1st March 2017
A poor night's sleep, despite the best efforts of Speight's Brewery. This is an old bungalow, divided into four rooms and with one bathroom. Being old (at least Edwardian, if not Victorian), it has no air handling at all, so I was forced to leave all my windows open.
Consequently I hear wave after wave of mosquitoes and gnats entering - like the Luftwaffe over Coventry - and am convinced I'm going to be eaten alive (despite being smothered in insect repellent).
Then Carole Nash rang me at 2345 to tell me they'd renewed my bike insurance. I told them not to (the bike won't be back in the UK until probably June). Then I get some cold call from Belfast around 0400...
I get up around 0800 - amazed to discover I've survived the night unbitten - quickly shower and shave, get the bike kitted up and am on the road before 0900. I decide against visiting Howard, the old chap I met last night, as it seems a bit early, and hope he doesn't take offence...
I ride into a beautiful, cool morning - it's 62°F and there's a heavy dew fallen during the night.
I help him up - I think his name is Manny...
There's a bit of mist in the valleys as I travel towards Hanmer Springs, my modest target for today - a mere 130km away. I suddenly notice my tyre pressure monitor has decided to work again - huzzah!
I'm travelling down Highway 7, following the Inangahua River through the Lewis Pass - and it's clearly a popular route for motorcyclists, as three of them are the first vehicles I encounter coming the other way. The third chap had his lights on full beam - completely dazzling in the shade of the forest - why do people do this?
I keep a steady 90-100kph up - it's a lovely morning for a ride.
Again.
I remind myself how lucky I am to be doing this. In 30 days time I'll be cramming myself into an airline seat to rejoin reality - but for now I'm almost able to believe I've always been spending my days like this...
There are a lot of roadworks on this section - mostly resealing, with new gravel making itself difficult to detect on the sun-dappled surface...
The temperature begins to climb a little - in the odd patches when I'm out of the woods, it's now pleasantly warm - moving into the low 70s F...
A clutch of bikes comes in the other direction - this tells me there's a café nearby. If it were a long way off they'd be in a more straggly formation...
My keen detective skills, honed by artist-tracking, have not let me down. At the junction of Highways 7 and 65 is a truckstop and a café, which provides...
The Alpine Breakfast - complete with Bratwurst!
I get chatting to a few of the riders who have stopped in there. As expected, the Lewis Pass is a popular road for riders from all over South Island - today is a really good day to see it.
One of the girls, surfing on her 'phone, says there's been a magnitude 4+ earthquake somewhere south of Christchurch. I quickly text home to say I'm OK (in case it gets reported - to be honest that's pretty tame by NZ quake standards). Cue a conversation about whether you'd notice an earthquake if you were riding. The consensus is that you probably would if the truck you were overtaking suddenly disappeared onto a fissure...
I get kitted back up and notice, across the road...
...the Morris Eight I saw in Reefton yesterday. I notice I have a text...
YES! It's a reply from the artist's partner with her email address!
Onward!
It's now 78°F and the sky is almost cloudless. The valley is beautiful, the bike's singing along (albeit in German and slightly off key) and all's well with the world...
There are more roadworks along this section...
I'd guess I was stopped or slowed perhaps a dozen times over the next 85km...
It's a gorgeous route, though...
...and for some reason I don't feel the need to exceed the 100kph limit - I'm just cruising at 95-100kph and enjoying the day...
I start formulating an email to the artist in my mind...
I have a horrible feeling these things are going to be ridiculously expensive and beyond my means, but I've come this far, so will follow it through...
Lots of bikes coming the other way...
Despite my lack of decent sleep, I feel alert and comfortable on the bike - this is now how I spend my days and it's as comfortable as sitting in an armchair...
My reverie is interrupted by the arrival of half a dozen bees at the same time - two hitting me in the face, as I'm cruising with the visor up. No damage (to me
) other than an impact sting - and the insects bounce out of my helmet...
This valley is a really odd shape. There is a plateau halfway up the range of hills on the right side - I wonder if it's a different type of rock layer...
There are also large areas of what looks like shale - almost vertical without vegetation...
84°F now - all the vents in my jacket are open and it's perfect...
I'm held up briefly by flagmen who are assisting a logging operation, so take advantage and stop to take a couple of snaps of the view...
Onward!
I'm held up a little by traffic for a while. It's a result of the number of temporary roadworks stops - traffic bunches up and you need to either have a great view, or use a fairly high speed to get past. The high speed option isn't really on with the attitude of the Police towards excess speed here, so I just pick off the occasional car or truck when I can, but then meet more at the next flagman...
I turn hard left towards Hanmer Springs onto Highway 7a, then climb a little as I enter the Waiau River Gorge...
I stop at an overlook...
...and look back at the bridge I have just crossed...
...where there is a bungee-jumping operation. There's also a jet-boat operation in the gorge there...
I stop to say hello to this beautifully coloured horse (is that a Skewbald?). But notice it has an odd right eye...
Anybody know anything about horses? Is it blind in that eye? It certainly doesn't look right (no pun intended...
)
I'm on finals for the hotel now - although it's just gone 1200 and check-in time is 1400...
I'm booked in by the lovely Tamara, switch the AC to Pluto and relax in its frosty embrace...
I write a long email to the artist, explaining how I've been stalking her - and asking her about the artwork...
I have a good cup of coffee from the hotel's cafetière as I upload today's pictures over the (acceptably fast) WiFi, then start on the journal.
