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STJim

TT 2000 First 2 Days

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TT 2000
As soon as I learned that the TT2000 web site was up and running last year I was in for a good look around.
I was intrigued to see that there was a North Island start. I began to work out a route. After reviewing routes I sent in my entry and booked my ferry fares.
At various times I went back in for a further look and a review my route especially when Ferry disruption loomed. There was no set route to follow this time. The rules were cover 2000 kms. and collect photo points worth 35,000. Photo points had had a value ranging from 400 points at the bottom to 1,000, 3,000 and 3 big ones at 5,000.

Day One Friday 21 February
Finally the day dawned. At 11.25 am I set of from Hamilton for Palmerston North. It was a hot but otherwise uneventful ride down to Palmerston North. I checked into my motel then went to find a Shell pump before heading for the start at Bunnythorpe about 7 kms. Out of town.
From Bunnythorpe my route took me over Saddle Road for a photo point at the Te Apiti wind farm observation point.
It was then down to Woodville then to the next of my planned photo points just self of Pahiatua at Polish children's Camp Memorial this was the site of a War Time camp for children from Poland who came out to New Zealand It was then over the Pahiatua track to the South side of Palmerston North then to the little town of Tokomaru. From there it was down to Marine parade at Paraparaumu, for a photo of Kapiti Island. By then the light was failing.
From there it was to Foxton via Shell Levin for fuel both for the bike and me, for a photo of windmill and back to Palmerston North. I arrived back at the motel in Palmerston North at about 10 pm having covered 270 kms. Before going to bed I sat and planned my route for the next day entering in all the coordinates for each photo point I intended to visit into my GPS.

Day 2 Saturday 22 February
My plan was to leave at 4 am to head for Dannevirke then down the Weber road onto route 52 then onto River Road and out to the coastal settlement of Akitio. I arrived in at the photo point at 5.50 am. This was the biggie worth 5000 points. When I arrived I found 2 bikes parked there and next thing I knew to lost souls from Southland came wandering out. They had been there having a short sleep. They didn't seem to know they had come from and claimed to have ridden through the night. I took my photo and turned around to head back up River road to route 52. At route 52 I turned left towards the Wairarapa. The next stop was the very small town of Pongaroa. From there it was through to Alfredton and then Mauriceville West. From there it was a short stretch down to Masterton to fuel up.
It was now 9 am and the next 3 stops were 1000 points at T valley and Castlepoint and 3000 points at Riversdale Beach. I had never been out that way before the road out was a motorcyclist’s joy. Nice sweeping bends a lovely piece of road. On the way I was overtaken by a couple on at a Kawasaki ZX 14. The T valley photo point was 7 kms. Down a narrow road at the end of the seal. Then it was back out to Castle point for a photo of the lighthouse.
Then it was on my way to Riversdale. In my preparation I had noted that there was a connecting road called Langdale Road On the way in to Castlepoint I had seen this road and it looked like a "goat track" however the GPS was telling me to go that way and it made no reference to any unpaved road. Accordingly I turned left into Langdale Road. It was a good choice cutting of at least 10 minutes Riversdale beach is another attractive place unfortunately there was no time to admire the scenery.
I was soon on my way back almost to Masterton, turning left into the Masterton Stronvar Road to a small place called Wainuioru consisting of a hall and a fire station then out to a locality called Ngaumu, then south on Westmere road then right again out to a locality called Te Wharau.
It was then south again through Gladstone and on to the Martinbrough Hinakura Road. At that stage I was debating do I go out to Hinakura or instead head for Ngawi. It was starting to look unlikely that I would be able to do both. I headed for Hinakura about 14 kms. away according to the GPS I had been warned that there was metal road at the end. I followed a sealed goat track over a major hill into a valley then 1.5 kms. of gravel to a lonely country hall to collect 3000 points.
It was then back over the hill to Martinbrough by then it was clear that I was out of time to head to Ngawi if I was to line up to catch the ferry at 4 pm.
As I rolled out of Martinbrough the wind struck. It was into a North Wester. The Rimataka hill was particularly exciting with both rain and a head wind.
At Upper Hutt I turned left and took the very tight Blue Mountain Road over the hill into Whiteman valley for a 1000 point photo point at the Gold fish farm sign. Then it was into Wellington to pick up 400 points at Parliament Building then heading for the ferry where I found myself lined up with about 20 other bikes nearly all tt2000 participants.
Then we were on to the Stena Alegra the stand in temporary replacement ferry.
The sailing was without incident. I enjoyed playing 500 with three other bikers from the Wellington.
From Picton it was through to Blenheim to fuel up and then to my Motel for a shower and to enter the coordinates for the next day into the GPS and a face time conversation with my wife, who was back in Hamilton, before heading to bed

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