Back to Auckland

29th March 2017

I have a reasonable night's sleep - there are mosquitoes here and they had a couple of goes at me during the night (the room was warm and not equipped with AC, so I kept the window open...)



The morning his beautiful - hardly a cloud in the sky. I check the weather forecast and it says that Auckland will have rain all day...



I pack the Adv, which has been lounging under the carport opposite my room and say farewell to Mary, the owner. I'm on the road for about 0920.



It's a cool, but humid morning - around 62°F...



Although there is no cloud overhead, there is plenty of it peeking at me from behind the hills to the south...



Let's make hay while the sun shines. I ride down Highway 12, towards the ferry at Kohukohu...



There's no traffic about and the road-surface is good - it's great weather for a ride...



When I get my first view of the coast, it's covered in mist...



It's also clear that the roads have been rained on overnight, or earlier this morning - they are still drying out where they are not in direct sun...



The remnants of valley fog still cling to the more sheltered parts of the hillsides...



...but when in direct sunlight, the road's dry and visibility unlimited...



Highway 12 forms part of the "Two Coast Highway" - and this is one of the prettiest parts of it, I think...



I'm making tracks a little - I seem to remember the ferry departs on the hour - and it's very close to 1000...



Always time for a bridge pic, though...



...not much further...



I make it with 30 seconds to spare - they moved off before I'd got off the bike...



It's a 20-minute trip...



...which costs a very reasonable $NZ5 for a bike...



This old boy, John...



...was part of a minibus full of old folk from a retirement home - they were going out for a ride. He starts telling me his life story, in that urgent way that some older people do - desperate to communicate with someone new. I listen to his tale (born in the UK, emigrated to Australia, third wife living with him in the retirement home) and make the right polite noises. He carefully writes out his name and address for me and gives it to me as we are docking at the end of the journey. I thank him and say goodbye - a little bemused by him having done this. I think I'll send him a postcard from the UK - it'll probably make his day...



I'm soon off the ferry at Rawene and giving John and his companion a wave as they pull into a parking space outside a café.



Still a gorgeous day - and it's beginning to warm up a little...



I take a brisk run along the side of the coast, where the odd bit of mist is still hanging around...



...and consider that it's probably time for a spot of brunch...



Hang on, though - what's this?



Someone with a whole collection of old iron...



I only recognise one straight away - any guesses?



There were three eateries in this town - only this one had cars in the car park. It turns out to be a chip shop - but very well supported by the locals...



I wish I'd had the bottle to order this - it sounded good, but the last thing I can risk with 24hrs in the air ahead of me is stomach problems...



...so I play it safe and order a cheeseburger and chips. The cheeseburger was a bit meh, but the chips were as good as I've tasted...



Not a bad view to look at whilst you eat, either...



Just down the road I stop for fuel - and for the first time this trip I don't fill up. I have to deliver the Adv with as little fuel as possible in it tomorrow, so I calculate what I've got left and how much I'll need and put 10 litres in...



Onward!



It's starting to get a little murkier on the horizon, but I've not yet encountered any rain...



...and with no traffic to impede my progress I start eating into Bettie's ETA of 1535 at the hotel...



I should imagine this is quite a busy road in the height of summer, but it's empty now...



The road takes me through the Waipoua Forest, but the tall trees cut out so much light that I can't get any image without motion blur...



I ride up a 2km dirt road to a lookout, to find that the lookout tower is glazed...



...and that the glass is so grubby you can't get a decent image...



I return to the Adv to find it crawling with wasps - they've obviously nested in the tower. I ride way, leaving them to sting someone else...



Just as I exit the forest, I get a light smattering of rain...



...which, to my surprise, soon passes. There's the promise of more ahead, though...



However, I am once again fortunate, and the weather clears as I continue southeast down the coast...



I have never understood the attraction of these things - plus, what's that gear lever going to do to your knackers in a shunt?



I keep heading down Highway 12 - and pushing my luck with the weather...



It's a nice ride - not spectacularly scenic, but very pretty nonetheless...



