Motorcycle Touring

DAY 14 THE LAUTOUR FARM TO TAUPO

This is the first day we encountered rain in earnest.  The prediction called for rain and we got about 150 K into the trip when it hit.  We slowed a bit and felt safe with the traction and the ease of travel.   During the day we encountered several other riders testing their skills on the twisty roads.  Staying with the norm we got separated and when the heavy storm hit I stopped to put on my rain gear.  We all arrived in Taupo about the same time except for Harvey.  He went on ahead doing his own ride so he reached our destination in the dry.  We rested and went to dinner in the hotel.  This was the second longest dinner, 2 hours and it was without explanation.  Good thing we are on holiday.  After dinner we went into our daily mapping session and I think I dozed.  Our guide was very patient with me and just wrote it off to old age.  Next day we will head to Rotorua and a live Maori performance.

DAY 15  TUAPO TO ROTOURA

 It is only 82 K to Rotoura so several side trips are in order.  We start with a brisk trip around Lake Tuapo.  The entire trip took about 2 hours so we returned to Tuapo for a coffee break and recast of our route.  The town is very busy during the tourist season so navigation is slow.  Leaving Tuapo we head for the Falls, a beautiful body of water rushing through the rocks.  Reverse course through Tuapo and onto the Centurion drive that takes us off the main Hwy 5 for a brisk run through the countryside.  We reconnect with 5 and proceed north to the location of the geothermal fields.  Since I have been to Old Faithful on many trips, I departed the gang and went onto Rotoura.  I arrived just short of a downpour that had been predicted all day.  It hit just as I arrived at the Hotel.  The humidity is high here and it takes a long time to dry things out.  Masa and the gang arrived 2 hours later soaking wet but protected by rain gear.  Harvey is the only smart guy, he looks at weather news, decides when the best travel times would be and plans his ride to arrive at a destination before the rain.  That evening we had our usual next day mapping session and then mounted the bus to the Maori Village.  Our driver John is the hit of the performance.  He is the guide through the evening, organizing the crowd of about 400 into groups for different parts of the experience.  He is unique as he asks the group in the dinning hall to shout out where we come from.  There were 18 nations represented and we were all greated by John in our native tongue.  That is a good trick when some of the countries have a mixed language.  The show is a display of Maori culture, history, war and fitness techniques, and sprinkled with song and story telling.  After the show we have a feast of food prepared in the traditional way over hot rocks.  It takes 3 hours to prepare so we have plenty of time to enjoy the unique experience of the village.  We return to the hotel about 10 PM and get ready for our road trip to Auckland.

Dick in Moto Guzzi raingear on the VFR

Huka Falls

Maorie Battle Stance

Maorie Warriors