Just a wee fix

Not the best weather for riding this weekend but if you count charging around on a couple four wheelers yesterday then I actually spent a bit of time out in the elements (yep, got wet) riding a variety of different machinery.

Today I had to pop out to Ashhurst for a bit and after being encouraged by Al's tale of taking his Daytona over some gravel roads I decided to take the long (well not that long) way home. It was only a very short ride but by riding out to Pohangina I was able to pick up Finnis Road and ride it back to Colyton and then home.

Very early on Finnis Road goes to gravel and snakes it way up a small hill. The gravel was in pretty good nick but the tight nature of the road (and the skill of the rider) meant that 2nd gear was the order of the day - in fact on some of the very tight and corrugated corners 1st was required. Luckily the road opened up a bit once the hill had been climbed and the pace was carefully raised a tad.

Unfortunately the ride was just too short (I think the gravel portion was only about 10km) but I did start to get a bit more of an idea on how the tyres behave in the gravel. They appear to be pretty good and you can hit reasonably deep gravel without it upsetting the bike at all - not at all as scary as on a 280kg Concours shod with regular road tyres.

I was also pretty impressed with the tyres on very wet asphalt. I certainly had my misgivings about wet weather performance prior to today but I had absolutely no issues, although I was obviously taking it very cautiously. Even so, I feel a lot better having ridden the DL in the wet now and will be more comfortable next time the skies feel the need to give me a shower.

I'm quite enjoying this taking the long way home...

View Larger Map

Great Rides - Takaka Hill

Great Ride Number Four - Takaka Hill, South Island.

Since I've started writing up these great rides there's also been a bit of talk on the Kiwi Biker website about the best roads in the country.  So far people have mentioned all the one's I've posted so I guess we motorcyclist's are in agreement on what sort of roads make up a good ride - generally scenery & corners (not necessarily in that order).

The Takaka Hill is another ride that has also been mentioned on the Kiwi Biker and I was lucky enough to get a chance to tackle it last Christmas.  If you were only allowed one word to describe the road it would be "corners" - a good place to put some wear on the sides of your tyres.

This ride is similar to the Milford Sound ride as it is a there and back ride.  If you're based in the Nelson/Richmond area it makes a good day trip as you get to cane the hill, stop if in Takaka or Collingwood for a bite, maybe head out to Cape Farewell (some gravel) and then turn around and tackle the hill again.

 The hill road climbs up to nearly 800m and there are not many straight  bits joining the corners.  Once up on top there are a few areas where you can pull over and check out the great views either side of the hill. 

When I rode it in December I ripped up to the top of the hill, pulled over and whipped my camera out to see if I could get a photo of the old man and my brother in-law coming up  over the top on Dad's BM.  Bad luck, when he came past he was passing a line of cars.  Never mind, back on the bike and after him.

He pulled over a few hundred metres down the hill so I stopped.  He then grabbed my camera and sent my off to have a bit of play and see if he could get a piccy of me gouging a corner.  Well, he wasn't that used to my camera either but we got some nice pictures of the view...

Never mind, we carried on and did the lunch thing and went on out as far as Puponga where we climbed the hill (hot work in bike gear) and had a good look out towards the Cape & Farewell Spit.  Also watched some seals surfing below.  Well worth tackling a little bit of gravel.

On the way back up the hill there was a truck broken down on one of the big corners and traffic was built up behind it.  I was lucky enough to get past and had no traffic to worry about all the way to the summit - yeeha!  A quick stop in Kaiteriteri for some gas & an icecream before heading back into Richmond - a great ride.

I definitely recommend this is a great ride - perhaps not as scenic as some of the rides I've written up but a fantastic road.  In summer you will hit a lot of traffic from Richmond to Motueka and even on the Hill so you definitely need to take care.  The road was in pretty good condition although a little bumpy over the top.  Probably not a good ride in winter - when we lived in Nelson many moons ago we went up there in a car to play in the snow...

I must give it another bash one day...

Google Map here: Takaka

Great Rides - The West Coast

Great Ride Number Three: West Coast, South Island

It’s really hard to pick great rides from merely good rides in the South Island – any ride in the South Island is a great experience. There’s always good scenery, mostly good roads and generally less traffic.

The West Coast is really a selection of great rides that start with just getting there via Nelson, Wakefield, Golden Downs, Murchison, Inangahua and finally the Buller Gorge and on to the Coast proper. Or you can of course come straight through from Picton, Blenheim and up the Wairau Valley.

Weather seems to be the main reason that people shy away from the West Coast and that’s a shame – sure I’ve been as wet as you can get down there but I’ve also experienced some superb weather which combined with the ride made for a truly magic day. On one of my trips down the Coast, we got rained on (vigorously) from Punakaiki all the Way to Franz Josef and I was soaked through and freezing by the end of it. But the next morning was fantastic and we enjoyed an awesome flight over the glaciers followed by a stunning ride all the way through to Wanaka and Queenstown. If you’re going to let a little weather put you off experiencing the Coast then you’ll be seriously missing out – pack your wet weather gear and just go!