Eventually I re-join Highway 1 towards Auckland.



Most New Zealandish sign ever...



I reach the toll section ($NZ2.30 - same as for a car ) and, as I exit the other end, the rain starts. just a steady soft drizzle, but I have 60km or so to go to the hotel. It soon abates and I run through the occasional light shower. The fuel light comes on. No problem, I have done 60 miles at 70mph with the light on before it ran dry(in a test), so I may have calculated just right.

I leave the camera on its pouch - it's still too wet to take pics.

After some traffic snarls near the huge bridge, I arrive at my motel at 1505...



I am not filled with confidence by the large box of disposable earplugs on the desk - the hotel's right by a main road. I think it's going to take more than bit of traffic noise to keep me awake tonight - I feel knackered.

I check the weather forecast - should be sunny all day tomorrow, which is good. I have loads of admin (including cleaning the bike) to do - plus I'm in a different hotel tomorrow evening...



I place an order online with Hell Pizza...



It arrives 40 minutes later and is delicious...

I wait for the pics to upload, then start drafting today's entry. What shall I do with the rest of the evening?

At first I thought it was a Riley Ditchfinder but looking at the grill I think it is the Wolselely 6/90 version.
And the one with its front end exposed is bugging me but I am buggered if I know what it is.

Adrian

Really going to miss these reports - can you turn round and do it all again please?

Mike,remind us again how you take pics on the move ?
You must have to get the camera out of a pocket,turn it on,take pics then turn off and put back in pocket wearing gloves whilst riding one-handed and looking where you are going ?
Sounds a bit precarious.But you get such good,focussed results.

Your RRs are the best and we all love reading them,but this is a genuine question-would you not enjoy the experience more if you were just riding for yourself and not with a view to posting everything on here ?

When I look back at photos,they never seem to capture the essence of actually being there and these days I find I take less photos and try and enjoy the moment instead.Does that make sense ?

Enjoy your last few days.Who are you flying home with ?

NZ

Mike I think you should stay on for another month or two, what am I going to read over breakfast now? safe trip home and thanks for taking the trouble.

de crowe said:

Mike I think you should stay on for another month or two, what am I going to read over breakfast now? safe trip home and thanks for taking the trouble.

Click to expand...

+1 - I've enjoyed every single one of these updates, thank you.

+1 from me Mike, really enjoyed the pics, and I am definitely going there one day, to do the same... safe journey home and see you around Norfolk, one day, maybe....

Top bloke....

thanks mike

mr hebron - you will have pm later - wont send it right now 6pm weds here 6am thurs there

in case it pings you

I'd already booked a NZ touring holiday, in a cage not on a bike for November before I came across Mike's posts, now I'm properly prepped and even more eager to visit, I cant wait. The photos are spectacular.

Thanks Mike for a rivetting series of posts, like others, where am I going to get my morning fix from now.

Superb Mike, i'm not going to make it to NZ for a bike tour so i will enjoy following yours

(We have friends in Haverlock, so if your going that way let me know and i'll let them know to get the kettle on!!)

Arsey said:

Mike,remind us again how you take pics on the move ?
You must have to get the camera out of a pocket,turn it on,take pics then turn off and put back in pocket wearing gloves whilst riding one-handed and looking where you are going ?
Sounds a bit precarious.But you get such good,focussed results.

Click to expand...

I thought of a retractable cord attached to the camera, similar to those used by mobile phone shops to stop people nicking the demo phones, then mounted to the handlebars would be a good idea. But nobody makes one, and I can't be arsed to go on Dragons Den!

Arsey said:

Mike,remind us again how you take pics on the move ?
You must have to get the camera out of a pocket,turn it on,take pics then turn off and put back in pocket wearing gloves whilst riding one-handed and looking where you are going ?
Sounds a bit precarious.But you get such good,focussed results.

Click to expand...

It's a case of training and practice. As a Class One police motorcyclist I was trained to ride one handed. I wear an open pouch on the left of my jacket, with the camera sitting in it. Learning to turn it on and off with (unlined elkskin) gloves on is a matter of practice - which I often did at home whilst watching TV . Once you develop the muscle memory for how to do it, it becomes second nature.

