I had been hoping to spend a few weeks riding the South Island this Summer, before buggering off overseas for ‘another adventure’ (trade marked by TP, Ulysses Tga) but work assignments and family commitments meant we had a reduced window of opportunity, so the template became 10 Days up the top of the North Island – a region we hadn’t explored for 5 or 6 years.
So with some grouse weather promised by all the weather guru’s – plus the water tank at home getting low – best we hit the tar-seal for a road trip ‘while we’re still young’.
Based near Taumarunui, we sorted out what we needed to take, halved it, then loaded the ST1300 and threw the pack on the pack-rack of the SFV650 (Gladius). An unusual packing problem with the Pan Euro –is that there’s always too much bloody room, so I end up throwing in stuff like a towel or pillow to use it up and to keep things cosy.
Jude was self contained with the Hallmark pack, including hairdryer, with my top-box carrying essentials such as iPad, chargers, and a bottle of Sapphire gin.
10.10am on a beaut Wednesday morning – Waitangi day in fact, 15 degrees C and brilliant sunshine we traversed our newly graded driveway and starting snaking outta Matiere toward SH4.
Cruising along getting in to the groove, plenty of bikes out and about, and soon we exchanged waves with a couple on a GS1200. Checking the mirrors a few minutes later they were up my date like a g string, apologies for the mental picture) following and waving – oh no, what’ve I dropped? Top box? Turned out that they were Mates we toured Route 66 with 17 months ago, so it was sweet catching up and exchanging news and greetings.
Soon enough we were on our way North, via Kopaki Road as we knew there was some gnarly road works just south of the 8 Mile, nek minit we’re passing thru Te Kuiti before stopping for Subway in Oto, next to the new Honda shop.
Body refuelled, we headed North west toward Pirongia – we were aiming to stay somewhere around Pokeno as I wanted to buy some Kevlar jeans in Auckland the next morning, today being a public holiday.
We topped up our tanks in Ngarawahia – I knew the ST (Super Tanker) was sweet but we were still getting a handle on the Suzuki’s tank range. Turns out it sipped 6.51L for 180 km’s so pretty efficient, resulting in a much better range over the recently fare welled VT750.
On the off chance, we called Rick of www.lifestyle-imports.co.nz who sells a great range (as we discovered) of bike clothing from his home base in Pukekawa. I phoned him from the Pokeno truck stop and as it happened he was having lunch with his family 50 metres away, and sure, follow me home in 15 minutes and we’ll sort you out.
$169 later I was wearing some comfy Rhino cargo pants with zip off lower legs so two garments in one really – protection on the road, cooler half shorts upon arrival, bloody great idea and excellent value, cheers Rick, great service too.
Jude then suggested we should take advantage of the quieter motorway to cut right through Auckland, avoiding tomorrow morning’s commute traffic – great thinking 99.
Droning down the motorway with a nice safety bubble of distance around us, Jude mimicking my every lane change (Country Girl) we arrived at Helensville right about the time ya arse says let’s stop. Thirsty too. Me, not me bum. Quite ironic, don’t ya think, that John Key’s Electorate is HELENSville?
A quick scout around revealed 2 accommodation options and the Malolo Guest House won out at $70 for a nice, albeit small room with kitchen and bathroom facilities close by in a beautiful restored old hospital. Slip behind the screen Jude and take your top off.
After a refreshing shower, we headed off looking for a beer, had a quick Heinie at $7 then located the RSA using the smart phone google/mapping/gps – bloody love that – 100 metres away where a large bott of Export and a wine cost $11 love that too. After quenching most of the thirst, we popped in to Countdown for a bottle of tonic water and some deli food for dins – slept great. 360 kms today and heaps achieved.
Thursday – another primo day, gassed up in Helensville after a DIY brekkie. An English couple struck up conversation at the gas servo, they were touring by car but ride a VFR750 back home (but, pointing at the ST say “that’s the ultimate”) and were most envious.
We loved the road thru to Wellsford, always have, stopping to take a few pics along the way, then thru bustling W’ford and north we flowed til the Brynderwyn turn off at the Swinging Cow.
