So, if you were going to tour the South Island of New Zealand what months would you choose? I reckon most would suggest anywhere from October to March would be prime touring time - though you could still strike full on winter conditions at any of those times - but it would be the smart bet.
Just to tempt fate, how about going in the first few weeks of June?
I like a challenge, so yeah, why not?
This being part time at work is delivering me with periods of ten days or so off in a row. So, with ten days off from the 7th and a weather outlook that was decidedly NOT normal winterish weather I bit the bullet and pulled the trigger (too many idioms in a row? 🙄) on a quick trip to the southern bit of the land of the long white cloud.
I don’t really have serious winter riding apparel though. Living in Brisbane where winter is generally on a Tuesday in July (which I tend to just not ride on that day 🤣) there is no need for warm riding gear, much the opposite actually. However I reckoned that my Klim Carlsbad suit coupled with multiple merino under-layers and my trusty old North Face puffy jacket worn under said suit would probably do the trick. It wasn’t forecast to rain but just in case it did and/or if my clothing system didn’t stave off the cold I also took my cheap plastic rain suit as a last resort/backup.
I rented a bike through Te Waipounamu bike hire after the recommendation by Warren at Motorcycle Paradise earlier this year. I went with a Yamaha Tracer 9 GT because I have always wondered what they are like and it was one of their cheaper hires. It had panniers, heated grips, hand guards and a decent screen which might help keep the cold at bay. I mentioned that the forecast looked clear all week but the slight down side was that daily temperatures were forecast to be between 1 and 12 degrees Celsius around the island . I would need to keep the breeze off me to help my gear cope but I also wanted to keep the cost down a bit, hence the Tracer 9. Hopefully it is the right balance.
Flights into Christchurch from Brisbane get in at ungodly 1240am. By the time I got to the hotel it was nearing 2am and with a scheduled bike pick up time of 10am I wouldn’t be getting much sleep. That’s ok, because I had planned a pretty easy day with a rough plan of making Greymouth on the west coast today. While I was being flexible with my route plan, the weather forecast was looking favourable for a run down the west (wet) coast. I figured if I went to Greymouth on day one if the forecast proved to be unreliable I could pivot north and east from there.
A quick breakfast at the Coffee Club next to the hotel brought an unexpected encounter with a group of NZ’s finest motorcycle posties. They were having a meeting at the next table and the bloke in charge was dispensing sage advice to what must have been a bunch of new-to-winter-riding posties. Of course, I eavesdropped for any intel from the local gurus. 😏
Breakfast done I grabbed a cab to the bike hire place and was immediately impressed with their friendliness. Wayne showed me the bike and its pre-ride safety checklist then let me get my gear sorted.
All the blokes in the shop said I would have a blast as the weather looked great - of course it did, otherwise I would not have come over to do this ride - but Wayne also let slip “we never hire out bikes at this time of year”.
That I did note…..
He also mentioned that tyre pressures had been set but in the hustle I forgot to ask “set at what”?
Loaded up, I rolled out the door taking mind that there were panniers sticking out either side. The initial feel rolling out the drive as the bike tried to fall over was that the front tyre pressure was low. But I told myself they had set it and it must just be the bike geometry or the tyres.
I wanted to grab some new gloves and while yet to read Warren’s review of his Richa Hypercane Goretex three season gloves (come on mate!) I thought I’d grab some as I would be able to try them on and get correct sizing. As an added bonus they had 15% off all stock so I managed to save $50ish as well!
New gloves donned, I set Google maps for Hanmer Springs and set off into traffic. Something I noticed right away was that Kiwi drivers turning right across traffic at intersections were very impatient! Best be careful here!
I was soon on the motorway northbound. The bike had cruise control, which I set so I could look around. This is such a pretty country!
I noted my first issue with riding NZ at this time of the year. - the sun was at a ridiculously low angle in the sky! Riding north at any time would prove to be like riding into the setting sun at any other time of year. The inner sun visor on my Shoei Neotec II plus a bunch of squinting would be the go for this trip!
