Home › Forums › Ride Reports › Parua Bay Tavern and Mt Tiger Road
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Anonymous
Guest30/01/2011 at 8:39 amPost count: 2134There was a good turnout this morning, of circa 15 bikes – they were still joining in at the back after the front had pulled out, and that was four minutes late by R1100S time. I stayed on the main drag (apart from the obligatory detour through Orewa to avoid the toll) up to Whangarei, figuring that the road crews would concentrate on cleaning up the damage from the cyclone there first. It certainly looked like a good call: Tomarata Road, which was my intended route when I planned the run months ago, was a sea of wet, red, clay where it branched off SH1, and apart from looking durned dangerous, I washed my bike yesterday. Yes, Matilda, Bwucie does sometimes clean it.We stopped at Kaiwaka for coffee, and I had to take my selfish seat cover off the pillion and pop it in Team Foley's topbox for most of the day when I was "adopted" by somebody else's wife, while he pussy-footed back to (thanks, Rincewind, I loved this) Psychotreads at Takapuna because of this:
I won't name or shame the perpetrator, that would be unfair, but I will say that Mrs Red Baron seemed to enjoy herself on the back of the eleven-hundy-ess. (Oops!)From Whangarei out to Parua Bay there were mondo slips on the roadside, and one culvert that had all but disappeared into the harbour, so I left my spirit of adventure in my back pocket and took it carefully. The Parua Bay Tavern staff once again provided food in quick time, and we moved all their furniture in the back garden to create a fair attempt at New Zealand's longest barbecue table. Some of those on the far end were getting on a bit of a lean, and close to falling into the harbour, but in the end we all got fed and watered safely.After lunch Trevor and Robyn headed back to Ruakaka on the Klingon Multistrada to visit their olds, and the rest followed me over the Mt Tiger Road. I am told there is great scenery through there, but when you are riding lead, with a pillion, after a recent tropical cyclone, you don't see a lot of it. I did spy a couple of left handers where a slip had started from the road edge, so that when the bike was on the apex of the corner the wheels were on good tarseal, and the helmet was out over fresh air. Interesting stuff. At the end of Mt Tiger Road the Toe-Draggers and Iron-Butt brigade followed Tony O' further north for a longer ride, which caused a bit of confusion: my bad, times two. Insufficient briefing after lunch, and I could, probably should, have regathered at the end of Mt Tiger before turning. I have given myself a slap on the wrist.We did, however, get ourselves sorted out, topped up fuel in Whangarei, and took in the Waipu-Mangawhai-Wellsford loop to meet up with the tyre man and Enzo, complete with new rubber. From Wellsford the group progressively thinned out. Philip headed straight home, Peter and Richard C stopped for coffee, proposing to then go via Warkworth and Woodcocks Rd, the rest of us headed via 16 to Helensville for ice cream, where we met up with UncaMoose and AGD, who had been pick-a-nicking at Wenderholm. Paul L trundled off to get fuel after the ice cream stop, we headed over Old North Rd and got to the Taupaki junction just in time to see him shoot across the intersection in front of us. Rob peeled for the North Shore: bet he still had a big grin on. The RIC hat clearly today (once again) stood for Really Injoy Cruisin'. YoungJim and Richard G cruised by us on the North Western, and the hard core wound up at Schloss Red Baron for coffee and cookies.Once again, my lawns have not been mowed. Do you care? I don't.
Anonymous
Inactive30/01/2011 at 9:05 amPost count: 128hey Bruce,A big thank you for being my "adopted" ride, and for having me as your back pack for the day!Really enjoyed doing the Waipu to Mangawhai loop, fab views and Mt Tiger Road was a highlight. Its always good to share such a great ride with good company and more importantly having a laugh on the way!. Hope you still have your teeth after the cookies!CheersFrau Baron 😮
Anonymous
Inactive30/01/2011 at 9:51 amPost count: 60Excellent ride today Bwucie. Good weather. Not too much traffic about and just the right amount of curvy roads. Good food and the service was good too. Lucky we weren't there yesterday when they had no power. Great bunch of people to ride and socialise with. Why wouldn't a guy have a big grin after a day like this. 🙂
Anonymous
Guest30/01/2011 at 5:18 pmPost count: 2134Some of Wendy's pictures from yesterday: I'm going to have to go out to Pukekohe and hold a tutorial on using Photobucket for Team Foley.Potty stop at Whangarei i-site. In centre field you can see Neko, the Monsta jockey looking at Klingon Trevor's Multistrada and asking the polite equivalent of, "WTF kinda Duke that?"
