Great weekend down here again but alas, the HP2 is still not back from the cleaners. Nothing for it then but to take the mighty XT out again, this time for a run over the Pram track with a few other like mined souls. It's great having this area right in our back yard. For the uninitiated, there is an extensive network of roads and old logging tracks through the regenerating bush and pine trees of the Akatarawa Forest. The main four wheel drive roads through the forests are open to the public for quad and trail biking, and there is a trail bike zone through the forest.The usual suspects; Stephen (DR350), Jim (R1150GSA), Pete (Dakar), Pablo (my old Dakar), Bill (DR350) and myself (XT250) met up at Caltex Rimutaka around 10:30 on a gorgeous Wellington Sunday morning.The plan was to ride up the Karapoti Gorge past McGhies Bridge to the clearing. Cross the Akatarawa River West, climb over the Pram Track (530 m) and down to Dopers Creek to meet up with Mark S and his son, then head on to the beach out at Wakanae. Stephen attacks the first hole The Akatarawa River meanders its way trough the forest and there are some simply stunning spots to see.Bill at river Pete at river Jim at river Stephen at river Pablo at river All safetly through The climb up the Pram was pretty good considering the rotten weather down here of late, the boys on the bigger bikes were having to concentrate a bit more though. At the top we waited for everyone to regroup.Pete took a while, he decided on another track but caught us eventually. He'd had a wee off by the look of things but in good spirits depsite it.At the bottom near Dopers Creek you do have an option to turn left and climb steadily up Rimu Road. At Toi Toi Road you then hang a right down Hydro Road to the Orange Hut. From Orange Hut the return route is downstream to Dopers Creek and back over the Pram Track to Karapoti, but last weekend this route was apparantly really slippery so we elected to take the run straight down Perhams Road into the Maungakotukutuku Valley. Stephen showing form Bit of a breather where we were supposed to meet up with Mark and son, GlenAfter a wee wait and him not showing, we figured he'd be down in the carpark by the 4-wheel drive centre, so we pressed on. Only a couple of slippery bits to go, Pablo's turn to come unstuck on this bit.Back up and running Steven, Pete, Bill and I elected to take off home at this point and left the others to find coffee and then onto the beach. All up a pretty good afternoon out really. Great guys to ride with, nobody got seriously injured despite a couple of spills in the slippery clay, everyone pitched in to help each other and all were smiling at the end of it - but hey, that's what it's all about isn't it.CheersGarry