https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/blog.php/18401-PegLeg Kiwi Biker - New Zealand motorcycle community en Tue, 19 May 2026 23:32:58 GMT vBulletin 20 https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/images/BP-Brown/misc/rss.jpg https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/blog.php/18401-PegLeg https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/2353-The-Coro-Loop-sort-of Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:44:18 GMT Attachment 250923 (https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=250923)Attachment 250924 (https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=250924)Attachment 250925 (https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=250925)Well Marggy and I set off after... Well Marggy and I set off after she got home from taking her mum grocery shopping... (yes she really is that nice)

Unable or willing to face the Auckland traffic... I guided the Harley out through Morrinsville and Paeroa to Thames... we stopped at the Bakehouse for a coffee and then set forth around the various small bays and towns that make up the coastal section of the loop.... the Harley carving up the corners like a bike half its girth and weight.

The premiss for the ride was to give the upgraded rear suspension a good shake down prior to the up coming south Island run in February.... but I had an evil plan I had neglected to mention to Margaret.... the dreaded Alternative 309 Road to Whitianga .... (Cue dramatic music)

http://www.coromandeltown.co.nz/the-...-309-road.html

This is a road I have wanted to take for a while.... now was my opportunity.... the road is mainly dirt with a light sprinkle of gravel which would make it a challenge in the wet, but with the awesome Waikato weather made riding a breeze.... with little traffic and the most spectacular scenery.

With plenty of rain ruts, uneven surfaces and open drains to negotiate this is the domain of adventure bikes.... but the Harley ate it all up.... just asking for more...

We stopped for lunch in Whitianga sitting down by the water, it was a very quiet tranquil spot.... if having to compete with 1000 seagulls for your food is your thing...

Back on the road it was a quick blast back over the hill to Kopu... a quick pit stop and home.... as always these rides end way too soon...

This was the 1st real ride Marggy and I have done since my mother moved in and nursed till she passed away last month.... being back in the saddle ... Its like catching up with old mates.... it's just a place you want to be...

Marggy's performance on the back of the bike was sublime ... with me forgetting she was there till she would comment on the views or ask a question...

So we are all set... the bike is all sorted, helmet comms are reliable... bring it on summer ]]> PegLeg https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/2353-The-Coro-Loop-sort-of https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1784-Waikato-Loop Mon, 25 Oct 2010 06:55:17 GMT Sunday morning broke fine and clear… the best day for riding (Just my opinion) on the long labour weekend break…. This was the 1st decent ride since the trip up north to the Twin Bridges and out to the Whangarei heads for lunch back on Fathers Day in September.... or the last quick blast... Sunday morning broke fine and clear… the best day for riding (Just my opinion) on the long labour weekend break….

This was the 1st decent ride since the trip up north to the Twin Bridges and out to the Whangarei heads for lunch back on Fathers Day in September.... or the last quick blast around the Coromandel Loop....

Amongst all the other spring cleaning chores carried out on Saturday I had managed to clean the bike…. and check the fluids etc… so we were good to go.

It was such a nice morning that Marggy took the dog for a walk while I backed the Harley out of the garage and placed a small day bag on the rack… the would be no need to pack any extra gear for this trip…. just a short 200kms or so around the Waikato Lakes and dams. (or so I thought)

We were meeting the Auckland riders in Ngaruawahia at 10.15am…. so there was no rush…

Around 8.30am a blanket of fog rolled in over the Waikato, nothing like the pea soupers we use to get when I was a kid…. but enough to be a pain for the guys riding down from Auckland and test their resolve.


On Marggy's return with Sheba (the dog) we had a coffee and some toast, I looked out the window at the blue Softail, the paint and chrome agleam in the morning sun…. (Fog lifting as fast as it had rolled in) I really like the way this bike looks….. especially with out the pannier bags on….

Recent additions to the bike since the last trip were an new Thunderstar 5 spoke front wheel, a new billet headlight and an Arlen Ness 3 inch extension kit for the forward controls…. I was really keen to see how these new additions performed.

9.30am and we were on the road to Ngaruawahia …. the 96 inch Twin Cam engine starting with its now familiar metallic slap…. the fast idle of the fuel injected big twin making it sound as excited as I was to get on the road….

In New Zealand over the Labour Day weekend we kill a lot of ourselves on the road…. something about the last long weekend before Xmas…. or something to do with young people and hormones…. Too many old buggers like me on powerful bikes... maybe…. but its a fact and the police had warned everyone there would be no tolerance for speeding this weekend…. our 100kms speed limit (60mph) would be strictly enforced…

With this in mind we loped quietly up SH1 to Ngaruawahia an uneventful trip… passing 2 or 3 police cruisers parked up on the side of the road…. camouflaged in the dappled shadows of road side trees like sleepy jungle cats waiting for their next victim…. or uncompromising public servants doing their best to keep us all alive…. depending on your perspective.

To my surprise the other riders had the same cunning plan as I did and had arrived early to have a coffee and something quick to eat…. great minds think alike I guess…. I gassed the Harley up and joined the others with a freshly purchased coffee steaming in my grasp, the wee FXST Softail dwarfed by the Goldwing and the Voyager.

Hugs and hand shakes over with we stood around only long enough to consume the coffee's and appoint a front rider…. we already knew this would be JJ, we just needed to convince him. hahahaha

Still uncertain exactly of our route … we set off on the back roads out of Ngaruawahia …. knowing only that eventually we would ride the Karapiro and Arapuni Dams heading down to Atiamuri…. or something like that… before heading north to escort the northerners toward home.

Riding through the easy rolling hills and valleys of my local roads I'm at home…. just the odd 55kms corner to navigate and we are in Whatawhata in the blink of an eye, taking Kakaramea road we are soon in the cruising groove…. with the police blitz on…. the challenge was not about riding fast as much, as it was not slowing down in the corners…

Yes I know I have said it many times in different ways…. but anyone can ride fast…. blasting about at a zillion miles an hour for a thrill…. hell that sums up the 1st 20years or so of my motorcycling experience….

The challenge for me these days is defying physics and trying to navigate my harley through the twisties in a fashion it was never intended for….. thats where you can find a lot out about yourself… on a bike that would never be described as a canyon carver even on its best day….. but hey it's easy when you are riding roads you grew up on…

We blow through Ngahinapouri then Pirongia, where I am surprised when we don't turn off for the back road out to Te Awamutu…. but hey who cares…. JJ has a GPS and I have a full tank of gas and its an awesome spring morning….

Following Ormsby Rd out of Pirongia I am excited…. this piece of road through to Otorohanga is very cool…. a succession of easy loaping corners winding its way through very pretty farm land …. man…. who cares about dams and lakes when you can ride these roads with your mates….

As we rolled in to Otorohanga …. and again to my surprise we turned right onto SH3 and headed toward Te Kuiti…. well any idea I had on our route was well and truly out the window….. this was no longer a little tootle around the local lakes and dams….. this was now a serious excursion….. very cool.

The gentle curves and easy corners continue out of Otorohanga…. and the road surface improves…. being SH3…. and we are in Te Kuiti in what seems the blink of an eye…. we pulled over to quickly compare notes on where and when we should cut back toward Lake Taupo….

