Day 12: Hanmer Springs

I was a little concerned that I wouldn’t have much to talk about today , what with it being largely a transport day back up the South Island. Thankfully Dave Mac was sympathetic and did his bit to keep life a little interesting for us. 

We started the day with another Fairlie pie. I never believed I would eat such a thing for breakfast but when adventure riding the adventure just never stops. My adventure was a steak and mushroom pie. With that behind us we headed off towards Geraldine, the long way. I can’t recall where we heard of Orari Gorge but I thought it might be a simple little track through some farmland but the gorge in the name should have given it away. It was the most stunning track through 2 stations, the Blue Mountain and Orari Gorge station, following (this will come as a surprise) the Orari river. At times high, hugging the mountains and at other times following river plains and eventually exiting through Canterbury pastoral country. It did no harm that we had a beautiful sunny morning in quite some contrast to what is going on in the north our country. 

Dave Mac has adapted to my presence by having a noise cancelling circuit in his brain when he hears my voice. This allowed him to get lost again when we were leaving the farm but a helpful farmer brought him back to us. 

Then a big transport day up to Hanmer, interrupted by a regular number of coffee stops as required. Lots of other bikers out as it is Sunday. Many want to promenade by replacing small testicles with loud exhausts. 

At Hanmer we thought a little bike maintenance would be in order. Tyre pressure and chain lubrication, that kind of thing. Our bikes are spoilt here, staying in a covered shed that happens to have a low ceiling. For those that struggle to judge heights there are several signs saying “Watch your head”. 

This didn’t stop Dave Mac from banging his head in an impressive fashion. It sounded like Big Ben and brought people from all over the complex. Once things had settled down Dave endeared himself to us by repeating the show and banging his melon a second time, possibly even louder than the first time. It was so authentic that church choirs started singing. 

Having survived that we had some excellent Thai dinner. 

Tomorrow we plan to ride up the Rainbow road and hope to catch a ferry for what we presume will be a pleasant and smooth crossing. Much like the rest of the country we have developed more than a passing interest in the weather. Hurricane Gabby is making her presence felt in the North but is unlikely to leave us alone as we attempt to make our way home. For now it is an idyllic evening in Hanmer so I plan to enjoy the proverbial calm before the storm.