Try not to melt

After a good night's sleep (possibly dreaming of Africa Twins) on Saturday night, I awoke to a nice clear day with a very energetic sun already warming things up and the prospect of a short ride to meet up with Neil and Colin for coffee.

After filling up in Feilding the Connie led me out to Cheltenham and insisted on having a bit of a boogie over Vinegar Hill to Hunterville.  Arriving at the cafe there was already a V-Strom rider on the scene with just a Triumph rider to arrive.  

Pretty sure I've taken this photo before...

Neil arrived not long after me and while we had coffee showed off one of his new toys and discussed that little test ride I'd had on Saturday.  After coffee, the others departed to see if the Paraparas were still where we'd left them while I decided on a roundabout way to get home - there was a tag that needed nabbing.

By now things were really getting warm and for the first time I opened up all of the vents and mesh panels that my gear has before leaving the cafe.

The ride down SH1 was boring, well, actually hot and boring but at least there was only 3 cops between Hunterville and Bulls...

In Bulls I went straight ahead and made for Scotts Ferry.  I'd never actually ridden out there before (been out there fishing though) and enjoyed the ride as there were a few nice corners in places.  The bugs were out and about though...

Arriving at the little settlement I set about trying to find the tag with only a dim memory of what the sign in the photo said.  I eventually found it in the car park by the beach.

Next up was the return journey back to Bulls and the task of finding a new tag.  I kept my eye out for something interesting.  I eventually settled on this flash little bus stop.

I didn't check out how big the TV was...

My next mission was to get myself home and out of hot riding gear and see if I'd been beaten to the tag.  No worries there - nobody else was mad enough to be out in the heat...