gijoe1313 and Gremlin invade the Mainland!

**EJK** · 3rd January 2009, 11:21

Ooh very nice story. More photos please!

**ElCoyote** · 3rd January 2009, 18:25

Originally Posted by scumdog

Now THAT'S the kinda talk I like to hear!!

Leaves the roads a tad less cluttered so JAFAs, SOAP's and others have a part of NZ to visit and ride on and enjoy!

At least we greet burglars with our clothes on

**Swoop** · 3rd January 2009, 18:31

Originally Posted by Gremlin

Got pictures

Piccie #5. Surely a skull and crossbones = pirates!

"No Pirates allowed" would have been easier to signwrite...

**EJK** · 3rd January 2009, 20:12

Originally Posted by Swoop

Piccie #5. Surely a skull and crossbones = pirates!

"No Pirates allowed" would have been easier to signwrite...

Why would he rob a transport ship? I mean even skinnys can comandeer multi million dollar ship full of BMWs importing to Australia.

More pics Gremlin, please.

**Gremlin** · 3rd January 2009, 22:15

Originally Posted by EJK

More pics Gremlin, please.

Yeah yeah... we're usually on vodafone dialup, that works when it wants to, so I limit file size and number so some actually exist prior to the end of the trip. Today will have 10 shots, as we stopped quite a few times.

When going to bed last night, someone turned a light on outside... well... within a second, GiJoe is standing and saying he's ready to ride

You moron... we only just went to bed! "Oh". Once again, dawn came much too quickly, the bugger was trying to ride instantly, with me doing my best impressions of an anchor.

We did have a fair bit of riding to do, heading through Murchison to Westport, up the coast to Karamea, a detour to Denniston on the way south, Westport again, Punakaikai (for the rocks) and Hokitika for the night.

It started fantastically, with GiJoe (having complained about his ventura rack all trip so far) decided not to tie things down properly, and a nice motorist gained his attention, and once he pulled over, was told some gear was strewn across the road 5km back

A trip back revealed most of the gear in original condition, bar a head lamp that had done its best impression of an explosion (probably run over).

After that, it was riding, screeching to a halt to take photos, riding, photos, oh, and more riding. Good mix really, weather played ball most of the time (after two days that were supposed to be miserable, I think the biker gods are looking kindly on our adventure). Buller Gorge was mostly damp, but the roads to Karamea were dry, and FANTASTIC

GiJoe didn't like one stop too much, he got a little mud on him and the bike... silly clod. Bike and him are fine tho, just a bit of mud

Looking forward to seeing the glacier region tomorrow. We've covered around 1800km I think, average moving speed above 80 kph. (last pic in this post was the relevant stop)

**McJim** · 3rd January 2009, 22:47

Never mind - you'll soon be able to post big piccies from here through the week. What format of memory card is the camoflaged one's camera?

**Gremlin** · 3rd January 2009, 22:52

I'm sure GiJoe will write about the day as if he were drunk or writing a novel... neither of which is true... but enjoy it nonetheless...

Here's another 4 shots from today...

Oh, and the campervan trailer was a huge setup that came in as we were fueling up (the bikes and ourselves). Pulled by a double cab modified truck, the trailer was a huge caravan... holidaying in style I guess

edit: McJim: the great pootler has an SDHC card. I'm carrying a bazillion in one reader, but it doesn't seem to read the card through a normal SD slot...

**Nutter34** · 3rd January 2009, 23:03

Yesterdays local is concerned...

I hope it's just a simple foot slip, causing GI to be covered in mud?

Sounds like a good day otherwise and yes, was VERY surprised by the weather today too...

Awesome pics too. I was thinking last night, we should have stopped more but generally I get carried away and just keep going, lol. Of course, you guys won't be here again any time soon. My apologies...

**gijoe1313** · 3rd January 2009, 23:39

The day started it as began with all the others with Gremlin. I was getting things done and being set for an early start ... little did I realise this was merely a fantasy I was entertaining (among many other sordid fantasies, but I digress!

)

After a long night of listening in to some loud Americans talking about their sex lives, Gremlin was in no mood to wake up and actually do anything remotely useful like packing ... :slap:

Eventually we got out and rode to Karamea and boy was the ride a doozy. The roads out were a combination of undulating curves and like a plate of spaghetti that reminded me of a sexy women, enticing me with it's hedonistic and langurous come hither attitude. The sweep of the Buller Gorge area was a magical experience, transporting my mortal frame into another frame of reference. The sights, the sounds and the feedback my Big Ol'Hornet captivated my rider's soul and I could lap up the manna that was bestowed by the roading engineers who must have been bikers in a previous life ...

The short spells of rain only served as an apertif for the glorious riding ahead ... the trip to Karamea was an uphill duel with the sinuous snaking of curves in proflific abundance.

