Auckland to Waihau Bay return 2 Jan

[paturoa]

Not looking for gravel but suspect that I'll see a whole bunch of it across many roads tomorrow.

I'm doing a 1 day close to 1000k trip tomorrow.

Titirangi, Paeroa, Te Aroha, old Te Aroha rd, zig zag onto main drag to Rotonvagas, Oturoa rd onto top of lake Roto, round the lake onto 30 and through on main roads to Waihau bay. Google maps says 493 km one way. I've not done a few of these roads for years so it will be a good pootle.

Then return. Not sure on the return route, but I will avoid Towelranga

Please wave.

[JATZ]

Not looking for gravel but suspect that I'll see a whole bunch of it across many roads tomorrow.

I'm doing a 1 day close to 1000k trip tomorrow.

Titirangi, Paeroa, Te Aroha, old Te Aroha rd, zig zag onto main drag to Rotonvagas, Oturoa rd onto top of lake Roto, round the lake onto 30 and through on main roads to Waihau bay. Google maps says 493 km one way. I've not done a few of these roads for years so it will be a good pootle.

Then return. Not sure on the return route, but I will avoid Towelranga

Please wave.

........

[dino3310]

lovely weather too mate, have a good one

[Bounce001]

Don't foget to take your floaties!

[paturoa]

Got away reasonably early and the road was wet / moist all the way there. Bugger all other bikes on the road except a convoy of about 5 trikes that I passed near Te Kaha.

The Old Te Aroha road is better than I remembered, particluarly the last 5-10 km before hitting 29. My GPS was useful for the zig zag through to route 5 too.

Stopped at Fruit and Veg place at Te Teko to get some fruit for the spawn and do not recommend it. The quality of the fruit was rubbish.

Pretty un-evenful except there was a lot of flooding near Wakatane see pic 1 and 2 which meant that I had to back track via Wakatane itself.

Stopped along the coast for a wizz and the colour of the sea was brown from all of the stream / flood water. pic 4

Stayed at Waihau bay for a couple of hours and got the squid's KX running then headed back after a quick tour and some sweet corn.

Not long after leaving to come home the heavens opened and there was a bmw 1200 gs parked under a tree. I stopped to see if he was OK and he was just putting on his wets and returning to Opotiki (which he said was home). He was find and followed me. The rain stopped shortly before Te Kaha and the last I saw of him was him stopping at what I think was Omaio (looking at it on G maps now).

The weather was then stunning see last pic. I stopped at took off a layer as I was getting too hot.

Pretty unevenful trip home and got the munchies at Matamata where KFC solved my problem. While I was in the q at KFC the guy I was standing with said that the queue of traffic returning from the coro was rubbish so I detoured Kahuna to Ohnewai.

Total distance 1033 km, in 14.5 hours including 2 gas stops, 2 wee wee stops, 1 KFC stop, 1 fruit stall stop and a couple of hours at Waihau Bay itself. Oh and one sore arse.

EDIT: Just did the g maps and the Tahuna Ohinewai route is only about 3 km longer than going 27 then 2

[dino3310]

Nice one Brian
That sheeps skin looks mighty comfy but that long in the saddle ouch