awa355

I set off on Monday Morning on a 3 day quest to Taranaki to find some family history. Just out of Te A, I got above the fog blanket and stopped to admire the view of the sun shining onto the hills and trees standing above the fog.

Photos just dont do justice to natures beauty sometimes. From there, it was back into the fog right through to Awakino, when the sun finally took over. A friend had said that Buggsy would struggle up Mt Messenger, but the little buggar hit the hill like a rocket, albeit, a 'small' rocket. After a breather at the top, it was a slow run down the other side. The road was in shadows and very wet. An easy run into New Plymouth
and then we found a back packers for the night. The afternoon was spent at the Pukeriki library. This trip was, by neccessity, done on the cheap. Never again will I take a Dorm bed. Only two of us in the room but sharing with a stranger, especially a snail sucking french monkey was too much.

Tuesday moning had me aiming for the Okato cemetery to catch up with a family of ancestors, but Buggsy and I decided on the long way there. Carrington road winds its way between the upper reaches of the Taranaki farmlands and the fringes of the mount's forest. Narrow and winding, it was shaded from the sun for most of the road. Adding to the interest was the loose stones washed off the banks onto the corners.

After coming off the mountain into Otako, and a emotional moment at the final resting places of my ancestors, it was off towards Hawera via Newalls / Wiremu roads. A stop at the Newall rd dairy factory which my grand uncle helped set up 90 years ago turned up something I hadn't seen to date in Taranaki, A genuine Taranaki gate, This gates' origin lay in the English background of the early settlers. From the same spot I took this picture. Just out of Kaponga I spied a bike coming towards me, going like the clappers. Before he got to me, he hit the brakes hard and I got a glimpes of a white Buell turning down a side road. Seconds later came a police car over the brow, lights and siren going, he shot right past the side road and kept going. A half k' further on and a second police car went screaming past. The rest of the day in Hawera was spent talking to people and locating two long lost gravesites.

Wednesday morning saw me turning towards my ride home. First up was a stop in Normanby to chat with an elderly distant relative. "Spud told me about his father, Bill Brogden. WW1 at the battle of the Somme, Bill was hit by machinegun fire. He survived, and at the ripe old age of 90 years old, Bill sat and passed his motorcycle licence so he could ride his scooter. He made the local newspaper as the oldest man in NZ to gain a motorbike licence. Good on ya Bill.

The rest of the run from Hawera went good, Mt Messenger was awesome. Buggsy would hold 60ks no problem and the '25kph' corners had us both grinning. Stopped an had a look around Mokau then a good run home.

Buggsy used 24 litres of gas, over 693k's, averaging 28kpl. Considering he only has 100cc and was pulling over 100kg ( rider & luggage) at almost full noise, he did pretty well. When traffic came up behind, I would pull over on the shoulder and let the traffic pass. Humming along at 80ks I settled into a rythym and cruised along. In a years time, I will upgrade to a 250 scooter, but for now Buggsy gets the job done. All comes down to attitude I guess.