Gremlin and I could not refrain our enthusisasm and using our Comm units we exclaimed at various times "Yahooo!" "Wooohooohooo!" and other assorted utterances.

The combination of the riding, terrain and scenery enticed Gremlin to greater heights of riding legend ... he flicked his Katoom o'doom with wild abandon ... even when we were stationary he still managed to do devastation with his weapon of choice.

Case in point : I was parked on the side of a road, whilst Gremlin was taking his multitude of digital remembrances for posterity. He then proceeded to fire up his allegiance to the riding weapons of mass destruction and tore up lichen and moss, which were probably decades in the growing ... in a large arc, it was a perfect parabola of muck, which ended up splattering over me and my Big Ol'Hornet ..

I could see what was going to happen and I tried to hit the intercom button ... but Gremlin's mastery of twisting the wrist meant I was way too late.

Splat. Thud. I ended up wiping off bits of decades old lichen and moss off my visor. I was nonplussed and for a few moments I watched him roar off into the hills with the sound of his exhaust notes ringing off the walls of the cliffs. A symphony of chaos, of which he was the maestro conducting a ride to merry hell.

Eventually we rode back to take in the sights of Denniston, a shortish ride that encapsulated the addictive inducement to ride the South Island. Twisties, switchbacks, snaking lefts and rights with blind crests, drops and all the technical elements that makes a rider's blood thrill. Not me ... nuh uh, I was riding like a nana and graduating to Grandpa status. I could only shake my head as my forks compressed, the suspension diving, revs keeping my Big Ol'Hornet and I upright.

A mockery of the hills was Gremlin making. He threw his gauntlet down and chattered, swooped, backed, wheelied and all sorts of illegal biking manuevers that show the artiste and skill he has (He will hate me for this, but anything that gets his goat is a good thing for me!

) A pity I could snatch glimpses of this as I was merely trying to not end up in the scenery!

The ride to Pancake rocks was marked with the usual fiasco that is becoming our combined trademark. Gremlin pulls up in a layby to take photos of the famous NZ landmark ... about 5km too early from the actual touristy location!

I entertained the people there in the usual Red Ninja camo pajamas and I enjoyed the double-takes that was in plain evidence.

gijoe1313 ... making people's lives surrealistic ever since he became a biker!

Well, all fun and games eventually come to an end and we had to make tracks to our hostel accomodation for the night and find sustenance to keep us from tearing strips out of one another!

Anyway, looking back over this post I have realised I have once again gone over the top with my allegorical allusions of verbosity and delusions of grandeur.

This is what happens when an English teacher is on a riding holiday!

**Nutter34** · 3rd January 2009, 23:47

Aaah, it all becomes clear...

Yes, I'm sure the Katoom was quite happy to be tossing lychon and moss, celebrating it's motard roots...

Glad to hear it was as simple as that, the mud etc, lol...

**trump-lady** · 4th January 2009, 00:09

so g;ad u didnt hit the hail storms dad reported in chch. I told him some ragga muffin bikers were coming and that u both are retarded. LOL. Told him bout your trip so far and he figures he wont put the blow up bed as u two will be too knackered by the time you arrive to care about sharing a queen in the sleepout (which used to be mine) When u get there no stories ok!

happy riding and I await more..........

**Gremlin** · 4th January 2009, 08:10

Originally Posted by trump-lady

... and that u both are retarded. LOL.

I assume I'm just by association? he's the retarded one

I should probably point out to readers that any sentences with Gremlin in it, posted by GiJoe should simply be ignored, its all lies or vastly over-exaggerated.

I have also been wondering if I should try to find his limits... even when arriving in our destination, he's talking about riding some more. I think he's just trying to keep up appearances, but if I did attempt to find (and break) his limits... I fear I may not survive the attempt

**gijoe1313** · 4th January 2009, 08:21

Well I let Gremlin get his posts in first. Everything he says in his posts are under-exaggerated! He is trying to be incognito and I am outing him to the harsh glare of the KB world. Everyone knows I am a fruit selection short of a picnic basket ... but I am finding new disturbing facets of Gremlin's complicated character...

This morning, I let the poor cherub sleep in till 8am before I greeted him with a musical interlude with Elderweiss mispronounced since he let slip that he had viewed "The sound of music" during new years eve while not packing for his trip!

He promptly tried to get out of bed. But couldn't. And then I thought he was joking. He wasn't. There was a depression the shape of Gremlin imitating a sinkhole the size of Rotorua.

I am now packed, have cleaned my Big Ol'Hornet, lubed his chain and have been dressed for riding since the last half hour. Gremlin is still wearing cargo pants, a casual shirt and sans boots since yesterdays walking at Pancake rocks showed him how seriously inadequate they were for strolling in!

End of ninja log. More to come. I may have to kill him, roll his body into a ditch, kick the Katoom over on him as a tombstone and continue journey at pace and distance more suited to my pootling ... i.e. 1000km a day!