Day 6: Omakau

We left Otematata in crisp conditions but what promised to be a beautiful day. After a brief ride towards Omarama during which I appreciated the unexpected fog and 7 degrees temperature by leaving all my vents open, we entered the 40 000 hectare Otematata station. This is a big high country station running 30 000 merino and 500 cattle. It was a privilege to be granted access. We followed the Otematata river south , having  a brief chat with some friendly fishermen who were having bacon and eggs for breakfast. It smelt so nice as we had yet another muesli snack for our  breakfast. Onward we went , at least briefly until Dave Mac realised his sunglasses had hung back for brekkie. Once he retrieved them we climbed up onto the tops at over 1500m. Morning coffee was spent looking at the distant Southern Alps with Aoraki most prominent. Big thanks to my friend Lucien who taught me the value of carrying a thermos  of coffee and consequently a succession of the most spectacular cafe stops  you could imagine. Thanks boet. 

Further south over rocky moonscape until we intersected the Johnson’s creek track where we turned East to eventually cross the upper Otematata river and then in and out of valleys with the multiple crossings of Guffies creek. 

Dave Lear endeared himself by coming to grief on a uphill corner wall ride above a cliff. All we heard was a yelp over the helmet comms, and then silence. He was fine but he decided to be thoughtful and pensive and not trouble us by letting us know he was alive. Dave Mac went to check on him and I took some awesome photos in memorium. 

Onwards on the Mt Buster track towards Naseby. Dave Mac showing the fire still burns tackled a gnarly hill climb on the 890. Unfortunately the fire fizzled out before he got to the top and he did a great impression of an armidillo as he tucked into a ball and rolled down. Fortunately the bike stayed behind and Dave managed to stop rolling before he came back down the steep bit. 

Obviously I had to have a go as well but only got a meter further than DM. Then the awkward realisation that the only way out was down and it was a long steep rut. I survived but it wasn’t pretty. 

So from Naseby to Omakau. 60km of road riding with all of us having totally different experiences. Dave Mac was so bored with his cruise control and what not that he started to fall asleep ( this is totally normal for him). His solution was to see how long he could hold his breath for(2km at 100kph -do the maths). He managed to find some kind of hallucinatory clarity , presumably just before passing out. How he is alive I do not know but this is what I put up with. He was mostly awake and quite pleased with himself when we arrived in Omakau. 

While Dave Mac was falling asleep I was having the best time. Still exhilarated by a fast descent off Mt Buster I got into road mode on the lovely stretch of sweeping turns between Naseby and Omakau. Finally some dry roads. Having spent the morning riding 30kph on technical trails it was awesome to be reminded that the 500 is a race bike. In a respectful way of course.

Tomorrow we traverse the Maniototo north to south on the old Dunstan and Gardiners trails, crossing several low ranges (Lord of the rings country )before heading west into the green and beech forest of Southland. 

The pictures include the best coffee stop and Dave Lear crossing the upper Otematata. 

Day 5: Otematata

Today started off with low cloud, drizzle and icy temperatures. Despite that we were feeling quite cheery but the mood soon matched the weather when we realised that our planned excursion through the Lees Valley wasn’t going to happen due to the road being closed. With the benefit of hindsight I think this saved us some pain as we would be arriving in Otematata about now, half an hour after the only eatery has closed. However we didn’t know that at the time. The 2 Dave’s wanted to go through and “take a look “ but graciously allowed me to override them as they knew I would sulk. Not because I don’t like doing bad things (which I do ) but because I knew I had underestimated the distance we had to cover today and having to turn back would have meant a long long day. 

So with temperatures of 7degrees, more drizzly rain and a bleak mood we rode through the Canterbury foothills, enjoying the New Zealand summer. 

After lunch things started looking up as we escaped into the McKenzie country over the pass of the same name. Getting off the sealed roads meant warming up as we worked harder and it just got better as we took the long Haldon road to the Northern branch of lake Benmore with the same  name. It’s mostly straight with some sweeping curves on a surface of pea metal that is just a delight to ride. It’s very fast and the surface is loose enough that even at speeds of 100kph(roughly) the bike will break traction. Soon thoughts of gloom were banished and thoughts of Dakar were raised. The exhilaration continued into the mountainous moonscape contrasted by aquamarine blue of Lake Benmore. The Black Forest station road gave an opportunity for Dave Mac and I to play a game of chase, respectfully of course. The game ended when my luggage half separated itself from my bike over the rough ground   No damage done. I’ve had it for a couple of years but to be honest I never did read the instructions!

Tomorrow is supposed to be a short but technical trail  through the Oteake conservation reserve , crossing the Hawksdun range. 

So Jennie said I should be nice to the Dave’s in the blog and mostly I feel I have  done  that. It’s been sooo difficult as they provide so much fodder every  day. So last night Dave Lear and I were sharing a room and to avoid disturbing Dave Macs occupation of the rest of the cabin  we closed the door. Anyway , the room was too stuffy and so at 2am I thought I would sleep on the large sofa in the lounge. Of course  all the lights were on and Dave Mac was asleep, fully clothed with a finger on his phone.  This is normal for him. I tried to gently close his door but he has instincts and like a cat he was awake. He gave me a warm smile so I explained my lack of sleep and my plan. He understood of course, so allowed me to get comfy on the sofa and just about fall asleep before surfacing from his room before disappearing into the bathroom.  God knows what went on in there but it sounded like he was servicing the cistern or drowning a possum. I was worried, even more so when he went into the supermarket this  morning and reappeared with about 20 packets of something called “Nut butter “. I have no idea if the events are linked. 

Day4: Rangiora

Anybody that has spent time in the backcountry will be aware of the long drop toilet. Of course Fordies has such a thing and to be honest you would struggle to find a throne with a better view. This is enhanced by the fact that it has no door. Why would you need one on one of the most remote farms in New Zealand? So you have an uninterrupted view of the most dramatic mountain scenery  as you go about your business. Definitely better than scrolling your ecoli tainted fingers across your smartphone.  It turns out that the local wildlife is also appreciative of the view as the place is humming with blow flys and at least one big fat spider. So you can imagine as you lower your delicates into the black hole it is not as soothing an experience as the view would suggest. Perhaps you can also imagine the horror when a large blow fly bashes into your dangling precious. 

So let’s take it to a slightly better place. After a lovely evening chatting where we tried (unsuccessfully I might add) to turn Dave Mac into a better  person and we established that there are a significant number of little Dave Lears populating central Africa we had a good but chilly nights sleep. 

This morning we awoke to a beautiful clear sky with some warmth in the morning sun as it came over the mountains. Few on the grass , sun sparkling on the Clarence down in the valley. Couldn’t be better. 

There was a slight blemish when I discovered a missing bolt in my bike but at least I found it before anything important fell off. I’ve been taught well so I had a pack of spare bolts and replaced it and of course only fleetingly thought what else would fall off my bike during the course of the day. 

So we headed of to do Erzberg in reverse (a rocky extreme enduro event for those that don’t know). At least we knew what to expect and had worked out the puzzles so the trip went a little quicker. In fact  it was a delightful days riding. New views as were pointing in the opposite direction. Very much the happy place for us. 

We got to the coast after lunch and rode towards Kaikoura into a strong Southerly, mindful of the fuel debacle of 2 years  ago. The headwind did it’s bit, and allied with Dave Lears heavy throttle hand he hit reserve just far enough from Kaikoura to feel comfortable. Dave Mac and I supported him by not even slowing down by 1kph and letting him know we wouldn’t return if he ran out. He didn’t which was almost disappointing as this story would be much better if he did. 

The strong southerly was joined by rain and falling temperatures. It was twelve degrees for the last hour and a half which must equal freezing when you add 100kph. Wet boots from the morning and wet everything else from the afternoon meant the hot shower at the motel was really appreciated. Like reall really appreciated. 

What an epic day!

Day3: Fordies Hut

We were excited to be heading off on our first off-road day and boy did it deliver. Dave Lear and myself were here 2 years ago together with Bernie, our friend  that couldn’t make it in this trip   Our memory was of a beautiful and relatively benign ride into Fordies hut where we stayed overnight. We arrived at about 2 pm. This time we arrived at 430 have conquered several Erzberg type river crossings. Still a fantastic ride and still beautiful beyond description but the recent heavy rain has taken its toll. Every side creek became a rock garden test  and deep, fast flowing water made it quite challenging. Especially knowing that we are a long way from anywhere. I managed to pretty much submerge myself in a “creek”, the Kiwi term for raging fucking flood. I was supposed to be assisting one of the Dave’s across who apparently didn’t notice me disappear into the flood as they were quite surprised to hear I had water in my helmet. Think downward dog if you into yoga or doggie style if you into other stuff. No thanks were offered. Hot day fortunately. 

I have to give Dave Mac credit. Riding the big bike through today’s terrain was pretty impressive. I was very glad to be on the 500 which to be honest was the more appropriate bike. 

Tomorrow we have to do it all in reverse as there is not a hope in hell of crossing the Clarence. 

