Rider down - Queenstown area (1 Jan 2009)

[nico]

I have always avoided riding on New Years because of other drivers...10% of last years road told just happened at this time...

also to add my .02c some of have no choise to ride in crapy weather ie only form of tpt also have to work on said (dodgy) days so again no choice

condolnces go out to the family

[Grahameeboy]

also to add my .02c some of have no choise to ride in crapy weather ie only form of tpt also have to work on said (dodgy) days so again no choice

condolnces go out to the family

Fair point.....

[Forest]

I had to look up the location of the Devil's Staircase as I hadn't heard of it before.

From what I can tell, it is the section of SH6 that skirts around the bottom of the Remarkables between Queenstown and Lumsden.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_H....27s_Staircase

[FJRider]

I had to look up the location of the Devil's Staircase as I hadn't heard of it before.

From what I can tell, it is the section of SH6 that skirts around the bottom of the Remarkables between Queenstown and Lumsden.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_H....27s_Staircase

The Devils Straircase is a winding piece of road between Kingston and Frankton. The piece called "the Devils staircase" is only a few km's in duration, but needs concentration, and respect. The drop-offs are spectacular. The road narrow and winding. Sharp, steep cambered corners. Cliff face on one side, the lake 100's of meters DOWN in places. Easy to get forced off the road by a vehicle coming the other way on the wrong side. I have been in the past,and those "other" vehicles wouldn't know I had.

[racerhead]

RIP and thoughts with family and friends

[Forest]

The Devils Straircase is a winding piece of road between Kingston and Frankton. The piece called "the Devils staircase" is only a few km's in duration, but needs concentration, and respect. The drop-offs are spectacular. The road narrow and winding. Sharp, steep cambered corners. Cliff face on one side, the lake 100's of meters DOWN in places. Easy to get forced off the road by a vehicle coming the other way on the wrong side. I have been in the past,and those "other" vehicles wouldn't know I had.

Thanks for that. I've done a bit of biking around that area, but haven't been down SH6.

[FJRider]

There was a photo posted in a news site... PRESS I think... of the bike. The rider had been missing a few days... last seen tuesday...

[Hadley]

Depending on which direction you are going, it can be a horrible stretch of road.
From Qt to Kingston the centre of the left hand lane is raised from where they have dug up or layed a cable or something.
From Kingston to Qt is alot better, some patches of gravel sometime due to people pulling into laybys to take pics etc.
Abouts 100 blind very sharp corners + cheese cutters to "stop" you going into the lake.

[Jantar]

Hadley will know this road better than I do. I only use it 3 or 4 times a year. My recollection is that there are cheese cutters all the way from before Wye Creek to the end of Devil's Staircase. I shall wait for a more detailed report on excatly where the accident happened.

[idb]

It's not as bad as that Jantar.
There are cheesecutters in spots, mainly at the Kingston end.
There is a long patch on the hillside lane where a Telecom cable was laid the entire length.

[dipshit]

My recollection is that there are cheese cutters all the way from before Wye Creek to the end of Devil's Staircase. I shall wait for a more detailed report on excatly where the accident happened.

ODT says "just south of the Devils Staircase"

http://www.odt.co.nz/the-regions/ota...ad-roads-otago