Part Two - Auckland to Wellington

Having been on the road for 4 days we were all getting quicker and packing our gear and realizing that even though we packed light we all had the odd item or two that we didn’t really need. Another reality is that no matter where you are in Auckland you have to get on the motorway to get out. Timing is crucial if you don’t want to get caught up in the work traffic so we solved that wee problem by having a LLB (large leisurely breakfast). We had an easy ride down to Glen Murray where we turned and left the chaos of the main highway for the peace and tranquility of rural roads. At Pirongia we split up with Josie and Beate heading to Te Awamutu to visit old friends of Josie’s. They were then going to take the main road to Mokau and the regroup point at the Mokau pub. The rest of us continued on down the 39 to Otorohanga where we stopped by lunch. Hugh scared the little Asian waitress half to death when he told her he was looking for a wife and was she interested. She never came back to our table instead we had a male waiter who really didn’t do it for Hugh at all.

I was looking forward to the afternoons ride as we were going to ride to Mokau via the coastal route which contained about 30kms of gravel and a road I have wanted to ride for ever. On the Te Anga road I came a little unstuck. Well wedged would be a better way to describe it. I failed to see a road works sign (Marty was the only one of us who did!), came around a shaded corner and hit some loose gravel. I had a wee wrestle with the bike, lost and ended up wedged against the bank. An American tourist coming the other way (only car we saw the whole afternoon) and helped me pull the bike up. Damage to rider – one very bruised leg. Damage to bike one broken clip on the left hand pannier. Tim came back to look for us as we hadn’t turned up at the Te Anga watering hole. Seeing we were ok they headed back to the pub to wait for us. Despite the off I stuck to orange juice to settle the nerves. It was quite a hard road from Kiritehere to Mokau. The gravel was quite loose and once on the seal there were lots of shaded and wet corners so was quite mentally challenging.


The plan was to stay at Mokau for the night but Marty and I pressed onto New Plymouth as we had friends from England staying with mutual friends there and had we not gone we would not have been able to see them before they returned to England. So after warm scones with jam and cream and coffee we set off leaving the others to immerse themselves in the publican’s hospitality. We had hoped to fill up at Mokau but that gas station is no longer. By the time we pulled into Urenui we were both on reserve. I just but Marty was running on the smell of an oily rag and very relieved to have made it. It was a long day (450km) and I was very pleased to pull into Willie and Joc’s driveway and even nicer was the lovely home cooking that night.


The next day dawned bright and clear and for the first time ever I saw the whole of Mt Egmont (or Mt Tarankai as it is now called). It was also snow free, something
that Willie hasn’t seen for over 30 years. It was a magnificent sight. The Mokau pub dwellers arrived about 10am and we set off for Cape Egmont (the second point in our
Sthn Cross). We were led astray by Joc’s instructions and had to ask a local farmer for directions. She sent us down the only coastal road there was but it didn’t lead to the lighthouse - and was gravel. We had turned a couple of roads too soon for the direct route but the coastal scenery was well worth the little bit of gravel.

Opunake seemed like a good place to stop for lunch but the only dairy in town turned us away saying they had no food which went totally against their advertising boards and the nearly full tables inside. I guess they felt threatened by 6 hungry middle aged motorcyclists, Jutla and Joerg having returned to Whangarei. Luckily the pub up the road was happy to supply us with burgers and chips – and beer of course.
It was a cruisey ride down to Patea where we were to meet up with Maree and spent a lovely night with her good friends Nick and Sue. Maree had had an uneventful ride
down and so feeling very pleased with herself she celebrated by pigging out on chocolate and was the little worse for wear when we arrived. We were all spoilt
rotten here and made to feel very welcome. In the morning Nick and Sue’s little foxy took charge of the group photo session and then we were on the road again with
full bellies and clean washing. What a treat to have a clean T shirt to wear.

We had a great ride down the coast. The road was gorgeous and not one I can remember ever being on. We stopped in at Pete and Sally’s at Waitaere Beach our last stop before hitting the mayhem of the Wellington traffic. Finding our way out to Makara and to the home of Lynne and Dean Carter was quite a challenge even for our top navigators and at one point a few toys were thrown out of the cot. We got lost, separated and lost again before finally finding the narrow winding road that leads to their abode. We were all in need of refreshments when we arrived. There was a wee bit of a do that night with several members of the VOC in attendance. Lots of lies and stories told.



And so we say farewell to the North Island for a couple of weeks and tomorrow we board the ferry and begin our adventures in the South.



post script. Overnight the gremlins struck and nothing seems to work on this blog site anymore. It has become very difficult to do a post so I am seriously thinking of kicking google blogs into touch and finding a more user friendly one. Will keep you posted as it were!!