Ride Has Been Held. (Sunday 29 March 2009)
Judy and Bill's The 2009 End Of Daylight Saving Tour:...
Kaiaua and Miranda : Sunday 29 March 2009
NZ Goldwing Riders Inc. (Northern North Island group)
On Sunday 29 March, 49 of our friends got together to bid farewell to Summer '09 and take to "The Roads Less Travelled". That's something of a modern-day record for End of Month Rides. Thank you to everyone that came and took part. There were members and visitors from Wanganui, Taranaki, Taupo, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Auckland and Idaho!
And... what a super day it was - once the fog had lifted it was warm and dry, calm and bright.
From our own viewpoint, we met-up at Mount Maunganui and four bikes tripped over the Kaimais, meeting up with Des and Sailor on their trike at Te Poi before plunging deeper into the Waikato. Gosh, the Waikato did look absolutely stunning from the Kaimai summit and Judy and I said to each other "Look at the cloud, isn't it beautiful." Then moments later we realised we were actually above the cloud looking down, and it all started 3 inches off the ground. We were fast dropping down and into it and realising that it wasn't really cloud as much as it was dense fog. We hardly saw another thing for the next hour until we pulled into Ngaruawahia, and we were mostly navigating from memory rather than seeing where we were or what was there! Road signs were unreadable and it was as cold as cold! Warm coffee and food at Wild Bean put all that right though. As we chatted and caught-up, the forecourt steadily filled with Goldwings, the day quickly warmed and the fog all but disappeared.
Didn't we all take in some truly wonderful sights as we ambled through scenic valleys, beautiful countryside, rich cool forests, and blasted through places that most travellers never go.
Settlements like:
Mangawara, Matahuru, Waiterimu, Taniwha, Waerenga, Okaerea, Maramarua, Mangatangi, on the back-roads to Kaiaua.
(We still cannot understand how Paul Storey and cohorts got lost on Storey Road)
We saw spectacular Autumn leaves, warm-golden cornfields, brilliant green forests, quaint - even dilapidated - buildings, and an extraordinary assortment of animals in the variety of farmland we rode through. We passed people driving horse and trap combinations, old fire-engines on a "bash", other motorcyclists taking the back roads, big herds of dairy goats and a unique paddock full of Belted Galloway cattle. And, an amazing array of smells as well as sights... silage, maize kibble, pine oil, mown grass, smoke, and eventually as we dropped down from the Hunuas into Kaiaua, the fresh though pungent wafts of the salt marsh from the Firth of Thames.
The vistas we had planned to show everyone as we dropped over the Hunua Ridge were indeed special. At a glance you could take in 100 miles of both glistening sea and ranging countryside from North to South.
Soon enough we were all parked up on the beachfront at Kaiaua and heading off for Famous Fish and Chips! There was also a seaside market, a fresh coffee bar complete with home-baking, fresh mussel fritters, and paninis... so something for everyone.
Another hour in the sunshine, socialising and catching-up with friends both old and new soon passed and we were off again to the next attraction - Miranda Shorebird Centre.
Judy had arranged for a presentation to be made by Keith Woodley the site manager of the Miranda Shorebird Trust.
Keith talked to us at length about the unique geology of the area, the wide species of bird-life that is supported by the area, and then - with preserved specimens of the birds to illustrate his story - set about flabbergasting us with facts on the lives and migrations of the Godwit. A bird that will fly all the way from Alaska, non-stop for eight days across 11,000 kilometres of Pacific Ocean to spend a summer at Miranda. A bird that will feed on the delicacies of the area (as we just had), but then fly all the way back to Alaska to start another family cycle. We were told how birds had been implanted with minute transponders and satellite-tracked across the Pacific and back again. This is modern science at work, dedicated to the preservation of a species that's been doing exactly what evolution dictated it do thousands of years ago.
The work of the team - of mainly volunteers, at Miranda is actually critical to species preservation and the Trust is certainly worth another thought and we hope promotion by anyone who's heard the story we heard today. Keith has written a new book on the latest ornithological discoveries and it will be published by Penguin Press within the next few months. Keep an eye out for that.
Following another round of Tea and Biscuits, we all grouped-up and set off on our diverse paths for home. Judy and I were back in Mount Maunganui and having a coffee on the Oceanfront by five . The last Sunday of Daylight Saving for this year was most surely well spent and will be remembered for ever.
Bill Gibson-Patmore.
