Northern Gravel Adventure Riding Club

**suzieq** · 1st January 2012, 14:28

http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/pre-race/stage-report.html

**suzieq** · 1st January 2012, 18:39

http://gaps.dakar.com/2011/dakar/stage-13/aso/ukie.php

**suzieq** · 1st January 2012, 19:02

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More pics of Tukino ski field roading running around the base of the mountain
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Was a lovely ride
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Beautiful scenery and surrounds
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XT looking on while I view the surrounds Magic

**suzieq** · 2nd January 2012, 05:22

http://gaps.dakar.com/2012/dakar/stage-01/aso/ukie.php

**suzieq** · 2nd January 2012, 05:24

http://www.dakar.com/index_DAKus.html

Nº 39.- BIRCH (NZL)
KTM
00:38:28 00:05:
Upcoming trademe auction Chris will be back for this before he heads off for another round of racing overseas

**gunnyrob** · 2nd January 2012, 09:38

So when is the next ride?

**suzieq** · 2nd January 2012, 15:39

JAN 2012
Hi Week day ride 10th Meet 9am BP Kumeu sh16 just before Kumeu - possibly 3/4 day ride but can do as little or as much as you wish
Possibly out to South Head gravel road/beach if tide is right

Sunday 15th Meet 9am BP Kumeu SH16 just before Kumeu
Possibly gravel roads out to Makarau and then over to Ta Pora and Journeys End Possibly full day ride but options to do a shorter route if required also

FEB 2012
Feb 17/18th Our first adventure ride for the new season
Will be Baylys Beach and Poutu Run This will be a combination of forestry road/gravel/beach and stream crossing

As little or as much as you wish

Meet for this one 9am Service station Dargaville 9am A group will be riding from West Auckland early Sat mng to start the ride
This will be a fulllllll days ride and we will need to depart NO LATER than 9am to fit in with the tides and the route we have planned

So options if not wishing for a ride prior to the planned route, www.kauricoasttop10 at Dargaville
Could look to stay Dargaville on the Fri night to make the meet up early sat mng 9am or ride with the group leaving early sat mng to head to D'ville
Details on time and meet up will be posted here shortly

So sat night we will be staying at kauricoasttop10 park Mention gravel riders crew
We have 30 beds booked and the cost will be the same for alll regardless of what unit we are booked into
First in will get first dibs at the accomm
Cost will be split down the middle for us allll so same cost for sat night accomm

Plse bring food to share as we will do a shared cook up at the camp sat night and BYO drinks also

We have a car that will be available at D'Ville 9am on the sat mng to take any luggage etc to the sat night accomm so to not have to carry luggage around

Also any pillions or partners wishing to share in scenic viewing for the day A vehicle will be available to take you around with others that will be
attending also

So all welcome
We will meet back at the accommmm sometime later sat night for our shared cook up

We also willl have our club first advent training day which will be held end Feb for any new people wishing to learn skills
Here we have exp instructors to guide us thru our journey
We always look to cater for new people and our rides we will run two groups those wishing to get thru more kms and those wishing to
maybe take it in their stride and being new to this also

Also pending for us will be a few special rides
These have not been done before and are unique to us as a small group

Our land owners wish for smallish groups to go thru at this stage as sustainability of land is high priority

I have several of these pending - these rides will incur land access charge (but a privilege to be able to have that special ride)

So these will be special to our members

We also willl have our club first advent training day which will be held end Feb for any new people wishing to learn skills
Here we have exp instructors to guide us thru our journey
We always look to cater for new people and our rides we will run two groups those wishing to get thru more kms and those wishing to
maybe take it in their stride and being new to this also

So come along and chat to our ride leaders which avenue you feel you wish to fit into

All new to sand Your bikes will be helped onto the beach So have a go No reason not to
This is a lovely firm packed white sand beach

MARCH 2012
Shaping up to be another busy month
Possibly a SPECIAL ride here or even TWO
Details to hand very shortly possibly end Jan will post up details and numbers for these will be capped First in First Served basis as
we only have permission for smallll amounts at this stage
When we run thru the format for these new rides then we will be able to have more thru

Also we will do SAT RAGLAN run - full day ride and also TE AKAU/WAITOMO and possibly something new to stop and explore also
Also to be scheduled possibly for MAR another full day ride but with a mystery route attached also details and dates posted shortly

APRIL 2012Unique to us will be a 12 tunnels ride
Also maybe another special ride or a full one day ride planned

NOTE: photos and videos will be "S H A R E D" as I have been doing with the CHRIS BIRCH auction etc, as we have been asked to spread the word, "as asked" so I will continue with that request and continue on with the good work. Chris is home grown and a special asset to allll of us New Zealanders. We allll look to help and support him and will CONTINUE to do so. Our special rides photos and videos will be S H A R E D on the completion of our rides, as we do wish to keep some of our rides special. It is becoming hard to find those special places as N.Z. is a very smalll place indeed. So these will be great viewing also.

We look forwards to a very exciting season ahead and are always constantly looking for new and unique rides for us advent/ and dual purpose riding enthusiasts.

We also have a host of NEW ride leaders so it will be good to meet many more like minded advent enthusiasts amongst us also.

ALSO KEEP A LOOK OUT FOR THOSE MID WEEK RIDES:
Some of us work shift work and may also be part timers We willl maybe once month have a mid week ride also
So venue will be altered also - your venue suggestion welcome onboard so to keep this interesting also

We also look to have a pillion ride as some of our gravel crew have partners wishing to meet us
So we will post this up also

**suzieq** · 2nd January 2012, 19:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvccXYnHRVg

**suzieq** · 3rd January 2012, 19:53

http://bmwmcmag.com/2012/01/dakar-20...their-feet-wet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdxRJ...ature=youtu.be

http://www.dakar.com/index_DAKus.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qhdcj...eature=related

"]"BRIEF EXCERPT" from "Enduro Extreme Magazine"
Quote of the day: Chris Birch after Dakar, Day One, speaking to wife Monica on the phone: “Mon, it is like riding through 300km of the Santa Parade. It is like everyone in Argentina has come out to watch and they ALL got a camera for Christmas!”

Chris, British born of British parents, but long time resident of New Zealand (he's definitely a Kiwi!), is self-funding his way through his first Dakar ...and doing a good job of it: 39th after day one. Starting on riding number 110 he had a LOT of overtaking to do! Chris is a wonderful guy, we wish him every success. Keep an eye on him and the Brits – Sam Sunderland (7th after day one!), Stan Watt, Tobia Younger and Jago Pickering – via the usual Dakar website... (image: Red Bull/KTM/S.Vidic)

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**suzieq** · 3rd January 2012, 20:52

Bring On Those F800 beemers

Today we decided to head over to Rangitaiki and take in a few of the above roads before we also rode the Waikaremoana route also A lot of rain has once again passed thru these parts Of course this just made it even more FUN for the boys Deviating thru the now (MUD) forestry tracks due to the massive wash outs the boys had a great time with it alllll

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The mud now is quite rutted out and bogs everywhere - aka FUN times for the boys

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Guiding the big F800 thru it Tim makes light work of it

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Roller coaster ride down to the stream crossing

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Making it to the bottom - time for a drink stop

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Riding over the myriad of stream crossings

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Jim leads us all thru it

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Tim at play in the looooser stuffff Jess helping to push that back wheeel thru it

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Yes the road wash out is still there No sign of any road repairs since we were there a while ago???

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Jim GPS ing it Now which route to take from here Shall we head and do the left hand track or take the standard route out???

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Tim heading up one of the pumice banks Loving it

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This was the boys favourite section of the ride