Pissed Penguin Rally 2008 (19-20 Sept)

[The Lone Rider]

wot but we are going!!!! why ya not here.. love is in the house~!!!!!!

You know I love you Q, in a none homo man love kind of way..

But alas I do feel lonely without my club mates around to help me pick up chicks or to let me know it's ok that I own a honda.

Even more importantly though - MY bike is sitting in Hamptons waiting for parts from Japan. Dang it.

I got Jerms bike in the garage though. I'm babysitting it while he's out of the country.

[TimeOut]

I've watching all you lucky bastards riding past while I workGreat day for it, have fun.

[Ruralman]

Have a great time everyone. Hope to be there next year

I've watching all you lucky bastards riding past while I workGreat day for it, have fun.

It was indeed a great day for it and when we left them at the rally site about 6 it looked like they were all settling in for a good session. Sounds like it could get a bit windy for some on the way home tomorrow

Four bikes left my place at 9:30 - one rider realized a wee way down the road that his mouth felt a bit cold - he had to turn round and come back and get his teeth !!!!!!
After turning round to work out where he had gone and then head away again I realized I'd left my phone behind - doh - so I had a quick double back. Still got to Lawrence b4 10, met up with Cold Comfort and Hayden, had a quick coffee then headed over the hill to Tuapeka Mouth and the punt.
The road from Lawrence to Tuapeka Mouth has great corners and some great views but there was lots of bits of loose gravelly shit on the seal so we were all taking it a bit cautious

We had 2 loads of bikes go over on the punt so that was worth doing - the crew from Scumdogs had just beaten us there and filled up the punt so we waited and did the photo thing while they went across.

Our group went via Clinton and the Owaka Valley , lunch stop at Owaka (where an elderly gentleman riding with us was most impressed with the attributes of the waitress!!) then over to the rally site to set up the tents for those staying. Had a bit of a delay while Hayden searched all over the place for his keys...... waiting waiting....... they were in the "boot" of his bike!!
We then headed off on a blast down the Catlins highway with 3 of us on adventure bikes heading down the Tahakopa Valley and meeting the highway again down near Curio Bay - the blast back up the Catlins highway from there is just amazing on a nice day (which it was) and we met up with the sports bikers at the cafe at the McLean Falls (just before Cathedral Caves)

Took one slightly wrong turn at Tahokopa but talked to some hillbillies who directed us back to the right track (when a hillbilly from Tahakopa takes his wife to Christchurch - is she still his sister????)

Caught up with most of the KB'rs back at the rally site on the way back and then 4 of us headed away to our respective homes.
Great days riding, not sure quite how far because I zeroed the trip when I filled up at Clinton but it would have been over 300km

[Daffyd]

I was (I think) the last KB'r to leave the site this morning apart from Woodybee, and suffered the ultimate indignity of dropping the bike in the mud at the gate. Fortunately a kindly gent arrived on the scene almost before I hit the dirt and we had it picked up and on our way quite quickly.
It had been raining steadily since about 6am and had become quite heavy just after the others left. (Mental note: Don't be last away from a rally on a wet morning!) Got home to a beautiful day and got my gear almost dried out before the rain arrived.
Just gotta clean the mud off the bike and my riding suit.

[Winston001]

I was (I think) the last KB'r to leave the site this morning apart from Woodybee, and suffered the ultimate indignity of dropping the bike in the mud at the gate.....

Ah but you weren't the last to leave D - that honour belongs to my good self. Having retired at the gentlemanly hour of 1:30amish, I slept like the innocent (as you'd expect ) and listened to the band until 3:00. In the dawn waking to hear the gentle libations falling from the heavens I rolled over and sawed a few more logs....and eventually crawled out feeling very chipper. Which is more than I could say for the pale shaking specimens around me.

Woodybee left about 11:20 and I followed shortly thereafter.

What a great rally. Lots of fun was had by all. It was a pleasure to catch up with Mr Sensible and Farque, and meet Woodybee, Daffyd, Jantar, Ghost_Bullet, and others from KB - even if there were some unkind nit-picking moments regarding "character" issues with my bike. I'm above all that. Ducatis are for riding, not show ponies. We leave that to the HD mob.....

It probably didn't help that I was teamed with a couple of VStroms and although I politely asked them to move their bikes a bit further away.....whaddya do??

The band Shotgun were good as usual and their singer has the "Rock Chick" thing going on very nicely Lots of chaps up front studying her style.

