Gremlin's Tall Stories

Yes... imagine that. A long ride is required for work purposes. Ride there, do the work, come back. Awful. I struggled with this dilemma for an entire... mmm half second or so.

The only issue was that it was Wellington where the work needed doing. Haste was required, so I couldn't exactly say the East Cape was on the way to Wellington. A, the boss is a biker himself. B, he's well aware of all the riding I do, and the distances I clock up. So there was no way in hell he'd ever buy that sort of excuse. Still, a good 14 odd hours in the seat is hardly a bad thing during the week, so who cares.

This all took place last week, on Thursday, 2nd December. The branch office of a client was moving in Wellington and we needed to set up all the internet connections, phones, computers and generally make sure it was a productive office once done. Only a couple of staff, but things like internet connections are irrespective of quantities to a degree. The weekend before, the boss had mentioned he probably had to go down to sort it out, so I'd be in charge in Auckland while he was away. I think I hid my disappointment well (didn't hit anybody or cry ) but mentioned it may be a better idea for me to go down. Well of course I was going to say that!

During the weekend he realises he has meetings booked on Thursday, which he can't move, so I'm going to have to go instead. Awful. I didn't cry this time either. Katie was still in the shop from being dropped off the previous week for her 60k service, so a quick txt to the mechanic to let him know it would be really good to get her back Tuesday or early Wednesday. Worst case scenario, there was still another 3 bikes to steal *cough* borrow. Two hornets and a blackbird. Have I mentioned how awful the situation is yet?

Nevertheless, a follow up call on Monday confirms she'll be good to go, so time is spent prepping for all the gear I need to take down, stuff like cables, modems, new phones etc. The plan will be a little day trip, while the boss isn't that impressed I want to turn it into a day trip. I figure I leave around 3am ish, to get into Wellington mid morning, quick visit to another customer to check in, and then over to the main job. Once finished, I'd pop back to Auckland. The boss' idea of travel would be to leave Wednesday and back Friday, so my idea was saving us two days. He didn't think it the best idea in the world, but accepted I was used to the distance, but warned me to stop if necessary...

Wednesday evening we're trying to get everything together, I have Katie back and have finished a few touches to prep her for the trip. Bike serviced, tyres have plenty of life, scottoiler topped up, etc, all the usual stuff. I head home early around 7-8pm to get some sleep... and fail miserably. I finally get into bed just after midnight, giving me two hours of sleep. Except I can't sleep. I'm so wide awake I can barely close my eyes. I watch the minutes tick over slowly, and eventually get up at 2am to pop a liner into my jacket that I'd forgotten to do before. Still can't sleep. A simple ride to Wellington, how do I get excited by this?

2.30am, alarm goes, oh well, up I get again. Gear up, load up, temporary greeting on the phone to let people know I am in Wellington for the day and a quick stop in the office for the last of the gear I need and I head down to Wellington in the light rain. A few detours later and I exit SH1 onto SH2, then onto SH27 popping out at Tirau. Somewhere on SH27 there's a little bastard in my stomach poking a knife out from the inside, saying he's hungry. 4am ish, why do I need food? By the time I re-join SH1, the bastards slitting me from side to side... soooo hungry. I decide to ignore him, knowing I'll stop in Turangi. I'm still enjoying my tank range, and this trip will be easy going, filling in Auckland, Turangi, Wellington and Turangi again, no sweat. In Turangi at 6.30am its a stop for fuel and some muesli bars, which satisfies the little guy. The roads are nice and quiet bar a few trucks, so the pace is nice and smooth. I get the odd radar alerts, but nothing seems to eventuate from any of it.

I, and all the other traffic, get heavily delayed on the long bridge (near Sanson I think?). Its a long narrow one, and some big machinery is being moved, so the whole bridge gets used up. Luckily its heading south like us, so we can follow it, albeit at 20-30kph. Once past the line of cars I have the road to myself for a while, the delay creating a big gap in traffic. Travelling through Levin to Auckland, I can't imagine people commuting that everyday... so boring, not enough passing opportunities, but at least I don't have to do it. I get into central Wellington about 10.30am, and head straight for my first client. Couple of little items and I'm away again at midday.

