16th March 2017
I don't sleep well - I didn't finish the draft journal until about 2300 and then spent some time doing typo corrections in bed using the iPad. I woke with it on my chest...
I wake with a start at 0615 when the iPad alarm goes off and immediately start getting into gear. I have a quick wash and brush up, then get kitted up and carry my bags out to the Adv, safely ensconced under the stairs to the upper floor of the motel. I pack quickly and am ready in plenty of time to meet my 0700 check in, so stop the bike at the end of the road and try my hand at a night shot of the ferry in the harbour...
It's a cool morning, with no cloud. The ferry is due to sail at 0800 and arrive in Wellington at 1130. I got my second Senior discount booking this - total cost $NZ104 (not sure how much of a discount that is).
I wait with a couple of other motorcyclists and we are called forward to board first. We ride up a long and steep ramp (thank goodness it wasn't wet) and manoeuvre the bikes as directed by the staff. As on my last trip, I tie the bike down myself using the lashings the ferry company supply.
That chore done, I wander up to the passenger deck. This is a different ferry from the one I came over on and in many ways is a great improvement - not least of which being you can get a full, freshly cooked breakfast...
That'll do nicely...
After washing that snackette down with a flat white, I log into the (free) Wi-Fi. Blimey, things have changed since I last regular used a ferry - that was Caledonian MacBrayne from the Outer Hebrides in the late eighties. You were glad to get a cup of tea (although, being a Scottish ferry company, you could always get a drink...
)
We sail late - at about 0820 by my reckoning. No problem, I have a fair way to go today once we get to Wellington, but I'm in no particular rush to get there.
My original plan had been to get the evening ferry yesterday and then stay somewhere in Wellington (in fact the Quest Apartments, where I stayed outbound), but a search of Hotels.com showed only backpacker level accommodation available in Wellington last night - I guess there must be some kind of event on. Thus my current plan - to ride about 200km to Hastings, where I have a room booked...
It is shaping up to be a beautiful day - and the ferry staff say it will be a smooth crossing...
I watch South Island retreat with some regret - I've had a fantastic time there for the past few weeks...
I amuse myself in various ways during the crossing, mostly surfing the internet and reading. A tannoy announces that we're going to be 40 minutes late - hey-ho...
Eventually we arrive at a bright and sunny Wellington and are allowed back on the car deck. All the bikes are still upright, which is always a plus point...
I disembark - negotiating the long ramp with some trepidation...
...and then join the Wellington traffic. I have programmed my destination into Bettie and she's going to take me by the most expeditious route (rather than the most interesting), which is fine...
She's steering me up into the hills towards Palmerston North, which surprises me a little, as the southerly route looks shorter. However, I am happy to go with it and see what happens...
There are variable speed limits on this route and it keeps us at 80kph for a prolonged period for no apparent reason until we are allowed to return to 100...
I need to refuel, so and a BP garage and fill up with Super (I'd normally refuel the night before, but didn't want the extra weight on the ferry)...
Bettie says I should be at my destination by 1645...
The road runs along the seafront for a while - but it's a single carriageway road and oncoming traffic is separated by a central 'bike mincer' wire crash barrier. There's an 80kph limit and lots of traffic. The Pacific Coast Highway it is not...
I'm then steered onto what is clearly a brand new motorway. It's not on Bettie's mapping, but is a great road and my ETA (when she has eventually recovered from the fit of the vapours that occurrences like these tend to give her) has reduced by 15 minutes...
Eventually the new road joins up with the old and Bettie breathes a sigh of relief.
Spotted this guarding a fruit and veg stall...
Not long after passing through the splendidly named Kuku, I spot this immigrant from Detroit on the left...
Guarded by this guy...
I asked the dog's name - and I'm pretty sure the owner said it was Alec...
Any guesses for make/model/year?
For the car - not Alec...
Getting pleasantly warm - I open the vents on my sleeves...
Not a hugely challenging road - it runs down a very wide, flat-bottomed valley, with beautiful ranges of hills on either side...
Presumably they have an inmate called Owl Capone. Or perhaps members of Owl Qaeda (I'll get my coat...)
The Owl sanctuary was in the town of Shannon...
...which had some nice old buildings...
...and looked prosperous and tidy...
I start climbing into some low hills, which gives me something to think about. One bonus has been the rarity of roadworks today - although I still went through about four or five sets...