Finally a word of thanks to Scummy and Chrissie for their welcoming hospitality on Friday when we called in for coffee. We really enjoyed the visit before heading to the site to set up camp.

[Daffyd]

Ah but you weren't the last to leave D - that honour belongs to my good self. Having retired at the gentlemanly hour of 1:30amish, I slept like the innocent (as you'd expect ) and listened to the band until 3:00. In the dawn waking to hear the gentle libations falling from the heavens I rolled over and sawed a few more logs....and eventually crawled out feeling very chipper. Which is more than I could say for the pale shaking specimens around me.

Woodybee left about 11:20 and I followed shortly thereafter.

What a great rally. Lots of fun was had by all. It was a pleasure to catch up with Mr Sensible and Farque, and meet Woodybee, Daffyd, Jantar, Ghost_Bullet, and others from KB - even if there were some unkind nit-picking moments regarding "character" issues with my bike. I'm above all that. Ducatis are for riding, not show ponies. We leave that to the HD mob.....

It probably didn't help that I was teamed with a couple of VStroms and although I politely asked them to move their bikes a bit further away.....whaddya do??

The band Shotgun were good as usual and their singer has the "Rock Chick" thing going on very nicely Lots of chaps up front studying her style.

Finally a word of thanks to Scummy and Chrissie for their welcoming hospitality on Friday when we called in for coffee. We really enjoyed the visit before heading to the site to set up camp.

Sorry about that... I looked around for you but didn't see you.

[timg]

lunch stop at Owaka (where an elderly gentleman riding with us was most impressed with the attributes of the waitress!!)

Ya grubby old bugga!! Pip will give you a hiding when she sees what you've been up to. Sheez

[woodybee]

....and eventually crawled out feeling very chipper. Which is more than I could say for the pale shaking specimens around me.

I hope you're not implying I looked pale, but heck I was doing some shaking!!!and my eyes had shrunk to the size of a pinhead...........

Wow what a fantastic trip I m having so far, stopped with great bloke called Clive who lives in Clydevale on the Wednesday, the ride there was fantastic, it started to rain as I left Queenstown, but then it cleared up the clouds parted and it was sunshine all the way, well till Alex, were it hooned down again, for a few k's and settled into a cloudy non-blustery ride. I love Clydevale, its has the cuteness of a chocolate box cover.......

Then at Scummy and CB's on the Thursday, again thank you so much guys, you continue to be shinning lights in my life.

Got to the site really quite early on the Friday and scooted over to the organisers tents to say hi, and they fed me, gave me a beer, and I knew at the stage what a cracking rally it was going to be.

Had the loveliest and nuttiest irishman who has been all around the world on his bike, you might have seen his bike with the metal panniers on. God he was so funny and easy to be around, so we laughed till our knees gave way with each other.....good friendship formed there.

Friday night was spent with the irishman Tom, Brad of Dunedin, and Pete of Nelson.......fuck what a fun night with those dudes.....subjected them to my groovy tunes on my MP3 aka speakers.......blimey got some abuse for some of the songs.......

Couldnt be arsed for the ride on the Saturday, after beering it up on the Friday, so hung around the site and watched them set off, and saw the stampede of bikers comin in..............over 700 bikes attended the penguin.

Saturday pm and night was fun, nearly got my hands on one of those wee bikes again, that shook my bones at the vincent.........but alas, couldn't part the dude with his toy....

Everyone seems to have suffered the effects of awaiting rally season....and I for one have been hanging out for the Penguino, and went wild all night, have stuffed my knee from Pole Dancing!!!!!so currently limping a bit.

God, it always feels like I have been 10 rounds with Mike Tyson after a rally....right bunch of dirty tossers at the rally I spun round at spat some advise at a couple of geezers, who decided they wanted to pinch my backside,...... think I shall pinch a few guys arses at the next rally and see what reaction I get. Got absolutely bolloxed

Sat by the campfire for another hour or so after the band (love Shotgun) before I heaved myself off to bed, and was dead to the world until my tent got shook in the morning by the neighbours who insisted I get out of my bed,

Its the earliest I have been up at a rally, talk about being vague packing stuff up. Still managed to leave late though.....

Anyway dudes and dudess's great to see you all again, as always, its fun fun fun, and Shrek, boy what a mover on the dancefloor

Had the shittiest ride to Dunners though, the frigging wind nearly got me blown off my bike on a couple of occasions, which made my visor steam up as I was screaming at the weather (does anybody else do that.....?) God I tell you what if I ever met the maker of wind, I shall have a few words to say about the blinking wind today.

