Quick update: Yorkshireman v Daihatsu (aka: would you Adam 'n' Eve it?!)

So today I had my first proper prang of the trip, or more correctly, was pranged by a wretched fool of an American driving on the wrong side of the road.

The timing was impeccable, having just being kindly mentioned by Wayne on The Beaten Generation's blog http://www.thebeatengeneration.co.uk/tbg/index.php/2012/02/visit-beeston-world-tour/ specifically for the 'Visit Beeston' sticker stuck on the back of my pannier - it's now mangled beyond use and sadly retired after publicising the Elland Road hotel development in France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, India, Nepal and New Zealand...

End of the line for the Visit Beeston campaign

So what happened? Well, on the ride back to Te Anau from Milford Sound (OMFG, more later) riding firmly within my lane on a sweeping left hand corner, I exit the corner to see about 100 metres infront of me, a silver Daihatsu Sirion head on, in my lane, coming towards me. It's amazing how much you can think of in about 2 seconds.

There were three choices, all whilst jamming the brakes on:

1) swerve left onto the hard shoulder on 'my' side of the road - not so good because it was soft gravel, a steep downwards hill and trees, nobody on a bike is going to want to swerve towards trees.
2) stay straight and hope he moves back over to his side of the road remembering that NZ drives on the left - this seemed unlikley, he just seemed to be jamming the brakes on...
3) swerve to the right - quickly seeing there was no other oncoming traffic it was my only choice but not before my left hand side pannier smashed into the front right bodywork panel of his car, ripping my left side pannier clean off and sending my wobbling into a rocky verge, which annoyingly caught my big right-side Touratech pannier and destroyed the hooks which keep it on its frame and ripped the bottom quite badly too.

The dent I left

I could have at least knocked his light out!!

My right pannier, looks OK but is buggered too

My left pannier - mangled!

Exchanging details...

All in all it could have been far worse, if I'd not have been paying attention, I'd have hit the guy front on, and from his point of view, if I was a bus / campervan, he'd be dead from his own stupid fault.

So after swapping details and waiting for a responsible adult to turn up, take pictures and some more details, we're all back on our ways, me heading over to Dunedin to find some new boxes or fabric panniers.

I really can't moan because I've not got a single scratch, bruise or dent to my riding confidence (bikes also fine too baring a slightly bent rear brake lever - easily fixed, well done to the sturdy old warhorse!). Saying that, I'm a Yorkshireman and it's my damned birth given right to moan! It's odd, I mean really really odd how attached you become to your touring set up after its seen you through a lot of miles. The daft stickers I've been adding all the way have earned me so much attention from interested passers bye recently that I feel naked without them. What's to separate me from all the renters and locals without my big-ass world map and Yorkshire stickers!!

To be honest, there are worst views
to admire whilst waiting for the rozzers

I could go on all night – it's not often I use that phrase – but let's close it here, I need some food while I write down a list of words to describe the car driver:
1) Asshole. Actually I have to stop here because he was an asshole. So that just leaves me to break out the Visa card, go get some steak and a pint of coffee to reduce my heart rate.

(regular update from Wellington - Abel Tasman - Fox Glacier and Queenstown coming soon...)