10 January 2011 – Mt Cook to Methven

Another gorgeous day, beginning with a very good breakfast.   Riding out the way we came in we took a wander to the memorial for climbers who have died on the mountain.  We then headed towards Tekapo, including a quick lakeside stop to take in the view, and into a pretty decent headwind.  Then came an untimely bee-sting (it could have been a wasp, that would have a poetic irony), although what happened immediately following that remains unknown, stumping even the boys in blue as to the likely events.  End result, a trip to Timaru Hospital in an ambulance for 2 of the tour party, with the other 2 riding by scooter.

Fixits:  20km south of Tekapo 2 broken but, as we later discovered, still driveable scooters (GS and SS), and 2 broken but not beaten riders

One scooter did complete the trip, ridden all the way back to Wellington.  Go the mighty Rally, total of 3,900km.  While the end of the tour is not to be recommended, the previous two weeks absolutely is!  3,000km of the South Island by scooter, nothing wrong with that story.

Random stats:

• Working speedos – 2
• 4 altitude rides
  • Takaka Hill (760m)
  • Milford Road highway (945m)
  • Crown Range (1121m – highest main road in NZ)
  • Mt Cook village (762m)
• Litres of 2T oil consumed approx: 20 litres
• Cheese rolls eaten – lost count
• Coffee drunk – every opportunity
• Random Italians saying “Vespa!” – 4
• Random conversations with Vespa admirers and curious onlookers – lots and in every place we stopped
• Scooter and motorbike peeps met on purpose or by happy coincidence – Mack McNamee in Havelock, Des Molloy in Golden Bay, Baz Brailey in Haast, Pete Groves in Wanaka, Jim Carroll in Invercargill and Dunedin
• Most expensive petrol – $2.25 a litre for 91 octane at Ross (city price was about $2.06 for 95)
• Most fuel efficient scooter – Rally
• Thirstiest scooter – GS
• Insurance claims – 2
• Second-hand shop purchases – numerous, and 5 parcels in total sent back to Wellington