PegLeg

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...