Mainland Wanderings (New Zealand)

a bit late to the party.

PM me if you wanna do a local ride into skippers or macetown when you are down here.

i am planning on going thru the nevis to bannockburn from the southern end later today.

P.S. got a bed here as well if ya want it.

Just saw this. Fingers crossed!

By sandflies I meant your friends that had a hard time with them in Golden Bay haha. Thought they'd be worse in Ross. Cool they liked it down there though, better than up North

Also what pressure are you running that rear tyre at out of interest?

what is the sabine memorial?did your frinds buy the old courtrooms and cell?
You are getting around!

Ok y'all are definitely getting an update tonight as I'm parked up at NzRians after an epic day of riding the Crown Range Road, the Nevis Crossing, the Carricktown track into Bannockburn and a beer with some really cool old bugger with an Indian Scout.

Just beat the rain back here and had a top notch feed and now a couple of quiet brews while I use his internet.

Oh there weren't many sandflies at all where they're looking in Kokatahi.

I'm funning 18psi in the front and 22 in the rear, it seems to be working ok grip wise when loaded up, I think it was more the heat of the seal that chewed the tire up.

Heading up the Porika from the east side you come to a large grassy area a while before you hit the saddle, and tucked away to the side is the memorial with his old pick and shovel.

So where was I....righto....

Day 10

So yea, after I had finished up at the beach I fueled up and headed south on my way, to be honest I was feeling a little homesick and tired and overthinking things.
Not that great.

I stopped at Lake Mahinapua to have some lunch and just take some time out, what a nice little road to get in there:


But whenever I get off road and have to really start concentrating I get my mind off things and start feeling great again, time to find the nearest track.
Ross to Ruatapu, sweet.

Not so sweet, turns out it's closed and heavy machinery is turning it from an awesome mountain bike/motorbike trail into some soft core cycle trail

As I'm getting further south I feel my phone ringing but I didn't stop in time to answer it, ahhh it's Joe.
Damn it I'm out of reception, he probably only wants to see where abouts I am anyway.

20km down the road I hit reception again and find multiple missed calls and texts asking me to call him, well shit I'm thinking whats happened? :eek1

While sitting in Hari Hari and trying to call him back I found this:


A closer look revealed this wonderful spiralling mosaic with all sorts of cool little artworks created by locals and the surrounding school kids.






Well that was timely, some nice little messages reminding me to get my head back in the game.

I got a hold of Joe and Anna and yea, turns out they had a property they wanted me to look over and give my opinion on so I turned around and headed the 70km back to Hokitika, it was nice to arrive back to old friends and enjoy a beer and a walk on the beach before we headed out to Kokatahi.

So of course I took the long way there and took in Lake Kaniere in the evening:


We set up camp, talked about plans and I went to bed feeling much better than I did at the start of the day.

Day 11

I woke up much better today, ready for action.
After a meeting with the real estate agent I was ready to hit the road and cover some ground.
We started the day off right with a round of whitebait sandwhiches and this made me laugh as it's the sort of thing I would build, a wheelbarrow made from powerpoles:


Unfortunately I covered so much ground I didn't really stop to take pictures.

I was soon past Hari Hari township and on the hunt for the next trail, Hari Hari Tunnel Creek Road:


There were so many other trails in here to explore that I plan on coming back on a long weekend to check it out more, the end of the track looks like an excellent campsite:


Next was supposed to be the Okorito-Tai Potini track but I couldn't find it on my GPS so on I continued to check out the Whakapohai River mouth, an interesting little track and a nice beach but nothing I found that special.

Down towards the glaciers the mountains were peeking through:


By now time was getting on and I was wanting to cover a lot more ground before I camped for the night, Knights Point was gonna be the last stop for a while as that weather did not look flash.


After fueling up at Haast I decided to pass on Jacksons Bay this time and head into the mountains.
I found a nice campsite, set up and enjoyed the very pleasant evening before the rain started at about 1am.

Day 12

Meh, wet and drizzly.
I took my time over my cup of tea and packing up as I was tired and still wanting rest but not in this sort of weather.

