Featured North Ride

First weekend away with the club for a while and it didn’t disappoint
West Coast 212m/342km
Auckland to Wellsford, then Dargaville for lunch. Visit to Tane Mahuta and Paihia overnight.
East Coast 172m/277km
Opua ferry to Russel and on to Waipu, then Maungawhai for lunch and home






I had fish and chips, the chicken salad was very popular with generous portions

 

Next stop was the Waipoua forest, with NZ resident kauri giant 2000 year old Tane Mahuta


Viewing point of west coast



Junction 1/16 at Wellsford

Lost iPhone in vest pocket

 

Waipoua to Kaikohe in some rain, but mainly beautiful

 

Last leg for Saturday, off to the Bay of Islands.


We parked up in our accommodation and had some quiet refreshments, before heading for dinner at Zane Greys on the water

After fish and chips for lunch, I only needed something small. Seafood chowder was very nice

NZ green lipped mussels in sauce were popular

 

After morning coffee, we headed to the Opua ferry to Russell. The old Russel road was nearly an hour of twisties




Opua

The Ferry Lane

Opua to Russel Ferry

 

Refuel and head to our lunch stop, with a mix of highways and coastal twisties . We stayed to rest and enjoy a beer in the sun, whilst the rest of the crew completed more coastal twisties.


Great park by the sea, by the stage

Love the bar area, still COVID protocols

Laksa had fish and squid in large pieces

Fish and chips was again popular

 

Thanks Marcus, the blue circle marked my phone sitting in my vest pocket before it bucketed down and I set off without putting it in the bike bag or storage. Now sitting in the forest .

 

Quiet trip home for Sunday afternoon unpack


a bit out of sequence and unable to delete - Morning coffees

Team heading over to Opua for the Ferry across to Russel


Find my phone verified my thoughts that it was lost falling from my vest when making a quick exit in the torrential rain. It is a rain forest and the only precipitation we saw all weekend

Will now review the video and add selected shots of the trip scenery

 

All three eating spots mentioned are popular riding destinations and great food @Octoberon, so deserve a spot The weekend was the first fine spell we have had for 2-3 weeks, but fantastic for fine and not too hot

 

Fantastic site over the water @Sandi T and it changes throughout the day.
Yes, named after his exploits in the bay of islands. Well loved fisherman as well as a fine author

 

Still need to add some pix from the dvr