RobiNZ Personal Blog

Northland Twin Coast Trail Cycle 6 | Abarth, Packards, lunch, home

The only cycling activity today was fitting my bike back into AHBART for the trip home. ‘Bart’ had been safely stored across the road from Left Bank in their secure parking area. It was that which made the trip viable, five days parking for a very modest cost which could be racked up in hours in Auckland. I went for the ‘light option’ Continental breakfast (muesli, fruit, yoghurt, toast with local honey & conserves) at Mint Café as was meeting a cycling friend for lunch later in the day. Had to have a second coffee and remember Brooke being particularly... Read more →

Northland Twin Coast Trail Cycle 5 | Russell to Kaikohe, via Kerikeri

Another fine day, so much for the tropical cyclone forecast! Had breakfast in the motel (self catered) and set off for Paihia on the ferry from Russell. I was the only one on the little ‘Waimarie’ ferry, not Fullers. The skipper, solo crew, was busy doing chores most of the way (paper work and polishing brass!) but chatted a bit once we got closer to shore and the engine noise reduced. After a quick look around Paihia, several years since my last visit, I headed towards Waitangi to check out a possible route to Kerikeri. Google maps shows some forest... Read more →

Northland Twin Coast Trail Cycle 4 | Kaikohe to Russell, via Opua

I was glad to see the sun shining when I woke up on Sunday morning. The plan was a relatively short 45km trail ride to Opua with a ferry ride and short road section to my overnight accommodation in Russell. That gave time for a leisurely start with breakfast in the Left Bank Mint Café. Their Eggs benedict was awesome; two eggs, bacon, spinach on a toasted muffin and two hash browns. A huge breakfast for me, usually just have a yoghurt, banana & coffee! I also did a bit of bike maintenance. The rain had washed off a lot... Read more →

Northland Twin Coast Trail Cycle 3 | Opononi to Kaikohe via Kohukohu

Awoke to better weather, still overcast but warm, no rain and still no wind from the threatened tropical storm. Opononi Lighthouse Motel was great, quiet, clean and right on that beautiful harbour front. It was straight back on the bike, I skipped breakfast in Opononi as had another destination in mind for that. Although the weather was fine I was wearing SealSkinz waterproof socks again, makes putting on ‘still damp’ bike shoes from the previous day no problem. The first 20km ride back to the Rawene turnoff retraced yesterday but no rain made it more pleasant. Another, better, chance to... Read more →

Northland Twin Coast Trail Cycle 2 | Kaikohe to Opononi, via Horeke

Day one of my ride was a mix of cycle trail, Pou Herenga Tai - Twin Coast Trail Kaikohe to Horeke, and road riding to Opononi for the night. After a good, big for me, breakfast (pancakes with fruit, honey & two coffees) at Mint Restaurant I assembled my bike. Fitting it in the Abarth means taking off both wheels & the Tailfin pannier rack but sorting that didn't take long. The day was overcast, road damp from overnight rain, but warm (25 deg c) and very humid with misty ‘not quite rain’ to actual light rain coming and going.... Read more →

Northland Twin Coast Trail Cycle 1 | A plan, to Kaikohe and beyond!

I’ve wanted to ride Pou Herenga Tai - Twin Coast Trail (Opua to Horeke, Hokianga) since learning about it a couple of years ago. I have ridden in the area a couple of times but that was all road touring. The trail (No. 1 & 3 green sections on the map below) is about 87km which is a nice day ride distance, for me, but I wanted to do a bit more. Over the New Year break I started thinking about making a long weekend of it later in February, but not a public holiday weekend, to avoid road traffic... Read more →

Just because you are on a crossing, keep watching…

Red lights, cars stopped, green pedestrian and cycle crossing, all good, right? No! It doesn't look so dramatic on the front camera (due to field of view). I let this run a bit longer so you can see the cars queuing across the bike lane trying to enter a gridlocked parking area. The second white one was actually trying to push into a space which wasn't there and looked mad a me for crossing their path! But the rear view better represents what happened at the crossing and how close this near hit was. Read more →

Triangle Road, Massey, Auckland Chicken Run

It is astonishing how many cars are doing a head on "’chicken run’ down Triangle Road passing stationary traffic, on the wrong side of a double yellow ‘no passing’ line, crossing a two lane bridge with no means of escape. They must have a good job to be that desperate to get there… Just to show this isn't a one-off here is a repeat performance from today. * I don't use the bike lane down there unless there is traffic approaching from behind as it is rough, has a lip to the road and often covered in road debris. Read more →