Wairoa to Auckland via East Cape = 840km

[Krayy]

Whenever anyone asks the question "What's the best riding road in New Zealand?", the answer is usually hotly debated, sorely contested and totally biased. Sprotsbikers have theirs as do adventure riders, but rarely does 1 road offer all things to all men. My answer used to be the Coromandel loop, but after yesterdays epic ride, I've changed my mind.

A little back story to set the scene.....:zzzz:

March 2nd was my brothers (Gunnyrob) 40th birthday. He's currently enjoying a 3 year posting on the frigate Te Kaha, so naturally on his birthday he was friggin about in the Tasman sea.

I wanted to do something special for the event when he got back and declared to the goodly wife that I'd hire him a boik for a jaunt round the North Island. "Over my dead body" was her reply. "You know I don't like motorbikes and overnighters were never in the deal with you getting one to commute on. Let's get him an all expenses paid dive trip, and I'll go with him while you look after the kids". The plan was off to a less than smooth start.

Rob got back in town and we presented him with the plan off doing a wreck dive up north at Tutukaka and another dive after that. Problem was, he'd joined the Air Farce dive club and they were planning that very trip over the next couple of months and wouldn't cost him anything anyway. Plan A loomed :scooter:

A couple of dinners out and the promise to be extremely careful had the pkan in full motion so a call was placed to Kea Motorcycles to secure a couple of machines for the weekend. Rob was keen to try the F650 dakar, and I was favouring the R1200GS. We costed it up and it would have taken a call to the bank manager to get bth bikes, so we setlled on the Dakar for Rob and I'd take the (MIGHTY) VTR 250.

A quick check of the calendar and we had a list of possible dates to run down with SWMBO. "This one?". "Dad's birthday". "This one?". "Mothers day". "You sure about that?". "HELL NO!!".

A bit of toing a froing later and May 5th was set as the departure date. All was going well as the time drew near and then a southerly started blowing, a cold front advanced the Hauraki plains promptly flooded. We managed to press the abort button the day before the ride was due to begin and our backup date of the 26th was brought into effect. Kea were great and rescheduled the booking without any fuss or penalties. Great stuff.

So now it was a tense 3 week wait to see if the weather would hold up and with expectaions growing it was almost too much. Finally the big day had arrived. Being a contractor I had worked late over the last few days so only had to make up 3 hours or so to make this weeks quota which I could do from home and Rob had a half day so we were set for a 1pm departure.

Sure enough it started raining at 12:30 and thats where the fun began....

(to be continued.....:nya: )

[Krayy]

Friday, 26th May
After a bit of stuffing about getting the kit together and double checking everything was in order, we set out at around 1:30 for the first leg to Tauranga in light rain and immediately stopped at spaghetti junction to admire the quality work that the boys in orange are doing there along with a thousand or so cagers who wanted to gawp at them having another tea break. This continued until just past Mt Wellington when it all smoothed out and we were off. A quick gas up and shakedown check at Bombay and we continued on. The rain had started increasing and rather than take on any twisties this early on in the "getting used to the rental" period, we kept to the main roads heading through Maramarua, Tirau and Paeroa onto hwy 2 via Old Tauranga Rd.

At the risk of repeating Weasel's rants on the subject of tar snakes, the bastards that are in charge of "fixing" the roads on the Hauraki Plains should try riding a bike in drizzly weather for a few weeks. Damn dangerous putting the things in the middle of nice sweeping corners right on the riding line.

A quick squirt to Katikati was followed by a sedate cruise as we lined up with the other sheep to dawdle into Tauranga on the now 90km/h and double yellow lined, 40km stretch.

A roast meal at the uncle and aunts place was a good way to finish up the day.

Saturday, 27th May
The plan for an early start worked out well as we were fed, kitted up and ready to roll just after 7. Just as the rain started. Heavy rain. Bugger.

No choice but to head on, so we headed on down SH2 to Whakatane with a stop in Matata to check out the damage wrought in last years floods. Bloody hell. Huge boulders, whole trees, cars and a few houses make up the detritus on the side of the road. It's worth stopping and checking it out just to get a taste of your own mortality and insignificance as far as mother natures concerned.

Between Whakatane and Ohope we ran into some fog at the top of the hill that made the descent quite interesting in a puckering sort of way, but the descent was completed and we pushed, with the rain keeping us company all the way. We hit a rather intense squall about 10 kays out of Opotiki that almost stopped the VTR in its tracks, but the gutsy little engine dug deep and I tucked myself in behind the Givi screen for the last tussle into town.

Dripping wet, we gassed up and made our way around the corner to the bakery. A word to all who venture this way. The selection of baked goods on offer here has to be one of the best in New Zealand. Along with friendly staff, it made a great haven for a couple of soaked bikers in need of some caffeine and cakes. Mmmmmmmmm.

After a bit of a wait, we figured that the weather was here to stay and tryng to do the cape today was a washout (ha!) so we phoned a friendand made a lunch date at Mahanga beach, a few kays out of Mahia, and hit the road.