Before Mr Shifter's visit to Parua Bay....
....and after.
Does my bro-un-law Trev look happy with his new Duke?
Outside the Tavern we spotted this: the artwork says it all.
After match conference at Helensville:
SH1 is normally boring to ride but it was interesting sightseeing to see where the flooding was and some big ponds appeared in the paddock.Mount Tiger Rd was neat and I was tempted to U-turn to ride again 🙂Thank you very much for your hospitality, Red Baron & Frau.I hope that you had a good ride today, as it is quite windy.When I came back from Taupo on Saturday because it was so windy, I was pushed to the opposite lane twice by wind 🙁See you next time.
Anonymous
Inactive31/01/2011 at 8:55 amPost count: 10Hi Everyone,It sounds like you had a grand day yesterday 🙂 After getting ready to meet you all at the meeting point at 9, we got delayed by a overseas phone call and missed you guys and girls 🙁As we were "all dressed up and had nowhere to go", we ended up heading up to Leigh and had lunch at the Sawmill Cafe. The road between Matakana and Leigh provided some "interesting" bits with stretches of dried up mud and loose gravel and stones on the road. It looks like they really took a battering up there. The side of the road looked like a war zone with cut down trees and more mud.Anyway, we have the best intentions to join you on your Waitangi Day ride.
Sorry we missed you guys. You look like you had a great ride. However we had a great old time on the Barrier with the worst of the weather well down south by the time we flew in belatedly on Saturday afternoon. Those boys really know how to clean up after a storm and most of the worst slips had been shifted by Sunday when we cruised up to Fitzroy via some other sight seeing. However it was useful to have a little Suzuki 4 wheel drive in some spots off the seal on the Fitzroy road.
Anonymous
Inactive31/01/2011 at 7:14 pmPost count: 66Great choice by the illustrious leader. As Neko observed, flood inspection was best done from the safety of the main roads at appropriate pace to allow observation. Bridges had sustained but fences had succumbed to the build up of debris caught on them, presenting huge drag for the flow of water. While we admired lots of slips above us, there were plenty of telltale signs that we were riding over road surfaces that had eroded or slipping foundation layers, capable of disappearing from under us.A great ride over Tiger Mountain. Many thanks to Bwucie and Tony for leading us over some great roads while taking care of the troops.The responsibilty of leading a group into the unknown (read gravel and slips around corners) can never be underestimated, along with planning places for regroups, comfort stops and suitable dining places. I take my hat off to these leaders who can navigate obstacles and many and varied roads, while considering all the above. To follow such leaders is a pleasure and everyone should note their smooth riding style no matter the pace. Take a good lesson and follow them and observe good riding safety and skills.Thanks everyone for a great day out.ps the Wayby Valley Rd (shortcut from Mangawhai to the start of the Dome Valley) was swept clear by the cages etc by Monday afternoon when I came back. Still plenty of evidence of what had been not so long ago.
Anonymous
Inactive31/01/2011 at 8:53 pmPost count: 182Sorry I couldn't be with you guys on what appears to be a monumental ride,maybe I can tag along the next time it comes on the ride list.My excuse for being absent.......I was rocking the weekend away at the Tepahu Rockfest 15 Hrs of Music,Barbecues and Beer,well mainly beer actually hahaIf you are into Heavy Metal,check ot the Unholly Rockers if they ever come to your town they closed the show with style.....Many thanks to Team Red Barron for stiring up another ride for yesterday in spite of the fact that Frau Barron was walking like John Wayne after spending time the previous day on the back of Bwucies time machine as Enzo was "RETYRED" halfway through the ride. Many thanks also to the hospitality bestowed upon us at tea time by Team Foley in Pukekoe.It was a very windy ride but once again through some gorgeous countryside with good company and the rain stayed in the heavens.RegardsRincewind
Anonymous
Inactive01/02/2011 at 12:53 amPost count: 128Yes but …Dan Carter can do 6, Richie McCaw can do 9 and "Pinetree" Meads can do 10 but my Metzeler did 18,000 😮This message has been brought to you "Buy" Metzeler in association with Sanitarium
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