Willy takes a Wee in NZ - Warning non-ST

April 2015 saw Mrs W and I, and Burra Bob and Mrs B B (from ADVRider) on a fourteen day tour of the South Island of New Zealand (NZ), but only one on a motorcycle, for me it was a Suzuki DL650 Wee Strom, and what a day that one was.

Why only one day? It helps if you don't leave your licence in your tank bag of your ST back home in Melbourne, or if it doesn't take 10 days for Express Post delivery for an errant licence to be posted to NZ. Anyway Bob and I picked up our Stroms (DL1000 for Bob, and DL650 for me) in Queenstown for an 8 hour / 200km day.

Destination was Paradise via Glenorchy where we met Tim & Bernie (north islanders) on a KTM (all in one piece) and a Transalpine (all in one piece of course - it's a Honda) and Bob provides some advice.



Paradise provided some views.









More views at Kinloch.



His & His Stroms.



A renovator.



Close to a Warrant of Fitness.



Stay tuned for Skippers Road ........

After lunch at Glenorchy we continued our ride, and I continued with some pics. I don't think these pics need too many words.

From above Glenorchy:






Some of the views on the way back to Queenstown were spectacular:


Then we found Skippers Canyon:



That's actually Bob twice - two pics stitched together, pretty clever am I .......





We didn't get to the end of Skippers, we turned around and went back.


The pub with no beer.


We wished we had found Skippers Canyon earlier in the day. By the time we turned around it was around 4:30pm, the bikes were supposed to be back by 5:00pm. The turn around point was only around 1/4 of the way along Skippers Road, an excuse to ride the full road next time.

The Wee? For a hire bike with 60K on the clock, soft front end (is that usual?) and even few rattles & squeaks, I'd like to say it was okay, but that wouldn't be true - it was grouse!!!

Might even add one to the stable, one day.

And a few more 'stitched' pics .....

Paradise:


Kinloch:




In the foothills above Glenorchy:




On the road to Kinloch, a renovator's delight and an easy restorer:


Skippers (word are not adequate, not sure if they're needed anyway):
























Unfinished business in Skippers, pity I won't be back to take care of it anytime soon.

More info on Skippers Canyon Road here.



Wasn't I supposed to take the rental bike here?

Holy cow!!! That was awesome. I think THAT is what the V-strom and other adventure bikes were made for. But at times, I imagine those 80/20 tires were a little too much street for the conditions.

HPPants said:

..... I imagine those 80/20 tires were a little too much street for the conditions.

Click to expand...

Not really, at least not for the speeds were were riding. The rider's limit was well below that of the VStrom and the tyres.

Great write up and pic!!!

You can stay ! :bow1:


ToddC.

Wow, that was breathtaking!! Thank you for sharing your trip with us! I bow to your riding skills; Skippers would have scared the beejaysus out of me! Lol!

Patty

Very nice, you got some great pictures there and sounds like the ride was well worth it! (But any ride, except through Los Angeles is worth it!