A lovely restful sleep followed by a leisurely start to the day and then a spectacular ride up Te Mata Peak for jaw dropping views in all directions not to mention on the ride up and down, then a quick look at Cape Kidnappers where Captain Cook and crew had a bit of an altercation with some locals then onto the Elephant Hill Winery for a light lunch. The afternoon was filled with exploring Napier proper, the Art Deco Capital of New Zealand which was wonderful…mind you with a Michael Buble concert last night and a cruise ship in the harbour as well we were sharing the area with an extra 15,000 people. By the time we had dinner and walked back to the bikes the street which was bustling and choked with cars was almost empty so we set off to our accommodation via the Port and new beach areas where it is safe to swim, not that we swam. The beach along the main esplanade is unfit for swimming with a sharp drop off a shelf and strong undertows.

A challenge for the start of the day, a top hanging in the window had blown out onto the roof below and Lynne retrieved it with a fishing rod found in the laundry…just a bit late to snap her in the act.

On the way up to Te Mata peak.

And a view from the peak.

And again with a timber platform where hang gliders launch from.

The road was a great climb.

Cape Kidnappers.

Leaving Elephant Hill Winery.

And onto Napier.

No doubt about Norm, not only found a parking spot but a Donut Caravan as well.

Napier.

Napier.

Napier.

Napier. We had our dinner in the green domed building, a Lone Star Café. Very nice. We went to one of these in Dunedin last year.

Have to make this the last, way too many pics.

A 3.5-hour ferry cruise took us to the North Island, landing in Wellington and then headed off for Napier and travelled through hills, forests, vineyards, farmland and everything in between. We were glad to get in after a hot ride though a good 10 degrees cooler than home in Australia we hear.

Lined the bikes up for a pic with our ferry (Interislander) in the distance.

Getting ready to head off the ferry.

A specie steep and winding ride up over the Rimutaka Hill which was awesome. This is a look back to where we had come from taken from the lookout on top before heading down.

A memorial on top to the memory of the thousands of infantrymen who marched over Rimutaka Hill prior to their departure to the Western Front as part of the NZ Division in WWI.

On the road and loving the corners.

Last stop before we got in and stretching everything we could so we could tackle the last 45 mins to get in.

Our accommodation for the next two nights, an AirBnB in the Art Deco style. Rather quaint and the bikes all parked up so the owners can get out of their driveway.

Just a lovely day of riding, enjoying the view, breathing in the ocean air in patches and looking forward to heading off on the ferry to the North Island tomorrow. Was good to see the post Kaikoura Earthquake infrastructure works have progressed well up the coast road and Kaikoura itself looks quite renewed. We again were blown away with the great warmth of our hosts no matter where we went.

Fossil Point for coffee and no it doesn’t refer to the age of clients but the fossils along the shore which can be found at low tide.

Lots of good views of railway bridges over glacial watercourses.

Lined up at roadworks (one of many).

Lots of tunnels on the road and rail.

The troops are coming (a mobile shot over Norm shoulder)

Crayfish lunch on the shore at Nin's Bin.

A disaster waiting to happen...or bored waiting for lunch perhaps.

Underpass works on the railroad, impressive.

Lots of grapevines and wineries to be seen in the Marlborough region. The leaves being a sharp contrast to the dry grass on the hills behind.

Tonight’s accommodation (we stayed here last year) Very nice. Ok so not a great shot of the Motel but not bad of the bikes … just saying.

After a leisurely sleep in we rounded up a couple of taxi’s and headed off to collect our bikes, got our WOF / Warrant of Fitness and registration for our bikes then off for a brief bit of exploring.

At the VTNZ station almost finished with the WOF’s, last bike coming out so the bikes road approved for NZ.

A brief shot towards Lyttleton Port. A bit cloudy / smoky.

Last night and tonight’s accommodation an Air BnB.

