From the Rock

Jan. 30, 2018

88 kms Masterton to Dannevirke ‘as the crow flies’. 107 kms Road distance, shortest route. 385kms, the way we went.

We left Masterton about 09:30 & headed out on the windy sealed road to Wainuioru (seriously, they speak English here, but I got no idea how to pronounce some place names) & it was ‘same same’. The road changed to gravel (with the dreaded ‘marbles’) & with the slower speeds on gravel, I had to open all the vents in my riding gear to try to stay cool on this 30+C day. We were certainly going on the ‘path less traveled’. We didn’t meet any traffic. It turns out the road was a main route for the ‘dreaded’ logging trucks (I say ‘dreaded’ because lots of locals warned us to beware of logging trucks. They drive fast, take up both sides of the road on corners, etc. We saw/met/were passed by lots of them in our journeys & never saw any poor/dangerous driving...they are big, intimidating rigs, but, I never had any problems with them). It turns out, we were on a one-way route that the trucks use & we were going the right way. I found out we were going the right way when an empty truck came up behind me stopped & the driver jumped out to chat. He told me about the ‘rules of this road’. I told him to go on ahead of me (I’m sure he’d be faster, he knew the road like the back of his hand & I’m sure time is money for him), but he insisted that I go ahead. ‘You don’t want to be in the dust behind me’ he said...OK? I got to say it was intimidating to hear the jake brake roar behind me as we maneuvered the turns going down the side of the mountain. It wasn’t too long before he turned off. The pressure was off.

We continued on & eventually came to Riversdale Beach. I missed the ‘s’ & thought we might meet Archie, Betty, Jughead & crew (Riverdale is home to Archie comics), but instead we found a beautiful, clean, little resort town with a gorgeous beach. We had lunch at a little restaurant (lots of ice water & a milkshake to try & cool down in the heat.

After lunch we headed out again on a sealed road that turned to gravel & then back to sealed as we came to castle point about an hour, or so, later. This is another beautiful beach area. There’s no wharf, but there are several 35’-50’ fishing boats (all with jet drives, I assume because of shallow water) that are on trailers & there are tractors attached to most that they use to launch & pull them out with. They are mostly aluminum (pronounced ‘ale lou min ee um’ here) New Zealand built boats.

There’s a cool looking lighthouse high on the point (I assume that’s the Castle in Castle Point). We rode up the beach & watched some people learning to surf. It was really, really hot in our riding gear, so, when Joe suggested a swim, I immediately agreed. How to park a bike on a sandy beach? I watched Joe spin his back tire down into the sand a bit & then put down his side stand...she stayed up fine. With his advise, I did the same, but was a little over enthusiastic & had the back wheel buried nearly up to the rear sprocket before I stopped...’I’m not pushing you out’, he warned.

Anyway we had a nice refreshing swim in the Pacific. It felt freezing at first, but with the waves rolling in, there was no choice & in no time the water had plashed all over me & it didn’t feel cold at all. After 1/2 hour, we got out, dried off & got suited up. The bikes started off with no problems (truth to tell, I didn’t get on at first, I put her in gear & pushed on the handlebars until she got on top of the sand). Away we rode up the beach, onto the road & with a short backtrack we were off Akitio beach. We went through Alfredton & Rakaunui on the way. The road alternated between sealed & gravel. ‘Same same’. There was no place to stay at Akitio, but there was cell service, so, we booked a room in Dannevirke & off we went. It was getting a little later than we usually ride & the sun was starting to go down. We were headed to the west & the sun was in our eyes so it was slow going. We got to town about 7:30 & by the time we checked in, got a shower & had a cold drink, it was 8:30 or so when we went out to find supper. We tried the places that were recommended to us, but they were closed. Our choices were KFC (not going there unless there was NO other choice) & a Vietnamese Restaurant. Vietnamese it was then...GREAT choice. The service was fantastic, the prices were reasonable & the food was superb. With chopsticks and authentic Vietnamese beer, it was just like being in Hanoi (well, actually it didn’t smell like Hanoi, but that was a good thing!).

A great end to a great day!!!

Jan. 29, 2018

Up early because we had to get to the BMW dealership (Motomart) in Lower Hutt, where Joe had an early appointment to get his bike serviced.