If you’re heading to Westport or going down to check out Cape Foulwind or the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki then from Inangahua you’ll have to go through the Buller Gorge. This road twists and winds following the Buller River to the Coast and is a lot of fun (had fun chasing a Morgan V8 through there one day) but watch the narrow, one-way sections.

Once through the gorge you can turn North towards Westport (and Karamea – haven’t gone that far yet) or Southwards to Punakaiki and Greymouth. It’s worth stopping at Punakaiki for a look at the Pancake Rocks and blowholes. There’s a café there and the local wekas will come out to say gidday.

The ride from Westport all the way down to Hokitika is more or less all coastal highway and nothing too demanding. On a rough day the surf really crashes in and the place really does look pretty wild.

South of Hokitika you get away from the Coast at times and ride through scenery that alternates from dairy farms to native bush. Traffic thins out a bit more, although the tourists are well represented in there motor homes and rental cars. Once you hit Franz Josef you’re in postcard country – bush clad hills, snowy mountains etc.

As mentioned above, I’ve taken a flight over the glaciers and would highly recommend it. We passed on the chopper ride and landing on the glaciers and took a fixed-wing flight which took us over both glaciers as well as along the Coast and over the Franz Josef township – the views were spectacular and we got some great photos.

Between the glaciers you can find motorcycle heaven – a great winding road that actually has two corners marked 15km/h! Great fun if you don’t get stuck behind a camper and the weather is good.

Once a bit further South you alternate between great roads through native bush to small sections of coastal highway. Keep an eye out for a lookout on your right – on a good day you can see Mount Cook form here. Another good place to stop is Knights Point were you can get a good view up and down the Coast.

Then it’s on down the road to Haast and on into the Haast Pass through to Wanaka. Now we’re talking – this is why you came down here. A truly magnificent ride which has everything – a fantastic winding road surrounded by awesome scenery. There’s plenty of places to stop and checkout waterfalls, lakes and the bush clad hills. I’d rate this ride 2nd only to the Milford Road for its scenery and the brilliant ride. You’re not a motorcyclist if you don’t enjoy this ride!

After riding around the Eastern side of Lake Wanaka and the West side of Lake Hawea (fantastic roads and views all the way) you eventually get to an intersection where you can go on into Wanaka or off to Cromwell and Queenstown. Personally, if I was going to Queenstown, I’d go into Wanaka and then cross over Crown Range Road to Queenstown – another great ride…

Well that’s the West Coast (and my favourite of the South Island’s coasts) and it’s got you to Queenstown where you can find plenty to do and is pretty close to some more great rides. So what else do you need to know:

- petrol: there’s plenty but you’ll have to pay for it (especially at Haast Beach and you may want some here – it’s a reasonable ride through to Wanaka)
- the roads are all in good condition but watch for roadkill and be careful in the wet or cold
- you will get stuck behind campers but you’ll soon be past them
- not to many cops around but watch it around Wanaka/Queenstown
- take ya camera and enjoy the scenery
- get on ya bike and do it – no excuses!

http://andrew.l.thomson.googlepages.com/2006southerncross01

Great Rides - East Cape

Great Ride number two - East Cape

This ride can be taken as the long way to get between Gisborne and Opotoki or if as a big loop if you return via the Waioeka Gorge.

I've ridden around the Coast 4 times (twice as a part of the Rusty Nuts Southern Cross) and have done it in both directions. I've also ridden the Waioeka Gorge 4 times (twice in the dark on the Rusty Nuts Grand Challenge and once in the wet).

Both roads require plenty of rider attention: plenty of corners, roadworks and wandering stock (goats, cattle, sheep and even an emu!) Don't let any of this put you off - the road is a great experience and lets you use the edges of your tyres to the max.

One other thing to be aware of is fuel - there's not much on offer out there and they want plenty of cash in exchange. Coming from Opotoki there's pretty much nothing until Te Araroa, past here there's fuel in quite a few places - Ruatoria, Tolaga Bay etc.

The road out to the Cape from Te Araroa is about 20km long and is mostly gravel. I haven't actually been up to the lighthouse (bit of a climb in biking gear) but I'd say that the view would be pretty spectacular.

I guess the things that make this ride a great one is the combination of great biking roads with little traffic and some great scenery. Coming around the coast from Opotoki early in the morning on this year's Southern Cross the little bays and beaches looked fantastic - the sun was shining and the sea was flat calm.

Another thing that makes it a great ride for me is the getting there - the Napier-Wairoa-Gisborne road is also pretty great...

