Skimming the ridges...
That’s Taranga Island, just off the coast, in the background there.
“Exit left” ...and “left”...and “left” ....
The turn into Baldrock Rd. shows what’s given the road its name...and continues the buzz of the Ryan/ Pritchard stretch...this time, on asphalt.
The 5 minute “commute” on SH1 to hook into the Mountain Rd. gravel brings home the need to stay off those kinds of roads...there ain’t no place for a postie between trucks hauling fruit + veg from up north, a fleet of local tradies-in-a-hurry and wide-eyes tourists (OHHHH, maaaahhh Gawwwd!!) in their dieseling snail-house-campers trying to make the 9pm flight to San Fran or Tokyo.
Mountain Rd....quite nice, but various levels short of other local stuff sampled recently.
Kaiwaka River in the flats...
Double bags, double sidestands....gotta find a double-exhaust to balance the pic, aye?
Btw...that Givi 40l roll-top bag on the rear rack was the
ONLY truly waterproof bag through last night’s torrents.
Also pretty good: the Andy Strapz waterproof liners... everything in those stayed dry, despite the bottom of the bags sitting in a pool of water for hours. Worth buying if you’ve got canvas-based soft luggage!
Kaipara Hills...LOTS more on those is still to come. TOP stuff!!
More Mountain Rd.
The huge Fonterra dairy-FACTORY at Maungaturoto looks like a gleaming stainless-steel space station but is quickly bypassed on the main road, immediately ducking up the hills again on the Doctors Hills Rd., a very promising start to the following, but dull, Waipu Gorge Rd.....which at least kept us off the highways for a bit longer.
No avoiding the SH1 (SH= State Highway) for a few minutes before ducking back into the safety (and buzz) of the backblocks.
Buzz orrite!!
Starting innocently enough, Glenmohr Rd. turns into one of the many, absolutely juicy, backblocks-racetracks which are hidden away
EVERYWHERE!
A kilometre of smooth gravel, then more of the same on the McLean Rd. down to the coast... it makes even the Tiddlers sing.
Having dodged most of the afternoon’s blackbellies, the roads are dry but the skies threatening....and there’s a howling wind blowing mighty gusts of leaves, dust and sand across the coastal strip. It’s still way too warm, too...something just isn’t right. It makes the hair stand up....weird.
The Waipu Cabin Park is closed...but the map shows another place just down the road.
Camp Waipu Cove proves the “duck’s guts”, the guy in the office has just come back from an 8 day Vietnam-ride on 125s...which makes settling in here a longish, but smooth affair with lots of laughs...nice
A little kitchen-cabin with small verandah at NZ$70, neat as a pin and CLEAN!
Again it proves that bringing our own sleeping bags/ sheets and pillow cases doubles the accommodation options in nearly every place.
The little Beach-Shop doubles it’s weekly takings and even knocks up some Fish ‘n Chips.
Now, that's twice in a row and we promise eachother to rather suck on slushy muesli bars from now on than to give this another go.
The cold beer makes up for some of it, though...
The AA (NZ Automobile Club) local maps/ touring maps are
BRILLIANT!!
Each road in NZ....by name!! Main, secondary, backroad, sealed or gravel....everything is marked and, if studied properly and closely, 99% accurate and up to date. Fabulous stuff!!
It’s still balmy, too warm ...and stickily humid.
The wind has died....and the sandflies are having a feast on us.
Who cares....even the Midgets are under roof!
I think there’s another Speight’s in the fridge...