Planning an Epic Adventure - Will trade beer for use of couches

**Trudes** · 5th July 2009, 20:00

Great stuff! You guys are legends!
Hey does anyone remember when a bunch of Honda Club riders skipped out on paying for their meals down south and a whole lot of KBers chipped in to pay the hotel the bill to keep up a good 'biker image'? Anyway, the folks at Glenross Lodge sound like very nice people so maybe if a bunch of us who are enjoying reading your adventures but were unable to assist you along your way could chip in like $10 each to pay for your nights accomodation? Anyone else keen?

**MarkH** · 5th July 2009, 20:02

Originally Posted by PirateJafa

2 - Our sweet overnight pad at Glenross Lodge!

So these two guys riding a little Honda turn up and rent a room for the night, they go into the room and start by watching Brokeback Mountain . . .

Bloody Honda riders!

**MarkH** · 5th July 2009, 20:07

Originally Posted by motorbyclist

and then victory climb up one tree hill

None tree hill? That is less than 5 minutes from home for me - I would like to meet you there and take some pics, hopefully we can find out what time you guys are going to be there.

**Quasi** · 5th July 2009, 20:20

Originally Posted by motorbyclist

We made it

:

Thanks heavens - we was getting worried. And - more story please...

**Danae** · 5th July 2009, 20:20

Originally Posted by carver

film it....or take lots of pics'

They have a bike cam going

**Fred Dagg** · 5th July 2009, 20:35

Hey Trudes,

Count me in - I have so enjoyed the epic tale so far, it would be my pleasure to contriute in some small way - let me know how I can help!

**OutForADuck** · 5th July 2009, 20:58

hey Andrew, David was telling Me of the trip. havea good one!!

**zahria** · 5th July 2009, 21:32

Originally Posted by PirateJafa

Shouldn't be too bad - our big nemesis is, of course, hills.

We'll have all of those except the sleeping bags. We really have to keep the amount we're carrying down to a bare minimum, which is why we can't take a tent.

Not even taking spare clothes, other than some extra pairs of socks! (Considering some changes of clothes ahead along the way

)

Brilliant, hope you guys havea great trip!
If I had my old A100 I'd be keen to tag along, alas it rusted long ago!
We are in Palmerston North, if you break down/ need a rest in the Manawatu!
Good Luck!

**quikk** · 5th July 2009, 21:46

Originally Posted by Highlander

Have stayed at Brain's Place Backpackers at Tokomaru Bay (about 90km north of Gisborne) and can recommend it - saves trying to carry the tent.

I Happen to know your mother in law and im pretty sure anything you have done in the past 10 years wouldnt suprise her......
The complete opposite would be true for the first 10

**motorbyclist** · 5th July 2009, 22:20

So we woke up at 10am. Little bit late but we didn't have far to go. Breakfast and final move of all the reserve fuel to the main tank and we were set to go, at noon. We left our mark on the last page of the visitor book and headed off up the drive we go to thank our gracious hosts and give our farewells, but alas, no-one was home. We made our way off into the rain along route52, with the intention to finish the whole road beofre dark. We've now abandoned plans; hopes and ambitions are what we call those now.

Some distance down the road, having just been chased by a pair of rather fast running dogs, we stop to swap seats - I reckon if I sit behind jafa I won't get so wet

- and continued on our epic journey through the hills and twisties of what was increasingly not an ideal surface. Eventually we stop just shy of Wimbeldon, to have a little chat about pillions not appreciating late braking, and have a look at the war memorial. There was a sense of history about the place; the memorial, with poppies still visible in the moat, was for the 12 local men who went to fight in "The Great War", ie before it became the first world war. The small school behind it looked fairly old too - one building was most certainly older than the memorial. We carried on our way through past the local hotel and kept riding happily along through until we hit a large intersection: route 52 went left, the beach was 8km to the right, and the Porangahau township was 400m ahead. We decided it Was time for lunch....

Brown Fury made an immediate impression on the locals at the pub/hotel, and we had a quick chat before entering. Inside we were greeted with another awesome pub, and as I enjoyed one of the best seafood chowders I've ever had and Jafa enjoyed an excellent thai chicken curry, we got to talk to the locals and the barman and really enjoyed the whole atmosphere of the place. Parts of the building were apparently 140 years old, and what with the friendly faces and local rugby scores up on the wall we got a real sense of community there that suddenly became painfully absent from life back in auckland.

