Motorcycle Touring

DAY 2 A LONG DAY.

Our group is assembled and ready to depart Christchurch.  The Germans were the last two to arrive, Fredrick a delightful not yet retired 74 year old HVAC engineer from near Dusseldorf, and Thomas a CPA from Bavaria not yet 50 years of age.  Both are experienced riders, logging many tours to different places in the world including the U.S.  Neither knew each other before the trip but have the common ground of birthright. 

We depart Christchurch at 9:00 AM heading toward the west  coast via the Canterbury plain.  We travel to Geraldine for lunch, the pace is brisk and the roads are straight.  Not much photo opportunity except for one stop at Rakala Gorge where we saw a Jet Boat working the milky white glacier water.  

From Geraldine we turn east through the four peaks range and scenic overload sets in.  We approach Lake Tekapo, a glacier fed lake with a turquoise silt that presents a breath taking color.  Entering the town of Lake Tekpo we come upon a stone church with history.  Our stop there placed us ready for destination observatory.  Here we let Masa take the lead and he is now christened “wrong turn”.  He totally missed the turn and we went back to pick up the right road.  At the observatory we could see the lake, Southern Alps and some of the glacier fields.  We went down the hill to get to the Bullock Wagon Trail along the canal.  Again Masa missed it and he was placed at the rear of the column.  There was a photo opportunity along the canal and our next stop placed us at a Salmon farm.  Of course every opportunity to use the toilet  is welcome and now Masa chose the ladies side.  We are concerned about his eye sight, too much time peering through his lens sight.  After the Salmon farm incident we continued along the Pukaki river where a goodly number of Glaciers are melting and sending their mineral.   Leaving the glacier behind we make way for Twizel and the MacKenzie Country Inn.  The pace was brisk as I was lead and tired enough to ask for the keys to the barn.  Rene our guide was in the court yard after he had loaded all of the luggage in the rooms.  My headlight low beam had burned out enroute so he had spares in the van and set about replacing it.  This is some of the neat amenities of doing tour.  We are all taken good care of.  

Tomorrow we meet for breakfast at 7, with the intention of leaving early so we can cover all of the ground.  I will post the results tomorrow night at Dunedin Castle.  That  is pronounced Dun-edin.  A trick my wife and I learned in Scotland is the end is Dun.  Dundee is the end of the Dee river.          

Dick at Tekapo

Masa at the canal.

Intense mapping session at lunch.