Coromandel Circuit

 There are many problems to do with Covid-19, but a small and selfish benefit is that Aucklanders are stuck in the big city, leaving all the tourist destinations of the upper North Island free for others. A friend extolled the joy of going around Coromandel without aggressive drivers (not necessarily Aucklanders, but, well, actually, yes, Aucklanders) roaring up behind motorbikes. There is a fundamentally different road use between motorcyclists and car drivers. Motorcyclists have to go slowly into corners because, if you are going too fast, you either ride off the road or into incoming traffic. Motorbikes have brakes on the front and the back tyres, and the front tyres are the most effective. (This is not because of technology, but physics; the brake on the dragging tyre behind is far less effective than on the leading tyre in front. As a motorcyclist once explained to me; if you had a wheelbarrow with a jammed wheel, would you push it or pull it? A brake on the dragging wheel is useful, but not very effective.) Unfortunately, the brake on the leading front wheel can also cause problems when turning and heading into a curve at an angle. 

As a result, motorcyclists go into curves slowly and carefully. But once the motorcyclist reaches the apex of the curve and the open road is visible, then there is the power to accelerate. By contrast, a modern car (eg, since the 1980s) has four brakes, often operated with ABS, and the driver makes no decision on front or back brakes. The four brakes mean the vehicle is unlikely to slide and of course there is no angle to the tarmac. So just when a motorcyclist is slowing for a curve, a car driver is maintaining the same speed. A small nudge on the back of a motorcycle is devastating, unlikely a nudge to the back of a car. 

So, Coromandel. Beautiful, more beautiful than the last time I was out, as the weather was better. Although I had my heated grips, I did not need them. I rode out to Paeroa, then Waihi, then went around the Peninsula anti-clockwise. My first break was in the Karangahaka Gorge. The cafe was a little Bohemian, but charming and it had lovely views of the river and, across the road, walkers were heading off to tramp out kilometres. I enjoyed my coffee and a date, apple and oat cake. Very healthy. 

Refreshed, I rode on to Waihi and Whangamata. Some lovely roads and scenery. 

(While checking something else, I saw that two motorcyclists were involved in serious crashes in the areas I was in, at about the same time.)

In Whitianga I struggled to find a decent looking cafe, but did so eventually. I was able to order a calamari and chorizo dish, perhaps two of my favourite items. The chorizo was New Zealand style, so just a kind of sausage, but the calamari was good. By this stage, I was feeling that I had treated myself too much for Sunday. The ride up and over the Peninsula was fun. As my teaching colleague had said, the lack of Aucklanders meant that there was far less traffic, and so there was less need to look behind to see if a car was going to shunt one off the road. 

On the road to Whitianga.

The road around the Coromandel is Route 25, and I guess the marketing department of the Ministry of Transport thought long and hard before coming up with "Stay Alive on Route 25." I would prefer something more positive, perhaps bringing tourists in, rather than making them fearful. 

When I have previously travelled on this route, it has been quite wintry, so it was enjoyable to take off a layer and to feel comfortable. The views are spectacular, the road is lovely, and the curves, inclines and declines, set a challenging and entertaining ride. In the far distance I could see the miasma of Covid-19 over Auckland City, but I was able to ride on with my own thoughts and enjoyment of the road. 

Raglan

Plucky Raglan fought in the Crimean War between Britain and Russia. As with Wellington, his Crimean War exploits mean that a town in New Zealand is named after him. It is a 45 km ride out from Hamilton and is a pleasant, usually touristic town, with apparently some great surfing. As for the road, it winds, rises and falls, has some sharp turns and some opportunities to let the throttle out. It is a very popular route for motorcyclists who can usually be seen on the terrace at the pub on the main street on a Sunday. I took the route out to Raglan on my first day with the V-Strom in December last year, and before you are too critical, remember that I had not been on a bike in 14 years. I was soon terrified. The weight was different, the acceleration was incredible, I had forgotten how to counter-steer, I was too nervous to shift my weight into the curve. I could go on, but I won't. I am already remembering the scenes and the nervousness. So, back to the present. It was a lovely ride. Various important people in school had meetings, but I am unimportant so left once I had finished a number of tasks. I enjoyed a coffee in a small local cafe in Hamilton, and then headed out to Raglan. As always, there is the pleasure of being out, of gripping the fuel tank between my knees, of feeling the power and the responsiveness. I felt comfortable in the curves, relaxed as the road reverse-cambered and enjoyed the chance to speed up. 

