Kawhia - All North Island welcome - Sat 9th December 2017

[mickeyduck]

Rode shotgun with Rodney on Sunday morning. Yeehah!

I had no idea that an AW could be so AWesome on gravel. What a blast!

Thanks Rodney - and Jeff - that was AWesome!

Vid from Rodney's cam. Mine was mounted on my helmet but pointing down too much so all you got most of the time was dash. Rodney's (below) is much better.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWtRFd6 ... e=youtu.be

[Speedhog]

Rode shotgun with Rodney on Sunday morning. Yeehah!

I had no idea that an AW could be so AWesome on gravel. What a blast!

Thanks Rodney - and Jeff - that was AWesome!

Vid from Rodney's cam. Mine was mounted on my helmet but pointing down too much so all you got most of the time was dash. Rodney's (below) is much better.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWtRFd6 ... e=youtu.be

And that is the "slow" AW, with a "slow" driver.
Your time was 3.55.266 for 5km.
Also took Statek (Kris) for a blat the next run. Video to follow art some point.

[mickeyduck]

Yep I knew it was 3:55 from the vid.

Here you go, just for a laugh. The view from my helmet ha ha.



https://youtu.be/PLTIprV1Dbo

[Statek]

I'm still grinning ear to ear from the weekend! It's unbelievable just how much slower and calmer it looks on camera, than it actually is when you're in the car ...

[mickeyduck]

Ha ha well this thread certainly veered a bit off on a tangent. A good one mind you...

OK so here's the guts. Every year for a while now we've gone to Raglan for lunch in the hotel, for our Christmas gathering.

I'm thinking this year we go the extra distance and take it to Kawhia hotel.

We ought to do this run as our Christmas get together as it's about as central as it gets (without going to Taupo).

Let's aim for late November.

Sound like a plan?

[mickeyduck]

OK so I'm thinking we do this 10 December...

[optional]

Hey 10th December sounds great.
Sue and I are starters. just let us know the intended itinerary and we will be in. Our daughter, Libby want to come too. ( She was born in Taharoa on the south side of Kawhia Harbour). We will need to book accomodation somewhere suitable so will need some advance warning.
Keith and Sue

[mickeyduck]

Couple of questions...

How long does it take to do the trip from Auckland to Waitomo? I have no idea.
Looking at the travel times gizmo online, and considering we'll be coming down SH22 & SH39 I'd guess maybe 2 1/2 to 3 hours from Drury to Waitomo?

How long does it take to do the trip from Waitomo to Kawhia, along the southern part of that loop (see my map)....?
The travel times calculators say just over an hour but they take the northern road not the far more twisty southern one, so I'm guessing maybe 2 hours, especially if we stop at the natural rock bridge for a peek.

So if we leave Drury by 9am we should be at the meet by mid day or thereabouts.
Which means we'll likely get to Kawhia between maybe 2 and 3pm?

That makes for a late lunch, and a late trip home compared to most runs. But I think it would be an AWesome day.
Think I'll be putting in for the Monday off though. Unless we do this on a Saturday?

Is the Cave Tickets Cafe a good place to meet or is there another place in Waitomo that's better? A hotel or something...

Seeing as we are arriving from all over the show, I think it'd be good if we meet at a place where those who arrive earlier than others can be comfortable. When travelling these distances, especially with others in tow, you can easily find it took a bit longer than expected...

[mickeyduck]

Righto. Let's do this (as our new leader might say) on Saturday 9th December.

That gives folk time to cruise cross-country on the Friday evening if they wish. It also gives us oldies a chance to recover on the Sunday.

I believe we have people rocking up from the Waikato, the Bay Of Plenty, the Manawatu, from Napier and Taranaki too. AWesome! If anyone rocks up from Windyton that'll be immense. This is wide open to anyone in the North Island for a full-on Christmas bash as it's almost as central as you can get.

Auckland crew: meet at BP on SH1 Drury (usual place) at 8:30am Saturday 9th December, leaving by 9am sharp.

We'll take SH22 south, turn left onto SH23 then naff off down Paku Rd, turn right onto SH39 just north of Pirongia, and trundle south to Otorohanga. We'll gas up there (Caltex or Mobil) then head south to the meeting point at the Big Apple Cafe just north of Hangatiki (see map)

Anyone rocking over from elsewhere, please note the meeting place!
I'm guessing we'll get there about noon.

The main event: Once we've all assembled we'll head off down the Waitomo Caves Rd. When we hit the roundabout we veer right into Te Anga Rd and follow that squiggly thing all the way west and clockwise until we hit the Kawhia Rd, where we'll turn left and head into Kawhia. Lunch at the Kawhia Hotel.

Heading home to Auckland we'll take the Kawhia Rd all the way back to SH39, turn left and follow our noses north until veering left near Te Kowhai. That takes us to Ngaruawahia for a stop at BP. I'll then take the back roads north past Lake Waikare and the Hunuas before hitting the motorway at Manukau. It's a hell of a lot more fun than SH1.

Sunday I'll be sleeping in.

Map of the route to Kawhia for us Aucklanders:

Akl-2-Kawhia.png (487.04 KiB) Viewed 3160 times

[Swampy]

How many KM approx is this, I'm likely to be there.

[mickeyduck]

Lots. Maybe twice as much as to Raglan? Dunno mate but it will be one to remember that's for sure.

[optional]

Sue, Libby and I will be staying in TeKuiti at the Panorama Motel, both Friday and Saturday. This appears to offer the best deal, on a space for price basis. We have already booked in. I will contact them tomorrow to see if we can negotiate a "group discount". I don't think we have sufficient numbers and the price already good. Contact me if you are intending to join us, some idea of numbers we could offer the motel would help.

As far as distance goes, from what I recall the distance is about 200km for the loop from Tekuiti to Tekuiti. This does not give any idea of actual driving. When we lived there the time from Taharoa to Te Kuiti was about 60 to 75 minutes and from Taharoa to Te Awamutu was about the same. If you add on the leg out from Oparau to Kawhia that was about 30 minutes, each way. From TeAwamutu to Tekuiti is also a bit under 30 minutes. You will have to add on the time / distance from your location to Te Kuiti / Waitomo. Hope that helps.
Keith

[mickeyduck]

Sue, Libby and I will be staying in TeKuiti at the Panorama Motel...

You're sure that's not the Paranormal Motel, Keith? Just checking...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oiMPKvxQzs

[optional]

No Charlie,
The Paranormal ( otherwise known as the Waitomo ) was a non starter with Sue, as I'm sure you already know.
Keith

[mickeyduck]

No offence intended. The letters just looked like they were, um screaming to be messed with.

I look forward to catching up with you and Sue on the day.