Much excitement today as we headed to the airport to follow our bikes which we packed in a container on December 23^rd. Good flight, very gusty / bumpy landing and a short trip to our Accommodation and then a welcome shower and bed and plans to collect bikes tomorrow.

Waiting for our ride to arrive.

Unloading our luggage and a handy shot so we don’t forget where to retrieve the car from.

Waiting for the kiosk to open.

 (waiting n this pic)

Through the gate and time for a toast before we board.

Some Observations!

Some observations from 2 Aussies on our NZ adventure.

Disclaimer: We are legends in our own lunch boxes so our own opinions and listing are not any sort of grading of importance or anything else … just as we have thought of them.

1.     The cost of living in NZ is a good bit higher than in Australia. E.g. Petrol at home average $1.40 per litre, here $2.10. Restaurant meals (average restaurants, not top end) are also more expensive, entrees in average places $18 – 22 and mains $38 – 42.

2.     Houses of similar quality here also a good 1/3 higher in price then at home from what we can see in real estate windows.

3.     On main highways, a good number of overtaking lanes.

4.     On secondary roads, a limited number of overtaking lanes but still not bad.

5.     Very limited pull over rest stops for heavy vehicles anywhere.

6.     Lots of cars pull over and encourage us past on our bikes. Could it be ….

a.     Because they are very courteous

b.     They appreciate there are often limited spaces for overtaking

c.     There are many outlaw gangs over here and they don’t want to run the risk of ticking anyone off

7.     More trucks seem to be parked up and in motels for the night than at home.

8.     Overall trucks must deal with steeper grades and more bendy roads than at home.

9.     We had experienced more bikers waving and nodding a hello in the first week on the road here than we have experienced at home in the last couple of years. Go figure! Anyway, we like it.

10.   The roadworks signs here make more sense, are less intrusive and annoying than at home and people take notice of them!

11.   We had been warned to be wary of white vans driven by non-English speaking international travellers, but they had been well behaved until 2 very notable experiences on the South Island. The only reason I’m still here is where I met one as he was overtaking a line of traffic there was about 8inches of seal beyond the fog line for a short distance, so I was able to ride on that. Made the heart pump I can tell you.

Well it’s official our New Zealand Adventure on the bikes has come to an end.

We rode to Lyttleton this morning for breakfast, a large functioning Port which has many quirky buildings and sweet little cottages close in the town reminiscent of years gone by and further out more modern ones. The road from there right around the waterfront by Governors Bay to Diamond Harbour is very lumpy and bumpy with land movement over time and winds up and down hills along the coastline somewhat reminiscent of the Great Ocean Road though narrower and was a lovely ride. From there it was up over the pass, find a car wash to get the bikes cleaned up then deliver them to PFT for shipping back home.  A little bit more of the tourist thing now without the bikes until we head home Sunday afternoon. Ahhh so soon a fond memory, nevertheless we are looking forward to family hugs when we get home! Have missed that.

The bikes in front of the Old Government Building now a Heritage Hotel. The OGB Bar is immediately behind the bikes.

The Port at Lyttelton, quite steep even though the pic doesn’t look like it. Lots of logs and containers and a cruise ship for good measure.

And one of countless pretty views as we progressed around the waterfront.

Lyttelton from our coffee spot many miles away from breakfast.

Quirky boat shed.

Communications tower on Dyers Pass.

Canterbury Plains to the mountains from Dyers Pass.

The last clean up before back in the container and home. Boo hoo!

We anticipated heavy rain overnight and icy roads this morning after the forecast so were relieved there was only a light sprinkle overnight and sunny skies this morning … mind you Norm did bring me in some ice off my seat as I was packing up to go. We headed back the way we had come into Tekapo because we had seen a sign that said 4km to Mt John Observatory & Café. …which was a bit of a stretch because it was 4km to the gate then another very steep and winding 4km to the Observatory and Café and OMG OMG OMG what a view!! A glorious way to start the day!

