bigjohnsd
2021 BMW R1250GSA
Did the Sound in 2012 aboard the Sea Princess. Beautiful. Our day was quite windy and overcast.
Did you buy a Possum Sweater?
Did you buy a Possum Sweater?
Adventures Down Under - New Zealand and Australia
- Thread starter Tyler
- Start date
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Panman
Well-known member
Damm Tyler, guess the PNW won't look so good anymore...
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escapefjrtist
Searching for Dry Roads
Totally freaking awesome!
Thanks again for sharing your down-under travels with us T! Can't wait to see the finish...
--G
Thanks again for sharing your down-under travels with us T! Can't wait to see the finish...
--G
festar
Well-known member
Tyler,
Your photography is stunning.
Simply brilliant .
Festar xxx
Your photography is stunning.
Simply brilliant .
Festar xxx
Mihalis fjr
Well-known member
Excellent!!!
Auburn
Well-known member
+1. Great RR.Damm Tyler, guess the PNW won't look so good anymore...
Added another place to ride on my bucket list
Gramps
Well-known member
"Absofrickinglutely brilliant!"
+1 couldn't say it better myself.
+1 couldn't say it better myself.
It just keeps getting better!
Yeah we were worried at first too... my neighbors took their honeymoon in NZ a year ago around the same time of year and said it rained on them the whole time they were there... we definitely lucked out!! B)
Thanks, Sammy! B)
Do it, Mark... make the plans... put it on your calendar... make it a reality!!
hppants
Well-known member
I didn't realize how mountainous New Zealand is. Snow covered peaks and everything.
Those speed limit signs are in KPH? Kind of conservative, no?
Those speed limit signs are in KPH? Kind of conservative, no?
Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, or Ewoks in Star Wars... expected to see any of them at any moment! :lol:I have no words for what I just saw........
It looked like the outdoor sets of the Harry Potter movies.
Didn't see any Possum sweaters anywhere... is there a story to them?
Kev, honey, the PNW has something very special to it that can't be found anywhere else... the PNW crew! I want to get back up there and do some more exploring... I know there is lots more to see/do up your way. B)Damm Tyler, guess the PNW won't look so good anymore...
Thanks, Brawn... Australia will be coming soon... :wub:
El Toro Joe
FYYFF
Incredible scenery and pictures, miss
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Day 6/7 - Te Anau - Glenorchy - Queenstown
We bid adieu to our neighbors and headed for Queenstown. It wouldn't be a long day in the saddle so wasn't a rush to get out early... our first stop was for "real" coffee and a little something to eat with a bit more fortitude than corn flakes... the place had free wifi so we caught up on what the rest of the world was doing...
Again, it was a beautiful day... we were having really great luck with weather!
I was very glad we were behind this rig and not coming from the other direction... yikes!
Around the next bend, we were able to get around him and again had a clear road in front of us... that is Lake Wakatipu that we are riding alongside of...
We bid adieu to our neighbors and headed for Queenstown. It wouldn't be a long day in the saddle so wasn't a rush to get out early... our first stop was for "real" coffee and a little something to eat with a bit more fortitude than corn flakes... the place had free wifi so we caught up on what the rest of the world was doing...
Again, it was a beautiful day... we were having really great luck with weather!
I was very glad we were behind this rig and not coming from the other direction... yikes!
Around the next bend, we were able to get around him and again had a clear road in front of us... that is Lake Wakatipu that we are riding alongside of...
We arrived in Queenstown and found our hotel to see if perhaps our room might be ready but it wasn't so we continued out to Glenorchy which hadn't been on my original list of things to see/do but it was on Sally's and I was very glad it was! This is a gorgeous road with stellar views... if you get out this way, put it on your list...
Unfortunately, for the last half of the ride out there, I got stuck behind a line of slow moving vehicles which were impossible to pass because they all followed each other so closely, it would be like trying to pass 10 semi trucks in a row on a windy road... and it is something that happens worldwide... no one uses the turnouts... by the time I got to the General Store in Glenorchy, I was not a happy camper... can you see the steam coming off of my head?? lol
Sally had been luckier than I and was doing her "happy dance"... I hope I didn't dampen her dancing spirit with my steaming... lol We went into the store and looked around, bought some items, and I spied the day's newspaper... not a headline you see often...
We went in search of a public loo and found ourselves in the heart of town...
Whimsical metal scupltures by Dkd Design...
And toodle out to the local beach for a look around and leg stretch...
And then back out the way we came... except this time we managed to get in front of all the traffic...
Unfortunately, for the last half of the ride out there, I got stuck behind a line of slow moving vehicles which were impossible to pass because they all followed each other so closely, it would be like trying to pass 10 semi trucks in a row on a windy road... and it is something that happens worldwide... no one uses the turnouts... by the time I got to the General Store in Glenorchy, I was not a happy camper... can you see the steam coming off of my head?? lol
Sally had been luckier than I and was doing her "happy dance"... I hope I didn't dampen her dancing spirit with my steaming... lol We went into the store and looked around, bought some items, and I spied the day's newspaper... not a headline you see often...
We went in search of a public loo and found ourselves in the heart of town...
Whimsical metal scupltures by Dkd Design...
And toodle out to the local beach for a look around and leg stretch...
And then back out the way we came... except this time we managed to get in front of all the traffic...
When Sally signaled to stop and take photos, I waved at her and kept on going so I could ride the road the way it was meant to be ridden!
Ahhhhh... much better! I waited for Sally to catch up and then we went into town so I could find another bonus which turned out to be further out of town... we also had a little fiasco when Sally's bike wouldn't start... we got a phone number for a local shop and while we were on the phone with them, Sally put the phone out so he could hear what was going on... and the bike started right up!! I told the guy he was GOOD!! lol She didn't want to take any chances with it not starting again and getting stranded in town so headed for the hotel and I headed out to the gorge where the Shotover Jet location was...
