Bob's your uncle

"Bob's Your Uncle" is an British expression that is also used in the commonwealth countries. It basically means, "there you have it". I fixed the link below in the "Final Words" posting so you can get a better explanation.

Final Words

It was a great trip for many reasons:

It was a dream realized.When Barbara and I went to New Zealand in 2000, we agreed that it was beautiful beyond anything we had envisioned. We also both appreciated the kindness of the people and the hospitality we experienced. I said then that if it weren't for family I would love to live in New Zealand.

Since I started riding a motorcycle again in 2002 I've had the desire to ride around NZ on 2 wheels, even more so since my tour of the US and Canada in 2007. When David agreed last year to go with me I rejoiced and started making plans. David loves to ride and I knew how much fun he would have riding through the hills, mountains, and along the coasts of NZ.

Neither one of us was disappointed.

It is the most beautiful of places.

Yes, there are other places in the world as beautiful, in fact, there are places all over the US and Canada. But the amount of natural beauty in such a compact area is beyond anything I've experienced. You've seen photos so you have an idea but there is nothing like seeing it, feeling it and embracing it in open air. As pretty as the pictures may be the most awesome views are those that you only glimpse for a split second as you wind your way down the mountain. No place to pull over, no shoulder, no rail.

If you like mountains, rolling hills, rocky seashore, or beautiful beaches you'll love NZ. If you like any kind of outdoor sport be it on the water, on the mountain, or in the air you'll love NZ. If you understand Cricket you'll like it even more. If you desire cultural diversity you'll find it here. If you like unspoiled, natural, colorful, you'll experience it.

Beautiful, breathtaking, awesome, unbelievable, fantastic, inspiring, humbling, and gratifying, just some of the words that describe the scenic beauty we rode through.





We felt accepted, even loved wherever we went.

When you travel you expect a certain amount of customer service. You often appreciate the hospitality you experience when someone does a little extra. In NZ the overall hospitality we experienced was phenomenal. Many people went out of their way to help us, direct us, and listen to us. Everyone made us feel welcome and sincere in their desire to make our vacation great. All of the hosts at all the fantastic places we stayed, all the servers in the restaurants we ate at, all the petrol station attendants who answered our questions made our trip even more wonderful. It is interesting that in a country where tipping is not customary, service people are more, not less hospitable.

Of particular note are the B&B's we stayed at. With one exception the people were interested in spending time with us, getting to know us and demonstrating their pride of country. I am encouraged to be more hospitable as the result of our encounters with the folks in NZ.

For the first time ever David and I heard the expression "Bob's Your Uncle". It cracked us both up. We hope to be able to use it often.

The riding was great.

The roads were very good in general, even though there were almost no shoulders except on major highways in the higher traffic areas. The scenery from the saddle of our bikes was awesome, even though there are far too few scenic overlooks and turnoffs. The riding was great in spite of riding on the left and over innumerable one lane bridges. The signage was excellent and helped us greatly.



The twisties, the bendees, the hairpins, the switchbacks, and the sweeping curves coupled with the scenic surroundings make this motorcyclist heaven and trump all other considerations. The other thing about days of riding, sometimes in challenging situations, is that you become a better rider. Overcoming the bitter cold, the driving rain, the loose gravel, and cows in the road all made the trip more satisfying.

Our friendship grew.

David and I have taken trips before and had a good time. But spending nearly 3 weeks together mostly on the other side of the world is a little different than a few days in the smokies. We didn't always agree and occasionally feelings got hurt but it only served to strengthen our relationship. When there are two and you are on motorcycles you have to be able to trust each other. The leader has to make good decisions that will make sure he doesn't put his riding partner in danger, and the trailer must feel confident following the leader into an unmarked curve. We had some tense rides but we never were in fear.

My faith grew.

Being in a place that demonstrates the beauty of creation in such a dramatic way raised my awareness of what God has given us. Experiencing the good will of the people of New Zealand increased my faith in mankind, God's most complex creature. Trusting God for our safety throughout our ride increased my reliance on him.

I had a fine set of wheels.

We rented our bikes through Reuthers, but they were supplied by dealers in Auckland. I picked up my 2009 Harley Road King Classic from Auckland Motorcycles & Power Sports. It only had the break-in kilometers and was brand spanking new. Ray Pratt Managing Director and Greg, the rental manager handled everything in typical friendly Kiwi fashion. I enjoyed the 6 speed transmission and even more the anti-lock brakes. The one occasion when I had to put on the brakes hard the rear wheel did not lock up and the bike stayed perfectly straight.

