Midwinter Makairo Madness (27 June)

**bart** · 26th June 2009, 18:08

With the weather looking crap for Sunday, Mark and I have decided to do a day trip tomorrow instead of the RRRR.

The plan - start 10am at Pahiatua (27/06). Do a loop towards the north Wairarapa coast including the Makairo track, Pori, Puketio, Spur, Towai, and whatever else we can fit in. Finish in Pahiatua.

Anyone up for a real adventure. Good tyres and 250km fuel range required.

Cheers

**marks** · 26th June 2009, 19:31

Originally Posted by bart

Good tyres and 250km fuel range required.

Cheers

hmmm
I can go 250km easy peasy
so 1 out of 2 aint bad

see you at 10

**bart** · 26th June 2009, 20:27

Originally Posted by marks

hmmm
I can go 250km easy peasy
so 1 out of 2 aint bad

see you at 10

Don't worry, my tyres are just about buggered also. Who's going first?

As for the gas, I do have a plan B. For some strange reason, I just happen to know a farmer out that way.

I just built a make shift back carrier for the DRZ. Had to get something stable for the gas can. Any bets how long it lasts. I hoping for 93km. Then I can pour the gas into the tank, and throw the hole fooking thing away.

**marks** · 27th June 2009, 07:34

you sad fellas who are stuck at home can follow the progress of Bart etc here

ride safe bitches

**bart** · 27th June 2009, 21:52

OK, after a couple of whiskeys, and watching the All Blacks play about as good as the Dannevirke High School 3rd 15 (which by the way, I captained in 1988), I thought I'd better post up a few pics of todays awesome ride. What a blast.

1. Horrible scenery leading to the Makairo
2. Little slip near the start
3. I can think of worse places to be
4. Mark winding his way
5. ditto
6. Battling the toitoi

**bart** · 27th June 2009, 22:00

The Makairo wasn't actually as bad as expected. Mark had to have multiple goes at getting his tyre pressure 'just right', but really, we got through without mishap. The track has been fairly well cleared by hunters.

7. the track
8. yep.............the famous Makairo rut is still there (not quite as bad as it has been, and Mark rode right past it with no drama...........bastard).

**Woodman** · 27th June 2009, 22:02

Originally Posted by bart

Mark rode right past it with no drama...........bastard).

You weren't trying to catch him out were you??

**junkmanjoe** · 27th June 2009, 22:12

arrr bart the dreaded rut.. not to wet in there mate.

shit the pak spur was a nasty piece of work mate.

.slimed shit...

**bart** · 27th June 2009, 22:14

We then headed over the Coonoor road, and did the top of the Pori, onto the Puketio road. Weather turned on us a bit, so, as we were real keen to get to the coast, we gapped it through the Waihoki, Spur, and Marainanga. Awesome roads. Coast road to Akitio.

As we came over the hill, there was a weird haze over everything. Unreal view.

9. Mark coming over the hill toward Akitio
10. on the beach
11. We rode about as far as we could.
12. So, time to gap it back the way we came

**bart** · 27th June 2009, 22:22

We nailed it back up the Coast road to Pongaroa, up the Manuhara, over the Towai, out the Waitahora valley, and back to Dannevirke just on dark.

Bloody good day out.

**bart** · 27th June 2009, 22:38

Originally Posted by junkmanjoe

arrr bart the dreaded rut.. not to wet in there mate.

shit the pak spur was a nasty piece of work mate.

.slimed shit...

The Makairo was a bit slippery, but not too bad. It's got quite a good rock base through there. The biggest problem was the overhanging branches and shit. Sweet as.

**bart** · 27th June 2009, 22:41

He can't have been riding hard enough. He didn't even hole the tank on the KLR. In fact............. I don't think he even dropped it.

**marks** · 28th June 2009, 09:18

Originally Posted by bart

I don't think he even dropped it.

correctomundo - but I did manage an interesting parking maneuver on the gravel on the way into the Makairo - with the back wheel in a ditch and the bike at right angles to the road - still upright

I'd be keen to do that loop again - Puketio, Waihoki, Spur etc were simply awesome and the Makairo is always special (next time I wont be a tight wad and have rooted tires - it could have got nasty in a couple of places

)

thanks Bart for an awesome day.

**XF650** · 28th June 2009, 09:39

Originally Posted by bart

The Makairo was a bit slippery, but not too bad. It's got quite a good rock base through there. The biggest problem was the overhanging branches and shit. Sweet as.

I have a lot of respect for those branches in the Makairo.......they can be quite handy to hang on to.