After some discussion and the great progress we have made…. we decide on heading further south to Taumaranui…. for lunch…. unbelievable….

Heading out of Te Kuiti on SH3 for about 10 or 15 kms we turn on to SH4 and the road to Taumaranui…. while the road starts off OK it quickly reminds me of conversations I have had with people describing the pot holes on this section of road requiring their own maps to navigate them…. for the 1st time all morning I was getting sharp reminders in the helmet coms that my pillion was thoroughly unimpressed with this piece of road… The section of road between Mapiu and Mangatupoto easily exposing both my own short comings as a rider and the lousy stock suspension on my Softail…. (mental note to self…. stop pissing about and buy the Progressive Rear Suspension units)

Anyway by the time we are riding through Te Koura the road is all sorted out and we are back in the groove…. and in no time at all rolling into Taumaranui… we cruise through the quiet sleepy streets to the Copper Kettle for lunch.

After some food and rehydrating…. some very easy conversation…. it was back on the bikes…. the plan was to gas the bikes up as we were uncertain of the exact route across to Lake Taupo… and I just hate pushing a motorcycle….. that just sucks…

Following SH4 out of Taumarunui for about 5 kms we turned onto SH41 ….. now….. for those who have not had the pleasure the Tongariro Massif made famous in the Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" film Trilogy reveals itself off in the distance to our left… the volcanic cones of Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu in all their snow cover glory…. a special moment for my pillion and I…. there is a real connection, we experience with these places…. almost emotional or spiritual….

Carrying on along SH41 the easy corners and improving roads make the miles melt away as we quickly approach the bays around the south western end of Lake Taupo. At Kuratau Junction we turned north onto SH32 a road called Western Bay Road…. If you do nothing else this summer….. RIDE THIS ROAD…. fast easy corners, great coarse seal, majestic scenery…. all the way through to Tokoroa…. punctuated by a trip over the Whakamaru Dam…. I will be riding this road again for sure….

Riding into Tokoroa …. I am well and truly back on familiar roads, we pulled over to compare notes and see where we should have our next break…. we settled on Matamata…. so it was a quick blast up SH1 heading north through Putaruru and Tirau…. we started seeing Police cruisers again…. we were lucky enough to have not had too many concerns in this department thanks to sticking mainly to the rural Waikato back roads…. but we were watching our speed through this section….

Turning onto SH27 in Tirau it was a quick blast through to Matamata…. the straight roads across the Hauraki Plains a stark contrast to all the twisting, winding roads of the rural western Waikato.

After gassing the bikes up, (you have to love these modern bikes with 20 plus liter 4.5 - 5 gallon fuel tanks) it was off for a coffee…. it had been an awesome day…. hundreds of miles of the most magic roads… and amazing weather...

It was good to be off the bikes and having a chat about the trip so far and looking forward to the next one…. we were only off the bikes for half an hour or so …. and it was a poignant part of the trip for Marggy and I at least, our ride was all but over…. with the coffee empty and the food consumed it was back to the bikes….

it was about 4pm most of the heat was gone from the sun, but with daylight saving the Northerners would still hit Auckland and the North Shore in day light…

Back on the road we left Matamata on SH27 driving through Waharoa…. we carried on along SH27 till we got to Ngarua where Marggy and I turned off onto Kereone Road to head back toward Hamilton…. then its left into Kuranui Road… the last opportunity to have a quick blast through some rural twisties …. till we pop out onto SH26 which takes us back into Hamilton.

Chatting to your pillion while you are riding really does add a whole new dimension to these trips…. and all the new additions on the bike proved very worthy…. although I should point out the Arlen Ness extensions to the Forward Controls do push the pegs out sideways about 1/2 an inch on each side…. (the thickness of the mounting plates) which saw my kuryakyn ISO wings scraping on the tighter twisting corners…. small price to pay for the additional comfort the extended 3 inches of length affords.


Here is the final route... about 500kms for Marggy and I ... closer to 800kms for the northerners....

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...338e48e1ac&z=8
Ride Safe ]]> PegLeg https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1784-Waikato-Loop https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1644-Mid-Winters-Ride-North-To-Cape-Reinga-PT4 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:53:46 GMT t was a little more difficult for me on the Harley, as every time I tried a little lane splitting, I could feel the tension rising in my pillion…. I have tried pushing her through this sort of thing before on the M109R I use to have…. only to have her avoiding the rides altogether till I got this... t was a little more difficult for me on the Harley, as every time I tried a little lane splitting, I could feel the tension rising in my pillion…. I have tried pushing her through this sort of thing before on the M109R I use to have…. only to have her avoiding the rides altogether till I got this new Softail.

On the northern side of the Brynderwyns we had a whole bunch of sportys (non Cruiser Styled Motorcycles) come up behind us, so I pulled over and let them go… their high revving engines filling the air like thousands of angry bees bussing about.

With JJ and Dave well and truly having had disappeared up a head playing with the sportys, I settled in behind a reasonably fast moving BMW 540i and followed it through the traffic, the Brynderwyns seem to develop their own little micro-climate usually resulting in some sort of rain, but not today, we had long since left the wee bit of the wet stuff behind up up north and the sun was out making for very pleasant riding…. (If it wasn't for all the bloody cars)

The now familiar corners being taken with ease on the Harley, the loaping engine not much over an idle, eagerly swallowing great gulps of fuel when ever a gap in the traffic presented itself, transforming instantly into a whirlwind of torque, with the exhaust shouting out the engines excitement.

Pulling on into Wellsford I saw JJ and Lo parked up on their Voyager with the Goldwing parked beside them, devoid of its owner…. pulling in beside JJ and Lo I switched the Harley off and waited quietly while Dave and Kirsty finished whatever it was they were doing.

The sporty bikes that had buzzed by us over the Brynderwyns were all gassing up at the local Petrol Station…. Geez I still had the best part of half a tank… admittedly I had been riding quietly …. but you got to love these new Harley's…. ;-)

It had taken the best part of 2 hours to work our way down from Kerikeri, and I was looking for a break off the bike, only about 15 minutes to Warkworth and the Bridgehouse for a late lunch….

Working our way out of Wellsford, the traffic had thinned out a little and we could make some good pace, we worked our way down into the bottom of the Wayby Valley and up out the other side, one of the sporty bikes had been pulled over by a Traffic Cop… this had the anticipated effect on our speed…. well till we were out of site of the police cruisers radar anyway.

We worked our way across the Waiwhiu Tops and then down into the Dome Valley…. Man I have childhood memories through here…. stories of Mystical Maori myths …. Flying Saucers and UFO abductions and just strange lights in the sky through out my youth in the 1960's and 1970's. These fueled many a conversation during slow laborious family excursions through the area in my Fathers old Vauxhall Wyvern.

It was around 2.30pm when we pulled up to the Bridge House Cafe in Warkworth I have been here a number of times now over the last few years, very pleasant old English Pub kind of feel, but the kind of place the locals would avoid in the weekends, because of all the Aucklanders desending on the place.

I ordered a beer a glass of wine for Marggy and a couple of steak sandwiches… this all arrived promptly at our table and was greedily consumed…. its surprising just how physical these road trips can be, keeping yourself feed and hydrated is especially important.

