Part 1
The next day I stay on the forgotten highway, which heads to Taumaranui, I turned north before that and joined SH4 just before it joins SH3 and heads to Te Kuiti. I'd allowed myself 3 hours to cover the 172km to Otarahonga. About 18km of this is unsealed, but the sealed bit of road isn't really any better. It took me two hours to travel the first 80km, which was where I got cellphone reception back. By this stage I am really missing civilisation (my kingdom for a coffee and a toilet!).
The thing is, bits of this road are beautiful (if you ignore the surface you're riding on). The unsealed bit goes through a gorge of virgin bush, it's never been cleared. You ride along the tops of ridgelines overlooking rugged, really rugged, farm land (think Barry Crump). It's wild. You pass through a tunnel carved out of the rock, with the only supports the triangular frames in the ceiling. You go for ages without seeing another vehicle, you pass through settlements that are ghost towns (and are more scary than the emptiness in between them).
And a couple of times, when the road was narrow and the drop was steep, the thought occurred to me that if I came off here, noone would ever know, noone would ever find me. I was lucky.
It was good to meet SH4 and get some speed up again. At Otarahonga I met Mental Trousers, and he took me along a much nicer road, over rolling hills in to Hamilton. We had lunch at the Cook with Mrs MT, then he rode with me towards Raglan to the start of SH22 (the local race track). I was looking forward to this road - no cops, perhaps some other bikes on a Saturday ride. But I found I couldn't go that fast on it. Gravel driveways meet it, spreading loose metal onto the road. There's the odd sheep, and even on the straights I wouldn't get much over 100k before I'd be slowing down for the next lot of corners. It's a really strong Westerly, and this road follows the tops of a lot of ridgelines, so it's a mean cross wind. About half way along it starts raining. So I'm taking it easy, looking forward to a hot drink at Pukekohe (and I can't wait for the first beer in Auckland, I could just picture how good it was going to taste!). I'd stopped for a stretch, some lollies and water in a slightly sheltered bit - I knew I was starting to get tired, fighting the wind to bank into every left bend really takes it out of you. I remember passing Pukekawa (a 70km zone) but I don't remember much of the orad after that. It was more of the same I think.
Next thing I come to, lying on what I though was the road (but what must have been the ditch considering the amount of mud on all my gear). There's a strange guy holding my left hand, a strange girl holding my right hand, a couple more strangers holding two umbrellas over me. I was shocked to hear I was somewhere near Auckland, I couldn't figure out how I'd got so far from Wellington. That desperate not knowing was really scary. When they mentioned SH22 and Pukekohe it all started to come back - yes I was taking that blue road on my map, at Pukekohe it was going to join SH1 again, and yes I was going to Auckland for a 30th, my friend's name came to me (but it was her maiden name), her suburb. I knew I'd come from Whangamomona today (Saturday) and that I'd left Wellington Friday and that I had Friday, Monday and Tuesday off work. I think I babbled all these recollections to these poor strangers.
Then they told me the ambulance had arrived, a new wave of fear at that news. Why did I need an ambulance? But they were funny and nice, and they poked me and tickled me and at times I was laughing. Until he pushed on my ribs there was an awful crack, an awful pain, an outburst from me and my eyes must have opened like saucers. There was a lot of discussion about being KOed so needing a neck brace, and who'd taken my helmet off, and when did the others find me etc. I'm still all hazy, at this stage, I don't remember getting into the ambulance. But two memories came back somewhere during this time. I remembered I couldn't breath, that was vivid. I tore my gloves and helmet off, opened my jacket in this desperate attempt to get air. The first car said I waved at them and I remember that to. I'm in a black fog and I feel like shit, all I know is that something is wrong, and I hear a noise, I don't know it's a car but I know it's life and I hold up my arm to them.
All the time in the ambulance I'm happily chatting away to these two guys. They very kindly didn't cut any of my gear, they let me climb out my trousers and the layers under them. I had a big bruise on my right knee and other minor ones on my legs, and a bruise between the first and second knuckle of my left hand. Nothing broken (unsure about the ribs) - lucky. A cop comes in and I swear I was pleased to see him. A whole other person showing concern, I've never felt so special. I probably gave him a huge smile, I think I even called out hello when he came into the ambulance. He asked how fast I was going and I said well, it's funny you should ask, because I took that road because I knew there were no cops and I'd be able to speed, but then I found I could barely get to 100 on anything but the longest straights. I had no idea how fast but I'd bet money it was under 100, I'd guess 80. I think he was bemused by this answer. He asked if I'd had anything to drink (yes/no would probably have done but like I said I was chatty), so I told him all about the lemon, lime and bitters I'd had in the pub at lunch and that last night I'd had two beers in the Whangamomona Hotel, but that the night before I didn't have anything because I knew I was going on a long ride). Some of this babble, and memory of details must have been the reason I never ended up with a neck brace. While I'm chatting to the cop my bike goes riding off down the road and the cop says, do you know who's taking that - I didn't know squat, but worse I wasn't bothered, I mean who ever had it must have been another rider and they're all trustworthy (right?). It turned out the ambulance guys had the name and phone numbers of some of the people with me and it was supposed to be one of them (it was).
I get taken to a clinic in Pukekohe for a quick check and some voltarin, then a friend picks me up and I make it to the party in time for dinner. Best food ever, but no beer for me
The next day the wonderful Mental Trousers and Kicking Zebra pick up my bike from Pukekawa, and me from Mercer and now I'm hanging out in Hamilton. I'm meeting even more KBers Warr, Kornholio and Turtle. Tonight I'm going to look at some Quasiomoto gear, and tomorrow I fly back to Wellington while my bike goes by truck. It runs, Mental Trousers rode it home from the shop, but I'm too sore to ride.
That's my story. And I'm so grateful to the passers by who stayed with me and to Mental Trousers and Mrs MT for so much, and Kicking Zebra and Mrs KZ for coming to get me and my bike. The nicest people. Thank you!!!
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Dreamer
Bookmarks