So onwards and upwards, up the Landsborough Valley.
I can't decide which one of these I like better:




This is the sort of country I love, nice flowing tracks up river beds, mostly smooth but enough rough and muddy sections to keep it interesting:


Yup so interesting I took my first tumble so far this trip, everything on the bike was fine but Im feeling it.
I found a log hidden in the wet grass and pulled the clutch in as I went over the bars which has left my left hand tender from smaking the mirror but I landed in some real thick grass which cushioned the 30+kmh I was moving through the air at.
I was a fair way out in the countryside but had the SPOT beacon on me like usual which thankfully wasn't needed.

It wasn't much further anyway as I found the track blocked at 11.1kms:


Back out and over the Haast pass, the day only got better and better.
The lakes were really turning it on, looking south along the neck over Lake Wanaka:


And north along Lake Hawea:


By the time I got to Wanaka the temp was 29'c, the wind was gale force and I was cooking.
After resupplying and treating myself to a nice bottle of beer I back tracked to Albert Town and set up camp, drying out gear and enjoying my lunch:


It was a great night too, I was invited to join a half dozen Swiss and German tourists for dinner so off I went with a bottle of wine and had a great time.

Day 13 Warning, this is a big one!

When I logged on today I found the messag efrom NzRian offering me a bed and an invite to so some trails today.
So of course I took him up on it, but first I had to get to Queenstown!

Wait, you mean theres another way from Wanaka to Queenstown than the Crown Range Road? :huh

Mandatory photo stop, not open at this early hour of the morning unfortunately:


No traffic and a clean dry road, what a way to start the day!


Down into the valley, spectacular as usual:


What a road, signposted 15kmh hairpins sounds like fun to me:


After arriving at Rians and discussing the plan over a coffee and toasted sandwhich, we fueled up and headed south around the lake heading for the Nevis




What a day to be riding, especially with no luggage for the first time in nearly two weeks:


The road and stream crossings were in excellent conditions, smooth and shallow.
Once through to the Lower Nevis we saw an interesting detour and headed what felt like straight up the side of the mountains:




From 690m to 1760m and the snow/ice:


Going up was hard, coming down was a little nerve racking at times, we only got pics in the easy spots:


And once down it was definitely time to rinse the sweat off:


A bad pic up Duffers Saddle, the wind was blowing the dust around too much for us to want to stay long:


Now seeing as I have done to Nevis before and neither Rian nor I have done the Carricktown track, the next route choice was easy.



Now this is a track I REALLY rate well, wow it's like a down hill roller coaster that keeps going and going and going all the way down to Bannockburn where we stopped in at Rians folks place for a well needed cup of tea.

Then a swing around to another mates to see some muscle cars and then off to have a beer with a real charector whom we found working in his shed on his Indian:


After peeking out at the weather and checking the time it was certainly time to be heading back the Kawarau Gorge had some light traffic but nothing we couldn't handle with a good look past and a handful of throttle.

The last point if interest for the day was the Nevis Bluff and rapids, what a cool colour and wild rapid:


It started spitting only a few kms from Rians place which was good timing, after a feed, beers, shower and tales, I'm stitting here typing this up now, listening to the rain and very pleased to have a roof over my head tonight.

We're not sure what the plan is for tomorrow as the rivers will be up in a few of the places we planned to visit so I might head south later in the day to another mates and come back later this week.

I have just spent most of this weekend riding with Deano, and enjoyed every minute of it.

That Carricktown track is a must if you are near the nevis road, fu%kin awesome would describe it well.

It was a pleasure to meet a very like minded person, and i hope the rest of your journey continues as it has begun.

P.S. got some video action in the pipeline for ya.

Well thats been an interesting few days catching up with people, shooting guns (welcome to the south ), a road trip to Dunedin and culminating in a blown car engine.

Still stuck here in Dunners, I've played a lot of pool, had a good look around the buildings and botanical gardens while my mate buys a new car.
Will be back to Lumsden tonight and get my new rear tire fitted asap.

Sent from my GT-S6500D using Tapatalk 2

which one are you gonna fit on the back?

here is a video from skippers.



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After spending 5 weeks in NZ in 2008 riding and hiking all over the place you realize what an amazing country you live in. It's epic scenery and very few people getting in the way of your gawking at it.

Great that you are getting to take a break and enjoy it all!

great adventure and RR Te Hopo but I am lost trying to work out where you are. I f you are using a GPS is there any chance that you can post a map. Ride with GPS for example .
I have been to NZ a few times so some of the views are familiar. Good bike choice!

