Four old men, a truck, and a bit of a wind problem

[skelstar]

Apologies for a long report. I'm not very good at articulating myself.

In the depths of time that was March 07, four old men were going to come to NZ to play some music for us. Mark, the partner of a friend of a partner of a friend of mine had got me a ticket to see their show and we planned to ride up to see them play. Well bad things happened and the trip was rejigged and Velox, LBTW and I undertook a two day trip instead. Fast forward...err...some more months and Mark and I finally get to attend our concert.

Friday
I've watched the weather forecast for a few days and I'm convinced that I'm not going to enjoy the trip up. Theres a front moving up the country at a disturbingly similar rate and time in which *we* were going to be moving also. Were leaving Wellington behind us and heading North like a bullet. In a blue sky behind us is a little cloud, but far better than what we can see ahead of us as we have deftly positioned ourselves under the front thats heading North. I had a feeling I wouldn't be staring at the sun anytime soon.

By the time we have cleared the roadworks, Otaki/Levin speedtraps and made a decent crack at getting to some real roads we are getting quite wet. Strangely optimistic had I elected for my leather jacket/pants combo. I knew I would get wet today but thought that the gear would dry out over Saturday/Sunday when the weather would be more 'conducive' and the pace more express...I prefer the protection. The first leak occurred at the Foxton exit. There was a warm watery dribble that ran down the back of my leather pants and into my boots...boots lined with shopping bags...those puppies don't leak...f*ckit.
(mental-note: must return my friends wetsuit)

At this point the wind has picked up heaps. It's a solid draft coming from a Westerly direction. We were cruising at a steady pace but you really do wonder how much grip your tyres (Conti Road Attacks) have at $1.20 with a $1.00 crosswind. I'm far too busy concentrating for 5th form maths but I'm sure it's more than $1.20.

We've sought temporary shelter at Sanson and spend a few quiet moments giggling to ourselves about the maelstrom we had just ridden through. It's the first time that the phrase 'character building' is mentioned. I wonder to myself how much character we were trying to build. At the time it feels like I'd earned enough to retire on. Maybe Don Brash should give it a crack too?

We establish at this point that we aren't going to have as much fun as we had anticipated. Some days are better than others I guess. We flag the Vinegar Hill option and head through Bulls, Hunterville and on to Taihape. We are still passing cars willy nilly but strike a problem when encounter a truck-trailer. We can't see past it. At all. I'm leading at this stage and while being a registered nana, I don't mind 'creative' passing. This was more 'faith' passing...and I'm not a believer. The solution is presented to us by way of a 'passing lane'. Haven't had to use one of these since I had to pass that cop in the Taka's the other week but I wasn't going to look this gift horse blah blah.

So this truck, subject to the wind also, has this 'curtain' of water on the right-hand-side. The truck pulls across into the slow lane...the car ahead of me 'enters' the curtain and disapears. Is that all?...so I race in after the car. Everything goes white and misty...I know where the truck is...no friggin clue where the centre line is though. I've already resorted to instrument flying and I spot the '200m' condemnation sign and just nail it and emerge from the mist into a beautiful day ahead of the truck. Rejoice! Thankfully I watch Mark attempt the same thing. Character building.

We wade into Taihape Caltex (maybe?) and have a feed, coffee, and recap. I think the weather has cleared up a bit now and we storm off for drier roads. I'm not sure but I think it rains again from Ohakune and I have *my* first moment around here. The back wheel just kinda slides out a bit. Figuring it's the surface ripple I continue on. Whilst overtaking a van I'm accelerating in a straightline and the back wheel cuts loose, engine over-revs and then re-grips. Interesting. A few more really serious 'sticky' moments between Nat Park and Taumaranui prompts me to raise the issue with Mark. A collection of knowing glances later and I know I'm not the only one. Caution is advised but no explanations as to why. We are just a couple of noobs playing in the rain.

he trip from Taumaranui to Te Kuiti is laughable. In contrast to our trip home we were diddling along. My father always explained to me that you take a 65kph corner at 65mph (cage logic). Due to our new found doubt for rubber/water adhesion we *were* taking 65kph corners at 65kph!!! (I even waved a subaru past me....don't tell anyone). I wisely used the ride to scout for the helter skelter return journey.

