After sleeping for nine-and-a-half hours, my alarm awakened me to blue skies and temps in the 50’s. I showered, put on clean / different clothes for the first time in three days, and ate my imported oatmeal. I walked across the street to the Pacific Ocean – which is the first time the Pacific has ever been on my “right” side.
One of these days, I’ll try to get up to see the sun rise over the Pacific.
I packed the bike and headed north.
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I’m primarily using three guidebooks: a Lonely Planet guide for general information, an AA accommodations guide for lodging, and the New Zealand Motorcycle Atlas for ride route selection. I took Highway 1 north toward Whangarei; there were more scenic routes available, but I wanted a few highway miles to become familiar with the bike and the rules of the road.
I’m primarily using three guidebooks: a Lonely Planet guide for general information, an AA accommodations guide for lodging, and the New Zealand Motorcycle Atlas for ride route selection. I took Highway 1 north toward Whangarei; there were more scenic routes available, but I wanted a few highway miles to become familiar with the bike and the rules of the road.
For a flatlander from the great plains of Illinois, even the Highway was fun, with frequent curves, hills, and speed adjustments. Just before noon, I ran in to a fairly good rain storm; by the time I found a place to pull off and don my rain gear, I was pretty wet – so I also added my electric jacket and rode on. It took about two and a half hours to ride the 140 km to Whangarei.
About 25 km north of Whangarei, I turned onto Russell Road toward Oakura and Russell. This route is rated at “4 smiles” in the Motorcycle Atlas (1 smile = normal road, through 5 smiles = “world-class riding and scenery with the maximum smiles per mile”). In the first 20 km of this ride, I’d probably shifted and turned as much as I would in an entire season back home. Great pavement, almost no traffic, nearly constant twisting back and forth, and scenery that looks more like a different planet than a different country.
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The country I’m reminded most of is Ireland, simply because everything here is so green.
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But even the gently rolling hills of Ireland are like a pool table compared to New Zealand. I arrived in Russell, having traveled about 65 km, two and a half hours later. I crossed the river just outside Russell on the Opua ferry, gassed up in Paihia, and made it as far as Kerikeri before deciding to call it a day.
But even the gently rolling hills of Ireland are like a pool table compared to New Zealand. I arrived in Russell, having traveled about 65 km, two and a half hours later. I crossed the river just outside Russell on the Opua ferry, gassed up in Paihia, and made it as far as Kerikeri before deciding to call it a day.
I’m hoping to head north to Cape Reinga tomorrow, but they’re predicting some pretty wet and windy conditions in the morning, so I’ll have to wait and see. But the word for today was “wow”.
Motorcycle mileage: 267 km for the day.
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