I’ve handled two bucket list items in the last six months. I made it to Cuba before McDonalds fast food joints spring up on every other corner. Then I ran into the opportunity to see New Zealand and deliver my mother’s ashes to her chosen resting place in the Eden Gardens, Auckland, North Island. No, my mother is not from New Zealand. She traveled the world and to New Zealand often.
My nickname switched from Bandit to Wounded Toe for the trip. I ran over my one and only big toe the morning of our flights with the headquarter’s dumpster and ended up in urgent care in our little third world country between Long Beach and San Pedro. We didn’t have time to hit the VA hospital. Would I lose my toenail or die of jungle rot, became the mystery of this excursion.
My mom’s longtime New Zealand friend Lisa Robinson helped with the arrangements, but didn’t want anything to do with my injured toe. She also offered to make it happen around the time of the Burt Munro Challenge motorcycle events in Invercargill at nearly the bottom of the South Island. Traveling to New Zealand, below Australia held challenges and mysteries. It’s a country southeast of Australia, made up of two Islands, the North Island and the South Island.
The total land mass is about the size of California, but the population is fortunately only five million with two million hanging out in the crowded town of Auckland, sort of on a clamoring peninsula. We flew to Auckland, 12 hours, waited two hours and flew to Queenstown, about two hours, on the South Island. Then we rented a car and drove for two hours south to Winton. Then we threw our bags into Graeme Lowen’s pad, jumped on motorcycles and into a sidecar to blast to Invercargill for the Burt Munro Beach Racing.
Here are the Burt basics from Wikipedia: Herbert James “Burt” Munro (Bert in his youth; 25 March 1899 – 6 January 1978) was a New Zealand motorcycle racer, famous for setting an under 1,000 cc world record, at Bonneville, 26 August 1967 with an Indian Scout. This record still stands; Munro was 68 and was riding a 47-year-old machine when he set his last record.
From his home in Invercargill, he worked for 20 years to highly modify the 1920 Indian motorcycle that he bought new. Munro set his first New Zealand speed record in 1938 and later set seven more. He travelled to compete at the Bonneville Salt Flats ten times. He set three speed records, one of which still stands.
His efforts, and success, are the basis of the motion picture The World’s Fastest Indian (2005), starring Anthony Hopkins, and an earlier 1971 short documentary film Burt Munro: Offerings to the God of Speed, both directed by Roger Donaldson.
Jet Lag, we don’t need no stinking Jet Lag. We hauled ass to the beach in Invercargill where crowds watched the sand racing from inland sand flats scattered with seaweed and driftwood. No alcohol was offered, although plenty was available in personal coolers. The flat track oval was long and near the water’s edge.
Spectators also scattered in the sand dunes alive with sea grass and peered out to sea between screaming fits of racing shooting sand skyward. Most of the bikes were dirt bikes, but a few high-powered sport bikes and café racers filled the flying mix of bikes. Surprisingly few riders went down. “If you squint,” Graeme said, “you can see Antarctic Ice from here.”
We scouted the vendors for Jack Daniels and cold beers but were turned down—fuckin’ yanks.
Special guests Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt officially opened the Indian Motorcycle NZ Beach Races and The World’s Fastest Indian film director Roger Donaldson. Congratulations to Aussie rider Damien Koppe for taking out the Burt Munro Trophy!
After a massive fish and chips dinner on the Lowen dining room table we crashed out then spent several days attending Challenge events. One of the major highlights of Invercargill was the home of the Burt Munro museum scattered throughout the E Hayes Hardward store.
The name Hayes is synonymous with farming and engineering through many of the Hayes original inventions found on farms throughout New Zealand to this present day.
Ernest Hayes originally started business in the township of Oturehua – formerly named Rough Ridge – in Central Otago* in the late 1800s developing numerous new products using his pioneering engineering skills. One of his most significant inventions was the development of the Hayes permanent fence strainer in 1905 – a product still manufactured today and widely used on farms throughout New Zealand.
Irving Hayes, one of the sons of Ernest Hayes, opened the Invercargill branch of E Hayes and Sons on Leven Street in 1932, located in premises leased from the Railways Department. The original rent was 28/6 ($2.85) per week.
The grandson of Irving Hayes is the current Managing Director Neville Hayes who started with the company in 1972, following in the footsteps of his father Norman Hayes who ’steered’ the business for over 60 years. As was tradition, Neville began work “on-the-bike” and initially drove the company delivery van.
Generations of the Hayes family have continued to be involved in every level of the business, driving the company forward to meet the challenges of the future while adhering to the company values of ‘Putting People First.’
The initial part of the present Dee Street, Invercargill premises was built in 1956 and with the acquisition of the adjoining building the shop now fills an entire city block from front to rear. The ‘tool wall’ alone is in excess of 100 meters long with an enormous array of tools.
“E Hayes has a lot of local racing cars and various local racing bikes and other weird and wonderful bits of machinery on display amongst the normal store merchandise,” said Graeme. “They also have the bits of blown-up and worn-out engines in a display Burt called, ‘Offerings to the God of Speed.’ Hayes and Burt Munro were great mates and the Hayes were very astute businessmen as well.
The late Norman Hayes was smart enough to have bought Burt’s bike and other bits when Burt offered them to him at a point in time when Burt need to raise some funds.”
Sidebar: We left on Wednesday lost Thursday so arrived on Friday.
The next morning (Saturday) I needed a break. I elevated my foot for a while and took a bath while Graeme, Keegan, Richard and the girls returned to the rally site for shopping.
Over 2000 visitors camped out at Oreti Park, enjoying great live entertainment and the awesome display of motorcycles.
We jammed back south in the afternoon for the Oreti Park Speedway Spectacular. This family favorite attracted record numbers supporting peewees to sidecars. Packed with spectators, the sidecar action was nail-biting exciting and fast. The kids were a kick to watch.
