Easter Sunday no2 2012

Easter Sunday 8 th April 2012 no 2

We find that our electric adaptors do not work in this Hotel the Heritage, just hope that will be ok when we get on tour.

Also Vic has found that his lock has been broken on his suitcase.

Brazillians are a happy race of people they are all dancing and singing at all hours of the night ,it is is now only 5-30am and they are still doing it.

Wow what great day we had,had breakfast at 7am then walked the busy streets of Sao Paulo, it was a public holiday Easter Sunday, we walked through the park then through the markets that was selling any thing then over the busy street we crossed and saw the antique markets it was so interesting and safe.

We met up with Renato and checked the bikes,Vic has decided to have the Yamaha tenere,a750we think,Bruno has the BMW f650gs, Erica has the Kawasaki verses 650, all are in good condition and only a few klms on all of them.

Next we walked to the Sao Paulo football stadium and to the football museum, that was just so interesting had great images of all the great soccer players from around the worlds t and historic photos there was going to be a game played at 5pm so it was busy.

Then it was 2pm and we had the welcome Dinner (but it was lunch?.)

BBQ ribs and empanadas and stuffed balls and wine and something else which I  don't know what it was.one cafe had a band and was playing the Samba.

After lunch we got a cab back to our hotel and had a very long Nanna nap till 7-30 then back to the eating and drinking but only a salad this time and half a bottle of red wine that Erica had brought.

We had a big thunder storm tonight so we ate in the hotel (not good)

Tomorrow we are hoping all the rain goes as we are having a helicopter ride over Sao Paulo (included in the price of the tour)

Brazil getting there 7th April 2012

Brazil No1 getting there

Leaving on the 7th April on LAN airlines 10-45am

We were wrong/ the times were changed to 9-45 am on the Thursday we only found it by accident as we tried to book in on line

We notified the shuttle but he could not find it on the airline scheduled so our times for pick up was the same then we found out we are not flying LAN but Qantas .

Booking in at 7-30am we find that Vic and I are not even seated together he is in seat53 G and I was in row 70B at the back of the plane.It is a 747/400and the plane is full to capacity no seats to swap so we are separated for the 14hour flight to Santiago.

Bruno and Nina are seated together .

We are sitting in our allocated seats waiting to take off,the Captain states that we are to heavy to take off, as he has got the weights from Hong Kong ?.

Qantas then off loads some cargo and we take off about 10-45am.

It is a non stop flight to Santiago,I found that Qantas is old and tired the hosties and Stewart's are beyond their prime.Must have been over 400 people and of course the toilets were chock a block, I never took my shoes off ;-)

The plane makes up time and we arrive in Santiago on time, after a 3hour wait for our next connection, we board a TAM airlines to Sao Paulo which is another 4hour flight.we are seated together and fed an watered and drop of to a light sleep.This plane is also chockablock

Arriving at Sao Paulo we get to the customs hall and shuttled around like cattle

Very nicely though it takes about 1 hour to clear customs and immigration,and we are greeted on the outside by Renato and his brother Renaldo.

Renato is the owner and guide for Brazil on Bikes, he tells us that he has a full compliment and the tour is full to overflowing, so he has made two private tours us Australians on one and the Asians on the other so there will not be a back up truck, and we can carry all our gear in the new panniers that he as just purchased.

The drive took about 1/2hour to get to the hotel but we are driven in a "gangsters  " type van  with black tinted windows with a hired driver .

We arrive at the Heritage hotel in down town Sao Paulo,we are so jet lagged that we don't even make ourselves known to Erica who is also on this tour, we have a shower and collapse into bed at 8-30pm.

This is still April 7

Our trip up to Nimbin March 2012

We had a very eventful trip.
First I lost my Internet connection with dodo ,(I was just so frustrated)
We had a party here for Rozle on the Monday night, 18 people attended it was a very happy night,Rozles boots were very wet as he had. Ridden from Melbourne in the pouring rain , so dad in his wisdom tried to dry out his boots with the hot air gun,yes you quest it he set them on fire and they melted so dad had to give him his Aldi boots as we are going to ride up with him to the gold coast.
Leaving early on Tuesday morning we road to Bendemeer and met up with Frank who was on a tour with Rozle in Europe also our trip in New Zealand
Had a great night but into bed about 8-30
Next we again leave about 8-30 am as we are riding to Nimbin, as Rozle wants to meet up with friends, so he books us into the YHA about 3klms from town and up a mountain, he was going to stay in a tepee ,We arrive about 4pm Dad and I had a sleep out Pauline and Neil had the garden room(they reckon it was the stables) the bed was jammed up against the wall and very lumpy, no where to hang our coats and no overhead light or power points and a curtain over the glass door.
We put our clothes on the floor as there was. NO where else,had a lift into town and we were picked up at 8pm to go back that is when the fun started.Dad was trying to find a place for accommodation on the iPad then lifted it up by the cover and it fell down, he has broken the screen but it still is working ok, I was not impressed
Dad has a bad cough from a cold he picked up in NZ we get into bed and dad coughs and coughs, then I am bitten on the head through my hair then my legs scratch scratch cough cough.
The bed rolled into the centre hanging onto the sides so we don't fall together more bites ,I am now distressed no where to run or sit.Dad is cough cough, waking the young ones .can hardly wait for morning it is a very long night ,turn on the bed lamp, cockroaches running over the ceiling then seeing all the bite marks on my legs my head is so itchy
Morning arrives to a great relief Pauline and I compare bite marks, Neil is hairy dad just coughs.
Rozle did not stay in his Tepee he spent the night with friends in Nimbin on the beer.
We have a quick shower we shook all our clothes as we did not want any more bed bugs or cockroaches ,Went to Nimbin town for breakfast ,we said good bye to Rozle as he was heading further up the coast on his own.
We head off to Dorrigo at a lovely pace had lunch at Jose place a little cafe and headed off to Bellingen we are riding down the big mountain and the back wheel goes all wobbly, we stop and find a horse nail in the brand new tyre, so on the side of the road dad tries to fix it, first time the plug would not fit so Neil gave him another to try, of course the glue had gone hard .Lucky dad had a small compressor which he pumped the tyre up.We went slowly down the mountain until we reached Bellengin where he put more air in the tyre, stayed at the imperial hotel which was luxury after Nimbin and had dinner at the hotel it was a relaxing night,
Leaving again at 8-30we head for Kaurah as we have stayed there before, we are going about 120klm and the back tyre blows the plug so again we are on the side of the road, but now we know how to fix it,.The last attempt Vic remembers he used and old plug that is why it did not fit, so he uses a new plug with a mushroom head and it fixes the tyre
We arrive at Kaurah have a shower and head for the RSL for dinner
Neil and Pauline left there truck here and were going to pick it up on the way home. Neil forgot about the truck and rode on by.
He came back about 20 minutes after her remembered.
It was a fun filled few days lots of laughts and lots of bites it did not rain at all on our little trip

Comedy of errors New Zealand 2012

Comedy of errors on tour
Meeting the tour people at Christchurch, having dinner for the first time ,coming to pay they split the bill 12ways and you pay a twelvef they drink like there is no tomorrow 8 bottles of wine and expensive food costs us 140 dollars
1 could not mount the bike due to panniers to large and no room to put foot to hop on
Stephen could not start his bike(had to pull the clutch in)
Barra missed the turn into the hotel where we were to to meet after picking up the bikes.we did not see him again until we got Akaroa he rode by him self as he was lost
Frank lost his panniers twice as he did not lock them on Stephen had some okky straps to help them stay on he did not lock them on
Vic and I have now worked out to get on the bike.I have to get on first and slide back onto the pillion seat, then Vic slides his leg across his seat and jumps on it is all very high tech
We rode over 300klms as Wayne was taking the lead and took us around the area the days ride should have been 87Klm
Dinner again was shared with 8 bottles of wine at30 bucks a shot and you pay a 12th (not our way). This will have to stop or we drink more.
Leaving Akaroa it started to rain,it rained until 9am at Darfield where Barra dropped his bike as he is short sighted and did not see the gutter he broke his break lever amid hurt his hand.Stephens gloves the lining had come out when he took them off as his hands were so wet, so he tossed them on the ground.
It rain and it was cold until lunch time we had Chinese soup at Lake Tapako the girls arrived and had toasted sandwiches, it was just bucketing down.
Leaving the lake district it cleared up and we pulled in for petrol. Barra ran up the back of us due to the width of the panniers nearly knocking us off.
Vic took the lead as he had the hotel in the GPS.
We never saw the tour party again that night.Vic and I had a quite dinner down by the waterfront,crayfish and wine it was a good night in bed by 8-30 as we were buggered