I'll treasure this trip for the rest of my life and feel blessed to have taken it with David. "Bob's Your Uncle"

Day 16 and 17 Back to the North Island and Auckland

We left Blenhiem at 8 to make sure we were early for the ferry at 10. There was New Zealand's H.O.G. rally in Wellinton and a lot of Harley riders from the South Island we going across for the rally. We tied down on the ferry with about 20 Harley guys. We visited a little about the rally. I should have planned to be there for it, but I don't think David could have handled that much Harley stuff. Our crossing was rougher than our south bound crossing but not too bad. It was a warm sunny day as we headed north from Wellington. It took awhile for the traffic to clear out but we were soon rolling up SH 1 at 110 klicks per. It was a nice day and the traffic was quite light. We also ran into a couple of guys riding old Indians. They were having their own rally in Hamilton.

We were headed toward Lake Taupo where we had a resv. at the Rainbow Motel at the south end of the lake, in the thermal village of Tokaanu. We passed Tongariro National Park again, this time to the east side. We had even closer views of the centerpiece Mount Ruapehu, than on our previous pass to the south. A fault line runs through the center of the country so the expectation of a potential eruption or earthquake is always present. Like us with hurricanes. When we turned off to go to Tokaanu, a guy who had been following David alerted him to the fact something had fallen out of his saddlebag. another good Kiwi followed up with the item, David's laptop. Sorry he lost it's use, but happy he has insurance, David handled it well, thankful he got it back and, hopeful he can recover his photos from the hard drive. It fired up but the screen was badly busted up, so there was no way to tell if the hard drive is damaged.

We got to the Rainbow Motel which turned out to be a modest, retro motel, with mineral baths. We met the owner Bob Lambert who showed us to our 2 bedroom apt. furnished in a fifties motif. Bob said he has worked hard to keep the fifties theme but it is hard to find the furnishings anymore.

We took a good hike through the small thermal village of Tokaanu past a thermal resort, a hotel, a petrol station and 2 little churches down to the marina. We met some locals fishing and found out a little about the lake, NZ largest. We were told this is the trout fishing capital of the world. Both Brown and Rainbow trout run the lake and the streams feeding it.

The entire area is thermal with steam rising out of ponds, vents in people's yards and high on the mountain sides. It make me feel very close to the center of the earth. We had dinner where Bob suggested, unfortunately the food was only mediocre.

We went back and enjoyed a mineral soak in one of the Rainbow's open air hot pools. The stars were out so we hoped we would arise to clear skies instead of the rain clouds that were forecast.

But alas, when we awoke the next morning it had rained and you could tell there was more on the way. We donned our rain gear telling ourselves we were lucky because the rain was steady but light and it wasn't cold. We rode SH 41 and SH 39 which were great roads and would have been fun without a steady downpour. We had planned to stay our last night on the Cormandel Penisula but the forecast of rain all day all over the country changed our mind. When we stopped for breakfast about 2 hours into our ride I cancelled and we headed toward Auckland. It never got cold but the rain got heavy, it got windy, and the traffic got heavier and heavier. We didn't want to stop until we found a place we could stay. Even on the main hwy. SH 1, there are not motels at every exit like the U.S. , so we were happy when we reached the exit for the airport south of Auckland certain we would be able to find lodging.

We got lucky, very lucky, not only did we find a nice motel, near a shopping mall, with restaurants, but we found some more outstanding Kiwis. Neil and Gaynor Barker own the Manukau Motor Lodge on the south side of Auckland and welcomed us graciously. They are absentee owners most of the time but we were fortunate enough to be there when they were. Neil helped us do our laundry and get everything dry (a lot) even feeding the dryers money when they stopped. You don't expect this kind of hospitality at 36 unit hotel, but like so much in New Zealand the unexpected is usually good. Gaynor pointed us to the Republic a trendy restaurant in the mall. It was hip and upscale with American music videos playing on large screen TVs. David had some pizza and I had the Lamb Rump, without question the tastiest lamb dish I've ever had.

We went to bed early, it had not been a long day but it had been a hard one. 5 hours in a hard windy rain is like 10 on a sunny day.

We slept well and got up to what seemed like a sunny day, I worked on the blog, we went out for breakfast and hung around the motel until noon. We weren't scheduled to turn in our bikes until later but were able to arrange for early transport to the airport so we headed out under now threatening skies. We avoided the rain, returned our bikes and awaited Hermann of Reuthers the outfit we rented from. We got to the airport early and I am posting my last while here.

There will be a least one more posting to wrap up our overall impressions and experience.

Day 15 Hamner to Blenhiem

We left Hanmer Springs in a foggy mist, but it was warm so we didn't mind. We shortly found the road we wanted which is part of the Triangle Pacific Route. It was a winding country rode through foothills and pastureland. I came close to hitting a cow that bolted across the rode in front of me and had to stop for another until it moved. Nonetheless, it was a fine ride to Kaikoura a coastal town on the Pacific (east) coast. We stopped for a latte then headed up SH 1 which hugs the coast. It made for a fun, scenic ride as the sun shone and the day got warmer.

