Annie was gentle with me today.
Her older sister, Brunhilde the Ball Breaker, was not. Today's route was in the sat nag which took me in a kinda squiggly straight line to Annie out up Route 4 from Wanganui and somewhere along it the sat nag (it is no longer my friend) took me to the right and into the hills. All good, single track much like some of the minor B roads in the Dales and Wolds back home. Again beautiful scenery and then the sat nag said turn right. I double checked because what looked like a farm track surely was not the right way to go?
But it was. Again a gravel (single track this time) road with a high camber and plenty of the loose stuff with steep edges on tight hairpin turns. I have never done it but presume that the experience of wrestling a bull by the horns is similar to my efforts at getting a Ten 12 down a gravel lane at just over trotting pace. For sure I am having difficulty typing this evening as I have lost all strength in my hands. I keep trying to pick things up but have lost the power or grip. For sure an impression of my fingerprints is now firmly and indelibly pressed into the Ten's bar ends; not a bad feat considering I had two layers of gloves on! I was thinking of leaving a memento of my visit in NZ and think that I have now over done that... The Owhakura Road has left a lasting impression.
So there I was, right hand bend, off camber, downhill, with right foot off the footrest surfing the scree and I'm in need of a brake! Did not dare touch the front and thank God (Him again) for engine braking which the Ten 12 has by the bucket full. A 3rd leg and foot, no not a military unit, would have been nice though. Whilst I am now a self proclaimed GOD of off road riding, this ass still needs to find time at the BMW off-road school in Wales, and soon!
The fight with Bruhilde was hard won. I still have my wedding tackle intact and connected albeit now a bit dusty. Hah, Brunhilde! Take that you wafer thin mint eater you! (said with a French accent of course, Monty Python style).
And again it only gets better. Annie was gentle for sure at the start and I thought nice, easy ride. Came to the section often shown on the web, see : http://youtu.be/AhbPt1-MCn8 for a truckers eye view. So did this, down the hill, back up the hill, video in various poses and with a bit of doo, di, doo, da, daaa in my mind and thought that this close encounter of the 3rd kind had finished, turned off the camera and headed onwards for Napier. But no, that was just the start. The scenery in the Kaweka Forest Park is stunning. Look at that, no look at that now look at THAT! Thought I'd dropped off the bottom of the planet into another universe. Camera back on! For the first time in the holiday I stopped the bike, contemplated and reversed the course for 10k to see it in the other direction too. And back again. Hopefully all is shown when I publish today's video. Asap it will be there.... promise.
But for now here is Day 3 (I am still in catch up). See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-atli3bS8c. A time lapse camera experiment for day 4 went wrong so have nowt for that unless you want to see 3000 still photos! Day 5 was my Birthday so similarly no travel. Day 6 was Taupo to Whanganui via the Lost World Highway - NZ's number 1 rated drive. It's close between that and Annie for me. Lost World will be ready for issue tomorrow night!
For sure NZ is a country needing many types of riding skills and North Island, for a biker, is so much better. And surprising that today's riding reminded me moreso of South Island roads and landscapes than at any other time.
And the trucks are hauling milk (not logs) now Baby!
There is a story in here about asses and milk but the link momentarily escapes me...
Speak soon
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