Northern Exposure Tour 2009

[Hinny]

My weekend turned out a lot better than Gizzit's.
I tried to combine the KB ride, visiting Friends and Rellies, Trout Fishing and Camping / Tramping / Nature watching. More bang for my buck kind of deal.
It meant missing a great part of the social aspect of the ride, which I had to unfortunately trade off, but I did get some social and family obligations out of the way. And got a free haircut, so it wasn't all-bad.
Grant's crash was a downer. Onward and upward, it wasn't me and it wasn't too bad. Let's go have some fun.
The ride was sublime, weather was fantastic and once again all was well with the world.
I left the rest of the group to go to the DoC camp in the Puketi forest. It would make life a lot easier if they put GPS coordinates in their directions 'How to get there'. An extra 10kms of gravel was covered before I found the camp. Met Tony the Ranger and a German couple. Set up camp and then buggared off for a wee pootle. Strong side lighting of the late afternoon sun made for a very picturesque and pleasant ride. Roads were fantastic. Very good condition and no traffic. Went to visit Rellies. Rode through the deepest metal ever, on the way back to camp. It was as if they had dropped it out of the truck and then buggared off for their long weekend. After a harrowing traverse of these works in progress I finally made camp and was able to crawl into bed at around 1.00am.
The 'Dawn Chorus' I was so looking forward to hearing was not quite what I expected. Some Nincompoop had released a Cockerel at the camp and at 5am he vented a lungful seemingly outside my front door. I got out of bed gathered a handful of rocks and went hunting. He proved to be very elusive in the darkness. Finally found him high in a tree. So high I couldn't throw hard enough to get anywhere near him. Oh! for a shotgun!
Well the sun came up as I finished my breakfast so I strapped my rod to the bike and headed off for a morning pootle and fish. It was a truly beautiful morning. The Waipapa river Forest Pools looked fantastic. Very pretty.
I found some fish but wasn't able to seduce them with my fur and feather offerings. I was aware that I had a date and so I cut the fishing short and ride out to join the rest of the tour at the Opua ferry.
Pic 1 rural view near Puketi
Pic 2 View over Puketi forest
Pic 3 Soaking up some rays
Pic 4 Sunset near Matauri Bay.

[Hinny]

Had a great ride over the Mangamukas. The group split up at this point with some riding to the cape and some doing a loop around through Herekino, Broadwood etc. and then back over the Mangamukas.
I went with the former group and we had a very pleasant pootle up to the top. It was interesting to see how much it had changed since I was there last year. Lots of new facilities and roading.
Met up with Qkkid and SixPackBack at Houhora on the way back and had a smooth ride with them to Cable Bay. Left the bunch here and went to visit Rellies and friends. Rode back to camp via a different route. Some scary road works on this road as well. Deep metal randomly dumped along the road. I found these road works rather disconcerting when encountering them at the legal limit.
There were some very pleasant, Young, German tourists in residence as my new neighbours. It had been a very long day and after soaking up the afternoon rays and devouring the mountain of food I had cooked I headed for the land of Nod. Seven and a half hour later my Nemesis heralded his presence. I need a Kea gun! After breakfast I crawled back into my bed to formulate plans to rid this bird sanctuary of the insidious, raucous, feather cloaked invader.
A quick perusal of the relevant maps and I was off hunting piscatorial behemoths. Didn't find any but did find some interesting tracks. My transformer cruiser became a trail bike and I got to see some pretty sights.
I didn't ask to photograph some of the prettier sights. I thought using the ‘without photos it didn't happen’ line would have been too crass to try and so I resolved to file the images in my head for pleasant future daydreams. Those European women certainly seem less inhibited than Kiwi women.
Pic 1 View of Cavalli islands.
Pic 2,3,4 Forest Pools - Waipapa River.