That used to be a small servo years ago when I repped this area - riding up here was a nice saunter down memory lane. We stopped at Paparoa for some lunch – the only café there (Village Café?) has the freshest café food I’ve seen for yonks – great spot. Then we doubled back 100 yards to turn north again on the Oakleigh road, as recommended by Akzle (Cheers Mate), and popped out exactly where we wanted to be, at our Mates place who were hosting us for a couple of nights at their beautiful country hacienda, complete with swimming pool, Barbie, full fridge and VTR1000 in the spacious garage .We had met these Kiwi’s while working in the Middle East, so plenty to catch up on, the Tui’s flowed with the conversation.
A leisurely day the next day, with a nice pootle out to Tutukaka on 3 bikes for a lunch in the shade of an umbrella at Knights Café looking out at the marina. YUM.
We tiki toured the bays and beaches – Man this place is spectacular and combined with the sun, the sand and water looked just heavenly. Back to the hacienda for drinks on the deck, a beautiful barby tea, more waffling and laughs, hit the hay, zzzzzzzzz
Saturday morning we fare welled our excellent Hosts (cheers Cush and Wayne)and glided North thru Whangarei, gassing up near the Oakura turn off. Next thing 7 or 8 rental/tour bikes cruise in, on the way back from ‘the top’. The Riders were from Mexico, Canada the US and Europe, on the last day of a 3 week tour having started in Christchurch. So what do you think of our place? I asked. Big smiles and 2 thumbs up
We have short miles to do today – this is a holiday after all, (I left the radar detector at home to make sure I got into cruise mode), and we only need to make Pahia tonight, so stopped in Kawakawa to soak up the Saturday bustle and people (and train) watch from the street-side café table.
Another short stint saw us cruising under never ending sunshine into Paihia, where we’d reserved a night at the www.bayviewmotel.co.nz for $160. Nice room, really spacious, separate bedroom, balcony and comfy as. We planned this stop to catch up with my Brother who was here on hols from the Capital – long overdue for a beer together.
As usual it was great to get the bike gear off, have a cool shower and get the jandals on. A quick zip around town by foot to suss out fridge supplies – everything is so close here, and stopped for a kebab (YUM) and then a beer upstairs to soak up the view of the gorgeous waterfront being explored by appreciative tourists. This is a real touristy spot, which is not a bad thing, you just have to expect to pay high season prices for motels and actually $160 (non water front room), was great value. A good catch up (glug glug) with Bro and SIL, and excellent dinner at Lips restaurant finished the night off. Well almost, after turning in for the night, my Bro texts me that they decided to head out to a bar with live music – geez, still life in the old Bugger yet! So we joined them, - rude not to.
Sunday morning dawned….SUNNY, as we hopped on the ferry ($12 return)to Russell looking for some brekkie. An excellent day to be on the water, the sun making the usually beautiful scenery even more beautiful, and before we knew it we were strolling down the pier at Russell, settling on the closest eatery to the wharf, on the left.
Eggs Benedict and an Americano hit the spot, excellent service and food. A relaxed walk around the small township, which was looking mint, then back on the ferry to Paihia, snapping sights along the way. The barefoot Salty Dog Skipper amused us, as he strolls back to the boat shoeless with his leather school (money & tickets) bag slung over his shoulder, carrying a take out coffee “I slept in” he explains – it was Sunday morning after all. All his passengers were aboard, so off he chugs, throwing the boat on cruise control (piece of rope on the wheel) as he wanders around collecting tickets, joking away
Soon enough we were on the bikes in the sun, heading off to Waitangi for a squizz, then Haruru Falls, before cruising in to Kerikeri – all nice and handy to each other. Obligatory photo outside the Stone Store of course.
Fifty miles later we pulled up outside one of our favourite spots – The Mangonui Pub.
A hundred bucks gets a clean tidy en-suite room upstairs with a stunning view. The pub has just been repainted and is looking great. After a burger from the dining room in the nicely shaded side courtyard, we retired to the balcony with some coldies to soak up the vista and people watch. (Speights on tap downstairs now) Once the dining room closed, I popped downstairs to ride the bikes through the dining room into the unused rear lounge bar, what a hoot. There were already 2 bikes in there, including the Publicans Thunderbird twin.