The conversation around the table settled on our trip over the last few days, and rides we intend to do in the future, with Spring just around the corner here in NZ, its time for me to get my credit cards paid off so I can ride the wheels off my Harley's over summer...

Well this was pretty much the end of our trip, hugs and hand shakes all around it was back on the bikes, we are heading for home… I lead the way out of town just to find my dam artificial leg had fallen off… bugga!!!, first time all weekend… trying to avoid cars and not crash I pull the bike over and hit the kill switch… holding the bike up on my good right leg I reach down and shift the bike into neutral….

Now for me I get pretty frustrated and embarrassed when my plastic leg comes adrift, most of the time I forget its there…. or not there if you know what I mean…

Anyway I maneuver the bike to where its safe to get off it, and get pretty short to my pillion who is trying to be helpful making lots of suggestions… I find myself snarling at her, when she dosn't deserve it…. (Sorry Babe)

So its a quick down trow in the middle of the main street of Warkworth while I sort out my artificial left legs wardrobe issue…. nothing the can't be fixed with a bit of No8 wire and some sticky tape… all while women screamed and mother shielded their children's eyes from my near nakedness…. (not really but it felt like it at the time ;-)

Leg all sorted It was back on with my trousers and riding pants…. then a quick ride around the block to ensure it was going to stay on, and to get some gas, last gas stop before home….

All hot and frustrated it was good to be moving again, from Warkworth its a short trip down to Puhoi and through the tunnels, its around 3.30pm and the heat has gone from the sun now…. it will only be an hour or so till it starts setting and we will be riding in the twilight.

As I said in the 1st part of this trip report once you hit the Tunnels at Puhoi, its pretty much Motorway or Expressway roads all the way down to Huntly, so we would make great time …. and it was all down hill (heading South)

This was the third trip for the weekend through the tunnels not too scary at $2.00 a time, but I had better remember to pay the toll.

By the time we had got down the Southern Motorway to Papakura (the Autobarn) I was really looking to have a break and get off the bike…. I suggested to my pillion we could stop if she needed a break, go to the toilet etc whatever…. hint hint… but bless her she was all good and happy to keep trucking for home…. Fudgebot!!!!

But in no time at all we had climbed up the Auckland side of the Bombay Ranges and the Mighty Waikato was spread out before me…. like some nomadic warrior of old, returning home for the 1st time in years, my spirits sore at sight of the gentle rolling hills and valleys, green green grass and clean fresh air an absolute pleasure to behold.

Even the slowly dropping temperature was welcome, like the cold caress of loving hands I no longer had a sense of weariness, more one of satisfaction and gratitude it has been a massive weekend with like minded riders covering the loop in goodtime and in awesome weather.

Rolling into Ngaruawahia almost home,…. I decide to take the back roads through to Te Kowhai then around the back of the Hamilton Zoo and into the back of Dinsdale, and get home in the twilight, the sun has set, literally , on a fantastic weekend… Marggy hopped of the back of the bike as fresh as you please … testimony to the Harley Signature Seat.

As usual I get a little melancholy at the end of a trip, sometimes even emotional…. (yeah yeah I know harden the fu(k up) but these trips are what I live for, being out on the road on a V-Twin is something special, it defines me and you really can, if you are open to it, find out who you are (inside in the places you don't normally look) and what you are made of.

And as I have said before, this trip has to end so another exciting trip can start… so its back to my other life tomorrow, the one that pays the bills and keeps the bike under me….

Facts and figures

Day 2

Traveled 502 kms
Put 23 litters of fuel in
which is 61 mpg
or 4.5 liters per 100 kms

At the end of the weekend we have traveled a total of 1215 ams (755 miles)
Put in a total of 61 liters of fuel
which is 56 mpg
or 5.0 liters per 100 kms over the whole weekend. ]]> PegLeg https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1644-Mid-Winters-Ride-North-To-Cape-Reinga-PT4 https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1643-Mid-Winters-Ride-North-To-Cape-Reinga-PT3 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:51:12 GMT Rising early on Sunday Morning it was on with the TV to watch Germany Play off with Uruguay for 3rd and 4th in the Soccer World Cup…. which has been a pleasant warm up for the real deal next years Rugby World Cup… After a coffee or 2 I was loading the K-Drive removable bags and ensuring all the... Rising early on Sunday Morning it was on with the TV to watch Germany Play off with Uruguay for 3rd and 4th in the Soccer World Cup…. which has been a pleasant warm up for the real deal next years Rugby World Cup…

After a coffee or 2 I was loading the K-Drive removable bags and ensuring all the helmet coms and cellphones were all charged, we would be riding all the way back down country to Hamilton today.

All coffeed up and loosing interest in the soccer game I took the 2 packed saddlebags down and clip them on the Harley, As the last bike in the night before, I backed the wee Harley around the lockable courtyard that the Rusty Anchor provides and set it up pointing it out the gate ready to go.

I checked the oil level and the tyre pressures, I have done around 10,000 kms on these dunlop tyres, they are ok but for New Zealand riding conditions the are a little dodgie in the rain, but they are still trucking along, only half worn, so they are wearing reasonably well.

The morning has broken fine and clear, with only whispery long streaks of cloud in the sky…. this along with the very mild 12 degrees C (54F) means there is a rain front moving in…. we should stay ahead of it…. but it is something to be aware of.

I went through and sorted out paying for the room and met the guys back up stairs, JJ and Dave were comparing the luggage capacity specs of their bikes, I resisted the urge to give them a hard time about how anything with an airbag, air-conditioning and electronic cruise control can't really be a motorcycle…. but testament to my high character I let it go….

I then marveled at JJ and Lo as they moved into packing their bike mode, both knowing what tasks they are responsible for and ensuring they are completed with fastidious attention to detail and the precision of a well oiled machine that can only come from decades of time together and tens of thousands of miles on motorcycles.

Back out on the road, I was already regretting my decision to put on an extra layer of clothing, insulation against the cold morning chill that had never eventuated. The warmer temperatures of the Far north in New Zealand quite a contrast to the frozen frosty starts I am use to in the winter around the Waikato.

Following the Inland Rural Road from Tokerau Bay back to where it joins SH10, we are all taking it easy, looking for the tyres to warm up and slipping back into riding mode… the main thing on my mind at the moment is breakfast…. himmmmm a 2+2+2+2…. 2 hash browns, 2 sausages, 2 bits of toast with 2 runny poached eggs…. yum, just the thing to fuel me back down the country.

Turning right onto Sh10 JJ and Lo are in the front on their Voyager, then Dave and Kirsty on their Goldwing…. and then Margaret and I on the Softail Standard.

I have ridden this road just last year with Dave and Kirsty as part of a top of the North Island to the Bottom of the South Island ride, so the roads had a semi familiar feel, we were heading for Kerikeri for brunch before heading down to Wellsford for a late lunch…

As we work our way down around the easy corners and long sections of straight road I reflect on how blessed we are in New Zealand to be able to ride all year round, and this being one of the 1st road trips Marggy had joined me on, it was all the more sweeter

As we worked our way around the top of the east coast, I get to experience all the small bays and inlets that one after the other make for an astonishing view, each one seemingly trying to out do the next on its level of splendor… and each responsible for generating the small communities that are peppered all the way around the coast line.

