SPT CN 25058 NEW ZEALAND’S WILD SOUTH RIDE
It is Day on our Tour - What means it is time for the Welcome Briefing!!! Welcome to the start of our journey. After everybody arrived today it was 5 pm and we cached up for our first meeting of the tour. The highlight of the day is for sure to hear more about this tour - where we go what we gone see and how!!! How? Yes how!!! because we will explore the south part of New Zealand from the air, on water and on land!!! Sounds exciting and it will be, for sure. Where you will see later if you keep on following us. So, no chance that I will spoil it right now. And of course, one of the highlights is: that everybody will get his key for the motorcycle. After all this information, we needed a good dinner and so we did. We went to town where today is a big festival because of the 14. anniversary of the earthquake in 2010. What means also the restaurant will be ours. And now, well we are back at the hotel and looking forward to the next days. That was our first day, so see you tomorrow Martyn & Axel
Good morning from the end of the world The time has come to start our engine for the first ride of the tour. We are going south!!! Our goal will be Lake Tekapo, but the start has been a cloudy one. After the breakfast we took off and the nice and fantastic curvy road up and over the Sumit Hill was our first highlight. Normally we used to have a stunning view up there!!! But today we had just a view but not much more. Anyway, it is the start, and the radar was promising that we will finish our first ride with sunshine in our face!!! From there we went towards Geraldine where we had lunch in the Farmers Coffee which has been really good. But all the way to lunch the clouds gave us a little shower but not enough to put on our rain gear. After lunch we were blessed with weather which was getting better and better and finally, we were riding in the sunshine what we deserved. The final highlight and the place where we will sleep tonight welcomed us with a stunning view over the lake. A great first riding Day comes to an end, and I have to say we are looking forward to see more from the beauty of New Zealand. And tomorrow we will get very close to Mt. Cook before we will drive back to the east coast. Stay tuned and see you tomorrow Martyn & Axel
Hello again on day 3 With sun in our faces, we took on the 334 km of today. It is a little fresh out there but it is dry and so we had a great start into the day. Not far from the hotel we stopped for the first view at Mt. Cook before we rode as close as we cut get. On the end of Cristal clear lake Pukaki we stopped for a coffee and enjoyed the view at the majestic Mt. Cook. From There on we rode all the way to the east coast. Along the way we passed and surrounded a couple of lakes and stopped also on the famous salmon farm at the highlands of Mackenzie. It is and will always be a pleasure to ride through New Zealand. Just look at the landscape on the pictures. It was a wonderful ride today and as a bonus we might see penguins down here on the coastline at the dinner place. I would say: There is not much more what you could ask for. Well, it’s time for dinner and tomorrow we will ride to Queenstown. So let´s see what tomorrow brings - See you soon Martyn & Axel
Goodbye Coastline, it is time to ride to the heart of the South Island. Welcome to our riding day to Queenstown. A cloudy and slightly rainy start brought us at first to the unique Moeraki Boulders which are formed around 60 million years ago and on top we used the moment for a cup of coffee. From there on, we followed the road 85 where you are almost alone on the road. The weather did play some games on us or better try to confuse us, so that rain clouds came closer and disappeared all the time. But we managed it to got the right timing to be always on this stretch of the rout where the rain just left or will just arrived after us. So, we stayed dry until lunch. From there we went towards the Kawarau Gorge and the Goldfields Mining place where we steppt back in time to the gold rush of New Zealand. From there we went to the birthplace of Bungy Jumping and the road from the Gold Mine to Fly like an Eagle was exact that what we needed. Curvy and Twisty as we like it!!! Before you ask!!! Yes, one of us took the chance to jump so it was another great day. Now we are for 2 days in Queenstown and there will be some highlights what will make you envious. So, let’s see what tomorrow brings Martyn & Axel
Rest day is sometimes one of the best days on tour!!! Why? Well, on one hand you don't have to pack up and on the other hand this day feels like you going out with your friends for a ride. And in our case, it was like that. We met at 9:30 at the motorcycles and then we went out for an awesome morning ride to Glenorchy what is on the end of Lake Wakatipu. And The combination of a lake with Cristal clear water on the left and to be surrounded by a mountain range which found place in the lord of the ring movies is one of the best ways to start in the day. Arrived in Glenorchy it was time for a coffee and to smile at each other because the road himself was like the cherry on top of the ice creme for our start in the day. On top of all we had to ride all the way back to Queenstown on the same road to get to our next highlight. I know it is a really hard day down here to ride twice such a great road. Anyway, next stop - Coronet Peak - the ski resort what is the famous playground in the winter here and in the summer a perfect place to enjoy the beautiful landscape of New Zealand from high above. High above is a good hint for tomorrow!!! From there we went down to the Arthurs Point to have a small lunch before we went to the unforgettable jet boat ride. As you see our day gets better and better!! After all this highlights it was time to get back to the hotel because so far, we have not been to the city centre of Queenstown. And so, we did, we parked the motorcycles, get changed and of we go for part 3 of the day. Queenstown downtown where we had dinner as well. Today we build up some great memories and tomorrow we will keep the level of excitement. So stay tuned for rest day 2 in Queenstown Martyn & Axel