Not the best start today to the day for me. The damned bike is too tall (or, I suppose, I'm too short) & the first thing I did was tip it over against the wall in the parking garage. I wasn't even moving!! There was a dip in to floor so when I put my foot down to balance the bike, it didn't touch & over she went! Joe came over & helped me upright it. No damage to anything, except my pride! Stupid Paul, Stupid Paul (going over & over & over in my head).

Anyway, rode to dealership through morning traffic & dropped his bike off & they gave him a 1200 to demo. (Joe has an 800). While his bike was being serviced, we went for ride on Muritai Road, along the shoreline across from Wellington. On the way back, we stopped for breakfast/lunch (scrambled egg, cheese & Salmon on a bagel...sounds horrible, but was delicious). Joe realized he had left his watch in the hotel room. I know it's terrible of me, but it gave me some pleasure & a little relief from the razz he was giving me about my 'man NOT in motion' accident. Then he called the hotel to check on his watch & they told him his watch was there & that I had left a battery for my GoPro too...back in the dog house for me. (Oh well...what can you do?)

Just before after 12:00 we had picked up his bike, collected our things from the hotel, bought some really detailed maps at 'the map shop' & off we went. No particular destination, just to get out of the city & off the busy highway. We turned off highway 2 at Featherston & rode through lovely countryside along the shore of Lake Wairarapo. We eventually rode out to the sea shore & beach across from the town of Lake Ferry. We tried to follow a trail/track just in from the beach, but it went nowhere & we had to turn back.

In the interest of full disclosure (but don't tell Joe) when he was ahead & just out of sight, I stopped in the sand to size up where we were going when, wait for it, I put down my foot, it slid in the sand & over she went again!! Upset, embarrassed & cursing like a sailor (a very pissed off sailer), I got off (well got up actually, getting off is already done if the bike is on it's side) & turned back on to the bike, 1 hand on a hand grip, the other on the saddle bag mount & using my legs pushed the bike upright. Twice in one day, that's more times than in the last 10 years!! Brings up that question from philosophy...if a tree falls in the forest, & nobody is there to hear it, does it make a noise?...If a bike falls in soft sand & the rider uprights it before his riding partner sees it, did it ever happen??

We backtracked a bit & then rode onward to Martinborough in the 35C heat. From there we went through Gladstone on sealed roads ('same same') to Masterton where we stayed at the Copthorne Resort. They had the a/c on & the room cooled down when we arrived, but best of all...there was a pool!!!

Off with the riding gear & into to pool (it felt freezing at first) we went. What a nice way to cool down after a hot & frustrating (for me) day. A great meal at the hotel restaurant, and a nice port to end with. We were both surprised (lmfao) when the, obviously, new waiter brought out the expensive port wine in glasses, with ice...not many places do they put ice in wine?!?!

Despite the frustrations of the day, a great start to our adventures.

Jan. 28, 2018

Relaxed start to today. I have a booking to cross on the ferry to the North Island at 6:45 in the evening, but I think I’ll try for the 2:45 crossing. The highway up out of Nelson is ‘same same’. I ended up behind a Bunnings (same as Kent) pickup who really knew the road. I followed him & had a nice pace going. I stoped at the Pelorus Bridge & watched all the people enjoying swimming & tubing in the river (looked like great fun). I rode as far as Havelock where I stopped for lunch at the yacht club (I sure wasn’t stopping at the place with the $5.00 tea). A nice lunch & a great view of the docks & boats.

On the road again, headed for Picton & the ferry, I took the scenic route (Queen Charlotte Drive). It took a little longer, but there was less traffic & the riding was ‘same same’. The views of the ocean (bays & sounds) were outstanding. I arrived at the InterIsland ferry loading facility, changed reservations & was loaded straight onboard. I tied the bike down & chatted with other riders who were doing the same.

I took my gear up to the restaurant/lounge, changed into ‘street clothes’ & settled in for the 3 1/2 hour crossing. They had some really good sushi on offer & icy cold Corona...a couple of each & I was in a good mood & well fed.

They had a magician entertaining kids in one lounge. There was a musician playing in where I was. Lots going on. After a nice smooth crossing I rode off to the Mercure Hotel downtown (cbd) where I checked in & put the bike in the parking garage (remember that...funny story later). Joe arrived shortly after & we had a couple beer in the room & caught up on what was happening in each other’s lives & made plans for tomorrow.

The North Island adventure begins tomorrow!!