Even with the rain at our backs, the run through the Waioeka gorge was great fun. Wrapped up in properly waterproofed gear, we were dry if not warm and aside from a few slips, the road wasn't all that greasy. We stopped in Matawai to check out some rally cars that were waiting their turn to head out on that stage then hit the road again. As we crossed over the hills just past Matawai, the rain decided it had had enough and went to bother someone else, so we rode into sunshine for the last 30 or so kilometres into Gisbourne.

Feeling a little more human, we set out for Mahia with an urge and made the crossing pretty swiftly and made our lunch stop with big smiles all round. An hour or so in good company had us on the way to Wairoa via Mahia beach with vigour. A quick sprint into town sans any boys in blue and the concoction of a tour plan had us riding around Wairoa for an hour or so before heading to some friends for the night with plans of an early start and an epic ride to complete what we should have done today - a ride around the cape.

(to be continued....:yes: )

[Highlander]

Good Blurb so far mate. looking forward to the next installment (and photo's).

[oldrider]

So far so good but that was a bit like coitus interruptus, (stopping just as it was getting to the good part) looking forward to the next episode! Any pics with that?

[Krayy]

So far so good but that was a bit like coitus interruptus, (stopping just as it was getting to the good part) looking forward to the next episode! Any pics with that?
Coitus resumus.....

Well after all the planning, delays and wet weather riding to get to Wairoa, the "big day" had arrived. We had a hurried breakfast, suited up and were out the door at just after 6:30am with Gisborne firmly in our sights. It was a bit dark to start with, but 10 minutes out of town the lights came on and we picked up the pace a bit with nothing but clear sky in front of us. A word to wise here. The hills between Nuhaka and Gisborne only rise a few hundred metres at best, but the temoperature differential between sea level and the tops of the hills must have been 10 to 15 degrees and on an already fresh morning, my fingers felt the full brunt of it. Gunnyrob had no such problems with his toasty mitts thanks to the Dakars hand warmers (I have GOT to get them on the next boik). This combined with the unexpected but probably easily predicted sunstrike on the northern sode of the hills slowed or progress down a bit as I picked my way down the hills gingerly. Finally we hit the flats and motored into Gisborne. A quick top up at the Caltex along with the purchase of some 30 buck sunnies then a stop at Maccas for some "body fuel" and we hit the coast road.

Just out of Gisborne we saw a HUGE number of surfers who were enjoying some big breakers and then the road just opened up in front of us, urging us on. The speed came up to just above "Consider this a warning, sir" and the miles starting to drop away as we swooped over the undulating road covered dunes and lower hills. This was the start of something good.

We kept up a good pace until the hills leading over to Tolaga Bay and we saw the first of many, many signs that would herald the only spots of difficulty along the East Cape road. It's good to see our penal system is working, as they seem to be producing an abundance of bright orange signs with the legends "Washout" and "Uneven surface" and they are ALL placed on this road. We soon learned that when these signs appear along with a 30km/h marker, rather than slowing down to a reasonably safe 105 (:innocent: ) like on SH16 or the Coro Loop, YOU OBEY THEM!! Washout means a real washout. Uneven surface means you're wrists will take a bashing and "Slip"? Don't get me started. The other issue is that you are bound to pick up some mud and stuff on the rubber side so you can't be too hasty to get back on the gas after running through these areas.

More hills followed and soem of the most beautiful scenery when heading down into the valleys that followed them made the ride seem almost dreamlike. There was a bit of consternation when Rob decided he wanted to take a detour through Ruatoria to see what all the fuss was about, but after seeing nothing to write home about, we were back on track and headed towards Te Araroa and the cape itself.

Now here we come to a slight problem with Transit NZ. Why on earth would you signpost a place like Te Araroa all the way from Gizzy as if it's a bustling metropolis with all the comforts of home when there is nothing but 5 houses, 2 shops trying to outsell each other and 1, read it, 1, petrol bowser in the whole "town" selling go-juice at around 2 bucks a litre? Sure it's the halfway mark, but get a grip.

Anyways, I filled up and approached one of the locals to find out about the road out to the Cape. "Should be fine" he says. Right. We saddle up once again and head east.

You hear a lot about the condition of this road, and I think that on the whole, the whingers are right on the money. It's rocky, bumpy, has a shithouse high crown on it with a steep camber either side, and not something I'd like to tackle on a proper sprotsbike. For the first few kilometres I was all over the shop, trying to find the cleanest part of the road and almost wrestling the bike from one side to the other. Then I had an epiphany. Having just read Silk Riders, and thinking back on some sage advice from the Morgans, I clicked the VTR into second and gently opened the throttle. Amazingly, the rear wheel just dug itself into the gravel, started to push and the front started to (for want of a better word) gravel-plane along. I kept the revs up and was sailing along at around 55 all the way to the cape. I even had to stop and wait for Rob while the Dakar chugged its way along the well gravelled road. We finally got to the end of the road, looked at the lighthouse and considered the climb. "F**k that", we both agreed and saddled up for the trip back into Te Araroa.

