wanpo
26th May 2010, 23:38
The Trip (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Barrys+Point+Rd&daddr=new+plymouth+to:Surf+Hwy+to:SH+4+to:Wanganui +to:No+2+Line+to:Mangahoe+Rd+to:Cheltenham+Hunterv ille+Rd+to:Paekakariki+Hill+Rd+to:Grays+Rd+to:Well ington+to:Wairiri+Rd+to:Route+52+to:Route+52+to:SH +2+to:Gisborne,+New+Zealand+to:Te+Araroa+Rd+to:Poh utukawa+Ave+to:Te+Teko+Rd+to:Oturoa+Rd+to:tirau+to :SH+2+to:Te+Rerenga+Kuaotunu+Rd+to:Barrys+Point+Ro ad+Auckland+New+Zealand&hl=en&geocode=FdaKzv0dDLZqCg%3BFXoFrP0dETJgCikfnDB8Rk4Ub THWHEqWo73yng%3BFUCWpP0dhNVfCg%3BFdJfrf0dDBZ0Cg%3B FSq2nv0d7wNvCindxASvxwNAbTFtbeKa5kalrA%3BFbSNnv0dt L9vCg%3BFVL8nv0dQGR0Cg%3BFfygnv0dTBl4Cg%3BFYkfjf0d 0RhtCg%3BFQgFjf0d_bRsCg%3BFbAEiv0dmd9qCilBpQ4-1K84bTEuPB_TPeRCyQ%3BFdookf0d6t17Cg%3BFTiAk_0db4x9 Cg%3BFcgCl_0d1OODCg%3BFaZYpP0djKGLCg%3BFXP_sf0d3XW cCil_5LpXIXhmbTFRqOqJ7eQk7g%3BFYq7wf0dgm2hCg%3BFXi WvP0d7rWNCg%3BFVI0vP0dxAOKCg%3BFQeku_0d59N_Cg%3BFf B4vP0dkuB5Cik5O4HIylNsbTGwOk8kB3TE6A%3BFV62wP0d9NJ-Cg%3BFa5Dz_0dNMt4Cg%3BFXKVzv0d_bNqCimzf8-r0zkNbTHCLnna65djig&mra=ls&via=2,3,5,6,7,8,9,11,12,13,14,16,17,18,19,21,22&sll=-38.639802,178.140392&sspn=0.104852,0.264187&ie=UTF8&ll=-38.873929,177.39624&spn=6.653055,16.907959&z=7)
Day 1 – Auckland -> New Plymouth
1300 – Met at my place and after attaching the clips necessary for the Bluetooth intercoms to our helmets, I realised I had forgotten to charge them, and they were out of batteries -_-. Left for cycletreads in Takapuna where Scott bought some pants. They were nice. We then set the trip-o-meter to zero and hit SH1 heading south. It was looking like a beautiful day.
A bit later (1700ish) – Weather was still holding up and we had a bathroom break at Otorohanga Maccy D’s. Reflected on our ride thus far and were having a blast, here was where we decided to chuck on our waterproof gear after getting hit with a short sun shower in-case of any more unforeseen crappy weather. Herein began the running dialogue of how much our asses hurt. Had a One Square Meal bar and left McD’s without buying anything (suckers.) On the way to New Plymouth, the weather began packing in, and we were thankful for the foresight to wear our wet weather gear. Night fell, had to pull over to change to a clear visor and thus began one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. Navigating the twisties through the mountains approaching New Plymouth with crappy road surfaces (rocks and mud spilled out onto the road) pouring rain, pitch blackness and blinding cars headlights lighting up all the rain on my fogged up visor and glasses beneath. After proceeding at a granny pace (at some parts) with our meagre headlights we finally arrived and found our backpackers. Hung up our wet gear to dry, grabbed some Indian and hit the bed; Learning our lesson: We’d leave early in the morning and I’d ride with contact lenses.
Day 2 – New Plymouth -> Wanganui via Forgotten World Highway
We got up at 0615 and were surprised to find most of our gear pretty dry. We suited up nice and quick and hit the road. The Bluetooth headsets had charged up and along with the whisper kits we had grabbed made for very clear communication (compared to the totally inaudible throat mic / CB radio combo we had tried earlier). We took a pic of Mt Taranaki and then got on the west cape highway. We pulled off for more pics at the western-most lighthouse and terrified the local bovine population as we went past. We rode a bunch of straights through to Stratford, where we ate, filled the tanks to the brim and checked tyre pressures and such before adventuring onto the forgotten world highway. The forgotten world highway was a major highlight of the trip. The weather was great, road mostly dry and the scenery quite stunning. This was where we first started to comment on how much nicer these roads were to ride on than anything we’ve found round Auckland. Going down one side of a saddle we saw some silly cager had slid into a ditch. What a loser! We took photos. Shortly after this we hit the big unpaved patch which had lost most of its gravel by this time of the year and was basically a mud wrestling pit. We took this very slowly at first but quite quickly became a bit more comfortable on it. Realised you just have to get used to the fact that the bike won’t go exactly where you point it, just roughly where you point it. Got past this and then hit Taumarunui for more gas and Scott to ring his boss and tell him he’s quitting (he got contract for new job in the mail on Saturday). We were starting to get small showers again as we headed down through national park. Lots of long straights mostly, but did go past the corner where I wrote my friend’s brand new ZXR250 before he had even seen it. Turns out it was 45 corner, but only marked on one side :S. Sun was starting to come down as we got into Wanganui... ate, slept.
