Wanganui River road 29.12.07

[Lucy]

Also known as "Pride comes before a tank slap"

Beautiful day, good nights sleep, decided to ride down the Paraparas to check out the River Traders Market at Wanganui. Rode like crap, felt the opposite of smooth on the corners, terrible throttle control, almost stopping at the sharp corners, just one of those days I guess.

Coming home there was quite a bit of traffic and so on the spur of the moment I decided to ride back up the river road. It was really good, the first 40k was sealed, narrow and then REALLY narrow, but good enough surface and bugger all traffic, and best of all, the corners were coming naturally and nice and smooth and seemed more 'organic' (for want of a better word), ie left and then right, rather than straight and then REALLY tight.

So all was going well, then just past Matahiwi the gravel started and my speed dropped from 80k to 40k, and I tried to remind myself to 'relax' and to use the back brake (thanks Robingnevil) and after a while my speed got back up to about 50 on the straights. Before I knew it I'd made it to Jerusalem, and after another wee while there I was in Pipiriki, starting to feel really good about things. "Who needs a BMW?" I was thinking as I cruised through 32k of gravel on a stock GN with factory tyres...

After Pipiriki the corrugations got quite bad, one thing I wasn't prepared for was the loss of vision that came with being bumped up and down on the corrugations, anyway, about 1km before the seal started again, I got spooked by a car coming the other way, started to brake, stuck out my left leg (and think I dragged my toe on the ground), but must have still been on the throttle because I kept moving forward (it was a thick bit of gravel right on the left), when I realized I was still going instead of stopping and would quite possibly crash, I decided to look at the road instead of the ditch on the side, must have remembered some of my basic training, and then did two or three huge wobbles, and came to a stop, still on the road, and upright. TG.

Then I tried to take off again and there was a metal sound, I thought I had stones under the mudguards but it stayed so I got off and then saw that my chain had come off. Doh. "Wish I'd done a bit more bike maintenance stuff" went through my head, then "Hmm, when my chain comes off my pushbike I just put it on again", so decided to try that. Then I remembered that the GN came with a tool kit under the battery so was on the side of the road undoing the chainguard, and struggling with a tight screw (shut up McJim) when a car stopped and the girl in the passenger seat offered to get her partner to give me a hand. He undid the screw, then carried on and put the chain back on, THEN he said 'shit that's loose' and adjusted the chain for me! (every spanner and plier needed was in the GN toolkit btw - fkn amazing). Turns out he has lots of bikes and is always working on them. What a champ.

Took off again, got to the sealed bit, got home, had a cup of tea.

Great day.

[sunhuntin]

you have more balls than me, girlie! now i know that roads not sealed, aint no way im riding it.

about 4k up from the turn off on the wangas side, theres a rest stop that looks over the river. bout 2 months back at a hospice shop, mum found a painting of that spot with my aunts initials on it. turned out it was a painting she did in the early 90s while friends were on a river trip. she gave them the painting. she posted us the photo she took to work from, and then mum took me up there to see how much it had changed.
neat to get a bit of family history back, even if we did have to pay $20 for it, lol. the painting now has pride of place on the wall.

[Lucy]

you have more balls than me, girlie! now i know that roads not sealed, aint no way im riding it.

about 4k up from the turn off on the wangas side, theres a rest stop that looks over the river. bout 2 months back at a hospice shop, mum found a painting of that spot with my aunts initials on it. turned out it was a painting she did in the early 90s while friends were on a river trip. she gave them the painting. she posted us the photo she took to work from, and then mum took me up there to see how much it had changed.
neat to get a bit of family history back, even if we did have to pay $20 for it, lol. the painting now has pride of place on the wall.

Yeah that was a beautiful view from that rest stop. Cool story about the pic.

I thought of you when the chain came off, cos your GN did the same thing once eh? I also remembered looking at Minnies last New years eve and thinking it looked a bit loose and that "I must keep an eye on mine". Oops. Never once did, just lubed it, checked indicators and oil and everything but totally forgot about the chain.

[sunhuntin]

Yeah that was a beautiful view from that rest stop. Cool story about the pic.

I thought of you when the chain came off, cos your GN did the same thing once eh? I also remembered looking at Minnies last New years eve and thinking it looked a bit loose and that "I must keep an eye on mine". Oops. Never once did, just lubed it, checked indicators and oil and everything but totally forgot about the chain.

yes, mine jumped off on a corner in town. sadly, i dont think they are as easy to re hook as a bicycle. pity really. when mine jumped, it got caught up in the chain guard, so i dont think it wouldnt have been ridable even if i could have hooked it back up.
luckily, it was across the road from work, so i just pushed her across.

[pritch]

Congratulations once for you doing that road on a bike. (I did it in a CF van.)

The river road needs a suitable allocation of time, apart from the scenery it is very historic.

Congratulations to the guy who assisted you.

It would seem there are still advantages to be had from GN ownership

[huck farley]

Well done lady!! It is a neat trip up or down the river road. The guy that helped you out is a real hero!!! Give that man a DB.

I live in Wangavagus, and do the trip quite often.. You will be pleased to know that Tranzit NZ are going to upgrade the road and sealing the metal part is high on there priorities.

They have said they will compete the upgrade of the river road mid year 2009
They want to create a scenic drive. But will not encourage camper vans to use the River road. But rather the Para para's with caution.

But hey what a playground we bikers will have then. Up the river road and a beer in Raetihi, and back down the Paras, and another beer at the Upuk pub. 160km of the meanest wickedest twisties you find on the planet.