I took a look at Raglan Area School, just so that I would know where it was. Who knows? I may have to look at jobs next year. I then rode into town, down a steep street with a right-hand turn. A man in a huge ute trailed me closely and I hoped that he would realise I had to stop as I wanted to turn. Once I was safely in the centre of Raglan, I saw that the butcher's shop was open. There are very few genuine butcher's open these days as most have been swallowed up by the large supermarkets, but in Raglan there is a genuine butcher's. Although I had planned leftovers for an unexciting supper, I felt I had to support Raglan's entrepreneurs. So I bought some lamb shanks for tomorrow, and some sausages for today. I always feel a little embarrassed when purchasing; so I now state that I live alone and so two lamb shanks is an evening meal and then leftovers for work the next day. The view from the carpark over the Raglan Harbour is beautiful and I stood and admired it for a few minutes. the sun was setting at the mouth of the inlet, waves were breaking over sand-bars, and the impression was given of a peaceful timelessness. The ride home was also pleasurable, as I now know well the swoops, curves, changes of gear, shifting of weight, and the chances to accelerate. Whilst there was a lot of traffic heading to Raglan in the evening, there was hardly any traffic going my direction. 

I rolled into Hamilton, a smile on my face. A good afternoon, with an enjoyable trip out to the seaside. It certainly beats a work meeting!

Ngaruawahia, Glen Massey and Glen Afton.

 Today was a fine spring day. It was freezing in the morning, and I mean that in the sense of the temperature being below 0 degrees C, not just the hyperbole expression 'it was a little nippy'. The temperature rose during the day so when I took my little son back to his mother's, I was able to enjoy 14 degrees C. 

I dropped off a book at the Central Library and then rode out north to Auckland. The big city is in a lockdown so there was little traffic heading north. Normally, thousands of vehicles return to Auckland on Sunday afternoon from little weekend away breaks in Rotorua, Coromandel, Taupo, Cambridge or Hamilton. I was kidding about Hamilton. It is not really a 'weekend away' type place. I turned off the State Highway at Taupiri and rode through Huntly. Only a year ago, this was a hectic road, but with the expressway by-passing Huntly and Covid-19 shutting down entrance to Auckland, the old state highway was forlorn and neglected as I rode along. I crossed the Waikato River and headed off to Glen Afton, Glen Massey and my intermediate landmark, Ngaruawahia. The roads were lovely, with climbs and then vistas of paddocks, sheep, beef cattle and the occasional dairy shed. 

For those unfamiliar with New Zealand agriculture, the most lucrative livestock is dairy cows as milk powder brings in a lot of export yuan from China. Next, beef is a good earner, but lamb is not so great. Wool is worthless. I have explained the latter point to teenage students by asking them how many woolen garments they have, and frequently they look at me with puzzlement as they have none. What a strange idea, to wear wool from a sheep! I need hardly explain that, globally, mutton is hardly possible to buy, even though it is far tastier than lamb. So the poorer mountainous areas of New Zealand are populated with sheep, the medium with beef cattle, and the rich lowland valley bottoms are populated with Friesian cows. As I rode along, I admired the sheep. 

In my bid to get the V-Strom to full touring specifications, I put on protectors for the hand grips. These provide very little protection in the event of an accident, but do keep the wind and insects off the hands. 

I gave these a wipe before taking the photographs as I was sure that the sight of multiple dead insects would be unattractive. 

I also took a photo of the heated grips control. 

As I returned through the steep gorges approaching Ngaruawahia, I put the heated grips on to the lowest setting, 30%. Twenty minutes later, as I approached Hamilton's Central Business District, I switched them off, as they were no longer necessary. 

It was a very pleasing ride. Some beautiful and scenic roads, hardly any traffic, I rode smoothly and well, and was able to return home to left-over Shepherd's Pie. Please note that no actual shepherds were harmed in the making of the pie.

Covid

 Back in April and May 2020, I thought that the Covid-19 lockdown would be over within a month or so. Here we are, months later, and things seem to be little better. In fact, with an Australian State closed down, and now Auckland closed down, albeit for only a couple of weeks, my plans for travel for 2021 are limited by the pandemic. 

There is an obvious belief that travel requires money, time, and energy, but that these are distributed unfairly over lifetimes. The young have energy but, given studies and work, little time and less money. The elderly have time and money but no energy. The middle-aged, and I count myself in this category, have some money but work takes up time and the energy levels are falling. So should I be taking a massive decision to use up my money to travel while I have the energy? I would also have to leave my work, which is not such a bad thing. I feel somewhat tired of being abused by teenagers! 

Due to Covid-19, the potential timing is unclear, and the destinations are also unclear. 

On the positive side, my bike is getting to be ship-shape, if I am permitted to mix metaphors. I put on a sump-protector, centre stand, heated grips and hand protectors. I have panniers for luggage and a possible tank bag. I say possible because it does not fit the shape of my fuel tank. I have researched tents and sleeping bags, and thought about cooking materials. So that is the vehicle. Next, is the financial aspect; I have my money invested and I could use that. Realistically I know I cannot afford to buy a house in this life-time, unless I miraculously inherit money, so should I save the money for to improve my retirement, or head into retirement having done something brave and adventurous? 

