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The Long-White-Cloud Spectacular__NZ South Island 2012
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Since they reckon I’m too bloody slow for ‘em
, the crew has chipped in and got a local to build me a new bike overnight....AWESOME!!
A grey morning in Methven, another grey morning for us. But as we’ve learned...things can turn any which way at the drop of a hat.
Yes...the head goes from side to side and you’re supposed to throw donuts at it.
Or any sort of breakfast!
The cold bites viciously through the gloves as we cross the Canterbury Plains via Thompsons Track and Valetta Rd. to Mayfield....
... then south into Geraldine, the town of the indecisive...the reason they use cars here that don’t have whinging passengers, only drivers. And they can all go where ever they like. Simultaneously.
Up into the hills on hwy79 .... to Fairlie for a fill-up.
The Beemer needs her electrics tickled, to everyone’s mirth.
Decision-time at Fairlie...noticed the clouds lifting a bit more?
Get onto Hwy 8 to Lake Tekapo for a look, then cut south onto the Haldon Rd. for the Hakataramea Pass
...or cut south from Fairlie to Cricklewood , then hit the gravel of the Limestone and Waratah Rds leading into the MacKenzies Pass west to the Hakataramea?
The first option would keep us on sealed roads longer and allow a “look-in” to the High Plains before committing...the latter option is the more scenic backroad route.
A grey morning in Methven, another grey morning for us. But as we’ve learned...things can turn any which way at the drop of a hat.
Yes...the head goes from side to side and you’re supposed to throw donuts at it.
Or any sort of breakfast!
The cold bites viciously through the gloves as we cross the Canterbury Plains via Thompsons Track and Valetta Rd. to Mayfield....
... then south into Geraldine, the town of the indecisive...the reason they use cars here that don’t have whinging passengers, only drivers. And they can all go where ever they like. Simultaneously.
Up into the hills on hwy79 .... to Fairlie for a fill-up.
The Beemer needs her electrics tickled, to everyone’s mirth.
Decision-time at Fairlie...noticed the clouds lifting a bit more?
Get onto Hwy 8 to Lake Tekapo for a look, then cut south onto the Haldon Rd. for the Hakataramea Pass
...or cut south from Fairlie to Cricklewood , then hit the gravel of the Limestone and Waratah Rds leading into the MacKenzies Pass west to the Hakataramea?
The first option would keep us on sealed roads longer and allow a “look-in” to the High Plains before committing...the latter option is the more scenic backroad route.
It’s only a few k’s from where the MacKenzies meets the Haldon Rd...
Like most NZ passes, it’s pretty shallow at the top, unlike the US or European variety.
A last look back...
...and we’re into the ever so gently dropping southern descent.
Time for lunch.
What an incredible landscape, just can’t get enough of it. It’s endless, it’s HUGE....BIG SKY COUNTRY!!
And there’s actually a sign to Meyers Pass, that tiny squiggle on the map...and nearly impossible to find anything about on the net.
Some of the rare roadkill ... haaaaang-on!!!!!
How the hell does a wallaby get HERE??
Apparently they’re on their way of becoming a pest just like the Aussie possums on the North Island.
And there’s actually a sign to Meyers Pass, that tiny squiggle on the map...and nearly impossible to find anything about on the net.
Some of the rare roadkill ... haaaaang-on!!!!!
How the hell does a wallaby get HERE??
Apparently they’re on their way of becoming a pest just like the Aussie possums on the North Island.
Meyers Pass turns out a real gem!! What a cute, little road winding its way through the hills. In my book it sure beats the wide-open Haka by a mile; it’s got that closed-in, tight, narrow , leading no-where in particular feeling to it, with enough blind corners to hide steeper bits, the occasional creek and lots of 4-legged bandits in the shrubbery, that are good for an instant heart-attack when pelting out of the bush and across the road only inches away.
A proper, real bridge in the middle of no where...
HOW GOOD IS THIS????
And then, one pops out into lush-green paddocks at the other end.
The dry, scruffy –brown gives way to bright-green fields, dark-green wooded hills and squared-out farmland....there is nothing gradual about it, one stops right here and the other starts within 4 inches. Whhhack! Leaves ya bloody stumped.
