As I mentioned in yesterday’s entry, I was in bed (and soon asleep) by 9:30 last night as I was feeling pretty tired. So I was a bit surprised when I awoke at 5:30 a.m. and couldn’t fall back asleep.
I felt tense about the upcoming day’s ride. The tension wasn’t due to the weather; whatever conditions existed, I had experienced them so far on this trip (unless it snowed). It also wasn’t due to the performance of the bike (flawless so far) or anything “scary” that had happened on the road so far.
I decided it was a combination of concern about road conditions, and my flexibility while on the bike. The “road conditions” are my concerns about my traction. Being near the coast, it gets quite frosty here overnight, so I’ve been delaying my morning departures until the sun has been up a few hours to make (relatively) sure the roads are frost free. But there’s really no way to be sure, so my cornering speeds have been safe and slow. They also spread grit (sand or very small gravel) in the corners early in the day, which also makes cornering a slow proposition as traction conditions are uncertain. So I’m traveling somewhat slowly, and my travel days are shortened because of my delayed starts.
And when I mention “my flexibility”, I’m not referring to a sore back, stiff neck, or the like; I’m referring to the ability to stop in a variety of pull-offs, without worrying about off-camber entrances, and without being concerned about the security of the gear I have strapped to the passenger pillion. Or to take a quick break and/or photo, without removing gloves, helmet, unplugging the electric vest, etc.
So I showered, ate breakfast (tea and an apricot filled pastry I had purchased the previous day), packed, and called the motorcycle rental company around 8:30 a.m. I expressed my concerns to the owners, and asked if I could return the bike early. We agreed that I can return the bike on Monday, and I’ll continue the trip either in a rental car or the like. I felt better already. I called home to let them know of the change of plans, and the kickstand went up at 10:20 a.m.
The day was beautiful: sunny, and although it was only 6 C when I left, it looked like it would warm up nicely. As a result, I put my windproof liner on underneath my leather jacket, leather pants, and the rain suit and electrics went in the top and side cases, respectively.
The ride south on SH 6 along the coast was SPECTACULAR. The sun warmed the air to about 10 C, and the road was a series of gentle sweepers connected by short straightaways:
The road would climb for a while, providing magnificent overlooks of the Tasman Sea (although there typically weren’t any pull-offs as the road was notched into the side of the seaside cliff), then fall back to sea level. There was a stiff wind off the sea, and combined with an approaching high tide, the waves broke quite strongly. This photo is near Woodpecker Bay, looking out toward Seal Island (couldn’t see the island; sorry, Pootz):
I continued on to Punakaiki: home of the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes, and another one of my “goals” for this trip. I’m not sure if “pancake” rocks gets its name from a mispronunciation of “Punakaiki” or if it is due to the fact that the rocks are layered, much like a stack of pancakes; either would be appropriate:
By the time I had completed my visit here, it was just after 1:15 p.m. I decided that as the forecast for today on the west coast (where I was) was clear and warm, and the forecast for Christchurch (on the east coast, and where I needed to return the bike on Monday) was clear, I’d ride the route across the country and through the mountains via Arthur’s Pass today. I continued the remaining 45 km to Greymouth, where I fueled up and put the electric liners on under both my jacket and pants.
Eighteen km south of Greymouth, I turned onto SH 73 toward Arthur’s Pass just before 2:00 p.m. The sign indicated Christchurch was 233 km away, but it was only 79 km to Arthur’s Pass, meaning I’d be through the pass (and the coldest part of the journey) early in the trip. Or so I thought.
The first 60 km to Otira was either gentle sweepers or straight, and I made good time on this section. Then the curves got tighter, and snow appeared on the tops of the mountains toward which I was headed:
And the temperature bottomed out. Within 10 km, I went from 10 C to 3 C, and it was still falling. Dustings of snow appeared by the side of the road, and the amount of grit on the road increased substantially, causing a corresponding increase in sphincture tension and drop in speed. I crept on toward the pass, as the thermometer bottomed out at 0 C.
I made Arthur’s Pass, which is actually a small village as well as the highest point on the road, looking forward to lower elevations and warmer temps. But the road stays on a plateau for another 60 km, so I rode on, very s-l-o-w-ly on the dicey parts, and slowly on the connecting sections, as you never knew where the dicey parts would be.
Finally, though, the road straightened, the temp rose back to 7 C, and I arrived in Yaldhurst, just outside Christchurch, at 5:00 p.m. My insufficient maps, combined with the first “No Vacancy” signs I’ve seen on this trip, meant that I didn’t get to my night’s lodging, Amber Park Holiday Park, until 7:00 p.m. Once again, I “splurged” on an ensuite cabin (private bath). A piece of chicken from KFC, and I’m ready to call it a day. Tomorrow, I hope to explore Christchurch and visit the International Antarctic Center, one of three remaining “goals” for this trip.
Motorcycle mileage for the day: 412 km
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