My contract is to teach until the end of the year. It is hard going, with several difficult classes that make me question my worth. Still, I can count down; six more weeks this term, then a two-week break, then eight weeks. In terms of dates, that means I finish with the school in the middle of December. I have the rental of my house to think about too. In New Zealand, tenants are poorly regarded and tied up with rules and regulations. One is that if I break my contract before my year is up, I can be charged for the remainder of the year. It is possible to protest and argue about that requirement, which I will probably have to do. Basically, I will truthfully plead that I have no job, which of course means that estate agents run for the hills. 

Meanwhile, I am enjoying the bike. The heated grips have certainly added an element of comfort as my hands are kept a little warmer. I have taken rides out to Morrinsville to the east of Hamilton, to Te Awamutu in the south and to Gordonston in the north. Right now, there is a lockdown in Auckland so there is no chance of going too far north in the next few weeks. 

I am also looking forward to better weather! 

Bike upgrades

 Boyd's Motorcycles in Hamilton kindly lent me a bike while my own was being repaired. In the conversation prior to leaving the bike, I'd been told it was a Suzuki Dr650. There are many codes with motorbikes and I confess I don't know much. I kind of knew that the Dr was adventure and that 650 was the engine size. I was told that this bike had gone around the world. I was right on about the Dr and the 650, but I had not appreciated that the bike was a single-cylinder, effectively agricultural bike, with studded wheels and negligible speed. I was surprised at how small it was, and, when I checked later, it was listed as 160kg as against my own V-Strom at 215kg. 

I could not get the motorbike up to more than 80 km/h and it also only seemed to have five gears. (On a motorbike you use your left foot to flick up through the gears. This bike did not to go up beyond five. I counted, because five gears is pretty old-fashioned!) I got it home and scratched my head. 650cc?

Very narrow, small engine. Only one disk brake on the front wheel. Is this really a 650? Around the world?

Bariloche, Argentina. !Ostras!

?Y que mas? 

Ushuaia, fin del mundo. Ushaia is a town at the very bottom of Patagonia, at the very south of Argentina, at the very south of South America. This bike had been there. 

Respect. 

Rotorua circuit

My plan for the day was to take a trip to Taupo, and perhaps to do the loop around the lake. I was up fairly early, had some breakfast and then tried to get going. Somehow, as I was getting on my bike, it fell. I had taken it off the centre stand, then swung my leg over, and I think I caught the seat or perhaps a pannier. The bike thus fell away from me, and, as it weighs 240 kg, that is too much to pull back. It also turned out to be too much to lift, especially as it was wrapped in the tarpaulin that is the car port's side wall. I tried various methods involving brute strength and failed. I ended up with a sore lower back. Then I checked a few YouTube videos and got some good points, particularly about turning the front wheel to full lock. I managed to get the bike quite high up, but, by this time, my back and legs were sore. My neighbour came out, surprised and concerned, and it took us two seconds. I feel I should be able to pick up the bike, but need to be aware. First, switch off the engine. Then put the bike in first. Then put the side stand down. Turn the front wheel towards me, full lock. Then lift, with my back to the bike, one hand on the front handlebar, one on the sissy bar at the back.

I was still rather sore, and I know that this back pain will last a few days. I have often suffered lower disk problems but know that the cure is nurofen and deep heat. Lucky I live alone!

As you can imagine, I became quite hot, sweaty and bothered with the business of picking up the bike. I decided I did not need a jersey and that a waistcoat fleece (or 'vest' as some call it) would be enough for my trip. I headed south on State Highway One and soon realised that it was going to be colder than the weather forecast had suggested. I stopped in Tirau where I admired the sheep. There is also a sheepdog, but I did not take a photo. The corrugated iron sheep are quite lovely enough on their own.

I was feeling a little sore and cold, so opted to go to Rotorua instead of Taupo. I had some vague fantasy ideas about the thermal water creating warmth, but the temperature dropped steadily from 14 degrees C to 13, 11, 10 and then 9. The scenery, as I rode through the Kaimai-Mamaku Conservation Park, was beautiful with fine trees, views of fields and distant hills, and the very attractive Ferguson Creek. As always, the odours of nature are vivid on the motorbike, and entering Rotorua adds to the mix. I do not find the sulphur smell of the area disagreeable and the pungent aroma takes me back to Prince George, British Columbia, which I visited when tree planting in 1985. That was not so pleasant as the smell was related to the Canadian paper and pulping industry whereas Rotorua has its natural smell from the depths of the earth. I took a picture of the lake, which involved searching for a place with a view, as most of the lake-front seems to be under repair, with unsightly construction fences.

Then I wandered about trying to find somewhere to eat. I could not decide. A brunch? Eggs benedict? Something like a steak? I did not fancy a curry. The prices in Rotorua do seem exorbitant and I was just about to give up and go to McDonald's, where the food is a lot cheaper and there is no urge to be pretentious, when I decided to take the simple option of Nando's. Sort of Kentucky Fried Chicken but more expensive. My ex-wife liked Nando's due to her South Africa connection. I ate there with mixed feelings. I had to park in one of Rotorua's motorcycle parking slots. The word 'slot' is appropriate as you can see. There is no room for a friend.