Day 3 – Wanganui -> Wellington via Huntersville
Following the advice of a fellow kiwibiker, we adjusted our ride towards wellington through the mountains up to Huntersville (Through the freezing fucking cold mist in the valleys; Which made for some stunning sights the few times we rose above it) after a few stops to heat our freezing hands on our zorsts/engine bits we passed a sign cautioning us of Elderly Persons, designating we had reached Huntersville. By the time we had headed up to Vinegar Hill, the weather had really cleared up and we had a beautiful ride through twisties, then some long boring straights down to Fielding. After nearly getting killed on a roundabout in Paraparaumu (totally don’t need to give way to cars on your right if you’re on a motorbike >.>) We headed up Paekakariki Hill for one of our favourite stretches of road on the trip. Arrived in Welly around 2ish and quickly got bored and left for a bit of a ride around wellington (Mt Victoria was an awesome, but potentially dangerous ride, considering how close it was to the city centre) After getting $0 parking tickets outside Burgerfuel, we hit the YHA bunkbeds.
Day 1 – Auckland -> New Plymouth
1300 – Met at my place and after attaching the clips necessary for the Bluetooth intercoms to our helmets, I realised I had forgotten to charge them, and they were out of batteries -_-. Left for cycletreads in Takapuna where Scott bought some pants. They were nice. We then set the trip-o-meter to zero and hit SH1 heading south. It was looking like a beautiful day.
A bit later (1700ish) – Weather was still holding up and we had a bathroom break at Otorohanga Maccy D’s. Reflected on our ride thus far and were having a blast, here was where we decided to chuck on our waterproof gear after getting hit with a short sun shower in-case of any more unforeseen crappy weather. Herein began the running dialogue of how much our asses hurt. Had a One Square Meal bar and left McD’s without buying anything (suckers.) On the way to New Plymouth, the weather began packing in, and we were thankful for the foresight to wear our wet weather gear. Night fell, had to pull over to change to a clear visor and thus began one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. Navigating the twisties through the mountains approaching New Plymouth with crappy road surfaces (rocks and mud spilled out onto the road) pouring rain, pitch blackness and blinding cars headlights lighting up all the rain on my fogged up visor and glasses beneath. After proceeding at a granny pace (at some parts) with our meagre headlights we finally arrived and found our backpackers. Hung up our wet gear to dry, grabbed some Indian and hit the bed; Learning our lesson: We’d leave early in the morning and I’d ride with contact lenses.
Day 2 – New Plymouth -> Wanganui via Forgotten World Highway
We got up at 0615 and were surprised to find most of our gear pretty dry. We suited up nice and quick and hit the road. The Bluetooth headsets had charged up and along with the whisper kits we had grabbed made for very clear communication (compared to the totally inaudible throat mic / CB radio combo we had tried earlier). We took a pic of Mt Taranaki and then got on the west cape highway. We pulled off for more pics at the western-most lighthouse and terrified the local bovine population as we went past. We rode a bunch of straights through to Stratford, where we ate, filled the tanks to the brim and checked tyre pressures and such before adventuring onto the forgotten world highway. The forgotten world highway was a major highlight of the trip. The weather was great, road mostly dry and the scenery quite stunning. This was where we first started to comment on how much nicer these roads were to ride on than anything we’ve found round Auckland. Going down one side of a saddle we saw some silly cager had slid into a ditch. What a loser! We took photos. Shortly after this we hit the big unpaved patch which had lost most of its gravel by this time of the year and was basically a mud wrestling pit. We took this very slowly at first but quite quickly became a bit more comfortable on it. Realised you just have to get used to the fact that the bike won’t go exactly where you point it, just roughly where you point it. Got past this and then hit Taumarunui for more gas and Scott to ring his boss and tell him he’s quitting (he got contract for new job in the mail on Saturday). We were starting to get small showers again as we headed down through national park. Lots of long straights mostly, but did go past the corner where I wrote my friend’s brand new ZXR250 before he had even seen it. Turns out it was 45 corner, but only marked on one side :S. Sun was starting to come down as we got into Wanganui... ate, slept.
Day 3 – Wanganui -> Wellington via Huntersville
Following the advice of a fellow kiwibiker, we adjusted our ride towards wellington through the mountains up to Huntersville (Through the freezing fucking cold mist in the valleys; Which made for some stunning sights the few times we rose above it) after a few stops to heat our freezing hands on our zorsts/engine bits we passed a sign cautioning us of Elderly Persons, designating we had reached Huntersville. By the time we had headed up to Vinegar Hill, the weather had really cleared up and we had a beautiful ride through twisties, then some long boring straights down to Fielding. After nearly getting killed on a roundabout in Paraparaumu (totally don’t need to give way to cars on your right if you’re on a motorbike >.>) We headed up Paekakariki Hill for one of our favourite stretches of road on the trip. Arrived in Welly around 2ish and quickly got bored and left for a bit of a ride around wellington (Mt Victoria was an awesome, but potentially dangerous ride, considering how close it was to the city centre) After getting $0 parking tickets outside Burgerfuel, we hit the YHA bunkbeds.