Annual Rally

[Richard Kuysten]

#3233

Just returned from the south well satisfied with some great riding over some new roads and another very well organised and fun rally in Twizel.  Not everything went exactly to plan but even then the unplanned events lead us to some interesting and memorable experiences.  One such unplanned event was a minor off coming through the Molesworth.  Perhaps being a little over confident after my training session with Chris Birch a couple of months ago lead to my downfall but then a fully loaded 1200 GS with pillion to boot  is not the same as riding one up on my little Sherpa.  However apart from a nasty bump on my shin we came out unscathed.  The bike not quite so but this lead me to Jeff Gray BMW in Christchurch and I can't praise them enough for their friendly and efficent service.  A phone call to Neil at Experience BMW in Auckland who was just as friendly and helpful had me calling Jeff Gray for assistance.  Five minutes after talking to the parts expert I was assured the required parts would be in town the next day (Saturday) for me.  Sure enough we rode into the dealership and were recognised instantly (very dusty and me with a pronounced limp). The parts were there and I was pointed in the direction of the service manager to see about getting them fitted.  No problem, “go and into the lounge and have a cup of coffee, it'll be ready in 10 minutes”.  So after a friendly chat to the Motorcycle Manager and a cup of coffe we were on the road again promtly and heading for Tekapo.  It's the sort of service one expects from BMW and we weren't let down. Another unplanned event was a storm which was to keep us in Hari Hari for an extra night. Strong winds and driving rain lead to the roads being flooded and fifteen miunutes after leaving for Nelson we found a sheltered spot to do a U turn and headed back to the Hari Hari Motor Lodge to see if we could have our room for another night.  Later that lunch time the bar mamager came looking for us in his 4x4 with his wife and little dog.  "We're going for a ride down the beach to see what the damage is, would you like to come along"  We jumped in to be given the right royal tour for the next two hours.  If you blink you'll miss Hari Hari but it is a real place with a small gourp of friendly residents who who lead fascinting lives in this little township.  This was a stay we'll never forget.Meeting up with friendly faces that we see at annual events such as this is a bonus and we all had a great time.  Our thanks to the organiising team for their hard work in putting this on for us.

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