Anyway, am now sitting at Paula's and Dales, tapping this in, and we're all absolutely knackered......but will do the sociable wine drinking later..

Ranigiorar is the hopeful destination tommorow night, before Blasting off to Nelson for a few days of kayaking and chilling out at my mates in Motueka..

Then catch up with some of you Christchurch dudes Friday 26th.....Chucky 19, see you in Kiakora on 26th, for Lunch

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

Well since I finish work at 3pm, and Xaria finishes at 5pm I packed both bikes and got them ready so all Xaria had to do when she got home was have a coffee, get her bike gear on and we could go.

We were on the road by 17:20 (5:20pm for you land lovers) had a good easy cruise down to Chez Scumdog's where we were well looked after and met up with the rest of the crew... Jantar, Vigaroso, Ghost Bullet, and eventually Shrek & Far Queue. The soup was yummy and Thank you to SD and CB for your hospitality.

Took Jantars V-Strom for a blat up the road... ummm me like felt like I had been riding the bike for years... it was comfortable and handled great.

Next morning we went to met some of the others from dunedin that came down for the day. I bit of a ride and crossed over the mighty Clutha on the "Punt" Apparently the only one left operating in the southern hemisphere. Bit of a catch up waiting for the second load too come across as we did the photo shoot thing.

Then off to the site after a quick top up in Balclutha. Setup up camp and decided to go top the pub for some lunch.

A couple of us said we would go to the nuggets for a look... Ghost Bullet leading me following and the Vigaroso trying to bring up the rear... GB with the wide handle bars felt at ease on the gravel... The vtr was ok on most of it but there was patches that I thought hmmmm interesting andthe wide tyres and clip on bars were not helping... I lost sight of GB as he shot way ahead, looked in the mirrors I had lost sight of Vigaroso... DOH

Eventually caught up with GB as he was waiting for us... just before the road went up the hill to the nuggets. I pulled up and waited for Vigaroso... he never showed...first thought hmmm has he dropped it... nah second thought was he had turned back... Sure enough he had... the blouse

Actually the parts of the gravel road were pretty bad for any sports bike... there was no track and the gravel was quite thick, and I did loose steering a couple of times... and was thinking wish I was on the even the vtr250 with its narrower tyres and wider bar...

Got back to the site and and called Vigaroso a Girls blouse in his red and ghey jacket...

Me and Ghost Bullet swap bikes and went for blat up the road... ummm well the grisso, that was interesting the and cornering to the right was fine, but felt like I was fighting the bike when cornering the the left... It didn't vibrate as much as LeMan's Guzzi I took for a blat a year or so ago.

Got back to the site then Scumdog offers me ride on his Harley... I thought about it... hmmm could I handle the power of the massey ferguson. Now in all honestly the last harley I rode was from the 70's and it was ruff as guts, handled like a pig and well was bloody aweful to ride... So I didn't really know what to expect.

I was suprised, it actually cornered and was pretty smooth, not really what I expected at all even though I didn't know what I was expecting. Got to the long straights and put my feet up on the highway pegs... hmmm different, but could get use to it... was coming up on the tight 35kph left hand corner and thought better use the standard pegs for this, but fark me, I couldn't farken find them... somebody had moved them further forward from when I was using them only a few k's down the road... bastards.

Over all I actually enjoyed all the bikes I tried... yes even the Harley, even though I couldn't get use to the tassels

Back at the site, and was time to crack open the bourbon and party till the wee hours... however... by time 22:00ish came along I wasn't starting to feel the strain and actually was tired, and a little pissed... decided I have to make it to midnight for crying out loud. Eventually crawling into me cot about 00:30ish 01:00ish

It started to rain in the early hours and didn't really stop. Was still drizzling when we got up. Slowly packing gear and saying our "see you next time" we headed off slowly. by the time we got to Balclutha the rain had stopped but the roads we still damp but drying. We thought kewl nice ride home, and into Milton, the on to the flood free when the wind suddenly hit out of no where and was gusty. It actually blew Xaria on the other lane gave her a hell of a fright. We pull over and I did the mentoring thing and told and reminder her of the tricks previously taught...

The firestorm handled the wind fine and while the odd blast hit it didn't effect me as much as the wee 2fiddy.