[Hinny]

Another hot pootle over the Mangamukas and I went to visit an old best friend at Herekino. His wife recognised me instantly but Pete took some time. Alzheimer’s? Or am I just not as handsome as I used to be? I had hoped to ride the loop through Broadwood etc with a setting sun lighting my way but there was a deal of catching up to do and it was long dark by the time I left Herekino.. After a short while I wished Qkkid had told me I needed a Trail bike to ride that route. That road was severely beaten up by the 'two month' rain we had over winter.
It was a long slow (legal) ride home for this weary traveller. I was puzzled by the actions of the Highway Patrol car that entered the motorway at Oteha Valley Roadin front of me. He slowed in the left lane when he saw me coming. I slowed and he slowed so I slowed some more. Finally I rode past him. I thought later that he probably wanted to get my number. Send me a ticket in the post for some imaginary crime. It may seem I'm getting paranoid but having been on the receiving end of similar bizarre actions I am, I believe justified in thinking this way. It was an unpleasant way to finish the trip.
Still, C'est la vie. I had a fantastic weekend with great people in a beautiful country. Life is Good.

Pic 1 Strike a Pose - Parengarenga Harbour and the gleaming white sands of Kokota Spit in the background.
Pic 2 It is here that after death, all Maori spirits travel to the Pohutukawa tree on the headland of Cape Reinga (Te Rerenga Wairua) and descend into the underworld (reinga) by sliding down a root to fall into the sea below. They climb out again on to Ohaua, the highest point of the Three Kings Islands to bid their last farewell before returning to the land of their ancestors, Hawaiiki-A-Nui.
Pic 3 Cape Reinga lighthouse
Pic 4 Intrepid Kiwi Bikers.

[Gizzit]

Great pics and write up Hinny. However, I'm still gutted about the lack of pics of those "less inhibited" European women ...... Maybe next time .... I'll be in better shape to actually be along to see for myself !!!

[Mort]

Good write up Hinny...

Here's a few pics too...

1. Lined up at Paparua
2. This is one of those spots where you slam on the brakes and shout WOW !!!
3. The Ferry at Opua
4. Last stop for fuel at Houhora
5&6 . at Parengarenga Harbour

[Mort]

A few more pics here...

1. Kelly (Supermotochick)
2. Hinny
3. The lighthouse (duh !)
4. The best fish and chips in the known universe
5. Back on the ferry again.

I must say that the trip was one of the best things I've done on a bike ever. I'm sure most of the group have been riding these roads for years but for me it was the first time and as such , it was pretty special.

Cheers

[Gizzit]

Good pics Mort! And ... you're right about "that" Fish & Chip shop. Very nice, great setting, freshest of products .... bloody brilliant!! (And that's not taking anything away from the excellent establishment at/near Miranda or Kaiaua ? ....).

[Mrs Busa Pete]

Just want to say a big thanks to the quicks for yet another great weekend and that includes the wined down. Every year gets bigger and better looking forward to next years.

Great to see and meet new faces hope you all had fun.


I hope the weekend didn't make the commuting boaring for you mort.

to pumba for not getting the learn from sixpack on 16

[Gizzit]

I second that sentiment! Thanks very much Quicks! I did enjoy myself, and look forward to spending more time with all of you in other future events..... if indeed I am allowed to attend future events!
Cheers,
Grant.

[geoffm]

Another fantastic Quik trip North, and a great BBQ at the end. I was very reluctant to leave but I knew I had an early start the next day.

The Cunning Plan of having the other half bring up the campervan worked well - no snoring rattling the windows this year :-)
The trip back through the tunnel was interestign to say I had done it, but the traffic - and the cars....

hey Hinny, you forgot to mention the ST stands for Submersible Transport :-)

[NinjaNanna]

hey Hinny, you forgot to mention the ST stands for Submersible Transport :-)

hey... submersible and invertable... that's some bike you got there mate

[Hinny]

Here's a strange thing. After having a Police escort for the first 140?kms of our trip the bike returned the worst fuel consumption of the trip. !0% more than the next highest gas guzzling.
Not on the power band, in top gear, I guess.
I presumed the highest fuel consumption would have been throgh the Waipoua forest or over the Mangamukas with lots of second and third gear travelling.

[TOTO]

lol aint that funny :d