Just outside Te Whau, JJ pulls the Voyager over … we are faced with a decision, turn left and take Kapiro Road and have an uncertain adventure around roads we had never ridden, or turning right, stay on SH10, Kerikeri and breakfast being just 5 minutes down the road….

Well of course we opt for the adventure, these rides are about getting out in the wind and experiencing a sense of freedom seldom experience by riders who never get out off the main motorways and expressways and experience the back country rural roads… but I digress

With the thought of a nice coffee and accompanied by the deep baritone grumbling of my rumbling stomach (Hey I'm a growing boy) we take Kapiro Road back out toward the sea, which after a while comes to an abrupt hault, splitting into 2 or 3 roads that are not much more than farm tracks….

turning right into Landing Road we work our way up into the hills over looking the Pickmere Channel, we pull the bikes over and take in the view that is before us, no one really saying anything, it wasn't necessary, and words would have been inappropriate… It is a beautiful part of the country and I can understand why people come out to such isolated areas to build there holiday homes and lifestyle blocks.

Breathing in deeply it was like the air was charged with a sense of the place, like an essence of its history was carried in the wind and in breathing it we were some how changed, energized or healed maybe…. or maybe the locals were just smoking pot… but as I have said I feel such a connection to the Far North of New Zealand it will not be long I am sure till I return.

As if they could hear my growling stomach the guys started their bikes and we were off again, following Landings Road back down into the valley and turning right into Waipapa Road then left into KeriKeri, over a pretty flash cause way and on into Kerikeri for breakie.

Man I couldn't believe how big Kerikeri was I was expecting a wee 1 horse town with a general store with some petrol pumps out the front… but this was a full on town, with malls, antique shops, all the fast food outlets and where the hell did all the traffic come from???

Driving through the town we stopped at the ‪Santeez Cafe‬‎ this was awesome, they were busy but it was a pleasant relax place and the staff were friendly and helpful.

This was a welcome brake off the bike I was cooking with all my gear on, so while we were served coffee and tea I went and stripped off a layer or 2 and whipped out my contacts, my eyes still finding them uncomfortable from the riding the day before. (and maybe a sign I was a little dehydrated)

The conversation around the table jumped around a bit, everything from friendship to pillion comfort to weight loss. As the food started to arrive we were discussing riding style, and road trip etiquette.

Because I am usually riding 2 hours or so to meet up with others around the country before we even start a ride some where, I get easily frustrated with riding groups who stop what seems like every 5 minutes for a break…. to me this is just burning daylight … and if we are not staying on the road somewhere, could see me getting home pretty late at night.

This was a pretty universal gripe around the table, I was saying as Marggy and I still had to get down country to Hamilton if the others were up for it, we wanted maybe just one more stop before hitting Auckland…. so the days riding plan was modified and we would ride straight through to Warkworth and the bridge house for a late lunch. this would be around 200kms (120miles) straight down SH1, so after brunch we gassed the bikes up, and set sail for Warkworth.

I had put on my Rain-Off over gloves as the rain had caught us up over brunch, the trip was pretty uneventful, heading down SH1, its like Police city, pursuit cars parked every couple of KMS, strange speed restrictions in the high risk accident areas. This saw the traffic flow condensing Dave and JJ weaving their way effortlessly through the building traffic. ]]> PegLeg https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1643-Mid-Winters-Ride-North-To-Cape-Reinga-PT3 https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1635-Mid-Winters-Ride-North-To-Cape-Reinga-PT2 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:02:37 GMT In no time at all we are out of the Valley and up on the ridges, gone are the forest clad roads and shady glades of the Waipua Forest, basking in sunshine, we are rewarded with an initial view of the Tasman sea, I know from previous trips to slow down, there is a rest stop coming up on our left….... In no time at all we are out of the Valley and up on the ridges, gone are the forest clad roads and shady glades of the Waipua Forest, basking in sunshine, we are rewarded with an initial view of the Tasman sea, I know from previous trips to slow down, there is a rest stop coming up on our left…. pulling in for pictures, I am awestruck at the panoramic beauty that is laid out before me…



We are parked in a large gravel carpark on the hills above Omapere, out to our left is the Tasman Sea, and spread out before us is the Hokianga Harbour…. I'm sorry but I just don't have the language to describe the vista before me… the view of the harbour looks out over Opononi clear up to Motukauri, before turning right and heading further inland. The sun is glistening on the blue water, so still and calm…. and inviting… contrasting against the white sand hills on the opposite side of the harbour inlet, somehow fertile enough to have spasmodic patches of vegetation growing…



Working our way down into Opononi I remember the last time we stopped at the Opononi Hotel for lunch…. a very flash affair under the sun umbrellas on the deck of the restaurant…. I was surprised to find them closed for the winter or at least the weekend…. bugga!!! disappointed, we decide on making our way around to Rawene and sort out some lunch while we waited for the ferry over to Kohukohu.

Back out on the road following our way around the edge of the harbour its just 10 or 15 minutes to the Rawene turn off … the road down to Rawene is nice and twisty with easy corners and a nice surface…. we are an hour and a half behind schedule… its after 1pm and we really do need to get a wriggle on… but the riding and the cold temperatures have taken their toll and I need to eat….

On arriving in Rawene, we glide quietly (well as quietly as a Harley can) through the sleepy wee towns streets to the ferry ramp, to park up and get some lunch….. only to find the ferry pulling in… Bugga, I know what this means…. with my stomach growling I hear myself saying "yep lets get aboard and hook up with some lunch in Kaitaia"…. but in my head I heard the little Hobbit doing a stampy little dance shouting "All I want to know is when am I getting food"…. ignoring my petulant inner child we all agreed to ride on to Kaitaia.





The 15 minutes or so on the ferry was a nice change of pace, the breeze blowing over the Hokianga was fresh and cold… again a reminder that it really is the middle of winter… as the Ferry approached the ramp on the other side of the harbour I donned my helmet and started the Harley with pillion mounted and JJ and Lo leading the way on the Voyager we were off down the road with lunch foremost on my mind….

Following the Kohukohu road out to State Highway 1 at the Mungamuka Bridge I was so focused on food I had forgotten about this next piece of SH1 …. The Mungamuka Gorge… now this is a piece of highway that you want to bag up and take home with you, the kind of road that seems purpose built for motorcycling. The Softail easily handling the corners and the pillion well and truly in the groove we have blasted out way through the tight twisting nicely cambered section of road in no time at all…. Kaitaia…. finally lunch….

A hot cooked lunch, and a couple of beers to wash it down…. I had a kind of panini with hot chips (french fries) man did it ever hit the spot…. I was practically licking the plate clean… There were a bunch of other bikers parked up in Kaitaia, I understand they were riding out of Whangarei, and had been up to the Cape earlier in the day and were heading back down the East coast the following day…. I had been so hungry I had ignored them completely on the way in….

