Local Riders Tackle The Forgotten HighwayOn the weekend of 15/16 October 22 local people on 20 motorbikes travelled the Forgotten Highway, SH43, from Taumaranui to Whangamomona then on through to Stratford and back up the Taranaki coast, to Mangawhai. The group made up mostly of local riders, organised by Robert Scott of Scotty’s Four Square, did the 1,000 km plus ride in conditions which ranged from wet and cold, to just wet, to just cold and then to some sunny bits then wet and cold again!The riders set out from Mangawhai, through to meet a few Auckland travellers at Drury then the group rode to Pirongia in steadily deteriorating conditions, and where the first (and only ) puncture occurred, across to Mangakino, down the western side of Lake Taupo. They then crossed back in very chilly conditions to Taumaranui. From there, the adventure really started, heading on to the Forgotten Highway, some 160kms of twisty sometime gravelly winding country roads. They overnighted in the Republic of Whangamomona, where they joined the entire local population (23) in the public bar to watch the first Rugby World Cup semi final between Wales and France.The Sunday morning was brooding... low ethereal mist, half light.. as if the riders all had bit parts in The Lord of the Rings...They headed to Stratford completing the second half of the famed Forgotten Highway, then up the western Taranaki coastline and finally made their way back to Mangawhai. ‘It was an amazing trip’, said Robert Scott. ‘Everywhere there were ‘Go All Blacks’ sign on farms,on shop fronts, on schools and in small towns all the way through, showing how much the World Cup touched the whole country. And these were on roads which didn’t see very much traffic at any time of the year!’Local contractor Russell Thompson said that it was one of the best rides the local teams had done.. ‘But as always with one of Robert’s rides.. there was always going to be rain!’The only real problem came for Shane Cullen whose Harley Davidson developed some mechanical problems well into the Forgotten Highway. ‘It was a bit worrying, as we had no cellphone coverage and no access to a workshop to carry out repairs.’ However, the combined skills of the other riders managed to get Shane’s big new Harley Davidson back home without further damage. ‘A lucky break,’ he observed, ‘but one of the things you get from riding on these types of trips.’The next adventure planned for the local riders is a 12 day tour of the South Island in February next year. ‘Wouldn’t miss it,’ said Tony Turnbull of Kaiwaka, a regular on the group’s rides, even although he had suffered the ignominy of a puncture on the very first leg of the trip!The bikes that went included Hondas, Suzukis, Harley Davidsons as well as BMWs and British Triumphs and a Ducatti.Paul Tremewan
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