RRRR 2012 (24-25 March)

**.chris** · 26th March 2012, 08:22

Great ride, I feel a little bad I did not make a complete round the ranges, but got close enough.

Got home about 10:30pm, so made for a pretty even 14hrs on the bike.

Had a slight problem with a tire about 6pm, took a while to sort out when I realised I had no pump (doh!). But some locals had a lovely compressor to save the day.

**bart** · 26th March 2012, 12:27

Cheers guys (and girls), I'm glad everyone enjoyed it. There didn't appear to be too much drama....other than a couple of people going missing....

I've got a heap of photos to sort through. It might take a couple of days, so please keep checking back.

I had a blast and I'm already working on the route for next year.

Cheers,
Bart

**DR Girl** · 26th March 2012, 16:01

What a great Saturday was.

Thank you again Bart for an awesome, well organised ride.

Thanks Wade.

Loved the varied terrain & the views from the track on Akitio & Tautane Station.
Tautane was a great surprise for me & somewhere I've always wanted to visit. Frank Herrick & his wife were the last family members to live in the original homestead on Tautane Station before it burnt down. They moved to Havelock Nth to retire in the 30's ? right to the house we live in now. We have on our property a rough sawn whare (that we use as a sleep out) that Frank brought with him from 'Tautane'.
So nice to see familiar faces & meet some new ones. Great riding with you Rosie & Nic. Got to say Gerrard. . . Makairo Track again with that huge beast of a bike of yours. A brill effort.

Thanks pomolian for following behind me in that thick fog when you noticed I had no rear end lighting at all !!! I have removed tail end bracket with LEDs & have left it with our electrician, hoping wrenched wire/wires in that section not the main body.

**Waihou Thumper** · 26th March 2012, 16:49

I too had a great time! Lots of photos to sort through and will post as soon as I can. What can you say? Saturday had it all, falls, water, mud and great scenery
Akitio was the highlight for me, always wanted to ride through both stations.
Bart, your beer is a bloody legend mate. I am glad I left when I did.
Thanks all for organising this and..... Wade, your skills on the KLR are legendary!

BUT on the KTM 530, bloody good...

**Box'a'bits** · 26th March 2012, 19:15

The weather for this ride wasn’t looking too flash.

Up at 6.00am to leave by 7.00am. Unfortunately when I bravely peered out the window, it was already raining. The Metservice real-time data indicated it was raining at Paraparaumu & Palmerston North. Fortunately it appeared dry in Masterton, but it meant I needed to ride the Rimutakas (what a chore)…but that way is also slightly longer time wise.

By Pahiatua it was obvious I was late (it was already 9.00am), but I figured I had enough gas, & I thought I’d meet the guys coming towards me if they left on time. That wasn’t to be. Got to the Woodville meeting place to be told 5or 6 bikes left 5 or so minutes ago.

Okay the other meet point was the Makairo track itself. Should I ride thru or go around & meet them on the other side. What to do.

Gerard was waiting at the Mangatainoka turnoff on his R1100GS hybrid (I think he’d been looking at the rally cars that were using the compound for scrutineering for a Whariti Rd hill climb). Together we set off towards Makairo, noting no sign of bike passing in then gravel roads. Then, not far from Makairo, lot of sign. Okay, guess they came in a different way.

Bart & five of six others were waiting at the entrance. He noted more riders were expected from Dannevegas.

The group (when it finally assembled) consisted of: Me - Box’a’bits (R100GS); Bart (DR650); Waihou Thumper (Husky 610); DR Girl (Dr200); Nic (XT225); Chris (KTM 690); Hugh (DR650); GPS Man (KLR650); GSers (R1100GS); Clint 640 (KTM 640); Rosie (WR250R); Waipukbiker (KL250); Pomgolian; and a couple of others who I didn’t really get an opportunity to catch up with.

Makairo Track is a disused road, which has reverted into single track. It runs through bush, & up along a ridge line, to an open summit, and then a descent into a quarry. It is infrequently maintained, & is now mainly used by hunters & mountain bike clubs. I don’t think that you could get a 4WD through it now, given its overgrown nature & steep drop offs on the right side of the track.

I grabbed a handful of stinging nettle at one point when I jumped off to help Nic. She graciously allowed me to photograph the moment. Gerard cross rutted fairly early on, with inevitable consequences. Later he dropped a wheel off one bank, which we needed to lift back up. Gus beached both jugs on the downhill section in one of the ruts. It definitely proved a workout, & I was fairly tired by the end of the track.

Bart took the group over Towai Range, & down to Little Manuhara Rd, another disused road, now likely used as a stock route. This starts promisingly with hard packed limestone, but deteriorates as it climbs into Macrocarpa trees (ruts & roots) & a bit of slick mud. It was my turn to cross rut in there – I landed hard on my back & was later surprised my camera (carried in my camelback) survived the impact.

Lunch stop at Pongoroa, at the general store. I overheard several comments surprised at how few kms we had traveled compared to the felt work rate.