From Mangonui we cruised north, Coopers Beach was looking mighty fine, we gassed in Taipa, then the next stop for photos was Houhora, also looking gorgeous. Waitaki Landing was our breakfast stop – very basic food and coffee only, met a neat Couple on a Harley here then 20 km’s later we “were at the top”. Plenty of tourists and buses here and the Cape was looking resplendent, with a DOC Ranger happy for us to park the bikes on the pavement where She would keep an eye on them, awesome – just like the US Park Rangers.
Retracing our treads we rehydrated in Kaitaia – mine was an ice cold chocolate milkshake “to have here” in the old aluminium milkshake cup – how retro is that? A dozen clicks later and Ahipara was our hood for the night, the Ahipara Bay Motel our lodging.
Cleverly they show you the beautiful studio’s with full width fold back doors and stunning (I know I use that word a lot, but its true) views before telling you the tariff but at $160 it was a little bit of luxury for the night. Some coldies and fish and chips smoothed the day off nicely.
At the risk of repeating myself “another beautifully sunny day” and off we wheeled south, thru Kai Tyre and in to the Mangamuka’s. Some of you may know that I’ve spent some time behind bars, well this some of the best quality bar-time I‘ve spent – counter steering heaven, YUM, love it.
When I stopped to let Jude catch up, the message was loud and clear – “I’m nearly out of gas” so cruise mode was adopted as we crept in to the cute wee town called Okaihau where we gladly paid ten bucks for 4 Litres of 91, enough for the hop skip and jump into Kaikohe.
Nothing appealed gastronomically, so Opononi for lunch was a top idea, where we enjoyed nice food and a beer, on the terrace overlooking the water.
Dargaville was the goal today so we wound our way enthusiastically thru Waipoua Forest, another motorcycling paradise, with the natural cooling effect of the forest a nice bonus.
Only one hold up here, was a back packer car crawling along, seemingly counting the trees. She had a perfectly good rear vision mirror – she should really look in it least once a day. Never mind, a toot and twist of the wrist sorted that PDQ.
It seems that Dargaville suffers from a distinct lack of decent tourist accommodation options within easy walking distance of the town centre, so after snaking around the streets and web searching, while getting progressively hotter, we plumped for a $99 pub bed in the Northern Wairoa, a huge pub on the corner of 2 main streets. We’re talking old style here, unrestored with a microwave shaped TV,lumpy bed and basic ensuite. Bikes were stowed in the ‘smokers area’ behind a roller door.
Freshly showered, we bee-lined to the local rarza – and a nice wee RSA it was too, enjoying a jug of Tui poured by the friendly Manager Vic. It was Vic’s suggestion that we try the nearby Pad Thai for dinner – a top pointer that was at that.
Despite my penchant for smaller towns, I’m afraid that will be my last overnighter in Dargaville, based on the lack of accommodation options.
Wednesday dawned, you guessed it, sunny as, so we refuelled the bikes and headed south, to Paparoa for brunch – we’d heard there was a nice café there. We had now come full circle, so all there was to do was to hang a right at Brynderwyn and main road it to Auckland, this time going straight thru Wellsford and our first time thru the new Northern Gateway tunnels.
Scooting along the motorway thereafter, it was only a quick reaction (and luck) which saved me from hitting the carcass of a blown truck tyre in the dead centre of my lane, PHEW! At twice the size of a large top box, I wonder what would have happened if I had hit it…
We had been riding under threatening skies for a while now, and to our amusement it started raining as we passed thru Albany, the perfect excuse to shelter in Takapuna’s Honda Shop.
After a good tyre kick of the NC700’s and the first look at the new Trophy in the flesh next door (Makes the ST look positively lithe)the rain had passed, so we grabbed some lunch, then some wine and headed to Ponsonby where we were staying with bike riding Mates we had also met in the Middle East. Lots of laughs, a beautiful meal – a great night had by all.
Day 9 – Valentine’s Day and our last day on the road was just really a commute home, but another nice day to ride. Lunch was had at Wild Thyme just north of TA, a café I had driven past for decades and never tried. I shouldn’t have let it so long, the food was excellent.
A nice clean run thru Oto, Te Kuiti and the 8 Mile. Nice to be home, and a day early means plenty of time to get the lawns sorted etc before the weekend. 1850 km all up, 9 days riding in perfect weather, 15 minutes of rain - a bloody nice mental health break indeed!
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