Auckland - Woodhill/The Sandpit - 22/23 May

[.chris]

Well I'm pleased to anounce that the roads between Auckland and Warkworth are in fine condition, hard packed with a pleasant sprinkling of gravel in the most unusual of places, for some reason there weren't too many other bikes out, 3 or 4 at athe Puhoi pub and a worried looking GSXR750 rider in the middle of a gravel road. Just as an aside, why don't sports bike riders wave? I waved, but no, not a finger raised or arm twitched as I went past this guy, is there no brotherhood in motorcycling anymore?
Something worth remembering, the clay in the Riverhead forest (or at least on the edges of it) is very slippery and even good knobblies slide all over the place!

Yeah, riverhead mud is slippery even when it is dry.

Have you ever been up that Chatham Road? At the end of Bald Hill Road where Ararimu Valley Rd starts? You can get through to the other end of Chatham not much of a road, but definately a track.

[Crisis management]

Yeah, riverhead mud is slippery even when it is dry.

Have you ever been up that Chatham Road? At the end of Bald Hill Road where Ararimu Valley Rd starts? You can get through to the other end of Chatham not much of a road, but definately a track.

I had a look up it a couple of years ago and ended up in the middle of someones field, looking at maps now I can see it links through to Chatham road and then Peak road, I always get a bit nervous if I feel like I'm wandering around someones property so haven't pursued it further, have you been through there?

[.chris]

I had a look up it a couple of years ago and ended up in the middle of someones field, looking at maps now I can see it links through to Chatham road and then Peak road, I always get a bit nervous if I feel like I'm wandering around someones property so haven't pursued it further, have you been through there?

Yeah I felt the same way the first time I went through, especially cause there was a bunch of people flying kites in that field (the one you ride through).
But as far as the maps go its a road, and it is only *closed* according to the signs at the north end.
This is the north end, that gate you can open, it has the closed sign on the other side.


Keen for a later in the week ride? I am keen as long as we wait till this wintery weather has moved on.
I went for a quick ride on sunday, but got super cold hands (dumb summer gloves) so did not end up going far.

[Devil]

I should be up for something this weekend. The correct fuel tap for my new tank has finally turned up and my new muffler should arrive Friday with luck.

[Crisis management]

Keen for a later in the week ride? I am keen as long as we wait till this wintery weather has moved on.

Looking at the weather, it won't be this week, maybe next week? Two or three hours tearing around up north sounds good to me.