These pix are from a variety of sources - my camera, my cell phone, and some of Dave's. I also clipped some pix from some digital video he took. They have been resized in deference to those poor souls still on dial-up. The text for each picture is generally above it. As usual, if you want to see more detail, just click on the pic, and use your browser 'back' arrow to return to the blog.
The trip was awesome with great weather there and back. Didn't do a lot of tourist pix - just didn't want to stop except for food and gas, or a beer!
The occasion was officially the Burt Munro Challenge - a weekend rally of motorcycle sport events in Invercargill, New Zealand. That was my leave-pass excuse! I also wanted to spend time with my son Blair who lives in Fiordland - at Te Anau, and with our friends Dave and Gaylene.
Early start on the ride to Invercargill. 13 bikes I think gathered at the Awapuni Tavern for a 5.30am departure....
Arrived in time for 7:30am checkin at Wellington, the ferry we booked on was the Kaitaki.
The sunrise after an overcast and dark start was an omen of great things to come!
Uneventful calm crossing. I found the food hall; on board, had ordered and eaten my cooked kiwi breakfast before the ship sailed!
Stopped at "The Store" on the Kaikoura Coast because Gavin saw a woman with problems with her K75 BMW. I went in for a coke, and they were so slow I had finished it before I got to the checkout! Boy - was it hot sitting round in the sun!
Just entering the town of Kaikoura - we stopped for lunch in the sun. Leathers off.
After blasting through the inland scenic route through Canterbury we decided to stop for the night at Geraldine, at this fine old pub. By now, due to folk having relatives at Christchurch and all over the place they expected to visit with en route, our party was down to 4 bikes.
We parked our bikes in the secured yard behind the pub. Here getting ready to go in the morning after giving the old girl a breakfast drink of oil.
On arrival at Dave's in Otautau, I met (and fell in love with) his new Nomad, which he has converted to a single seat bagger. Here it is with a prototype seat. (He's an auto upholsterer - seems to enjoy ripping bioke seatrs apart and fixing them!)
ON the Friday we went into town where I bought some oil and a set of ratchet ring spanners. We had planned to strip my clutch after an earlier assembly had gone awry and it was dragging a bit. The job went really well, the only casualty was the spanners were stuffed out of their packet - so back to the shop they were to go for an exchange.
Here's me posing with my bike with the right side cover off, exposing the clutch...
And here is the old girl back together again, with a nice smooth clutch.
My son visited on Friday night - brough wine and beer but we weren't playing too much. He went on home to Te Anau a little over an hour away. After lunch next day as planned I jumped on the bike and rode to visit him - via Manapouri. Wonderful day for riding, and of course that fiordland and southern lakes scenery that inspires you to sing loudly inside your helmet!
Parked the bike - Rosemary had requested lots of pix of Blair's place and work, but I had forgotten my camera. Took the next two with my cell phone.
Here's Blair writing up his tab for buying me a drink. His shift was about to finish and it was good to see him closing out for the incoming team. Blair also is a projectionist in the theatre, as well as a bar manager and receptionist...
Went to Blair's rented house, he shares with two mates, one of their parents owns the place. Blair has been busy pruning shrubs and trees and has a bit of green waste to get rid of.
After leaving us the night before and getting home Blair had got himself talked into a session at the pub. When he got home he had tried to assemble his new kitset slat bed which he had in boxes in the car. Apparently it was too much for him and he slept on the floor amidst all the bits and pieces. He and I soon made sense of the instructions, resorted all the bits and bolts, and had the bed assembled in short measure.
This is a pic down Blair's street toward the lake and the mountains. Blair and I went out for dinner and the ribs beat him. I got away before 8 and had a wonderful ride back to Otautau.
Next day, Sunday, Dave and I went to the Wyndham street races, where we were most interested in the classic bikes. There was a full card of classes, and it was good that the track dried and the sun came out after practice in the morning.
These pix were taken by Dave.
Here's another pic of Dave's bike, dressed with the screen, and a new seat cover.
That seems to be all!
My trip home was solo, via Haast Pass, with an overnighter at Barrytown Pub backpackers, about 15km south of Punakaiki on the West Coast. More gorgeous weather, even the next day (despite some sunstrike before breakfast) with a stop at Murchison . My first ride of the Wairau Valley, saw me at Picton a couple of hours early, and met up with quite a few of our original group.
Got an earlier sailing. A couple of beers on board hardly touched the sides, and I spent a goodly part of the sailing exploring the inside of my eyelids.
