TT2000 Write-up

Ok, so here it finally is!

2025 TT2000

 

Just checking

NZ got hit by a wee cyclone over the last few days.  Here it involved a ton of wind and a bit of rain but it was much worse further up North.  Yesterday the weather had changed completely so I decided that I needed to get out and check some of my favourite gravel roads.  I was expecting some mud and slush...

Once again, I left it fairly late leaving and got away from home just before lunchtime.  This meant that when I stopped for fuel in Woodville I could have a pie to calm the worms down.

Leaving Woodville, I made my way across through Hopelands and then took what is now becoming a compulsory bit of gravel to get me across to Pahiatua-Pongaroa Road.  The new bit is Waituna Road, followed by The Grass Road and a wee (non-gnarley) gravel section of the Makairo Track.  Waituna gave me a good intro to what some of the gravel was going to be like - while it wasn't that muddy, there were definitely some (invisible) soft patches underneath the gravel which occasionally caused the bike to wander around a little.

Turning onto Millers Road a couple of other adventure bikes coming the other way.  One was a Guzzi V85 and the other was a Multistrada.  I wonder if they enjoyed Millers Road as much as I did?  It's always a hoot with a big long and fast gravel straight, followed by a small climb (and descent) up a hill before it reverts to seal just before joining Pahiatua-Pongaroa Road.

After taking it pretty easy on the seal through to Makuri, I turned off onto Coonoor Road and into some more gravel.  Once again, the track was pretty good, allowing a good pace but the odd wet and slippery corner thrown in to keep you on your toes.  Coming across a petrol tanker coming the other way also kept me on my toes.

The ride up to the Rising Sun was more of the same but I did forget to turn on the camera.  I stopped for pics instead.

At the quarry:

Top of the Rising Sun

Dropping down the hill I half expected there to be slipperiness as there often is exposed clay which is damn slippery, but today it was pretty good.  And then it was into the pines.

It's always a lot slipperier in shaded places and I think especially under pines.  The needles and such always produce a squishy mush which can be interesting.  I rode pretty quietly through here, as did the guy on the CRF250/300 coming the other way.

Out of the pines and as well as opening out more, the road dried up a little and the pace came creeping back up.  By the time I hit Waihi Valley Road, I was back in the groove and having a ball.

Back on the seal, I puttered into Pongaroa and turned off onto Coast Road making for more favourite roads but also roads that definitely tended to be on the slippery side of things.

Along the way I disturbed a bull who was definitely more frisky than the one from my last decent ride, tearing up and down his paddock and tossing his head around.  A good thing that there was a fence and 150 metres or so between us.

Coast Road had taken a bit more damage again but they've been out there patching things up.  I even think the seal may have moved further East too (boo hoo!).  The gravel section was mint but there was another bit where some of the road had ended up in the river - definitely not as bad as after Cyclone Gabrielle.

Next up was the scramble up the hill on Marainaga Road before turning off onto Spur Road.  Once again there were plenty of slippery bits but overall the road was in great condition - perhaps the logging guys have been staying off it?

Spur Road turns into Huia Road and this really did have the "odd" slippery bit.  I had barely got rolling after turning the camera off when I hit the first bit of downhill messiness.  Ok, best not get too carried away then...

It was more of the same on Waihoki Valley Road and added to the excitement of the slippery bits was a little chasing of an Easter bunny.  Little blighter got away though...

Out on 52 and I was hot, sweaty and thirsty as so I decided to skip any more gravel and make for Pahiatua for a cold drink.  Just one stop along the way to nab another fire station for the collection.

After that drink in Pahiatua it was time to head home but not before what has to have been one of my best runs through Tararua Road - unfortunately it was over quite quickly...

My last stop along the way was one for a photo I possibly should have had a while ago and the bike was parked in the shed and I was into another cold drink - 25 degrees had made it hot work out there.

Playing around

Not much of a ride over the weekend but I tried a cheap Temu mount for the camera to see if I could get some decent audio of the T7 in action.  I think it worked except it can spin around (last video) with vibration.  Need a more solid mount that I can hang off the bike in the same position.

Mind the wee tractor!

The birds and the bees

...and the goats and bulls...

On Saturday morning the weather was pretty foul at times but every now and again the sun would come out for just a little bit longer.  And then it would bucket down...

But, by elevenish I was starting to get a bit keener on a ride.  And I do love the gravel after rain...

I eventually saddled up just before twelve and pottered my way over to Whanganui.  There was only a few short scuds of rain to put up with and by the time I stopped for fuel it was a pretty warm 21.

After fuelling up and making my way out of Whanganui, I stopped at the Pukekohe's Nest just out of town for a nice pie (made in Wanaka!) and an equally nice sandwich.  I was then queried about the T7 by a guy wearing a Triumph shirt (hey, I've got one of those!) and we had a bit of chat where he warned me about riding on the open road...