I had hoped to do a circuit of the lake, anti-clockwise. However, I missed the turn west at the north end of the lake, and ended up riding to Tauranga. There was rain, it was still cold, and my back was sore. I was impressed by the sight of Mount Maunganui which I could see from 20 kilometers away, and I could see why it is named twice. Mountain in English, and Maunganui means 'big mountain' in Te Reo Maori. So the name is Mount Mountain Big. Or Monte Montaña Grande if translated into Spanish. There was then a cold, wet and tricky route back to Hamilton negotiating the Kaimai Range again. The temperature warmed up but I was glad to get home.

The trip made a good Sunday. It is back to work tomorrow.

Hamilton Circuit

It is the first of August. Since January I have set myself a monthly target of 1000 kilometres with the motorbike and I have easily exceeded that, and was at 12,209 km on the 31st July. To self-justify; I sold my Kawasaki ZZR 400 in May 2007, and then lived in England and New Zealand. I had no motorbike until I sold my house to move to Hamilton and to be closer to my little son. I am not poor, but my teacher salary is laughable when compared to the price of housing. (I live in hope of either a 50 or 75% housing price fall or a 50% to 75% salary rise for teachers!) I invested my money, which has not been such a great decision, but used some to buy a motorbike, a Suzuki 650cc V-Strom.

Since December I have been improving my biking skills, enjoying my rides out, and frequently taking the long way home just so that I can have the pleasure of riding some more.

Today, 1st of August, a circuit of Hamilton. Although I had been to the town of Ngaruawahia in the morning, to support my school football team (which means trying to encourage them to keep battling despite losing 11-2 to some tough farming lads), I took a spin out north from my house. I stopped for a lovely cup of coffee at Woodville Old Home, or something like that. As this is New Zealand, I was not expecting a National Trust ancient 'home', but it was pretty enjoyable.

There was a cafe next to a cricket pitch. The cynic in me wonders how often the pitch is used, but this was winter. It was a little odd that the stumps were out but they did create a lovely sight. The staff were friendly. I only asked for a long black coffee but frankly, I am a little overweight and hardly need extra food. I took a wander through the gardens and enjoyed the views, before taking a quick tour in the house. As New Zealand is not very old, it is hard to be impressed with items that are 100 years old.

The house and gardens are lovely though, and I recommend them.

I then rode north, to Ngaruawahia, and then turned south to take a route through to Te Awamutu, then via Hamilton Airport back to Hillcrest, in Hamilton. I filled up with petrol. This was not as obviously easily as it should be because I pulled up at the Mobil pump, entered my card, entered my details, entered my "Mobil Saver Con" card, and then discovered that the 91-Octane was not working. I then had to move to another pump and start all over again. There was a sign, a label, attached to the 91-Octane hose, but it was small and only visible when I picked up the pump.

Still, I enjoyed 120+ km of riding, despite a late start. I have not yet decided where I will head off to tomorrow.

I also had to resurrect and recreate a Facebook page. There is no way around it, sadly.

Woodville, New Zealand.

Working day ride

I am committed to some more motorcycle expenses. I was due the 12,000 km service as I had just beaten that number on my odometer, but I have added in heated grips and handle-bar protectors. More money, but I feel I can justify the purchases. The 12,000 km service, well, that speaks for itself. The owners' manual lumps together Oceania and Europe, bizarrely, and tells me that the air cleaner needs to be inspected, the exhaust pipes tightened, spark plugs replaced, fuel hoses inspected, engine oil replaced, throttle cable inspected, throttle valve synchronization inspected, radiator, clutch and drive chain inspected, brakes, brake hoses and brake fluid inspected, tyres, steering, suspension and forks inspected, and finally, chassis nuts and bolts tightened. Phew, quite a list, though I can see that inspection and tightening is perhaps not such a big deal.

However, I added in the heated grips. While I have not especially suffered with the cold either in the winter mornings going to work or when taking trips out, I have read plenty of blogs and seen YouTube postings that suggest they are great. There is also a special offer at my local motorbike dealers. And, of course, who knows? If I get to South America and want to ride across the Andes I want to make sure I can do it. (You will be glad to know I rejected any puns based on cold handies in the Andes. Just too juvenile.) I also wanted handguards which can provide protection from the elements when riding. So I booked the bike in, ordered the parts, was treated very civilly by Boyd's Motorcycles, and even have the loan of a bike while mine is being serviced. Great!

Although the day was cold, and the 4 degrees light was on when I left home, it warmed up to 5 degrees as I left Hillcrest. My teaching day was tough and frustrating, and one of the joys I can console myself with is that I sincerely hope I won't be doing this next year. Will I be riding around New Zealand? Or Australia? Or South America? Or will I give up the daring escape for a logical, rational and financially positive future teaching elsewhere?