The rest of the day was just a lovely ride with beautiful scenery with snippets of views to snow and mountains as well as picturesque farmland and attractive little regional towns along the way. We enjoyed a morning coffee at the Three Creeks Salvage Café then lunch in Geraldine then into Christchurch to get a rear tyre for Norms Rocket, the last one went well and did 14,000kms.

Yep, just through the gate and there’s the Observatory.

Lake Tekapo from the Observatory.

And proof that we really were there.

Some of the Observatory buildings.

Three Creeks, all kinds of quirky.

And again.

Close to the last view of snow on our way into Christchurch in Fairlie.

And more of the snow in the rear and yes that’s all the layers on because it was still very cold.

View from our room in Christchurch across the Cathedral Square.

Last nights’ accommodation:

Peppers Bluewater Resort

8 State Highway

Lake Tekapo NZ 7945

The room / apartment was lovely and comfortable and welcoming with plenty of space to relax and enjoy ourselves and well equipped to be self-contained if wanted. Plenty of heating and cooling options available as well as restaurant on site with room service if wanted. Free Wi-Fi and balcony with chairs to sit and enjoy the view. Roomy bathroom with both bath and shower. Very nice.  We were in a ground floor unit and were shocked how loud the footsteps and movement in the apartment above were audible in a relatively new building especially given the cost of accommodation. Our most expensive night for the trip.

We headed for Mount Cook despite what was obviously a weather change sweeping down from the mountains and apart from getting wet, damn near got blown off our bikes as well at times needing nearly all our lane just to keep pointing ahead and staying upright. By the time we got to Mount Cook Village we could barely see the mountains around us, and it was pouring so we headed back to a café a few kilometres back for a coffee and a chance to draw breath. From there we headed for Tekapo on the shores of Laker Tekapo and oh my goodness the tourists have arrived in force. It is no longer the quiet back water we last visited.

The day started out well.

Once we headed for Mount Cook it was soon turning dark…. but still loved the turquoise water.

More of the same. You can see tyhe wind blowing up the water on the opposite shore, it was also doing this in patches across tyhe lake. On our return it looked a bit like an inlet from the ocean with lots of white tops and waves.

Morning coffee on the way back down at a Station Cafe and tour office.

And low and behold a lavender farm in the middle of nowhere … seriously! And about to be rained upon.

Heading back down from Mount Cook ahead of the change.

Heading for Tekapo.

Still heading for Tekapo.

Church of the Good Shepherd.

And the view from our veranda tonight.

Last nights’ accommodation:

Mackenzie Country Inn Hotel

2 Wairepo Road 

Twizel NZ 7901

A welcome spot to take a break and feel a little bit spoilt. Staff warm and welcoming and room spacious and comfortable. A return for us after many years. New carpet and infrastructure improvements since then which must be a challenge given it’s probably a seasonal accommodation option. Room spacious and comfortable, library / sitting area downstairs lovely as is the bar and restaurant. Breakfast included with accommodation package. The second most expensive night for our trip, and the only one with included bteakfast … probably because of the isolation but still a lot. A shame.

We headed to the Bill Richardson Transport World for breakfast which was a treat. Food in the Grille Café was delicious and the surrounds there and beyond whet my appetite for our return in 2020 which is saying something for me who really isn’t a fan of such places. From there we headed off on what is called the Scenic Coastal Route to Dunedin. The roads were just lovely to ride but apart from that we decided the title was a bit hopeful. There were a couple of pretty glimpses of the ocean and several waterfalls to check out (we looked at 2), some caves and lots of farmland with very attractive rolling green hills a lot like parts of Gippsland, some forest and rainforest areas and that was about it. I guess that’s pretty good really, but we expected more of the actual coast side of things after the title.

Couldn’t leave Bill Richardson Transport World without a photo with the bikes (of course).

Sheep everywhere.

Horseshoe Falls.

Matai Falls.

The view from the Florence Hills Lookout.

Quirky morning coffee stop and some others there told us they serve up the best fish and chips in the South Island. A bit early for us.

