1-16-11

Oamaru

Oh yes, I have been taking the little used back roads. Gravel? No problem if I take it easy.

these two tracks are not that bad but when it has an inch of loose stuff on top, the KiwiDog doesn’t like it at all.

A Cattle Stop is a cattle guard.

nice little Lavender farm along this little back road.

Logging operation.

The guy is cutting up the scrap for firewood.

Noting to do with cars or trucks, but a water crossing.

Some guys will ride to any height to put a sticker on a sign.

Nice place to have my lunch at the top of the pass.

Here is an interesting man out collecting flower seeds. I stopped as I had to see what he was up to and I am sure glad I did. Right off he said I must be from the US and asked where. I told him Montana and he said he went to school at Dartmouth and did his paper on the Medicine Mountains in Wyoming. He is a plant specialist of some kind and he said he would email me the story when he has time. I sure hope he does as it is really cool. You might remember the photos I posted of the multicolored lupines that were growing along the highway. Well, he said there is a story of  Seven Lupine Ladies and Two Gentleman. Long storey shortened down to almost zip is that he and his mother planted them when he was just a little kid. They plants were developed back in the early 1800’s from stock that came from the US and from northern England…. I think that is right. When or if he emails me with the story I will post it.as it is really great.

He said he was 76

fishing for trout….

I thought I would take a ride on this BIG bike.

Looked like a good place for a sticker ( peel it off Don if it offends you).

OK, I took a few photos in the afternoon and then in the evening I hear this big ruckus, even with my hearing aids out and walk down to see what is going on down by the train. I got to talking with a guy standing there and it turned out that he is the one that built it. His name is Don and he is a sculptor/artist and apparent renegade metal man in this town. He said he has stuff all over NZ and is working on a Mega project now. I didn’t get a chance to visit down at his shop but I am thinking I just might have to go back and see more. I have a couple of links here to the train and you can stumble around the website and find more outrageous stuff if you have time. Be sure to watch the video of the night event….. Stunning to say the least when there, in person.

http://steampunkoamaru.co.nz/steampunk-engine-sphq-001/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWG5X_SD-ow&NR=1

I keep wondering why Keith isn’t down here? oh, I hear he is whining about a minor skiing accident…. 

I met Don down at the coffee shop in the morning while I was having a cuppa with John. John is an old time biker and has a really nice shop. I went to his place after the steampunk train show and had a can of lemonade. I borrowed a set of feeler gages from him so I could adjust the valves in the KiwiDog. That went well by the way. Anyway here is John and Don. A couple of really nice guys.

This is a common sight down here in most towns.

These yellow and blue displays are almost just too bright to look at.

This town is just loaded with these huge old buildings. I guess they quarried the rock close by.