As usual, the ride from Auckland to Taupo was a blast, the orange tips of the power station chimneys growing quickly as Huntly came and went, the many mufti police cars (one apparently a yellow Mustang!) remaining unemployed (at least, by us), the back roads between Te Awamutu and Kinloch fast and furious.
We arrived at the ever welcoming Chelmswood Motel in Taupo, now regulars each labour weekend, keen to settle in and enjoy the late afternoon sun, cracking a beer or two before the rugby. Tradition dictates a BBQ on our first night, so a quick dash by the ladies to Countdown for buns, burgers and bangers, then passing the baton to the guys outside, cranking up the BBQ's before the effects of too much liquid libation kicked in. A great communal meal, then we settled down to watch the All Blacks play the Wallabies at Eden Park, the result never really in too much doubt, and not a good time to be an Aussie. The night progressed with many smart people making dumb decisions regards mixing grain and grape, others throwing caution into the wind, forgetting that old buggers recover less quickly than young, and that there can be such a thing as too much of a good thing. Sunday morning arrived, quite brisk as Taupo can be, particularly before the warmth of the sun comes over the rooftops. We dressed accordingly and after wiping the dew from the seat, cranked up Sabrina for the ride to a café for breakfast. A few minutes along the road, Sabrina's usual rumble cut out, a pop or two, then silence, a sure sign something was wrong. A press of the starter provided confirmation that all was not well, one cylinder seeming still asleep, we limped back to the Chelmswood to await others more technical to offer advice and guidance, and hopefully to work a miracle, diagnose something minor and insignificant. Alas, an hour later after the best efforts of the well intended, I called Harley Assist who arranged a transporter, an ignominious way for the ever faithful and reliable Sabrina to return to Auckland. I checked the rental car situation, and found that whilst no cars were available in Taupo, if they were the best rate for a one way, 24 hour hire was $340... While the rest of the crew headed out for the day's ride, we took advantage of the Mercedes generously offered by Doc & Barb, doing the tourist stuff, visiting the glass blowing and catching the latest Tom Cruise, Jack Reacher movie (which is very good). Again, the afternoon sun proved irresistible, and other short snooze, then out the lawn, beer and bbq tables, music playing, cheese, chips and pretzels before Fish and Chips for 25, and other opportunity for the same smart people to repeat the same dumb mistakes, but enjoying themselves immensely in the process. The ride back to Auckland in Barb's Mercedes was very relaxing, allowing me to doze and enjoy the last few hours of an audible book - fabulous. I now wait to hear from Auckland Harley, anxious to know that Sabrina is fixed, returned to good health and ready for our next adventure. 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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