NZ Touring Pics by Shaggie - more pics

[Shaggie]

Hi folks

As i might have mentioned along the way, until Nov 06 I was the Tour Director for NZ operations of a US based motorcycle touring company.
I met some absolutely fabulous people whilst on tour and have now some lifelong friends amongst the guests.
My intention is to (one day) have my own tour business eventually providing bespoke tours from single days to multi-day trips.

Most of the guests where from the US with a few from the UK and one from Canada.

Anyways, I hope you like the pics - there may be even some ones from my normal weekend riding with the 'lads' too



Top of Takaka Hill, Nelson region, top of the South Island. Major sportbiker road with LOTS of twisty riding!
Me on the 1150r (my tour-supplied bike) and Tom Loftus on the RT - Tom as you may know is a 5 time veteran of the IBR and
paid me the biggest compliment after the rac...er....'spirited ride' up the hill - "don't you EVER brake?"
- i nearly couldn't get my helmet back on, I was smiling so much!
(as an aside - Tom had me good on the return run up the other side of the hill - as i
had thought, he'd just been toying with me the first time 'round! )








Milford Sound road between Te Anau and the Homer Tunnel (pic to come), Fiordland, South Island






The Homer Tunnel - started in 1935, progress was pretty slow with pumps required
to remove 40,000 litres of water an hour (Fiordland gets massive rainfall - measured
in METRES a year not inches). Tunnel is single lane with a kink in the middle so you
can't see the other end - it's a bit freaky! The traffic lights only work in the summer -
high avalanche danger in the winter preclude cars froms queueing up.




Lindis Pass - McKenzie Country, South Island. This area is one of extremes, hot
in the summer (up to 110F) and cold in the winter (down to 5F in the winter)



Abel Tasman National Park, Nelson region, top of South island




Winter shot of The Church of the Good Shepherd on the shores of Lake Tekapo,
McKenzie Country, South Island




Summit Road, Banks Peninsula, South Island overlooking Akaroa (our Sunday
morning coffee destination informally known as the Akaroa GP) - my Superhawk
and Jim's RT





Not many roadsigns like this anywhere else in the world!



Lake Wakatipu from the streets of Queenstown, South Island



Downhill from the Homer Tunnel towards Milford Sound



Dansey's Pass, Otago, South Island




Road to Glenorchy at the top of Lake Wakatipu - highly recommend the
Dart River Safari's jetboat trip up into LOTR filming territory - awesome!

And here's a panorama.....





More to see if anyone's interested - hope you enjoyed these!

Cheers

S

[GB]

Very interested!

[Shaggie]

Originally Posted by Gadget Boy

Very interested!

Cheers mate

just off to work but tonight after work, I'll upload some more!

:-)

S

[Byrdman]

Originally Posted by Shaggie

More to see if anyone's interested - hope you enjoyed these!

Cheers

S

Hell yes..................

[Steve in NZ]

could you please remove this thread. The last thing we need is a heap more septics coming down here and clogging up the roads. Oscar needs room to move around by himself and clear his head space.

[Shaggie]

a couple more:



Steve's pic of the Lewis Pass Hway just north of Maruia Springs




On the road back from Mt Cook - NZ's highest mountain at 12316feet - alongside Lake Pukaki -
see later pic of Lake Pukaki for it's distinctive colour...





Pelorus Sound overlooking Moenui and towards Mahau Sound, Marlborough Sounds, top of South Island.
A true drowned valley system the Marlborough Sounds is a major holiday destination for thousands of
NZers every year. This being my home province and with psuedo uncle and auntie having a holiday
home (or 'bach' pronouced batch) here since before my parents were married meant i was 'here'
(top right just above the Transalps mirror) most weekends of my childhood - the best place!
altho i MAY be biased!



A Transalp hiding in the trees on the way to Milford Sound




A New Zealand delicacy - whitebait! best done as seen here in a pattie of eggs and salt and pepper
and WHITEBAIT - small fish about the length of your little finger and about one third diameter -
caught mostly on the west coast of the South Island during a very short and strictly
controlled season - it reaches over NZD100/kilo - we normally try to have one 'feed' a season
but only can usually afford maybe 100 or 200 grams(if we're feeling REALLY extravagent!) -
this pattie was cooked for Steve at the Blackball Hilton -i'll see if I can rustle up a pic of the
hotel so you get the idea - and was a bargain at the price......YUM YUM YUM



Here's another pic of the Church at Lake Tekapo




The historic Cardrona Hotel on the Crown Range road between Wanaka and Queenstown -
the oldest continously operating hotel in NZ - originally opened 1863! Edit: The Thistle
Hotel in Wellington now competing for the title - part of the hotel built in 1850 still stands
but most was destroyed by fire before being rebuilt....



A great place for a refreshment stop - here's the refurbished outside area at the back



here's the Blackball Hilton - actually that's not true - it's official name is now 'Formerly
the Blackball Hilton' cos Paris's family lawyers threatened them with a huge lawsuit if
they continued using the Hilton name - this in the town of Blackball with a population
of 30ish on a good day..... some people eh?







We took a helicopter ride up onto the top of one of the glaciers near Mount Cook - I
think this is Fox Glacier - Fox and Franz Josef glaciers are two of a VERY small
number - i think there's one in South America too - of glaciers that are actually
INCREASING in size, even with the 'advent' of global warming! Glaciers in NZ
are unique as they are situated in areas which are catagorised at rainforest!

You want more folks? Can ya handle it?

S

[Fubars]

No, I can't handle it. Outrageous photos with a grub shot thrown in as well. You're killing me.

And I'm going back to work today.....

More please.

[Coltz]

beautyfull places man....keep riding!

[babooka]

Gorgeous!!!

[Kokopelli]

Thanks for the report, fantastic pictures. I must go there one day.






...............hang on I already live there

[young1]

If anyone is heading this way PM me, wife and I enjoy meeting fellow bikers. I will put photos on this site soonish, am busy taking pictures on my province - Taranaki.

[Shaggie]

thanks for the kind comments folks - got to pop away for a couple of days to see my ol' ma down south - will post more as soon as i'm back!

Keep smiling!

[Slaniac]

Looking forward to your future posts. Thanks for the great photos.

[kennyh]

Thanks for the awesome photos. Got to ride the north island a bit in 98, been trying to get back ever since to do the south island. What a fantastic place.

[bike4ever]

Spent 2 weeks in NZ in early April 2006 with my wife and two kids. Was immediately struck with what a fantastic place to be riding two wheels, even in the meters of rain. I've been all over, and NZ is still the most beautiful (IMHO) and my favorite. Can't wait to get back. Thanks for the gorgeous reminders. Too bad the job didn't work out; must have been one of the best jobs in the world - most days!