A big area that experiences Tidal Flooding. Some repairs were underway where some areas of seal had lifted off.

A big valley as we drop down from the hills and head into Dunedin. Check out the road on the other side of the valley, we were heading there.

Last nights’ accommodation:

Quest Invercargill Serviced Apartments

Cnr Dee & Tay Streets

Invercargill NZ 9810

Lovely old Post Office building with modern self-contained serviced apartments fitted out within and nicely done. The shower was divine! Hot and plenty of pressure. Staff cheerful and helpful. Unlimited Wi-Fi, yay! Parking available onsite. Not undercover but there anyway. The bed was comfortable and lovely big window (brass frame) making it a light and airy space and the décor looks fresh and cheerful. A good refurb. Well done.

We managed to have some breakfast and get rugged up before the rain started and thankfully got very little of it all day, but we discovered a dusting of snow was left on the surrounding peaks overnight which the locals tell us is unseasonal for this time of year here. In any case it was freezing cold and we were grateful for the multiple layers of clothing we had on. Having said that for the most part we managed to ride in front of, behind or beside the worst of the rain so encountered very little throughout the day and were treated to magnificent stormy and colourful skies in all directions as well as reflected views in water when beside it. Wow!

More stunning examples of limestone country.

Clifden Suspension bridge built in 1898 and had the longest single span of any bridge in NZ at the time (111.5m).

Looks like more good weather ahead!

A cute house as we seek out a view of Monkey Island.

And there’s Monkey Island.

A quirky bus stop in Colac Bay.

The Bluff Beacon. The Bluff was established in 1824 and is all things Port … still.

Quirky Art Deco Café at the Bluff where we had some lunch.

And coming back down from the Bluff Lookout. Saw lots of pushbike riders pushing their bikes up, I’m glad we didn’t meet any coming down as we were going up.

 Last 2 nights’ accommodation:

Lakeside Motel and Apartments

3 Lakefront Drive

Te Anau NZ

A lovely spot to drop for a couple of nights. A short few minutes’ walk to the rest of town and dining and shop options. We are in a 1 Bedroom Non-smoking kitchen unit with a lakefront view and it’s just lovely. Older than some we have had but clean and functional and beautifully presented. Guest laundry. Free and fast Wi-Fi so a big plus for me. Plenty of level parking on site without charge and cheerful staff to deal with. What more could a traveller want? Nothing I say!

Well we have travelled to Milford Sound via coach years ago, but I guess the view looked like lots of cliff faces but the ride meant we could see all the peaks and mountains and oh my goodness what a treat. I’ll let the pictures tell the story.

Milford Sound.

The old and new side by side – Tutoko Bridge, the whole road is incredible infrastructure investment and effort!

And then there is a tunnel which has operating traffic lights from 8pm to 6am! Good luck after that. On the Te Anaua side (this side) the tunnel entrance is 2,300 feet above sea level and after an initial incline is all downhill.

And this is the Milford Sound side. The little shed thing in the background is the start of the tunnel from this side.

Yep that’s snow again.

And a stop at Falls Creek was incredible and didn’t know which way to look. Decided to show you this one.

And then on the way back into Te Anaua is Lake Gunn.

Well we have travelled to Milford Sound via coach years ago, but I guess the view looked like lots of cliff faces but the ride meant we could see all the peaks and mountains and oh my goodness what a treat. I’ll let the pictures tell the story.

What a great view from our room this morning.

A lesson in feeling insignificant … not a bad lesson for anyone.

Typically, awesome view and yes that is snow and we were well rugged up because it was freezing!

The Chasm sculpted and moulded over many years. Nothing does it justice. I put his in because one of the little pools had rocks in it which will continue to sculpt and mould and then I saw the reflection of the tree above. Just perfect.

And a shot of the galloping waters above the Chasm.

Lunch at Milford Sound, typical, Norm is eating, and I’ve been off getting photos.

