OzSTOC
OzSTOC Events National & Local => NEW ZEALAND => Topic started by: RGardner on August 13, 2015, 05:25:27 PM
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For those who know Mike Hyde, the author of the Twisting Throttle motorcycle books, his funeral was held in Christchurch on 7 Aug 2015. I knew him very well so went down for it and then on to Dunedin to visit our oldest son at Otago Uni.
I had the NZ OzSTOC flag with me so here’s a brief record of the 5-day 2,000km mid-winter trip from Palmerston North to Dunedin and back:
(http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii586/RGardner123/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/PN%20to%20Dunedin_zpskinlpl2g.png) (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/RGardner123/media/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/PN%20to%20Dunedin_zpskinlpl2g.png.html)
Was planning on coming back via the inland Lindus & Lewis Passes but they were too icy. Had to take the coastal road there and back instead.
(http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii586/RGardner123/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4695_zps069isszo.jpg) (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/RGardner123/media/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4695_zps069isszo.jpg.html)
(http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii586/RGardner123/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4694_zps7ddzutrx.jpg) (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/RGardner123/media/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4694_zps7ddzutrx.jpg.html)
(http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii586/RGardner123/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4692_zps13nykwae.jpg) (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/RGardner123/media/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4692_zps13nykwae.jpg.html)
Seal colony on the Kaikoura Coast. Cute little things and a great piece of riding road.
(http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii586/RGardner123/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4700_zpsp8lunvpy.jpg) (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/RGardner123/media/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4700_zpsp8lunvpy.jpg.html)
Mike Hyde’s famous Twisting Throttle V-Strom. A very big funeral for a really great guy. (Brain tumour at the age of 58)
(http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii586/RGardner123/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4705_zpsrevtruk3.jpg) (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/RGardner123/media/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4705_zpsrevtruk3.jpg.html)
(http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii586/RGardner123/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4706_zpsvm7znl0w.jpg) (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/RGardner123/media/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4706_zpsvm7znl0w.jpg.html)
Headed south from Christchurch the next morning but was forced to have an hour’s layover in Ashburton to wait for the temperature to get above zero and the slush to melt a bit. I couldn’t feel my fingers well enough to get the OzSTOC flag out of the glove compartment for this picture!
(http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii586/RGardner123/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4708_zpsoxe6ygpe.jpg) (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/RGardner123/media/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4708_zpsoxe6ygpe.jpg.html)
Dunedin’s Baldwin Street – The world’s steepest street. It was all black ice that morning so didn’t attempt riding to the top.
(http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii586/RGardner123/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4715_zpskcrxvbag.jpg) (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/RGardner123/media/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4715_zpskcrxvbag.jpg.html)
Royal Albatross colony out on the Otago Peninsular. They’d earlier flown off into the Southern Ocean where it must have been warmer!
(http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii586/RGardner123/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4719_zpsbffqhkrf.jpg) (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/RGardner123/media/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4719_zpsbffqhkrf.jpg.html)
Dunedin’s historic railway station. Having an ST 1300 parked out the front really does smarten up the architecture…
(http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii586/RGardner123/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4734_zpsrjvanfkp.jpg) (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/RGardner123/media/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4734_zpsrjvanfkp.jpg.html)
The sun came out for the return trip through Kaikoura – At one point it even got to 7 degrees and I could get by with just one layer of gloves.
(http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii586/RGardner123/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4742_zpszhksdxpb.jpg) (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/RGardner123/media/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4742_zpszhksdxpb.jpg.html)
(http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii586/RGardner123/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4741_zps6cosmblt.jpg) (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/RGardner123/media/South%20Island%20Aug%202015/IMG_4741_zps6cosmblt.jpg.html)
Beauty of travelling at this time of year is there’s no competition for the Picton Ferry tie-down points.
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Great photos and thanks for sharing. Sorry to hear the sad news regarding Mike.
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Sad news indeed, but a good report. Normally I would say that's not cold but I am getting used to 20 overnight and over 30 during the day 😈
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Nothing wrong with the weather forecast last Wednesday so did an impromptu mid-week loop around the central North Island:
720km,
Palmerston North, Napier, Taupo, National Park, Wanganui and back to the start...
(http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii586/RGardner123/Central%20NI%20Sept%202015/Map_zpsbhhxfhyx.png) (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/RGardner123/media/Central%20NI%20Sept%202015/Map_zpsbhhxfhyx.png.html)
(http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii586/RGardner123/Central%20NI%20Sept%202015/IMG_4794_zps1ojajxgk.jpg) (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/RGardner123/media/Central%20NI%20Sept%202015/IMG_4794_zps1ojajxgk.jpg.html)
Windy day at Lake Taupo looking south towards the volcanoes
(http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii586/RGardner123/Central%20NI%20Sept%202015/IMG_4797_zpswbcyj7cn.jpg) (http://s1261.photobucket.com/user/RGardner123/media/Central%20NI%20Sept%202015/IMG_4797_zpswbcyj7cn.jpg.html)
Mt Ruapehu got a bit over-exposed behind Chateau Tongararo
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Looks stunning.
I will have to jump the puddle some day.
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Awesome photos Rob, thanks for posting :hatwave
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Nice little jaunt Rob, lunch at Te Poi perhaps? Suppose the Gentle Annie (Napier to Taihape) would have been a bit daunting in September so you came back to Palmy via SH50 and then on down SH 2 to Woodville and through the Gorge. I was brought up in Dannevirke.
700 km is a good day's ride in NZ, don't think these Aussies appreciate that our average speed is a bit slower than theirs because w have corners to take into account :wink1
Have been back from central QLD for just under a year now, and there's a lot of roads I want to ride. I've thought about AKL/Rotorua/Whakatane/Opotiki/Waioeka/Gisborne/Napier/Taihape/Te Hoi/home - that's a nice little ride too, about 1200 km so probably a long weekend.
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WOW what a great ride report thanks for sharing, shame about reason for it though
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I've thought about AKL/Rotorua/Whakatane/Opotiki/Waioeka/Gisborne/Napier/Taihape/Te Hoi/home - that's a nice little ride too, about 1200 km so probably a long weekend.
That's a route I'd like to ride one day except I'd throw Tauranga in between AKL and Rotorua, some good roads that way too.
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Nice little jaunt Rob, lunch at Te Poi perhaps? Suppose the Gentle Annie (Napier to Taihape) would have been a bit daunting in September so you came back to Palmy via SH50 and then on down SH 2 to Woodville and through the Gorge. I was brought up in Dannevirke.
Have been back from central QLD for just under a year now, and there's a lot of roads I want to ride. I've thought about AKL/Rotorua/Whakatane/Opotiki/Waioeka/Gisborne/Napier/Taihape/Te Hoi/home - that's a nice little ride too, about 1200 km so probably a long weekend.
I've done the Gentle Annie in mid-Winter before but it's much better on a fine day. A five-hour loop from home in Palmerston North if I don't stop for coffee in Napier. It's now a great road surface sealed all the way with wide (fast) sweeping bends and very little traffic. Excellent riding in all but the worst of weather.
In regards to the Rotorua /Whakatane / Gisborne region, you can't go wrong with any of those roads. I've only done East Cape a couple of times though as that's got an awful lot of tight corners to test the shoulder muscles and 'slow the flow'.
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I was fourtunate to see the OZSTOC flag heading south on the southern motorway yesterday around 9:10am just before the highland park off ramp on a black ST1300, was wondering who the rider is, they past me on my silver ST1100. :slvr13