Hanmer Springs to Christchurch 26th Feb 2012

Hanmer Springs to Christchurch 26 th Feb
Waking with sun on the hills it looked like a scene from Switzerland, just beautiful.
Again leaving at 8-30am we took a shorter route of only 430klms, but Bob and Barra are all tired out and they did not want to ride any more twisties ,so they followed the girls down the coast road.
Our ride was magic,first of all we stopped at thrill seekers gorge for a photo stop whilst the sun was out, then headed for Lewis Pass wich is 863 meters above sea level and watching the black clouds drift over the tops of the mountains.Whizzing around the tight corners trying to catch on the video the wonderful scenery,a little drizzle started but not enough for us to stop but it was bloody freezing.We had breakfast at a little cafe and all put on our wets as the skies looked ominous up over the pass heading for Greymouth,then onto Arthurs Pass a bikers paradise which is 736meters above sea level.
A little rain which made the roads a little slippery Vic did a "controlled"sideways slide we stopped at Arthur's Pass township for lunch then the skies opened up,when it had stopped we meandered along this beautiful alpine road,we followed the Waimakarri River to the Canterbury Plains then onto Christchurch.
It was a fantastic day.
The whole holiday has been good despite the wet weather all the riders and wives got on together no problems arose to our knowledege.
This is our last bulletin for this trip.
It must be beeroclock cya soon

Blenheim to Hanmer Springs 25th Feb 2012

Blenheim to Hanmer Springs 25th feb 2012
We had a Chinese meal last night at it was very good, all selected different meals, and we paid for our wine when we ordered it, a lot better situation.
Departure time was 8-30 am as we are going to have breakfast on the road, at Nims seafood shed,the road that was picked was twisty and beautiful country side,we then rode down the coast stopped to see some seals on the rocks, the were all showing off, jumping into the water and swimming about it was a lovey sight,moving down the road we stopped at Nims were we ordered 1dozen green lipped mussels cooked on the premisses just magic for breakfast, the girls arrive and they all bought a crayfish for their lunch a couple of the boys did not like the idea mussels for breakfast so they set of to have bacon and eggs and pies
We took an inland loop road with so many twisties Vic just loved it ,then back out to the coast ,then headed for Hanmer Springs no traffic just sweepers, what also made it for great riding the sun was out and the roads dry,
Arriving at Hnmer Springs we put on our swimmers and headed for the heated pools where we just sat and cooked and relaxed. Off to the pub now as it is beeroclock.

Barra dropped his bike again today, he has no left indicator or knob on his clutch lever and his tank has a dent in it $$$$$$$$. He was not hurt only his wallet
To morrow we head back to Christchurch it will be long ride about 550klm we return the bike on Monday and fly home

West point To Blenhein 23rd Feb

Westport to Blenhein 23 rd Feb
What difference a day makes, waking to see sunshine Wow it is going to be a dry day Wrong again.
Leaving Westport looking at the sky we saw the black clouds drift overhead, so we all put on our wets again then it rained and rained .Stopping at a little cafe at Inangahua for breakfast a ray of sunshine was above us and the most beautiful rainbow had appeared
Through the Buller Gorge heading towards Murchison on a beautiful twisty road Vic was in his element wet and twisty roads he rode like a man possessed .He was having a great ride again the road surface is great.We stopped for coffee at a small cafe and the girls caught up with us .the rain started to ease as we head to Nelson, as Vic has the GPS he leads the guys to Nelson and lunch.
We ride along the coast road were waves are lapping the foreshore and the sun has come out.Stopping for lunch we take of our wets and enjoy a feed of the best fish and chips.
We then ride Queen Charlotte Bay road which twists and turns around the coast to Picton every rider commented on the road as it was very picturesque
Leaving Picton and ride to Blenheim found our motel called the Waterfront which is right on the river ,(it was not quite what the girls had expected) dinner was at an Italian restaurant about 1 klm away,this was a fare well to Jennifer who has to be back at work on Monday in Sydney.

Today rest day Blenheim 24th Feb
Some went on a wine tour,as Blenheim boasts to have more sunshine hours then any other region in New Zealand. Blenheim has won worldwide recognition as a major wine producing region .
Vic and I walked to the town centre and got some glue as my intercom had fallen from my helmet,also got some waterproofing to do the boots, and the sun is out it great to be warm again.