Such a privilege to be able to ride my bike through and experience the magnificent views all through this country.

Spectacular mountain ranges all round, glacial valleys of varying depths and ruggedness, rolling hills and lowlands put to productive use in diverse agricultural pursuits, not to mention lush fern, conifer and ancient beech forests throughout and water, oh my goodness so much water in small streams, raging rivers, spectacular waterfalls and small and large lakes.

A truly soul restoring healing experience. I remember this from previous visits.

It is enough to just sit and inhale and exhale and enjoy the view.

Cannot believe the mushroom development of accommodation houses of all description here in Queenstown and surrounds since we were last here as well as whole new suburbs. The building industry is obviously booming here.

We enjoyed our Gondola ride and dinner at the Stratosphere Restaurant in the Skyline Tower last night which was very nice then it was back to the hotel and another good sleep and off to Te Anau this morning. We had breakfast at Athol then I headed for Te Anau and Norm headed for Invercargill where he had arranged to get his front tyre replaced and new rear brake pads. The seal on the NZ roads is much larger stones and faster wear and the grip is great but much rumblier than at home, sounds a bit like a four-wheel drive with their knobby tyres. His brake pads were supposed to be replaced before we left home so glad that has been done also. The bonus is we found a knowledgeable and ‘can-do bike team’ at Invercargill so good for future reference as well. He also visited an incredible Museum there which was full of incredible collections, previously privately held. There were international travellers there who seek these things out internationally and told Norm they have never seen anything like it! The bonus for me was that Norm took my non functioning phone and got it sorted on Invercargill as well. He is a can-do guy as well, think I’ll have to keep him! The km count includes Norm’s extra travel as of course it would.

View of the Gondola from the bar in the Skyline Tower last night while we waited for our table.

And another view from the tower.

And an early morning view as we head out of Queenstown. What an awesome sight it had been prior to this as we rode past the Remarkables. Norm finally managed a shot here.

Main Street Te Anau. A very attractive little village.

And one of my bike at the waterfront.

A line up of Bedford’s at the Museum … but missing a 1948 one the same as one we have at home.

And some specie convertibles.

And the star of the Museum a TEXACO fuel truck. Very representative of the Art Deco period.

Last 3 nights’ accommodation:

Millennium Hotel Queenstown

32 Frankton Road

Queenstown NZ 9300

Mmm, forgot to take a hotel pic so Google it if you want one.

What a lovely space to spend a few nights. Comfortable room with good facilities. All sorts of things on site, restaurants, laundry, car parking (and not too steep to get to with the bikes), restaurant with awesome food and awesome views as well as room service and staff who are incredibly cheerful and helpful. Fast unlimited Wi-Fi. We have made good use of the complimentary shuttle bus to and from the CBD.

Another sunny morning and we headed to Arrowtown for breakfast and then headed to Arthurs Point where the Shotover jet boat rides start. All sorts of specie scenery along the way. From there we headed for Glenorchy (now sealed all the way). Tonight, we will take a Gondola ride to the Stratosphere Restaurant in the Skyline Tower. Pics tomorrow.

Breakfast in Arrowtown at the Postmasters House. Yummo.

Appropriate park up spot for the bikes.

More Arrowtown.

And again.

On the way to Arthurs Point. Wow.

Arthurs Point and the bridge over the Shotover River, or in this spot more like a canyon.

A view across Lake Wakatipu from Wilsons Recreation Reserve on the way to Glenorchy. Very windy as you may be able to tell from the waves.

And yes, that answers the question, these are the 2 islands in the lake we saw from the peak yesterday and we forgot to ask if it was still Lake Wakatipu so yes, it is because here they are.

And a coffee at Glenorchy.

Well we slept in, had a delicious brunch on the waterfront then headed to the airport for a helicopter flight which we both loved. All kinds of magical and would love to do it again. The views were incredible, and we landed on a ridge which in the winter has 4m of snow on it then onto the TSS Earnslaw and over to the Walter Peak High Country Station for a BBQ dinner and farm tour which was great also.