After replenishing reserves, we headed down Coast Rd to Akitio. Bart had organized access across Akitio Station & also across another Station whose name escapes me. This was generally wide well formed tracks, paralleling the ocean. There was one stream ford there, which had obviously seen some water thru it. The ford was concrete, but the stream had been up on one bank, creating a silty bog. No real issues once you were on the ford though, & no one took advantage of the number of cameras pointed at them to fall off.

At the Tautane Station we had a moment with a station horse, who decided to play race the bikes. Clint attempted to overtake on the grass, only to find a culvert. Whilst he made the jump over that, he dumped the bike turning back onto the track.

Bart decided that discretion was the better part of valor when the horse decided to run straight at him to get thru a gateway. I hope there wasn’t any issues with the station when they discovered their horse a few miles (and paddocks) away.

About then we discovered 2 of our party were missing. Wade went back for them, but they had disappeared. It seems that when we made a right turn to go to Akitio station, they went straight ahead. I guess the lesson is to make sure tail end Charlie is fully aware of the route. Fortunately we caught Nic again at the Porangahau Hotel (she was probably just thirsty). Hugh eventually turned up after dark at Napier, having done a bigger tour than he’d anticipated....

Bart had been concerned about a climb out of the Tautane Station. This had been pugged fairly recently, but dry, & was fun with reasonably good suspension.

Having left the station we moved on to Blackhead, & rode the beach over the slip (which now had a track across it) to Pourerere. We were much later than expected, but fortunately the tide hadn’t come up too far. I really enjoyed this section on Gus.

Followed Pourerere Rd back to Waipawa for gas, riding straight into the weather front which had been traveling along the hills. Still only light rain. At Waipawa a few decided to exit for Home. The balance went inland to Range Rd, then Argyll Rd, only to the turned back at Rauakwa Rd when we came across an accident (fatality). Back Te Onepu Rd to SH2, to Westshore Holiday Park, Napier to overnight.

**Box'a'bits** · 26th March 2012, 19:17

Up earlyish Sunday to do some maintenance on Gus. Beautiful day.

Left Clint & Rosie at the camp – they decided to leg it home.

The return leg consisted of me, Bart, Wade, Chris, Waihou Thumper, Nic, & GSer.

Breakfast at Meadowdale New World, just so that Bart could dump his gear on his mum.

Over the Gentle Annie, all sealed now, but riding into wind & light drizzle. It got quite cool up there to. My riding there wasn’t the best then – just didn’t have my head I the right space. We didn't do the Comet Hut side loop - too wet.

Turned off at Matawhero Station. Brilliant, flowing, open & damp gravel road (no dust).

Lunch at Taihape at the Soul Food Café. Try their Steak Burger. Yummmy...

We lost Nic & Chris there, as they went North.

Then Toe Toe Rd at the bottom of the Mangaweka Deviation, Kawhatau Valley Rd, Auputa Rd, & through to Apiti, where we sat in the pub to wait for a rain cell to move across. We cleared out before 90 odd police & search & rescue people descended on us. By mutual consent, we decided to forgo Takapari Rd. It would have been miserable up there. Makoura Rd, Pohangina Rd West & on to Ashurst where the group fragmented again.

GSer & I went around the back of Palmerston North, Then I headed for Wellington. Home 5.00 ish.

Cool weekend Bart. Thanks for organizing it.

950kms over the weekend

Took the day off today to recover.

**bart** · 26th March 2012, 19:29

Cheers for doing the write up man. Saved me a big job.

Oh, and I dumped the gear on the Mother 'Inlaw', who has kindly washed my stinky socks.

**Aslan** · 26th March 2012, 21:06

looks like you all had a great time - sorry to miss it - nice write up and pics Box a Bits

**Waipukbiker** · 27th March 2012, 05:29

Firstly thanks for the great write up and the neat pics.

On a sad note now, the fatality on Raukawa rd was a fellow biker. He was David Fair, a member of the Hawkes Bay Classic Motorcycle club. Apparently it was a head on with a vehicle. Our thoughts are with his family.

**Tug Boat** · 27th March 2012, 08:17

Thanks Bart & Wade (GPS man)
Awesome ride the varied terrain was a good mix for a lot of fun.
Makairo Track was well worth the sweat and entertainment.
Akito Station section fantastic.
Good write up Box a bits.
What road names did that nice clay/pine needle track go between just be fore Pongaroa ?

Cheers Tug Boat ( xt660r )

**Box'a'bits** · 27th March 2012, 11:40

Originally Posted by Tug Boat

What road names did that nice clay/pine needle track go between just be fore Pongaroa ?

Little Manuhara Rd, off Manuhara Rd.

**DR Girl** · 27th March 2012, 16:17

Originally Posted by Waipukbiker

Firstly thanks for the great write up and the neat pics.

On a sad note now, the fatality on Raukawa rd was a fellow biker. He was David Fair, a member of the Hawkes Bay Classic Motorcycle club. Apparently it was a head on with a vehicle. Our thoughts are with his family.

Yes, to read about it in Monday's paper was very sobering & so terribly sad.
Could have been any one of us.
His family must be devastated.