MOTOR-CYCLING ON THE COAST.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 November 1924, Page 2

MOTOR-CYCLING ON THE COAST.

CAPTAIN M’LAG LAN'S EXPERIENCES.

-‘1 have travelled in most countries of the world and one of my most interesting tours, riding a B.S.A. motorcycle, was through Chinn from Tsingtan to tin* Shantou l’rovince to Tientsin—but that- trip has undoubtedly been excelled and crowned by my tour on a G h.p. B.S.A. through beautiful Westland down to the Franz Josef Glacier. If I described the scenery in full, it would sound like fairyland. Never, in all my travels, have I seen such lovely forests! The roads were rough, very rough in places, but the machine managed to go anywhere, including t’lio many reasonably deep creeks as far as Dry Creek which is about 30 miles from the Waiho. Under ordinary circumstances. it would have managed Dry (/rook easily, only T struck it in aHood, and llooils in South Westland have to be seen to be believed. Indeed. the only time in my life when 1 had the wind put up me completely was when I struck McCullock s Creek in flood and attempted to negotiate it on horseback. Dike a greenhorn, I started across the Creek on a very ‘wonkey’ steed and soon found nixself in deep water. My horse was shouldering the torrent nobly when all of a sudden the water appeared over tin* saililb*. Tito next moment- mv

horse was swept sideways, and I was swept out of the saddle and we were both whirled down the creek. As luck would have it, I was swept up against the side and managed to clamber out. At the same time, I saw my horse about 2d yards away scrambling up tbe side of the bank. The creature seemed none the worse for the experience as I found later that he made no demur about crossing many other swollen creeks we had to ford oil our homeward way. 1 have the greatest respect for the Westland horses, and I also have the greatest respect for my machine, which carried me down tho Great Soulli road and over most of the other roads in South Westland. I never had the slightest engine trouble which I consider marvellous, considering that I had the water frequently up ta the carburettor in crossing tho creeks:—lint just a tip to the motorcyclist. 1 think he will gain much by following ibis advice. Beiore at-

tempting to negotiate a creek of any depth, it is wise to grease up all the joints of your magneto and magneto dynamo, and tie a greasy rag over the outside of the magneto and magneto dvmtiiin. and also tie a greasy rag ovoY your carburettor. You will find tlpit von will then ho able to negotiate most of iDr* water-ways in South Westland. But I don’t want the motor-cyclist to think it is all rough. The greater parts of the road down there are as good as many of the toads around Cliristelutrch.”