Stunning Milford Sound

We had been looking forward to seeing one of New Zealand’s highlights, Milford Sound.

The drive to get there from our overnight stop was very dramatic, with low clouds shielding the mountains we were driving through. At one point the clouds were very dark and created a strange light over the landscape....

Eventually the clouds dispersed and those remaining hung low over the land and roads. Driving into a cloud is a very strange feeling....

The scenery became more stunning the nearer we got to Milford Sound. The road passes through some great parts of the Southern Alps, with twists and turns that make the drive very enjoyable. It would be even better on a motorcycle. The road passes through Homer Tunnel, which has a 1:10 slope in a near-darkness. Great fun!

The fjord is 15km long inland from the Tasmin Sea and has sheers cliffs that rise 3,900 ft / 1,200 metres above the water. We travelled on the 40m long boat, Milford Mariner on a two-and-a-half hour sailing along the sound and back again.

Milford Sound is a World Heritage site, and it is easy to see why....

It was a good day to see such a great place, as this was our 15th wedding anniversary....

On the return journey inland, we saw seals....

The base of the 155 metre Stirling Falls. Trying to take a picture and keep the camera dry at the same time was impossible....

On the way back....

Milford Sound has an average annual rainfall of 268 inches. That is a staggering 22 feet or 6.8 metres, making it one of the wettest places in the world. We were blessed with a wonderful day, with blue skies and sunshine.

As we arrived back at the boat dock, we passed the second of the ever-running waterfalls....

A couple of pictures from the journey back. Who couldn’t like driving on roads like these?

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Burt Munro and The World's fastest Indian

Jackie and I went right down to the bottom of New Zealand’s south island and headed to 105 Bainfield Road. Why? This is where the legendary Burt Munro built his motorcycles in a simple shed. Now containing a family home, the small piece of land once was also home to a lemon tree....

Many readers of my blog will understand what this is about, but some will not.

Burt Munro was an eccentric New Zealander who at 60 years old broke the land speed record on a 40 year old motorcycle with an original top speed of 55mph. The first time he took his motorcycle to Speed Week, at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, he broke the record at 179mph. His story was captured in a wonderful film, The World’s Fastest Indian. Motorcyclist or not, If you haven’t seen the film, it is simple – you must.

After Burt suffered a stroke, he sold his motorcycles to a local motorcycle fanatic. The bikes are kept at E.Hayes hardware store on Dee Street in Invarcargill, the town where Burt lived.

This is a replica of Burt’s record breaking bike, with its full slipstream shell....

One of Burt’s record breaking bikes....

Those that have seen the film, will no doubt remember Burt’s trailer that he moved his motorcycle around on. Here is the real trailer....

Burt had a set of shelves in his shed, where he kept the parts he hand-made for his bikes. With the words “Offerings to the God of speed” written on the edge of one of the shelves, I am not sure if the shelves were real, or made for the film. Either way, the shelves are now located in the hardware shop.

In addition to Burt Munro’s motorcycles, the store contains many other historical bikes and a few cars. It is quite a place and unlike any hardware store I have ever seen....

Finally, we went to see Burt’s grave in Invarcargill’s Eastern Cemetery....

What a rare, wonderful man.

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Mount Cook – Sunshine or Rain?

We drove from Christchurch to Mount Cook in the pouring rain. This wasn’t just rain, it was biblical. We kept expecting to see Noah and his big boat, but that didn’t happen. We are driving a rented 12 year old convertible car and its roof probably didn’t leak when it was new.

It was a shame, but the cloud was so low, the tops of the mountains were like a child after watching a horror film – hiding under blankets. Eventually the rain cleared, the clouds thinned and Mount Cook could be seen in its 12,316 feet of majestic glory....

Looking north, Mount Cook stand behind Lake Pukaki, with its remarkable turquoise coloured water....

Fed by the waters running off a glacier, the lake contains very finely ground rock particles suspended in the water and it is this that gives the lake its striking colour...

Mount Cook is part of New Zealand’s Southern Alps.

We stayed at the Hermitage Hotel, set amongst the mountains and with magnificent views. That is, when it wasn’t raining....

Some people choose to see the mountains from one of many plane or helicopter flights that operate in the area. I liked the idea of looking down from a bi-plane, but didn’t have the time....

Clyde Power Station...

I group of crosses by the side of the road. One crash was to blame.... very sad....

Of course, I loved this sculpture of a chopper motorcycle and had to turn the car round, drive back and take a picture.....

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Arriving in New Zealand and Christchurch Devastation

Jackie and I have arrived in New Zealand for a holiday. It is a long way from the UK, and the flights took about a day and a half to go via Singapore and Sydney. The flights were very good (thanks Qantas) and the time went much more quickly than I expected.

 This was the view of NZ as we flew over the south island, on our approach to Christchurch.....

We will be going to these mountains over the next couple of weeks.

Today we toured central Christchurch. It was nearly two years ago that an earthquake struck the centre of the city. I hadn’t realised the extent of the devastation until we walked around the city. Surprised at how little work had been done to demolish the damaged buildings and to start the rebuilding works, we asked about this and discovered the neither the local government or the insurance companies have the money to pay for the work. I imagine that ‘acts of God’ were not covered by most insurance policies and so are not paying out on claims.

It might take a long time to get the centre back to normal and major parts of what was the heart of the city are closed to the public.

What I did like was how part of the centre had been regenerated. Containers have been used to create temporary shops in a couple of small areas. These are now bustling and busy places that work really well. Quite where the offices have been relocated to I don’t know. We have discovered that many small motels are very busy, providing the rooms needed by the lack of hotels that were destroyed in the city centre.

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Valentine's Day Gift

Have you remembered that Valentine's Day is fast approaching? Do you have any idea what to get your valentine in 2013? A Harley Ride is something that never fails to impress people, who have undergone the experience.

Maybe, you have a girlfriend who is not into bikes, but you are, and you would really love to have her understand why you love motorcycles as much as you do? Give us just one hour

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Harley-Davidson 1915 Model F

The introduction of a number of innovative new features in 1915 meant that this was a significant  year in the development of Harley-Davidson’s road bikes. It could even be said that it was the year when the motorcycle came of age as a practical machine. For 1915 Harley-Davidson listed five V-twin motorcycles with a combination of single or three-speed transmission and with or without an

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