After packing up in amongst many disruptions ("You can't use a black towel to dry your bike, I the owner will get a rag, only to return with a new white face towel")used it and well he wanted me to so I cleaned the wheels,,chain etc.He was a new owner and as late as 10pm had been knocking on our door with requests.

Is that an electric bike you are charging on my electrical account NO

Is that lead tagged NO

Do you have an RCD in line NO

Will it use much electricity NO (Room was already $180 per night)

For a motel owner in a motorcycle mecca city he has a long steep learning curve!

So after checking out we visited the Post Office bye bye Burt Munroe souveniers.

The chemist more leg repair materials.

The service Station that sold 91 for 1.91.9 the others are all 2.05.9c ltr.

Finally the open road beckoned and the two Triumphs headed North West .

Our route took us almost past our McKenzie Family friends where the night before Fiona had worked her kitchen skills on McKenzie killed Venison. I for one had a second slice which not been a big meat eater was unusal so it sure tasted nice and it was accompanied by Chilli Chicken, salads, nuts, home grown tomatoes and lovely deserts, a great way to finish a visit to Invercargill.

I took the long country farm route as we were in no hurry.

This meant little time on highways and more time passing small towns and rural landscape where sheep remained penned in their paddocks at Jeffrey's insistence.

I took a route that combined some medium curves with sweeping bends and the odd switchback as gentle undulating country passed under our wheels.

The scenery was typical New Zealand it changed at most curves from rolling green irrigated pasture land to spectacular swiftly flowing rivers with the ever present mountains lurking nearby.

I took them along a wide glacially formed valley so they could imagine before seeing Milford Sound the power of glaciers.

I had planned a lunch stop in a small rural town but unfortunately the cafe had closed so it was on to Tuatapere.

Tuatapere is a small town on the fringe of Fiordland in the county of Southland that is the self proclaimed Sausage Capital of New Zealand.

This is backed by the AA, Automobile Association, listing this town's sausages as one of the "must do's"when in New Zealand.

It is also the town in New Zealand that lay's claim to having both the longest hours of Sun shine in Summer and the shortest day;s in Winter.

It is the town where the sun last sets in Summer.

The town in 2015 suffered a major blow when the only butcher closed down so is it still the sausage capital?

We stopped at the multi purpose Shooting Centre come Cafe, Motel, Hostel, Backpackers and yes they sell sausages but i settled for a chicken pie. The sausages on sale were raw!

We continued North West until we arrived in Te Anau where a previous internet search had shown nil accommodation apart from two beds in a dorm at one of the backpackers.

Te Anau is a lovely town that is both a support for the local farming community and as an entrance to Milford Sound be that from Invercargill or Queenstown. It abounds in tourists most of whom arrive in Chinese made buses driven by Chinese drivers, guided by a Chinese Guide who has arranged all meals at a Chinese restaurant and souveniors from one of many Chinese owned shops, just like the tourist scene in Australia I guess.

We pulled up at a very large motel in the car park next to a New Zealand family, we didn't need to go to reception as a member of the hotel staff arrived and "moved us all on"as the Chinese buses began to arrived. Guess they had no need of our money?

We checked another large hotel but again the Chinese arrived and we were shown the door.

Option 3 was that Backpackers. i decided to join the que at the counter and a New Zelander lady spent the best part of half an hour rearranging rooms and accommodating us abit in three different rooms for two night and gaining tickets for a bus trip followed by a cruise with lunch at Milford Sound.

The Backpackers is a real mix of Nationalities from most countries except one (your guess).

I was sitting outside of my room chatting to all and sundry when a Irish lad asked if where are the Australian Husband & Wife motorcycle riders.

I said the man is in a room opposite me I'll get him and find his wife.

The Irishman replied his wife is collapsed at reception where they have called an Ambulance.

I gathered up Jeffrey and escorted him to Reception where Laura was seated at the door in great pain. In due course the St John Ambulance (NZ uses all St John Ambulances as there is no State run system) and after preliminary examination took her to the local medical centre as Te Anau has no hospital.

Jeffrey went in the Ambulance while I remained to work out logistical support.

Tom Tom plus my usual local knowledge ha me at the Medical centre a little later and after the Doctor arrived the decision was made to arrange an Ambulance transfer to Invercargill Southland Hospital immediately.

I had the forthought to take jeffrey's helmet with me so soon he was my pillion passenger back to collect Laura's gear so it could go with her in the Ambulance. With no need for us to travel in the dark we adjourned to the local Chinese Restaurant where a table was cleared and cleaned for us unlike others who had been turned away as "there are no vacancies all booked for Chinese groups" Our soups, Chinese tea and Chicken Chou Mein ( they forgot the rice!) came to $28 and proved to be the best Chinese meal in New Zealand as our previous attempts all tasted of fish oil. Perhaps that comes from most Chinese Take Away shops also offering Fish n Chips as is the practise in the UK. After a visit to the supermarket to collect milk and fruit juice it was back to the backpackers.

The next morning , probably to the absolute delight of my room mates, I was at reception very early awaiting the Milford Sound bus. The night had been short as I worked the phone to Laura using our free Travelsim SMS system, to friends in Invercargill and others who needed to know in Australia and Canada.

We booked on Cruise Milford Cruises and Fiordland Tours, on recommendations that they were a locally family owned company with small group size and a full commentary only in English with added stops and a supplied lunch.

Our driver, Jackie, did an excellent job soon learning every passengers name and going that little extra to ensure we were not swamped at viewing points and on arrival at Milford Sound our smaller vessel had less then 80 passengers and two Captains one of whom, a motorcycle rider, was walking the ship chatting to passengers.

The scenery was well worththe visit and such that only photo's will do it justice. We passed through the Homer tunnel and were "amazed"when a KEA bird was sighted casually sitting on a ute that upon closer inspection was sign written "Department of Fauna Conservation"stranger still was banana peels in the traybed keeping the Kea amused and when I threw them out a second bird appeared and they lost interest in that ute.