We reached the lunch spot around 12:30, well behind the bulk of the other riders, but feeling pretty good non the less. The entire group was in a great mood: the food was delicious, the weather was perfect, and the camaraderie was growing quickly. Stephen and I were obviously at the early stages of our enduro abilities, but we were in high spirits and prepared to take on whatever the day put in front of us.

The second option was more technical then the first, over some steep and rocky terrain. I was picking my way between the rocks and ruts pretty well, ever impressed with how well my R100GSPD pulled me up and around the steep switchbacks. I was trying to stay ahead of a few trail bikes (it’s not a race), and pushing myself up the track. A steep rock wall grew up out of the trail on my left, and as I concentrated on trying to avoid it, I couldn’t keep my eyes off the sheer rock. Eventually, I pinned myself against the wall, having forgotten the basic principal: the bike will go where you are looking. This wasn’t really a "fall", but it took some doing to extricate myself off the situation.

As the afternoon progressed, so did my abilities. The last option was through the Nevis Gorge – a trail Stephen, Erin, and I had ridden on a few weeks before. We knew the trail, and were excited to hit it hard. It's not a race, but we wanted to stay ahead of the folks we left behind.  Around 4pm the sky became dark and a few drops fell, as did the temperature. The creek crossings were higher than we remembered, but our confidence was rising at a steady rate. As we came to the end of the track, descending from Duffers Saddle, we were greeted by this awesome sight…..

When we eventually got back to Cromwell (15 minutes before sunset), Stephen and I were exhausted but equally exhilarated! We made it through the first day, and we had a terrific time as well. We went into the conference room, picked up the route sheets for Day-2, and started our cutting/pasting while recounting the days adventures with other participants. After dinner, Joe gave us a debriefing on the day, a briefing on the coming days highlights, and reiterated to the group that it wasn’t a race!  It’s not; it’s just that most guys don’t want to be passed!

It was about 10pm when I got back to my room. Although I was weak from fatigue, I was deeply in need of a shower – my face still held a good layer of dust/grit. I stood under the hot water for about 20 minutes, soaking up the steam as my muscles let me know that they would be screaming in the morning. A quick call to Erin, and I was passed out in bed moments later.

Sunday morning was much the same as Saturday, except my thighs were aching as though I had just run a marathon. At the petrol station, I picked up some Ibuprofen to help ease the soreness. Stephen and I were checked out by 8:00am, and quickly down the road 25 kms towards the first option – up Knobbies Track: A steep and narrow trail filled with large ruts and mammoth boulders. Most of the gang missed the first turn-off from the town, so Stephen and I were one of the first to reach the trail entrance/gate. The track was the most technical thing I’ve ever been on, and I still don’t know how I made it up! I think it was because I knew there was a trail bike behind me, with nowhere to pull over to let him pass. I just clenched the handlebars in a death-grip, as the big BMW crawled over the boulders like a Panzer Tank through a bombed-out stone village. I was amazed at the obstacles we climbed, and grateful of the machines abilities. When we finally reached the ridge at the top of the mountain, I looked over my shoulder and realized there wasn’t anyone directly behind me – Stephen was a good 200 meters back, but there wasn’t any expert trail bike on my tail. I think if I had known I was alone, I would have panicked, stopped, and that would have made it virtually impossible to start up the steep embankment again.  I wish I had taken at least one photo, but at the time my thoughts were elsewhere.

After we crossed the ridge, there was a gentle slope down to a clearing beyond a gate. We pulled over to rest, relax, and get the cramps out of our hands and thighs. My grip had been so tight my fingers were tingling. A few minutes later we were on top of another ridge, looking out to the spectacular valley below. The leaves are changing color now, so the red, yellow, and brown leaves looked fantastic on the hills, and their reflections in the blue lakes is simply stunning!

We got to a deeply rutted section of the ride, and I soon lost control. Miraculously, the bike stayed upright and I made it up a rough hill section. Expecting to see Stephen laughing at me, I looked back to get his reaction. I didn’t see him at first, then noticed him rising out of the vegetation, without his bike – turns out he wasn’t so lucky in the ruts. I walked back down to give him a hand, but not before taking a few snaps with the camera.

We eventually got out of the rutted section, and back onto the gravel adventure track. Stephen was not 100% confident after his crash, and was lagging a little behind on the gravel road. I slowed my pace, but still managed to pass a couple on a R80GS who were puttering along. Shortly after, Stephen went to pass the couple in a blind downhill curve on a gravel road. The Kiwi couple later said they though Stephen must be an expert rider, having chosen this particular point to pass….. until he lost it and high-sided the bike into the shrubs. No harm really, but there were plenty of riders close by, which of course didn’t help the male ego J Anyway, we brushed off the branches and headed off. Stephen knew he’d be a bit sore later ….and he was!

As the day progressed, my confidence grew at an alarming rate. I was tearing up the gravel trails, zipping around tight corners and holding the throttle wide open – yes Joe, we all know it’s not a race, but we’re not going to have anyone pass us either! It was a game – get to the gates before the guy ahead of you could close it, and close the gate before the guy behind you comes into view.

We got back to the staging area around 5pm, checked in, and started to work on the road book for Day 3. Stephen walked in and said, "I have good news and bad news. The bad news is you have a flat, the good news is you’re here and not out on a trail." I was bummed, but figured I’d take care of it later. I walked outside to install the route sheet onto my bike. I was a little surprised to see my bike – missing the rear wheel. Nearby were Grant and John from BMWNZ, in the process of fixing my flat. Talk about BMW Service!

