A change in the weather bought a few bikes out from under the covers this morning.  We marked time for a few minutes to allow the Ulybods to get away before us – we've discovered in the past it can get very confuggling when their faster bunch start working through our run from behind.  Good thing we did mark time, because Campbell arrived way late, having wrong-laned himself on the North Shore after refuelling, and then having to go halfway to Mars before getting pointed towards Westgate (his story: only a hardened cynic would imagine he mighta slept in.)So when we left, I had to fill about an hour and fifty minutes to get to Long Bay.  By way of briefing I said I would would, "String a few roads together over............."  And wafted a hand in a sorta Nor-West direction.  Such precise instructions make your audience quite keen to look after each other to stay with the ride, and we wound our way through the wild and woolly west via Swanson, Kumeu, Waimauku, Old North and Inland road to a stretch break at Helensville.  Then Kaukapakapa, Dairy Flat, Albany Heights to Northcross hot bread for those that hadn't cut sarnies to buy lunch, and still altogether.  It did occur to me to try and ditch TEC YoungJim and leave him lost in the West amongst the Bogans, but it wouldn't be fair to the West to leave them having to cope with a grumpy (and lost) Geordie.We fluffed it a bit from Northcross to  Long bay - Jason was trying to send me a message that he had superior local knowledge of the way over modern roads, which I ignored because I was locked in a time warp following the route my Dad used with his old 2 stroke Bradford van when we went to the beach, back in the day.  So some of us got to the Park a wee bit before others.  Which is as good as it always is.  I was stupid enough to jump in the tide: it was cold as charity, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.  I can't quite work out why I am so keen.  Just think about it: not only do fish have sex in the water, they poop in it too.Wendy had her camera going flat out, hopefully we'll see a few of the happy snaps over the next couple of days.  A good one of the Three Grumpy Old Men would be good.