Back to Middle Earth .. and ..Golden Bay Wonder

Tuesday, February 27th



Up at six o'clock this morning to board the Interisland Ferry, which leaves Welli docks at 08:25am. Must be there for check-in an hour earlier (07:25am)

I go outside my excellent, and now very familiar, B&B for an early morning breath of [eh-hem] fresh air!

Warren, my host, is ever true and faithful to his and Bev's [his wife's] time-honoured tradition of seeing each and every one of his guests off the premises to wish them farewell, no matter what time of day it is.

Without doubt, the Oriental Bay B&B is THE best place to stay anywhere in the country, with THE most charming hosts. It's just like 'home-from-home' .. except the majority of us, I suspect, simply couldn't afford to live in such luxurious accommodation.

Back to South Island .. for my third visit within the past 14 months, under an overcast but brightening sky

Arriving there three hours later at 11:30am, I again turn right just outside the Picton Ferry Terminal and ride around the twisty Queen Charlotte Drive towards the City of Nelson and thereafter to Richmond town, where I turn right onto SH60 and head northwest towards the Abel Tasman National Park and Golden Bay beyond; ultimately heading for the township of Takaka.

The ride up and over the Takaka Hill (aka the 'marble mountain' - because of the marble stone outcrops) was spectacular to say the least. The tight and sweeping twisting curves up and 'over the hill' provided me with some of the best and most challenging motorcycle riding since arriving in New Zealand back in early December last year.

I arrive in Takaka Township by around 4:30pm, but alas there is no obviously suitable accommodation displaying a 'Vacancy'’ sign. So I turn around and head out towards the nearby coastal Pohara area, where I check into an interesting central-European-style B&B, which at first view at least appears to cater mainly for Swiss, Austrian and German guests; all offered to naïve patronage like me with communal 'Naturally Composting Toilet' facilities - complete with buckets of sawdust (WTF?). Well, I did say that it was an 'interesting' establishment!

Despite my rather odd overnight lodgings, I must say that I am convinced that motorcyclists have just gotta love Golden Bay and especially its wonderful Takaka Hill gateway.

Strange but True Place Names

Monday, February 26th

I must say that my stopover in Waipukurau was first-class value for money. The Thornton Lodge Motel, located on SH2 at the southern outskirts of the township, provided me with all my wanted comforts for just $65 (£23); chuck-in an extra $15 (£5.33) and guests can access the motel's wireless broadband connection for a whole 24 hours. With the management's friendly and helpful service, NZ overnight accommodation just doesn't get any better than this, IMHO.

So now, rather than scoot down to Wellington entirely on SH2, which is the obvious route, I decide to head south via the much less used "Porangahau Road", which is easily accessible from Waipukurau. Then it's more of the same of my experiences over the course of the last couple of days: very light traffic and not a cop car in sight. Excellent!

It doesn't take before I arrive at the village of Porangahau, where I spot a signpost for 'Whangaehu Beach', which is not even shown on my road atlas. Gotta go take a look.

So it's up into the hills and beyond, where I'm treated to some spectacular scenery ...

.. before dropping down the other side towards the coast



The deserted Whangaehu Beach ...

With all its cliff erosion .. :o(

------------

There are signs of human habitation here; in the form of around thirty or so holiday homes, most of which appear to be 'Batches' (second/weekend - holiday-type dwellings). But as it's a weekday and the summer is starting to draw to a close, there not a sole around today but me.

Someone (probably a brace :o) most certainly has a good time here now and again though


Returning back over the range of hills to Porangahau I chase down and round-up some of the locals .. zingin' to meself ..

.. Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'
Though they're disapprovin'
Keep them dogies movin'
RAWHIDE!

:o)

Pretty soon I'm heading off down the Porangahau Road again.

But am I?

The coastline is to my right .. and it should be to my left? And the sun is shining down from directly in front of me. In the southern hemisphere that means I'm heading north .. doesn't it? [I'm confused and feeling disorientated]

So I check the road atlas .. again - Yep, there's no doubt about it .. I've taken a wrong turning AGAIN! I soon figure out my true whereabouts and get back on track again, but this time with the sun shining over my right shoulder, just where it should be if I'm tracking in a broad southerly direction to ...

.. my next intended point of interest - the commonly referred to, and roll-off-the-tongue location of [deep breath]:

'Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu' (E&OE ;o)

This is the very place that claims to have the longest name in the world. And there was me thinking that this honour went to: 'Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch' in Wales
This board explains the story behind the naming of the place.

Methinks that it could be all justa load of ol' gobshite!

I ride on past the little hamlet of Wimbledon, which has no tennis courts .. just a pub and a post box.

