Only 3 Sleeps To Go

[k14]

Well some of you know about my mission to try and get to Christchurch from New Plymouth when there were the massive floods in the north island, but here is the story anyway.

On Sunday the 15th of Feb, I left home heading to Wellington to stay at my mates house for the night and catch the ferry at 8:30 the next morning. I headed off at about 12pm, it looked fine in NP, but it started completly pissing down at Inglewood (about 20kms south of NP), real good in my leathers, but I kept going, also noticed the wind getting up a little. Got just south of Hawera (about 75kms south of New plymouth) and got blown off the road onto the grass verge once going about 80kph (there were 100kph+ cross winds) but i managed to keep it up, continued and it nearly happened again about 200-300m down the road. So i turned around and went home.

When I got back home, I changed my ferry to Tuesday same time. Left for Wellington again on Monday, alot better day sunny and a little wind. Got to Wanganui and found the road closed just south of the main bridge. Apparantly it was up to the top of the give way signs at one point. A little deep for me to ride through i think. So i crashed the night at a mates place in Wanganui (after being told the road would open at midnight) and then set off at 5:30am the next day still hoping to catch the ferry at 8:30.

Got to the road block to find it still closed, they said it wouldn't be open for another day atleast. So I only had one option, turn around and go back to New Plymouth. Had to be at uni in Christchurch on Wednesday to sort stuff out so my only option was to fly down and not have my bike for the first term . So thats what i did, flew down that night.

Well now it is nearing the end of the first term (in 3 sleeps) and I am flying home on Saturday morning. So I will be reunited with my baby on Saturday at around 12:30pm.

The last 6 or so weeks have been so boring. Had to use my push bike to go everywhere.

I guess most of you could imagine the "pain" and "suffering" I have been through over the last 6 weeks and at times it has been unbearable . But on Saturday this pain and suffering will all be over.

I CAN'T WAIT.

So in the next 3 weeks I am planning to ride up to Auckland to see my mate and then ride back down here maybe via nelson lakes or something. Will have to make up for alot of lost time.

[Wenier]

Great to hear that you will be reunited wit ur bike. Thats pretty bad gettin blown off the road good to hear ya didnt crash thou. Hope ya have fun wit ya bike down there

[Two Smoker]

Man you must be itching so much to get back on the bike, personally i would be going insane.......

[Yamahamaman]

So in the next 3 weeks I am planning to ride up to Auckland to see my mate and then ride back down here maybe via nelson lakes or something. Will have to make up for alot of lost time.

I heading to New Plymouth on Good Friday.

[k14]

I heading to New Plymouth on Good Friday.

Damn. I'm going up to auckland the day before.

How long you down in NP for? You riding down?

[Yamahamaman]

Damn. I'm going up to auckland the day before.

How long you down in NP for? You riding down?

Back to Auckland Easter Monday and yes, I will be riding down as the bike is my only vehicle. I have family in the Okato/Warea area.

[750Y]

I have family in the Okato/Warea area.

ahhhh! one of my favourite stretches of NZ coastline. more quality surf spots than you could shake your board at.

[Yamahamaman]

ahhhh! one of my favourite stretches of NZ coastline. more quality surf spots than you could shake your board at.

Maybe you're gonna tell me that you are from Taranaki also. Me from Hawera. You've heard of the leaning tower of Hawera

[750Y]

Maybe you're gonna tell me that you are from Taranaki also. Me from Hawera. You've heard of the leaning tower of Hawera

Lived in New Plymouth for a few years, Where I met my wife from Stratford.
regarding the leaning tower... I'm afraid to ask but i guess Hawera's got to be famous for something other than the sordid exploits of certain wellington boys on long weekends.

[SPman]

I have family in the Okato/Warea area.

Me too!....

[LB]

Happy reunion with your bike K14 - hope the weather's kinder to you this time.

Hawera not only has a leaning tower, but it has a shitload of guys who road race (given that it's only a small town).

And it has the Ohlins shocks importer (Robert Taylor at Hawera Motorcycles) too.

And it's also got three mufti cops.

Inglewood has a great cafe (McFarlanes) that we often stop at on our way back home from up north (it's only about 120kms extra to get from Morrinsville to Wellington via Taranaki, and there's the Awakino Gorge and Mt Messenger roads.....)

We're doing a dash to Morrinsville this weekend, up via Paraparas/National Park, back via Taranaki

( sorry to hijack your thread K14....)

[k14]

If you want to meet up sometime that would be good. where in taranaki are you going to be?

[LB]

If you want to meet up sometime that would be good. where in taranaki are you going to be?

Hi K14, yep, it'd be nice to meet up. We'll be having lunch somewhere between Inglewood and Hawera on Sunday.

Do you want to pm me your mobile number, and we can give you a ring when we've arrived in the Naki? Most likely will be leaving Morrinsville between about 8am and 8.30am Sunday, so should be around Inglewood way around 11.30am-ish.

If the weather's real shit we'll go home via Paraparas, not Taranaki, but the weather forecast is good for Sunday.