Zipping up my jacket to leave, I may have made a little error as I think it was here that I picked up an unwanted hitchhiker.  After taking in some sealed back roads to get me onto the truly sensational Rangitatau East Road, I started feeling a little niggle under my jacket, near my collar bone.  I haven't had a bee sting in years but it seemed that I was definitely getting one...

But did I mention that the road was sensational?  Ignoring the sting, I carried on, riding near perfect gravel/dirt that the logging trucks had smoothed out very nicely.  I was expecting some of the more exposed bits of clay to be a bit slippery but most were pretty damn marvellous and good time was made to the next turn-off at Kauarapaoa Road.

There's a nice, handy toilet just past that sign...

Kauarapaoa Road is the little track in the last photo and it drops down through a series of tightish corners before following the river along the valley.  I really enjoyed the drop down the hill, standing on the pegs (doing my best CB impression eh?) and enjoying a little rear wheel steering in places.  It's just a shame there was nobody else about to see how awesome I was...

Down in the valley, the road opens out a bit more and it was in great nick with plenty of grip all the way through.  Just the usual zillions of goats to scare off the road - a couple of "kids" got a bit confused at one stage but eventually made the right decision in the end.  I still say goats have far more sense than sheep and their spectacular 4WD capability wins hands down.

Sneaking past the property that once was named "the Badlands", there was the odd damp bit that added some excitement but soon I discovered the new bridge!

It's a flash Harry concrete one, not all like the old wooden jobbie:

2012!

Back to 2025...

Back into it and the nearer you get to civilisation, the better/faster the road gets with the good surface really adding to the fun with the odd power slide adding to the grin factor.  On one particular small hill near the end of the gravel there is a lot of really sweet corners that you can see through easily and 4th and 5th gear were the order of the day - the guys chopping some wood when I went past would have got to hear a sweet little CP2 singing the song of its people.  I love this bike!

Just out on the seal, I stopped briefly to cool off a whisker and grab a few pics looking down at the Whanganui River.

Next up was a putter through Whanganui before crossing the river again and aiming up the Paras.  After a blast over the hill it was time to turn off onto my favourite paper road and checkout how the rain had affected Te Rimu Road - I've been through (though not in recent years) when it's been a bit of a sloppy mess and a tad interesting.

Not so today, the road was absolutely outstanding, with just a little water in one of the fords and plenty of grip.  I caught up to a farmer in his ute at one stage and he kindly pulled over.  He got a nice big friendly wave and a careful pass.  We don't want to upset these guys when you're riding through there farms or otherwise there'll be gates with padlocks...

One of the hazards on this road is obviously animals and I've come across goats, sheep, deer (got one on video even) and bulls.  There's always bulls...

But not long after passing the farmer, I was nearing about the last few minutes of the road (only takes about 10 mins to ride the entire road) I was wondering if this ride was going to be absent of beef.

Naturally, as soon as you think things like this you're proven wrong.  Rounding a bend, I couldn't help but notice three big black sods having lunch by the side of the road.  Two of them were a fair bit off the road but the other bloke was parked up with his backside nearly on the road.

I quickly adopted my usual bull avoidance strategy.  This involves throttling off and attempting to sneak past without annoying them too much.  This time around Mr Bull must have had a coffee with his lunch so was fairly alert and turned his head to look at me (normally they're stock still staring off into space) fairly closely.  I swear I saw his front feet start to follow his head so I abandoned my previous strategy and pinned it past him.  I definitely didn't want to find out just how friendly he was...

Anyway, I got past him safely (and even got around the next corner which perhaps came up a little quicker than it otherwise might have) and was soon at the end of the road and back onto some tar.

It turns out that my animal run-ins were still not complete.  One minute I was minding my own business on Turakina Valley Road when a magpie decided to take on a T7.  Well, what a mistake to make-a!  It hit somewhere on the LHS of the fairing and then exploded into a ball of feathers as it collected the handlebars (mirror mount) before grazing off my arm and leg.  Pretty sure he didn't get up from that...

Having survived this latest animal attack I turned off onto Taurimu and into the next one!

This time it was two big peacocks in the middle of the road.  They panicked, (perhaps mistaking me for Colin) and attempted a rapid takeoff.  Well, their idea of a fast takeoff is actually fairly slow and I really had to slow up less I find out what head-butting a peacock feels like...

Phew, another close one, what's next?

Well, no animals, just a sublime blast up the hill on another (slightly less grippy) gravel road.  Damn, it was good.

Just a short bit of gravel later and I was back on seal for good with just a quick stop at my folks place in Feilding and home by 5.  Absolute cracker of a ride!

The bee sting is still itchy though...