I then notice, for the first time on this trip, that there are plenty of leaves being shed from the deciduous branches above. The overhanging foliage is just starting to lose its deep green colouring in favour of lighter shades, including some yellowing. Autumn is now surely just around the corner, Down Under .. :o(

Still heading southwest towards Eketahuna, where I intend to re-join SH2, I see a signpost indicating the direction of Waihi Falls. So .. gotta go take a look.

The gravel track(s) towards these Falls is much longer than I anticipated, and seem to be taking me back in a general northerly direction. Oh dear!

But by around 2:00pm I arrive at the Waihi Falls and climb down into the ravine to take a look. I guess it has all been worth the effort.

But I am now so far off my original track that I decide to keep on going north via gravel and other tar-sealed minor roads to rejoin SH2 at Dannevirke; where I turn left, head southwest ...

.. up and over the mighty Rimutaka Mountain Range with the sun now sinking towards the western horizon, and eventually arrive in Wellington City, in a state of tiredness, by around 7:00 pm.

It's been another interesting day of discovery. I shall, no doubt, sleep well tonight.

Route of the second journey around North Island to Wellington City

No Traffic .. No Cops .. No Rush .. and … what's the hurry - huh?

Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th February

Sat-Feb-24

The weather leading-up to the weekend has been growing more and more unsettled as a trough of low pressure moves up northwards from the South Island. I was extremely lucky to catch a window of fair weather to see the new dawn yesterday morning, Friday 23.

In fact, the overnight rain woke me up at 3:00am this morning as it beat down on my chalet/cabin's thin rooftop.

Nevertheless, after a hearty Gisborne breakfast and some essential Internet-based jobs, e.g transferring money, settling credit card bills, some Skypeing and other local telephone calls, I'm on my way again by lunchtime. Today's destination is Lake Waikaremoana, way up in the hills of the Te Urewera National Park; almost 80 km (50 miles) due west, as the crow flies, from Gisborne.

But as opposed to travelling down the conventional route of SH2 to Wairo (97 km (61 miles) then turning northwest for a further 64 km (40 miles) to Waikaremoana, I decide to travel along the much twistier, quieter and slightly longer (by 5 km) inland Tiniroto Road to Frasertown, just north of Wairo, before making that right-hand turn up into the Te Urewera hills and valleys.

The NW road up to Waikaremoana was a mix of first-class tar sealed surface, inter-spaced here and there by some very soft and awkward claggy gravel. Clearly there had been much rain in this area earlier during the day. In fact, I almost came a cropper on one particular occasion when changing from one surface type to the other, as there were few, if any, road signs beforehand warning that gravel was imminent.

The Waikaremoana Motor Camp cabin that I had pre-booked back in Gisborne did the job .. but only just! Anyway, what the hell .. you can't expect the Ritz at just 30 bucks (£10.80) per night !!

Sun-Feb-25

Woke-up to a clear crisp blue sky. The lake just behind my cabin is still veiled in mist here and there. 'It won't take the rising sun long to burn that off' I think to myself.



Back down the way I came up. This is a pic of the Motorcamp from the gravel road above

Lake Waikaremoana from the southern shore, and a little further to the west; a spot of gravel road overlooking, 'Rosie's Bay'

But onwards past Frasertown to Wairoa and SH2, where I turn right for Napier.

Dang! .. this road looks familiar. Here's the very same spot that Ellen and I stopped at on Saturday, Jan 6th .. at Lake Tutira ...

.. but the very same family of Black Swan signets that we saw back then are now almost fully fledged.

Fifteen minutes later I'm back riding along south down the Hawkes Bay seaboard, meeting the coastline at Tangoio Bluff.

In the distance I can just identify the City of Napier.

Through Napier I deliberately turn off SH2 and head into and through the township of Havelock North; still keen to stay off-the-beaten-track.

So I head off down the 'Middle Road' [Yes, that's what it's called], between the Raukawa and Silver Mountain ranges. Kiwi Rider magazine columnist describes this little used road and surrounds as providing the best motorcycling in New Zealand. This is indeed an over-exaggeration, IMHO. I think what he meant was that the road is open and uncluttered. The surrounding countryside and noticeable lack of traffic gives a motorcycle rider the impression of endless freedom. It's fast, if you want to take it that way; but I'm in no hurry and keep (more or less .. :o) - eh-hem - to the national speed limit of 100 km/h .. ;o)

Toward the end of this wonderful day's riding I take a wrong turning and end up pondering my location at a crossroads. A friendly and helpful local Kiwi stops his SUV and asks, "Ya lost mate?"

We soon agree my position, when I point to the overhead signpost indicating 'KAIRAKAU BEACH - 11 km'

"Any good there?" I ask, knowing that it's way off my tonight's destination of Waipukurau Township.