Monday, Day 3: The air was crisp as we started out. There were some very technical options today, and we were eager to hit the trail. The first option was long, rutted, and narrow. We reached the summit of Mt. Dunstan, some 1,700 meters high. It was a windy day, and riding in the ruts, exposed to high winds on the ridge became a new challenge – but nothing for experienced enduro riders like Stephen and I J

We descended Dunstan, and were almost back on the main road when there was a stoppage of some bikes on the last hill. I got to the middle of the hill and found Ian Sowden (there were about 5 Ian’s on the ride) standing next to his R100PD, which was lying in a precarious position. I’m still not sure how he ended up like this, but he and the bike were both fine, and after we all took a few photos we managed to get him on top of the bike and up the hill in no time.

We were in a small group when we got to the trail head for the Mt Pisa option – Joe had warned us this was not for the faint hearted, and Stephen and I felt like we could conquer just about anything. My throttle was wide open as I whipped up the gravel serpentine hillside. I felt in complete control, and was gaining on the trail bike ahead of me. OK, you see it coming, but I didn’t. I rounded my way into a switchback, throttle open and right foot out to help the lean/slide -- Imagine my surprise when I ended up lying on my back! The rear tire was spinning so fast, it actually whipped up the hill in front of the rear. Aside from my pride, I damaged my right rear blinker. The worse was that Ian Laywood on his F650Dakar was laughing at me as he passed by – Joe, really, we weren’t racing! Stephen took a couple of snaps, than we picked up the bikes and scooted up the hill.

Mt. Pisa was wonderful. Well, the views were. The trail was very steep, covered in course rock, and the wind was blowing at an alarming rate, forcing us to lean the bikes into the wind while trying to pick our way between the deep ruts. It took us about a half an hour to reach the peak = 1,975 meters / 6,520 feet high. The temperature was about 30F/-1C. Everyone was taking pictures, then leaving quickly to get out of the wind/cold.

After lunch at the Waiorau Snow Farm, we raced…..yes, raced….down the mountain road to the famous Cardrona Hotel. In the summer, they have organized races up the gravel road – the record is about 8 minutes. Only one guy passed me on the 13-km road down. I guess he was more determined than I was. We passed through Arrowtown, then headed back east along the Kawarau River, past the A.J. Hackett Bungy Bridge to Gibbston. The last option of the Safari is up and over the Gibbston track, one of the most difficult trails on the ride.

There was a nice river crossing just before we reached Arrowtown

Now it just so happens that Stephen and I had inadvertently discovered this same track 2 weeks before, and struggled to make it over the 2 ridges before encountering a locked fence. The road book suggests that big bikes should avoid this option, but Stephen and I knew what to expect…..or thought we did. The trail was more difficult then we remembered, but we were riding faster and feeling pretty confident. We pounded through the trail, once again exhausted and exhilarated when we finally reached the top.

As we meandered down the opposite side of the range, we approached the Nevis Station. We were tired and ready to take the easy route back to base – back over Duffer’s Saddle. We were just crossing the range when Joe waved us to a detour. We thought it was a short cut, but it turned out to be the entrance to the Carricktown Trail. A wonderfully scenic trail that runs high along a ridge, overlooking the town of Cromwell, then dropping down to the valley below. There were more steep boulders and deep ruts to avoid, and I was moving pretty fast, pounding over the terrain. It was easier to go down without using the brakes – riding over the obstacles than around them. When I passed the final gate on the trail, I stopped and began whooping it up – I made it, and my bike performed far beyond my wildest expectations!

On the way back to base, we stopped by the Bannockburn Pub, for a reflective ale with new friends – what a fantastic weekend! A quick shower before dinner, and it was back to the restaurant for the closing dinner. To put it simply, this weekend was one of the highlights of our trip, and I strongly recommend it to other riders. Just remember, it’s not a race!

There were all ranges of riders on this trip: from novice road riders right up to competitive off-road machines.  The course is set up for the bigger enduro bikes, and an intermediate off-road rider on a big bike could do most of the options.  A good road rider with little off-road experience on a F650 would have an enjoyable time on the Easy Adventure Route.  Then there's guys like Alistair from Dunedin, riding 2-up on his R100GS through each option.

If you're looking for a new ride, come to NZ, the motorcycle paradise of the world, and finish off your trip with a Safari Adventure.  We've met riders from all over the world, many who have purchased bikes and left them here for future use.

The cost for the 3 day/4 night Safari is a mere NZ$499 (US$215) per person, and includes everything for 4 nights except motorbike, petrol, and breakfast. I think most folks got their money’s worth after just the first day. Other activities around Queenstown like bungy jumping, sky diving,  helicopter rides, or glacier flights cost between NZ$125-200 each, and only last 10-40 minutes each.  Aside from the fun-factor, the Safari Ride is good value.

Here are a few more photos:

Grant Clegg from BMWNZ on the new R1150R	John Glasswell from BMWNZ on the awesome F650 Dakar
Stephen's bike after his spectacular over-taking maneuver (nice mirror)
TEAM  LARRY: Stephen and Chris "OK, Larry?" "we made it, Larry"