I had been committed to work weekends most of the summer to help out the local Cossie Club, so a free weekend, with GoGal out of town on a Girlies night, and fine weather, the road beckoned!
So a posted thread for suggestions brought a goodie from Highlander (Thanks Mate) and the route was set – Matiere > Bennydale > Murupara > Opotiki > Matawai >Gisborne > Napier > Taupo > Turangi > Taumarunui > Matiere.
I hadn’t been thru Matawai since the ‘70’s when I got car sick driving!
Sat 1.07pm, 17 degrees and misty at home when the ST was pointed East, Kopaki Road thru Benneydale is always nice and it was today despite overcast skies. Traffic was minimal until I hit SH1 thru to the Atiamuri turnoff. A split second of heart flutter here as I rounded a left hander to see a large dog running full tit in the opposite direction. It didn’t change line and nor did I, phew!
Lunch on the Rotorua waterfront at the café where you can ride your bike right up, (curried sausages) then gassed up (the bike!) and off to Murupara. Hadn’t been out here for decades, - the last time I did go out there, it was driving a ministerial LTD with Peter Tapsell in the back – another story!
I did remember the huge straight roads tho, and was thankful for the radar detector to make the most of the open spaces. A quick squizz around Murupara confirmed I wasn’t missing anything, then off toward Galatea – new territory for me, and guess what, more grouse open roads! (Pic 1) A quick peek at Lake Aniwhenua impressed, - a neat spot being enjoyed by campers and kayakers, - very nice. (Pic 2)
Over a Dam I didn’t note the name of (can anyone fill this gap?), a quick pop thru Waimana, again being nosey – nice wee village – and into Opotiki for a Lotto ticket and gas top-up. I was as dry as a bone, so guzzled a choc milk – I’d been too lazy to stop earlier and was gagging. The temp was 22 degrees now, at 6.30pm – warmer than at home at lunchtime!
This was the bit I was looking forward to – the Matawai Road - and the ST loved it as much as I did, what a great road, and beautiful surrounding countryside, I had the road to myself, enjoying the last drops of daylight saving in style. (pics 3 and 4)
Matawai came up at 7.30, just on dark, and I had thought I’d stay at the pub, but it was pretty much deserted, and I was still enjoying the ride, so Gizzy here we come. A clear night, still 16 degrees and a fabulous night to cruise, with a ripper headlight showing the way, and the electric screen flicking the bugs over my open visor. I buttoned off a bit getting close to Gizzy, arriving at 8.30pm, grabbing a modest motel, then a takeaway and a bottle of wine. 558 km’s of FAB riding country.
Sunday dawned perfect weather, and at a leisurely 9.30, I cruised ‘round the City for an update, gassed up and off. More great roads, 15 degrees and warming up fast as I powered past the Grain contractors busy harvesting on the outskirts, going with the flow thru Morere where a bunch of Harleys were doing the Café thing, enjoying the superb climbs and dips and corners. The last time thru here was as part of a freight-train on the Southern Cross which was fabulous and fast, this time its fabulous with time to soak it up.
By Wairoa I was ready for breakfast, and a beaut one I had too at the furtherest Café down the riverside road. Not a cloud in the sky and hours of riding ahead as I head off toward Napier sharing the road with amazingly courteous Cars and trucks – I reckon the day riding lights help with this. The sea at Whirinaki was the such a bright blue, it justified a photo stop.
Taking a right at Eskdale and heading for Taupo, plenty of bikes coming the other way, waves galore and traffic heading my way quickly dispatched. I couldn’t believe the lack of Patrol Cars and was starting to get a bit para, having only ‘detected’ one back in RotoVegas.
Left at Taupo, I couldn’t resist test riding another form of 2 wheels (see pic) then Turangi here we come. Traffic had built up, but the day was otherwise perfect to ride, so who cares.
Another favourite road is the Kurutau to Taumarunui stretch and it was quiet today, all good! Coffee and cake in TaumaVegas then 35 minutes to home, totalling 1072 clicks since yesterday lunchtime. No rain, no cops, no dramas. You bewdy!
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Oh bugger
Rugby - A Hooligans Game played by Gentlemen. 
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