Route 22

I took a trip up Route 22, from Ngaruawahia to Tuakau. 

During the week I applied for post teaching English in Tuakau College and thought that I should go and have a look at it. I could have ridden the V-Strom north up State Highway One and turned off west at Pokeno, but that would have been rather uninteresting. Route 22 is lovely, with gorges running alongside streams, occasional views of the Waikato River, distant sights of the sea, roads that run along the ridges of hills and then swoop down in curves to valley bottoms. There are farms, forests, small townships, a few marae, scenic reserves, dairy sheds, beef farms, and sheep farms. Though the sky was grey, occasionally interspersed with blue, and one or two black and heavy clouds, it was a good spring day to be out. I was riding north to Auckland and so waved cheerfully to motorcyclists heading south from the big city. 

I am not exactly sure of the distance but an approximate calculation from Hamilton would be 100km, so I was pleased to roll into Tuakau. There is a lovely bridge over the Waikato River and then a sweeping road past a park and walking area where people were unloading boats. The bridge is white, with several arches and looks like a child's drawing of what a bridge over a river should be like. It is also quite narrow, with an instruction to wait if a wide load is on it. I stopped at a cafe and treated myself. I could not help but notice that the proximity to Auckland meant that menu items were 50 cents or a dollar more than in Hamilton, and of course Hamilton is 50c to a dollar more expensive than Marton in the Rangitikei where I used to live. A coffee and an Afghan biscuit at $8.

Pronunciation in Te Reo Maori is not simple. Whoever first wrote down the language and then 'set' the pronunciation had some oddities in his (could be her, but I assume his) ideas of the relationship between English letters and their sounds. I am no expert, but in the name "Tuakau" the "tu" part means "to stand" and is a long "too" (I often think of Spanish tu) and the "akau" (meaning at a river bank) ends with an open "oh" sound. Pronounced slowly, it would be "tu-a-koh", but the final letters, in English, of "au," are usually pronounced "ow". So I was much amused to see the cafe had this on the wall; 

Tuakau. Two cow. While it is easy to complain about the ignorance of English settlers and immigrants, I can't help but also feel that a simplification and rationalisation of Te Reo Maori spelling in the 19th Century would have helped. I remember looking at a book on Maori pronunciation, published in the year 2000, that explained helpfully that the "wh" is like in "whales" but the "w" is like "Wales". As far as I am concerned, these words have been homophones all my life. I know some accents of the Irish Midlands have the aspirated w sound when pronouncing "whales," "when" and words like "why" but I don't think it exists elsewhere nowadays. And as for "au" to be pronounced "oh", the first writers could have saved a lot of trouble by writing "oh". The big lake in the centre of the North Island (Late Taupo) would be Lake Tohpo, not mispronounced to Maori irritation as Lake "Towpo" and Tuakau would be "Tuakoh". I took a spin around "Two Cow"/Tuakau and found the school. It looks ok. There was a team practising rugby, on a Sunday at midday, which was impressive. But with Covid-19 it would have been silly to ask questions of the coaches/managers/teachers involved.

For ages, I have wanted to take a trip out to Port Waikato, the outlet of the Waikato River to the sea. I had twice adventured out, but found myself lost and following directions to Huntly. This time, I had a clear plan as Tuakau was right by the road leading out to Port Waikato. I returned back over the white bridge, thinking about children's drawings, and this time turned right towards the sea, coasting along the southern side of the Waikato River. Again, a lovely road, which reminded me a little of the road out to Port Chalmers and to Aramoana in Otago. On the right hand side was the mighty Waikato River, on the left were the sharp hillsides with sheep. At times, there was a flat bay, with brown and low quality grass. There were few cows. The houses were far from the million-dollar luxury of Auckland, with several shacks, numerous old buses and broken-down caravans serving as housing. Port Waikato itself had the look of holiday homes, just like Aramoana, and had a similar opening to the sea. 

As well as applying for an English teaching post in Tuakau, I applied for a Spanish teaching post in Glendowie in Auckland. So I decided to see how my Navman would guide me. On the second attempt (changing from school to college helped!) it found my destination and set me a course. I would perhaps have preferred a route through Pukekohe rather than along State Highway One, but getting to SH1 was pleasant, with an enjoyable road from Tuakau to the main highway. It was badly repaired, so I was glad to be taking it in daylight when I could see the potholes! Nonetheless, the road curved, rose up to provide panoramic vistas, swooped down into quiet forested areas and then re-emerged with new sights to please me. 

The highway was just the highway. I regularly checked the Navman and pulled off at the correct turning. I felt like I was being led around various obscure routes but eventually the message was "You are at your destination." I was at a T-Junction. To the right were rugby playing fields, to the left were some football playing fields. I went left, but it was a community centre. I doubled back and found myself at the Sacred Heart School. Where was Glendowie? I had to try a few streets and I have to say the Navman was nearly right, but not quite. I found it, and slowed to look at the front of the school. Two primary-school-aged boys went past and one said, "Nice bike", so he should win a prize. The Navman helped find the place, and so I tried "Places near by" with "Restaurants" but the one I selected was closed. I meandered around some more, and found a cafe, where I was able to have a cafe and a ham and cheese croissant for $12. 

Rather than riding home along State Highway One, I choose the grandiously named "Pacific Coast Highway". I checked my paper map and saw "Kawakawa Bay," which I entered in my Navman. It gave me the one in Auckland, unlike Google which has just given me one in Northland. Again, it was a very pleasant ride out through places like Clevedon to Kawakawa Bay. I stopped at a headland to take a few pictures. The Pacific Coast Highway was another lovely road and, with Route 22, enters my list of great NZ roads. The route from Brookby to Clevedon and on to Kawakawa and on to Miranda is beautiful.

Soon after Miranda, it started to rain. I had just bought myself a pair of rain trousers so was delighted to try them out. I could not find a place to stop, except by the side of the road. While sitting and trying to get boot and a leg through the rain trousers, an elderly couple stopped to ask if I was ok. I assured them I was, and then, standing, struggled to get my other leg through the rain trousers. I could appreciate that if I was writhing around on the ground, it could cause consternation. However, it is not easy to get rain trousers on over boots and riding jeans while standing up!

Then it was time to ride home. I turned off SH 26 to Ngatea, then went through Paeroa and Morrinsville, before reaching home at 6.15pm. I had started at 9.25am, dropped off a book in Hamilton Library, and spent a lot of the day in the saddle. I also think it is the first time I have filled the tank up twice in the same day; in the morning in Ngaruawahia, and in the afternoon in Paeroa. I calculate I managed 580 km, which is not a lot, but I had several breaks and, at times, the going was slow. Another good day.