"Bloody fabulous mate .. jist come from there m'self"

So off I head for Kairakau Beach, with not a real care in the world .. as I say, 'what's the hurry'

Eventually, at around 5:30pm, I check into my next motel studio room at Waipukurau, alongside SH2.

'Tis been another marvellous day - Down Under .. :o)

The Very First Dawn

I'm awake this morning before the alarm goes off and spend the next hour dragging myself into a state of alertness with loads of coffee and tea, packing and fussing. I must get to the outer East Cape by 06:44am (Sunrise) if I want to see the first moments of the new dawn rising over the Pacific's eastern horizon.

I say my goodbyes to the charming Dutch couple next door (they're up early too - for a different reason); fire-up the Trannie with the aid of a little choke; and zoom-off into the semi darkness towards the Cape, which is eastwards some 22 km (13¾ miles) away.

Through and past Te Araroa - I soon hit gravel. There's an eerie silence along the way? Not a sound, not even a bird singing .. just the constantly reliable purr of a my Honda's V-twin power pack; the soft crunch of new tyres on the dry dusty white stones beneath my feet, and the lapping of toddler waves along the shoreline immediately to my left.

Well, I arrive just in time; turn my wheels around to face the way I came and park-up. It's still pre-dawn time at the Cape.

With no one else at all around - not a sole, just me all alone - I see the very first rays of sun rising above the horizon's distant low-lying altostratus, just to the north of Whangaokeno (East) Island.

I am indeed the very first person in the whole of the western civilised world to see the sunshine.

So just take note and remember this, whoever you are - and wherever you are .. anywhere around the planet ...

.. All SIX BILLION of yuz:

On Friday morning, 23rd February 2007, you saw the sunrise AFTER Stanley Keef'ooper did. Cuz I was the first one in the whole wide world. The No. 1. The very, very first .. :o)

I s'pose the view might have been even more spectacular .. maybe .. if I had climbed up to the top of this hill and stood by the unmanned East Cape Lighthouse. But at several hundred feet up .. along and up and up a slippery ol' goat track? ...

.. Well, all I can say is .. 'Bollocks .. to that idea!'

Job done. Time to head on back westward down the track

Shortly after passing through Te Araroa I turn left onto SH35 again and head off towards the coastal City of Gisborne, situated about 165 km (103 miles) to the south.

After a further 56 km (35 miles) I fill-up the bike's rapidly drying-out petrol tank at the first opportunity with lead-free 91 octane .. as there isn't any 95 or 98 available out here.

Past Tokomaru Bay .. and

.. Tolaga Bay

With some extra good video footage taken along the way southwards, I arrive in Gisborne around 11:30am. I could, of course, go-on much further south, as there is still plenty of time left in the day.

But I've been awake since 04:30 this morning, and there is still nearly four whole days remaining until I need to catch the 0:830am ferry from Wellington back to South Island next Tuesday morning, 27th February.

So there's no rush. I shall, therefore, stay in Gisborne for the rest of the day .. and indeed spend the night here as well.

I quickly find a motor camp that can and will provide me with entirely adequate self-contained en suite 'cabin' type accommodation for just 50 bucks (£18) for the night. Life is good in the sunshine, of which Gisborne has plenty .. and after all ...

.. I'm still on my 'summer holidays' .. :o)

Dim but Nice

Thursday, February 22nd

I leave Whakatane at bang-on 10:00am and make my way around the Wainui coast road via Ohope - where Ellen and I last stayed when we were last in the area on January 4th - for 34 km (21 miles) until I reach Opotiki township, where I spend two hours in a cyber café updating my blog. Then it's time for a diet coke and steak lunch, followed by a top-up for the also thirsty gas tank, before heading out of town on SH35 for the village of Te Araroa, which is the last and nearest populated locality before reaching the East Cape.

The weather is overcast and therefore any decent pictures today will be at a premium. But here's looking across Omaio Bay towards Te Kaha Point, with Okahu Pt in the foreground. About midway of today's total travel of 192 km (120 miles)

There are a hellofa lot of horses and ponies around this region - more than I've seen anywhere else in New Zealand.

Te Kaha Point from a closer perspective

From Whangaparaoa to Hicks Bay, SH35 takes me slightly inland from the coastline along highway contained from the sea by a mountain ridge (called the Wharekahika Range perhaps?) where overhead the clouds are grey and heavy with rain. I cop for some of it, but it's never that bad that I get soaked through.

Looking back across Waihau Bay from Orete Point; nearly three-quarters of the way there now

Back onto the coastline now, and there's an instant improvement in the weather.

My first glimpse of the East Cape headland comes into view.

By around five o'clock I finally arrive at Te Araroa, ride to the far side of the little township and look back westwards to see the sun struggling to burst through the low-lying nimbo cumulus

If the local natives don't eat you ... then they'll try and poison you instead! .. :o(