PegLeg

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....