Good day...
A poor night's sleep, despite the best efforts of Speight's Brewery. This is an old bungalow, divided into four rooms and with one bathroom. Being old (at least Edwardian, if not Victorian), it has no air handling at all, so I was forced to leave all my windows open.
Consequently I hear wave after wave of mosquitoes and gnats entering - like the Luftwaffe over Coventry - and am convinced I'm going to be eaten alive (despite being smothered in insect repellent).
Then Carole Nash rang me at 2345 to tell me they'd renewed my bike insurance. I told them not to (the bike won't be back in the UK until probably June). Then I get some cold call from Belfast around 0400...
I get up around 0800 - amazed to discover I've survived the night unbitten - quickly shower and shave, get the bike kitted up and am on the road before 0900. I decide against visiting Howard, the old chap I met last night, as it seems a bit early, and hope he doesn't take offence...
I ride into a beautiful, cool morning - it's 62°F and there's a heavy dew fallen during the night.
I help him up - I think his name is Manny...
There's a bit of mist in the valleys as I travel towards Hanmer Springs, my modest target for today - a mere 130km away. I suddenly notice my tyre pressure monitor has decided to work again - huzzah!
I'm travelling down Highway 7, following the Inangahua River through the Lewis Pass - and it's clearly a popular route for motorcyclists, as three of them are the first vehicles I encounter coming the other way. The third chap had his lights on full beam - completely dazzling in the shade of the forest - why do people do this?
I keep a steady 90-100kph up - it's a lovely morning for a ride.
Again.
I remind myself how lucky I am to be doing this. In 30 days time I'll be cramming myself into an airline seat to rejoin reality - but for now I'm almost able to believe I've always been spending my days like this...
There are a lot of roadworks on this section - mostly resealing, with new gravel making itself difficult to detect on the sun-dappled surface...
The temperature begins to climb a little - in the odd patches when I'm out of the woods, it's now pleasantly warm - moving into the low 70s F...
A clutch of bikes comes in the other direction - this tells me there's a café nearby. If it were a long way off they'd be in a more straggly formation...
My keen detective skills, honed by artist-tracking, have not let me down. At the junction of Highways 7 and 65 is a truckstop and a café, which provides...
The Alpine Breakfast - complete with Bratwurst!
I get chatting to a few of the riders who have stopped in there. As expected, the Lewis Pass is a popular road for riders from all over South Island - today is a really good day to see it.
One of the girls, surfing on her 'phone, says there's been a magnitude 4+ earthquake somewhere south of Christchurch. I quickly text home to say I'm OK (in case it gets reported - to be honest that's pretty tame by NZ quake standards). Cue a conversation about whether you'd notice an earthquake if you were riding. The consensus is that you probably would if the truck you were overtaking suddenly disappeared onto a fissure...
I get kitted back up and notice, across the road...
...the Morris Eight I saw in Reefton yesterday. I notice I have a text...
YES! It's a reply from the artist's partner with her email address!
Onward!
It's now 78°F and the sky is almost cloudless. The valley is beautiful, the bike's singing along (albeit in German and slightly off key) and all's well with the world...
There are more roadworks along this section...
I'd guess I was stopped or slowed perhaps a dozen times over the next 85km...
It's a gorgeous route, though...
...and for some reason I don't feel the need to exceed the 100kph limit - I'm just cruising at 95-100kph and enjoying the day...
I start formulating an email to the artist in my mind...
I have a horrible feeling these things are going to be ridiculously expensive and beyond my means, but I've come this far, so will follow it through...
Lots of bikes coming the other way...
Despite my lack of decent sleep, I feel alert and comfortable on the bike - this is now how I spend my days and it's as comfortable as sitting in an armchair...
My reverie is interrupted by the arrival of half a dozen bees at the same time - two hitting me in the face, as I'm cruising with the visor up. No damage (to me
This valley is a really odd shape. There is a plateau halfway up the range of hills on the right side - I wonder if it's a different type of rock layer...
There are also large areas of what looks like shale - almost vertical without vegetation...
84°F now - all the vents in my jacket are open and it's perfect...
I'm held up briefly by flagmen who are assisting a logging operation, so take advantage and stop to take a couple of snaps of the view...
Onward!
I'm held up a little by traffic for a while. It's a result of the number of temporary roadworks stops - traffic bunches up and you need to either have a great view, or use a fairly high speed to get past. The high speed option isn't really on with the attitude of the Police towards excess speed here, so I just pick off the occasional car or truck when I can, but then meet more at the next flagman...
I turn hard left towards Hanmer Springs onto Highway 7a, then climb a little as I enter the Waiau River Gorge...
I stop at an overlook...
...and look back at the bridge I have just crossed...
...where there is a bungee-jumping operation. There's also a jet-boat operation in the gorge there...
I stop to say hello to this beautifully coloured horse (is that a Skewbald?). But notice it has an odd right eye...
Anybody know anything about horses? Is it blind in that eye? It certainly doesn't look right (no pun intended...
I'm on finals for the hotel now - although it's just gone 1200 and check-in time is 1400...
I'm booked in by the lovely Tamara, switch the AC to Pluto and relax in its frosty embrace...
I write a long email to the artist, explaining how I've been stalking her - and asking her about the artwork...
I have a good cup of coffee from the hotel's cafetière as I upload today's pictures over the (acceptably fast) WiFi, then start on the journal.
Good day...