“The girls were keen to try a local New Zealand drink,” Graeme added, “while Bandit stuck with Jack Daniels.” But it was in a can with Coke and didn’t cut it. “The solos had plenty of racing, but it was the sidecars that pulled everyones’ attention when they rip away from the starting line. They are definitely faster than the solos and it made for some exciting racing.”
Everyday we scooted along beautiful flat two-lane highways unencumbered with billboards and franchise stores. In his spacious fiberglass sidecar Keegan and I held on as Graeme blasted past cow pastures and fields of freshly sheered sheep. The pristine homes were surrounded by wild, well-trimmed artic wind barriers made of tall trees and a sort of a Cyprus hedge that grew to 50 feet.
We also attended the official Bike Show housed in a car club’s headquarters. They had a specific slant to their vintage display each year. This year it was ‘60s and ‘70s Hondas. Nostalgic building with hardwood floors dinged with a long history or high heel shoes dancing.
We missed the Classic Motorcycle Mecca NZ Hill Climb Champs. An incredibly sunny day saw riders take on Bluff Hill in perfect conditions with Mitch Rees taking out first place.
Sunday we scrambled out of the sack early to attend the Honda Invercargill
Street Races. It drizzled as we slipped into a flat growing industrial area with manufacturing buildings and empty grassy lots. The infrastructure was perfect with a maze of well-maintain asphalt roads and concrete borders.
The professionally laid out area was cordoned off with barriers and stacked bales of hay. We arrived as vintage Indian Scouts and flathead Harleys whipped around the track. Maybe that was the issue. Don’t run the vintage heats first.
“The Southland Motorcycle Club along with the Burt Munro Challenge organizing committee are sincerely sorry for having to cancel the Honda Invercargill Street Races because of a significant oil spill on the track,” reported the staff.
The oil spill from a motorcycle contaminated about 95 per cent of the track with the remainder of racing having to be cancelled to maintain rider and public safety.
I wondered if they followed the Burt Munro mantra. Would Burt stop racing under those conditions? Where was the degreaser truck?
But we still had a blast checking the action, the party in the streets and the bikes.
As a gesture of goodwill regarding the premature cancellation, the Southland Motorcycle Club made a donation to St John New Zealand, who continues to support the Burt Munro Challenge by looking after competitor and public safety.
Note: If you have any concerns in relation to this event, please contact us at burtmunro@venturesouthland.co.nz
Congratulations to legendary commentator Neil Ritchie who was awarded this year’s Munro Family Trophy!
The girl’s peeled out and Graeme, Keegan and I peeled to Bill Richardson’s Transport World a World class truck museum with several other displays including motorcycles.
We watched Offerings to the God of Speed in a motorcycle home in Invercargill on a rainy day, while returning Keegan to his home in Graeme’s sidecar. Keegan is an 11 year old, single mother raised kid, who doesn’t have a dad. Graeme is helping out and has hauled this youngster to rallies all over the country for the last seven years, good man. He saves and engraves each rally pin for Keegan. “It will be a few years yet before I present them to him,” Graeme said. “I took him to a rally this last weekend and we are away to another one this weekend as well.”
Monday Graeme and I rented a many-seat van for a day trip to the very southern reaches of South Island.
“First off it was south trough Invercargill to Bluff and the end of Sh 1, (or the start of it) some 55 minutes and 60 km away,” said Graeme. “Then it was to the top of Bluff Hill and the view was just magnificent of the Southland Plains on such a fine morning. This hill also has a concrete gun emplacement or a large coastal gun to defend the harbor from the enemy in World War
II during the 1940s.”
After almost another hour and 60 km to reach a spot on the coast for lunch. We had to stop and try Whitebait, a miracle omelet mate from miniscule fish you can’t see.
We had to try thousands of fish all cooked in tiny pans to make up this delightful concoction. It was the size of it that caught us all by surprise! “In my experience Whitebait patties are just about 100mm or so in diameter but not this one,” said Graeme.
It must be at close to 300 mm in diameter.
Whitebait are a very rare seasonal food and require a lot of patience to catch them, in large very fine nets. You must know where and when to catch them since you can’t see them and you never know what season will bring them. Then there are severe regulations.
“They have ‘stands’ on the side of a tidal estuary,” said Graeme. “Sportsmen are subject to a yearly fee and there are certain conditions that have to be met.”
“There are only a few places around the South Island that are suitable for such activities and they are zealously guarded by the same mystic fishermen year after year,” continued Graeme. “They are the only ones who can hear the Whitebait fish whistle.”
Then it is on to Curio Bay via the coastal route of Fortrose Otara/Haladne Road. This road is under going a reconstruction in preparation for being turned into a sealed road so that not so many tourists fall off the side of it. There is also a section that is subjected to coastal flooding. It is that close to the normal high tide mark. As we bumped over rough roads we discussed the notion of Curio Bay and the meaning of Curio. It became a mission to find a Curio Shop.
“The view over looking the TautukuBay is one that always looks magnificent on a fine day, even for me who has seen it lots,” said Graeme. The beach was amazing without a soul stepping on it. Then we stopped in at Papatowai, so that we could have a paddle in the Pacific Ocean. “Wounded toe was able to let it soak in the healing briny waters,” said Graeme. “Hopefully do the mangled wounded toe a bit of good.”
It was the best part of two hours before we arrived back in Invercargill to the Cabbage Tree Restaurant. The Cabbage Tree is a native tree to New Zealand and used to grow in all sorts of places. Plus the sprawling family restaurant held a solid supply of Jack Daniels, but charged an arm and a leg for half a shot. I’ll wait.
We ultimately found a Curio shop built into a bus along side the road but weren’t allowed in, maybe another time.
