It was over a few drinks 6 months ago that planning for a Rusty Nuts pre-Christmas Northland Tour was floated, and planning begun.
The idea to reverse our usual course was quickly found to be impractical due to the unavailability of accommodation – crazy. The usual hard core of members signed on, but with the passing of time a few dropped out for a variety of reasons, their coveted spots quickly filled by those on the waitlist. As an “Invitation only” group, there are usually more takers than spots available, with our style of ride having an attraction not always found in other groups. The forecast for the few days preceding departure was for showers, some heavy, but this was forgotten as the day came with brilliant sunshine that saw many of us in fairly light gear – little did we know. Coffee and donuts seemed to be the order of the day for those who arrived early at Caltex Dairy Flat – Angus and Jeff arrived at my place on time and our over generous allowance for traffic (or perhaps enthusiasm to get underway), found us there in very good time. With the exception of one of our number unfamiliar with our rule of “We depart on time, regardless” who arrived with a whisker to spare as we were suiting up to leave, and Chris, who had arranged to meet us 100km northwards, we were off. Up Highway 16 to Wellsford then a brief squirt to a favoured bakery for lunch (brunch) at Kaiwaka – a fortuitous stop as a bit of a shower passed through – little were we to know, substantially more rain was to follow. Once back on the bikes, and starting to enjoy some of the long flowing stretches across the island from the base of the Brynderwyn’s to Ruawai, the sky darkened and I started to look for somewhere safe for 13 bikers to pull over to struggle into wet weather gear. Unfortunately the rain came before an opportunity presented itself, heavy rain that quickly negated any thoughts of staying dry for those optimists among us who’d chosen to ignore the signs. We eventually found shelter and sanctuary at Ruawai, and half an hour later the worst had passed… fortunately for those of us who were soaked, it was warm so not really an issue, and so we continued. Gas at Dargaville, then a quick run to the Kauri forest where damp and twisty roads were introduced into the mix, requiring as yet untested skills to be drawn from the repertoire. Having very competent and capable riders breathing down your neck is a good way to focus concentration on the job at hand, and to ensure that bad habits are not aired publicly – all the while making sure not to push too hard. Coming over the final hill at Omapere brings the mouth of the Hokianga suddenly into frame (almost with a gasp), its sentinel of massive sand dune across the harbour brilliant in the sunshine. While a few of us had stopped to regroup near the end of the forest sector, Butch had blasted on through, with the reason becoming evident when $75 of fish and chips appeared at our stop at Opononui – thanks Butch! We arrived in Rawene just in time to miss the 3.30 sailing, so with an hour to kill and the pub being closed for renovations, a box of Heinekens was procured from the local 4 Square to be enjoyed in the sunshine by those who’d chosen not to wander along to the waterfront café. The final leg of about an hour to Ahipara also offered a mixture of everything – remembering that that we were in the hinterland of rural Northland, this means roads that either require or are under repair, narrow corners where a white line means little if oncoming traffic choses to ignore it, and like anywhere, a moment’s inattention inevitably comes with a high price. Having said that, another opportunity for everyone to ride at a comfortable pace, to test themselves how and when appropriate, and most importantly, to enjoy the thrill of being On the Road Again. And then we were there, bursting from the guts of the northern Hokianga with its mixture of poor and very poor hard scrabble farms and tiny hamlets, and on to the final straights into Ahipara, past a wreckers yard and the school, left at the intersection, past the marae and more very humble homes, then the flash, gated, million dollar holiday homes of wealthy townies on the seaward side of the road as the beach came into view. Our motel was up a side road, and with the elevation came magnificent views – we quickly settled in, showered, then taking the tops off the bottles of spirits that form the basis of reliving the adventures of the day, enjoying the last of early evening sunshine then sunset before heading up for dinner. Another great day on the road – perfect! 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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