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View Full Version : This is a good ride.



Big Dave
28th June 2005, 18:20
Coromandel on the Dirt
Images: http://www.davidcohen.co.nz/corr_renders

I’ve bumped into Malcolm Cooke – ‘Cookie’ a few times at Auckland Motorcycles when he’s been having his Buell serviced, we’ve had a yarn, talked bikes and bull and he’s always said ‘when you’re out Kuaotunu way, drop in and say g’day!’

I’d fully intended to take him up on the offer next time we were doing ‘the loop’ on our semi regular Sunday ride.

However, with the news that he’s put on a fleet of Adventure bikes for rent, and was willing to take me for a ride around the parts that you don’t see on the sportbike run, it meant a ‘special’ trip.

I talked my mate Brian into skiving of work on a Wednesday (It didn’t take much) and we set off at a reasonably civilised hour, in slightly overcast and cool conditions, bound for the Peninsula.

We took the direct route, Freeway, down Hwy 2, across to Kopu and opened them up a bit in the relatively traffic-free-mid-week flow through the delightful Kopu – Hikuwai gorge.

Across some open sweeping country to the coast at Tairua and a quick ‘water stop’.

Then up and over and down and over another range with even more twisties before Whitianga and the coast to our initial destination – Cookie’s place, or, Coromandel Motorcycle Adventures Head Office and Depot.

I was already ‘fizzing’ by the time Mal brewed us a coffee on the deck and devised the plan.

We decided that Fletcher Bay at the very tip of the Peninsula was the target. All that was left was to decide was which bikes to take.

I ‘wangled’ my way on to a Suzuki Freewind, Brian had a DR650 and Cookie hopped on a DR250 Djebel. He has a DL1000 V-Strom available as well, but the DR’s are the preferred choice for the chosen tracks, so with the sky clearing from the south we set off in the late morning.

He took us for a short detour through Matarangi and then we made another ascent and descent before Coromandel town. I thoroughly enjoyed the Freewind on the tight and demanding mountain roads. It’s light and chuckable and the twin carb 650 single pulls well out of the corners, Brian reported the same of the DR as we regrouped outside the township.

From here it was uncharted waters for me as we motored up the Hauraki Gulf Coast in improving conditions to Colville and the end of the sealed road.

I’ve always thought that the sights on the sportsbike (sealed) loop were spectacular, but the scenes from Coromandel Town northwards become even more surreal the further civilisation gets left behind.

Steep ramparts rise from the waters edge and the black volcanic rock occasionally gives way to wide sandy stretches or changes completely to pumice beach. Improbably beautiful scenes that an artist would struggle to visualise or the most sophisticated ‘virtual’ programme could generate.

All the way the road is as good and smooth as dirt can be – it’s hewn mostly into solid rock and is firm and reliable.

From Waiaro it hugs the coast and is carved into the steep hillsides as it winds its way around spectacular bays and promontories and the steep ascent before Port Jackson.

I must have driven the boys crazy as I stopped at what seemed like ‘around every bend’ to take photos and drink in the beauty of the place and the experience.

The stop at the top of the range at Port Jackson is spectacular, then the drop down to the beach and subsequent climb to the point before Fletcher bay and the views Northeast ‘took my breath away’.

All too soon we were at the tip of the Coromandel and it’s as fitting an end as could be imagined. We’d kept pace with the retreating cloud cover and the colour of the Hauraki gulf, sapphire blue, and the sheer scale and weathered emerald green of the landscape, with Great Barrier Island looming in the distance is a sight I’ll not soon forget.

The sort of place it’s great just to sit beside the motorcycle and enjoy being where you are. The fact that I was with two like minded motorcycle nuts made it even more ‘bearable’.

We sat and had a chat about Cookie’s plans for Coromandel Motorcycle Adventures, the place, the ride, the fact that we were only 40km in a straight line from Auckland, and who was taking what bike on the way back.

I jumped on the DR650 and really enjoyed it too as we retraced our route back to base.
It seemed like ‘in a flash’ I was back on the Trophy and had railroaded Brian into taking the ‘Firth of Thames’ side for the ride home. It was dark by the time we got back to Kopu and followed the main roads home.
But what a day, what a ride, what sights! Typically I’m blown away that there’s more to the Coromandel than the most spectacular of sports bike loops.

With hire bikes available there’s now an easy way to experience the rest of it without even getting your road bike dusty.

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For the skinny on this and other great Coromandel Rides – see www.coromoto.co.nz or give Cookie a call on 07 866 2590

Bonez
28th June 2005, 18:36
With hire bikes available there’s now an easy way to experience the rest of it without even getting your road bike dusty. Hmmm-[Eyes GB400 and C550FA :ride:] Nice pics Dave.

Wellyman
28th June 2005, 18:54
Hey man. My family is good friends with the guy who owns that company. Malcom, hes a good bloke