sunhuntin
28th November 2009, 19:04
This week, the sprightly 80-year-old is riding her motorcycle from her hometown of Whakamarama, north of Tauranga, to Invercargill, to take part in this year's Burt Munro Challenge at Oreti beach.
Mrs Clark attended the inaugural Burt Munro Challenge in 2006 with husband Alf, with whom she spent many years riding pillion.
When Mr Clark died in January 2008, Mrs Clark passed their scooter on to their son.
But she soon realised she did not enjoy arriving at meetings of her local Ulysses Motorcycle Club, of which she had been a member for about 19 years, by car.
She'd had her motorcycle licence since she was 17, and missed having wheels underneath her.
She said the last wish on her "bucket list" was to attend another Burt Munro challenge under her own steam.
She loved the camaraderie of the event.
"Every event I attend after this will be a bonus."
After flicking through a Bike Rider magazine, Mrs Clark set her sights on a 400cc Piaggio MP3 three-wheeled scooter.
A caregiver for the elderly, she had raised the $14,000 for the bike by working night shift at a rest-home for the past year.
The maroon bike, named Joe, arrived in April this year and in May she began learning to ride it herself.
In preparation for her six-day journey to Southland, she and a friend have been riding two days a week since, and last week she had already clocked up 1350km on her new scooter.
Mrs Clarke, accompanied by family and friends, left Tauranga on Saturday and will arrive in Invercargill tomorrow.
After the weekend's event they intend to return to Tauranga via the South Island's West Coast.
"For me, it beats sitting on a rocking chair on the front porch and contemplating life," Mrs Clarke said.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/83466/dorne-be-wild-even-her-80s
Mrs Clark attended the inaugural Burt Munro Challenge in 2006 with husband Alf, with whom she spent many years riding pillion.
When Mr Clark died in January 2008, Mrs Clark passed their scooter on to their son.
But she soon realised she did not enjoy arriving at meetings of her local Ulysses Motorcycle Club, of which she had been a member for about 19 years, by car.
She'd had her motorcycle licence since she was 17, and missed having wheels underneath her.
She said the last wish on her "bucket list" was to attend another Burt Munro challenge under her own steam.
She loved the camaraderie of the event.
"Every event I attend after this will be a bonus."
After flicking through a Bike Rider magazine, Mrs Clark set her sights on a 400cc Piaggio MP3 three-wheeled scooter.
A caregiver for the elderly, she had raised the $14,000 for the bike by working night shift at a rest-home for the past year.
The maroon bike, named Joe, arrived in April this year and in May she began learning to ride it herself.
In preparation for her six-day journey to Southland, she and a friend have been riding two days a week since, and last week she had already clocked up 1350km on her new scooter.
Mrs Clarke, accompanied by family and friends, left Tauranga on Saturday and will arrive in Invercargill tomorrow.
After the weekend's event they intend to return to Tauranga via the South Island's West Coast.
"For me, it beats sitting on a rocking chair on the front porch and contemplating life," Mrs Clarke said.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/83466/dorne-be-wild-even-her-80s