I headed back to the hotel and Sally and I did a little laundry...
And then took a taxi into town for dinner... we met up with moto journalist Fred Rau who I've "known" via mutual friends, his motorcycle writing, and the fact that he rides a Spyder as well as 2-wheels... never have crossed paths with him here in the US but had to go all the way to New Zealand to finally meet him! He was leading a tour and happened to have the evening free so met us for dinner... it was a hoot!
After dinner, we wandered around town...
Until finally succumbing to exhaustion and headed back to the hotel... the next day we had decided would be a day of rest off the bikes but we had plenty to keep us busy!
Ahhhhh... much better! I waited for Sally to catch up and then we went into town so I could find another bonus which turned out to be further out of town... we also had a little fiasco when Sally's bike wouldn't start... we got a phone number for a local shop and while we were on the phone with them, Sally put the phone out so he could hear what was going on... and the bike started right up!! I told the guy he was GOOD!! lol She didn't want to take any chances with it not starting again and getting stranded in town so headed for the hotel and I headed out to the gorge where the Shotover Jet location was...
I headed back to the hotel and Sally and I did a little laundry...
And then took a taxi into town for dinner... we met up with moto journalist Fred Rau who I've "known" via mutual friends, his motorcycle writing, and the fact that he rides a Spyder as well as 2-wheels... never have crossed paths with him here in the US but had to go all the way to New Zealand to finally meet him! He was leading a tour and happened to have the evening free so met us for dinner... it was a hoot!
After dinner, we wandered around town...
Until finally succumbing to exhaustion and headed back to the hotel... the next day we had decided would be a day of rest off the bikes but we had plenty to keep us busy!
The hotel didn't have breakfast included so we had some cereal to tide us over... I guess Skippy the Bush Kangaroo is sort of like a down-under Lassie...
Even has it's own song... ah, the things you learn on vacation... everyone sing along now!
We had made reservations the day before to take a spin on the jet boats at Shotover Jets... those suckers go really fast and very close to the rock walls along the river... it was a blast!
Stopped off in the ladies loo to find signage on the proper way to pee... you know if there's a sign, someone needs to know... lol
When we returned to town, we asked our tour bus driver for a recommendation for lunch which was Speights and it was an awesome recommendation... we both had the filo pastry pie with chicken and apricots... yummmm! Next was the gondola ride to the top of the mountain just outside of town... looking down from where we came...
We sat and had some ice cream... it's called hokey pokey ice cream (vanilla with little crunchy pieces of honeycomb)... and it's delicious!
We did some people watching including three young Asian women and I think their moms taking selfies and photos of each other in the same exact place for at least a half hour... Match.com profile photos??
Even has it's own song... ah, the things you learn on vacation... everyone sing along now!
We had made reservations the day before to take a spin on the jet boats at Shotover Jets... those suckers go really fast and very close to the rock walls along the river... it was a blast!
Stopped off in the ladies loo to find signage on the proper way to pee... you know if there's a sign, someone needs to know... lol
When we returned to town, we asked our tour bus driver for a recommendation for lunch which was Speights and it was an awesome recommendation... we both had the filo pastry pie with chicken and apricots... yummmm! Next was the gondola ride to the top of the mountain just outside of town... looking down from where we came...
We sat and had some ice cream... it's called hokey pokey ice cream (vanilla with little crunchy pieces of honeycomb)... and it's delicious!
We did some people watching including three young Asian women and I think their moms taking selfies and photos of each other in the same exact place for at least a half hour... Match.com profile photos??
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They also had bungee jumping available at the top... needless to say, neither one of us took advantage of that particular activity...
View from the top...
And then decided to try out the luge course they had which was great fun as long as you didn't get stuck behind someone who didn't know how to go fast... just like on the road!! Riding the ski lift to the top of the course in our natty safety helmets...
The upper part of the course...
They don't let you take any belongings with you so no photos of us in action... but we were reminded to...
Back into town for dinner to a restaurant recommended by Skipper Craig from Te Anau... he knows the owner and said they have the best meat in town (not meat market... so off we went... our table wasn't quite ready so we sat inside the bar and had a glass of vino...
I think name dropping helped because we got a choice table on the outside desk with a view of the sunset...
And decided to share a sampler plate... which could easily feed a family of our even though the menu says it's for two...
We did our best but there were a lot of leftovers but everything was quite delicious! If you are in the area, definitely give this place a try but be sure to make reservations as they are a very busy restaurant!
With that, it was time to head back and get some shut eye for the next day's adventure which we both agreed was probably one of the best motorcycle roads we'd ridden... ever!
More to come...
View from the top...
And then decided to try out the luge course they had which was great fun as long as you didn't get stuck behind someone who didn't know how to go fast... just like on the road!! Riding the ski lift to the top of the course in our natty safety helmets...
The upper part of the course...
They don't let you take any belongings with you so no photos of us in action... but we were reminded to...
Back into town for dinner to a restaurant recommended by Skipper Craig from Te Anau... he knows the owner and said they have the best meat in town (not meat market...
so off we went... our table wasn't quite ready so we sat inside the bar and had a glass of vino...
I think name dropping helped because we got a choice table on the outside desk with a view of the sunset...
And decided to share a sampler plate... which could easily feed a family of our even though the menu says it's for two...
We did our best but there were a lot of leftovers but everything was quite delicious! If you are in the area, definitely give this place a try but be sure to make reservations as they are a very busy restaurant!
With that, it was time to head back and get some shut eye for the next day's adventure which we both agreed was probably one of the best motorcycle roads we'd ridden... ever!
More to come...