The roads quickly became bereft of traffic once I turned off SH1 toward Hanmer Springs. The terrain slowly began to morph into hills, then bloody big hills. The only problem with using my Neotec helmet is that I can’t use my camera on my cheap chin mount as it blocks the chin fold release button. 🤨 The next best option was to clamp a camera to the crash bar which certainly wasn’t going to provide primo photos or video…..unfortunately. I’d just have to work with what I got. 🤔
Another thing I noticed quickly was how poorly this Tracer handled on bumpy corners. I was taking bends at my normal pace but any corners with bumps (which is most in any country) had the Tracer rocking from side to side while heeled over. Not weaving, rocking…which was very disconcerting. At this stage I wasn’t sure if it was the tyres, Metzler Roadtec 02’s which seemed to have no feel, or the bike. So I just slowed up a bit - not that I was going that quick anyway. It was intrusive to the enjoyment of the ride though. 🤨
I was originally planning to blast over Arthur’s Pass to Greymouth but it was due to be a bit windy today so after asking Wayne’s advice, I decided on Lewis Pass as it was more sheltered in the trees.
Hence my heading for Hanmer Springs. I diverted into Hanmer despite it being nine kilometres off the highway for two reasons. One, it was lunch time and two, I had to bid for the following years holidays at 12pm Brisbane time via the work iPad.
The divert was certainly worth it as this was the view right after the turn off !
So, I finally hit the road at about 3pm. Less than ideal….
The ride from Hanmer Springs to the west along highway 7 is spectacular, following the Waiau Uwha river valley. I didn't stop along here for any photos. I just hoped I might get something off the Insta 360 later on.
I could do this! What I didn’t count on was that as I climbed into the alpine that was lined with trees, the road was wet. Mistake number 1 was that I had presumed no rain meant dry roads. Not so it would seem! With the temperature dropping to 3C as we climbed there was simply not enough sun or wind to dry the dew from the road up here. With a new to me bike that handled poorly and an unknown level of grip I took a conservative approach. Add to that fact that whenever the road opened up to the sky I had the sun not only low in the sky but it was reflecting off the wet, shiny tarmac.
As I was somewhat “winging” this trip and hadn’t booked anything, I had asked my wife while in Hanmer Springs to book me some accommodation in Greymouth as I would be arriving late-ish and being tired and cold didn’t want to be fusing around trying to find somewhere to stay.
I took a very quick stop at Springs Junction to check my phone for messages and to stretch the legs.
The scenery was still spectacular now that I was off the pass but it was cold and slowly getting colder. Another quick stop in a pretty place for a "comfort stop" took the pressure off, if you know what I mean!
Pulling into Reefton I called my wife to see if she had indeed booked anything as I spied several likely places here. She said she had booked the Aachen Place motel in Greymouth. I was ready to be done now so was slightly bummed. Reefton would have done but now I had to press on. 😔
The last 45 minutes or so was in more open country and I wound the speed up a fair bit. Rolling into the outskirts of Greymouth I was greeted by an amazing sunset as I crested a rise. Having a car right up my backside I couldn’t stop for half a kilometre or so. When safe I turned around and headed back to the view point, did another u-turn and took a photo….but the sun that was half above and below the horizon had slipped fully below and I missed my money shot. This was what was left.
I filled the tank on the bike (always fill up the night before 😉 especially in earthquake territory) and then trundled down to the motel. They had me checked in in literally 30 seconds. I highly recommend the Aachen Place motel for their service and their clean, no fuss rooms. I unloaded the bike then jumped into the hot shower for about twenty minutes.
Yeah, no surprise, I was a bit cold.
Interestingly I was wearing some new to me Moto Skiveez tights which I thought would help me stay warm. The unintended (more untried) consequence was that the leg on them went to just below the knee. My old Alpine Stars socks, whose elastic is now 15 years old, proceeded to drop and I had the new to me sensation of cold shins all afternoon. The new gloves weren’t up to the 3-5 degree Celsius either so the digits were cold despite maximum heat being set on the heated grips. No problem, as I had my winter weight Dryrider gloves with me. Interestingly, there was not a single bug splat on my visor. Too cold for them as well?!
The beauty of this motel is that it was an 8 minute walk from the awesome Monteith’s Brew House. I enjoyed the walk, noting the strong smell of coal smoke in the air. Yes, I was in coal mining country.
The brew house was a massive affair with a huge fireplace burning brightly. I ordered a beer and settled myself at a table quite near the fire.😏
The beers and the food were very good. Bangers and mash went down a treat, as did a glass of local merlot.
