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Here we go again.

Coast to Coast Part Three.

After visiting where Mokai used to exist, I was on Poihipi road. This is ‘ big bike ‘ country. Most riders take this route through to the Western Bay Access road, then up to Whakamaru. I turned off into Kaahu road. This fairly much runs parallel with the Western Bay road. It is a slower road which climbs and goes around hills more so than the better known route. This had been resealed recently and was in good condition. Here is a view from Kaahu road overlooking the Whakamaru country.






This was once dry stock farming but the almighty dollar has spoken and dairy farming is the main form of farming nowadays.
By this time it was about 2.00pm and the lack of sleep was beginning to tell. I had sort of decided to pull the pin at TeKuiti by now. Pulling up and having a kip is all very well. Actually sleeping is another thing. Stretching right back on the seat and extending my legs, rolling my shoulders etc all helped. Coming into Whakamaru past the Primary school, I thought of my wee grandson just through the classroom walls. It would have been great to have stopped and seen the little man, but the school staff might not have been so keen. Had a brief rest at the lake and snapped this view. Doesn’t show the true lake. I have fished this lake from a dinghy and it is a lovely lake.





A wee way past Whakamaru and I was on the Bennydale road. I carried on through to Bennydale and stopped for an ice cream. Infact, I had two. At TeKuiti, I pulled up and thought about my options. I was so close to the west coast that I didn’t want to come this far and not reach the coast. Then I thought, by going home via the Waitomo – Harbour road, at least I would have crossed the island from the Pacific ocean to the Tasman sea on the scooter.
Out of TeKuiti, it was onto Fullerton road and through to Waitomo caves. Full of the usual camper vans and buses etc, we raced right through. The Waitomo to Te Anga road is what a motorbike road should be. This part of the Kawhia loop is in better shape than the Kawhia road.
Drifting across the white line and crossing one way bridges before realising I hadn’t checked who had the right of way hit home. The time riding was not the problem, the time since a decent sleep was. From Te Anga to the Kinohaku school is about 19 k. I stopped and took another photo to break up the riding.





In the distance I could see the harbour. I followed the upper reaches of the Kawhia harbour untill I found this spot to pull up.





I really would have liked to make my way out to either Marakopa or Taharoa and waited for the sun to set. This would have been about another four to five hours away and there would still have been an even longer ride home. At least I had been from coast to coast on the scooter. Infact I had virtually done the crossing twice, counting my ride to Thornton beach and back home from the Kawhia harbour. Buggsy and I got home at 6.30pm.

I covered 625k on the scooter, With the time spent waiting for the sun to come up, taking photos and resting, I would have spent about 12 hours riding. The scooter averaged 34 k per litre. .

Considering the hard ride over the Kawhia – Raglan road two days before and this run, Buggsy never missed a beat. He had 2200 on the clock when I bought him and I’ve clocked up an additional 9,500 k’s on him in 9 months. He is still running on the original sparkplug. Nothing has ever come loose or broken. The scooter has done a lot of gravel roads. New front brake pads are due next week. Apart from tyres these will be my first outgoings. For my money, the quality of a Japanese designed scooter is miles ahead of its Asian cuzzies.

Now, for my next ride??? Maybe Wellington for breakfast?? I’ll have a think about that.