As with anything like this - if you are not confident you can do the above safely then you shouldn't attempt it yada, yada, yada...

Arsey said:

Your RRs are the best and we all love reading them,but this is a genuine question-would you not enjoy the experience more if you were just riding for yourself and not with a view to posting everything on here ?

Click to expand...

Prepare your ego for a bruise.

I don't do this for anyone except myself. This is my diary, and it is a gift from present day Me to future Me. I'd write this anyway, indeed, when I was first planning my 2004 trip to the USA, I asked Paul (BHT) if he had room to store it on his server, as I dreaded the idea of losing my laptop and the journal. He suggested we make it public - I honestly had no idea it would become so popular.

I also don't care whether anyone likes it or not...

When I'm sitting in the retirement home, others may be staring out of the window - I'll be reading these journals and remembering that maybe, once or twice, I did something a little wild or unusual.

Plus the chicks in the home won't be able to keep their hands off me...

Arsey said:

When I look back at photos,they never seem to capture the essence of actually being there and these days I find I take less photos and try and enjoy the moment instead.Does that make sense ?

Click to expand...

I can assure you that I enjoy every day - photographing and writing my experiences is the way I try to preserve and rekindle how I was feeling when I looked at a view, or met someone. Writing my diary has become an integral part of travelling for me, and I don't feel that I've finished the day's travelling unless I've written it up.

Arsey said:

Enjoy your last few days.Who are you flying home with ?

Click to expand...

Thanks - American Airlines Auckland - LAX; American Airlines LAX - Charlotte; American Airlines Charlotte - LHR

The Nutty GSER said:

I thought of a retractable cord attached to the camera, similar to those used by mobile phone shops to stop people nicking the demo phones, then mounted to the handlebars would be a good idea. But nobody makes one, and I can't be arsed to go on Dragons Den!

Click to expand...

dont want to hijack the thread..

I've just bought a Tom Tom bandit - which you can set to constant photo mode and it'll take a shot from every 5 sec up to every 60 sec, so a three hour ride gives you a shit load of pics - i think most action cams will do this, but i can also press a remote switch with my thumb that i have put on the handle bars to tag the video at an interesting point and lift a still from that.

https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/action-camera/accessories/remote-control/action-camera-remote-control/

30th March 2017

I sleep fitfully - as I often do when I have things on my mind. I wake to a bright, but humid and cloudy morning. I have asked the owner if I can check out at 1100, rather than 1000 and she says this is fine.

I start by unpacking virtually everything, then repacking things in an order that will make some sense. I am going to fly home (all being well) with cabin baggage only, but that will take some sorting out, as I have couple of souvenirs and gifts I want to take with me. In case the NZ equivalent of TSA decide to have a fit about anything I am carrying, I am taking a spare bag inside my cabin bag - I'll just check the cabin bag with the offending articles in it and take the spare bag on board with what I need for the flight(s).

I eventually have things in some sort of order and then it's time to change hotels...

I ride over to the Kiwi Airport Hotel...



...which has a large visual aid on the roof for the illiterate, to find that Burg (from the Bike Vault) has already left my flight bag for me - top chap

Since I have already sorted stuff out, it's a matter off ten minutes or so to pack what's needed - it just fits...

Then I ride over to GT Logistics, who will be doing the shipping for New Zealand Motorcycle Adventures.

They have some interesting vehicles, some of which I can take pictures of, and some not...



I'm sure my next door but one neighbour (when I was a kid) had one of these (below)...



...but cars of that era all look pretty similar...



And finally, this is apparently a donor car for another that the boss of GT Logistics is rebuilding...



I drop my tank bag and tank panniers off there with the charming Chelsea, who will be dealing with the shipping of my bike, then - armed with the address of a jet wash, go and face the task of cleaning the Adv...



It looks a far cry from the condition I picked it up in at the beginning of February...



I ride over to the jet-wash...



...and give it $10 worth...



