Lake Ferry

Well after a very wild Saturday and Saturday night, Sunday tried to start off the same way but the sting was out of the storm - the sting maybe, but not the rain and wind...Never mind, there were three others that were also keen to get started on the Four Points and make for the Southern point at Lake Ferry.

I met up with Meanie, Monie and Yod at a local gas station and we left town in light rain to first tackle the Pahiatua Track and Mangamire.  The road was pretty wet in places and the rain heavyish at times but by the time we got to SH2 we were out of the worst of it and there was even the odd dry bit of road.

The next section of the ride was just a quiet ride down to Masterton, Carterton and Greytown before we turned off towards Lake Ferry.  The ride from here on had us punching into a reasonably gusty head wind and there was the odd shower to help keep the slippery bits slippery.

Arriving in Lake Ferry the rain had stopped but the wind was well and truly still with us and we parked our bikes pretty carefully so that they'd still be right side up when we got back to them.  Then it was into the warm of the pub for a hot lunch and to get our first card.

Such a lovely day

Parking out of the wind...

After lunch it was time to make our way home and we decided to make for Martinborough and then depending on the weather either to the short route to Masterton and home or go the more scenic route via Longbush, Gladstone and Wainuioru.  The ride up to Martinborough was pretty quick with a good tail-wind and not too much rain.

In Martinborough I had a bit of a look at the skies and reckoned it looked ok (if not better) to take the scenic route and so off we went.  We did get a few very light showers and the roads were quite wet in places but it was a great ride and the weather appeared to be getting better the further up the road we went.

Once out onto the Castle Point road we carried on into Masterton to top up the tanks and to decide on the route home.  Everyone seemed to be enjoying the better weather so we decided that Route 52 to Alfredton and then back into the Pahiatua was the go.

The first bit of Route 52 was pretty damp and there was even the odd branch on the road but once we got out of the slower twisty stuff the roads dried off and we had a great run up to Alfredton.  Mangaone Valley Road was more of the same although we did come across some cows being moved for their afternoon milking and they'd made an absolute mess of the road - a bit of caution was needed to navigate the mess and all the bikes ended up bringing some samples home...

A bath is imminent!

After a brief pause at Pahiatua we hit the track, got briefly sprinkled on and that was pretty much it for the first (well first successful) leg of the Four Points.  The other guys are heading off a day before me so I'll be constantly nipping at their heels - perhaps I'll bump into them somewhere but otherwise it'll just be me and the Connie and the open road!  Oh yeah!

What's it going to look like after another 2,500km?

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