LAST DAYS IN NZ
September 2001

The ride out of Queenstown wasn't as uneventful as we hoped

Officer Sutherland later wrote us to appologize for giving Erin a speeding ticket

Now listen here mate, you need to loosen your grip on that throttle!!

 

But we made it to Christchurch to see some friends before we left....

Chris and Nigel are hard at it

Wow, what do you think that thingy does?

Friends, TABS members, 650 owners, and future RTW travellers:  Nigel and Kitty

At the race track


Nigel's friend calls out the race as he sees it!


Tom & Kirstin testing new bikes for the eventual continuation of their RTW trip -- who needs more than 50cc's?
Tom reminisces some roads from Cambodia
Tom and Chris practicing for the 2-up Dakar rally next year.  Tom works the handlebars while Chris does the footwork.

....And ending with Tom's 35th Birthday Party!

Top: Jo, Erin, Nigel, Steve, Anna, Rich, and Beth
Bottom:  Kitty, Chris, Tom, and Kirstin

 

Next was a visit to Levin, on the North Island

But first, a stop in Hawera to get the Ohlins shocks set up properly

Hawera M/C Crew:  Wade, Chum, Shane, Robert (the Doctor), and humble owner Al (with the broom)


Erin and Murray pose in front of the bikes, while Waka checks out Mt. Egmont from the rear of Murray's Transalp.


Friends, TABS members, previous owner of Chris' F650, and future RTW motorbike travellers:   Renate and Murray

Go Chris!

Murray and Chris were blazing through the woods like riders from the Pony Express, until the stirrup broke away on Chris' horse (Prince), and he eventually stopped the horse as his body dragged along the earth.  But, he got right back up on it!

That pup will ride anywhere!
Erin and Jazzy having a good time of it
Give 'em the keys, he'll drive anything -- it's called a Skidder, and it's used to pull logs/trees out of the woods
Erin practicing before the evening hunt
Now before anyone gets upset, possums are considered rodents in NZ -- they destroy the fields and the government pays to have them exterminated.  This was my third for the night.


Final work on the bikes

This is the head, which sits above the piston.  This part took about 6 hours to remove.

Karl, Seth (dog), Kerry, Chris, and Erin in front of MOTOMAIL


Lunch at the Puhoi Pub

 

And lastly, the crating

Arne was a fantastic carpenter, and even had his own hoist!

Arne and Chris get the crate hoisted on to the trailer.  Later, it would get the sides filled in and the top added

Building the second crate at the airport
Jurgen's back

 

 

 

A last stop before we reached Auckland -- a statue of a beautiful woman overlooking the town of Whakatane


And so it's off to South/Central America we go, for the final leg of our journey....


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