Nervously we managed to get to Ngaruwahia ('Now You Are Here'). The traffic is backed up just past this point but we and weather front have parted ways and it's drying up. Finally. Usual traffic bastard bloody problems exacerbated by the losers going to see four old men sing songs makes progress from Manukau slow. Green in the arts of splitting I still manage to make it to my sisters place in St Lukes/Western Springs safely for some food and lovelly white wine...and a damn good sleep.

[skelstar]

Alright, Ill try and finish this tonight then.

Saturday
I had arranged to meet Mark and (more importantly) my ticket at 7pm. Time to kill while my sister shops for wedding shoes (yeah lovelly isn't it?) in Newmarket. The place is gross. Emasculated men walking around in fusion-style shoes (called loafers in the old days), faux camo shorts, pressed polo shirts and bad moustaches. Bleh. I try sitting amongst the pansies with a motorcycle magazine hoping one of them will take the red pill and wake from their neutered nightmare and perhaps lead some of the others out with them. I'm sorry. Its late, I'm tired, this is a rush job, and I've ridden from Auckland today.

Plans have changed and I'm now getting to the concert venue (Mt Smart) at 5pm, not 7pm. Mark comes out and gives me my ticket but has lost his place in the cue for the blessed ones that will be able to get *real* close to the old men. Sorry bud. We chill out in the park with lots of new friends and wait for the entertainment. Kanye West comes out at 7:30pm and struts his stuff. Not really my thing, but some of my new friends seemed to like him. Kaynes girlfriend on stage was throwing herself around like a injured acrobat at one point. I suggested that someone should check to see if her F1 light was on but nobody got it. Go figure. Unfortunately Rossi Gal, Velox and I had organised to meet outside at 7pm but due to my being there waaaay earlier finding each other in the crowd was night on impossible. Velox managed to find me but RG had not...sorry mate. My bad.

So, Kanye and his warranty issue girlfiend exit the stage and we started the 50min wait for the four old men. I'm starting to feel old at this point as my back was starting to ache. Mark is offered a green pen to..err..mark himself with so he can pass himself off as one of the 'chosen ones' and heads off with his brothers. Bit immoral if you ask me . Velox and I boogie to the old mens songs. Bloody good show. Nice lights. I head off early-ish (back, impatient, sated, claustrophobic). Was friggin sick of cellphones/cameras held aloft.

Home in time to watch the end(s) of the rugby league. Good attempt I thought.

Sunday
Woo...thats today by my reckoning. Home stretch now.

It's a real nice looking day. YAY!!! I've gotten up and watched the bulk of the All Blacks game. Mark and I meet at 8:30am and compare concert notes. Our plan is to ride down SH22. Not entirely sure as to what exit to take and end up in Pukekoe looking for Tuakau. We actually ride past the track (I think) but don't stop...(sorry Jill!). With great relief I spot the iconic bridge and since it's the first time down this road for Mark I let him lead. We make good time down this 'infamous' stretch of road. It's a harsh b1tch of a track...errr...I mean 'road'..but keeps you on your toes. Theres pea gravel everywhere and soon enough my risk management has kicked in fulltime and I can't ride as fast as I'd like. We are both fairly worn out by Ngaru~.

I lead on the road from Ngaru~ to Otorohonga and we have a blast. It's fun passing all the single occupant SSXRSVOHSV taxi's along this road. What a waste. Red pill people!!! We make Te Kuiti in good time. Now we are heading down the Te K~/Taumaranui road. It's heaven this time. I'm self appointed leader and try and keep up a great pace (not too fast sis). Thankfully I had reconnoitered a large divot or two on my favourite corner (read old report linked above) two days previous. Pity it was slow but it could have been ugly as I would have been trying hard otherwise. Spotted a korean car going fast , and a guy on a quad holding a gun. I thought it prudent to wave at him and hope he wasn't too familiar with the term 'friendly fire'. The rest of the journey to Taihape was much of the same. Crafty passing, having at absolute ball, and not sliding out. That last bit was my favourite. Now this is character building!

