gijoe1313's Blogs

Well, another Monday finds yours truly riding to the usual rendezvous outside Auckland Public Library. Oddly enough, I am usually the first to be awaiting others to arrive, usually snacking on a frozen confectionary made in some dubious asiatic clime. This time, due to commitments and me being in several places at the same time, I arrived nearer to the end of the meeting time before departure.

Still, I managed to consume an ice cream treat that resembled a watermelon slice (which, indeed was real watermelon bundled into ice cream) and converse a wee while with the hoi-polloi intent on letting me lead them into parts unknown.

Of course, the group already present didn't have any destination in mind, so zeocen (the great pumpkin), suggested riding out south (as he always does). Dinner was to be fish n'chips from the local chippie to be scoffed on the foreshore of Maraetai. Loud belches emitted from the bellicose orifices of the aforementioned bikers after the repast was dutifully scoffed. I should of course, mention how the sight of bikers entering the local chippie was met with some trepidation of the owners, the relief on their face when we spent up large was evident on their faces when they realised we weren't there to smash the place up!

Anyway, the first drops of rain spattered our visors as we rode into the gathering darkness, our destination towards Takanini via the road to Clevedon beckoned and we wound our way through the undulating terrain that brings smiles to a biker's face.

Now it was here that the usual gremlins (no, not that Gremlin) pop up to be-devil our ride. Usually you need to keep the headlight behind you in sight, if people stop or have a problem, this indicates to the riders up front to slow down and stop. This seemed to have fallen between the cracks and at the end of a long straight, we were short about half the ride!

Turns out TOTO was correcting Sharry's light on her middlin' ol'hornet and had fallen behind at Clevedon. Fortunately TOTO knows his way around well and knew where to go. Unfortunately, half the ride decided that was enough riding and turned into pumpkins before my very eyes! Naturally leading the breakaway pumpkin faction was the insidious Great Pumpkin himself, zeocen.

The hardcore group remaining was Jasonxc on his cruiser, Sharry on her CB600 Hornet ("Cherry") and TOTO on his hooligan ride of a CB900 (lime green even!) and yours truly quietly nodding in approval at the zest for the ride in these few.

The roads out to Port Waikato were done with the minimum of moronway riding, splitting off to Drury to ride the ol'great south road to rejoin the moronway up to Beaver rd. From there, it was hop, skip and a twist of the wrist to SH22 and past the bridge to head to Port Waikato. Good to see the group riding their own ride and dodging or bowling over the occasional possum that decided to play chicken in the middle of the road.

At the dairy of Port Waikato, we had a bit of a chinwag, I suggested zombies and other horror movie set-ups and others heard fish splashing in the waters nearby. A quick pit stop and we rode back the way we came to end up back at BP Takanini. There, I transferred my pillion over to TOTO to take her back (this was to ensure I did not actually end up doing more riding after I dropped her off!)

A great night for a ride in like-minded company, good tucker and a few roads to ride down just makes the Monday Night Hornet Swarm rides a pleasure to partake in. I do so hope that you might decide to one day peep in yourself to say hello and enjoy yourself on the ride also!

With that my dear reader, another viginette of daily riding in my life comes to a close, concomitant with the fact that I shall always be looking forward to when I next swing my leg over my steed of freedom to bound away to ports anew!