin]

Well, I missed this dawn as well.... too bad... maybe tomorrow

Kendog had already left for work (urgh... and I was going to be doing that the following day), but we still had Trudes to entertain, and so we did, with snippets of the adventure.

By this time GiJoe was evidently annoyed I hadn't put out, so wasn't making breakfast for me. Hiding my annoyance I foraged for some cornflakes, which were better than his egg stuff anyway. Just milk and cornflakes, no sugar, aahh, the simple things in life.

Trudes left to go get cheek pinched by oldies, so we geared up, and headed for Wellington Motorcycles (on Trudes recommendation) to meet crasherfromwayback, and also see if they had scott oil, as my oiler was getting low, and air blocks in the tube are annoying. More talking shit, browsing the shop (they ain't small are they?) and admiring the sights of wellington (local chicks tottering past in mini skirts) and a little bit of filling the bike with oil.

Time was getting on, and we still had to get to Auckland. Probably got out of Wellington around 12.30, and the roads started opening up a little more (but not the throttle hands, not in the North Island )

Taihape was a late lunch, in similar pattern to the trip south, and we assumed our usual places at the eating bar, looking at the bikes, and reflecting on the last time we were there, and now its only 12 days later. The route back was simply the route down reversed, yet now the North Island was not nearly as appealing as before, having had a taste of real roads and scenery. Tokoroa was the next fuel stop (and the same station as before, of course) and on to Putaruru where we were going to have a little detour (despite being riding fit, and capable of covering 500-600 km a day, the straights were getting us really tired within 400km.... and they say its fatigue. I blame the boredom of the straights).

At Putaruru, and consulting with GiJoe, we clambered into our rain suits for the last time on the trip, as the clouds in the north were not going to give us blue skies. Mentally preparing for the final leg to Auckland we set off down some minor roads that would bring us out south of Cambridge, but still a welcome break from the straights. It started raining during the detour. In fact, rain isn't a very good word to describe it. It was large drops of water, so numerous that the tail lights of the car in front were the only thing visible. It eased up eventually, but you have to like one piece rain suits... dry as a bone beneath (except my feet, but the boots are sport boots, and never stated as waterproof).

Thankfully it decided to back off to normal rain again, and since no stops were necessary, we waved good bye to each while on the motorway, and gijoe split off and I carried on for home, which I reached around 8.45pm.

No pics for this day. In comparison to the South Island, the roads were mega boring, and after beautiful scenery, why would you take shots of a straight? The desert road was a highlight, with low volumes of traffic, so I believe a few black lines were left on the exit of corners

[Gremlin]

Well, we covered slightly more than 6350km in 13 days, averaging a little under 500km per day, at a moving average of 85kph. GiJoe did a little more, but not as much as you would expect

The bikes performed faultlessly (well, one blown fuse on the hornet, from over-abuse of the horn), despite GiJoe having a tantrum and throwing his bike in the sand. Tyres were left on the South Island roads in abundance in the process of exploring the best sealed roads NZ has to offer (and a few unsealed ) and meeting KB'ers from corners you didn't think existed. Hospitality was tremendous, even the vast majority of drivers on the road were courteous.

I'll attempt to list all the KB'ers we saw during the trip (some we knew already):
nutter34
karla
McJim & Chickadee
Daffyd
Jantar
Scumdog
Trump-lady's parents (Steve and Mary)
Shrek
Dangerous and Rashika
mikeey01
le mans? and SDU
Kendog and Trudes

Most surprising of all (and to you I am sure) we both made it back alive (despite all threats to the contrary), humour intact, and we'll still ride together (can't let my training of GiJoe slip )

Oh... and I have been forced to say this... the South Island is terrible, with everyone nasty to you, the roads are all worse than SH22, and traffic like you wouldn't believe.

Stay the hell away

I'll leave you with two of my favourite shots from the trip...