Planet Rugby Forum

deadduck wrote:I see you left out Invercargill.

Would be difficult to skip over Invercargill, that place is a given. Since the glowworm caves have been discussed, it's as easy to check them out in Te Anau!

deadduck wrote:I see you left out Invercargill.

Not a tourist city, bit like Rotorua. Great hub for Stewart Island, Fiordland and the Catlins.

mr bungle wrote:

deadduck wrote:I see you left out Invercargill.

Not a tourist city, bit like Rotorua. Great hub for Stewart Island, Fiordland and the Catlins.

Yep, great launching city, and with cheap beer and decent fish and chips, not bad for one night only.

guy smiley wrote:

usermame wrote:

guy smiley wrote:EDIT... can't overestimate the tight, winding nature of the roads enough. It's slow going at times with a lot of heavy truck traffic to negotiate and Kiwi drivers are impatient. They'll sit right on your arse... it shits me.

I've found if one is tail gated that giving four seconds between the rear of the car in front and the front of the car in the rear tends to encourage more space behind one. But yes.

I'm guessing that you mean dropping back from the car in front of you by 4 seconds? Because your Swahili is garbled but I agree...

and Deadduck makes a good point about pulling over. Not enough drivers do that.

No, four seconds between the back of the car in front and the front of the car behind.
Do you need it in gibberish?

Pat the Ex Mat wrote:

booji boy wrote:
I have but it's incorrect.

Pat the Ex Mat is in Aussie though isn't he so the misspelling is not surprising.

Pom actually!

I should beware relying on Aussie spelling - they spell Maroon correctly but pronounce it Marone.....

I know you're a pom but aren't you domiciled in OZ?

deadduck wrote:Yes if time is not a factor definitely go from Christchurch inland via Geraldine to Lake Tekapo then to Omarama back down SH83 to Oamaru and down to Moeraki. Mt Cook village is along this road with the drive up the side of Lake Pukaki being a stunning one.

You can probably skip Timaru altogether. A more wretched hive of scum and villainy you will not find

This. Lake Pukaki and Mt Cook and surrounds are unbelievably awesome on a clear day. I don't think you want to miss out on this part of NZ, it is spectacular.

usermame wrote:

guy smiley wrote:

usermame wrote:

guy smiley wrote:EDIT... can't overestimate the tight, winding nature of the roads enough. It's slow going at times with a lot of heavy truck traffic to negotiate and Kiwi drivers are impatient. They'll sit right on your arse... it shits me.

I've found if one is tail gated that giving four seconds between the rear of the car in front and the front of the car in the rear tends to encourage more space behind one. But yes.

I'm guessing that you mean dropping back from the car in front of you by 4 seconds? Because your Swahili is garbled but I agree...

and Deadduck makes a good point about pulling over. Not enough drivers do that.

No, four seconds between the back of the car in front and the front of the car behind.
Do you need it in gibberish?

How do you ensure the four seconds from the front of the car behind?

mr bungle wrote:

deadduck wrote:I see you left out Invercargill.

Not a tourist city, bit like Rotorua. Great hub for Stewart Island, Fiordland and the Catlins.

I was tipped off about Fat Bastard's Pie Shop so will be making pilgrimage. Also so I can say I've gone from Oban, Argyll to Oban, Stewart Island. .

WoodlandsRFC wrote:

deadduck wrote:

WoodlandsRFC wrote:

deadduck wrote:Yes if time is not a factor definitely go from Christchurch inland via Geraldine to Lake Tekapo then to Omarama back down SH83 to Oamaru and down to Moeraki. Mt Cook village is along this road to, with the drive up the side of Lake Pukaki being a stunning one.

You can probably skip Timaru altogether. A more wretched hive of scum and villainy you will not find

Agreed, turn off just prior to Ashburton I believe, avoid Ashburton, Timaru and Oamaru. It's not that they're bad towns, but there's certainly far better things to see between CHCH and Moeraki. Personally would have driven down the West Coast via Lewis or Arthur's pass, and returned back up the South Island via Alexandra and the Lindis Pass. But hey, that's just a local South Islanders opinion.

You can go straight out from Christchurch on West Coast Rd, use SH77 and SH72. Stunning drive, especially when there's snow about.



I usually do the West Coast on the return north.

Either or, hopefully Caley Red isn't skipping over Abel Tasman National Park etc but I'm sure he can visit those on the way back up. Via the Catlin's, Te Anau, Milford Sound, Queenstown and Wanaka back up the West Coast.

No, definitely not skipping Abel Tasman after the plaudits it was given on here!

UncleFB wrote:How do you ensure the four seconds from the front of the car behind?

