Our first test run! 11 days around the South Island of New Zealand
This was an EPIC 11-day motorbike trip. We (Steve, Amand and Steve’s brother Russ) covered over 4,500km and learned heaps along the way about adventuring by motorbike and thoroughly enjoyed (nearly) every minute.
It was so cool to catch up with various folks along the way and to revisit old haunts – and da-yum, how good are NZ’s roads by motorbike?!
Our night stops were: Renwick, Dunedin, Milford Sound, Queenstown, Okarito (via Jackson Bay), Karamea, Totaranui (via Farewell Spit), Peketa, Tekapo, and then home via Hakataramea Pass and Danseys Pass.
Here are some photos:
Waiting for the ferry – Steve and Amand and a bunch of other bikersA little mishap while at Steve’s place in Dunedin; so we decided jumper leads were a good thing to take (never needed them though)A “test run” (ride) out Otago Peninsula, the sea mist rolled in about an hour later, fortunately it was beautiful while we were thereOur first nights campsite, a secret spot we found in the dark at 11pm near Milford SoundWhat a spot to wake up!We popped out to Milford Sound in the morning, a beautiful still morning and Mitre Peak was out tooObligatory shot taken by German touristsSteve embracing his links to AspiringJackson’s Bay for a massive plate of fish n chipsBruce Bay, beautiful rugged West CoastOur third night in at Okarito. Russ had joined us in Queenstown and we managed to see some kiwis in the wild last night.Beautiful cabbage trees at PunakaikiMore rugged West Coast scenery at Truman’s TrackA secret spot Amand knew from his childhoodOur fourth night in Kohaihai Shelter at the start of the Heaphy Track. We turned up here about 11pm the night before in torrential rain and certainly didn’t want to pitch our tents.Ice cream stop in MurchisonOur fifth and sixth nights at the camp ground in TotaranuiWe spent some time discussing our big adventure in Europe, we decided to put the route to the fire and look at what it told us! (as it turns out this burnt out route is a major part of what we are doing around the Black Sea)Wharariki Beach – the most stunning beach in New Zealand!
Sunrise on the seventh day at Totaranui before mad dash to Picton for Amand to meet the ferryAmand got on the ferry and Steve and Russ headed off down through KaikouraThen Steve and Russ split up north of Christchurch after a night in Peketa. Steve headed off inland to Tekapo and Russ over Lewis Pass and back over Arthurs PassRuss finding a beautiful spot for lunch in the mountainsRuss heads up to Mount Cook at the head of Lake Pukaki, before heading back to QueenstownSteve off into Central Otago coming over Hakataramea Pass and Dansey’s Pass back to Dunedin