With hot food consumed and well and truly rehydrated… (hick-up) we were off up to the Cape… it was an hour and a half away and we were loosing the light fast… the section of road from around Te Paki north to the cape has only recently been sealed and my last two trips up this road were along a very rural gravel (metal) road…. this time however it was full steam ahead… the only issue was with sun strike with the sun sitting low in the sky on such a clear winters evening.



Seemingly unaffected Dave and Kirsty disappeared into the distance, determined to get photos of the setting sun above the horizon and enjoying an evening out driving in their Goldwing… (with the top down) with JJ and Lo close on their heals… I could feel the tension building in my pillion, as she was struggling to backseat drive safely, with so much sun strike, … so I backed off and resigned myself to arriving at the Cape after sunset.



Now I have been up to Cape Reinga a number of times over the years, but I have to say, If you haven't been there at sunset you just haven't lived….. there is something tremendously spiritual about the Cape for me…. I am loosely related to the Subritzky's and the Matthews Families, who all had a lot to do with the Mission Station in Kaitaia and Mount Camel Station in the 1800's… so there is a significant connection for me here.



So it was the walk down to the lighthouse (1st time I have ever seen it going) I tried to take photos down there but it was just too dark for my phone…



after experiencing the unique feeling of the Cape for a wee while Margaret and i walked back up to the main Carpark to the waiting limousine drivers…. Opps I mean the Wing and Voyager riders were waiting…. now I'm a pretty big guy…. no no its true… I am probably carrying 30-40kgs (88lbs) extra pork, so I was puffing pretty hard by the time i got up to the Carpark…. foolishly instead of taking time to recover, maybe have a cold drink to rehydrate It was straight back on the bikes and we were off back to Kaitaia for dinner….

My challenge here was a wardrobe problem with my contacts…. they felt like sand paper and all the lights of the delineators and from the oncoming traffic…. were star bursting and I just couldn't see…. and the harder I tried the worse it got…. so I just had to slow down and drive by brail maybe between 70-80kms (40-50mph) which was slow…. but I was really struggling…

Concerned, Dave on his Goldwing stopped to see what the issue was… I explained I was having wardrobe issues with my contacts…. so Dave hooked in behind me and helped me out by lighting the way for me all the way back to Awanui where the streetlights and road marker lights lit the way back to Kaitaia …. where it was gassing up the bikes and Hitting KFC for dinner.

At the KFC restaurant I ripped out the contacts in the washroom and put on my specs, the relief was instant ….



I was a much happier camper… from here it was a quick blast out to the Rusty Anchor, unloading the bikes and sitting back giving each other shit about our bikes, over a few coffees…

It had been a huge day for Marggy and I, coming all the way up from Hamz. 713kms (443 miles) for the day…. I was so proud of my pillion, it was her 1st big road trip and she done it easily in the end, thanks in no small part to the new Harley Seat…. We would sleep well all the same though...
Facts and figures

Traveled 713 kms
Put 38 litters of fuel
which is 53 mpg
or 5.3 liters per 100 kms

End of Day 1 ]]> PegLeg https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1635-Mid-Winters-Ride-North-To-Cape-Reinga-PT2 https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1634-Mid-Winters-Ride-North-To-Cape-Reinga-PT1 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 06:53:14 GMT The Morning broke fine and clear, a blue glow illuminating faintly through the night sky. Its Saturday morning and the proceeding 3 fine winter days have resulted in a very cold crisp morning…

I'm feeling a little jaded I always sleep a little restlessly before a big riding weekend.

The bike was pretty much packed the night before so its just a matter of getting ready and a cup of coffee or 2 and we are all set to go.

Marggy and I have around 160kms (100 miles) to cover as quickly as we can to meet up with the other 2 bikes on the run and start the trip in earnest.

Did I mention it was cold? We were rugged up with everything we could squeeze under our riding gear, so we were keen to get started.

Backing the bike out of the garage, the heart rate is elevated this is going to be great… its about 6.45am the frost is crunching underfoot on frozen grass….

The Twin-Cam B engine on the Softail turns over and starts immediately with the now familiar metallic slap, the initial fast idle slows…. the Vance and Hines Quiet baffles doing little more than giving the bike a deeper rumbling sound…. all the neighbors well aware of the Harley having been started and it's legendary sound reverberating off all the various structures in my street.

Cruising up the road I took it easy till I got a feel for the weight of the packed bike and the conditions, a crisp clear morning, did I mention it was cold?

Navigating the sleepy suburban streets in 3rd and 4th gear, giving what little traffic that was on the road plenty of space I continued taking it easy till we hit the SH1, and the main road north.

slowly accelerating the big twin up to highway speeds, both rider and pillion settled in for the ride north.

This is where I mention the Rain-Off over gloves, these are awesome…. http://www.rain-off.com/

The Waikato is inclined to get a little foggy through the winter, and there is nothing worse with winter riding than having to endure wet gloves…. (Yeah yeah I know harden the fu&k up)

So with these over gloves on and the warmth of the heated grips, I was blissfully unaware of the trials and tribulations endured by my pillion…. hitting the worst of the fog around the floodplains of lake Waikare between Ohinewai and Te Kauwhata.

Once we were past Mercer, the Waikato River turns left and heads out to Port Waikato and to the sea, taking with it the last of any fog.

The time is now approaching 8am and the Saturday morning traffic is slowly building as we head up and over the Bombay ranges and down onto the Auckland motorway.

As I have said in many trip reports, this is a pretty boring part of the ride, avoiding trucks and various commercial vehicles going about there business with nothing much happening other than the odd "Boy Racer" darting in and out of the traffic in their little booster cars, like want-a-be extras trying out for a part in a "Fast and Furious" movie…

Then its up and over the Auckland Harbor bridge, and the Northern Motorway, the sun is up, cool and crisp, no clouds to be seen… the only thing that reminds me its the middle of winter is the fact the toes of my right foot are a little cold.

Lost in the easy rhythm of the road, I manage to ride right past the Orewa turn off (Yes there is even 2 of them) and wind up having to go down through the tunnels at Puhoi turn around and ride back again…. bugga … there is a toll to pay both ways… what a dumb bastard….

Well its just going 9am…. not too bad, 2 hours in the comfy Harley Signature Series Seat with the riders backrest, rewarding the expense of the purchase with an almost embarrassing level of comfort.

Hooking up with the other 2 riders at the Orewa Service Station, Dave and Kirsty with their 1800cc Honda Goldwing and JJ and Lo on their newly acquired 1700cc Kawasaki Voyager, my Harley looked tiny and out of place parked next to the opulent and highly appointed tourers.



Hugs and hand shakes all around they waited patiently for Margaret and I to briefly recover, have some hot food and a quick coffee. I gassed the bike up, ready for the next leg, a 140kms around 90 miles or so, run to Dargaville for morning tea.



On the road we worked our way out of Orewa and out onto SH1…. awesome to be on the road again…. the Harley singing its melodic and rhythmic song …. man these new Harley's are so cool, the way they develop their torque and power is a lot of fun.

We are quickly riding through Warkworth, the Dome Valley and then Wellsford…. the sun now high, not a cloud in the sky… what a great time of year to ride in New Zealand… its cold, but the weather is much more settled.

