Points of the Compass - My Tour

[STJim]

First Card

For some years I have been looking to do the Manawatu Ulysses 4 Points of the Compass. This year the opportunity presented itself. I had my entry in nice and early. On the weekend 17th-19th October 2008 seemed appropriate to collect the first card from Houhora. I managed to leave work just before 5.00pm. I had an arrangement to meet with David Coy at Huntly. The opportunity arose to call on a client in Dargaville, some documents needed to be signed, and we were able to stay with them on the Friday night.

We had an easy run up, stopped at the Autobarn Café for dinner at Silverdale. A petrol stop at Wellsford, by then it was dark, turned left at Brynderwyn. There was a surprising amount of road works from Brynderwyn to Ruawai, slightly disconcerting at night. We arrived at Dargaville just after 9.00pm. Next morning after a good night’s sleep and breakfast, we left at 8.00am, topped up with petrol and then headed north through the forest. At Kaihu (at least that’s where I think it was), stopped under the pub verandah and put on wet-weather gear. A wet road through the Waipoua forest. Some caution was needed. We were at Rawene for 10.00am, time for a coffee before the 10.30 ferry at the picturesque Boat House café. From the other side of the Hokianga we followed through the alternative route to Kaitaia through Broadwood and Herekino. A very nice piece of road, turns and twists everywhere, evidence of some recent bad weather in a number of slumps and washouts. In once instance a freshly downed tree covered part of the road.

Through Kaitaia without incident and to Houhora Tavern for lunch. It was there that we discovered what we were supposed to do with our yellow ribbons. Two from Thames Valley branch arrived shortly after us and their ribbons were tied to the back of their bikes. We did the same. Collected our cards – I’m in luck so far, first card is the King of Clubs. It was then back to Kaitaia for petrol and David headed off to spend the night in a motor camp at Karikari Peninsular and I set off south, needed to be back in Hamilton for Saturday evening as I was runs leader for the following Sunday afternoon ride. I maintained a steady consistent pace, stopped off to see some friends in Whangarei for an hour. It was then I noticed that I appeared to have no working rear brake. Lo and behold the brake fluid reservoir was empty and leaking brake fluid from the rear master cylinder. Fortunately, David had some brake fluid of the right type, topped it up and then being someone more mechanically minded than me knew how to bleed to brakes. I was off again with a working rear brake. Arrived home to Hamilton shortly after 9.00pm.

[keithbuckby]

sounds like a great ride, pity the rain had to dampen it a bit, losing the brake would be unnerving at first!

[Hitcher]

I'm missing something. How does the "four points of the compass" thing work? What are the "four points"?

[yod]

rahotu, lake ferry, te araroa, houhora

[Hitcher]

Ahh. So post one in this thread is the first in a series then? I was struggling to see how a leisurely canter around Northland involved four points of a compass.

[STJim]

sounds like a great ride, pity the rain had to dampen it a bit, losing the brake would be unnerving at first!

At least 60% - 70% of my stopping power is on the front bake. I didn't relise the back brake wasn't functioning until I tried to hold the bike on a sloping drive way.I will have to get a new rear bake kit - but in the meantime I will be keeping an eye on the leval and carrying brake fluid with me.

[STJim]

Ahh. So post one in this thread is the first in a series then? I was struggling to see how a leisurely canter around Northland involved four points of a compass.

Next weekends canter will be to East Cape and back.

[cowboyz]

good effort. My cards all suck but had a fanastic weekend riding round the country. started a report here http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=84925 and will continue later on today once I get everything sorted out.

[STJim]

4 POINT’S OF THE COMPASS – SECOND CARD


Labour Weekend was our planned trip to East Cape. We were watching the weather with some concern and noted that it didn’t look to hot for the weekend. I received a text from my friend, David Coy, on Saturday morning to say it was nice and fine at Te Araroa. We waited till Sunday and left about 11.00am heading for Opotiki. The weather was not good, a combination of drizzle and showers but starting to clear by time we hit the Kaimai’s. For this trip my wife, Heather traveled with me as pillion.

Coming down the Tauranga side of the Kaimai’s I noticed a cage coming up behind me rather close, I waved my hand in the hope that he would drop back a bit and then to my surprise I was undertaken on the slow vehicle bay. We then diverted through to Welcome Bay and stopped for lunch at Te Puke. The weather was still not the best.

As we set off towards Whakatane it began to clear. When we came over the hill to Ohope Beach the locals were out in shorts and sunglasses, a dramatic improvement. We pulled into our friend, Carol’s at Opotiki at 3.00pm. Heather stayed behind to spend time with Carol and I left somewhere around about 3.40pm for the Cape. I stopped and fuelled at Tirohanga Store just the other side of Opotiki and also filled up my spare five litre can. I then had a smooth run up the coast
Tthat road is a delight, it ducks, dives, weaves, turns and twists all over the show. Lots of little bays and tiny hamlets and then across the top to Hicks Bay, over the hill and down to Te Araroa. I arrived at the RSA at 6.00pm and drew my card, to my surprise, a King of Hearts.

I then went out to the bike to get togged up again and munch on a chocolate bar. One of the locals came out to find out where I had come from and what I was up to. He had been watching others come in during the weekend. Another local wanders over, “are you doing your north/south shit?” – yes and a big handshake. I then headed back to Opotiki on my return trip. Unfortunately the sun was going down and I was heading into it – did not enjoy the sunstrike. Darkness had fallen by the time I reached Motu River. I pretty much know exactly what the Guzzi’s range is. Expecting to get 300-315 km’s, I should have put my spare fuel in under a street light in Torere but carried on. The bike shuddered to a halt out of fuel at Opape having traveled 307kms on a tank which is supposed to hold 19 litres. I had to fumble around in the dark to tank up and was back in Opotiki just before 9.00pm to a wonderful cooked dinner.

On Labour Day after a sleep in, we then left for home. Filled again at the Mobil station at Ohope nearly running on fumes at that stage. Over the hill to lunch in Whakatane. The worst aspect of traveling on a public holiday is the 15% surcharge at the cafés. I then went looking for the legendary Thumpers café, was told what street it was in but couldn’t find it. Obviously wasn’t open. From Whakatane it was out on to State Highway 2. I was looking to take a back road through Manawahe direct to Lake Rotoma. Found the turn-off, fantastic narrow winding road which climbed up and over the hills through farmland and then dropped directly down to Rotoma. Stopped for a break at the lake and from there it was on our way home to Hamilton taking the back road round the far side of Lake Rotorua and then Oturoa Road from Ngongataha up onto State Highway 5. We though we would have a break at Okoroire, unfortunately, it was closed. We had a short stop at Tirau instead. Had trouble getting back into the holiday traffic which was then pretty constant all the way north through to Cambridge, after which we took our usual short cut up the back roads crossing the Waikato on the Narrows Bridge and back home into the south west end of Hamilton.

Well pleased with the ride but not with the amount of wear on my back tyre, done just over 7000kms on a Pirelle Sport Demon.