Jan. 27, 2018

Up & attem by 09:30. Before 10:00 I was picking my bike up off the ground, my first oopsie in NZ. No serious damage to the bike (a couple scratches) & no damage to me (not even one scratch). I know now the riding gear I bought for the trip was worth the price. I thought of all sorts of cute ways to says what happened (the bike was tired & wanted to lay down??) but it comes down to inattention on my part. As I was leaving Blenheim, I had to turn right at a roundabout. I got in the outside lane, looked down at my gps to confirm the exit I needed to take, when I looked up a car was pulling from the inside lane to take the same exit I needed. I over reacted, swerved too hard to the left, ran up against the curb & lost control (at all of 20km/hr). I went down with the bike. As Buddy Wasshisname says “it was over before it began”. My pride sustained the most damage. A couple of guys came over, uprighted the bike & away I went.

I rode on to Havelock (about 1/2 hour), where I stopped at a roadside cafe & had a $5.00 cup of tea! $5.00 for English breakfast tea!?!? Not as good as Tetley (they looyk at you funny if you ask for that or Orange Pekoe) & the price...did I mention $5.00 for a cup of tea?!?!

Anyway, my plan was to head for the Abel Tasman area, but I decided it was too far to go because I would be crossing on ferry to the North Island the next day. Instead I took to side roads & ended up at French Pass. It’s an isolated little village at the end of a peninsula. The riding was ‘same same’!!! It was sealed (paved) until Elaine Bay & then it was gravel for about 25kms. The weather was gorgeous high 20’s and, as there was very little traffic on the road, dust wasn’t a problem.

The ride back in to the main highway was awesome & once on the highway, it was a quick run into Nelson, where I stayed at a Quest apartment hotel. I walked out to the main pedestrian street downtown & had a great meal of duck legs & salad while listening to the a band playing. The tables were outside & the temperature was perfect. After eating I stayed & did some writing & people watching & generally had a pleasant evening. The group at the table next to me were out celebrating Martin’s (one of the guys there) 50th birthday. They were friendly & we joked back & forth.

I went back to the hotel, put on a load of laundry & fell asleep in no time. Great finish to a day that started out a little rough.

Jan. 26, 2018

I was up early & went for a walk (no hike this time) & got back to the room in time to shower, pack up & be ready to leave by checkout time. Checkout time here seems to universally be, 10am. That’s at least 2 hours earlier than is standard in North America, but, when in Rome (NZ) do as they do & get underway fairly early.

Today I’m heading for the Nelson area, I don’t expect to make it all the way, but headed in that direction. The first leg was to Waiau, highway driving, mostly straight, but beautiful mountains, rivers & farms as a backdrop. Once I got to Waiau I stopped at a cafe (pronounced kaf here), had a tea & a pie. I spoke with a couple young guys (one of them wearing a Yamaha shirt...obviously a very astute young man) who said the best route to take on motorcycle would be the inland highway. They mentioned that highway had been damaged by all the truck traffic using it since the earthquake & land slides (slips) had shut down highway 1 in 2016 south of Kiakoura (& north of there too). I decided against the inland route so I could see the damage & construction on highway 1. Good call!!

The road from Waiau to route 1 (Leader Road) was a rural twisty, turny beauty.
I can’t go on for the rest of the trip tying to find new ways to describe how much fun the riding is here & how the roads are full of bends & curves...from now on, I’ll just be saying (writing) ‘same same’ & you’ll know what I mean.
They were trimming the hedges (at least 20 feet tall) on the first part of the route & that made it ‘interesting’ because of the debris left on the road...nothing to do but slow down & smell the roses (fresh cut trees, actually). It wasn’t long before I was past the area where they had trimmed & the road was bare & in good shape.

Along the way, I came across some guys herding sheep from one field to another across the road & stopped to watch the action. They were riding a quad (ugly Honda thing) & a beautiful Yamaha Rhino...I’m biased, but “you gotta dance with the one who brung ya”. They had lots of dogs (5 or six in total). The dogs were amazing to watch. They kept the sheep together & moving in the right direction. Obviously well trained & intelligent. They even knew the best way to travel was in the back of the Rhino as they jumped aboard when they were done...intelligent!!!