High above the clouds to the famous Milford Sound. Today is for sure one of these days what we all will never forget!!! After a taxi pick us up in the morning in front of the hotel and brought us to the airport, we did almost touch no ground for 5 hours. Why because we took a scenic flight from Queenstown to the Milford Sound and back. I may find not the right words for this flight, but I will try. When you take off from Queenstown you will enter right away the mountain range of the southern Alps. On side we saw right away the canyon where we have been yesterday in, at the jet boat ride. And from there on it was stunning in way you can't imagine. The high peaks of the mountains with the glaciers, the countless valleys which looked almost untouched by human being. It is so beautiful up there!!! On top the sun let the nature come alive in a way what you must see live to get the feeling what we had. And if you think that it’s all? It is not!!! Because we landed on the glacier with the helicopters and enjoyed every second. From there we had dived almost into the Fjord of Milford Sound where we landed on a boot. And then - we had a boot ride through the Fjord where we saw dolphins’ seals and we came very close to the waterfalls. It is just breathtaking how beautiful the south of New Zealand is. After the ride through Milford Sound, we jumped back into the helicopter and started through towards Queenstown, because we had another highlight waiting for us. But before I tell you from that, I have to say the way back was impressive as well and a different route. Back in Queenstown we went for the best Pizza along the tour in the heart of the town. From there we went on to part two of this day: The Hang-glider flight. Yes, we had not enough of flying!!! And so, the journey went on to the top of Cornet Peak where we went once more up in the sky. And because every day comes to an end!!! we went out for dinner to a place what I know quite well.These words may come not close enough to the scenery what we have seen and that why here some impressions of our day. We say good night and looking forward to the ride to Franz Joseph tomorrow. Martyn & Axel
It is time to say goodbye to Queenstown, we will never forget the time what we have over here!!! Well, it is time to move on and today we will arrive on the west coast of the South Island. Our day started just perfect. A blue sky and sun in our faces and a stunning ride in front of us. 366 km is on our to do list and I promise you that is one of these days where know that the way how we explore a destination is one of the greatest. What I mean is: on a motorcycle!!! You feel the head the cold actually we are once with the nature and if you add these roads what we had today? Well, that is almost unbeatable. But that is also a reason why have today less pictures as yesterday. We enjoyed the ride that much. First, we went up on the Crown Range Road which is curvy and twisty to the same time, coffee on Lake Wanaka (over 10000 years old) than over the Haast Pass - through the rainforest and towards the coastline. Alone this part of the day we could do again and again. But it is not over, there has been more!!! We went up the coastline towards north and passed Fox Glacier and after these we had once more a road what pleased everybody's motorcycle heart. What a day and the best thing we have one more dance tomorrow. So, stay tuned because we have to show you some more!!! Martyn & Axel
Welcome to the last dance on the tour. Every journey got an end and so as well these one. But not so quick!!! Our group got to catch the airplane at 2 pm what means plenty of time for another great ride. We started out at 8 am and we followed first the coastline towards north. What means you driving in a very remote area and the road will take us into the rainforest and back out to the plain rare farmland of the Westcoast. The road himself is a pleasing of long sweepers and tight curves and is never boring!!! Larry would say: You got to be focus and you should go smooth into the curve and then you throttle out!!! And we did exactly how he said. We did some millage before we had our coffee stop close to Hokitika. Yes, right Hokitika - because of the time we had another highlight and one what you should not miss! We went up the Arthur's Pass to see the famous Kea Parrot (Mischievous guardians of the mountains). And we have been successful as you can see! After that we had to ride all the curvy almost European Alps feels like road back to Hokitika. One more gas station and that's it. The tour is done. I got to say this tour was great in every direction. Great bunch of riders, we had great weather and what should I say!! New Zealand is unique and when you will do your ride of a lifetime over here than you understand the lightning eyes of everyone what have been here. I say thank you to Larry & the wild bunch of explorers and my little brother Sal See you next time, until than keep your rubber down and stay focus!!!! Martyn & Axel