Departing from Punakaiki
At the foot of Arthurs Pass we stop for morning coffee and tea at a place which caught Michael’s eye.
Bikes safe in a well-guarded place
Look carefully, as Michael discovered, the door of the truck says “Oxnard California.”
A well-worn early Morris
Descending from Arthurs Pass
Chris
Back in Christchurch we have a day before flying out to San Francisco. Time is take a city bus into the city center.
The Christchurch Cathedral was heavily damaged in a 2011 earthquake and slammed again in the 2016 quake, this Christchurch landmark only now is being restored. This long-suffering building has a long history of earthquake damage–1881, 1888, 1901, 1922, 2010, 2011, 2016. A string of shaking events what would impress even a Californian.
Hagley Park and the Avon River in central Christchurch
A final chance to prove we were in New Zealand.
Michael and Chris
Pam and Paul
Debra and a local suitor–she was unhappy when he was not allowed on the plane home.
Packed and headed to the airport.
Goodby New Zealand
Acknowledgements
We six, who so enjoyed our motorcycling tour of the South Island of New Zealand, wish to express our appreciation to John and Alison and their staff at Te Waipounamu Motorcycle Tours who tailored our lazy-eight route route around the South Island to perfectly fit our time schedule, arranged nightly lodging at interesting places with secure parking for the bikes within walking distance of the local pub, and armed us with a helpful list of sights not to be missed.
I am grateful to my traveling companions who kindly gave me access to all their photographs from the trip. Their images comprise the major portion of this report.
Finally, New Zealand at least once in a lifetime is a most, and on the saddle of a motorcycle is the best way to experience this beautiful country with its uncrowded roads, stunning scenery and friendly people. No one knows the in and outs of the two New Zealand islands better than John and Alison.
Te Waipounamu Motorcycle Tours is a first-class professional operation offering guided and self-guided tours at reasonable price. So go!