The Long-White-Cloud Spectacular__NZ South Island 2012

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Re: Prelude

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EDIT >>>>> OOPS, I have just seen that Pete has started a separate thread for the road report.


Fixed, mate....moved your post from the other thread and tacked it onto this one :chug:


And how cute are those hobbit-huts!!!

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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Like yesterday, the morning is grey and foggy…not so the mood, though.
Walking into town for breakfast…


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…which sure is worth it.
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Bernard guides us up the Rarangi Beach Rd. to Whites Bay, southern end of the Port Underwood Road, right up the top right-hand corner of the South Island.The next entry on our "36er" wishlist.

There are nicer beaches on nicer days….BUT….

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…there’s supposed to be a road right amongst those slopes.
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And there IS!
And it’s steep, tight, narrow....and wet.

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Port Underwood...it’s one of the many natural harbours, part of the northern maze of coastal waterways, the Marlborough Sounds… and somewhat like the Norwegian Fjords.


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Then it’s wet clay, slippery as hell if you don’t stay on the gravelly bits.


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Nature is putting on a spectacular display, a prime lightshow that dips the place into surreal pockets of light, distorting colours and contours.

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The road dips steeply into valleys which cut like a fold in the earth’s crust, tapering out into small bays…the climb up the other side is just as steep and encased by ferns and greenery that often make it look like a tunnel. What an incredible piece of coast, whow!
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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
At Tom Canes Bay there’s a tiny thoroughfare between some half-overgrown holiday homes.
The little timber sign promises “Public Access”…pointing towards the water, I just have to have a look!

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The lane leads straight to the foreshore…then to one of the most scenic little pockets I’ve ever come across in my life.

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The tiny spot is a camp-area with lush, short grass…. a huge, old shady tree….benches and table, a fireplace….and all of it barely a foot above the waterline, the green, emerald kind of water and clear as glass.
PARADISE!!!
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I’d LOVE to come back and pitch a tent here for a night!!




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More of the Port Underwood loop…


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We’re hitting asphalt about 20km from Picton, the ferry-town connecting to the North Island.
Tight, loads of blind corners, DRY asphalt, incredible views and banked corners that make the front suck air on the crests in between those flip-flops. Awesome fun!!

In Australia, the cops would book us just for the width of our grins!!
Make mine $500 worth and 6 points , please!!
Now shove that ticket, get outta the way and let me at it again!


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Regulation-letterboxes…or just cheaper by the dozen?

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Had a visitor at one of the stops…


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“Bro, I’ve got a V8 under the hood!!”
“I’ve got an apple-tree!!”
Huuuhhh????


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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Topping up in Picton…

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Barely 100m out of town is the start of one hell of a bike road, the Queen Charlotte Drive west to Havelock.
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The road hugs the coastal hills and is tight enough to wanna bend the bike and ride right up your own bum. Pegscratchers Nirvana…if it wouldn’t be for the incredible views into the myriad of waterways, hills, harbours and bays of the Marlborough Sounds.

Add some picturesque coastal villages and its again one of those roads once ridden, NEVER forgotten.
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It’s still overcast, but dry….so far, our weather-guessing has been right on the button.


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Havelock in the background….home of the northern mussel-industry.


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Never go past this place…


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Love that “Fire Exit!” Used to call it a “garden-gate” in the old days…


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Baked garlic mussels anyone?

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Chowder

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As always, Rob’s too bloody quick…
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Another delicacy, this one out the front door. What a beautiful piece of engineering…tank-shift and all! And in SUPERB nick!! Mega kudos to the owner!


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Who had that Springer front-end first? Harley or Indian?


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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Time to burn away some of those mussels and make use of the dry roads….backtracking a little for the turn off to the road up the Kenepuru Sound for some exciting afternoon corner-hunting.

It’s the usual mix of bends, bends and more bends….flowing in one, short section… supertight the next…lose gravel, bathtubs..stones and sand washed out of the banks and onto the tar….views, water, bays, boats with white wakes….stunning!

A little sunshine would add a real sparkle to the whole thing, but hey!...it’s dry, and that’ll do us.


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We make it to somewhere around Portage Bay, where chance brings everyone together after a good hour of everyone “riding their own road”.

It’s the turnaround-point, we still want to make it back near Blenheim for a good jump-off point for tomorrow’s target.


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Another howling-in-pain-stretch to come for those hoops

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Bernard knows of a place near Spring Creek, just north of Blenheim.
A quick tack off Hwy6 gets us onto the dead-straight Rapaura Rd…..which proves to be home of MANY of those Marlborough Wineries….vineyard after vineyard along both sides of the road….only broken by something odd.

Something worth smoking the anchors for a quick Uee and having a closer look.


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GOTTA stop for that one!!
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While prices are truly eye-popping…..so is the quality!!
What the hell…we’re here to have a nibble at anything.
And the smells….they kill ya!

Spring Creek Holiday Park comes up with some beds and the Junction Hotel down the road is the one starting the legacy of the lamb shanks…if I remember correctly.

Not a bad day, aye?
Starting in the fog, drizzle and under low, dark clouds…finishing with some blue patches, a little sunshine and $20 chocolates smeared around the grinning gobs!!

Looks like we're slowly getting the hang of it....

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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
PS "Hobbit Huts" were in Shannon, NI.

The Shannon ~20k's south of Palmerston?



 

asphalt

Tassie...where tyres are flat and nights are long
Simply a wonderful report of the tour, I am more than impatient and waiting with great anticipation for next reports:thumbs:
 
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