Post Rally Ride

[Skunk]

To get to the Rally we (myself and Cathie) joined with Doug (doug_green) and Viv, Dave (Stonechunker) and Bruce (Vtwin) at Caltex Upper Hutt. Good ride up thru the Wairarapa; Alfredton, Rakaunui, Pahiatua track. Hitcher, Paul in NZ, Sels1, Jazbug etc rode straight past us at Ashurst while we were on a coffee break. Rode thru Cheltenham, Kimbolton, Ruahine to Mangaweka where we stopped to fix Doug's puncture (piece of metal 5cm long in a tyre with less than 1000k's on it).
Mangaweka to Taihape for lunch (Cafe Extreme) where Hitchers Tour party met us as we were leaving. Here the rain started.
On to Waiouru, Tangiwai, Ohakune and National Park. Good ride.

The Rally:
Good venue, good food, good company. Loved the auction (and what can I say about the quiz?)
Sunday morning and I discover the ZRX needs a new battery. Thanks to the Kawasaki rider that helped my wife push start me. Who was it?

Long way home:
We decided to head to Hawkes Bay for the Sunday night (we have friends there) so headed off down SH47 to Turangi. Joined SH1 towards Taupo. Riding along here I was distracted while following Cathie by a place name... looked up to see a car crossing the centreline at a 30 degree angle at Cathie (who was braking and diving left). When it looked like it was going to be a big mess he swerved back onto his side of the road and gave a wave!
He got a different wave back.
Cathie stopped in Taupo for coffee after that. A brief shower got us moving onto SH5 towards Napier. Sunshine with grey clouds and a few breezes most of the way but rain set in just before the Summit Cafe and we stopped a wee way down the road to change gloves and warm the fingers into function again.
Shortly we were riding in lots of snow with a light mix of rain and strong cross winds and freezing temperatures. (Made for nice snow capped hill views the next morning... )
Arrived in Te Awanga at about 2:30pm, drink and plan the night (The Loading Ramp - all six of us ordered the Vension, salad and fries. The waitress and kitchen staff took some convincing that that was what we really wanted. )

Last leg:
Hawkes Bay to Wellington; rang Doug and got a weather report. "Crap" he said. Rain, cold, southerlies. Nice. SH2 in the cold, windy sunshine till south of Dannevirke when it started raining until the Manawatu Gorge. Showers to Shannon (Old West Road - SH57) then sunshine to Paraparaumu where it turned to heavy rain. Got home and stopped the bike in the drive to open the gate for Cathie and the bike wouldn't start again.

Quasi: Fantastic Rally. When's the next one?

[sels1]

track. Hitcher, Paul in NZ, Sels1, Jazbug etc rode straight past us at Ashurst while we were on a coffee break. :

We waved didnt we?? We were following Paul to the Herb Farm Cafe just out of Ashurst and down a side road. Well worth it too- the food was very nice. (but they didnt do wedges, to jazbugs dismay )

[Skunk]

We waved didnt we?? We were following Paul to the Herb Farm Cafe just out of Ashurst and down a side road. Well worth it too- the food was very nice. (but they didnt do wedges, to jazbugs dismay )

Yeah, some of ya waved. And I was trying to be discrete in my waving at you all...

[Paul in NZ]

Yeah, some of ya waved. And I was trying to be discrete in my waving at you all...

I was too scared to wave 'cos I was worried you were an underground / outlaw branch of the Satans Slaves who were parked just up the road from you guys. Besides I was very much in "um - Lets see i said we would go to this cafe that I'm supposed to know the way too and the signpost is up here some where but I thought last time we turn off to left before this and what will they say when I finally have to fess up I don't know wtf I'm going and how will I turn the bike around on a narrow road and will it rain soon and if it does should i put my other gloves on and how much gas have i got left and last time i stopped here I got accosted by some freak that didn't seem to be able to balance the carbs on his Guzzi and thought I should go do it for him right then and it took 3 hours to back carefully out of town not making any sudden moves and why are there so many kawasakis parked up here and...."

hey....... I'm old and didn't see you else we would have stopped...

[Hitcher]

My STeed was caught in the slipstream from the Mighty Guzzi, and Mrs H was admiring the gardens...

Otherwise we would have stopped. Honest.

Besides the kai was triffic at the Herb Farm. No wedges. Or corgi. I guess you can't please everybody.