Today we are headed to the ferry town of Picton.


Screen Shot 2018-02-27 at 22.38.51 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr


It was overcast in Murchison, but by the time we made it to St Arnaud it was sunny.

FILE3023 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We stopped in Blenheim for some lunch at Coupland’s bakery where the chocolate covered cream filled donuts were insane. Filled with a cup of real whip cream. We back tracked a bit on the road towards Nelson to get to the scenic Queen Charlotte Drive ( the road from there to Nelson is also closed). This may have been the best 40 km of tarmac we have had in NZ. It was curvy and smooth.

Screen Shot 2018-02-27 at 22.39.07 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE3031 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

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FILE3056 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

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FILE3061 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

NZ South Isand 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

Despite the beautiful day the forecast is for very heavy rain tomorrow and so we found a B&B not far from the ferry. They even had a garage downstairs for the bikes. We checked in and were getting cleaned up when there was a knock at the door. It was Roger Arnold from Papamoa! He had just arrived to Picton last night after a 4 day walk over the mountains with a group of 10 friends. He had checked our spot and saw we were headed to Picton and well, and luckily it fired at the B&B and he tracked us there! Such a small world and so great to have friends to hang out with today and on the ferry tomorrow.

Well as advertised it was build an arc pouring at 8 when we got up, but it had let up by at least 1/2 by 1015 when we rode to the ferry dock 800 m away. We did not have to wait long to board luckily. We loaded with Hugo a biker from Argentina, but there were about 12 Kiwi bikes already tied down. They at least have well chocks on the Inter-islander boats unlike the Bleubridge we took on the way over.

FILE3071 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE3074 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Ruth and Roger had saved us some prime seats, which was nice. It was all good until we left the protection of the fjord and then the boat really started rocking and there was a lot of sick people for the next 2 hours. Sara was pretty bad and had to sit in the hall near the centre of the boat until we got into Wellington harbour.

Screen Shot 2018-02-27 at 22.39.36 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

It was barely raining now and we headed the 25 km to our buddy Mike’s house. He had the garage open and waiting for us. Dan’s 800 has shown a low charge a few times today WTF! We started with what was the issue one of the times the stator was killed by an overfilled oil system. You can not trust anyone clearly as the guys in Christchurch overfilled both bikes by almost 300 cc!!! Well we had to siphon that off and seems to have fixed the stress on the bike! We shall see…..

For our day here with Mike he has planned a ride out on the Moonshine Hill road and then over the Akatarawa pass to Waikanae.

Screen Shot 2018-02-27 at 22.43.42 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We started out from his place and quickly onto the narrow lane that is the Moonshine Hill road. You have to be careful of the locals who drive at speed and often on your side of the road.



FILE3125 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE3124 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We then made for the Akatarawa road , but found that it was closed yesterday just 1 km from the summit, so we did an up and back. We then made it around to the lookout by the back way.

FILE3199 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

NZ North Isand-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

NZ North Isand 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 drizzle and fog, but the forecast north is better.

Screen Shot 2018-02-28 at 20.06.17 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE3205 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We have to endure the ride on the #1 as far as Turakina.

FILE3210 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

From here we started north on the Turakina Valley road and this is 120 km along the river to meet the Hwy 49 of which about 2/3 is gravel.


Screen Shot 2018-03-03 at 22.46.05 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

Screen Shot 2018-02-28 at 20.04.10 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

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FILE3220 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE3227 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE3230 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE3235 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

You will ride along and occasionally there is a stretch of 5 km of beautiful pavement out of nowhere. We did not see another vehicle the entire time. The scenery varies form rolling hills, to farm land and is often along the river.

FILE3243 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE3247 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

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FILE3306 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr






IMG_2235 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

The road ends at the tar seal on the Highway 49 11 km east of Ohakune. Here we finally got some lunch at nearly 3 and decided to set up in the campground here. We walked into the village for supplies and cooked us a nice bbq dinner. The sites here are along a stream and that was the only sounds soothing us all night.

IMG_2236 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 clouds, but no rain and we packed up and set out about 10.

Screen Shot 2018-03-03 at 22.53.06 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

First we rode 20 km up the Turoa mountain road. This is a paved road that winds thru the Tongariro national park and up to the ski hill. This is basically a few lifts on the side of a volcano and does not look very appealing.

FILE3356 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE3361 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

FILE3373 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We back tracked to 1 and then headed north on the 4 to Taumarunui. This is where you turn west on the 43 or the “Forgotten World Highway”.

FILE3388 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We stopped in the town for lunch and when at the cafe Franz stopped by to talk. He has ridden his bike all over the world as well and it is currently in Costa Rica. While we were chatting with him a friend of his walked by and this is the same guy we saw riding in Glenorchy and in Te Anau!

__________________
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