Day 2:Blenheim

The day started early with a text from the Bluebridge advising that our ferry departure was delayed Ultimately by 3 hours meaning it’s going to be a late arrival in Blenheim. I figured I might get a head start on the blog as motivation might be low when opportunity next presents itself. Having said that it all seems a little hollow on the day that Russia went to war and New Zealand finally gets to meet Covid. 

I had been thinking what the appeal is of doing this trips   Certainly one aspect is the simplicity of travel. There is not much to think about except to enjoy the landscape as it rolls by. I like that you can feel the wind and smell the smells. Oh. And the cold. We had a crisp cold start with the volcano’s showing off on a beautiful morning. The Rangitikei was stunning in the early morning. The last bit into Wellington is always a bit of a grind and today was no different. By the time we were approaching Wellington I had used up all the potential non bruised spots on my bum and was very ready for a break! The 500 is not a tourer. 

Tomorrow we head into the Clarence valley through the Bluff and Muzzle stations. No wifi, no cell, no worries. 

 

Day 1:Turangi

Today was about easing ourselves into the trip. For myself I spent the 3 hour cruise from home to Turangi  adjusting from planning mode to travel mode. Roughly this translates as spending the first half hour wondering what you have forgotten and the last half hour thinking you might kill for a beer. 

The south Waikato is still greening up after the recent drought but everything looked glorious today. I didn’t seem to have much luck with photos but I’ll include a few scenes 500m beyond what I actually wanted to capture! So for me it was a pleasant afternoon pootle. The bike is humming along nicely. None of the wheels fell off and all is as it should be. 

Dave Lear(I changed my mind, there is space for 2 Dave’s in my life) arrived at Whakamaru looking slightly frazzled. His trip across the Kaimais was a little more eventful with overturned logging trucks, road closures and then having a wasp inside his helmet for company at 100kph. 

Tomorrow we continue the transport down the island, ferry and overnight in Blenheim. After that it is business time..

Counting the days

It’s going to be a close run thing. To be honest it’s been quite nerve racking as our departure day approached at a glacial pace mirrored only by the meteoric rise in Covid cases. Getting Covid is one thing but getting it a week before our annual South Island trip would truly suck. So, the beast is yipping at our heels…

For those that don’t know, myself and a few friends do an annual highly anticipated(by us) motorbike trip around the South Island. The focus is on riding the technical tracks and trails in the mountains, enjoying the natural grandeur as we go. And the company. We are not stupid and so we mostly stay in motels and places with warm water and beds as god intended. The occasional backcountry hut to keep us grounded but yes. Motels and restaurants. This has the added benefit of keeping the bikes light and therefore more fun to ride. Except for Dave Mac. His belt buckle weighs more than all of my gear! Dave does not travel light. 

So my riding companions need little introduction to most of this audience, but if there are any newcomers..

Firstly Dave Mac, you couldn’t really ask to package more personality disorders into one human being. He sent me a photo at 3.30am. Of a tyre. He hasn’t answered my last minute vital can you call me text for 48hrs. However, he has charm and somehow it all comes together in a great package. Life is never boring around Dave. And there is no person I’d rather have around if the shit hits the fan. So we keep him. 

Annoyingly the other companion is David Lear. It would have been easier if they had different names. To simplify matters David will henceforth be known as David.  David too is the most delightful collection of personality disorders rolled into one. We keep him because he lives an interesting life. He has lived in an extraordinary number of places and done some intriguing jobs. And hobbies. He also knows a lot about a lot. He is an excellent organiser and a thoughtful companion.  Ex MI6 agent. Master of sand riding. Dakar David 

Mostly I put up with them because they are the only people I know that are willing to come with me. The bar is set low. Oh and Bernie but that’s for another time. 

Myself. I make sure we go. 

Our planned route will be revealed in more detail as we go. It’s not unheard of to end up somewhere quite different to what was planned. 

The broad itinerary is to do a road transport to Blenheim. Then, if the weather is kind, through the Clarence Valley after which we follow the Canterbury high country before crossing the Hawksdun ranges into Maniatoto and then further south over the Rough Ridge and Lammermoor ranges. We flirt with Southland as we ride west, eventually entering her at Waikaia. From there we head back over the Old Man and Old Woman ranges. Further north we explore the glacial valleys at the headwaters of Lake Oahu and Tekapo before we make our way back home. If it’s open we will leave the mountains via the Rainbow Road. 

For David and myself we continue to ride on the 500exc’s. Perfect for the rugged stuff and actually quite fun on the sealed roads. It’s definitely not a tourer though. It is a blessing that most off road riding is done standing up. Dave Mac is on a larger KTM 890. Double the weight for a man who has the nuts to handle it. Dave has those nuts. And a deep voice. In the right hands the big bike will go anywhere and Dave has those hands. 

So on that slightly disturbing note we head off.