Timaru motorcyclists killed in Turkey

Neil and Carol Bishop had been having a ball on their motorcycle trip through Turkey.

Yesterday it came to a devastating and tragic end as the couple from Washdyke near Timaru both died instantly when their motorcycle collided head-on with a van as they headed from the southeastern city of Diyarbakir to the eastern city of Van.

The news has devastated their families.

Mrs Bishop's father, Dave Wilson, told NZPA today they had been given few details of the accident.

They had been called by another member of the motorcycle party and said the couple had pulled out to overtake another vehicle and had collided head-on with the mini bus.

Mr Wilson said he and his wife Betty were overwhelmed by the news.

"It's sad, sad," he told NZPA.

The dead couple, both in their early 50s, were part of a group of 30 motorcycles touring Turkey and were due home in a fortnight.

Mr Wilson said before they headed back to New Zealand they had planned to go to Gallipoli and the part of Turkey where Mr Bishop's father served during the war.

He said the couple had been having a ball in Turkey and had had a wonderful reception from the Turkish people.

"It had been marvellous, marvellous. They got a great reception," an emotional Mr Wilson said.

He said the families did not know what would happen over the repatriation of the bodies.

"We are just going to have to have it all sorted out. I don't know what we are going to do," Mr Wilson said.

Mr Bishop ran the Timaru Honda motorcycle agency at Washdyke, Timaru Honda, with his son John.

The couple is believed to have three children, John, Julie and Amy who is overseas.

Timaru Honda mechanic Jeremy Shaw, said he and his workmates were in shock at the news.

He said Carol Bishop also worked at Timaru Honda which he described as a very close organisation.

"Everybody gets on real well with the boss and the boss's wife. It is...devastating.

"He was a real good guy, a top bloke. He wasn't even like a boss, he was just like a guy you work with," Mr Shaw said.

He said everyone at the business was in shock and was trying to deal with the news the best way they could.

- NZPA