So, this is the Queenstown version of a beach on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. A surprising number of swimmers and sunbakers … but it did get to 30 today.

Barely taken off from the airport.

Incredible views on the way as we climb over 5,000 feet.

On top of the mountain.

And rewarded with a great view.

More awesome views.

Then onto the TSS Earnslaw, a great working steam ship. This is moored at the Station.

And the lovely property which runs sheep and angus cattle and a thriving tourism business and do it all very well.

Well West Coast South Island of New Zealand is very similar to the West Coat of Tasmania i.e. rains for 9 months of the year and drips off the tree for the other 3 … well today was one of the 9 months. Wet wet and more wet for at least 2/3 of the trip then we got ahead of it and even found sunshine heading into Queenstown! Before then we benefitted from the heavy rain overnight and saw hundreds of waterfalls, some looking like a white ribbon across a mountainside, others like a fine gossamer veil down a mountainside, sometimes onto the road we rode by and others thundering to the rivers below. All kinds of wonderful. We were grateful for all the wet weather gear we carry.

Breakfast at Fox Glacier township. A very quirky building.  Heaps of 1-way bridges in NZ and certainly here in the South Island. Some work considerations in the sign below.

Lots of 1-lane bridges in NZ especially in the west of the south ialand. Here is some industry information on one of them.

Roaring Billy Waterfall, aptly named, the roar was audible way before we got anywhere near it.

Lake Wanaka, an awesome sight.

Bradrona, a National Breast Cancer Foundation initiative outside of Cardrona.

Norm.

The Cardona Hotel, Google Speights Brewery ads, there is a ripper at the hotel.   All sorts of cute check it out.

And if we were here in the snow … not that I want to be.

Finally, in Queenstown and this is Ballarat Street … an incredibly steep street down to the waterfront.

Last nights’ accommodation:

Alpine Glacier Motel

17 Cron Street

Franz Josef Glacier NZ 7856

One street back from the main road and handy to several dining spots. Warm and welcoming suite. Helpful management but Wi-Fi useless. Plenty of room to spread out plus a couple of arm chairs and a balcony if it wasn’t raining. Comfortable bed and capacity to get the wet gear dry on heated towell rails so worked well after getting wet in the afternoon.

We enjoyed dinner last night at the Speights Ale House which is in the refurbished Customs Building in Greymouth. The refit was beautifully done and the food and service great.

We woke to calm weather and sunshine soon after we headed off so thought we may get to have our helicopter flight over Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, but cloud came in and it didn’t happen. We have another couple of chances of flights before the end of the trip so we will see what eventuates. We had breakfast at Hokitika which in its day was the 3^rd largest Port in the world! It’s a town set up with gold money and has the grand layout and large buildings albeit some in a state of decay that you would expect. I notice they also have helicopter flights over the glaciers and Mt Cook so perhaps this might be a better option early in the day next year.

Speights Ale House, former Customs Building.

Greymouth station platform. Very quaint.

Our breakfast spot in Hokitika. All kinds of yummy and some great quoted around the shop which was great.

The Library.

St Mary’s Catholic Church, dwarfs most of the town. Bizarre.

The sky still looked promising here.

Whataroa River. Impressive.

Franz Josef Glacier and the path it has previously gouged out of the hillside.

And a closer look, we weren’t going to walk the extra kilometre to still not get to the front.

Last nights’ accommodation:

Sundowner Motel

14 Smith Street

Greymouth NZ 7805

Forgot the pic, check it out on Google if you want to see it.

On the fringe of town and steep site but level spot to park the bikes.  Welcoming and helpful hosts. Comfortable room and facilities with the capacity to be self-contained if wanted. Room to spread out our kit. Comfortable bed. Heated Lowell rai ideal to dry our wet bike gear. Free Wi-Fi. The best shower (heat and volume) we’ve had since we’ve been in NZ.