I rode home, enjoying the traffic. After seeing riders in Auckland filtering with ability I feel more confident. It is not an ability question but a legality question, since technically motorcyclists are not allowed to filter through traffic in New Zealand. I have tended to be discreet, just overtaking a few cars when I could swap lanes or something. In Auckland I saw motorcyclists putting on their indicators and just heading straight through the lines of traffic. I'll see how it goes. Will I get a ticket?

It was a pleasant ride home. I took a slight detour to enjoy the ride, but the temperature was dropping and I was hungry. My lunch was an apple. I'd like to pretend it was training for a motorcycle trip, but the real reason was that I was heading out of the door of the house when I remembered I had not made lunch, so I grabbed an apple.

Just a spin

We had a week of heavy rain, which, thanks to my decent motorcycle jacket, I do not really mind. Still, I did not get out on the bike much because I had to get some car repairs and then the dreaded Warrant of Fitness for the car. There was also a late-night finish due to parent-teacher interviews, so I was very pleased to take a spin around on the motorbike today, Sunday.

I dropped off the little lad at his mother's and then filled up with petrol at a nearby station. The bike is economical of course. I filled up carefully, enjoying the control of the nozzle and the sight of the petrol pouring in, then bubbling and swirling till it was near the top. It is like the swirling of bath water but, of course, in reverse. Does petrol entering a motorcycle tank swirl in a different direction in the Northern Hemisphere from the Southern?

Then I took the road out to Morrinsville, and turned south along 1b towards Cambridge. The road is, as the name suggests, an alternative to State Highway One. It is single-lane and has no median, but it has good curves, a variety of scenery and all the typical New Zealand smells and features. As a motorcyclist I watch out for muck on the road, such as detritus from tractors. Their tyre treads drop off mud and, all too frequently, the lumpy mud, still with the deep grooves of the tractor tyres, is on a corner as I lean in to turn. When I look left and right I can see the small farms that are the life-blood of New Zealand. Dairy sheds with muddy tracks left by hundreds of cows plodding to be milked twice a day. Family homes, with lights on. Garages and sheds with tractors, utes and other farm vehicles. Fields with Friesian cows contentedly converting grass into food or drink for humans. The fields that are for cows have either barbed wire or just plain wire, sometimes electrified, but, as I approach Cambridge, there are fields with timber fences for the horses.

Cambridge, New Zealand, prides itself on its bloodstock and horseracing and the clearest indicator is that the quadrupeds are mollycoddled with wooden fences, so if they take fright and blunder into a fence, there will be no serious scratches on their hides.

I do like Cambridge. I also like Cambridge, UK, and a possible title of a Round the World Tour would be from Cambridge (NZ) to Cambridge (UK), perhaps via Cambridge (Mass). I have also thought of "From a Thames (NZ) to the Thames (UK)", but with Covid-19 I am not sure of my ability to get further than the South Island! Back to Cambridge (NZ); as well as a fine collection of excellent coffee-shops, and my favourite is a small French cafe, selling over-priced but lovely pastries, the main streets have mosaics on the ground depicting famous horses. I find that lovely. One of Mark Todd's Olympic mounts is commemorated, race winners are immortalized and even successful brood mares and stallions have their busts in a two-dimensional mosaic of carefully arranged jigsaw pieces. Cambridge also has a beautiful village-green-like cricket pitch situated almost in the centre of town. It is surrounded by oak trees and just looks like a village in the Home Counties of England. The kind that probably hardly exists in the Home Counties, but is exemplified here, half a world away.

I rode on through; I wouldn't have minded a coffee but Sunday afternoon is not very lively in this country. I eased myself over the narrow bridge, glancing at the beautiful views of the Waikato River, far, far below, and turned right to Te Awamutu. The road from Cambridge to Te Awamutu does not rank in Mike Hyde's guide to New Zealand's best motorbike rides, but I enjoy it. It has some curves, some changes of direction, the usual ammonia smells of silage, the changes in fresh air temperature and the beautiful sights of the small mountain range of Pirongia and the volcanic shape of Kakepuku. I skirt by Te Awamutu and head north to return to Hamilton using State Highway 3. Just because a road is called a State Highway does not mean that it is much better in width, lanes or straightness than, for example, the road I had just been on from Cambridge. The slight improvement did mean that I was able to move along a little faster, which was pleasing. Once in the Might Tron (Hamilton), I popped into a supermarket to ensure a good meal, and got home, still in daylight.

I have now done 12,000 km with the motorbike since I bought it in the middle of December 2019. It needs servicing, and I will see about getting a date for that tomorrow.

Rainbow's End and, later, home.

The Backpackers' offered a free breakfast, in part because they had closed down their kitchen facilities as a result of Covid-19. So we went down in the morning to have breakfast. I popped out to have a look at the motorbike which I had parked in a car parking lot, to use an Americanism. The Americanism described the place perfectly though; a vacant lot with no buildings, into which Wilson Car Parks had stuck a couple of barriers on and a pay station. The bike was fine, to my relief. We returned to the hostel and went for our breakfast. It was a little shambolic but we were able to get bowls of cereals and some toast, milk and tea.

