Arriving at Auckland Harley on Saturday was to be impressed - a very formidable fence with aggressive spikes had been erected since my last visit providing what is obviously another layer of defence against those with ill intent. This is a fence that demands respect, Any attempt to climb it is to invite the loss or severe damage to any appendage (and men know what I'm taking about), able to be torn off... I am envious of such a fence! The weather forecast was great and the turn out impressive. Neville was Road Captain, and whilst we knew that we were heading west, and that the ultimate destination was Swashbucklers at Westhaven, the middle bit was a mystery requiring extra special attention when it came to corner marking. The relatively quiet Motorway reflected that winter sports appear to have ended and summer sports yet to start, allowing the 15 plus bikes to hold formation far better than usual in mid afternoon traffic, particularly as Neville's speedo appeared to be on the fritz. Off the motorway at Royal Road then into the hinterland between Massey and the West Coast, unfamiliar tiger country for me. After a few days with no rain, the countryside, whilst still damp, was starting to show signs of drying out. New born spring lambs, all feet and tails, shared pasture with damp loving lilies and the odd llama (or alpaca), quite the picture. Perhaps because the route was new to me, the contrast between properties surprised me - everything from tidy, well organised and pristine, to those that were a dumping ground for all manner of old and broken machinery, collapsed glass houses and out buildings reflecting a better past. We enjoyed the fairly empty back roads, passing from Waimuku to Riverhead, then over the Greenhithe Bridge to the North Shore, finally spectacular views of city and the Waitemata as we crossed the Harbour Bridge before joining a small bunch who'd fallen foul of poor corner marking and who'd then taken the direct route to Swashbucklers. The end of the ride was celebrated in the traditional way with a couple of beers and a bowl of fries, tales being told and stories swapped before the late afternoon sun started to wane indicating with a chill that it was time to head home. Thanks Nev! Comments are closed.
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Don MalcolmA perfect day involves being on my Harley with a long ride ahead.
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