There's a neat lunch bar run by an older lady in either Brandon or Panama St, called the Panama Lunch Bar. Nice food, so I have a sandwich and some fruit chunks. There is also a bit of a space on the opposite side of the road where a bike could sort of park, but not totally legally. Since the bike parks are always full and I even have panniers to try and find space for, its the third time I rely on the space. Either the wardens don't patrol, or take pity on a traveller, as I haven't had issues. Lunch is interrupted by the Chorus technician wanting to install a line, so I talk him through the location and he has access to the serviced offices already. By the time I get over there he's finished and gone, so I settle down to installing. Furniture is moved across, desks arranged, etc etc, we run into a few issues getting a few things sorted, so we only finish up shortly before 8pm. I lock everything, and the streets have gone quiet, so at least I don't have to fight traffic.

I had planned to finish early and surprise annoy crasherfromwayback and trashy, but obviously they have long since closed up, so I resign myself to getting some gas and getting out of Wellington. I've still got a few km left in the tank, so I head to Upper Hutt to get gas at Shell Trentham. Leaving there around 9pm I've decided I don't really want to do SH1 all over (hence starting onto SH2), but due to the late leaving etc, its going to add a couple of hours or so, going around. However, there is a neat compromise. A road I've wanted to check out, and thanks to confirmation from KoroJ when I stayed with him, I know Akatarawa Rd is sealed. I want to find out just how narrow it supposedly is.

Well boy... if there was ever a case for a road being made one way, I think this wins the award. Barely as wide as a single lane in places I can see why no-one talks about it on KB as a fun country road for the weekends. Completely blind corners where two cars would never fit side by side and I'm rather glad I'm exploring on a week night. Quiet, and I would be able to see headlights before I see the oncoming vehicle. I get quite lucky, with no cars during the 30km odd of really tight stuff and I'm back on SH1. All too familiar I say, but its the evening of an already long day. Once I leave the bottom part of the island around Sanson it gets quieter. Not much reason to be heading north at this time, I start to see my only company, trucks. There are a lot of them, but they are reasonably easy to pass, and always know when I approach, so often signal when its safe, move left etc. Much appreciated guys (and gals)

More trucks through the Desert Rd, I even see a truck overtaking another in a small passing lane, and they moved left straight away so I could use the last few metres to pass both. Small wheelie, but mostly innocent fun... it was a cresting hill anyway. I found it interesting how many roadworks had changed since the morning, going from rough solid base to very fresh seal. Exiting Desert Rd two cop cars come flying past, heading south, and followed shortly after by a fire truck with really bright lights. Thought to myself... sheesh, its only me on the road, you're ruining my night vision with those lights! I enter Turangi around half past midnight and head straight for the truckstop, where surprise surprise, I see more trucks. I reckon it must be a scary amount of stuff these guys are constantly moving every night while we are sleeping. I'm starting to feel a bit knackered, having been awake for over 37 hours already. I found the truckstop a few trips ago, and knowing where there are places open 24/7 serving nice food, with bathrooms is really handy. I decide to lengthen the stop a bit, so after a meal and a yarn with the truckers, I also find out that a car has gone off the road at a place nicknamed suicide. Off the road, through an empty space and off a cliff... good job indeed.

More yarns with truckers, and I pull out the laptop. Coupled to a T-stick, I can do some maintenance work on client sites from Turangi. Feeling refreshed, I fill up the bike, bit of a clean and back on the road around 2am. I reverse my route from the morning to the turn, off at Tirua, carry on north etc. Fatigue comes back quickly, even before Tirau, so after Tirau I up the pace to maintain concentration, which works reasonably well, like normal. The sustained pace is maintained through to SH2, where a bit of traffic and early light sees more cars on the roads, but SH1 is still quite quiet. Nothing to really report about Ramarama straights is there? They are still there and uh... straight. The entire journey remains reasonably devoid of police though, can't have been the unusual times could it? I think it was around the point I hit SH1 it started raining again. Sheesh... I left in it too. Rained all the way home, going from drizzle to actual rain.

Reached home at 5.30am, an estimated 43 hours awake, and 1350km travelled. The shower felt great and then it was into bed and slept until early afternoon. Just another day at the office aye?