Soon after, we headed out to Rainbow's End. A fair ride in terms of distance but basically just motorway riding, so little excitement. On arrival, we had the usual gear and paraphernalia issues; I put gloves in the panniers (I remembered that the Spanish word is obscure; las alforjas, but then again, another translation, which seems more mainland Spanish, uses la cartera), carried the helmets and jackets, and carried the day bag. Of course, I wanted to leave stuff in the lockers for the day and I was pretty disappointed to see that the tiny lockers cost $10 and I needed two. They were so small that my helmet did not fit in the left-side opening lockers, but, when I sought help to get the electronic system to give me a right-side opening locker which had more space, a pleasant lady tried to help, but then said, 'Leave the helmet in the office and collect it at the end of the day'. So I cannot complain, because the inherent decency of this woman saved a frustrating situation.

We had fun at the theme park. We enjoyed the rides and risked two more scary ones. One was really quite scary, but the other, called "The Invader," we came back to late in the afternoon. In between those rides, we ate, went on other rides, cried on the Dodgems, raced the Go-Karts and so on.

The trip back on the motorbike was trying. Friday evening traffic in Auckland. Need I say more? While some drivers have learnt to drive, it is always interesting to speculate how many never did a course in driving in their lives. Once again, I parked in the car park for free. And once again, rain teemed down in the evening and I felt for the bike. Perhaps I should have stayed in an AirBnB with a garage.

We left on Saturday morning after another breakfast. This time the lad wanted toast, not cereals. The cheap loaf of bread created a toast that had both a texture and taste of cardboard. I chatted to a few of the more regular people at the backpackers'. In particular, I was intrigued by a man of retirement age, who assured me that it was cheaper to be in a backpackers' than any other accommodation. Is he an inspiration for my retirement or is he the nightmare of retirement; unloved, uncared for, and hanging out with transient travellers on the third floor of an Auckland building?

The ride home went well. We stopped at the Bombay Hills, and the lad wanted KFC. I popped across the road to get a cup of coffee in the petrol station. Then we continued our way. An enjoyable ride on the Waikato Expressway, which has some lovely hills to swoop down through, and also has a number of Maori carvings which give a great impression. We were home without incident.

So some success; although we did not wear all the clothes we took, we did not take too much. I perhaps could have cut down on a book and a notebook for the little lad. Both my laptop and my camera are large and bulky. If I travel next year I will buy a smaller camera and a smaller laptop. My sports shoes were quite large, but I am not sure what the solution is. Perhaps some espadrille type shoes that can be rolled up. We did not need the small towels we brought, though I can see that had we camped, the towels would have been vital.

My first proper trip with C; a success.

Two-up to Auckland.

Motorbike trip, two-up, to Auckland

16 July

Hamilton to Auckland, a two-night stay in a Backpackers' Hostel, with little son C.

Although we'd intended to leave at midday, we were ready to go at 11am. At the last minute, I changed rucksacks, from a a computer rucksack that was bulky with lots of hyper-protected pockets that things could be slid in, to a normal rucksack that I could actually put my camera in. I mention this because, when we arrived in Auckland, I discovered I had left my mobile phone and my glasses in the computer rucksack in Hamilton.

Anyway, I filled up the two Oxford water-proof bags that came with the panniers. They are quite neat, with a long and wide velcro top. My bag was a little more full than C's, in part because I am larger and in part because I brought a pair of shoes while the lad only has one pair when he is with me. I do find myself querying where all the shoes and flip-flops I buy him end up, but that would be churlish. I was a little surprised and disappointed to find that my bag could hardly fit into the saddle bag and that the dimensions do not really correspond. It became difficult to squeeze in my camera into the panniers; this camera is turning into a problem and I will need to get a smaller one.

A little lesson from this road trip is that the two panniers and a rucksack are only just enough space. I do not know if I brought too much stuff, and really won't know until I return home on Saturday. Forgetting my glasses and my mobile phone is not really the best start.

The trip north went well. From home, I went north along Wairere drive, then on to Te Rapa and I stopped at the BP station to fill up. The little lad wanted a chocolate Primo, drank half, and left me to carry the other half. While filling up, I had a friendly comment from a car driver about the chances of rain.

Then it was on to the Waikato Expressway. It was a little chilly and there were a few drops of rain, but nothing too serious. We stopped an hour later at the Bombay Hills and went into a cafe called 'Autobahn.' It was surprisingly full, with many grey-haired clients. I bought a pork pie, which was a little dear, but pleasing. The little lad only wanted a Fanta. He finished the Primo and finished the Fanta. We continued on to the Expressway but there was quite a commotion, with police sirens and multiple police cars. One car was partially off the on-ramp to the Expressway, pointed in the wrong direction and an uninjured person was talking to one policeman with two squad cars already in attendance. New Zealand police are wonderful at taking care of people, but their default action is to close roads for hours on end as they sift through evidence. When I want to arrive somewhere, I much prefer the police of the United Arab Emirates, who would push cars, injured people still inside, off the road to get traffic flowing. So I hastened past, before the NZ Police closed the road down to investigate.