Once I got on highway 1 & headed north towards Kaikoura I was on a major highway running between hills on the left & ocean on the right. The briny smell of the Pacific was hanging in the air. All was good & the highway was in great shape until just north of Goose Bay (they got one here too). There was construction for the next 60/70kms. Of course by now (over a year year after the quake) the slip material has been removed, but they have to rebuild the highway bed, rebuild/replace some bridges install & reinforce the breast work protecting the road from future slides. As temporary protection, they’ve placed hundreds of sea cans (shipping containers) along side to highway. Kilometres of containers, chained together to prevent falling rocks & earth from coming out into the roadway. A very big job, with lots of flag-persons controlling traffic. I can’t believe it’s part of their job description, but everyone of them, smile & wave at every passing vehicle...every single one...a lot of waving (& smiling) in a 10 hour shift!!!

I made it to Kiakoura where I stopped for lunch & to ride out to the tip of the peninsula. I spoke to a couple of guys there & they say the ocean floor actually rose up in places as a result of the earthquake. That’s caused lots of problems for the fishery there. Crazy!!

There was more damage & construction north of Kiakoura & more smiling, waving flag-persons. I rode on to Blenheim & arrived there at about 4:00...enough riding for one day. I got a nice air conditioned room & sat outside in the shade (with an ice cold beverage), chatting with some construction workers staying there.

Had a wickedly good steak for supper at the Brazilian restaurant next door. Early to bed.

Jan. 25, 2018

Is it really only 1 month since Christmas?? It seems so long ago...time flies.

I got up early & in the cool (18C) of the morning I went out for a walk that turned into a hike. I was just going to walk around Hanmer Springs, but I saw a sign pointing to 'Conical Hill' hiking trail...away I went. Not a long hike (about 1 1/4 hours return), it is uphill all the to the top & there are great views. I huffed & puffed my way up the hill (no annoying runners passing me) but came down much faster. A lot easier coming downhill, but my legs were 'burning'!!

I checked the activities available on the way back to the hotel & found them all extremely expensive. It was $125 per person for a 1 hour jet boat ride. With the boat seating 14 passengers, thats $1750/ hour...it's a boat, not a f'n helicopter!!! Anyway, I checked with the guy on the front desk at the hotel for recommendations & commented how overly expensive I thought things were. He called up his mate, Brendan, who owns Amuri Jet & they had a 'special' for today for only $70 (still $1000/hr...I can't help it, I always try to size up profitability). I jumped at the offer.

I've got several boats, but this is a different animal all together. A flat bottom boat with twin Lexus V8's (800hp combined) driving twin jet pumps. Fast + manoeuvrable + low draft = fun on the river!!! Brendan says the tourist business supports his jet boat racing habit & it shows. Requiring water a metre deep to get started, he claims she can run in only 5cm (2") of water when on plane. He had us going through the flats & I was sure we'd hit bottom any second (it looked really shoal). He flung the boat left & right (I know port & starboard is correct) with abandon. I'd see what looked like the best route with the deepest water & expect to go that way...nope, he'd head for rattles & skinny water every time!! Obviously not his 'first rodeo', he'd run us right up next to the rocks & trees on shore, but turn away at the last instant. He had everyone on board alternating between screaming & silently holding their breath! Then for the 'piece de resistance' he'd throw her into a 360 spinout...screams all around!!! Awesome ride!!! He talked a lot about the ecology of the river, history & native lore, but it was obvious he loved driving (captaining) the boat & making everyone's adrenaline pump!! Awesome experience!!!

After finishing there, I did a little riding around town on bike. I picked up a woods road that went up through the valley & followed it for approximately 15kms. I didn't have my riding gear on, but I took my time & enjoyed the views (vistas). I'm starting to get the hang of the bike on gravel...maybe "the nut behind the handlebar" can learn new tricks (I avoided saying "old dog"...anything to avoid describing myself as 'old').

After I got back to the hotel & put the bike away, I went out to get a bite. The Irish pub seemed the place to go. I had the shepherds pie (minced lamb) & a cold beverage. I was sitting there, enjoying the a/c, writing & taking in the atmosphere of the place. It was fairly crowed & there was a group of 4 middle age local guys (about my age...all right...young seniors?) playing darts & obviously, having a time. I didn't pay much attention, I was busy writing, but they must have noticed me (my good looks obviously?!?!). One of them came over & invited me to join them. How cool is that? Kiwis are the second friendliest people I've ever come across (#1 being...Newfoundlanders...of course). It was late by then & I was ready to go home, so I declined joining them, but what a cool gesture. Super nice people!!!

Great day, Great weather, great country, great people. This is shaping up to be a very special holiday!!!