The walk back to the motel was just what I needed and I passed an interesting display relating to a local hydro-electric project that I know my electrical engineer daughter will be interested in.
I had a great first day on the bike and 364 kilometres under the wheels.
I had a rough, modest goal of making Haast tomorrow. This was so I wouldn’t be rushed because sunrise wasn’t until about 8am and sunset would be around 5pm again.
DAY 2
With a short day, both distance and daylight wise balancing each other out I didn’t rush to get up today. After yesterday’s cold-ish ride I rejigged my clothing setup. Instead of a merino singlet, merino long top and a t-shirt under my jacket I opted for the merino singlet, topped with my Aldi thermal long sleeve, then my North Face puffy jacket, all enclosed by my Klim jacket. Downstairs it was Moto Skiveez again, this time overlaid with merino long John’s and my long Aldi bike socks.
Cold? BRING.IT.ON!
As I had bugger all gear with me it only took a minute to load the panniers and I was off in search of some breakfast. I found a small cafe’ in the main street and grabbed a warming poached eggs on toast washed down with a flat white coffee. I also booked my motel room in Haast while eating. I was set for the day!
Motoring out of town with my new winter setup I was toasty and warm even though the ambient temperature was 5C.
A short time after leaving Greymouth I caught my first glimpse of snow capped mountains off in the distance. We are not in Kansas any more Toto! I stopped at an old disused railway bridge for a photo of said bridge and then the mountains in the distance.
A stop at Lake Ianthe for some photos and droneage as I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere. The water was so still. It was so peaceful and I must admit I started to feel the stress of life melt away somewhat here.
Riding through the tiny hamlet of Hari Hari I saw some sort of aviation memorial by the side of the road. Swinging around I discovered it was a mock up of an Avro Avian and information boards telling the story of Guy Menzies, the first person to fly from Australia to New Zealand - solo! Crazy stuff!
I couldn't get a decent photo of the plane through the windows but the sign boards make for interesting reading!
I stopped at the Whataroa river bridge for a few photos and some more droneage. The photos do no justice to how huge and in-your-face the mountains look.
Stopping in Whataroa for fuel I met the first of a few pay by credit card fuel pumps. The price was slowly climbing as things got more remote.
So with this in mind I took the road into the Franz Josef glacier car park. I didn’t plan on walking at all but I could see the glacier sliding down the mountain side in the distance. Tick! Good enough for me.
Next stop was Fox Glacier.
I rolled into the Heartland Hotel car park and de-robed , thinking I would grab a bite to eat. Alas, the place was closed and didn’t open for hours yet!
So I put all of my gear back on and cruised the Main Street, finding a likely looking cafe’ to stop at. They had hot pies and beer on tap, so I grabbed one of each then sat out the front in the sun. I don’t think a single car went by during my visit! Yep, things are quiet on the west coast at this time of year!
Leaving town I quickly pulled into the Fox Glacier walking track car park but didn’t bother getting off as I knew from my 2014 visit, the glacier has retreated far up the valley. Good or bad, who knows? All I know is change is the only constant in this world and people hate change. If a glacier melts? It’s nature in action.
Moving right along…..I had a fair bit of winding, twisting road still to ride. It was sooo much better heading south because I wasn’t squinting into the sun, hence much less tiring. The road was mostly wet in the shade but I wasn’t squinting and was used to it now. While concentration levels were still high, I was taking it pretty steady and enjoying the view.
A quick stop at Knights Point Lookout where a monument comemorates the completion of the Otago to Westland link road.
Rolling into Haast I was quickly checked into my motel room. I had purchased some cheese and crackers plus a small bottle of local Pinot in Fox Glacier so I sat myself on the bench outside my room and enjoyed the green, green grass on this lovely dead calm winters evening.
Dinner was at the Hard Antler hotel. Sitting close to the fireplace with a beer, it started out very quiet but the place quickly filled.
After my late afternoon snack I wasn't very hungry so just went for the sweet potato soup and bread tonight, washed down with a local pinot again.
Today’s total ride was only 339 kilometres but they were jam packed with beautiful sights and plenty of corners.