Traveling up through Kaiwaka I am reminded of boyhood trips up to Mangawhai from Hamilton on the back of my Fathers RD250 or my brothers RD350 throughout the 1970's. It was all gravel roads back then and falling off the bike was a regular occurrence… my Mother insisted on safety which meant my wearing a helmet so dressing for a fall was a must…. by 1973 they were compulsory in new Zealand anyway.

Continuing on up through Pukrekaroro, JJ and Dave are setting a good pace, the rural nature of the roads meant most traffic was either going the other way or enjoying a slow sleepy start to there Saturday morning…. leaving the roads pretty clear.

Turning left at Brynderwyn taking the Dargaville turn off…. we have been back on the road for an hour now, the comfort, good pace of the ride, the awesome weather and having my partner Margaret on the back of the bike with me ….. hell life is good….

Heading west now toward Ruawai, we can pick the pace up a little more, the lazy rural road blessed with a good surface, few corners and great views… while the 2 limousine like tourers ahead of me were as good as silent, the Softail burbbled away happily heralding all before us of our approach.

I had recently been pricing up the curb and channel sweeping and sumping right through this area for work, it was interesting to experience all the small towns first hand.

Pulling into Ruawahi, I knew Dargaville was getting close, the thought of a hot coffee was on my mind and maybe a hot scone or a muffin… turning north now heading up to Dargaville running along side the Wairoa River we had essentially spent the morning riding around the edge of the Kaipara Harbour it's tentacles reaching from Helensville clear up to Dargaville and in land as far as Kaiwaka…. this massive network of waterways making trade possible amongst the early settlers of the region…. but I digress.

The long straights into Dargaville are just too tempting and the bikes enjoy stretching there legs a little… the two big Japanese tourers easily out accelerating the humble Harley, but once she got into her work the wee Harley hit warp factor and was quickly up to way too fast of a speed…. as I have owned this bike and the engine has bedded in, the top end has just got faster and faster…. don't get me wrong, the FXST will never have the acceleration of the M109R I use to have, but the engine is a strong honest toiler and will pull hard all day long…. I guess the other difference between the 2 bikes is I get to enjoy using fist fulls of the early torque and what power the FXST has to offer, where if I was doing that with the M109R I probably wouldn't survive for very long before the bike or me or both run out of talent or I lost my license.

Rolling into Dargaville with coffee and fuel for the bike upper most in my mind we roll along the sleepy streets to the local service station and gassed up… I used less than half a tank around 7 litters (1.8 gallons) not too shabby.

Its a quick blast down the main drag to get a coffee from the Blah Blah Blah Cafe (Yes thats really its name) on Victoria Street…. man they were busy…. the normal high level of service seemed to be let down by a lack of staff on the day… so we lost a lot of time here just waiting….



Finally back on the road we headed off to see the big Kauri Tree Tane Mahuta (Lord of the Forest) this is New Zealand’s largest known living kauri tree. It is thought this tree was discovered and identified in the 1920’s when contracted surveyors surveyed the present road State Highway 12 through the forest. In 1928 Bushmen building the road, identified the big tree as Tane Mahuta.



According to Maori mythology Tane is the son of Ranginui the sky father and Papatuanuku the earth mother. Tane was the child that tore his parent’s parental embrace and once done set about clothing his mother in the forest we have here today. All living creatures of the forest are regarded as Tane’s children.



Measurements
Trunk Girth 13.77 m
Trunk Height 17.68 m
Total Height 51.2 m
Trunk Volume 244.5 m3

Maybe not huge by international standards, but a very impressive tree all the same.

The road through the Waipua forest was still damp, even though it was late in the morning, melted ice and a lack of sun had left the road wet…. so it was good to be off the bike and walking off any tension that had built up riding the greasy looking surface, I took the obligatory pics of Marggy standing in front of the enormous tree, then it was back on the bikes and the machines muscling there way up out of the valley.

This is where the Harley FXST really comes into its own, generating all its torque so quickly, having awesome ground clearance, flicking the narrow wee cruiser effortlessly from side to side winding up out of the forest was a highlight for me, a synchronized ballet of muscle and metal, all working together in harmony all chorused, of course, by the trumpeting intent of the harley's exhaust note.As I held the bike in 3rd gear, winding it up out of the tight corners and then shutting the throttle using the engine braking to wipe off speed for the line into the next corner…. magic ]]> PegLeg https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1634-Mid-Winters-Ride-North-To-Cape-Reinga-PT1 https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1394-The-Catchup-Coffee-Run Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:07:43 GMT The Catch up Coffee run Well because I ended up doing this run on my own, the goal was to do this run in 2 days... My route would take me through some of the most amazing motorcycling roads in the North Island, the run would be about the riding and not so much about sight seeing. The... The Catch up Coffee run

Well because I ended up doing this run on my own, the goal was to do this run in 2 days...

My route would take me through some of the most amazing motorcycling roads in the North Island, the run would be about the riding and not so much about sight seeing.

The morning broke fine the star fill sky filled with the promise of a great start to the day....

Honored and lucky enough to live in the Waikato, I was witness to the hint of rising sun illuminating a dark blue glow... mystical... in the dark early morning sky.... I sense the struggle of night verses day, light and darkness locked in their eternal and futile battle for dominance over each other.....

I started the Harley in the Garage to help protect the neighbors from the in your face sound of the Harley, not really louder than the 109 use to be, but more irreverent some how.... holding up a middle finger salute to anyone it was upsetting ....

Rumbling through the sleepy Hamilton suburbs .... the wee Harley coughing and spluttering... (hey its an old Carburetored Harley..... she takes a while to warm up) I was filled with a sense of excitement.... this was the 1st serious ride since getting back from the Wellywood protest ride.

This ride was initially to get my KMS for summer up.... with all the weekends prior to Xmas lost through work, I would struggle to have ridden more that 2000kms so far on casual rides around the place.... but as the bike warmed up underneath me and the agricultural clanging of the harley valve train became something more akin to that of a well maintained classic chevy engine and I sank into the luxury and comfort of the new Dyna seat, my heart was a little melancholy at all the lost opportunities (rides) I was suddenly more determined to just get on the bike no matter what.

Heading out of town I passed the Mormon Temple, in all its glory, and I reflected on how most huge religious monuments are built with funds donated by the very people who probably need, the money, the most.... but thats a subject for another time.

With the lights of the Harley showing the way I was quickly onto SH39 and through sleepy towns like Ngahinapouri and Pirongia the sun was winning the battle over the night sky, with the most amazing sunrise.... impossible to describe with mere words, the reds and purple hues mixed with the clouds back lit by the rising sun it was an awesome sight to behold.

It was just coming up 6am as I hit Otorohanga, the wee town locked up as tight as a drum.... suddenly coffee was on my mind... only been on the road 40min.... get a grip....

Through Te Kuiti and onto SH3 the sun was up now but the weather was deteriorating as I came closer to the Waikato / Taranaki boundary.... The Harley sounding awesome through the twisty roads I rolled into Mokau feeling confidant in the bike .... but I new with the 1st 200kms behind me I was light on fuel.... and now the urge for coffee was becoming a distraction.

