gijoe1313 and Gremlin invade the Mainland!

**Highlander** · 9th January 2009, 04:11

Originally Posted by Jantar

I did manage a moderate 540 kms for the day.

Barely enough to warm your tires mate, what did you do after Breakfast?

GIJoe / Gremlin, really am enjoying this read. You sound like you are having a ball. Good stuff.

**gijoe1313** · 9th January 2009, 08:09

Well, the night was spent gawping at the World's Fastest Indian - I have actually taught this film to my senior students and the opportunity to visit the store with the legacy of Burt Munro was not to be passed up.

Gremlin has already highlighted the ride to Bluff so I shall not tarry there. Instead the recreational activities were watching Isle of Man TT '07 and such friviolities. I had a hankering to see Lithgow St. where Burt's garage was and the set of the movie was based. This was at 10pm.

Slipping the fulsome yoke of Gremlin's anchor I cruised the streets of Invercargill. I felt the nostalgia and the immensity of Burt's achievements as I passed the location.

This inspired me and since I was out n'about, the Big Ol'Hornet happily burbling beneath my loins, I pointed it out to Bluff and zipped out that way at night! Parking up at Bluff again, I took some night photos, the blue LEDs attracting the interest of a tourist VW campervan parked up for the night. I heard the doors being double checked and relocked

What am I? Filthy biker scum or summit?

From there, I had told Angel I would be returning in a hour ... but the need to ride was a clarion call to my suffering soul, the lack of milage shriving my mood and decanting into a ball of ennui and anome.

I did what I do best.

I pootled.

I rode up and down every street in the greater Invercargill area. I cruised with the boi and grrl racers, some of the girls even pulled their tops up to show me their headlights, entranced as it were by the allure of my blue LED bling. I wholeheartedly approved naturally and the look where you go rule was definitely true!

As a side note, I did get a boi racer earlier into trouble with the rozzers. The classic side by side scenario, Mitsi, backwards baseball cap, low bucket seat and the doof doof of an audio system. He revved his cage at me. I saw the obvious siting of a popo car. I revved back. He revved harder and nodded at me. I looked at the cop. I looked back at him and did the same.

Lights green. I accelerated and led all the way to 50km/hr. Boi racer flat tack to 70+ beating me handily in the end. The end coming with the dance of disco lights. As I pootled 50km/hr passed, the rozzer gives me a bemused look as I looked on at this whole sad, sordid scene. Tsk tsk.

Back to the Invercargill pootling, I did the highways, the by-ways and side streets in between. I stopped to take piccies of my Big Ol'Hornet parked up with its glowing tones of chilled ice beneath. Locals very perplexed and bemused. Doing double takes, slowing down to check out the Red pajama camo ninja.

From there I rode back to Lithgow St. once more and felt the spatter of liquid moonshine freckle my face, riding with visor up and enjoying the feel of the cool breeze and freedom of deserted urban streets.

As I turned back into Castle McJim I could only feel the glow of good riding in the way I do so enjoy. Somehow I resisted the magnetic pull of riding out to Riverton. After all, I had empty roads, a full tank of gas and a warm Big Ol'Hornet who has always been keen to ride those lanes to freedom with me.

Why did I not? I guess to be charitable, I had others that needed not to feel concern for my absence. Gremlin, McJim, Chickadee and Angel were home and I returned to the nest to be sociable. Very unlike me indeed!

Herein ends the report for the 8th day of riding on this tour. At this stage, I think I will need another riding holiday to make up for the sheer lack of my customary pootling on this supposed riding holiday! Yes. I am mad. Spectaculary mad with the whole ensemble of fruitiness and nuttiness that makes me so eccentric!

Right. Time to splash some ice cold turnip water onto Gremlin to get him into some semblance of wakefulness! Angel has of just now poked her head around the corner with toothbrush and Castle Chickadee is resplendent with the sound of Kids TV and Chickadee slumbering silently on the settee.

Ninja log 9.2 over and out.

**madbikeboy** · 9th January 2009, 09:30

GIJoe - the nice thing to do would be take photo's of the headlights.

**gijoe1313** · 9th January 2009, 09:42

Originally Posted by madbikeboy

GIJoe - the nice thing to do would be take photo's of the headlights.

I actually for a brief fleeting moment considered doing a kewl biker thing and sidle myself up to their open windows and lean my elbow onto the window sill.

Then the next brief fleeting moment would be me skating on my arse down the Invercargill roads as my sleeve got hooked up on something!

The crack up thing was, that initially only one of the girls was doing it - I then asked loudly "What about the rest of your friends?"

Quick as a flash she tells the others "Flash him yer tits girls!"

Quick as a flash the others do so.

Ahh Invercargill, twice I have been here, twice the girls have done it loud and proud (the 1st time I shall not relate here!)

**Gremlin** · 9th January 2009, 09:51

I was already awake.... no need for turnip water.

He's back to his old self. Terrible. Muttering and bumbling about riding in some over-excited way... the riding he did last night has set my schemes back at least a couple of days...

But then... I am a master at this... and we're still not ready to leave. He's quickly returning to his down-trodden state, where he doesn't expect to ride any time soon

Today is just up to Wanaka, less than 400km, but it looks like rain for the rest of the day. Subsequent days look much better. Once the commute to Wanaka is complete, we may end up detouring to Alexandra and back, depending... we'll see.

Time to don the rain suit I guess

**Chickadee** · 9th January 2009, 12:14

Enjoy the rest of the trip boys and Angel, hope you have good weather, dry gear, comfortable beds and yummy food to keep on pootling.