Anyway home safely and had a blast of a weekend. Thanx to Tom and Chrissy for the hospitality on Friday and I hope we allowed to do it next year. Was a great to catch up with old friends meet new... talk the normal rally BS and have fun.

Photos
http://www.southernrider.co.nz/album/ thumbnails.php?album=30

[_Shrek_]

home safe & sound will write up later

[woodybee]

home safe & sound will write up later

Hey Shrek, want you to know that I shall always make a (woody) bee line for you when you are the dancefloor, what a groover. Glad you got back safe...Nite all

[xknuts]

Its the earliest I have been up at a rally, talk about being vague packing stuff up. Still managed to leave late though.....

LOL, Funnily 9.30pm is the earliest I'd been to bed at any rally (effects of a weeks snowboarding till Friday night) and then waking up on a deflated airbed at some ungodly hour, thinkin F--- it! I'm off outa here & had a beaut ride home, dry roads, no wind, and in the garage by 9.02am. But I didn't beat "Outbakal" home, he was pulling out as I got out of my tent.

[Ghost_Bullet]

Well all done and dusted. A bloody good trip away and the first for the season. Around 75litre of gas expelled from the rear of me bike, including what looks like a scotoiler hard at work on my rear wheel... but since I dont have a chain... it would have to be an oil leak from my final drive.
As always the trip through to Central Otago was awesome... mid season road conditions meant corners were not as clean and predictable, and my caution paid off on many.
Arriving at Chez Scummies, was familier faces some brews and fill for the tummy. Cheers to the Hosts... most thankful.

It was out plan (Sensible and I) to do a Catlin sight seeing adventure) but ended up following the rest of the crew up to the River Ferry Crossing, and skip out to the site for a tent pitch.
A wander to the pub for Cod Burger... the a run out to Nuget Point... NOT.

Drinks.. food and more drinks.... in very well behaved moderation.... not even close to last years perfomance... but certainly enjoyed watching the crazy's getting nutty.
A great night had.

Then a great trip back home again on the straight route.

Piccys to be here in a second.... gotta dash.

[Xaria]

I had been hanging out for the PP for ages and it didn't disappoint.

Awesome getting home on Friday and everything set out for me. Quick check of the gear on the bike to make sure it was secure and even including getting changed and swapping everything out of purse we were on the road about 20 minutes after I got home.

Brilliant ride down to the Southern Riviera, and the guys all sat out on the deck and drunk and then they came in and realised how cold it had gotten. An awesome nights company and a really comfy bed to boot.

An early wake up the next day - you would think it was a rally or something - then we sorted ourselves out to head off to the punt. Really awesome and a big thumbs up to Ruralman for arranging it. Then off to the rally site. Got the tent set up and drifted down to the restaurant for lunch. Had a cod burger which was good but from the comments from everyone probably better to just get takeaways next door and eat them on the beach. Some of the boys went off for an afternoon trip to nugget point - see NH post, but I went back to the site to socialise.

Met up with Clear Sky and had a blast. I offered to help her set up her tent but thankfully she declined. Caught up with a vast number of KB people and had an absolutely awesome weekend.

On Sunday, woke to the rain and tried our best to get Woody Bee alive to ride back with us. Left with Scummy and Chrissy about 9.30. I had to stop at Kaka Point as I had rain inside and outside my visor. My rear tire slipped a little which knocked my confidence a little and dropped my speed.

The rain finally let up around Balclutha and had a lovely ride to Milton. After Milton on the straight, we had a head on wind that didn't really affect me too much until we went round a bend and I had constant side on gusts that blew me all over the road. I changed down gear so much that I was running out of gears. After a quick stop in Allenton to get my breath back we pushed on to home.

WoodyBee turned up a few hours later and we had some low key fun but an early night to catch up on some sleep.

I was reminded that the PP is an awesome rally not only because it is the first of the season.

Someone book me in for next year.

[Clairsky]

No one seemed to want to leave on Sunday morning, but since we were all standing around getting wetter it did seem the best thing to do! Stopped in Balclutha for a bit of breaky and Lift Plus, then headed off into the hills and wind. It gusted on and off all the way home but didn't get the rain until Edendale. Copped the lot then, bucketed down with wind. Got home safely tho with hubby waiting to help get straps off the bike and gear unloaded. Nothing was better than the hot shower and snoozing on and off for the rest of the afternoon! What a brilliant weekend, great start to the season. Thanks to all the organisers, you did another wonderful job. Keep that band on for next time.