gijoe1313's Blogs

Well, the day started quite slowly, I was mooching around the demesne as you do wondering what on earth to do with my day. I was content to putter around on the computer doing all sorts of mundane tasks such as emailing, playing online browser games, surfing KB and chatting away to people on MSN.

Up pops TOTO who is in the mood for a ride, but not with any particular destination decided upon. Of course he asks me and I blithely blurt out that a Coro loop would be just the ticket for such a capital day!

TOTO, of course, is in concurrence and has just the small matter of an oil change to attend to. A tentative time of around three is set and I scurry off to do my chores and get my Big Ol’Hornet sorted for the ride. Oddly enough Gremlin was also online, and I merrily taunted him about the fact his KTM was busted, he was working and TOTO and I were going to be out on a lovely day to ride around the most agreeable Coro loop.

Now for those who are not familiar with the legendary Coro loop, this is a worthy ride for bikers to daintly pootle around at a leisurely pace to enjoy all the benefits accrued due to the scenery, twisties and other gregarious biking fixtures. Suffice to say, those who have ridden it know it, and those about to or intend to have a treat in store for them.

Eventually the revibrating sounds of TOTO’s lime-green Hornet hooves into view and we are able to make our way via the Hunuas and down through Miranda, avoiding the oft dreaded moronway. It is at the end of the Hunuas that TOTO quips “we can has ice kreem at Pokenos?” (I do apologise for lolcat vernacular, but it seems appropriate to this comedic interlude) I quickly disabuse him of this notion by quipping nonplussed “We has just beguns to rides, we can has ice kreems at Whitianags!” With that, we made our way to Mirndand.

Along the straights to Kopu, we picked up another itinerant biker with his wee sprog pillion. The bridge saw TOTO and said itinerant biker head to the front of the queue when I had stopped behind a few vehicles. With a shake of the head, I slowly rounded them to meet up with them at the front. I guess TOTO had to make the Mobil servo quickly for some undisclosed purpose!

Locked and loaded at the servo, it turns out TOTO was just exercising his biker’s prerogative to navigate to the head of a stationary queue of vehicles. Chortle.

The ride led ably by TOTO took in the myriad delights of Tairua to Whitianga, many were the curves, we ducked, we dived, we dodged, we dipped … and dodged again! Late lunch was had at a café after we rode lost through the township of Whitianga, I consumed a small bowl of chips with morsels of pop-corn chicken accompanied with chilli sauce, washed down with Dickson’s Finest Raspberry Soda and with an entrée of a snow freeze cone. TOTO munched merrily on a fishburger resplendent with a side order of fries. The delightful repast was enlivened by pert, young nubile things that made the eye wander and stray in a most engaging way.

Eventually we made our way around the top of the Coromandel, very little traffic and stunning sights sprinkled liberally with magnificent views of what makes the Coro, the Coro (and no, not Coro street!) Even the slow crawl of holidaymakers in their white campervans did not dampen our spirits one jot, indeed, it gave us time to drink in the view of the sea when we decamped from the high points into the low coastal road points. All too soon, the servo at Kopu welcomed us in again, the lass at the counter remarked how “that was a quick trip! Back already?” with a pip pip cheerio, TOTO and I went back across the bridge, TOTO and I heading to the front of the queue (again).

Oh, before I forget to include this, I must mention that at the servo I was all for taking the long way home – TOTO then decides to speak about the fact that he only “had six hours of sleep and donated blood as well”. Oh my. Oh my oh my. So instead of the Kaiaua gorge, we went back via the Hunuas to ensure TOTO did not do anything untowards!

As Clevedon and Takanini came and went, I bade TOTO a bon voyage to his North Shore retreat whilst I rode to Manuwera to help my dearest mater and pater to close up shop for the evening.

All in all, a most enjoyable day, free from anxiety and worries and just being two fun and fancy free fellows following the felicitous route of the famed Coro loop.

And that, as they say is that!

Yours truly
gijoe1313