As is usually the case when I go away the weather was mostly terrible and an ark would have been far more suitable transport than a motorbike. I traveled south down the west coast before heading off over the Haast Pass and onto Te Anau. I stayed here for a couple of days and took the opportunity for take a boat trip to Doubtful Sound in the Fiordland National Park. From this point I started to head north again and over the next few days traveled up to Twizel and then onto Murchison via the Lewis Pass. The weather on this part of the trip was glorious, and this combined with some of New Zealand’s best scenery and biking roads, made for a tremendous couple of days. After a spot of white water rafting at Murchison I headed off to Nelson and then eventually onto Picton and the ferry back to Wellington. The rain returned with a vengeance on these last couple of days and I was well glad to get back home again.
On the west coast just before heading over the Southern Alps via the Haast Pass.
At the top of Haast Pass.
Camping at Kingston. Alas not the Jamacain one. Still, at least the snow made a change from the rain.
Kingston again.
Looking over Lake Manapouri.
Lake Te Anau.
On the way to Doubtful Sound, the first part of which involves a 50min boat trip across Lake Manapouri.
Lake Manapouri power station. This is the largest power station in the country and is capable of powering every house in the South Island, but which is actually used to power a single alluminium smelter.
The turbine hall is situated in a cavern which is located 200m underground. After visiting the hydro station it was onto a coach for an hours trip over the mountains to Doubtful Sound.
Doubtful Sound. The weather was just horrible with non-stop rain so I didn't take that many pictures. The Fiords receive up to 9m of rain a year, so this is pretty normal.
Doubtful Sound.
Doubtful Sound seal colony.
Spot the seal.
At least the rain in the Sound meant there plenty of these.
Lake Wakatipu near Queenston. This was on the way to Twizel and was on the best day of the trip weatherwise.
Lake Wakatipu again.
Ditto.
The man in leather.
This and the next one were taken near Mt Hutt on the eastern side of the island. To get there I had to cross over the Alps via the Lewis Pass. The road over the pass is in my opinion about as good as it gets in motorcycling terms with loads of wide sweeping bends, amazing scenery and very few cars.
Just lovely. Unfortunately the weather went rapidly down hill from this point.
I had had enough of the rain by this stage and couldn’t face another night camping so stayed in this 1970’s era caravan at a holiday park near Nelson for a bargain $30 a night. The park and caravan come highly recommended.