Tassie-Dave reckons he’s never seen such good looking sheep before...which means a lot as it comes from a Tasmanian. Might have to keep a closer eye on him, he could be in love!
Some more backroads, a mix of gravel and tar, get us past Elephant Hill and onto the Waimate-Kurow Hwy, route 82, skimming along the Waitaki River and Canterbury/Otago border before the road cuts across the wiiiide riverbed into Kurow.
A proper, real bridge in the middle of no where...
HOW GOOD IS THIS????
And then, one pops out into lush-green paddocks at the other end.
The dry, scruffy –brown gives way to bright-green fields, dark-green wooded hills and squared-out farmland....there is nothing gradual about it, one stops right here and the other starts within 4 inches. Whhhack! Leaves ya bloody stumped.
Tassie-Dave reckons he’s never seen such good looking sheep before...which means a lot as it comes from a Tasmanian. Might have to keep a closer eye on him, he could be in love!
Some more backroads, a mix of gravel and tar, get us past Elephant Hill and onto the Waimate-Kurow Hwy, route 82, skimming along the Waitaki River and Canterbury/Otago border before the road cuts across the wiiiide riverbed into Kurow.
That’s it, we’re done.
The pub has seen better days, but the publican-couple is bike-friendly and the gal at the servo told us that the meals are good and they’ve got a great singer on tonight (who proved part of the family, yeah, yeah).
Amazing how much noise the handful of Kurow residents can make....but it makes up for the one or other shortfall. Looks like the bed has already swallowed Goodie whole...this is “arse-skimming-floorboards-stuff”...
Fark, I think I need another beer.
Gotta love country pubs....the buildings always tell interesting stories.
The Marlboro Man was born here!!
Nice to see....the way it used to (and still should) be...
Getting a bit warm over tomorrows plans.
A walk around town...
Fresh sheep skins drying over a fence in town.
Perhaps we should trade the hire-bikes for this one here? Sounds like a bargain!!
And more bargains, Dave is thinking of opening a branch of Kennedy’s Welding Supplies in Kurow, NZ ...
....and Christ, there’s 150 years of trash in that dump....”but look at THAT!! My brother was given one of those when we were 6 or 8...”
Yeah, one of those shops.
It’s been a good day...it’s been a GREAT DAY!!!
That deep gravel on the MacKenzie was a shitter, the Haka was nice but a little flat....and Meyers held the aces!!
Tomorrow...RIGHT UP THERE!!
Bright 'n Early!!
Night, folks
The pub has seen better days, but the publican-couple is bike-friendly and the gal at the servo told us that the meals are good and they’ve got a great singer on tonight (who proved part of the family, yeah, yeah).
Amazing how much noise the handful of Kurow residents can make....but it makes up for the one or other shortfall. Looks like the bed has already swallowed Goodie whole...this is “arse-skimming-floorboards-stuff”...
Fark, I think I need another beer.
Gotta love country pubs....the buildings always tell interesting stories.
The Marlboro Man was born here!!
Nice to see....the way it used to (and still should) be...
Getting a bit warm over tomorrows plans.
A walk around town...
Fresh sheep skins drying over a fence in town.
Perhaps we should trade the hire-bikes for this one here? Sounds like a bargain!!
And more bargains, Dave is thinking of opening a branch of Kennedy’s Welding Supplies in Kurow, NZ ...
....and Christ, there’s 150 years of trash in that dump....”but look at THAT!! My brother was given one of those when we were 6 or 8...”
Yeah, one of those shops.
It’s been a good day...it’s been a GREAT DAY!!!
That deep gravel on the MacKenzie was a shitter, the Haka was nice but a little flat....and Meyers held the aces!!
Tomorrow...RIGHT UP THERE!!
Bright 'n Early!!
Night, folks
goodie
...
Williamson
Part of the furniture
Good stuff!!!!!!!!!!!
.... at all times? How do you get through then? Why have a gate?
Oh, never mind .......
.... at all times? How do you get through then? Why have a gate?
Oh, never mind .......