A little better - it'll do until I get it home for a deep clean and a service...



Next stop (a couple of units down the road) is the VTNZ station, where the delightful Mareanna processes my Form MR15 - effectively telling the NZ authorities that I am re-exporting the bike - and charges me just under $10. I include the NZ address that Daniel from NZ Motorcycle Adventures has given me, so that any fines etc can be forwarded...



It's then a case of an hour or so's work back at GT Logistics, as I remove the top box, disconnect the battery and tape up the terminals and let Chelsea photocopy all the paperwork she needs.

Once this is done, Chelsea very kindly gives me a lift back to the hotel. I arrive at about 1330 and am a puddle of sweat. I am given my bag and the key to my gorgeously cool air conditioned room, turn the temperature to Pluto and upload today's pics. It's then time for a very long shower...

30th March 2017 (cont)

Before I left GT Logistics I checked the mileage on the Adv. Since arriving on 1st February, I've covered 8035 miles.

Failures on the bike: both dipped beam LED lamps (which I'd known were likely and have already sourced replacements for); Fuel cap hinge broke (but still usable) - completely my fault; Oh - and the horn has stopped working - but that may well have me being ham-fisted when sorting out the lights - I'll check it out back home.

The bike used one litre of oil (still got a quarter of the sight glass covered).

The tyres (Michelin Anakees) are completely shot. I have never used a rear tyre for more than 6000 miles - and I'd certainly have changed it last week if I'd been at home, but nursed it along, knowing that I was shipping it back. The front tyre (normal life about 12k) is badly cupped and has been following any linear road fault more and more alarmingly for the past couple of weeks. I have a new pair of boots waiting in the garage in Scarning.

Overall mpg was around 47 (UK gallon - 4.55 litres) - much better than I would normally get, but then I've been riding much more slowly than I normally would, whether in the UK or USA. I used Premium/Super fuel almost exclusively and could comfortably get 250 miles from a tankful.

Many thanks to Daniel at New Zealand Motorcycle Adventures for his patience with my inability to know what day it was - and to Brian & Burg at The Bike Vault for helping me out whenever needed and being so understanding with jet-lagged me when I first arrived. I am happy to thoroughly endorse both these organisations and the people who work there - my trip would have been a lot more difficult and challenging without them.

I'd also like to thank the cabin crew of my flight tomorrow for the upgrade to First Class - but doubt that there will be a requirement to...

The bar at the Kiwi Hotel opens at 1700 - I intend to be there.

See you on the road...

thanks again Mike, stunning last shot.

Hairnet600 said:

thanks mike

mr hebron - you will have pm later - wont send it right now 6pm weds here 6am thurs there

in case it pings you

Click to expand...

Mr Hebron......Am I in trouble
No worries I don't ping
PM answered to the best of my ability

Adrian

Thanks for this ride report - it has only confirmed the reasons why I left the UK to live here in NZ!
p.s. I can vouch for Hell Pizza. Easily the best pizza I've ever had.

Mike like everyone else I have enjoyed your photos and RR.
Though I do feel I have put on a few pounds just from looking at your breakfast photos.
I have driven all the roads you have but it is always great to see them through someone else's eyes.
Thanks for reminding those of us lucky enough to live here what is in our own backyard.
All too often we travel these roads with eyes that have seen it all before and just want to get from A to B quickly.
Thanks for showing fellow Tossers what a superb riding experience NZ is and giving them the notion that traveling 12000 miles to ride a motorbike is not that crazy an idea.
I do think you are a weather god, talk about canny.

No more what car is this photos, how I looked forward to those every evening before tea.
And NZ is going to be inundated by Tossers on BMWs looking for cholesterol inducing breakfasts.
Ah well.

Safe flying and hope the bike gets back ok.

Adrian

Safe journey home Mike ... and thanks very much for your photo's and reports

Thoroughly enjoyable

Mike, thank you for taking the time to put these reports together, it really is appreciated even if it is just to impress your nurses later in life

As always, the photos and text capture the moments for us all to take a virtual tour with you

Safe trip home.