Hubbard Motorcycle Adventures

We really must get this spelling sorted out. Is it Zealand or Zeeland?  Should we have a referendum on it back home?  Would be wonderfully diversionary for any political party that tries it. Far simpler than a flag referendum.  Anyway time to back up the bus a little. A quick note from yesterday in Bruges about unthinking insensitivity. We are sitting in a cafe in the main square. It was raining heavily. There is a huge lightening flash followed by a ginormous sharp and almost deafening clap of thunder. " Sound just like a bomb going off " says the English tourist next to us somewhat unthinkingly and with a loud and penetrating voice as only the English can do. . Diana pointed out to him his gaffe. The chappie got the message loud and clear. Bombings are still a hugely sensitive issue in Belgium particularly in public places and they were telling us the tourist trade is now well down as a result and even the economy is shaken.  Anyway back to stories of the road. We leave Bru

It is Channel Tunnel day. Off to the terminal we go and it is thru Customs and on to the train. No one in customs - either French or English - is the slightest bit interested in the bike. We could have well been travelling by Pogo stick instead of being on a bike for all they were interested.    And we are on the train   OK we are now in France. So?  What now ?  Well it looks like heavy rain ahead. So on with the heavy duty rain gear and a quick 140km run up to Bruges. As we approach Bruges it rains. And rains. And rains. So what better to do than to find a nice warm hotel and spend the afternoon drinking lovely Belgium chocolate.  I think we were a total of 3 hours in France!  

It is Sunday the 29th of May - departure day. So Orlanda was all checked over and packed up. At about 10.00am it was the obligatory farewell photos, speeches etc in front of Hamish and Melba's apartment.    And more. Spot  the Cutty Sark in the background.    And we are officially away    Firstly it is off to the Ace Cafe in North  London. This cafe is famous for being a meeting place for motorcyclists for about 70 years. There is a tradition that all long distance motorbike rides start from there. Evan McGregor and Charlie Borman started from there for their  Long Way Roundand Long Way Down rides. So we did it too but without the film cameras in tow !     We meet up with Fern for coffee.  She is a round the world motorcyclist who ended up working at the motorcycle shop in Queenstown for a year and who is now back in England.  Now here below is an interesting photo. She cleans the bike whilst he drinketh the coffee. An interesting concept!    When in England what better way to star

Yes, off we go to meet up for a late Birthday lunch ( Diana's) with Hamish and Melba. I ride the bike to Tooley St with my brand new GPS. I scatter pedestrians as I navigate thru shared walkways at Borough Markets. I get to one end of Tooley Street. It is one way against me because of roadworks.  But there is a cycle way. l look at it.  A man in a fluoro jacket stops me No way Jose! I go round the block and end up outside the Shard !  I try again. The man in the jacket again is not going to let me thru. I am only 500 metres from the restaurant and stymied. OK - some boldness is required here. I wait until the man in the fluoro jacket looks the other way. I rev up and go barrelling full speed down the very narrow cycleway. The man in the fluoro  jacket looks up startled and sees a 500kg motorbike coming straight at him. He jumps out of the way. He has too!  He makes a threatening gesture. I wave back. Good luck with noting down my NZ number plates mate ! We are at the restaurant.  

Well, the Hubbards have arrived in London. All London rejoices!  And we are ensconced at Hamish and Melbas place.  Next morning - still jet lagged and a little foggy it is across London on that  ubiquitous "Mind the gap" London transport system  to the freight Cpmpany near Heathrow. And there in the warehouse is a parcel with my name on it       Let's play unwrap the parcel      And lo and behold look what is here -      So let ust see if we can put it together      Thanks team at TransGlobal for all your help  But wait, there is a problem. The GPS does not work! Oh! Oh, Oh ! And now I have to ride right across London navigating by the sun, the stars and the maps on the iPhone. Eck!!!!!!!   So with a certain amount of trepidation off we go. Oh, that is Harrods I have just gone past. Think if I turn right here I go then Sloane Square  and from there across the river. Tiffanys, Prada - that must be Sloane Square! Somewhere near Battersea is a BMW motorcycle service centre.

So it was time to get ready. And to think about riding the bike up from Queenstown to Auckland   We went to the Interislander terminal. Woops - the Cook Straight ferry seems to have shrunk and we are still in Queenstown. Oh well, we will try the Earnslaugh instead.  So it was on the good  SS Earnslaugh in Queenstown ( riding up the plank was interesting !). Then off at Walter Peak  station ( sheep station - not railway station!) and a nice ride the high country road past Mavora Lakes and thus to the very bottom end of New Zealand      Aha, the sign at Bluff is helpful. That is where London ( and the start ) is    So then a quick  visit to the  Burt Munroe museam in Invercargill ( to keep our overseas credibility up )    Perhaps the BMW might be more comfortable  tho ....... And then back to Queenstown to start the packing    And that folds up and packs up to this    Woops , forgot the most important part. !!   Then come 7am on a cold morning in early April and we are off to Auckland fo