DAY 3
I was planning on sleeping in a bit today so that I might give the temperature a chance to rise for my assault on Haast Pass but I also had the idea to loop around to Mt Cook while the weather was still clear. The forecast for this afternoon was for increasing cloud and indeed, cloud was blowing in from the west right now! If I waited I might not see Mt Cook but if I left early I would have cold temperatures to deal with. Hmmmm, what to do?
In the end my impatience won out. I backtracked slightly for fuel (yes, I broke my cardinal rule last night by not filling up). The most expensive fuel of the trip yet. How do the Kiwis afford to live here?! But I did only put six and a half litres in as I figured this would get me the 140 odd kilometres to Wanaka.
Riding off up the valley it quickly became very windy and very cold. My handlebar mounted phone decided it wouldn’t charge because it was too cold!
Funny thing was that once I got into the trees on the climb proper, the wind died to nothing. Yes, it was still cold and yes, the road wet but at least the wind was gone. Frost was starting to appear in the roadside ditches though.
The view along here is mostly tree lined but every now and again I would have a majestic view. I would stop, take a photo and enjoy the short break from concentrating.
The bike’s temperature gauge was alternating between 1 and 0C for quite a while here. Now and then I would see frost in the roadside ditches and the road was constantly wet. I rode slow and smoothly and thankfully had no moments.
Crossing the bridge I kept climbing to the official Haast Pass. It is a bit of a non event as it is encased in trees and feels like just another hill. If it wasn’t for the signage one really wouldn’t know.
The road follows the Makarora river down from the pass which flows into Lake Wanaka. The road follows the lake edge, twisting and turning until it crosses a brief saddle into the next valley where it follows high above the edge of Lake Hawea. This is simply epic, stunning riding!! Who cares if it was still cold?! My heart was warmed by both the view and the road.
Approaching Wanaka I entered a fog bank which lasted right to the edge of the town. I rode through some road works were I spied a young-ish girl standing on the side of the road, controlling the traffic lights via remote control. She was hopping from foot to foot, trying to keep warm in the 1C temperature. I gave her a knowing nod, which she returned. 😬
I pulled into the very new looking BP service station to fill up.
That done I parked up and went inside for a gas station pie and coffee. While warming myself up with this sustenance I also charged my helmet comms at the charging table - much like what they have in airports these days.
This gave me a chance to watch the locals come and go as this was a very busy place. I must say I was surprised at the number of quite underdressed for the conditions people that rocked in! I’m sure they would melt in a Queensland summer if they were wearing almost nothing in 1C temperatures!
Yeah, it was cold and thank the stars I had my pinlock in the visor or I would have been permanently fogged up!
I wanted to go for a look in Wanaka but I wanted to see Mt Cook in the clear more, so I headed out towards Taras and the Lindis Valley. Initial fog leaving Wanaka soon cleared and I had a great run up to Lindis Pass. I stopped at the first outlook to put the drone up and let some slow traffic move along. It was a perfectly still afternoon and the view was typical NZ - outstanding!
I took it easy through the pass as there was the possibility of grit(gravel) on the road.They seed the roads with grit to give grip in icy conditions. I was ok with this and I really didn’t have any close calls during the whole ride with loose grit as it seemed to be used sparingly.
I rolled through Omarama and like a well trained Aussie slowed to the 50km/h limit because as I rounded the corner into the Main Street the Highway Patrol with its lights flashing had a car pulled over - most likely for not slowing down in town. I had noticed that the locals don't slow to the signposted limits coming into town, what with several cars roaring up to the back of me over the last few days as I entered a town's 50km/h zone.
Passing Twizel I took the left turn and rode along the shoreline of Lake Pukaki toward Mt Cook. It was around 2pm now and I was squinting into the sun as I rounded up several cars and camper vans. This was the most traffic I had seen all week but to be expected with such a tourist magnet drawing us all in.
I could see Mt Cook from miles away. I was looking to get close enough for a decent photo but I didn’t want to ride all the way in to Mt Cook village proper. I soon found a spot to safely pull off the road that had a clear view of the mountain. Again, the low sun made for getting a clear bright photo impossible but it was impressive just to be viewing the 12 218 foot massif, set a the end of the long lake and amongst the towering southern alps.
A couple of photo and a quick Neo flight and I was headed back to Twizel.
