Pics will be forthcoming soon, the Bears are traveling sans laptop this time round so it requires access to someone else s computer to do the whole picture thing.

Whilst that access was freely offered tonight, cider got in the way. I'm sure you all know how that works.

 

and a very large bottle of Gin. Now that is a lady that knows how to put it away.

J/K, they both assure me it's just water.

 

Yup it was Gin, the refreshing guzzlable drink for the unseasonably hot weather Central Otago is experiencing at the moment.

We did the Haast run today, 150 km each way through roads that ran straight for no more than 500 metres. Curly wurly riding wonderland

We have lots of photos and videos and had a personal tour of the Burt Munro (world's fastest Indian) collection by Neville Hayes in Invercarrrrrrgill (you have to roll the rrrrr's to sound like a southern Nzudder) .

TK and I have just been to McGregors and had a few ciders so the world is all good. Mrs SB is cooking Green Chicken Curry and still the world is all good.

Cheers, SB

 

Ok brief, brief report and I will be doing a ride report when we return.

TK picked us up from the Queenstown airport on the Friday last week, and after a great pub lunch we took off over the Crown range to Wanaka.



Da Boyz.........................

TK has cats so any pretension/myth/belief that I was a big tough bike was immediately dispelled!


We had a lazy get to know you day on Saturday and picked up the Yam 250, cleaned and checked the bikes and then Sunday bade farewell and took off on the bikes for Dunedin.

We found these prickly little buggers where we went to answer the call of nature in the roadside bush. So now it;'s called I'm going to do a hedgehog




So fast forward a few days, we had a great time with my mate Will and his family in Dunedin, then set off down the Catlins coast to Invercargill to stay with Denise and Neville. This was organised by the other Kiwi - JK who we have talked to quite regularly during the journey.

In Invercargill we visited E Hayes and Sons, the home of the Burt Munro collection.



A fantastic TZ750 that excited me somewhat



The owner of the store Neville Hayes took us under his wing and gave us a personally guided tour of the collection and we felt very, very looked after - something that occurred throughout the tour.



The Chev used in America in the movie - shipped to NZ.



A 'motor' Neville Hayes' Dad Norman built for a bet out of junk from his garage. I'll post a link to this thing running soon.

Also at Invercarrrrrgill was an international Bentley run. Nice, nice, very expensive pieces of automobilia.



And we came across this!



So what is the right way??

Riding back to Queenstown we rode over the Devil's staircase along the lake against the Remarkables (a stunning mountain range) sometimes called those Damned Incredibles by some folk from the USA



The Remarkables from the old bridge




The Cardrona pub where we had a lovely lunch with the TK's a few days earlier.

I'll write a little more when we return to Oz.

Cheers, The Travelling 'Bears

 

Nice pics & vid there hard man ! , Neville's collection looks quite something too !

 

You'll have to wait Sprock, Neville's Hardware store is full of fantastic cars and bikes. I think what made him talk to us was my tongue hanging out and the trail of dribble from bike to bike................................he just followed it

I'll post more pics when we get home. We leave tomorrow afternoon




The Burt Munro bike used in the movie "World's Fastest Indian" actually has a Ducati motor from a Cagiva in it!

What a trip!!

Cheers, SB

 

Home at 11 PM last night, now back at work and most definitely NOT in NZ.

Magic, magic trip with great riding, brilliant weather, superb company with the family Kiwi TKs. Mrs SB and I miss you guys already

I will get onto the trip report when things have returned to the normal level of mayhem.

Cheers, SB

 

Welcome home to The Travelling Bears (should be your permanent title!)

Followed the thread with interest while you were away - the "magic of motorcycles" hey?...... bringing friends together across the globe!

Looks and sounds like you had a wonderful time... and great pics as well.

Now time to settle into the mundane routine of life again ......well, at least until the next exciting adventure!

Cheers,
Robster and the better half!