There was noticeably more traffic. I did a steady 105-110 km/h, so slightly above the speed limit, and had a number of cars, trucks and utes in front, beside and overtaking. Once we were in Auckland I pointed out the target destination, Rainbow's End theme park, New Zealand's only theme park. We continued on State Highway One till I saw the signs for “Port”. It was a little struggle to get into the right lanes but we managed. At one stage, I realised that I was going up Queen Street and the Backpackers' was on the other side, so I turned off, did a quick u-turn and reappeared, ready to turn right on to Queen Street. A motorcycle policeman pulled up alongside me, but he obviously had not seen my u-turn (or else was not bothered about it!) and we had a conversation as we waited at the red light. He asked about my bike, complimented the young lad on his jacket, and, in response, said there were 28 motorcycle policemen in New Zealand. He was on a large Honda, 350 kg he said, and I commented that I found the 220 kg V-Strom a little tricky at times. The lights changed and we moved on our separate ways. I pulled in to the Backpackers' and was able to park right outside between two large civic plant pots.

The reception was messy and there was a curious smell to the place, like a mixture of unwashed clothes, unwashed plates, cooking and close-pressed humanity. Many people seemed to be hanging out with no real purpose and I wondered if this was the effect of Covid-19.

C and I went up to our room and it was pretty basic, with two single beds, an en-suite bathroom with a shower and toilet. There was a television, but when I tried to get it going I found that one channel worked well and the others were poor. I gave up my television over a year ago, and since then the channels have not improved.

I took a quick trip out to the motorbike in order to put it into a better and more legal place. Then C and I took a walk to find some supper. He wanted a pizza, but I was not hungry. Still, we found a good place by the port to eat. It was a good day.

Practicalities of Motorbike Tour, 2021.

Motorcycle touring practicalities.

 

Vehicle

Suzuki V-Strom DL650A, NZ Registration B6ZJG, Frame number: Engine number:

Insurance;

 

Extras

Panniers, tank bag, little backseat bag, rucksack, lock, chain lock, Navman, bungy cords, spare petrol tank, camelbak water,

 

Clothing

4 x underwear, 4 x socks, 2 x long-sleeve shirts, 2 x tee-shirts, swimming trunks, small towel, toiletries including detergent, shorts, jandals, jacket, motorcycle jacket, motorbike jeans, waterproof jacket and trousers,

Food

Water bottles, cereals?

Money

Credit card, cash, bank accounts,

Camping

Tent, sleeping bag. Knife, fork, spoon, cup, bowl. Sharp knife, corkscrew/bottle-opener. Rope/cord.

Technology

Mobile phone, camera, GoPro, computer, paper notebook + pens, kindle, flashlight,

 

Finances

Storage of goods in New Zealand; $174/month, for 3m x 3m. I’d have to get rid of some items, but I could keep much till the return. Child support, $274/fortnight, $550/month. More or less $730/month. One year would total $8760.

Daily costs; internet suggests US$30/day, which would be about NZ$40/day, $280/week, $1260/month, $14,600 for the year. In addition, airplane flights and freight. Flight and freight from NZ to Australia = $3,000, Australia to Santiago de Chile (or Auckland to Santiago) = $5000. From Mexico or USA to Europe, $5000. Then an Asia to Auckland; $5000. Total = $14,600 + $15,000 (Auckland to Santiago, USA/Mexico to Europe, Asia to Auckland) = $19,600.

Add on ferries. Add on repairs, tyres, etc. Add on petrol.

 

Australia loop; Mike Hyde’s book has 17,350 km.

South America; Gabriel Landry, Quebec to Argentina 3 months and 20,000 km.

 

A full tank of 15 litres does about 450 km, so Australia would be 39 full tanks at ?? NZ$26 per tank, perhaps Aus$24/tank, = NZ$1002.

South America to North America would be 45 full tanks, NZ$1155.

 

Auckland and Orewa

11 July 2020

337 kilometres.

Auckland is Te Reo Maori for 'over priced real estate'. No, I am kidding about the language. William Hobson was Lieutenant Governor in 1840 when the settlement was established and he named it after his boss, the Earl of Auckland, who was the First Lord of the Admiralty. Did it help Hobson gain a peerage, perhaps a baronial estate in Buckinghamshire? I do not know. Lord Auckland is described by Wikipedia as lacking in talent and indifferent to the history and culture of India, where he was Governor-General. The city is named in honour of someone who never saw the place, and that should already give a sense of the pointlessness and emptiness at the core of New Zealand's largest city. Many non-Aucklanders grumble that it is not really New Zealand, but that reflects the empty premise, which is that people can point to clear culture, traditions, ethnicity and languages that are “New Zealand,” and thus identify what is “not New Zealand.”

