On arrival in Kumara yesterday we checked in to the Theatre Royal Hotel,(and as mentioned previously, and as last year, the bookings were confusing and inefficient), but we were there and we were happy after a fabulous day on the road, and a beer or two on the deck was a perfect way to celebrate.
A pissed and feral woman braying loudly, (apparently a local), and her two old timer companions, initially provided a bit of a floor show, followed by a tattooed Chinese woman trying to take a photo of a dog in a Ute with the crowd in total agreement that the upset dog would look very good attached to aforementioned tormentor, and tempted to open the door to see first hand - alas, not to happen. We enjoyed a very good meal at the Theatre Royal in Kumara, with the rump steak appearing to be favoured, accompanied by a couple of shared entrees worth mentioning, firstly camembert wontons in a marmalade sauce, the second, fish bites. Jeff’s Caesar salad and Craig’s prawn and Parmesan salad both rated well, with Mickies fish and chips perhaps a work in progress. Those who ordered dessert were not disappointed. Chris had us in fits as he moved his chair out from the table only to find that he’d run out of deck, falling a few inches, performing 95% of an outstanding recovery, then finishing with a spectacular tumble that was of Olympic class, to the applause of those other diners close by - his efforts bely both age and stature. As dinner drew to a close, the infamous West Coast mosquitoes (in droves, and some big enough to put a saddle on) finally forced us indoors for a couple of “roaders” , admiring a magnificent sunset before heading to bed. It was another cool morning, albeit with the promise of another gorgeous as the sun rose over the mountain tops, so it was a day for layers, to be shed as and when necessary- a day the eventually found us well into the 30’s. A light breakfast at the hotel, with mostly humourless foreign tourists seemingly unimpressed to have bikers as dining companions, but the those are the breaks, and then we were off. The ride through Arthur’s Pass on dry roads was both a novelty and very pleasant, not too much traffic, and more spectacular scenery. We stopped at the old coach stop, once the place where horses where changed and weary passengers refreshed, now an extraordinary eclectic pub complete with a terrific assortment of old and unusual memorabilia from 150 years ago. Unfortunately, despite our concerted efforts, we couldn’t manage to order morning tea, so moved on without spending a cent. Coffee and brunch at Springfield, our favourite cafe now on the outer after disappointing one or two of the guys - plenty of choices and competition within 100m so they’d best get their act together sooner rather than later. By now there was some real heat in the sun, so our next stop was to be the Blue Pub in Methven, another icon that has lived long and large on its past reputation, and is now ordinary at best. A drink and time to check and clear messages was all the venue warranted, so back into the sun to saddle up. The last leg of the day was the short run to Geraldine, long straights on very hot roads, the heat exacerbated by strong dry winds, and in deference to the heat, one or two jackets packed away in saddlebags, so perhaps a bit of a suntan. Our motel in Geraldine is a gem, even the offer of a wee pool (unfortunately too busy with kids and young mums for us) and the use owners car to collect cold provisions from the local pub. We took the opportunity to invoke a laundry day, so a combination of beer and sunshine was the perfect way to get the job done, despite Craig’s mangling instructions that saw us unload a washing machine in the owners home rather than the guests laundry. I’m now back in the air conditioned splendour of my room, with time for a well earned siesta before dinner. Don Malcolm +64 21 924 114 Comments are closed.
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Don MalcolmA perfect day involves being on my Harley with a long ride ahead.
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