Well as it seemed no one wanted to ride around Taranaki best I get in some training for the “HUB” ride I thought. Packed my sleeping bag into my panniers, tied the tent on the back and told her what rides a Suzuki (spit on the ground) I would be back Sunday 😀Headed out early friday afternoon with no real plan other than I might go to Taihape somehow.So of course I headed North 😀 Past Urenui I went into the Okoki valley and followed that through to the Moki Rd, nice metal, nice views, nice rain? bugger me pants leak at the crutch I mutter as shrinkage took place :-o. Never mind we are training for the Hub!!!Through the Kiwi Rd and over the Waitaangas to Ohura, life is good 😀 Thought to my self ok I went that way to Taumaranui last time, best I go this way.... Over the Ohukura Saddle Rd which comes out by the road/rail bridge just before Taumaranui. Over the bridge and, 😕 turn left.. bugger Taihape lets go to Rotorua 😀 Through Onagarue and Waimiha to BennyDale, then gas it for Rotorua. Got to Rotorua about 6 o,clock after a very heavy shower, found a cheap motel, left the tent on the bike and soaked in the mineral pool. Now thats hard 😀 Didnt shave though 😀Next morning bright and early fired up the toy and headed to Murapara then on to Lake Waikerimoana. What a beuatiful piece of New Zealand, but cold and wet 😡 . Wild horses, pigs and cattle wandering around on the road. I couldnt find Mr Terry Wrists house but they tell me he lives out there somewhere.Another quick look at the map and (must get a better map) I reckon I can go through here and come out at Raupunga :-D. Sailed off into the backblocks over filled with confidence. After riding around in big circles for some time I stopped at a school house to ask directions (a most unmale like thing to do sorry Guys). And was sent back the way I had come then down the road to Raupunga. About 2 ks before the main rd there is a bridge you could spit over and an inbreed with a chain and lots of cones. His mantra was "the bridge is closed mate". 😡 looking at the fuel guage and haveing travelled 320 ks since fuel I was excited at going back into the booneys and down the Cricklewood Rd (cool name for a road tho 😀 )However Jim Bob was adamant I could not cross his bridge until the glue dried 😕 Bugger, got back on the toy and pushed the go button to be greeted by a lovely clunk 😮 no cha wah brmmmm, just clunk 😕 . Starter had been sounding a bit suspect for a while and looked like it had choosen now to retire.. bugger 😡 . As a punishment I got Jim Bob to get out of his nice warm truck and come help push start my bike in the rain (secretly I made him push hardest 👿 )Back inland I went and down the Cricklewood Rd past the wild pigs to a land far away 😀 eventualy ended up in Wairoa with a funny orange glow coming from the low fuel light. No spare key so bugger, turn her off and refuel 🙁 Maybe its the battery I thought optimistacly but no. Best of all Wairoa has no hills 🙁 A damn fine fella came wandering over and asked as I pushed my toy towards the river to throw it in if I needed some help. He had a mate who was a bike mechanic, gave him a ring and said he would come down and help me out ( I love Wairoa :-D) Your starters buggered he said after a bit of a look 🙁 Shame it wasnt the battery because he had on of them. However he booked me into a place called Cafe 287 which had a big hill out the front (perfect for starting bikes), gave me a coffee and 2 peices of the cake his daughter had baked (did I mention I love Wairoa?). Left the tent tied on the back of the bike and slept in a nice warm bed. Didnt shave though 😀Next morning rolled her down the hill 😀 then pushed her back up again 😳 Got the owner of the place to come sit on the back and rolled down the hill again 😀 A lower gear with some weight for gravity and traction, full tummy, full tank of gas. Lets head for home 😀Napier - Taupo Highway sounds good 😀 oooh look on the map, if I go up this road I can go through here round here over here and end up here 😀 With my advanced map reading skills I can do this 😎 Went up through a place called Willow Flats and out into Forestry Rds. More wild pigs and awesome scenery :-D. After about 70 ks I finally saw another vehicle, he looked rather suprised to see me 😕 Had a talk about my plan when he told me about a minor flaw in it, there is no bridge over this river he said 😮 Bugger 70 ks later back where I started but never mind :-D. Over the Napier - Taupo (heaps of bikes comeing back from cold duck rally) and now... fuel again 😮 Found a service station with a hill, no problems 😀 Taupo to Whakamaru all is good, I Love this bike 😀 Bit of a choice, through the Pureoras or the sealed road? After a look at the time I decided to send her what was left behind a text and meet her at Mokau. Sitting with the engine idling, trying to send a text as the phone dies of a flat battery when.... silence 😕 the noisey bit stopped making a noise 🙁 bugger. Never mind the guy at the service station gave me a tow and off we went (I love this bike :-D) then it stopped again 😕 Luckily at the top of a hill. Had a fiddle round with wires and plugs to see if any thing was loose or dirty, rolled down the hill, she fired and away we went 😀 (I like this bike :-)) Halfway through the Pureoras she died again. A wiggle of the wires again, at the top of a hill again and away we go, ( I own a BMW :|) At eight mile it died again ( I hate this bike and if I could lift it I would throw it over the bridge into that @#$@%@ river 😡 ). Its flat, its late, I am under stress and need a shave!!!!Walk back to a farm house and call the roadside rescue man 😀 who will take my bike to Te Kuiti. Ring her what is out riding a Suzuki (reliable jap thing 😛 ) to come get me 😥Today I shaved 😀