After we got back into town, we slapped each other on the back for a job well done, repacked the bags after their jostling, swung the bikes in the direction of Opotiki and hit the road. Now the twisties REALLY started. The coast road is 80% twisties with an occaisional straight bit through the numerous seaside settlements. The real problem we hit was stock trucks. Invariably, we met them in the middle of a twisty section. The good news is they gave us a breather and let the heart settle down after the spirited riding throught the tight bits, and the bad is that we had a green line in the middle of the lane to follow all the way home.

Time really flies when you're riding hard and concentrating on this amount of corners, so after a short stop just outside Te Kaha for some ice-cream at the Macadamia orchard and then soem gas, we were in Opotiki before we knew it. Looking at the clocks, we also found that the ~350kms from Gizzy to Opotiki had taken us 6 and a half hours!! SWMBO will not be pleased. A hurried meal at the bakery, and a quick chat with some other bikers we met there and we were on the way again.

We had discussed whether to go straight up the coast and through Tauranga or via Rotorua lakes, and we decided on the latter since Rob hadn't been round there. After a quick ride through the lakes, we skirted the north side of the lake and joined up with the main highway opposite Off road NZ and with Rotovegas behind us and storm clouds overhead and in front, we made our (progressively wetter) way towards Matamata. I haven't been to Rotovegas in a few years, but the changes they've made on the western side of Fitzgerald glade blew me away. I lost a dear friend in those twisty bits before the Matamata turnoff and I'm glad they've bypassed them now.

By the time we hit Matamata, it was starting to get dark. I didn't relish the idea of a night ride in the rain, but we had to get back to Auckland, so rather than risk the secondary roads, we followed the flow of traffic all the way up SH27, SH2 and SH1 to home. We pulled in just in time for me to tuck the girls into bed and get showered before "The Apprentice" started, so all in all it was an 11 and a half hour day with probably 9 of those in the saddle.

Two days later, I could sit again without wincing :blip:

Can't wait for the next one.

[gunnyrob]

All in all she was a freakin excellent trip! (Bestest birthday present for a long long time)

Bike The bike I had was an F650 Dakar from Kea Motorcycle rentals. Roger & the team were really great. As Krayy said, the original weekend had total poop weather, and they allowed us to change the booking at 0800 on the day of pick up to a month later with no penalty. The bike was $269 for 4 days, unlimited kms and came with paniiers, helmet & BMW Riding gear.

The bike was on my shortlist of potential chariots, but after the weekend, I felt it was not quite for me. Though tall, it was quite short, and I could only stretch out by sitting on the back seat on the straights. The heated handlebars were excellent, I had nice toastie fingers while Krayy suffered badly. The bike was also quite vibey at high revs and gave me a wee bit of numbness in the hands.

On the plus side, it was easy to keep to sane, keep you out of the schtum speeds, and handled quite well in the twisties. the Panniers & top box were great.

Riding Gear Kea gave us BMW trou, Gloves & Jacket. We did a bit of a shifty here, as I promptly doffed these at Warren's house so he could use them while I tried out my new Spidi gear!! On the first and second days ride, we were still pretty dry & comfy, which amazed us both. Had I done the same in my old leathers, the whole weekend would have been a complete miserable write off. Like wise W would have been saturated in his gear as well. As it was, we both only had shorts & a poly prop top on underneath & we were both warm.

The East Coast Well what can I say. It was just awesome, and Krayy has pretty much said it all. One thing he did miss was the large amount of pheasants we scared up. it pays to be careful with these buggers, as I was almost slapped in the face by a very large cock!! (Fnar fnarr) If you haven't done it, get off your arse and give it a go. Hell, I'd happily retire to Gisborne & do it every day for ever.

I was so pumped up after doing it, I went & did the Coro loop on the Monday before I dropped the Bike back. (That was great too!!)

to sum up:
Kea motorcycle rentals rock
Heated handlebar grips should be on everyones bikes
Good quality gear is worth it
The East coast road is bloody fantastic
Thanks for the excellent time Krayy, I don't know how I can top it on your 40th!:rockon:

[oldrider]

Orgasm achieved.

Mrs O/r and I did that run clockwise from Opotiki and back via Waioeka gorge and it was a fantastic trip.
Can't entirely agree with your disappointment at Te Araroa, you should have tried the fish and chips there, they were terrific.
We climbed up the 700 steps to the light house, had a look around, peed in the flaxes and came back down.
Mrs O kept her leathers on for the walk up and back and reckons she lost about 20kg!
We found the road out to the Cape very nice must have got a bit weathered.
Enjoyed your write up thanks for posting. Cheers John.

[Macktheknife]

WHat a great write up guys, thanks heaps. I am planning to do that trip later this year so thats all good info. Cheers

[Bonez]

Nice write up. Seems GB 4 hundies can travel further though;) -
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=30428

[Divot]

Sound a great ride. Can't wait untill Labour weekend as I will be do it then with the Auckland Hog Group.

[Jantar]

Make sure you put a write up in here. I'm looking forward to reading how the Hogs manage the trip to the cape. :scooter: