Spectacular weather greets cruisers on trip

REGROUP: A catchup stop on the Gentle Annie Road for the tourers, about halfway between Taihape and Napier.

Nineteen Northland motorcyclists recently completed a four day/three night 1700 kilometre motorcycle tour of the Hawkes Bay and East Cape, largely to ride the recently sealed Gentle Annie Road.

In the planning for the last six months, the ride represented the fourteenth overnight trip or tour away by the local Mangawhai motorcycling fraternity.

Having their first outing with the Mangawhai touring set were Geoff Gover and Ian Macartney from Ruakaka, and Dayal Phillips and Suzi McCall of Wellsford.

Day one, Thursday November 22, saw riders snake down to Ohakune via SH27 until Tirau for morning tea and then turning west after Tokoroa to ride SH32 down the western side of Lake Taupo until the Kuratau Junction. From there it was up and over the Kuratau Hill and onwards to The Chateau for a late lunch before the overnight stop at Ohakune.

Day two saw the riders cover both the North Island Gentle Annie roads. The more well-known Gentle Annie was ridden first with many taking the 160km route between Taihape and Napier for the first time and passing through some of the North Island's largest sheep stations.

Lunch was at the Waikare Hotel on SH2 about 40km south-west of Wairoa. After lunch the riders rode through to Tiniroto for a pub stop before riding the second Gentle Annie hill section and then overnighting at Gisborne. 

Saturday saw riders take the 330km SH35 around the East Cape with morning tea at Tokamaru Bay and a lunch stop at Te Araroa followed by a pub stop at Te Kaha before reaching their overnight destination of Opotiki. 

During this stage Tony Turnbull went ahead and rode by himself the three hour 'rough as guts' Motu Road gravel section coming out at Matawai before rejoining the tour party back at Opotiki.

On the final day riders returned back up SH2 to Auckland and Mangawhai with coffee stops at Te Puna and Bombay.

Other than a blown fuse on one bike there were no mechanical incidents throughout the tour.

Day rides are organised every four to six weeks, with the next ride set down for Saturday December 15 for lunch at the Mangonui Hotel with an 8am departure from The Hub. For more details contact Robert Scott by email: molesworth@xtra.co.nz.