It's been lovely having you visit, shame I had to work at 4am for two mornings of your visit or I'd been happy to chat the nights/mornings away instead of having to go to bed and being TIRED as on the return from work.

Thanks for the cooking, hope you enjoyed my food, empty plates and noshing noises indicated success. Remember Justin, they sell big containers of icecream for your next visit, I'll bake more banana choc chip cake to eat with it!

Shame I had no wheels to join you on any rides but maybe next visit. McJim certainly enjoyed his mini rides with familiar company.

Ciao, see ya's, bye..... and see you sometime in the future.

**Daffyd** · 9th January 2009, 13:05

Originally Posted by gijoe1313

I had a hankering to see Lithgow St. where Burt's garage was and the set of the movie was based.

I hate to prick your bubble, but the Lithgow St site was used for the movie, but, in fact is at the wrong end of town from his garage. He lived in Bainfield road in Waikiwi. There is a street named after him where his garage was.

**McJim** · 9th January 2009, 20:19

Originally Posted by Daffyd

I hate to prick your bubble, but the Lithgow St site was used for the movie, but, in fact is at the wrong end of town from his garage. He lived in Bainfield road in Waikiwi. There is a street named after him where his garage was.

Yep - we told him that. I even took them down Bainfield road a few times so they could get a feel for the area.

**trump-lady** · 9th January 2009, 22:58

WISHING U ALL BESTEST SAFEST RIDES............
Feel free to advertise GIJOE pm sent and thread started.... hey u giys,,,,,, no one loves u guys yet but posted late and have faith in my cantabrians. Post up ur route maybe u can pick up some

**trump-lady** · 9th January 2009, 23:16

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=89936 19 veiws one response dam unsociable cantabs

**mikeey01** · 9th January 2009, 23:26

I've just (well took me an hour to read all them posts) slow reader...
What a dam hoot!

see you boys tomorrow night!

**Gremlin** · 10th January 2009, 00:26

Yeup... it was a wet rain that fell when leaving Invercargill. I cunningly tried to beat it by leaving late, and announced smugly to gijoe that ignoring his complaining, now it wasn't raining.

It got us later. Good. We were prepared for it, so it wasn't an issue re getting wet. Just the annoyance of the rain making the roads slippery, and stopping for shots wasn't that appealing, as it meant getting cameras wet etc.

I was dry as a bone beneath the one piece rain suit and over gloves. About as nimble as an elephant, but dry. Ever tried using a GPS with rain off gloves over normal gloves? Funny at first, but then you realise you can barely do ANYTHING

We left just after midday, and wiggled our way (technical term) up to Alexandra, using a mixture of main routes and gps inspired routes. A quick fill at Alexandra, and on our way again. We arrived in Wanaka roughly 4 hours after leaving Invercargill, dropped Angel off to her car, and we headed over to our accomodation for the night.

Suddenly my five layers of gear (shirt, thermal, body armour, leather jacket, rain suit) and bright blue skies ordered the fastest shedding of gear I have ever done. Boy, the relief I felt when I was left standing in a T shirt

Walked into town to find ourselves a late lunch, and then photo processing at the backpackers. Another walk, a nice playground, a clean up, and time for dinner. Over dinner I did confess that the days riding had seemed rather short, with no proper stops necessary (just one gas), and less than 350km. His reaction was a little unnecessary.

GiJoe is currently escorting Angel to Alexandra, as she is continuing her trip, while we have to head north. He'll be back after getting lost countless times, but at least I can have a moment without him whining about not riding (and I'll shortly be sleeping too

)

**trump-lady** · 10th January 2009, 00:28

goodnight gremlin and i suggest u get sleep.....dads quite the talker

**Gremlin** · 10th January 2009, 00:43

We had to do the usual travel stuff like always, but during a nice walk after lunch, we found a swing hidden in a tree on the beach. A quick test (aka, Angel, the lightest person) we discovered it was well made. Then it was time for the fat guinea pig (GiJoe) and it still didn't break. Then Gremlin was forced into having a go, since he had pushed everyone else so hard, and spun them as well.

Luckily, they didn't really know what they were doing, so I never got giddy, but I did manage to kick GiJoe for his efforts

Then we found a playground. Naturally adults never use them, but we sampled each piece of equipment a little, to see what it would do.

There were metal poles where you stood on plates, and spun yourself around it. There was a see-saw as well, much more fancy than the beams we used to have, with springs and comfy seats. A few moment of abuse, and Gremlin managed to nail GiJoe's tailbone, and get some air time for himself (ah the good ol' days of see-saws).

But by far and away, the bestest toy was a circle that wasn't level, and could spin. First attempts were made by all to get to the highest side, but that was a rather epic failure, considering GiJoe and Gremlin are around 100kg. Several moments of falling off, and Gremlin had managed to stay on while spinning it the fastest.

The best way to use it however, was for all three to jump on at once, and then try to force the wheel one way or another with their feet, to get the others to fall off. Between the falls and goading, I believe we entertained the whole playground, several adults laughing, and a couple of bemused cops.

Gremlin had a reasonably good bail, somehow ending up straddling the circle, but at least not in all the water that was around it. Angel finished up with the bestest bin, falling in the middle on her arse, in the water. Gremlin was covered in dirt, bark and dirty water up to his knees, which he washed off in the lake (which was firken cold)

GiJoe tried to argue he was the best, with the deluded argument that surfing helps, but the ditzy lout kept crashing into me when I spun the circle (he blamed me for falling off too).

Must get some pics of it, funnest time evvaaaaaarrr

edit: and here the pics are, gijoe couldn't resist another go, and declared it as fun as yesterday