Motorcycle Touring

DAY 3 TWIZEL TO DUNEDIN

We leave Twizel on Hwy 8 to Omarama.  Here Harvey chooses the coastal route and Thomas, Fredrick,  Masa and I elect the inland route.  Our first stop would be the Clyde Dam overlook where we observed one of the countries many hydro projects.  No nuclear projects here!  Coal fired is used in some part of the country but it is limited.  The town of Clyde is located at the base of the Dam outlet.  The community is loaded with quaint shops and eateries but this is a motorcycle trip and we gave it the graze through.  The road is perfect for the MC traveler with sweeping turns and rolling hills.  The scenery is NZ perfect and the weather was outstanding albeit the wind got its licks.  Lunch was in the town of Ranfurly, the café was outstanding the rest appreciated and we were off to Dunedin. As we got closer to the coast the wind picked up and the vistas are spectacular.  We wind down a mountainside into the City of Dunedin and by luck arrive at the town square.  There are kids doing some sort of  break dancing.  There were a few shops and banks close by but due to our 10 minute park zone we did not have much time to get down to the Rail Road Museum and Station. 

We navigate the traffic to get to our lodging at Larnach Castle a home built in the mid 1800’s with no expense spared.  The castle had fallen on bad times until resurrected by the National Trust.  Our accommodation was excellent and quaint with spectacular views of the Sea and surrounding hills.  The evening meal was served in the great dining room where we shared a large table with other guests at the castle.  The presentation was first class and the meal exceptional.  Who said meals in NZ were boring?  Our only misfortunes for the day are the two drops.  A drop is when the motorcycle decides, on its own, to lay down.  The rider is usually not on it but it only happens at a standstill.  All is well as the damage is cosmetic.  Tomorrow we view the Albatross and head to our next two nights on working farms. 

DAY 4 DUNEDIN TO THE RISK FARM .

Our hosts are Brian and Judith Risk, operating a farm consisting of deer, cattle some vegetables.  The ride from Dunedin was somewhat uneventful as we choose the fast route to get to the farm between 5-6 PM.  Dinner was fabulous and a home cooked meal in a real home is a treat far exceeding commercial offerings.  After the meal Brian drove us to his land parcels and a great overlook of Te Anau built by the Lyons Club.  Fraternal Orders are alive and well in NZ.  He then took us to his favorite pastime, a warehouse and land full of antique machinery.  There were tractors, trucks, shearing machines, road equipment and on.  We spent the evening talking about our different cultures, family, and all things away from television.  Solving worldly problems is hard work so we retired early to be ready for the next day trip to Milford sound.   

Day 5 THE FARM TO MILFORD SOUND AND BACK

We met at the BP station in Te Anau at 9:15, gas the horses (bikes) and head to Millford Sound.  The ride is 120 K, through some of the country’s most beautiful country side.  It reminds me of home as it is a rain forest with over 200 inches per year.  The road is up and back so I would label it technical as we have to negotiate around tour busses and a lot of sight seers. Rain gear came out about ¾ of the way there and it didn’t stop until we returned to the 90 K mark.  I traded bikes with Thomas of Nuremberg.  He was riding a VFR 850 and the seat was too tall for him as well as the bike was not as maneuverable.  I offered the trade a day ago but it took him until today to take me up on it.  Milford is a sound that returns from the sea to form a beautiful location protected from the weather on the outside but with an extraordinary amount of rain.  We took the tour boat that shows the different rock formations of the fiord and we were entertained by Dolphins that insisted on playing around the boats.  It was a spectacular show revealed to us many aspects of the sound.  Due to the high mountains that surround the sound it is an isolated and majestic spot.  During a rainstorm all of the water falls become active and we were blessed with the splendor of hundreds of falls cascading down the enormous cliffs.  The entire trip around the sound and out to sea took 2.5 hours and well worth the effort.

The ride was wet back to the tunnel that goes through a very large mountain.  Traffic is one way and is normal to wait 15 minutes before entering.  I enjoyed the ride down as I needed the saddle time to become accustomed to riding a different bike.  The VFR is a sport bike although Honda classified it as a sport touring machine.  They no longer build it but it has excellent power to weight and a nice instrument cluster and it handles beautifully through the corners.  Returning to Te Anau I ran into Thomas at the petrol station and was so happy with the change of bikes.  It is a testimony to doing the right thing and bringing joy to others.    We return to the farms for another outstanding dinner and continued outstanding conversation on worldly problems.  Brian and Judith will be building a new home in town and selling the farm this season.  This may well be their last appearance as hosts for the motorcycle tours.  I am sure that John Rains will miss them  as they make his tours something very special.  We will miss them as well as we prepare for our next day ride to Queenstown.     

 Castle room view

Dinning at the castle

 Brian Risk w/Masa and Harvey

 Dick w/bird

Masa w/bird