The barman asked if we were taking the coastal route... We were dead keen. When it became evident we would be hitting backroads with essetially no map we were even more interested - we had a whole 3 hours of daylight left, so we'd be fine!

On our way out Brown Fury gave a further show by popping a rather impressive wheelie in full view of the cheering crowd,

and in a trail of blue smoke we were off!

Now Jafa is still struggling to find our exact route, but it took us along another metal road along the beach and through several more pubs asking for directions - for some reason people kept directing us back to the main highway

but we held the course direct to meet Conquiztador in Te Awanga, and countless sheep encou cow) later we finally emerged in civilisation.

We took Brown Fury onto the beach and suddenly realised road tyres don't work as well as knobblies on wet pebbles. we stood watching the surf, in the rain, as our phones came to life with full reception. All these txts from the night prior trying to see if we were ok was a bit of a chuckle, as was both of us watch a particuarly large wave form, both think "shit, that's pretty big", and both run back from the water as it came rushing up to meet us.

A few calls and a bit of riding later we met up with Conquiztador to swap stories, dicuss the finer things in life over a few beers, and dry our gear by the fire.

**PirateJafa** · 5th July 2009, 22:49

http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=d&so...5,1.782532&z=9

The vague route we took today!

1 - Porangahau Hotel - 140 years old and still going strong!
2 - Even MOAR offroad than Squiggles' DR!
3 - Lost? Naaaah...
4 - Oops.

**motorbyclist** · 5th July 2009, 22:51

Brown Fury has been absolutely terific thus far, never missing a beat, and has managed to get us all the way from masterton to here without running out of gas. Tomorrow we plan to leave first thing in the morning, and make it to gisborne for lunch and maybe invest in a range of plugs, some more oil seeing as we lost the last one back at castlepoint, and top everything up with gas before heading to the cape. Where we run out of daylight we'll stop and seek accomodation, and on tuesday we'll visit the cape and continue to tauranga.

Wednesday sees us at coroglen tavern and then further up to stay with blackbird, and thursday we will be on our final leg back to auckland

We'll stop at Kaiaiua for lunch on our way so you will all know how we're running for time to get up One Stump Hill.

Cheers for all the support guys! I hope you have as much fun reading these posts as I do writing them

**Danae** · 5th July 2009, 22:52

Man you guys sound like you are having an awesome time! Lol Thursday seems like a more reasonable eta haha

Originally Posted by motorbyclist

Cheers for all the support guys! I hope you have as much fun reading these posts as I do writing them

Better than TV

**Conquiztador** · 6th July 2009, 06:45

Sorted them two beds last night and after a few beers, some story swapping and a meal all were happy. (We got talking about 50cc old Nifty 50 scooters and someone started pondering about doing a similar trip using a couple of them. Apperently the resale value is good, as they are worth a few bobs in the bigger cities...)

I had to scroll back to the first post to confirm that yep, the boys were supposed to provide the beer! But as they so gallantly offered to get rid of my Guinness (after we had finished my Heinekens) I had no problem with the change of plan.

Today is promising to be a rainfree day here in HB and same up towards Gizzy, so with a little of luck their travel up to Poverty Bay will be a nice one. And as the road there is nice too it should be a day to remember (as all the others on this crazy trip of theirs).

Time to start the day.

**Conquiztador** · 6th July 2009, 10:11

The morning looked good. No rain. After some brekky and packing up the little 2 wheeler started with a puff of smoke and took them down the road. And that's when the heavens opened. So much for drying all the gear in fron of the fire last night.

Took some pics and a vid but somehow nothing turned up? So you all just have to use your imagination and trust me when I say that they are on their way up to Gizzy.

I followed them a little bit on the road, and that 100cc thingy with 2 up can motor! Last night I was told that they had not filled up with petrol since Masterton and it was one of the first things they needed to do. But they whizzed past the first petrol station... so I hope that means they have plans on stopping at the next.

Safe travels guys!