Picking up Poppy
With the time difference working in our favor, Travis and I got an early start this morning. We ate breakfast, dropped off my Antarctica bag for holding, and met Poppy, our motorcycle.
Meet Poppy, our motorcycle for the next 7 days. (And yes, she came with the name)
Riding through Arthur’s Pass
From Christchurch, we hit the road heading northwest, hoping to make it to the western shore before the end of the day. We traveled through Arthur’s Pass, a highway that led us up and over the mountains that were standing in our way.
The scenery was gorgeous – mountains with a dusting of snow on their peaks, rivers so clear you could see the stones at the bottom, and tangles of vines draping down from the forest.
One of many beautiful sites in Arthur's Pass.
It was beautiful. Amazing. Stunning.
And then the rain came. Followed by fog. Followed by more rain.
I don’t know if you’ve been on a motorcycle in the rain before, but it’s kind of like running through a car wash with all of your clothes on. There’s no hiding. We were soaked.
And although slightly uncomfortable, I loved every minute of it.
Arriving in Hokitika
We finally made it to a little coastal town called Hokitika. The clouds cleared and the sun peaked through as we got some dinner and explored the beach.
Driftwood spells out the name of the town, Hokitika, with the ocean as a backdrop.
So, from our tent in Hokitika to your comfy bed back home, goodnight!
Settling in for the night at a campsite just outside of Hokitika.