[tri boy]

I live in Wangavagus, and do the trip quite often.. You will be pleased to know that Tranzit NZ are going to upgrade the road and sealing the metal part is high on there priorities.

They have said they will compete the upgrade of the river road mid year 2009

F**k, f**k, f**kety f**k, f**k!
Why seal the road??? It's a NZ icon just the way it is. The base surface is variable at best, and the cost involved with drainage/maintenance should be spent on keeping the Parapara Rd in good nick.
Tourists can access the settlements by jet boat/canoe etc, (much more scenic), and the reasons to keep it unsealed are endless IMHO.

Transit couldn't manage a pissup in a brewery.

Oh, well done Lucy on your adv riding skills
Anytime your heading to the Waikato, look me and Kanny up. Ginny's and Volty's play well together.

[huck farley]

drainage/maintenance should be spent on keeping the Parapara Rd in good nick.
Tourists can access the settlements by jet boat/canoe etc, (much more scenic), and the reasons to keep it unsealed are endless IMHO.

Transit couldn't manage a pissup in a brewery.

:

The locals and farmers have been waiting for years to get something done about the unsealed 30ks of gravel. It is only their lobbying the local MP to take back to the government for funds to complete the job that has won over the powers that be.. So this is a great result for the locals. Also Tourists and us bikers.

I see you are from the Waikato. I lived in Hamilton for 25 years before heading home to retire in Wanganui. I remember a similar argument re the sealing of the road over the hill to Raglan.

Once sealing and deviation work was completed Raglan reaped the benefits of the sealing of the road. Thousands of people drive, and ride their bikes over the hill every year now and have put Raglan on the tourist map. As to where it belongs. Same thing down here in Wanganui. It will be another tourist attraction, the local iwi and residents, will reap the benifits by providing services to tourists. I will be one of the regular tourists on my bike!!! Reaping some of those benifits!!!!

Please excuse my humble apologies for getting of topic!!

[tri boy]

You have a fair and valid point re the farming community there Huck.
I am a born n bred Wanga boy. (rode the loop Para-River rd-home) quite often through my youth in the late seventies/early eighties, and really enjoyed the isolation and challenge of the river rd.
So I guess I cringe at the thought of tourists turning Jlem, Pipiriki etc into a box to tick off on their list of things to do. I think the Eagles sang "call any place paradise, you can kiss it goodbye".
The gravel view I have is a selfish angle, as I love riding the stuff, and the hedious snake that is Tarseal will eventually consume most of my favourite roads.

But the farmers and locals do deserve a better gravel surface. One that is a bit wider, and doesn't deteriorate every time a decent rain happens.

So whats your view lucy? more tourists on that rode, (could really help Raetihi), or leave it unsealed, and keep it as a old world area?

[ynot slow]

Not sure about above Pipiriki,but the road from there to Wanganui is awesome,scenery wise,we took the mail van option after paddling down from Whakahoro(sp)with the same guy who dropped us off.Mind you was nearly 10 yrs ago.The road to start was a good one for bikes too,lots off twisties,but narrow though.But not a loop type.Still would like to see $$$ spent on paraparas as well,is the cafe/shop still open up the paras?we used to go that way to pick up the wifes kids at holiday time,and meet her ex there,can remember feb 2004 after flooding and most of road missing,took ages to fix,met a few bikes each time we went,and must go through the place.

[u4ea]

So the local "Iwi "aren't still trying to drive other road users off the road now??

[Meanie]

Well done Lucy thats quite a feat
Cowboyz and I rode that road with Bonez and a few others a year or so ago now. I had my Meanstreak and wasnt too happy with the amount of gravel i ended up riding through. the big sweepers at the northern end nearly made up for it though but it took me a whole week to clean my bike properly
If I remember rightly we had a lady with her GN on the ride as well, by the time she got the bike back to Phil Turnbulls she had to replace the chain.
Ill do that road again but not untill its sealed and swept

[banditrider]

Awesome bit of road allright. I've only been thru once years ago on my old RF and must do it again sometime. Good on ya for attacking the gravel on ya GN!

[ynot slow]

So the local "Iwi "aren't still trying to drive other road users off the road now??

Nope not yet lol,when we did the river cruise the tour operater/guid used to stay at tieke hut(now marae),the japs and tourists liked it,but as he said the stories got out of order,i.e white man did this,did that,he got sick of the crap given too tourists.
Also as we paddled past tieke to pipiriki,a young maori guy said gis a lift ,we said sorry full up 6 in 3 canadian canoes with all gear,he was persistant,to the point he would have swum to us(30-50mts),we just paddled a bit faster,when we got to pick up the driver said quite a few younguns do that,they are sent to the marae to learn the ways of their whanau and history.In other words keep em out of jail,we thought not a bad punishment,getting to hunt,learn life skills and stay out of jail,seems the fact that no banks(money),beer or dope put them off.And girls lol.

[Crisis management]

Well done Lucy, welcome to the esteemed halls of the adventure riders! Taking that road on riding a Ginny takes skill and courage, good on you girl.

Huck, I'm with Tri-boy on the sealing, again for selfish reasons, my best memory of that road is fishtailing at 140 clicks on the DR (on a closed., private, section of course) in the rain last winter, gorgeous scenery (yes, I stopped and looked as well) with clouds down to the road and a sense of the wonder that is our land all around.
Best bit of road I've ridden for a while......how long before they seal it?


Tri-boy, are we heading south?