We were headed for Blenheim the heart of the Marlborough wine region. We arrived at Traminer View B&B and were greeted by our hostess Margaret. We were show to our comfy room with balcony and a large bath. Margaret took the time to give us a map of the area and tell us where some of the smaller wineries are located. She also recommended lunch at Highfield Estate a vineyard/winery. I had a yummy seafood chowder, David had soup and salad, and we both had a fine vineyard view. I also had a glass of their award winning Sauvignon Blanc the varietal that this area is most famous for. We headed out for a few more tastings. I knew there we some good Pinot Noirs from this area so that was what I was tasting. Of the four I tasted my favorite was from the Bladen vineyard.

We got back to Traminer View in time for a walk before joining our hosts for some wine an cheese before dinner. Because I had told them of my preference for Pinot Noir they had 3 for us to try. All were good but both David and I preferred the Huia, which also, it turns out is one of Margaret's favorites. Both Nick, who is a doctor and Margaret are very wine savvy and shared some of their knowledge. Traminer View is not only a B&B but a small vineyard growing Gewurztraminer grapes for a local winery.

After our tasting with the hosts we walked about 1/2 mile up the road to Astons on Main Restaurant where we enjoyed a fine meal with good wine. The Coconut and Bacardi Panncotta was the best dessert I can remember. Our cute waitress and owner (with her husband) was one of the most efficient servers I have ever seen. We walked back full and ready for sleep.

Nick and Margaret are a very kind and generous Christian couple whose 7 children are all grown and enjoy their role as hosts. We had a lovely breakfast with plenty of fresh fruit. M even made me a flat white coffee, which is like our latte, even though they have a latte that has more foam. As we were getting ready to leave, I handed Margaret a card and she noticed our "God is Love" motto. she appreciated it and shared that they were Christians as well. We were able to let them know how blessed we were to be there, and how we had enjoyed God's protection. We said goodbye to Nick, Margaret and their 2 cool Burmese cats, one who meowed for a while at our door as we were going to sleep, and headed for the Picton Ferry.

Day 14 Christchurch-Hanmer Springs

We headed north to Hanmer Springs a thermal resort on the way to Lewis Pass. It was a sunshiny cool day, that warmed as we rode and was shirtsleeve weather by the time we got there. It was only a 3 hour ride, through placid countryside before we turned east and started to wind up through the foothills.

Hamner is a popular small resort town that has a ski area making it a year round destination. We got there early enough for lunch and after meeting Len, our host at Cheltenham House and getting the layout we walked 2 blocks into the 4 block commercial area. We immediately found a menu that appealed and both ordered the Smoked Salmon Salad at Springs Deli Cafe. It was Mount Cook Salmon which we had missed in Lake Tekapo. It was wonderful.

Len had told us that a couple of other Harley riders we coming that night and as we returned from lunch I could see as we walked up the street that they had arrived. As we got close I recognized the bike. It was the o3 Road King with a lambswool seat cover ,Wayne Martin, the guy from Georgia we'd met in Lake Tekapo was riding. As we rounded the corner we saw Greg and Katrena parking the other bikes. We were happy to see them and thank them face to face for their generosity in Lake Tekapo.

I needed to gain some ground on the blog, so I worked for a couple of hours while David took a ride toward the pass. When David returned we headed for the thermal pools with the towels Len had provided. Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa is a nice very commercial thermal experience. We enjoyed the sulfur pools, but not the locker setup.

We returned to the B&B in time to shower and join the wine reception provided by our hosts Len and his vivacious wife Maree. I had a chance to visit with Greg about his (other) life as a psychologist and marriage celebrant. Meanwhile David visited with Wayne discussing a number of topics including his life as an FBI agent. David and I headed out for dinner. Even though we had Indian the night before we liked the menu at an upscale Indian fusion place called Malabars. I had the pork belly and David had duck. Both very good.

We returned to Cheltenham House and found Greg's group, including old friend Bruce gathered in the billiard room. We learned Snooker on the regulation table (big). Greg whipped me while we drank some fine New Zealand Pinot Noir.

We got to bed late but were ready for breakfast by 7:30 which was beautifully prepared and served in our room. We said goodbye to our new found friends and our gracious hosts (including their dog and cat) then headed to the east coast for our trip to wine country.

Note: a lot of theses restaurants we visited had no web site, therefore no link.

Day 13 Christchurch

When we left Lake Tekapo the sun was shining on our side of the mountain but there were clouds up the hill where we were heading. Before we reached the top we saw a bus coming toward us with wipers going and decided to stop and don our rain gear. It was a good decision. We didn't see the rain the rest of the day and road in cold steady rain. Next to the gravel road experience it has been our most unpleasent time in the saddle.



