It is again a pretty windy day. We got to a fork in the road and the GPS said go left 44 km to Twizle, but the road sign says No Exit! So we went right and this is 12 km to the main road Hwy 8 and is paved. This then put us 70 km from Twizle on the Highway 8 and the wind was very strong and gusting.

Screen Shot 2018-02-23 at 23.42.40 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We stopped in Lake Tekapo to call the campground in Twizle to see if they had a cabin for tonight as we could use a night with power. They did and it was only 15 dollars more than camping for 2.

FILE2494 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

IMG_2197 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

IMG_2201 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

NZ South Isand-215 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

NZ South Isand-216 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

__________________
Sara

Those who say something is impossible should not hinder those who are achieving it!





www.worldwideride.ca

HU RR Finding Freedom...World Wide Ride

We stopped at Lake Pukaki for a rare we are told cloudless view of New Zealand’s highest peak Mt. Cook and then rode the last 25 km to the campground.

NZ South Isand-217 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

NZ South Isand-218 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

NZ South Isand-219 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

NZ South Isand-220 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

The wind was Patagonia strong! The cabin is tiny, but comfortable and warm and there are plenty of outlets to charge everything we have at once. We cooked up a nice pasta alfredo and tucked in to get a few episodes of Fargo viewed. It is actually freezing outside and we are glad to have our minus 15 sleeping bags and we even turned the heater on in the morning once we had to get out of said warm cocoons.

IMG_2206 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

__________________
Sara

Those who say something is impossible should not hinder those who are achieving it!





www.worldwideride.ca

HU RR Finding Freedom...World Wide Ride

We woke to another sunny day and the plan is to ride up to Mount Cook village and then on to Geraldine.


Screen Shot 2018-02-23 at 23.43.49 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE2501 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

There are great views of the mountain range almost all the way, but we were fighting very strong winds.



FILE2557 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE2559 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

NZ South Isand-221 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

NZ South Isand-222 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

__________________
Sara

Those who say something is impossible should not hinder those who are achieving it!





www.worldwideride.ca

HU RR Finding Freedom...World Wide Ride

We had lunch in the village and by 1230 it was getting very clouded over.

FILE2589 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

On the way back down the 80 to the Highway 8 we had the wind at our backs, but on the way to lake Tekapo it was blowing us all over the road. It was lucky for Dan the last 5 km where downhill and with the wind as he had “zero km to empty”.

FILE2598 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE2605 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We planned to head another 89 km to Geraldine and camp for the night. This is the last good weather for the rest of the week as another cyclone is scheduled to hit the north of the island in the next 2 days. The Top 10 in Geraldine is quite nice and in the center of the town. The tent sites are huge and have nice thick grass. We got some groceries and set up camp.

IMG_2208 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

__________________
Sara

Those who say something is impossible should not hinder those who are achieving it!





www.worldwideride.ca

HU RR Finding Freedom...World Wide Ride

We do not have far to go today to Christchurch, but the weather is supposed to turn to another Cyclone this afternoon.


Screen Shot 2018-02-23 at 23.45.40 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Despite this forecast that it would be nice until 3 pm it started to rain as we were packing up this morning. We only went about 15 minutes and we were ahead of the storm and the sun was shining. We then opted for the “Inland Scenic Route”.


FILE2626 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE2636 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

About half way today Dan’s 800 passed 250,000 km!!! This route happily also took us back a few km from Sheffield where they have the best pie shop on the south island!

NZ South Isand-224 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

NZ South Isand-223 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

NZ South Isand-225 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

__________________
Sara

Those who say something is impossible should not hinder those who are achieving it!





www.worldwideride.ca

HU RR Finding Freedom...World Wide Ride

In Christchurch we were happy to find an relatively inexpensive airbnb in a house just 4 km from the motorcycle repair shop. A dodgy hotel here is easily 2-3 times the price.

We dropped the bikes at the shop and then walked the 4 km back stopping for supplies on the way to last out the storm. We will have a few things sorted. Some screws that have gone missing, the oil changed, the oil filter off the 650 (been on since Tblisi), the brake oil on the 650 filled as it was not done by the guys in Malaysia (at least 8 items down incorrectly or not at all so far), valves checked, and the timing chains replaced on both bikes.

Phil Parrish is a mechanic well know here on the South Island and he has done the split link repair on an 800 before. On Dan’s 800 the chain was slipping when we had the valves supposedly checked and shimmed in Malaysia and the power is definitely lacking recently. We are afraid to have a major melt down when we are island hopping in Indonesia. In the end Dan’s chain had stretched a full link and was removed without needing to cut it. Sara’s was not skipping and was stretched maybe 1/2 a link. The valves were of course not done properly in Malaysia either! Though they are not off by that much and will last until we hit the USA in June.

IMG_0761 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

NZ South Isand-228 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

NZ South Isand-227 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

NZ South Isand-226 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

NZ South Isand-229 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We timed the service well to coincide with the predicted cyclone and though there was not much wind it did pour for the 2 days we were hold up here. Great time to get some work done and I finally got back at the blog posting. Dan also found a vinyl wrap shop to properly cover the Frankenscreen.

IMG_2212 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

__________________
Sara

Those who say something is impossible should not hinder those who are achieving it!





www.worldwideride.ca

HU RR Finding Freedom...World Wide Ride

The forecast is for some showers today and then 4-5 days of sunshine. We picked up the bikes and then headed out in some light showers to Hanmer Springs.

FILE2650 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We noted on the road signs that the route to Picton on the highway 1 or Kaikoura road that just opened a month ago after 3 years is closed again after massive land slides. This means all the traffic must go on the 2 other paved roads or the Molesworth road. The sun was out soon enough and we had an easy 135 km.

Screen Shot 2018-02-23 at 23.47.46 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We stopped here for lunch and the couple next to us were riding as well, but are here from Greece. He leaned over to me and said “ This is a small world I saw you on an HU post yesterday from Mt Cook!” He and Dan are actually FB friends already! Very nice couple and we wish we had met them sooner. They are headed to St. Arnaud as well today, but on the paved road and they have to catch the ferry at Picton in the morning.

__________________
Sara

Those who say something is impossible should not hinder those who are achieving it!





www.worldwideride.ca

HU RR Finding Freedom...World Wide Ride