snodpete

Slowest NZ traverse ever [2]

Next day's destination Devonport, Auckland. We sought out some back roads again, riding via Kawhia with its amazing paua patties, Raglan and Pukekohe, resisting the dreaded AK motorway until Drury, where predictably all forward movement stopped... seriously, how do you Orklind ppl handle this? On second thoughts it's fine, you have nothing to worry about (Thinks: If I dis it too much they'll all want to come south and fill up our wide open spaces...). We made a side trip up One- er... NO-Tree-Hill to escape the worst of rush hour and view the metropolis. Low light of our Auckland experience came next day as we tiki-toured and got a ticket in our hosts borrowed car for crossing Grafton Bridge - Bus lane sign? What bus lane sign..? Who does it profit to fine out-of-town people who are only likely to return and drive on your streets after more years/councils have passed and different places will be off-limits? $120 worth of encouragement to continue bad mouthing Aucklanders I reckon!

Rested after 2 nights in Devonport (an opportunity to wash the corrosive cement-like shite off the bike that's used on North Island roadworks) we headed for the Bay of Islands, stopping at iconic Puhoi pub en route where a fellow traveller warned us of the queued traffic just north. We sat in line for 5 minutes until a 'local' on a cruiser showed how things are done up here: we followed him for about 15km on the shoulder past hundreds of motorists apparently resigned to moving a few metres a minute. Encountered our second lot of rain near Whangarei, arriving at the appointed Kerikeri BP station where our host was waiting to guide us to his home - the manager's house on Mataka Estate - playground of ridiculously wealthy foreigners. That night we got up close and personal with some local kiwi (feathered kind), talked about old times and generally bullshitted the balmy Northland night away. Late next morning we cruised up the coast via a sequence of beautiful bays settling on the Mangonui hotel for the night, having some of their beautiful fish-n-chips for tea - bliss! [NEXT]