East Cape jaunt

**junkmanjoe** · 15th February 2010, 17:37

Sounds like you had a blast mate.
great looking bikes, and good company going by the bottles on the table.............

well my turn to go around soon..

was there many fuel stations on the coast road.

JMJ

**BiK3RChiK** · 15th February 2010, 18:03

Awesome! We had a blast too... did just over 700k's. Missed the traffic but caught the rain a little bit.

**Blackbird** · 15th February 2010, 18:22

It was a blast thanks! So easy riding at pace with my mates as they're all experienced riders with advanced training. Yep, the fuel situation wasn't too bad. We filled up at Opotiki, Te Puia Springs and Gisborne round the Cape proper. There is also gas in Te Araroa, Ruatoria, Tolaga Bay and Tokomaru Bay. I know that fuel was still available a month or two back at Waihau Bay about 40 km west of Hicks Bay and assume that it still is, so if you've got 150km+ range, no worries at all.

**Blackbird** · 15th February 2010, 18:24

Originally Posted by BiK3RChiK

Awesome! We had a blast too... did just over 700k's. Missed the traffic but caught the rain a little bit.

Sorry to have missed you! We passed a group of other riders going south (Triple R, Bandit, gold Daytona and something else) but that was the only group we saw on either day. It's a heck of a special place eh?

**STJim** · 15th February 2010, 19:26

Sounds like you had a great ride. Wonderful roads.

**BiK3RChiK** · 15th February 2010, 19:55

Originally Posted by Blackbird

Sorry to have missed you! We passed a group of other riders going south (Triple R, Bandit, gold Daytona and something else) but that was the only group we saw on either day. It's a heck of a special place eh?

It sure is special! We were 8 ladies on a Orange and Black Triple (lead rider), CBR1000RR, Bandit, Hyo GT250 Comet, Ninja 650, Lil Scorpio 225, Yellow Hyo GT250R, Hyo GT650 Comet. We kind of split into mainly two groups, but that was cool with everyone riding at their own pace, until the end when the chick on the Comet 650 who was TEC felt like having a blast on home turf

There was a LOT of bikes on the road and it would have been difficult to look out for anyone! Awesome weekend had by all and we are looking forward to the next time we can go. But what's up with the mountainous brekky's at pubs at exhorbitant prices? I asked for a half meal but no... they wouldn't do that! We wasted so much food!

**junkmanjoe** · 15th February 2010, 21:50

Originally Posted by Blackbird

It was a blast thanks! So easy riding at pace with my mates as they're all experienced riders with advanced training. Yep, the fuel situation wasn't too bad. We filled up at Opotiki, Te Puia Springs and Gisborne round the Cape proper. There is also gas in Te Araroa, Ruatoria, Tolaga Bay and Tokomaru Bay. I know that fuel was still available a month or two back at Waihau Bay about 40 km west of Hicks Bay and assume that it still is, so if you've got 150km+ range, no worries at all.

cheers for that..
roll on easter, i guess i get all the holiday traffic,, but there is never any rush to get to the other end..

JMJ

**robinm** · 23rd February 2010, 07:54

I just did the east cape myself yesterday, started at Whakatane 7.30am and got home to Woodville 7.30pm, 800kms later, I discovered aching muscles that I never knew I had, but a brilliant trip and awesome weather, in fact the weather was too good, I sweated like a stuck pig inside my leathers. Only downer was lots and lots of road works. I had planned it as being a 2 day jaunt, but arriving in Gisborne by 1.30pm I decided to leg it home. The trip was the long way home from my trip to Paeroa for the BOTS, 1500kms in 3 days. Great times were had.

**Blackbird** · 23rd February 2010, 16:10

Excellent! It really is a cracker of a trip. There was the odd bit of patching and a loose big chunk 1 km downhill stretch (going south) that the Triple skated about on a bit but the uphill stretch of a few hundred metres was quite compact. You have a great bike for touring - had my K100RS for 8 years.

**raftn** · 26th February 2010, 06:53

have done the cape only once, but loved it....nothing like a weekend away with mates. The last fifty kms home is always a downer after that!

**Blackbird** · 26th February 2010, 07:15

Originally Posted by raftn

have done the cape only once, but loved it....nothing like a weekend away with mates. The last fifty kms home is always a downer after that!

I want to do Northland for a few days to explore. Every time I've been up on the bike, it's been "low flying"on endurance rides with no time to stop and smell the daisies!

**merv** · 26th February 2010, 07:21

So did Freebird drink all those Stellas by himself?

Great trip Blackbird.

**Blackbird** · 26th February 2010, 07:46

Originally Posted by merv

So did Freebird drink all those Stellas by himself?

Great trip Blackbird.

Well, he made a good dent in them Merv

. Sad to say, I wasn't drinking much on account of a dodgy sandwich in a gas station on the way down from Coro

You NZTA guys really know how to re-hydrate yourselves

**Hinny** · 26th February 2010, 12:23

Originally Posted by Blackbird

I want to do Northland for a few days to explore. Every time I've been up on the bike, it's been "low flying"on endurance rides with no time to stop and smell the daisies!

You should do the 'Northern Exposure Tour' to the Cape every Auckland Anniversary weekend. Good fun.