Coming Home - Wednesday

On Wednesday we stayed based in the Nelson/Tasman area with plans to do some exploring over the hill in Golden Bay.

Around nineish I road across to Motueka to meet up with Colin and another mate of his, Mitch.  Mitch is (actually was now) a DR (Wee-strom now) rider who has been around a few more summers than both Colin and I and knows how to punt a knobbly shod DR...

Our first little squirt was up over the Takaka Hill.  Last year a big slip closed the road and they are still repairing it so there are traffic lights on a 12 minute cycle controlling the traffic.  Naturally we hit the lights at exactly the right time, just as they were changing to green.  We then just had to get clear of a few vehicles to have the hill to ourselves.  Great fun was had by all...

In Takaka we made a quick stop to top off tanks before carrying on North to Collingwood and Pakawau.  It was an awesome day - here's 24 seconds of it...

Having gone as far North from Westport as we could, I'd suggested that we then try and get as far South as possible from the "other side of the hill" by riding down to Anatori.  I'd ridden the Vee down there previously and was pretty keen to give it another go.

When we hit the first bit of gravel things slowed up a bit as it was a little nasty - deep and reasonably recently graded.  It made for the odd spooky moment and I had one particular butt-clencher on one of the causeway's - not fun as there was salt water either side of the road...

Pretty much as soon as we got out of the windy stuff, the road improved and the pace could come back up.  And then the BMW rider spotted a cafe...

Actually, it was pretty close to lunchtime and we were heading further and further away from civilisation and coffee so it was a good call.  The cafe turned out to pretty good too.  We were the only ones there, the coffee was cheap and food good.

I even got to exercise my voting rights...

After lunch we carried on South but took one wee suggested diversion to go check out the beach.

Not that keen to follow the DR...

Beach brapping

Reassured that the Tasman Sea was still separating us from Oz we returned to the main road and carried on down to Anatori.

The road was a lot quicker for this last section but just as it had last time I was there, it crashed into the river.  And just like last time, probably a real mission on big bikes to cross and no, we did not want to drown a Tenere or GSA.

DR rider in his element

Maybe?

Nope.

Feet staying dry, we did an about face and returned back the way we came - this time avoiding the cafe...

At the end of the gravel I left the others to it and headed back to Richmond as I wanted to spend a bit more time with my nieces. The rest of the team went and investigated another gnarly gravel road.  When Colin told me it was more gnarly than Takapari Road I was glad I hadn't joined them  - I'd done gone and forgot to pack Mighty Mouse...

My trip back across the hill was just as much fun and I even got to wave to two Tenere's (mine was dirtier) going the other way before getting stuck at the lights for just a few minutes.  Then it was a quiet pootle in reasonably busy traffic into Richmond.  Holidaying is hard work...