Shakey Isles - The wonder of New Zealand Motorcycling

[vnsfxr]

Since we agree that "Its all about the ride"

Thought I'd share this link about a motorcycle tour in New Zealand:

http://carpoint.ninemsn.com.au/porta...opDefault.aspx

[ekaphoto]

Link didn't work.

[vnsfxr]

Originally Posted by ekaphoto

Link didn't work.

You are just to quick. I was fixing it when you posted, try again.

[ekaphoto]

Works now, thanks. Lots going on at work tonight, can you tell

[vnsfxr]

Glad I could help pass the time. They are some good pics.

It is kinda weird though seeing a bike leaned over in the wrong lane.

Check out the link for more pics on the page. They even caught a rainbow.

[pashnit]

Awesome link Vince - thanks for sharing that!

(in case the link expires)

TOURING THE SHAKY ISLES

Incurable wanderlust and a couple of BMW motorcycles turn a pre-Christmas holiday into a two-week outdoor adventure on New Zealand’s breathtaking South Island. Part One sees editor Butler struggling with rugged mountain beauty and freezing Summer days.

Published February 2005
Article by Glenn Butler

Snow, sunburn, gales, rainstorms… ahh the tranquillity of a New Zealand road trip. When Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson said New Zealand has it all, he wasn’t just talking about the landscapes. The toughest part of our trip, without a skerrick of doubt, was Day 10 travelling north up the east coast from Christchurch to Kaikoura, unrelenting rain blanketing every direction and the mercury trembling on four degrees.

Did I mention it was December, the first month of summer? Did I mention we were on motorbikes? Did I mention that it was on this turgid day we discovered our waterproof riding boots weren’t actually waterproof?

Keen four-wheel drivers will know the wonderfully scenic mountain road that meanders inland from Christchurch, through the Lowry Peak ranges, and rejoins the coast road just before the Kaikoura peninsula. Countryside unspoilt by human hordes, views that snatch your breath right out of your lungs, and nature bountiful in repose.

But we didn’t go that way this time. Attempting vainly to ignore the icicles clinging to our noses and feet rapidly transforming into clubs of ice, we focused single-mindedly on reaching our destination. Or more accurately, the heaters in the room at our destination.

[pashnit]

LOOKING BACK

Isn’t it funny that when you reminisce after a road trip all the difficulties and adversity pop into your mind first. Like the gale force winds on the west coast blowing our motorbikes two feet sideways for every ten feet forward. Or emerging from the hand-chiselled, lumpy, leaking Homer Tunnel near Milford Sound into a snow shower of the kind I always picture Americans singing carols in at Christmas.

The sparsely populated South Island of New Zealand is so rich with scenery and spectacular roads that the harsh weather conditions come as something of a shock. And yet, we wouldn’t trade even one moment for a pot of gold. Breathtaking only begins to describe mountainous vistas which change dramatically over the course of hours, let alone days.

[pashnit]

TRUSTY STEEDS

With very little knowledge of the terrain we’d encounter on our planned eight-day circumnavigation of the Island, choosing capable transport was important. BMW’s all-road R1200GS, the latest in an enduro series best known for regularly dominating the arduous Paris-Dakar desert race was a no brainer for yours truly. Equally obvious was the smaller and lighter – yet no less capable – F650CS Scarver for my trusty sidekick and photographer.

Our plan was to barrel down to Wellington from Auckland and hop the InterIsland ferry across Cook Strait, through Charlotte Sound and disembark at Picton. From there we’d wander north to Golden Bay, follow the Buller River across the island to the west coast and make our way down to Queenstown for some serious R & R.

We expected to cover around 400km each day, though constantly winding roads, numerous photo calls and the odd soak-it-all-in stop dropped our average drastically. It didn’t matter, we were having a ball.

Eight days turned into ten and soon became 12 as we rejigged our planned route to experience as much as possible. It’s impossible to see everything, but we damn well tried, often taking side roads to a particularly scenic spot and then retracing our tracks back onto the main route.

[pashnit]

GREAT GLACIERS

Anyone contemplating a tour of the South Island absolutely must go to Milford Sound. Its ancient beauty shone brightly during our visit, despite overcast conditions. A two hour ride from Te Anau, skirting Fiordland National Park and emerging into a timeless valley after the Homer Tunnel started the day in spectacular fashion, and from there it only got better.

Boat operators offer an all-day tour or the shorter lunchtime cruise we opted for. Either way you’ll be awestruck by coarse, towering mountains carved out by glaciers, crashing violently into the wandering watercourse. Dozen of waterfalls carry snowmelt and rainwater over cliffs and pound into the bay. NZ fur seals lounge playfully on rocks as sea birds dive into the water around them, feasting on hordes of small fish schooling just beneath the surface.

The Milford Sound road is a 120km dead end, so we returned to Te Anau that night and the next day rode to Queenstown which, in all its vibrant glory, would be ours to enjoy for the next three days. But relaxing was not on the menu, with day trips planned around Lake Wakatipu, a home-cooked meal in the historic mining enclave of Arrowtown, and of course the ballistic scream through the canyons on the Shotover Jet.

[pashnit]

THE COMMODORE CONNECTION

Here’s an interesting piece of trivia for those who give a stuff. Each Shotover Jet is powered by two Buick 3800 V6 engines – the same basic engine that powered Holden’s big-selling Commodore from 1988 until 2004.

Who can resist a cruise up the snaking Cardrona pass and across the Crown Range? At 1119m above sea level it’s the highest road in the New Zealand. It’s a tiddler next to Australia’s highest road at Cabramurra in the Snowy Mountains (1465m) but Kiwis will always turn the discussion to mountain peaks. It’s here that the 3754m Mount Cook, also called Aoraki, dwarfs Mount Kosciusko’s paltry 2228m. So proud is Mount Cook, it towers almost 500m above it’s nearest rival.

In fact it’s impossible to go anywhere in the South Island that doesn’t afford stunning views of mountain ranges when more than 120 peaks are taller than Australia’s tallest – 22 peaks reach more than three kilometres into the sky. Still, even Mount Cook barely reaches halfway up Mount Everest...