Mmmm, yes, as Rob observed, we had a visit from the Cock-Up Fairy today, about which more, anon…..But first, we left Dairy Flat with both Rob and Tony on time, in fact both early.  Nurse Wendy suggested feeling their foreheads to check for fever.  The ever willing Rob volunteered to be TEC, and he was the man for the job today.  He had made his choices from his two big wardrobes, and selected the F650 from the bike wardrobe and a jacket, from the biker wear wardrobe, with brilliant yellow colour patches on the shoulders and arms, which I could see way back down the road in my mirrors: if you can see TEC, then you know all is well between the pair of you.  So today his acronymic RIC cap stood for Resplendent In Colour.  We chuffed off up SH1, with the statutory dogleg through Orewa around the toll camera gantry, to a brief stop for a stretch at Wellsford, then onto Brynderwyn to pick up Team Red Baron, ex overnight at Langs Beach, and Anne and Ray Cotterill, from Whangarei, who joined us as "native scouts" for the loop back to their 'hood.We had another stretch on the roadside at Dargaville.

We take Jason, our human egg-timer with us because nobody else smokes.  When he's done with his durry, five minutes is up.

From the outskirts of Dargaville to Tangiteroria we got our only real rain of the day, which had me backing off the pace a bit and thinking, "Yes, Miranda, the front tyre is getting a bit tread deficient," but once through that the roads were mainly dry again.The Town Basin was as good as it always is: I reckon it knocks spots off the Big Smoke's Viaduct Harbour as a lunch venue, and there is always something to look at in the Basin, whether it be working vessels or lived in vessels, or gin palaces.

After lunch we farewelled the Cotterills, said ta-ta to John and Cindy on the Rockster, and Campbell on his Hoooonda, all heading back via SH1, and the rest of us headed for fuel and a rendezvous with the above-mentioned Cock-Up Fairy.  One bike went to a different garage, then as we left town, I zigged when he'd zagged, they spotted us crossing the end of the road and shortcut over the hill to catch us, we spotted them and stopped to wait.  Good news is, Grant, Gail and Beemer got home fine, pedalling along in front trying to catch us up, and we got home tootling along waiting for them to show in the mirrors.  Oops! Again!Still, we enjoyed a blitz around the Waipu Mangawhai Loop, and our ice cream at Orewa.  I can think of many worse ways to spend a Sunday.