The 2009 End Of Daylight Saving Tour:...
Judy and Bill's Kaiaua and Miranda Tour:
Sunday 29 March 2009
EOM Ride.
NOW... The 2009 End of Daylight Saving Tour:
Judy and Bill's Kaiaua and Miranda Tour:
-
A picturesque ride along "The Roads Less Travelled"
-
Fish and Chips for lunch at the famous & award-winning Kaiaua Fisheries
-
An organised presentation at the Miranda Shorebird Centre to show and tell you all about the amazing Shorebirds of New Zealand (and Alaska) Including the GODWITS.
-
A swim at the wonderful Miranda Hot Springs
NORMAL MEETING VENUE.
Please all meet ready for a 10:00am departure from the BP SERVICE
STATION,
NGARUAWAHIA.
We've published a handy, scalable and zoomable Google Map below..
Brief Itinerary:…
10:00.... Depart Ngaruawahia,
....…..... A ride along "The Roads Less Travelled"
We'll be ambling through some truly wonderful scenic valleys, beautiful
countryside, rich cool forests, and we'll also be blasting through
places that most travellers never go.
Settlements like:
Mangawara, Matahuru, Waiterimu, Taniwha, Waerenga, Okaerea,
Maramarua, Mangatangi, to Kaiaua.
12:00.... Arrive Kaiaua
12:15....
Buy your own lunch at the renowned and award-winning Kaiaua Fisheries.
Fish and Chips on the beach-front.
Juice and Fizzy supplied by Judy and Bill.
13:15.... Depart Kaiaua
Short ride South to "Miranda Naturalists Shorebird Centre".
13:30.... Arrive at Shorebird Centre and assemble in lecture hall.
(Please donate $5 per head)
A presentation has been arranged.
The essence of the talk and demonstration will be the Shorebirds and
Wading Birds of New Zealand. Also, the geological make-up of the "Unique
in This World" Chenier Plains of the Miranda Coastline.
Then the lecturer will talk for as long as you wish about the
magnificent flights and lives of the Godwit.
They are a bird that actually flies all the way across the Pacific Ocean
from Alaska and the Bering Sea shores to spend the New Zealand summer in
Miranda feeding. (Just like us).
Then, in the Autumn, they all fly North
again, back to Alaska for the breeding season.
Please do come and find out more about these fantastically courageous
birds.
Tea and Coffee facilities are provided to follow
the presentation and we'd appreciate you making a gold coin donation to the
Shorebird Centre for your
drinks.
Judy will have biscuits.
Details about the Trust and the Centre.
http://www.miranda-shorebird.org.nz/
Then.... For those that wish, a short ride South to Miranda Hot
Springs!
http://www.mirandahotsprings.co.nz/
They have some lovely facilities there.
Swimming in the largest natural hot-spring pool in the country.
Also Private Spas are available (but you may need to book them) and
Towel hire.
End of Day:...
In your own time.... Depart Miranda for your homes... either in
groups or not - as you all wish.
Note: Roads.
Judy and Bill have ridden/driven all the planned roads in the last
two days. All roads are in good condition, have good surfaces, no loose
metal, and visibility is generally excellent. However, about 20 or so
corners are a little uncharacteristically tight and bumpy, so please
read-ahead.
Again, maize-harvesting is under way at this time of year, and so there
are trucks and machines using these normally quiet valleys - so we will need to be vigilant.
Cost:
Lunch - Fish and Chips or similar at Kaiaua Fisheries.
Miranda Naturalists Shorebird Centre. $5 donation please.
Tea and Coffee at Shorebird Centre Gold Coin Donation please
Swimming at Miranda Hot Springs.
You may bring friends.
We'd love you to invite any friends you may wish to introduce to the
Goldwinger's style of day-touring.
This will be an easy (and not fast) ride, but really spectacular
countryside and scenery. Then the bit that we think will be special...
The presentation about the Shorebirds and Water Birds of New Zealand and
Alaska
We will have a pre-ride briefing at Ngaruawahia.
Raincoats:
The forecast is for fine on Sunday, but we'd recommend that you each
bring a light raincoat in case.
Togs and towels:
If you are swimming, you'll need to bring your swimsuits/togs.
We are visiting the Naturalist Society.. NOT the Naturist Society.... There
is a difference. (Here ends the grammar coaching)
Scalable
and zoomable Google
Maps
of the main ride:
Google Map>>
