Paturoa does the Brass Monkey Part III

[paturoa]

And rain for the trip home too.

I just picked up the KB flag off Spank this morning so that was the last "thing" on my to do list.

Now all I have to do is try to focus on work for the rest of the arvo .......

[Kinje]

Getting pretty amped now. Nearly got my to do list finished now. Gota get thru work tomorrow then on the ferry Thur night and away I go. Can't wait

[paturoa]

Getting pretty amped now. Nearly got my to do list finished now. Gota get thru work tomorrow then on the ferry Thur night and away I go. Can't wait

We are on the 8pm interislander Thursday - c u there!

[paturoa]

Got everything packed - now just need to pack the mule and get some shut eye!

Meeting Stu at the Papakura autobahn at 7am and then woo hoo!

[xgnr]

Righto Brian

We are good to go. Accom and weather booked.

Jock is sorted.

Forget work for 6 days yay

[oldrider]

For those of you traveling to the Brass!

There is a lot of hoar frost starting to build up in the Mackenzie and the Waitaki Lindis areas, so it might be cold getting through here.

Otherwise the weather has been brilliant. Enjoy your weekend. Cheers John.

[Biggles2000]

Well see u's all there. I'm off work in half an hour so no turning back now.
I drove a truck over the Lindus Tuesday at lunch time and it was quite icy in places.

[timg]

For those of you traveling to the Brass!

There is a lot of hoar frost starting to build up in the Mackenzie and the Waitaki Lindis areas, so it might be cold getting through here.

Otherwise the weather has been brilliant. Enjoy your weekend. Cheers John.

Are we going to see you at the Brass John? If not you'd better keep the kettle on

[oldrider]

Are we going to see you at the Brass John? If not you'd better keep the kettle on

I was plotting a day ride over and back but might go to Wanaka tomorrow night and watch my wee grandson play rugby on Sat morning then ride to the Brass then back home across the Dansy Pass but who knows at this stage.

It's the little guy's first year at tackle and according to his coach he is a demon tackler, I gotta see this for my self!

Will be good to catch up somewhere Tim, after all that's what it is all about. Cheers John.

[paturoa]

We just supping a pint of canty draft at Tekapo pub.

Saw more cops today than I though there were people down here. No tax paid though.

Weather is a stunner!

xgnr is reverting - he is now starting calling me a Fucking jafa.

There are millions of signs saying Ice / grit, but there wasn't any, except for a blind s bend with grit between Fairlie & Tekapo that had NO sign !!

[paturoa]

..... and Stu said "don't forget to mention the cowshit! " The roads down here are green, we are talking bus lane green

[paturoa]

For those of you traveling to the Brass!

There is a lot of hoar frost starting to build up in the Mackenzie and the Waitaki Lindis areas, so it might be cold getting through here.

Otherwise the weather has been brilliant. Enjoy your weekend. Cheers John.

Well see u's all there. I'm off work in half an hour so no turning back now.
I drove a truck over the Lindus Tuesday at lunch time and it was quite icy in places.

Guess where we are going tomorrow morning?

Well only after a good old dorkland sleep in, a couple of latte's, and where is the panini?.

Catch you there.

Cheers Brian.

[k14]

For those of you traveling to the Brass!

There is a lot of hoar frost starting to build up in the Mackenzie and the Waitaki Lindis areas, so it might be cold getting through here.

Otherwise the weather has been brilliant. Enjoy your weekend. Cheers John.

Yes, may indeed be brisk up the valley. Although we haven't had a frost here in Alex for nearly a week, maybe last weekend? Looks like there will be one tonight though.

Hope the sun shines for ya, have a good time

[Biggles2000]

Just a couple of photos from the night.....

[paturoa]

All preperations this year were last minute and rushed. I made some "fancy" hand guards to keep the wind off - worked a treat!

Got up about 5 after broken sleep - isn't it that always the go before a big trip?

I reset the trip meter and left cheateau Paturoa about 6am and cruised to the meet with xgnr at Papakura autobahn. I got there plenty early and topped up the tank with liquid gold.

Xgnr arrived 5 minutes after the meet time and I was starting to think "did we agree to meet at the Bombay or Papakura....."

Anyway, first stop Mercer to pick up Jock (not a KBer). Fog and farking cold over the other side of the bombays (yes I cam confirm there is something south of there!).

Met up with Jock and we set off from there, about 3 minutes further south I could hear this tapping noise on my helmit - WTF?? - penny dropped - my helmit strap was flapping around. Quick stop to do that up.

This was the coldest part of the whole trip with 0 degrees showing on both Jocks and xgnrs temp readings. Back roads around the west of Hamihole and lunch & gas at Te Kuiti. The fog had cleared by Pirongia.

Next stop Waiouru - yawn.

Jock had had hatched a plan to go east at Vinegar hill on route 54 and then over the Pahiatua track, down vai Masterton and over the takas. So we did. I had the lead and the lads were most as impressed with my navigational skills (but I wasn't going to let on that I had no idea where I was several times). Just over the hill there was a sign that said Masterton, so we went down that road - what a hoot, tight twisty, narrow, fun. I was just about expecting the gravel to appear when there was another big sign pointing to the left saying "Main Route". I'd hate to have seen the not main route!!. If anyone is looking for a good route - look this one up it goes through Nikau and Mangamaire.

More gas at Masterton (sprots bike tank) and over damp takas just on dusk.

We set up at One Red Dog in welly for a couple of cold ones as we were on the 8pm ferry.

Ferry trip was ho hum and went kipped at a place called Parklands Marina Holiday park just out of Picton. Cheap cabin $40 and very clean. www.parktostay.co.nz.

pic 1 - Mule with the fancy hand guards
pic 2 - Meet with Jock & xgnr at Mercer
pic 3 - Masterton servo with the mighty flying brick