But hey - I'm not working...
After riding around the outskirts of North Palmerston, I get directed down the Manawatu Gorge...
It's very pretty, but a main route. It's subject to an 80kph speed limit and there's no overtaking for seven klicks...
I'm not altogether sure this truck driver was happy with my slowing to take pictures - he certainly didn't alter his speed...
Lots of sections of the rock wall had these nets covering them...
Eventually I make it out of the gorge...
...without being squashed by the following truck. Time for a cuppa I think...
I stop at the enticingly named Yummy Mummy's Cheesecake Café in Woodville. I find excellent cheesecake, but it must have been the Mummy's day off...
I choose lemon and lime. It is so rich, I think that parts of it went directly into my bloodstream, where it is wreaking havoc even as I type. I also have an iced coffee, which was delicious - but a hot cup of tea would have been more refreshing...
No reason to post that picture at all...
I have just over an hour to run. It's nice and warm (about 80°F) and I'm fighting to stay alert after the calorie rush I have just subjected myself to...
I am expecting to see Hobbit homes - doors in these hillsides - at any time...
Saw this very old gent in the town of Dannevirke. He doesn't seem to be much loved...
...but at least he looks to be used regularly...
Onward! (Got a bug on the lens - dammit)...
I come across a whole gaggle of riders doing about 95kph and give them each a wave as I pass...
They disappear behind - a Hi-Viz convoy...
Not too far now...
The hillsides look even more like The Shire - no wonder Peter Jackson decided to film Lord of the Rings in New Zealand.
Incidentally, someone I met on the ferry told me that Peter Jackson owns the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre...
Nearly there now.
I stop where Bettie says the hotel should be and there's a field. Turns out there's a Longlands Road East - and I'm on Longlands Road West. A few minutes later I'm pulling up at my very neat little lodge - with garage (with automatic opener) en-suite...
Sue, the landlady, fusses around making sure I have what I need. I set up in the shade of the back garden...
...and start uploading pics on the (very fast) Wi-Fi...
Sue brings me a complimentary tub of the local ice-cream and also leaves me with a couple of apples from the orchard...
A very pleasant day - no early starts tomorrow, though...
I don't sleep well - I didn't finish the draft journal until about 2300 and then spent some time doing typo corrections in bed using the iPad. I woke with it on my chest...
I wake with a start at 0615 when the iPad alarm goes off and immediately start getting into gear. I have a quick wash and brush up, then get kitted up and carry my bags out to the Adv, safely ensconced under the stairs to the upper floor of the motel. I pack quickly and am ready in plenty of time to meet my 0700 check in, so stop the bike at the end of the road and try my hand at a night shot of the ferry in the harbour...
It's a cool morning, with no cloud. The ferry is due to sail at 0800 and arrive in Wellington at 1130. I got my second Senior discount booking this - total cost $NZ104 (not sure how much of a discount that is).
I wait with a couple of other motorcyclists and we are called forward to board first. We ride up a long and steep ramp (thank goodness it wasn't wet) and manoeuvre the bikes as directed by the staff. As on my last trip, I tie the bike down myself using the lashings the ferry company supply.
That chore done, I wander up to the passenger deck. This is a different ferry from the one I came over on and in many ways is a great improvement - not least of which being you can get a full, freshly cooked breakfast...
That'll do nicely...
After washing that snackette down with a flat white, I log into the (free) Wi-Fi. Blimey, things have changed since I last regular used a ferry - that was Caledonian MacBrayne from the Outer Hebrides in the late eighties. You were glad to get a cup of tea (although, being a Scottish ferry company, you could always get a drink...
We sail late - at about 0820 by my reckoning. No problem, I have a fair way to go today once we get to Wellington, but I'm in no particular rush to get there.
My original plan had been to get the evening ferry yesterday and then stay somewhere in Wellington (in fact the Quest Apartments, where I stayed outbound), but a search of Hotels.com showed only backpacker level accommodation available in Wellington last night - I guess there must be some kind of event on. Thus my current plan - to ride about 200km to Hastings, where I have a room booked...
It is shaping up to be a beautiful day - and the ferry staff say it will be a smooth crossing...
I watch South Island retreat with some regret - I've had a fantastic time there for the past few weeks...
I amuse myself in various ways during the crossing, mostly surfing the internet and reading. A tannoy announces that we're going to be 40 minutes late - hey-ho...