Pulling into the River Run cafe it was nice to get off the bike.... I ordered some breakfast and the much anticipated coffee.... both very welcome.... the wind was blowing now, and there were heavy rain warnings in the South Island and around the Welling ton hills... but nothing was keeping me from this ride.... so fed and gassed up I was off again.

Following the coast down toward New Plymouth, I could see from time to time the forecast foul weather destined to head up the island, and so far my plan of leaving early to stay ahead of it was working..

The Kilometers all running into one another lost in the easy rhythm of the road, soaking up the bends that run between Mokau and New Plymouth I seem to be in Oatkura and Opunake in the blink of an eye.... and in the distant was the familiar call for coffee returning... the kms were starting to mount up so I pulled over in Hawera for more coffee and petrol.... it was around 10am, himmm shoot for Palmy for lunch Im thinking.

The run from Hawera to Palmerston North is pretty familiar now, a nice piece of road, but the traffic is building and the wind is up.... the odd shower passing through but the wind is keeping the roads pretty dry.....tooting and waving on my way out of bulls incase Les and Jackie were home its going 12.30ish as I hit Palmy and I navigate my way through Palmy to stop at the Mc Donald's for my much anticipated Angus Burger..... yummmm

Reflecting on my ride so far, I have covered 7hours in the saddle, and 500 odd kms... not a bad morning at all.... man the angus burger hit the spot... with fries and an apple pie it was the complete meal.... I had plenty of KMS to cover and the weather was clagging in so I needed to get going...

Rolling out of Palmy full of food and fuel I was on the road to Napier, I have made this run a couple of times now and it always seems to rain on me..... must be a karma thing.... but none of the beauty and splendor was lost on me, you always seem to me more connected to the scenery on a bike.... the smells and the views... spectacular.

I cruised into Napier it was going 4pm..... and there were whispers of coffee stirring inside me.... but it was a top up of fuel and a quick swig of cold drink and back on the road, the highway was calling and besides I was booked into the Teal Motor lodge in Gisborne and I didn't want to miss out on dinner.... (Hey everyone needs to prioritise

The road between Napier and Gisborne was spectacular and I'm riding down just to do that ride again as soon as I can.... it took me the best part of 2 1/2 hours but it drifted by quickly although the last 30 or 40 kms did drag a little.... pulling into the motor lodge it was just awesome to get off the bike....

I went to reception, paid up in advance as I was leaving early... parked the bike in their garage and headed for the restaurant.... steak and Mushrooms with peppered sauce..... yummm washed down with a healthy amount of bbbbbb beverage.... hick-up

So it was off to my executive room and the luxury spa..... man I was looking forward to this...

And so the 1st day of my adventure winds down.... it was around 13 hours in the saddle.... and I covered around 900 kms. I left home at 5am and got to Gisborne at 8.00pm man what a day!!!!

Rising early.... oh my head.... dam I must have over indulged..... I got sorted after a couple of coffees and some toast.... yes I take my Vogels bread with me.... 1st thing packed after the bourbon.

Sorting out some soothing music... (for my head) I backed the bike out of the garage and was back on the road.... Geez I just couldn't believe how light it was for 5am... it was still forecast to be dodgy weather wise, but was confidant heading up the east coast I should stay ahead of the weather...

My route today will take me from Gisborne, to Hicks bay and around to Opotiki a piece of road I haven't been on since I was at school..... very cool...

The road around the coast to Hicks bay was great, I had the road to myself.... the weather had settled down and it was going to be a great day for riding...

Riding in to Ruatoria was like riding back in time, the deserted run down buildings and the early hour of the morning, giving me a sense of foreboding... all of a sudden I felt a little exposed, riding on my own.

I wanted to top up with fuel as I was unsure where the next fuel stop would be, it was 6.45 in the morning when I pulled the Harley up to the pumps...

I started chatting to the girls, the service station was also the local store and the local shop and the local hotel as well.... any concerns I had we soon dispelled by the friendly nature of the locals....

An old chap came up to the bike and was looking all over it.... started reminiscing about an Indian Chief he use to ride.... he said it was great how I had done the old bike up and how important it is to keep the old bikes around for the young people..... I didn't have the heart to tell him the bike was a 1987 Harley and not a 1937 Indian.... lost in his thoughts about earlier years and muttering something about how many girls he had pulled on that bike.... the old boy shuffled off into the store.

All gassed up, I was heading for Hicks Bay... the last time I was there was in the 1970's we were on a family camping holiday .... the last memory I have is of a lady running down the beach with a shotgun threatening to shoot our dog.... Ahhh those were the days.... hahahhaha

Any way suffice to say it hadn't changed too much.... and my memories of 30 odd years ago are probably not that reliable.... the roads seemed a little better although the Wharf Road was wet and sloshy after all the over night rain.

The run from Hicks Bay down to Opotiki was sweet, no wind, clear sky and awesome scenery.... a lovely piece of road..... coffee murmurs were starting to kick in and I would be needing gas so I called into the WHITE ISLAND RENDEZVOUS COMPLEX one of the Motels I had scouted out as a possible place to stay on a 3 or 4 day trip.... off the reception area is Pee Jay's coffee house... its a very pleasant place and would make a splendid venue for a northern National Rally.... 320 kms down and I had already burnt up over 4 hours of the day.... I needed to get a wriggle on... it was 9.30am already...

Back on home ground the run from Opotiki to Waihi was sweet.... knowing the roads really helps.... the wind was up again in the less sheltered areas but the roads had dried out and I had the sun on my back... it was 11.30 when I rolled into Waihi and had lunch on my mind... still a lot of kms in front of me and the weather was looking dodgy so it was a quick scoff of a maggot pack and a cold sports water and back on the road after gassing up...

This next section of the run was the corro loop in reverse.... following SH25 around the coast... this was pleasant except for some road works around the Pauanui turn off and a little rain around Coromandel itself I made pretty good time gassed up and was pulling into Thames just before 3pm... I decided to call into the Bake House cafe for coffee and food.... Hey I had to rush my lunch.... just 150 kms of coast line to go into Aucks in front of me....

The loop had taken its toll on me... I was feeling a little jaded and while doing the loop was great, it required a fair amount of concentration and riding input....

The comparatively straight roads from Thames through Miranda and the easy bends up to Matingarahi were very welcome.... and I rolled into Kawakawa Bay about 4pm... man I have some memories here... when I was a boy maybe 16 or 17 I was working on a farm in this area and would meet a local farmers wife here for a spot of skinny dipping and... well other romantic stuff.... she was one of my 1st great loves....

Looking out over the bay licking an ice cream .... I was lost a moment in reflection.... the taste of the ice cream, the smell of the tide.... the sound of families enjoying the beach.... life is good....

Anyway the trip all but over I rolled on into Manukau and gassed the bike up... and headed for home, it was raining in Auckland.... the only real rain I had seen all day.... but it eased as I got to the end of the motor-way.... then at the top of the Bombay's I look down over the Waikato... the green rolling hills and valleys welcoming me home like the arms of a lover.... I rode on down willingly keen to get home.... and off the bike...

This is always a melancholy time for me.... the end of a trip... an adventure...