You pick a mark you'll be able to see in your mirror, like a road marking, for example, or whatever. You start counting when the rear of the car in front aligns with that mark, you know, thousand and one...thousand and two, etc., then watch in your mirror to see when the front of the car behind aligns with that mark. If it's before a thousand and four, you drop back a bit more from the car in front until that timing is achieved. Then if the car in front stops suddenly you'll be able to manage your braking so you don't get rear ended.

If the car behind won't maintain a safe braking distance by itself, you'll have to do it for it.

booji boy wrote:

Pat the Ex Mat wrote:

booji boy wrote:
I have but it's incorrect.

Pat the Ex Mat is in Aussie though isn't he so the misspelling is not surprising.

Pom actually!

I should beware relying on Aussie spelling - they spell Maroon correctly but pronounce it Marone.....

I know you're a pom but aren't you domiciled in OZ?

I am, but I can't be doing with inaccurate pronunciation!

usermame wrote:

deadduck wrote:If someone is tailing you, pull over and let them pass.

Many will tail whilst in a queue.

Coming from a land I consider to be the most courteous driving nation in the world (UK), I am determined to do my bit to ensure that reputation is upheld

Hence, I will be pulling over at regular intervals to allow the good people of NZ to pass on their own roads

WoodlandsRFC wrote:

mr bungle wrote:

deadduck wrote:I see you left out Invercargill.

Not a tourist city, bit like Rotorua. Great hub for Stewart Island, Fiordland and the Catlins.

Yep, great launching city, and with cheap beer and decent fish and chips, not bad for one night only.

If not even the locals can think of a single decent pie shop in Invercargill, we can hardly expect a visitor to go there.

Caley_Red wrote:

usermame wrote:

deadduck wrote:If someone is tailing you, pull over and let them pass.

Many will tail whilst in a queue.

Coming from a land I consider to be the most courteous driving nation in the world (UK), I am determined to do my bit to ensure that reputation is upheld

Hence, I will be pulling over at regular intervals to allow the good people of NZ to pass on their own roads

Try not to spend too much time in Auckland if you are a polite driver.. some of the most arrogant drivers you will ever have the displeasure of driving with.. also many are incompetent

Kiwias wrote:

WoodlandsRFC wrote:

mr bungle wrote:

deadduck wrote:I see you left out Invercargill.

Not a tourist city, bit like Rotorua. Great hub for Stewart Island, Fiordland and the Catlins.

Yep, great launching city, and with cheap beer and decent fish and chips, not bad for one night only.

If not even the locals can think of a single decent pie shop in Invercargill, we can hardly expect a visitor to go there.

Fat Bastard Pies have already been mentioned, you skinny bastard.

mr bungle wrote: Fat Bastard Pies have already been mentioned, you skinny bastard.

I plan on visiting one day and this pleases me

Pat the Ex Mat wrote:

mr bungle wrote: Fat Bastard Pies have already been mentioned, you skinny bastard.

I plan on visiting one day and this pleases me

Some people really love them. I was a bit underwhelmed. I'm a bit of a Fergbaker pie connoisseur.

As for servo pies, one can't beat a Jimmy's Mince & Cheese.

mr bungle wrote:

Kiwias wrote:

WoodlandsRFC wrote:

mr bungle wrote:

deadduck wrote:I see you left out Invercargill.

Not a tourist city, bit like Rotorua. Great hub for Stewart Island, Fiordland and the Catlins.

Yep, great launching city, and with cheap beer and decent fish and chips, not bad for one night only.

If not even the locals can think of a single decent pie shop in Invercargill, we can hardly expect a visitor to go there.

Fat Bastard Pies have already been mentioned, you skinny bastard.

Since when has reading the whole thread been a requirement for making a post?

booji boy wrote:

Caley_Red wrote:Also, a general thanks to everyone who has contributed so far- I've begun transcribing the recommendations into a route complete with pie stops

I am not going until Sept but will post my finalized route and rough dates in case anyone knows of another pie shop or pub in the vicinity

Well if you do make it to the recommended Taupo pie shop I can meet you at a pub later to wash it down.

I live in Taupo. It's a pretty small town.

It's world famous - well, it's my home town. I still get all nostalgic when I am driving thru.

Caley_Red wrote:I was tipped off about Fat Bastard's Pie Shop so will be making pilgrimage. Also so I can say I've gone from Oban, Argyll to Oban, Stewart Island.

They say it wrong though. Oh-Ban, not Ohb'n. Also Invercaaaaargill.

The ferry over can be an experience of a lifetime. They run in pretty much any weather and the route is beam-on to the prevailing swell and wind. Our trip back was meh but the trip out was green water over the top of the boat every other wave. The skipper just set it at 20kts and put the hammer down. First passenger threw their breakfast about ten minutes after leaving the heads at Bluff. About 75% must have puked in the end while the auld commercial fishermen at the bar just sat and drank beer and laughed.