Home by dinner time. Impression - never thought I'd see the day when a tank of gas for the bike went over $24! With long day rides and several fuel stops it sure mounts up!
The trip was awesome with great weather there and back. Didn't do a lot of tourist pix - just didn't want to stop except for food and gas, or a beer!
The occasion was officially the Burt Munro Challenge - a weekend rally of motorcycle sport events in Invercargill, New Zealand. That was my leave-pass excuse! I also wanted to spend time with my son Blair who lives in Fiordland - at Te Anau, and with our friends Dave and Gaylene.
Early start on the ride to Invercargill. 13 bikes I think gathered at the Awapuni Tavern for a 5.30am departure....
Arrived in time for 7:30am checkin at Wellington, the ferry we booked on was the Kaitaki.
The sunrise after an overcast and dark start was an omen of great things to come!
Uneventful calm crossing. I found the food hall; on board, had ordered and eaten my cooked kiwi breakfast before the ship sailed!
Stopped at "The Store" on the Kaikoura Coast because Gavin saw a woman with problems with her K75 BMW. I went in for a coke, and they were so slow I had finished it before I got to the checkout! Boy - was it hot sitting round in the sun!
Just entering the town of Kaikoura - we stopped for lunch in the sun. Leathers off.
After blasting through the inland scenic route through Canterbury we decided to stop for the night at Geraldine, at this fine old pub. By now, due to folk having relatives at Christchurch and all over the place they expected to visit with en route, our party was down to 4 bikes.
We parked our bikes in the secured yard behind the pub. Here getting ready to go in the morning after giving the old girl a breakfast drink of oil.
On arrival at Dave's in Otautau, I met (and fell in love with) his new Nomad, which he has converted to a single seat bagger. Here it is with a prototype seat. (He's an auto upholsterer - seems to enjoy ripping bioke seatrs apart and fixing them!)
ON the Friday we went into town where I bought some oil and a set of ratchet ring spanners. We had planned to strip my clutch after an earlier assembly had gone awry and it was dragging a bit. The job went really well, the only casualty was the spanners were stuffed out of their packet - so back to the shop they were to go for an exchange.
Here's me posing with my bike with the right side cover off, exposing the clutch...
And here is the old girl back together again, with a nice smooth clutch.
My son visited on Friday night - brough wine and beer but we weren't playing too much. He went on home to Te Anau a little over an hour away. After lunch next day as planned I jumped on the bike and rode to visit him - via Manapouri. Wonderful day for riding, and of course that fiordland and southern lakes scenery that inspires you to sing loudly inside your helmet!Parked the bike - Rosemary had requested lots of pix of Blair's place and work, but I had forgotten my camera. Took the next two with my cell phone.
Here's Blair writing up his tab for buying me a drink. His shift was about to finish and it was good to see him closing out for the incoming team. Blair also is a projectionist in the theatre, as well as a bar manager and receptionist...
Went to Blair's rented house, he shares with two mates, one of their parents owns the place. Blair has been busy pruning shrubs and trees and has a bit of green waste to get rid of.
After leaving us the night before and getting home Blair had got himself talked into a session at the pub. When he got home he had tried to assemble his new kitset slat bed which he had in boxes in the car. Apparently it was too much for him and he slept on the floor amidst all the bits and pieces. He and I soon made sense of the instructions, resorted all the bits and bolts, and had the bed assembled in short measure.
This is a pic down Blair's street toward the lake and the mountains. Blair and I went out for dinner and the ribs beat him. I got away before 8 and had a wonderful ride back to Otautau.
Next day, Sunday, Dave and I went to the Wyndham street races, where we were most interested in the classic bikes. There was a full card of classes, and it was good that the track dried and the sun came out after practice in the morning.
These pix were taken by Dave.
Here's another pic of Dave's bike, dressed with the screen, and a new seat cover.
That seems to be all!
My trip home was solo, via Haast Pass, with an overnighter at Barrytown Pub backpackers, about 15km south of Punakaiki on the West Coast. More gorgeous weather, even the next day (despite some sunstrike before breakfast) with a stop at Murchison . My first ride of the Wairau Valley, saw me at Picton a couple of hours early, and met up with quite a few of our original group.
Got an earlier sailing. A couple of beers on board hardly touched the sides, and I spent a goodly part of the sailing exploring the inside of my eyelids.
Home by dinner time. Impression - never thought I'd see the day when a tank of gas for the bike went over $24! With long day rides and several fuel stops it sure mounts up!
