Day 1: Queenstown to St Arnaud, Nelson Lakes 744km

This is the first riding day of our next adventure.

We have agreed on a journey that will begin in late May in London.

Dick has been doing lots of preparation. Researching, planning, getting gear sorted, making bookings. I have my pearls and my bag is packed.

To begin...

We are riding Orlanda to Auckland via SH6 the West Coast of New Zealand.

We are aiming to arrive at St Arnaud, Nelson Lakes before nightfall.

Tomorrow we will ride to Picton, board the ferry and sail to Wellington where we will catch up with Team Kiwi, Ken and Shirley.

We have a perfect day to begin.

Folks who have been following my blog will know that most of the photos I post have been taken while I am riding pillion on a moving motorcycle. 

I now have  motorcycle gloves with screen sensitive finger tips that work a treat with my iPhone. That's great for when I need the phone as a backup camera - when the camera battery is flat - or I leave the SD card behind.

For this trip I am using an Olympus Tough camera.

I try acknowledge people who contribute images.

An early start.

Sunrise over the Remarkable Mountain range. 

Looking south over Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown.

This is a 'shakedown' ride.  

We are less that 5km from home when the left pannier decides to jump off the bike.  Better now than in the wilderness.  After it is reattached we head off over the Crown Range to Wanaka. 

The morning light on the ranges in the Cardrona Valley.

Oops, the other pannier takes a leap as we ride along the shores of Lake Wanaka. 

Through the Haast pass where the mist creates an eerie light on the mossy banks.

Into the sunshine and looking up the Haast river...

...as we wait at a passing bay on the Haast river bridge. There are many one lane bridges on SH 6 (State Highway6)  on the West Coast. 

Each time we ride the West Coast road we stop at the Salmon Farm cafe for a break.
Today a couple of other  interesting vehicles are here including a three wheeled Carver car and two very small collapsible touring bicycles.

This camouflage building Shhhh gives my imagination a workout for a while.

 At Franz Joseph we ride passed the hotel that had been badly damaged by flooding when the Waiho river found a new route the previous week.

Through  dairy country  in the Reefton district.

To our home for the night Alpine Lodge at St Arnaud.
A warm welcome, a good meal and bed after a long enjoyable 11 hour day on the road.
We stayed here on my first day on the bike in 2011.
It always feels good to return here.