In the much quoted line from the Matrix movie, "all things that have a beginning, have an end"

Something has to end for something new to begin....

So negotiating all the roundabouts and intersections through Hamilton on automatic .... I roll up the street to my house reflecting on what I have achieved over the last 2 days... the people I have met and how wonderfully blessed we are in New Zealand at being able to ride around a 2000kms loop, over 2 days, enjoy the most magnificent roads and do it all for no other reason than a cup of coffee.... or 2

I covered around 947 kms. around 13 hours in the saddle I left Gisborne at 5am and got home around 7.00pm

All up the trip was 1847kms 26 hours of saddle time and the only real stops were for fuel and food..... suffice to say.... I slept well that night... ]]> PegLeg https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1394-The-Catchup-Coffee-Run https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1393-Winter-Run-to-Reporoa Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:02:53 GMT It was an awesome June morning... but then I new it would be.... its my favorite time of the year on the bike.... crisp frosty mornings leading on to awesome riding days. I had 1pm appointment in Reporoa so I wanted to be on the road by 10.30 so I had heaps of time. I turned up at the Bank... It was an awesome June morning... but then I new it would be.... its my favorite time of the year on the bike.... crisp frosty mornings leading on to awesome riding days.

I had 1pm appointment in Reporoa so I wanted to be on the road by 10.30 so I had heaps of time.

I turned up at the Bank Managers place to pick up Aliesha (Ali) 19 and gorgeous the BM's daughter and get on the road.

As seems to be the way I spent the next 45 minutes waiting to leave... (Yeah I know its a chick thing)

I have to say it was worth the wait... I was met at the door by this young woman all done up to the 9's (hahahaha excuse the pun) awesome ... it seemed a shame for her to be putting on a helmet.... with all the makeup on and green highlights around her eyes.... and did I notice some sparkles mixed in there as well???? (Not that I was looking of course)

With the alarm set and the house locked up we were ready to go....

Ali being new to riding I gave her my brief pillion induction into motorcycling... (if we are turning left look over my left shoulder.... if we are turning right look over my right shoulder... and don't drop your phone if you are texting) and we were off down the road.

Once Ali had got use to the weight of the helmet on her head, and a rough feel for the bike (I know she got this sorted cause her helmet stopped banging into the back of mine on deceleration or under braking) we were through Hamilton and out on the open road heading for Cambridge.

Having gone through Cambridge I took the SH29 turn off toward Hinuera, then the next turn off to the right and headed to Tirau... the loop was to avoid the road works just north of Tirau on SH1.

Slowing down through Tirau I check with my young "Padawan Learner" as to how she was handling the cold frosty morning.... I was assured that she had endured cold southern mornings in Invercargil ... so she could handle anything the Waikato could serve up....

Sweet I thought, giving the heated grip warmers a reassuring squeeze I drove out the end of Tirau and took the SH5 turnoff for Rotorua...

Man what and awesome piece of road.... riding alone through the frost covered hills and valleys was amazing.... like something out of a northern hemisphere post card... what a fantastic time of year to be riding...

And then it got really cold....heavy frost on the road except where the car and truck tyres had been very magical.... and the ice forming on my Jacket and helmet was a 1st for me...still my young "Padawan Learner" testified to the toughness of her southern winter conditioning.

Down over the Mamaku's and on into Rotorua .... I stopped for gas and I expected my young friend to be inside warming up her hands but no she was keen to wait till we got the last 30 minutes of riding down to the Reporoa Dairy Factory done and out of the way.

Sweet.... I neglected to tell her it was probably going to be the coldest part of the trip so far...

Following SH5 on out of Rotorua, we had a great run along the road.... with me being careful to avoid icy patches and worse the slushy sections where the ice was melting... My young "Padawan Learner" oblivious to all this had taken to texting her various boyfriends and girlfriends as we rode along.... so comfortable on the back of the bike I was forgetting she was even there.

On arrival at the Reporoa factory we were greeted with warm sunny windless morning... I sat Ali down on a wooden bench seat in the sun to thaw out for 45 minutes while I went and .... well made about $450.00 per minute in sales opportunities... not brilliant.... but not bad

The effort involved in climbing in and out of the new Mugello riding pants was a small price to pay for the warmth and comfort they afforded...

All geared up we were on the road again, the air temperature noticeably warmer , frost however still resided in any shaded or sheltered areas.

Heading down SH5 from the Reporoa factory toward Taupo we past through Golden Springs then took the Tutukau Rd off to the right ....

Tutukau Rd is like many rural roads in New Zealand.... narrow, moss and lichen growing in between the tyre tracks and its not uncommon to have stock on the road.... and mainly know only to a few milk tankers and logging truck drivers.... it connects State Highways 1 and 5... and it brought me out onto SH1 30kms south of Artiamuri.

Having survived the odd drift through the awesome twisty corners on Tutukau Rd (having questionable traction, what with thawing ice, moss lichen etc and just goofing up the odd corner on the wrong line) I was starting to feel a little bullet proof.

Now on the much improved surface of SH1 I stretched the legs of the nine a little, chatting from time to time to my young pillion (who had been texting her mum and boy friend for most of the trip) to make sure she wasn't freaking too much...

In no time at all we were rolling in to Tokoroa.... then rolling past the Lichfield Cheese factory and on into Putaruru.... and finally Tirau... where we turned off for Okororie.... and the Bikers Bar.

The time was now around 2.30pm the sun was shining... here I am walking into the pub, ordering our drinks etc only to find the kitchen was closed.... OH NO..... NO LUNCH.... bugga so we got down on there last 2 pies and went out and sat on the veranda in the sun.... sipping our drinks... eating our pies... life doesn't get any better than this.... great bike great pub great looking young bird for company.... what a sweet day.

About 3.15pm we are all done.... sun is getting low in the sky and I have some more exciting roads in store for my young padawan pillion.

So with all our gear back on and the pillion almost thawed out.... the M109 snarls out of the parking lot and we off down the the road the sweet sound of the V&H Pipes trumpeting our departure.

Ignoring the signs for Hamilton, we headed down Okororie Rd onto Harwoods Rd and on into Te Poi... we turned left onto SH29 and followed it through Hinuera waved at the 2 or 3 boy racers that never seem to learn and keep getting pulled over for speeding on the straights.... and carried on a few kms then turned right into Taotaoroa Rd.

Taotaoroa Rd is a sweet piece of rural country road with spectacular views and challenging off camber corners... it opens up access to all the rural roads networking the block of farms between Cambridge and Matamata.... but today we are staying on Taotaoroa Road and following it till its conclusion ... bringing us out at the Karapiro Service Station...

Then its a quick blast up SH1 to Cambridge and on into Hamilton with the setting sun painting the landscape in a golden wash that silently spoke of the cold frosty night ahead and the promised of another awesome day tomorrow.

Big thumbs up to Aliesha, terrific pillion and a natural on a bike.... we will have to work on your mum and get your own bike sorted out....

What a day.... great sales, great riding, great company.... I have to say the questioning looks I was getting at Reporoa and Okororie... riding with this young bird on the bike were quiet enjoyable.... ]]> PegLeg https://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/entry.php/1393-Winter-Run-to-Reporoa