Bloody Mad Woman (BMW)
1st January 2007, 22:08
Day 3 Ohope - Thames
Fantastic day for riding - I had planned to stay at Waihi but I was so enjoying riding the bike I just kept on going!! Great roads/corners. Couldn't get into any motorcamps in the Coromandel!! Yes I totally loved the Coro loop, would have been much better if there weren't so many damned cages on the road - however at least it did slow me down and I got to admire the scenery as well! (so far the the East Coast scenery beats it!!) but all those beautiful twists and turns and I would loved to have let loose on!! Instead I got to practice heaps of engine braking!! I also practiced the many different ways of cornering - near the end I was shifting my butt alot!!
I stopped in Thames at 7.45pm and had fish and chips - had plans of getting to Miranda and I would have just enough time to pitch the tent and collapse - well be buggered if I could find the correct exit - I thought I must be too tired went back to Thames and stayed at Dickson's motorcamp - up in the bush - arrived there around 8.45pm!! Pitching tent was down to a fine art now!! The shower was good - and that was when I realised I'd left my shampoo and stuff in Ohope!! Mad dash out of shower to liquid soap containers!!
Day 4 Thames - Miranda
Didn't sleep too well - it was bloody cold - and I was superorganised and left my panniers out under my little porch - tarp from tent - over bike!! I had lycra trousers and a sweatshirt in the tent - put those on - couldn't find me socks - my supercheap sleeping bag just wasn't cuttin the mustard - I actually zipped it all up - cos the bloody thing is too short, so it was phoetal position. Anyway finally I woke at 7.30am the guy in the office said I should go to the Thames market - there would be food stalls so I could have brekkie! Got there and the only food stall was mussell fritters YUK. Then it pissed down - every other day I have packed my tent up first!!! Guess where wet weather gear was!! Fk it I thought - gotta have coffee - waited for 20 mins and it still hadn't been made so I said hey I have to rush back and pack up my tent - well they made mine immediately!! The rain eased and I got back to camp - well my el cheapo tent had held up well!! Then the sun came out.
I left for Miranda and found the exit no problem - the bloody map have all these flamin no.s on them and in my "tired" state I was looking for Highway 24 - doesn't fkn exist - it was explained to me that that was the number of k's!! I was warned about the famous Kopu bridge - I couldn't miss it - well I'd gone over several bridges before that one then I came across "the bridge" well firstly a long line of cages - I vaguely remember Bartender saying something about that!! Anyway not a problem for a biker!
Went to Ngatea and some chrystal place, huge place. Nothing really caught my eye tho! Found Miranda and the campsite - complete with a hotpool. This is a beautiful motorcamp - very new facilities. Showers are absolutely amazing!!! Very few sites left! Set up my tent. Then had to go back to Ngatea to fill up with gas, had a great hamburger at this cafe there. On the way back I opened the bike up a bit. Just passed a vehicle (along road to Miranda - off the beaten track) and bugger me a bloody cop is coming the other way! Hand and foot went into action real fast. Thank god for narrow country roads cos he could have got me big time - I thought - I have travelled 1400 ks main highways the lot and no cops (only leaving Welly but not on my side). Lazed in the hotpools - bliss. Did some reading - my first blob day - hell I have enjoyed riding the bike. I have called this my "Rediscovering Freedom" trip. Let go of the horrific year, enjoy the moment and hopefully soon will work on where to from here.
I have written this on 30 Dec but don't think they have internet access here. Next stage is Auckland - check bank account which will decide if I go further!! :scooter:
Fantastic day for riding - I had planned to stay at Waihi but I was so enjoying riding the bike I just kept on going!! Great roads/corners. Couldn't get into any motorcamps in the Coromandel!! Yes I totally loved the Coro loop, would have been much better if there weren't so many damned cages on the road - however at least it did slow me down and I got to admire the scenery as well! (so far the the East Coast scenery beats it!!) but all those beautiful twists and turns and I would loved to have let loose on!! Instead I got to practice heaps of engine braking!! I also practiced the many different ways of cornering - near the end I was shifting my butt alot!!
I stopped in Thames at 7.45pm and had fish and chips - had plans of getting to Miranda and I would have just enough time to pitch the tent and collapse - well be buggered if I could find the correct exit - I thought I must be too tired went back to Thames and stayed at Dickson's motorcamp - up in the bush - arrived there around 8.45pm!! Pitching tent was down to a fine art now!! The shower was good - and that was when I realised I'd left my shampoo and stuff in Ohope!! Mad dash out of shower to liquid soap containers!!
Day 4 Thames - Miranda
Didn't sleep too well - it was bloody cold - and I was superorganised and left my panniers out under my little porch - tarp from tent - over bike!! I had lycra trousers and a sweatshirt in the tent - put those on - couldn't find me socks - my supercheap sleeping bag just wasn't cuttin the mustard - I actually zipped it all up - cos the bloody thing is too short, so it was phoetal position. Anyway finally I woke at 7.30am the guy in the office said I should go to the Thames market - there would be food stalls so I could have brekkie! Got there and the only food stall was mussell fritters YUK. Then it pissed down - every other day I have packed my tent up first!!! Guess where wet weather gear was!! Fk it I thought - gotta have coffee - waited for 20 mins and it still hadn't been made so I said hey I have to rush back and pack up my tent - well they made mine immediately!! The rain eased and I got back to camp - well my el cheapo tent had held up well!! Then the sun came out.
I left for Miranda and found the exit no problem - the bloody map have all these flamin no.s on them and in my "tired" state I was looking for Highway 24 - doesn't fkn exist - it was explained to me that that was the number of k's!! I was warned about the famous Kopu bridge - I couldn't miss it - well I'd gone over several bridges before that one then I came across "the bridge" well firstly a long line of cages - I vaguely remember Bartender saying something about that!! Anyway not a problem for a biker!
Went to Ngatea and some chrystal place, huge place. Nothing really caught my eye tho! Found Miranda and the campsite - complete with a hotpool. This is a beautiful motorcamp - very new facilities. Showers are absolutely amazing!!! Very few sites left! Set up my tent. Then had to go back to Ngatea to fill up with gas, had a great hamburger at this cafe there. On the way back I opened the bike up a bit. Just passed a vehicle (along road to Miranda - off the beaten track) and bugger me a bloody cop is coming the other way! Hand and foot went into action real fast. Thank god for narrow country roads cos he could have got me big time - I thought - I have travelled 1400 ks main highways the lot and no cops (only leaving Welly but not on my side). Lazed in the hotpools - bliss. Did some reading - my first blob day - hell I have enjoyed riding the bike. I have called this my "Rediscovering Freedom" trip. Let go of the horrific year, enjoy the moment and hopefully soon will work on where to from here.
I have written this on 30 Dec but don't think they have internet access here. Next stage is Auckland - check bank account which will decide if I go further!! :scooter: