Tt2000 2016
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, 9th March 2016 at 19:56 (18585 Views)
So for those who don’t already know the rules are simple. There’s various checkpoints, worth between 1000 and 5000 points, dotted around the South Island. They give you a t-shirt at the start and when you get to one of the checkpoints you have to take a photo of the bike, the landmark and the t-shirt to prove you were there. The target is a minimum 2000km (1243 miles) and 50,000 points by the time you get to the finish point 48 hours later.
The TT2000 is very much about setting your own targets through, in my case I had just two:
- Pick a route that involved road’s I’d never ridden before or really enjoyed riding (i.e. bendy)
- Points are less important but want to score more than 72,000 points (my previous year’s results).
There’s two start points, one in Dunedin and the other in Picton; this year I’d plumbed for Picton. There’s about 50 of us at the start point, I’m the only Spyder rider and so I field the usual questions (and insults) about what it’s like to ride, shouldn’t you be a car rally instead, etc.
The first ‘easy’ 5000 pointer from here is Hakahaka Bay. However, when I’d checked it out the day before I’d met three logging trucks on the narrow twisting road. Chatting with Dave (Triumph Tiger) I made a last minute decision to skip this one as it was too risky for the other riders having a Spyder in the mix on that road.
Finally it’s midday and rally starts, and straight away the bikes start heading off in different directions as each person has their own ‘optimum’ route planned. This is the strange part of this rally, sometimes you hardly see another rider on the road but when you get to a checkpoint (or petrol station) it’s rare not to bump into someone and exchange a words before heading off in different directions again.
Just coming up to the second checkpoint at Rainbow and the ram mounted old phone I rigged up as a GPS falls off and breaks. A few choice words but it’s ok as this was just a backup for my written instructions.
A number of checkpoints are quickly dispatched until I hit Takaka Hill about 4pm. Turns out to be just the right time as the traffic was very light and the few cars I catch up with are locals so quickly pulled over to let me pass. Pushing the Spyder to the limits on this bit as it’s too good an opportunity to miss.
Once over the hill another 3 checkpoints are photo’d, the last one being after 2km of gravel as the road has run out. Then it was back the way I’d come, and another go at Takaka hill, before heading towards the West Coast.
There’s a good reason why there are rain forests on the West Coast - but evening I spent rubbing dubbin and polish into my old jacket seems to have done the trick. A few more checkpoints ticked off before arriving in Westport with an empty tank only to find the ‘afterhours’ petrol station is out of action and will not be open again until 6am. A security guard appears and say’s they’ll phone to get it fixed but I don’t hold out much hope. After some cursing I work out that there’s enough petrol in my spare can’s to get to one more checkpoint and back. When I return to Westport at midnight the petrol stations still out of action so call it a night and head for the motel.
5:30am packing up the Spyder and I can’t find my written instructions for the second day, must have left them in the motel in Picton. I’m going to have to rely on my memory for the route and location of the checkpoints...ermmm
6am I’m topping up with petrol before heading up to the Mokihinui and Fenian checkpoints. This means travelling the Karamea Road which twists its way through rainforest covered hills, the corners are so tight and twisting you feel you're inside an Escher drawing – great way to start the day.
After that it’s back down the West Coast until the Roa checkpoint. At this point I decide to skip the 2000 pointer at Kaniere as I’m not a fan of the road between Greymouth and Hokitika. Instead I head eastwards via Arthurs pass to pick up three more 1000 pointers. The ride up to Arthurs Pass township is great but after that it’s painful with two lots of roadworks that create long tailbacks of slow vehicles. Of course as soon as you’re past them you have top for a checkpoint - at which point they all get in front of you again.
Turning south on the inland route it’s one more checkpoint at Pudding Hill before stopping at Geraldine for a bit of unscheduled indulgence, a coffee and a mutton pie. Then the long ride to Mount Cook for the 5000 pointer before heading onto the checkpoints on Lake Aviemore and Elephant Rock.
Finally start heading north again ticking off Pleasant Point, my first Mystery checkpoint and Clandeboye – not forgetting the unscheduled stop at a Police checkpoint in Timaru (why me out of a line of ten vehicles?)
It’s back onto the inland route to avoid SH1 and then ticking my last checkpoint of the day near Oxford. Finally, after 18 hours riding arrive home just after midnight so I can sleep in my own bed. So far 2200kms and 63,000 points.
4:30am and its time to be on the road again, wondering why I think this is fun. It’s a sprint northwards up the coast road past Kaikoura to the second mystery checkpoint at Clarence before and back on the inland route to clean up the last three checkpoints. Fall in with Mark (Africa Twin) for the last couple and shake hands at the final one before heading for the finish.
Get there at 10:30am after 2,857km and notching up 74,000 points. After 2 days of virtually no coffee my hands shaking from caffeine withdrawal which means my score sheet looks like it’s been filled in by a spider on a trampoline in an earthquake.
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