I've fitted a Dunlop D903 enduro....because it was super cheap and selection in Gore and Dunedin was surprisingly limited.

It worked a treat up the Mavora Lakes 4x4 track yesterday.
Spent the night in Te Anau with friends and Im off towards Lake Manapouri and Lake Hauroko today.

Sent from my GT-S6500D using Tapatalk 2

Sorry mate, I've only been riding with the Gps on when I need it.

Your best bet for finding info on any of the tracks I've been riding is to go to remotemoto.com and type the track name in the search box.

Otherwise the towns are easily found in an atlas, currently I'm in the south western fiords :)

Sent from my GT-S6500D using Tapatalk 2

That might've been me...
You and the missus were in a suzi 4wd ??

Hahaha really?
There was Ryan(?) on the DR650, his lil bro on a TTR250 and missus in a burgandy Vitara.
I was solo in my dark gray Vitara.


Well guys I've had some minor bike troubles and worries but I've reached Inverrrrcarrrrgill and am parked up at a mates with unlimited internet so there's be plenty of updates and pics coming later today.

Things are sorted, I found some fuel when I was REAL :eek1 low (went a bit further out of the way than I had planned) and a new rear sprocket and chain is being overnighted to me as no body has the stock stuff in the workshop.

What is it with dealers now a days aye?
No one keeps tires or sprockets or even oil filters in stock for the REALLY common bikes, I asked out of hand if they even had stock size DR650 sprockets on hand, nope!
I would have even gone higher on the gearing with a smaller rear but nope, just 49tooth and larger was all I could find.

Ok so I'm a little behind but here we go finally.

Day 14
Despite the rain overnight it dawned nice and clear so the decision was made to head into Skippers Canyon.
After a quick breakfast of toast and coffee we were off through the backroads and up the road towards Coronet Peak:


After a look over the valley below we were into Skippers:




Those vertical marks are from the hand drills used place explosives to blast the rock out:




Daredevil chopper pilot:


The Pipeline Bridge, a very impressive structure:






The failed Maori Point suction drege, destroyed by a flood only a month after it was first put to use:


Skippers Bridge, a real nice bit of work that, all iron and hard wood:


Skippers School, wonderfully restored and a great place to wander around for any hour, reading the history and just looking it over, trying to imagine how tough it must have been to live up in here:


After here we nearly came unstuck, Rian and I were riding down towards the bridge when a pair of aggresive 4x4 drivers had us jamming our handguards into the rock as they roared on past within cm's of us, not a good look guys and the only issue we had with any driver in there that day.
The rest were very courteous, most pulling over to let us past

Well anyway, looking back down on Skippers bridge:


Rian playing on a stock bridge swaying in the wind:


Finally the head of the valley and the end of the public access:


From here we turned around and headed straight out with not many stops, culminating in a blast up the sealed road to the Coronet Peak ski lodge:


The valley was looking spectacular again:


A quick blat back to Rians and he cooked up a beaut lunch of marinated venison steaks, salad, asparagus and spuds.
By now we were both feeling beat and the weather wasn't looking great so I loaded up, thanked him for the great time and headed into Queenstown to see an old friend.

it was great to see Mu after all these years and we had a very pleasant time catching up over a coffee:


By now it was well and truely bucketing down......


......but only as far as the southern end of the lake.
It was really nice to get to my mate Toms house and find it full of his family over from Aussie for a visit with dinner all ready to go, big steaks, sausages, salad and spuds with fruit salad and yoghurt for dessert.

The day was almost over but it wouldn't be a true welcome to the south if we didn't head out for a little destructive fun, popping rocks with the AR15 .223, my old M14 .308 and pine cones with the 12g semi

Day 15
What a wash out, we headed over to Dunedin to do some jobs and drop one of the lads off and it all went to plan and we were making good time until we went to leave.

16kms out of town, Toms wagon blew a radiator hose.
The AA towie finally showed up after an hour and a half but by then it was too late to be going anywhere and the vehicle was beyond a quick repair.

So with our options very limited we checked into the Pool Hall, found some dinner and then proceeded to have a night of beer, bourban and pool: