More ramblings on the Southern Cross Rally. Photos to come.
Part 1
Sunday 22nd – South Auckland – Hicks Bay (483kms)
I managed to pack on the Saturday for a change. I was determined to keep the luggage to a minimum this time. By using a smaller tank bag and keeping the Ventura expander pack zipped in the low position I lost abut 20 litres of space. I cheated a bit because I packed a fabric cordura type bag and stuck the wets in it. Even the tool kit was slimmed down. A can of tyre weld and vice grips were the only things outside the underseat storage area. I had been keeping my eyes open for small tools to replace my existing bike toolkit. An allen key set, a few hex bits, tape, wire, multi bit screwdriver, 4 ratchet spanners and 2 adjustable wrenches covered 99% of the jobs I would need to do roadside. I adjusted the chain and did a few odd jobs using the small tool kit to make sure it all worked. I also threw in a small tube of epoxy putty for fairings, engine cases and the like.
I spent Sunday morning loading up and doing some last minute business stuff. I had a light lunch, said my goodbyes to the family and headed off for the Cape in brilliant sunshine. I went straight down the SH 1 expressway carefully until the Ohinewai-Tahuna road which is one of my favourites. I had to temper the urge to have some serious fun with the fact that I had over a week of hard riding ahead. I made it to the SH27 and on to some Waikato backroads after which I found myself at the foot of the Kaimais. Back into ‘behave myself’ mode I trundled over the hill and down into Tauranga. I turned right onto the Welcome Bay road and onto SH2. The first stop was at Te Puke for fuel only to find the BP no longer does 98. Oh well, shoved some 95 crap in and grabbed a coffee. About 15 kms on, the highway joins the coast and straightens out along the Matata er, straights. On the 2007 event I was coming over here late at night and almost hit a black bull in the fog. No dramas this time, I travelled at a speed to keep the cars out of my way but not enough to draw attention. Plus I had the radar detector this time. Whakatane came and went and I headed over the bump through Ohope and the Cheddar Valley out to SH2. Man that road was busy, full of daytrippers and campervans. One day they’ll build a proper link road. One day.
Another stop at Opotiki for a top up of gas and out on to the East Cape road. For some reason I eased off and just took it easy. Maybe I didn’t want to bin it so close to the start. I just sat back and sucked up the coastal scenery. The setting sun was on my back and I felt good. Up past Waihau Bay the roads cut inland and were even wet. When I got to the BOP/Eastland border sign the road turned bad, mainly from the missing seal and rough surface. It was only 40 km or so to Hicks Bay but they were quite twisty and damp. I had also miscalculated the daylight. The Raukumaras tower over the road and while I could see the sun on the hilltops, down where I was, the road was pretty dark.
I got to the Hicks Bay motor camp and headed straight for the bar where a pre ordered meal was waiting. Everyone in there was on the rally. I sat next to a party of four who turned out to have been in a bike club I was in 20 years ago. Small world. It was fun catching up and saying 'whatever happened to…?' All too soon it was time to hit the hay. A big day ahead tomorrow.
Monday 23rd – Hicks Bay via East Cape to New Plymouth (651 kms)
Next morning I was up in plenty of time for a leisurely breakfast and then to head out to the rally start and Te Araroa. It started to rain quite heavily and looked like settling in. The worst time was at the Te Araroa fuel stop where his royal highness took forever to venture out into the rain. At least he was happy.
I had hoped like in previous years they would set up the checkpoint at Te Araroa due to fuel and safety concerns. Judging by the packed café and store, plenty of others hoped the same thing. Then we saw the Rustys pass by in the ute. By then the rain eased right off and it was time to saddle up and head for the cape.
RALLY START
The road out to the Cape is semi sealed these days. The only dodgy bit is around the first bluff and the bit on from there. As with many tourist roads the metal is never the problem it is the other road users and their lack of experience on it. The ZZR suspension travel tends to keep the speed down tho’ I still managed to break the limit in some sections. People on BMW GSs and the like still came flying past.
At the Cape they just were not going to let us leave before 12.00. There was a sense of tension in the air. Faces were recognised, acknowledged with a nod. A lot of people were in their own space but a lot of others laughed and joked with friends.
Bikes lined the gravel entrance to the carpark. Someone had bought a Boss Hoss the 350 cu.in Chevy powered bike. Bloody ‘ell. There were trikes and examples of all the bigger sport/touring bikes. We had some speeches from the Rustys, the sign in books were opened, signed and we were off. I hung back a few minutes to ride out on empty roads. The weather at the start of our adventure was cold and overcast. Was this how it was going to be?
When I got back to Te Araroa I stopped to take a leak. When I got back to the bike a blue R6 limped into view. By now only a few bikes remained. The duct tape holding the fairing together betrayed the fact that he had binned it in the wet. The rider told me he lost it near Hicks Bay and had used 4 litres of oil getting to Te Araroa. Yikes. Closer inspection revealed three mean looking holes in the RH engine cover. What a place to crash. I remembered the epoxy putty and even gave him a rubber glove to knead it into a kind of plug. He filled most of the holes and put tape over the repair to hold it in place. Within a few minutes it had set like concrete. However there wasn’t time to make an oil tight seal. I wished I’d bought my JB weld, that would have finished the job. I got dressed and hung around until the Rustymobile was in sight then I left for New Plymouth, an hour behind schedule. I honestly thought that was it for this guy. Little did I know.
By now it was well past 1.00pm. Back out onto SH35 past Hicks Bay and off the Cape. I tried to make up time where I could using the zeds ample acceleration to get past the traffic. I got as far as the Hawai straight when a cop loomed into view. My electronic friend picked him up in plenty of time and I crawled past. I got a waggy finger and a headlamp flash but really there was nothing I did wrong. I thought I might pay for the misdeeds of those in front and he’d just had a guts full. We both carried on our separate ways and I made it to Opotiki for lunch/tea about 2.30. I went to that bakery on Church St. due to my weakness for fresh baked goods. The kids were leaving school and quite a few stopped to look at the bikes since by now another couple had joined me. Refreshed, I fuelled up at the BP and headed out for Rotorua. By now the sun had come out and it was very nice outside. I had a good run until the Pekatahi road/rail bridge where a queue had built up. There were roadworks on SH 30 to Rotorua and of course the 80km limits round the lakes. I still made good time to Rotorua and bypassed the town by going round SCION (was Forest Research) and out past Whakarewarewa after stopping for 98 Ultimate and more baked goods/coffee. There were quite a few SX ers at the BP so I figured I could take it easy now but I still wouldn’t make New Plymouth till after sunset.
I headed out towards Atiamuri then onto SH30 to Te Kuiti. Empty roads (apart from a roading truck marking a huge step where the seal had been stripped from a small bridge) it was plain and swift sailing. I meant to take the Kopaki road then onto the Aria road but the combination of sunstrike and fuel meant I headed for Te Kuiti and more roadworks. They had 98 at the BP so I filled up and fitted the thermal lining on my jacket.
There were a lot of bikes through the gorge. I got overtaken by the trike and his mates in the dark only to have him stop in front of me a few kays later. I hit the downhill road works too fast in the dark and got some serious weaving as I snow ploughed my way through the deep gravel. There was absolutely no way I was going to back off, I would have ended up on my arse if I had. And it would have been my fault entirely.
I slowed a little not knowing where the next set of killer road works would be but there were none except for the approaches to New Plymouth. I made it to the motel in one piece. The first day was over.
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