After seeing South Island’s landscapes and sceneries, hearing about New Zealand as the country of the Lord of the rings, rugby and the All Blacks is like saying that Italy is the equivalent of pizza, spaghetti and mandolin. Is this upsetting you?
For sure it has to be said that there’s a reason why many movies are shot in New Zealand. That’s because there’s a plenty of nature, wilderness and landscapes. The comparison with the North Island is direct and if the North is beautiful, the South is more beautiful, I don’t know how else to define the comparison between these beautiful lands which compete for impressing and astonishing travelers. The result is a big win for the South Island. Have so many thing to say, so I decided to split the travel story into two parts.
The South gateway is Picton, it takes three hours and half to reach it from Wellington. Advise? Don’t make the ferry crossing during the darkness, Malborough Sound needs to be seen from the boat deck.
The Nelson shore seems to be one of the sunniest place of New Zealand, in fact we get to Abel Tasman during a warm sunny day. We’re at the start point of Abel Tasman Nation Park, and from our BMW GS seat we can see that it must be a real hiking paradise. We have a big red cherries snack, delicious, you can get it from a self service snack along the way. It’s easy! You get the cherries and leave the money. The question to be asked is … at our place, what it would have happened?
Leaving aside the sarcasm , we’re now southbound, the destination is the West Coast and after a rainy morning we enjoy the sun, that comes from behind the clouds. A necessary stop is the Pancake Rocks where you can wonder how the wind and sea forces could mold the rocks in many shapes, this left us speechless.
Actually, like a good know-nothing biker I appreciate the road even more, that like an artistic embroidery, sews the space between the mountain and the sea. Even if the sky is full of white clouds, the whole thing appears to my eyes like a colorful painting, that will remain stuck in my head for long. We stop in Franz Josef Glacier, the town itself is not so good, but the glacier … even if you aren’t an hiking enthusiast you should have a look out of the path and enjoy the glacier view.
We decide to make a there and back detour through Artur Pass, the mountain pass doesn’t impress us much, but the road with its turns and canyons surprises us and let us have a very good time. We can’t say the same for the West coast last stretch, but on the other hand it gives us magnificent glimpses
Now we’re going inland and everything is different, we’re riding to Queenstown and passing beside Hawea and Wanaka Lakes (well known for the tree in the middle of the lake). I recommend a stop to the wonderful lookout point overlooking Queenstown, here you can see the planes fly just over your head and go straight through the gully between the mountains before landing to the Queenstown airport. We pass through the toboggan and we’re in Queenstown now, tired, wowed and happy. It’s the Christmas Eve, the first wearing a t-shirt, the first on the other side of the world. After all these feelings, we get emotional enjoying the sunset.
 |
 |
The journey continues, stay tuned
#upsidedowntour #amotomio #provatodavvero
Travel clothing:
*Fagna: Giacca e Pantaloni Oj Desert - Guanti Oj Fighter - Stivali Stylmartin Navigator - Casco SMK Helmets Glide - Occhiali Emblema
*Cri: Giacca Oj Unstoppable - Pantaloni Oj Ridepant - Stivali Stylmartin Sharon - Casco SMK Twister - Occhiali Emblema
Motorcycle and logistical support:
BMW R 1200 GS hired by Paradise Motorcycle Tours – www.paradisemotorcycletours.co.nz
Special Thanks to EUROBIKE NEW ZEALAND for the GIVI Tankbag
Eat and sleep:
New Zealand provides high-quality restaurants and accommodations; as regards the accommodation we’ve used Booking and Air B&B, which has turned out better than Booking. Along the way you can find many cafés where you can have delicious pies and snacks, but they closed early, between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m
Fagna&Cri
