Hobbits And Bobbits...NZ'12-The North

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Raglan on Raglan Harbour is your typical weekend-resort, holiday homes and weekenders of all shapes and sizes, easily accessible for Aucklanders and Hamiltonians via major roads.
Marysville by the sea...

A busy main drag full of assorted bikes (including a fat dozen of shiny Victorys, much to the delight of Tim / Sir Francis :D) Greasy-Joes and coffee-shops, the pattern paving, the metal outdoors-chairs.

But there’s still something uniquely NZ about the place !!

Just look at ‘em....yes, real chups in REAL newspaper!! :wot:

And a sign on the door: Clean, old newspapers wanted!:so

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Derek can’t believe it!

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More Raglan


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Tacking south, down the coast, again.
Mt. Karioi, the old volcano, is the dominant landmark.


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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
What an awesome stretch of coast!!:slobb


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Further south yet, it’s a stop at the Bridal Falls, a 55m free-faller right in the middle of all that green...it’s a stunner!:drool:


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Shadows draw long on the last gravel stretch towards Kawhia, the next bigger settlement down the coast and hopefully a place to make quarters.
The call to the Roadhouse on Hwy31 had proven a negative. And there isn’t really much around down here...
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
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First the usual checkout-cruise through town...the few houses, a tiny harbor.


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The end of the road leads through a pine plantation and into a sandy carpark at the foot of some impressive, black-sanded dunes (and a hot-water beach for those who don’t mind the howling wind driving a prickly sandstorm up the other side of the sandhills).


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Popping into the tiny pub on the way back, it’s all smiles and we agree on
“dinner for 7 at 7...and we’ll get a big bowl of salad, spuds and veggies going, then you can have whatever fish or meat you want with it”
Sounds good....DONE! :clap:
 
Popping into the tiny pub on the way back, it’s all smiles and we agree on
“dinner for 7 at 7...and we’ll get a big bowl of salad, spuds and veggies going, then you can have whatever fish or meat you want with it”
Sounds good....DONE! :clap:

They still do that?
Fantastic?
Usually what the main course was whatever the local lads brought in at about 4.30 either fish straight from the boat or perhaps something four legged that had recently demised at the local abattoir or on a farm. Usually the supply of the main course was contra for the nights drinking or payment for last weeks drinking.
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
The shopkeeper in the sad looking General Store opposite is another discovery....any open flame around the place would make her take off like Apollo 13, there’s at least half a bottle of Gin on that breath.
Tim, our “banker”, has sourced some neat digs for the night, just a short stroll from the pub.


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Nobody... but nobody could’ve had an idea of how this would finish up...


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Man, what a night!!
Laughs 'til it hurts, tears flowing...and that Pinot Noir proves pure dynamite.
And all in a place where you’d NEVER expect it...
what a fantastic couple of pub-owners those 2 turn out. :clap:


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That was one hell of a great day on the road....and only THE FIRST ONE!!!

YAYYY!! :party::party:
 

platypus121

Tour Pro
Klondyke Rd....sounds good, aye? The name brings up far-away places, adventure, Canada, the Yukon, gold rush times.... yeah, we’ll go with that!
And....it’s a CRACKER!

What a find !! :clap:

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A find, indeed !!

I have lived within 60 km of this road for 20 years - and this was my first time over it.
Pete's map study sure pays off in digging out hidden gems.
.
 
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