Great Rides - Milford Sound

Great ride number one: Te Anau to Milford Sound, 240km return.

The reason that this ride rates as a great ride is simple: it combines absolutely stunning scenery with a great road. It doesn’t even matter that the road is a dead end and you have to turn around and ride it back – this just gives you a double dose of motorcycling heaven.

As this ride is in the Fiordland in the deep south-west of the South Island the weather definitely needs to be considered when tackling this ride. It would definitely be no good in the winter and the road is generally closed by snow a few times each winter. It also on the tourist route with a huge number of buses and campers using the road to get to Milford Sound and the boat cruises based there – you need to be patient with these guys, there’s not much room to pass in some places.

I’ve now ridden this twice and have been very lucky with the weather. On the first occasion I had ridden through from Invercargill to Te Anau, obtained some accommodation, dumped some gear and then took off to Milford in the afternoon. I then took one of the boat cruises to take in the beauty of the Sound and then raced back to Te Anau by 5:30pm or so. Not long after that it started raining and didn’t stop until I reached Queenstown the next day – glad I was not staying in a tent as some were.

The second time I went into Milford was in late April and we left Te Anau pretty early in the morning and got to Milford Sound by around 10am. It was quite cold all the way there was snow within 400m of the road in a couple of places. Perhaps ice would have been a concern if we had left any earlier in the morning. It did make for a beautiful, clear and sunny day – great for photography.

And now for the ride itself: leaving Te Anau you initially pass through some open tussock country with Lake Te Anau to your left and hills to your right. After a while you enter a more winding road which is surrounded by a beautiful beech forest – this looked truly spectacular in April with all the leaves having changed colour. There are a number of spots to stop along the way and there are tramping tracks leading off into the hills everywhere.

When you come out of the forest you find yourself in a huge valley carved out of the mountains. Picture it: a wide open valley with a river running through it and mountains surrounding it on both sides – remember to keep your eyes on the road. The road crosses the river and starts winding up a hill. Once again you are in a forested area with the river on your right and at one stage you cross a bridge with a waterfall tumbling down on your left.

Now you start working your way up the hill a bit more and the country opens out to tussock again before the entrance to Homer Tunnel. There’s plenty of room to park up here and take photos of the countryside or talk to the local kea population – don’t let them eat your bike. The Homer Tunnel (picture is from the Milford side) is one way and controlled by traffic lights and as it is 1.25km long you can be waiting a while for the light to change. The first time I went through it I was all on my lonesome (no other traffic) and it seemed quite dark in there – lights definitely required. It is also quite steep but the thing that really freaked me out was I could hear the rushing of water and I knew that the road was wet but wasn’t sure if I was going to end up hitting a great stream running across or down the road. Luckily the water was just running in a big drain at the side of the road.

Once exiting the tunnel you start dropping into Milford and the road is very steep with two really sharp corners (not sure if they’re signposted as 15 or 25 km/h). You then enter another beech forest and wind your way over a couple of one lane bridges before finally arriving in Milford Sound.

There’s not much there – just an airfield, cafes and the boat cruises but straight out in front of you is the famous Mitre Peak. It’s well worth it to take a cruise and see more the stunning fiords, mountains and wildlife and then you get to ride back out.

Obviously the ride out is a repeat screening but you get to ride up that great road from Milford to the Homer Tunnel and then drop back down the other side. Before you know it you’re back in Te Anau.

Maybe it’s just because it’s only been a few weeks since I did this ride and it’s still fresh in my mind but this ride is definitely worthy of the Great Ride tag. If you’re down south don’t miss it – you have to go out of your way to get there but you’ll be glad that you did.

Other points:

- Get fuel in Te Anau before you leave – it’s a 240km trip and I’m not sure
if there’s any at Milford.

- The road is generally in good condition – I did hit a bit of metal in one
corner this time around but the rest of the road was fine. I’d be real careful
on a frosty morning though…

- Watch the tourists: buses, campers, rental cars and push bikes. They’ll
be looking at the scenery – not for bikes.

- Take ya camera!

Link to Google Earth Image

Link to Google Map of Route

Great Rides

Now that I'm back home from this year's big event (the Southern Cross), and it's still a fair while until the Grand Challenge (October) I thought that maybe I'd start piecing together a few write ups of some of the truly great rides I've been on.

I know, every ride's a good one - what's that old saying: "The worst day's riding is better than the best day at work." But sometimes a ride can be truly "great". Whether it is the weather, the road, the scenery, the company, the bike, the challenge, the traffic conditions or whatever - it has become something better than a normal Sunday afternoon potter.

So keeping checking in - I'll try to have the first one up soon. After the 6,300km I travelled on the Southern Cross you can be sure that there was at least one great ride...