By the time we hit Taihape for coffee the wind has picked up again. Mark and I entertain ourselves by betting on how long it would take three hippies to hitch a ride (attractive girl, another girl, a guy with long hair). A van picked them up but I'm sure the driver thought it was three girls as the hippies were dumped 2km out of town lol. In higher spirits that the gender questioned hitcher (not you Hitcher...although...) we are now getting on our bikes we decide to go over Vinegar Hill this time. It was a good decision in the end as the wind wasn't so bad and the roads were still dry despite the impending doom of rain clouds to the South. A fantastic detour with little traffic and a good healthy bypass.

The. Himitangi. Straights. Character building. The wind was awesome. Not good awesome...the bad kind. I was in the lead, but Mark had to demostrate the lean that we were suffering. It made precision passing less than accurate. The wind died down about the time we entered the rain, and the stopped traffic (North of Otaki FFS!). Mark's commuting mastery was useful now and we weaved our way home. Home=shower, food, trip report . I had 5 txt/worry messages. Now thats some kind of homecoming.

Thanks Eve, Deva, Mark.

Sorry the report was really long, and thought I had lots to say. You be the judge of that.

[TerminalAddict]

fuXen awesome report dude.

me thinks a hornet meeting should be in order this summer

[skelstar]

Thanks. Sounds like a good idea...Taupo in Jan?

[TerminalAddict]

19th - 21st
a1gp weekend

[Kendog]

So you didn't ride the road of horrors from National park to Wanganui?
That road was an arse!!! Road works around every bend and slippery surface signs, blahhhh!!
Glad you had a good safe trip, as did we.
22 was fun, tried to catch up with Felix, but I think we hit the road a little early.
I have to say the concert was good, but I enjoyed the ride there and back better!! And the boy reckons my riding improved 10 fold, although I did have a massive dummy spit when we got lost for 2 hours when we arrived in Dorkland, geeze what a confusing hole to navigate around with a stink map and no idea where you're meant to go, but that was our bad really! Oh well, at least I didn't have any major incidents, except for turning into our road on the way home and taking the corner a little wide and scaring the shit out of an old coot in a small car! Great fun!
Mrs KD.

P.S, I did a spelling check and it picked up Wanganui and wanted to change it to wanker!! Hahaha, close, so close!!

[skelstar]

Glad to hear your trip was a success. Was thinking of you guys in the stadium while I was sitting/splitting in traffic. Think I/we had the better night, but suspect you guys had the better weather for the trip.

[Kendog]

It stopped raining about 10 mins before U2 came on, we were completely dry in the stand, so all was sweet.
Yes, sounds like we had the better weather, although after the road from hell, we had to stop and stay the night in Wanganui and then continue in the shit weather yesterday.
I had my first real attempt at lane splitting on the motorway too, and was doing fine until Nigel decided we needed to exit immendiately and had to squeeze my way through three lanes of traffic, but luckily there was a car load of guys getting stoned (I could smell it, geeze it smelt good, at that point would've loved to have stopped and joined them!) who pulled right over and left me a HUGE gap to get into! And who says drugs are bad!!
Mrs KD.

[skelstar]

I think its funny we tend to embark on the same trips, just a day either side of the others (i.e. East Cape).

[judecatmad]

LOL, sounds like our Rotorua Road trip over labour weekend!

Great write-up tho!

Glad you got there and back safely

[skelstar]

Thanks...I had your experiences in mind at one stage...would have been more interesting on a GN250 .

[Lissa]

Sounds like a good trip, VERY character building... not something that I would be attempting for a looonnng time. So I take it U2 was worth going up to see then.... got sick of them getting repeated over and over on the radio.

[skelstar]

It was a loooong wait but once you heard the first chord (can't remember the song) you just knew it was worth it. The lights/background was worth the trip alone.

The riding up and back is always the highlight though. I just LOVE passing a queue of cars...esp overtaking on the outside of bends.

[Rossi Gal]

Thats a bloody good effort i must say!! well done. hopefully our paths will cross next time