I found a cheap-ish motel which had once been hydro workers accomodation that was a fifty metre walk to the pub. Very handy! The room was pretty cold (it only got to 10C today and it was about 6C by now) and I wasn’t confident in the little oil heater to make much of a dent in the chill.
I went for a short walk around town and ended up in the supermarket where I bought a curry and rice to zap in the microwave. By the time I got back to the room the small upright oil heater had warmed the room quite nicely. I enjoyed my curry, washed down with a local Pinot Noir and caught up on Steve’s latest YouTube offering via the motel's wi-fi.
It was meant to rain tonight but clear by morning so I thought I would have a little sleep in tomorrow to let the roads dry before getting on with it.
DAY 4
I woke up around 8am which was about sunrise time again. Looking outside the ground was barely wet. They had predicted very little rain from the fast moving front and the Met Service was correct. I loaded up and went in search of a tyre pressure gauge. I was sure the tyre pressures must be whack as the bike just didn’t feel right. Alas, every Kiwi serve station that I had tried in the last few days was just like this one - equipped with the old fashioned straight metal connector. One that you simply cannot get onto a straight motorcycle valve on a cast metal spoked wheel.
Oh well, just deal with it.
Leaving town I quickly stopped at the “play park” where several large earthmoving machines were on display, showcasing Twizel’s hydro electric heritage.
I headed south again toward Omarama. The back end of this weather front was shading Twizel this morning but clear blue skies beckoned to the south. Which was to the better because after finally perusing the Hema “Where to ride in NZ” map book that I have owned for ten plus years, I noted some interesting little side roads that I could take on my way to Dunedin today. Well, that combined with some recent intel I sourced from Warren’s blog post of his ride here.
Once turning east at Omarama the road followed a river valley. I crested a rise and Lake Benmore was laid out below me with verdant green crops showing starkly against the yellow-brown grass of the surrounding hillsides. I cursed the fact that I didn’t have a chin camera and there was no shoulder to stop on to take a photo.
I did manage to stop at the southern end of the lake and while very pretty, the angle just wasn’t the same. The crackingly clear, still morning made for some stunning views this morning. Sorry I stuck my mug in that one....
I continued southeast on the 83 then took a left onto Loch Laird road at Otematata. I soon passed a lovely view across a lake(river?) to a power station at the base of a dam wall. The power station wasn't the lovely view but the hills surrounding this mirror like lake were amazing. I turned around and rode onto a dirt track by the side of the lake. It turns out this is the Waitaki Motorcycle Rally Site according to Google Maps. And what a great little site it is!
This was the view if I swing 45 degrees to my left from the above photo. The contrast in the scenery in New Zealand can be vast!
After faffing with my drone and taking various photos I followed Lock Laird road up, over the dam wall then around the eastern bank of the Wataki river, which went for a considerable distance. The road was wide and in good condition but it was wet in the shadow of the towering hills on the eastern side. Add to that the road seemed to be covered in mossy growths in these areas and I was on high alert with regard to traction. I had no issues though and continued to enjoy the view until I rejoined the 87 highway at the Aviemore Dam junction.
I continued southeast again before turning right just outside of Duntroon to take the Livingstone Duntroon road. I got the tip off to go this way from the Hema map book as well. I passed the Elephant Rocks area....
and the Valley of the Whales (more info in the links) but I didn't stop as there really wasn't anywhere to pull over and the grass by the narrow verge looked wet and soft. These screen grabs from the Osmo 5 will have to suffice.
I followed various minor back roads through Five Forks, Incholme to Maheno, where I joined Highway 1 down the coast to Palmerston. The amount of slow traffic on SH1 was a bit of a shock after being on quiet backroads for a few hours but once the road opened up a bit I soon had empty road ahead again by utilising the power of the mighty Tracer!
I stopped in Palmerston for a fuel top up and managed to find an air hose that would fit the bike. Thus I was finally able to check the tyre pressures. They were down a few psi on what I would consider cold pressures (considering I had been riding for a couple of hours now) but the tyre and rim felt cold to the touch so I think topping them up a bit was warranted. The bike certainly felt better as soon as I rode off to find some morning tea. On the way I saw a few odd sights like a huge engine on a trailer and one for Warren, the non-smoking Japanese canned coffee man.
