New Bike... pick up Nelson... how long to get to Picton Ferry?

**Arronduke** · 8th March 2022, 19:48

Picking up a new to me bike from Nelson.. next Wednesday 16th.

Arrive at the Nelson Airport 10:10am
Pick up bike 5min away... so 10:30am.... by the time I collect the bike and get going... it does not leave much room for errors.....
Last check in 1pm... Picton Ferry
Ferry leaves at 2pm.

Can I do this with NO idea where I am going?
How hard can it be....

Thanks for the comments!

**jim.cox** · 8th March 2022, 20:11

Nelson to Picton

125km

1h 51m according to Mr Google

**husaberg** · 8th March 2022, 20:18

A lot of the road to Rai Valley is now 80KM zone.
it's easy tob navagate from nelson
can the guy go to the airport to meet you?
if you let he ferry company know they might be helpfull, or try the Bluebridge Ferry timetable

**mulletman** · 8th March 2022, 20:40

You might be lucky if on the interislander , keep a close eye on their staffing levels

https://www.greatjourneysofnz.co.nz/...service-alerts

**jellywrestler** · 8th March 2022, 20:53

Originally Posted by Arronduke

Picking up a new to me bike from Nelson.. next Wednesday 16th.

Arrive at the Nelson Airport 10:10am
Pick up bike 5min away... so 10:30am.... by the time I collect the bike and get going... it does not leave much room for errors.....
Last check in 1pm... Picton Ferry
Ferry leaves at 2pm.

Can I do this with NO idea where I am going?
How hard can it be....

Thanks for the comments!

you've got 22.5 hours to the one the next day, make up an anti mandate placard and claim free camping on the square in picton and put some miles in at the top of the south island. cheaper than going back

**JATZ** · 8th March 2022, 22:15

Hope you're sailing on Bluebridge.
You'll be fine...ish. so long as traffic doesn't hold you up. Avoid Queen Charlotte dr if time is tight. There was 3 sets of lights, due to road works, on Sunday.
Enjoy the ride, watcha get??

**Arronduke** · 9th March 2022, 02:33

I am booked on the Bluebridge - 2pm sailing - 1pm check in - so I should let them know I maybe a few minutes late.!
Timing wise it will be tight.

Purchased a 2014 Triumph Tiger XC

My Kat need rebuild - 41 yrs old
GSXR11 - going good 36yrs old
RG5 - going good 36yrs old

Time for something a little more reliable to do some trips on around NZ

**jellywrestler** · 9th March 2022, 04:05

Originally Posted by Arronduke

I am booked on the Bluebridge - 2pm sailing - 1pm check in - so I should let them know I maybe a few minutes late.!

better to ask for for forgiveness than permission sometimes. Seriuosly, rather than risk it allow for a day then you can have some fun on the bike on some great roads, take a cut lunch, and sleep in a bus shelter then it will only cost you about $220 for motion lotion for the days ride at todays motion lotion prices.
They say five minutes from airport, then five minutes to put your gear on,, five minutes to get gas five minutes to stop as you've got a sore butt on the ride and it all adds up.
google says 1.51, you'd be surprised how accurate that is these days., there's a lot of trucks on that road to get stuck behind, it's now 90 kmh limit, and policed like fuck as a result

**pete376403** · 9th March 2022, 08:05

Originally Posted by jellywrestler

better to ask for for forgiveness than permission sometimes. Seriuosly, rather than risk it allow for a day then you can have some fun on the bike on some great roads, take a cut lunch, and sleep in a bus shelter then it will only cost you about $220 for motion lotion for the days ride at todays motion lotion prices.
They say five minutes from airport, then five minutes to put your gear on,, five minutes to get gas five minutes to stop as you've got a sore butt on the ride and it all adds up.
google says 1.51, you'd be surprised how accurate that is these days., there's a lot of trucks on that road to get stuck behind, it's now 90 kmh limit, and policed like fuck as a result

80 I believe. Apparently there was a spate of fatals on this road a while back and "Something Had To Be Done" even though (talking to locals) one was a suicide, others were drunk, and so on, nothing that a lower limit would have changed anyway. If the overall fatality rate declines, the PTB will claim it's the lower speed limit. If not then they will blame "other factors" without acknowledging the circumstances that caused the original spike of fatalities.

**Navy Boy** · 10th March 2022, 05:59

Originally Posted by Arronduke

Picking up a new to me bike from Nelson.. next Wednesday 16th.

Arrive at the Nelson Airport 10:10am
Pick up bike 5min away... so 10:30am.... by the time I collect the bike and get going... it does not leave much room for errors.....
Last check in 1pm... Picton Ferry
Ferry leaves at 2pm.

Can I do this with NO idea where I am going?
How hard can it be....

Thanks for the comments!

As others have said it is do-able but you are cutting it rather fine.

Avoid Queen Charlotte Drive - If you rush it, which you'll have to with that timeline, then it's not as enjoyable anyway. SH6 down towards Renwick, then cut across to Spring Creek and then back up SH1 to Picton is your best bet.

The speed limit is mostly 80 until Rai Valley and then 90 after that - Don't try to rush it as the Police do patrol on there.

I'd try to spend a night somewhere like Blenheim or Picton - Top tip is that the Spring Creek NPD is the least expensive fuel in the area normally.

**release_the_bees** · 10th March 2022, 08:28

If it helps, on the 17th of February, I rode from the Bluebridge ferry terminal to Mobil Stoke, via Queen Charlotte Drive. According to my Google Maps timeline, that took 2 hours and 13 minutes of riding time.

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**jellywrestler** · 10th March 2022, 08:33

Originally Posted by release_the_bees

If it helps, on the 17th of February, I rode from the Bluebridge ferry terminal to Mobil Stoke, via Queen Charlotte Drive. According to my Google Maps timeline, that took 2 hours and 13 minutes of riding time.

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that's about twenty mins slower than google maps. What model Harley were you riding?

**release_the_bees** · 10th March 2022, 09:41

Originally Posted by jellywrestler

that's about twenty mins slower than google maps. What model Harley were you riding?

A Street Triple and a KLR650.

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**pritch** · 10th March 2022, 12:35

A guy I know, a Ukranian as it happens, rode from Nelson to Picton. He was complaining that it was one of the worst rides of his life. I didn't recall it being at all unpleasant so I asked a couple of questions. His answers indicated that he was riding the Queen Charlotte route at night in pissing rain. That'd do it. He was unaware there was another way.

**jellywrestler** · 10th March 2022, 16:33

Originally Posted by pritch

A guy I know, a Ukranian as it happens, rode from Nelson to Picton. He was complaining that it was one of the worst rides of his life. I didn't recall it being at all unpleasant so I asked a couple of questions. His answers indicated that he was riding the Queen Charlotte route at night in pissing rain. That'd do it. He was unaware there was another way.

back in th day when you GPS gave the shortest route not the most popular route, how many went nelson to chch via the molesworth station road