Eventually we arrive at a bright and sunny Wellington and are allowed back on the car deck. All the bikes are still upright, which is always a plus point...
I disembark - negotiating the long ramp with some trepidation...
...and then join the Wellington traffic. I have programmed my destination into Bettie and she's going to take me by the most expeditious route (rather than the most interesting), which is fine...
She's steering me up into the hills towards Palmerston North, which surprises me a little, as the southerly route looks shorter. However, I am happy to go with it and see what happens...
There are variable speed limits on this route and it keeps us at 80kph for a prolonged period for no apparent reason until we are allowed to return to 100...
I need to refuel, so and a BP garage and fill up with Super (I'd normally refuel the night before, but didn't want the extra weight on the ferry)...
Bettie says I should be at my destination by 1645...
The road runs along the seafront for a while - but it's a single carriageway road and oncoming traffic is separated by a central 'bike mincer' wire crash barrier. There's an 80kph limit and lots of traffic. The Pacific Coast Highway it is not...
I'm then steered onto what is clearly a brand new motorway. It's not on Bettie's mapping, but is a great road and my ETA (when she has eventually recovered from the fit of the vapours that occurrences like these tend to give her) has reduced by 15 minutes...
Eventually the new road joins up with the old and Bettie breathes a sigh of relief.
Spotted this guarding a fruit and veg stall...
Not long after passing through the splendidly named Kuku, I spot this immigrant from Detroit on the left...
Guarded by this guy...
I asked the dog's name - and I'm pretty sure the owner said it was Alec...
Any guesses for make/model/year?
For the car - not Alec...
Getting pleasantly warm - I open the vents on my sleeves...
Not a hugely challenging road - it runs down a very wide, flat-bottomed valley, with beautiful ranges of hills on either side...
Presumably they have an inmate called Owl Capone. Or perhaps members of Owl Qaeda (I'll get my coat...)
The Owl sanctuary was in the town of Shannon...
...which had some nice old buildings...
...and looked prosperous and tidy...
I start climbing into some low hills, which gives me something to think about. One bonus has been the rarity of roadworks today - although I still went through about four or five sets...
But hey - I'm not working...
After riding around the outskirts of North Palmerston, I get directed down the Manawatu Gorge...
It's very pretty, but a main route. It's subject to an 80kph speed limit and there's no overtaking for seven klicks...
I'm not altogether sure this truck driver was happy with my slowing to take pictures - he certainly didn't alter his speed...
Lots of sections of the rock wall had these nets covering them...
Eventually I make it out of the gorge...
...without being squashed by the following truck. Time for a cuppa I think...
I stop at the enticingly named Yummy Mummy's Cheesecake Café in Woodville. I find excellent cheesecake, but it must have been the Mummy's day off...
I choose lemon and lime. It is so rich, I think that parts of it went directly into my bloodstream, where it is wreaking havoc even as I type. I also have an iced coffee, which was delicious - but a hot cup of tea would have been more refreshing...
No reason to post that picture at all...
I have just over an hour to run. It's nice and warm (about 80°F) and I'm fighting to stay alert after the calorie rush I have just subjected myself to...
I am expecting to see Hobbit homes - doors in these hillsides - at any time...
Saw this very old gent in the town of Dannevirke. He doesn't seem to be much loved...
...but at least he looks to be used regularly...
Onward! (Got a bug on the lens - dammit)...
I come across a whole gaggle of riders doing about 95kph and give them each a wave as I pass...
They disappear behind - a Hi-Viz convoy...
Not too far now...
The hillsides look even more like The Shire - no wonder Peter Jackson decided to film Lord of the Rings in New Zealand.
Incidentally, someone I met on the ferry told me that Peter Jackson owns the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre...
Nearly there now.
I stop where Bettie says the hotel should be and there's a field. Turns out there's a Longlands Road East - and I'm on Longlands Road West. A few minutes later I'm pulling up at my very neat little lodge - with garage (with automatic opener) en-suite...
Sue, the landlady, fusses around making sure I have what I need. I set up in the shade of the back garden...
...and start uploading pics on the (very fast) Wi-Fi...
Sue brings me a complimentary tub of the local ice-cream and also leaves me with a couple of apples from the orchard...
A very pleasant day - no early starts tomorrow, though...
still a great thread though.