Old school Dunedin pubs? Duke of Wellington might fit that description. But the locals should have better info.

Fat Old Git wrote:Old school Dunedin pubs? Duke of Wellington might fit that description. But the locals should have better info.

St Kilda Tavern? Robert Burns pub? The Kensington? Best bet for a good bar is to check out the Octagon, there's heaps there. The Bog isn't too bad either.

Skip Dunners, it's rubbish. Coming up from Bluff / Catlins, Moeraki's less than an hour up the road and has a perfectly good pub and a world-class seafood joint on the wharf. Or Oamaru - good beer, some great places to eat, and much prettier.

Sorry Dunnersites.

TheDocForgotHisLogon wrote:Skip Dunners, it's rubbish. Coming up from Bluff / Catlins, Moeraki's less than an hour up the road and has a perfectly good pub and a world-class seafood joint on the wharf. Or Oamaru - good beer, some great places to eat, and much prettier.

Sorry Dunnersites.

I love Dunedin.

guy smiley wrote:We don't really do pubs well, do we?

Same over here... it's hard to find a really good little pub that fits like an armchair. The SH is more about the beerbarn.

The actual pub is rare. NE Scotland most of the pubs are tiny. 20 people and they'd be pretty full.

MteP above cited the Lord Nelson in Sydney, lovely building and bizzarely I had some excellent canned seafood there a few weeks ago! The Soldier Of Fortune down the road is pretty cool as well.

I think we do do a great thing that's not a pub and not a beer barn though - really high quality bars that don't feel at all like an armchair but have a great vibe and are excellent at doing very good beer and food. LBQ, Goldings, GP on Aro St, the Panhead etc. precinct in Upper Hutt, Hop Garden, etc. in Wellington. Glassblowers in Melbourne, 4 Pines in Manly.

Caley_Red wrote:

frillage wrote:

SilverGrin wrote:

Caley_Red wrote:

SilverGrin wrote:If you make it to Dunedin, get in touch and I can take you for a ride down the peninsula on the back of my bike.

I'll 100% be making it to Dunedin as it's one of the places I've always wanted to go! Just been looking at google images of it now.

With the smile from that avatar, your offer wouldn't happen to be a euphemism?

No euphemism, no.



Easy enough to bolt the pillion seat on.

It's a pretty neat way to enjoy the countryside IMO.

Don't feel obliged to, I'm happy enough to meet up for a quiet beer.

Not a euphemism, but he only needs the pillion for the ride to the peninsula!

I'll certainly take you up on the beer!

I haven't been on a motorbike since I crashed one in Cambodia (about 20 mins after the first 2017 Lions - AB test concluded) so will have to banish the fear!

Are there any old school pubs in Dunedin? I am hoping they have also replicated the Edinburgh pubs. .

It's pretty hard not to like the Stadium Bar in the Octagon. A shrine utterly dedicated to rugby, and I have fond memories of a decent four hour session there ahead of the All Blacks' 46-6 win over Wales in 2016.

As for really old school numbers, try the Albert Arms on George St.

The real must try though is Emerson's Brewery near Forsyth Barr Stadium (home of The Highlanders). They brew outstanding beers and have a big shiny new brewery bar that does it justice.

Hi bro
I live just out of Te Anau on a farm , just come park up , plug in and do some washing wifi etc . Good base to do proper forest walks .. no one out forests fiordland

Haven’t read all the fred yet but am guessing some cove has suggested I’m a red neck double brown drinking Harley riding psycho ... in my defence .. whatever ...just park in the back yard and don’t pat the dog .

Hareaway wrote:Hi bro
I live just out of Te Anau on a farm , just come park up , plug in and do some washing wifi etc . Good base to do proper forest walks .. no one out forests fiordland

Haven’t read all the fred yet but am guessing some cove has suggested I’m a red neck double brown drinking Harley riding psycho ... in my defence .. whatever ...just park in the back yard and don’t pat the dog .

I thought you were near Glenorchy or am I thinking of another poster?

Andalu wrote:

Hareaway wrote:Hi bro
I live just out of Te Anau on a farm , just come park up , plug in and do some washing wifi etc . Good base to do proper forest walks .. no one out forests fiordland

Haven’t read all the fred yet but am guessing some cove has suggested I’m a red neck double brown drinking Harley riding psycho ... in my defence .. whatever ...just park in the back yard and don’t pat the dog .

I thought you were near Glenorchy or am I thinking of another poster?

You’re thinking of another unfunny arse, me. But I only holiday there.