Morning tea was had at the nice little Coffee Cup cafe'. Here I organised my accommodation for tonight in Dunedin. I broke my personal rule and joined their loyalty club thus saving $15AUD off my room for the night. (more on that later)
From Palmerston I headed back inland on the 85 Highway toward Ranfurly. The road was very quiet and I felt like I had the country to myself again.
The road was wide and flowing here with majestic views over yellow grassed hills. I will admit to turning around a couple of times to photograph and re-ride some of the better sections of twisty tarmac.
It was magic up here but the best bit was that the road surface was dry. Too many good roads had been wet all day in the shadows, which is to be expected in winter but boy, it was fun to be able to finally enjoy some smooth, fast, flowing tarmac without worrying about the surface or the Tracer's propensity to wallow on bumpy corners.
A quick lap through Ranfurly which looked to be a nice little town and I was heading out to Waipiata to check out this pub on the rail trail.
It didn't take long to get there and the pub was actually pretty busy. I guess it was a Friday afternoon. I took a look at the cenotaph for the fallen of the district then crossed the road to the pub.
A quick Speight's Gold Medal Ale and a chill (quite litterally!) on the front verandah of the pub was a nice respite from riding all the time.
Once finished up I took to the dirt (ssshhhh) and headed east to Kyeburn where I rejoined the 85 very briefly before turning right again onto the 87 towards Dunedin.
But Dunedin was still quite a ways away. I had to take care of more glorrious tarmac while trying not to be distracted by the almost "Golden Hour" glow of the hills.
The Rock and Pillar Range (Patearoa) towers to the right of the road along here and I guess I was lucky to have such a nice, clear afternoon as it is known for having an almost permanent lenticular style cloud hovering over it.
South of Middlemarch the road enters the rolling hills again and delivers superb riding with wide open views forever. Fun stuff.
With such a low sun all day, Golden Hour is more like Golden 3 hours so I had plenty of time to stop for photos...but which ones to stop for? There are so many views and I did have to get to Dunedin today - preferably in the daylight so I could find my hotel more easily.
I finally rolled into Mosgiel at around 4pm. Probably not an ideal time as it was BUSY! I stopped to put my Google Maps on so I could listen to the turn by turn prompts and I soon found myself on a "motorway" of sorts into Dunedin. I managed to navigate the quirky one way and divided streets, passing the Speight's Ale House and brewery on the way to the hotel.
The hotel proved to be easy to find and while initial impressions were of an old, run down building on top of a hill my room proved to be modern and excellent. Excellent as in a top floor, east end of the building overlooking Dunedin kind of way!
I wandered out for dinner, seemingly pulled in the direction of Speight's Ale House. I mean, the Monteith's in Greymouth was excellent so I had better compare Speight's product, right?
Even though it was dark, it was quite early still and the place was pretty quiet with maybe twenty people having after work drinks on what was already Friday night.
I ordered a beer and sat down. I was very surprised that they wouldn't take money for the beer, they run a tab system!! Try that in Australia and you'll be broke in no time flat!
I ordered sausages and mash to keep the comparison fair. When the meal came out it was clear that Speight's was a clear winner over Monteith's. Look at the size of that plate!!
In truth I couldn't quite finish it and left 1/3 of a sausage behind. I can certainly vouch for the value for money at Speight's Ale House Dunedin!
Even though I was feeling tired I decided to walk around the city for a look. I had never been to Dunedin before but had heard it was an interesting place so I best make the most of my visit.
There seemed to be some midwinter festival/show going on at the huge old church on the top of the hill. There were hundreds of people watching the show which seemed to take up the church's whole grounds, with some young ladies gyrating in cat costumes on small stages along the fence. I tried to get some photos but it was dark and they were moving...anyway, it was interesting for a while.
Wandering back to my room with a bottle of local Pinot Noir that I picked up from a bottle shop near the hotel - did I mention that New Zealand does some bloody nice Pinots - anyway, I had a glass as I contemplated what to do tomorrow. I was pretty tired tonight, feeling quite fatigued and I really liked the look of Dunedin. I liked this hotel and decided that if I felt tired tomorrow that I would stay another night and explore more of Dunedin.
Another 464 kilometres of riding - and some of the best riding yet!