With a little help from a gas station map we found our room for the night at Centre Point on Colombo, a small but well appointed luxury motel just a few blocks from Cathredral Square, the center of Christchurch. We were greeted by Jeff Peters who runs the place with his wife Naomi. Jeff was very helpful in directing us and telling us good places to eat.



We walked to the square and back, but without our camaras, deciding we needed to return in the morning for some photos.



We ate dinner at Himalayas, a little Indian place Jeff had reccommended. We were not disappointed. Everything was fresh and tasty and we went to our rooms for an early bedtime.



The next morning we headed back toward the square looking for breakfast. We stopped at the Starbucks for a Latte and decided to eat there since they had a good looking bran muffin.



We went to Cathedral Square to take some photos. Christchurch Catherdral is beautiful both in and out. It sits at one end of the central square. The square is large enough to host concerts and events, and today had a small market set up. It is a nice city but with all the natural beauty NZ has to offer the city held little appeal for us.

I did have the chance to go by Rolling Thunder Motorcycles and get a Harley shirt before we headed north to our next stop, the thermal resort of Hanmer Springs.

Day 12 Mount Cook-Lake Tekapo

We headed down the hillside from our farmstay toward Mount Cook, New Zealand's tallest. It was a sunny cool day, perfect for a ride. We headed up the coast before turning inland. We had a pleasant winding ride along the Waikati River. We soon came to the dams at Lake Waitaki and Lake Aviemore and began to see the beautiful unique blue green water of the lakes in this region. The color is caused by "rock flour" which comes from the grinding of rocks as glaciers move down the mountainand sunlight.

It was a fine day and the roads were bendy but not twisty. We got to Omarama, got lunch and gassed up. We headed out on State Highway 8 unfortunately I took us in the wrong direction. It took us 65 kilometers (40 miles) before I realized my error. It was such a nice ride back and forth over Lindis pass that we didn't mind the detour. We gassed up again in Omarama and headed to Mount Cook.

It was a wonderfully scenic ride as we moved toward the mountains along the shore of Lake Pukaki on one side and the Ben Ohau Range on the other. The road was bendy with sweeping curves as we were funnelled ever and ever closer to New Zealands highest peaks. Mount Cook is 3754 meters high and it's neighbor Mount Seftton 3157. The glacier packed peaks got bigger and bigger till we reached the village and Alpine center. We took some photos and headed back toward our lodging for the night at Lake Tekapo.

The ride to Lake Tekapo was as lovely as the ride to Mount Cook, especially as we rounded the end of Lake Pukaki and looked back at the mountain range. It wasn't a long ride to Lake Tekapo, but it was a tough one. The wind was gusting to at least 40 mph and not always from the same direction. It was one of those "if it doesn't kill me I'll be a better rider" rides. Lake Tekapo is a pretty little village on the end of the Lake with it's own great view to the Two Thumb Range. Before we got to our lodging we met a fellow biker who told us to make sure we stopped by "The Church of the Good Shepherd' at lakeside. We saw it and the dog statue close by honoring the Collie's contribution to the successful herding of sheep in the region. It was quite impressive in such a beautiful spot.

We finally reached our lodging for the night, Three Rivers Lodge, which to our delight turned out to be a almost new, nicely turned out, two bedroom guest house. We were greeted by our host, Oliver, and directed to the restaurants in town. We got cleaned up and walked 20 min. back into town. As we passed over a bridge we looked below to where a young man was fishing. We could see the fish from above and were able to tell him where the big brown trout below were located.

When we arrived in town we found a pub, ordered some beers and I let David beat me at pool since I had earlier whupped his butt. There were only a few restaurant choices and we opted for Pepe's Pizza and Pasta. We were feeling our beers when we arrived and encountered our bike acquaintance from earlier, who asked us to join his group. Greg Oz and his lovely partner of 26 years, Katrena run Road Hawk NZ Harley Tours LTD, and are touring with their clients from Athens,GA, Wayne and Ellie. We happily joined them and had a splendid time, talking Harley, New Zealand, the touring business and music. We wore them out and they left before us.

David and I have been trying to find the most beautiful girl in NZ and we thought maybe we had found her in our bartender. For further study we decided to have an after dinner drink. Turns out Jensine is not a Kiwi but a Canadian. Liz, the other young lady working the bar was not a Kiwi either, but Welsh. When we got ready to pay our bill we found that Greg had bought us dinner. Just another example of the kind of Kiwi generosity we have experienced. This though was over the top. Greg knows touring and Harleys and shared some of his thoughts regarding the possibility of David and I creating a rental touring business for the gulf coast. Greg and Katrena sometimes tour in the U.S. (they've even been to Seaside in the past year) and I hope we can hook up next time they do. We walked back to our abode for the nigh under a sky filled with more stars than I've ever seen at one time.