Jay Cee Gee wrote:

Seneca of the Night wrote:

obelixtim wrote:

usermame wrote:

WoodlandsRFC wrote: Marton truly epitomises the (not so) rural Kiwi former service town cum intellectual mecca, Its no wonder it was on the shortlist for NZs most beautiful town in 1983.

Well I'm happy to hear that. I have a soft spot for the place after my 2nd cousin showed me how to ride his motor cycle on his farm there when I must have been, oh, at least 9 or 10. I was always a bit miffed a tractor rolled on him.

I remember a newspaper headline from years ago, after a tractor rolled on an AB forward (can't remember who it was)

"Tractor damaged when rolling on All Black forward".

Might have been Ken Gray.

Ken Gray farmed in Plimmerton I think. Marton is flat - how does a tractor roll on someone there? But I think Jazz Muller might have ended up there from memory.

Yeah, I met his brother a few years back and he told me the family had basically owned all the land on the eastern side of SH1 from Plimmerton to Pukerua Bay.

Yeah I spent lots of time in pkb. We used to mission onto their farm and camp in a valley getting pissed as teenagers.

Shit this thread is making me want to do a South Island tour again.

RuggaBugga wrote:Shit this thread is making me want to do a South Island tour again.

Might be attending a wedding in Qtown next NZ summer and I'm actually excited as I'll do a mini tiki tour around the area if it goes ahead.

Hareaway wrote:Hi bro


Haven’t read all the fred yet but am guessing some cove has suggested I’m a red neck double brown drinking Harley riding psycho ... in my defence .. whatever ...just park in the back yard and don’t pat the dog .

I thought you were pretty metrosexualist when you were in Sydney. Fitted right in!

Watch out for that Hareaway. He's a red neck double brown drinking Harley riding psycho...





Seriously though, take him up and SG up on their offers.

Pat the Ex Mat wrote:

Hareaway wrote:Hi bro


Haven’t read all the fred yet but am guessing some cove has suggested I’m a red neck double brown drinking Harley riding psycho ... in my defence .. whatever ...just park in the back yard and don’t pat the dog .

I thought you were pretty metrosexualist when you were in Sydney. Fitted right in!

I’m just a rugger chap , who likes other rugby lads

Hareaway wrote:

I’m just a rugger chap , who likes other rugby lads

Alan Jones?!

Hareaway wrote:

Pat the Ex Mat wrote:

Hareaway wrote:Hi bro


Haven’t read all the fred yet but am guessing some cove has suggested I’m a red neck double brown drinking Harley riding psycho ... in my defence .. whatever ...just park in the back yard and don’t pat the dog .

I thought you were pretty metrosexualist when you were in Sydney. Fitted right in!

I’m just a rugger chap , who likes other rugby lads

I remember you telling me that right before you asked if this rag smelled like chloroform.

Caley, don't book accommodation for Dunedin if you're staying nights, we have a self-contained flat above a separate garage here that you're welcome to. Peaceful coastal views and about 15 minutes from the city centre.

SilverGrin wrote:Caley, don't book accommodation for Dunedin if you're staying nights, we have a self-contained flat above a separate garage here that you're welcome to. Peaceful coastal views and about 15 minutes from the city centre.

That is extremely kind of you, SilverGrin, and I may well take you up on the offer.

Naturally, payment could be in the form of getting pissed around Dunedin.

I'll have firmer dates once I've drafted up the itinerary- just waiting on the deadly Lonely Planet guide appearing so I can flesh out my skeleton plans!

Caley_Red wrote:

SilverGrin wrote:Caley, don't book accommodation for Dunedin if you're staying nights, we have a self-contained flat above a separate garage here that you're welcome to. Peaceful coastal views and about 15 minutes from the city centre.

That is extremely kind of you, SilverGrin, and I may well take you up on the offer.

Naturally, payment could be in the form of getting pissed around Dunedin.

I'll have firmer dates once I've drafted up the itinerary- just waiting on the deadly Lonely Planet guide appearing so I can flesh out my skeleton plans!

SilverGrin does a great roast pork and his cheese scones aren't bad either.

Ghost-Of-Nepia wrote:

Caley_Red wrote:

SilverGrin wrote:Caley, don't book accommodation for Dunedin if you're staying nights, we have a self-contained flat above a separate garage here that you're welcome to. Peaceful coastal views and about 15 minutes from the city centre.

That is extremely kind of you, SilverGrin, and I may well take you up on the offer.

Naturally, payment could be in the form of getting pissed around Dunedin.

I'll have firmer dates once I've drafted up the itinerary- just waiting on the deadly Lonely Planet guide appearing so I can flesh out my skeleton plans!

SilverGrin does a great roast pork and his cheese scones aren't bad either.

That's manly man and not manly man in the one sentence.