I spent Saturday morning typing and at two libraries seeking a motorbike touring book of New Zealand. I had read Mike Hyde's motorbike tour book of Australia and I knew that he had written about touring New Zealand. I found the book in Hamilton's Central Library and stuck it in my saddlebag next to Isabel Allende's “La Casa de los Espiritus.” One of many thoughts about what I should do next year, in 2021, is to do a Ph.D, but I tried before and could not keep up the work, so that is not a relevant possibility. A key aspect to a Ph.D is a reading list, and I thought that if I want to do a tour of New Zealand, Australia or South America, then I should make such a reading list. So I need a literature review.

Moving on to the moving object, the Suzuki. I left “The Tron,” or “The City of the Future,” Hamilton for the “City of Sails,” Auckland, shortly before midday. The new expressway made a lovely ride north but as I approached New Zealand's largest city the traffic became worse and the driving standards dropped. I see this as part of my essential training: if I plan to ride a motorbike in Sydney, Melbourne, Santiago de Chile, Buenos Aires or the city of Mexico, then I had better do well in Auckland! I had no particular destination in mind, just the idea of some lunch and I had left my GPS in the car, which was being repaired. I followed signs to the port and found myself heading down Queen's Street, a major road down to the port. I looked for somewhere to park, but no luck. I rode up and down a few small streets and then noticed a scooter and a small motorbike parked in front of a tree and I left my bike at the next tree. On one side was a “Tepid Swimming Pool” and the other side was a Train Sushi. Both concepts are puzzling. Why tepid? Sure, I get that the different types of sushi are on a belt and revolve in front of the clients, but does that make it a train?

I locked the bike and took a walk. Rain poured down heavily and I remembered that I had left my baseball cap in the saddle bags. I found that I had expertly parked by the Viaduct and so the trendy and beautiful of Auckland were hanging out by the yachts, spending on food and drink. I wandered past a few places, trying to choose somewhere reasonably priced that looked fine. I took a loop around and found myself back at the bike. Nearby was a coffee shop with a special offer chalked on a blackboard. Burger, chips and coffee, $20. It was good.

I took a stroll and admired the personalised number plates. This one suggests that the owner likes to w**k a lot and he is proud of it.

Refreshed, I rejoined the traffic of Auckland and saw the signs for State Highway One, north to Whangarei. Despite living for 12 years in New Zealand I have never been north of the city but I once was offered a temporary teaching post in Orewa, along the Hibiscus Coast.

The road north was busy but manageable and enjoyable. There were clear signs for a toll road but also for a free road which would go through Orewa. It turned out to be a very touristy town, with a line of expensive sea-front houses and numerous small cafes, restaurants and other essentials for the day tripper. I had a cheerful conversation with a group who had enjoyed some alcohol with their lunch. I saw a small cafe called Tasca with a sign for “Estrella Damm, Barcelona.” Estrella is not my favourite Spanish beer, but it was a reminder of my time in Catalonia.

I ordered a coffee and asked the manager if he was Spanish, but he was from Turkey. Such is the world. A Turk in New Zealand running a Spanish tapas bar. It could explain the grilled haloumi on the menu. In the cafe there was a couple, both middle-aged, who looked like they were on a date. She did not speak English well, and he had that loud voice that revealed his belief that if he spoke loudly enough she would understand him. After the coffee, I took a walk to the beach to search for an ideal camera shot, but the ideal framed shot, with trees, had various people sitting and eating, in a very un-photogenic way. The couple from the cafe appeared and she clambered on to the rocks to demand a photo from her companion. Once that was taken she was in a panic as she struggled to get back off the rocks. I looked at my watch and realised that it would be dark by the time I returned home. I left them to their date.

I took a more scenic route back to Auckland and was doing a leisurely 80 km/h, the speed limit, when I was overtaken by two aggressive Harley-Davidson riders doing considerably more than the speed limit. They roared past. The return route was pleasing. I re-crossed the Auckland Harbour Bridge and yet again enjoyed the fine views of the sky-scrapers and the big city. On both sides there were hundreds of yachts, carefully moored in their marinas. I wondered if living in a yacht was permitted, given that the price of living on land in Auckland is out of the reach for most people.

On the motorway south I was riding well and comfortably, despite the traffic. I overtook one car though and pulled in front of it, glanced in my rear view mirror and saw that the driver, of a race and gender that I won't mention, was looking right and had accelerated to be practically on top of me. I accelerated and then let her overtake me. Another vehicle, an unexciting old station wagon, was zig-zagging from left lane to centre, to right, to centre, right again and was, at each lane change, gaining a car space. The car pulled off after a few kilometres, having gained perhaps ten car-lengths through his maneuvers. There were no other incidents on my return and I was home in time to Skype my mother and reheat some leftover food.

The Coromandel

475 km, 10 July 2020

There is a Coromandel Coast along the south-east of India. The Dutch sailors changed the pronunciation of Karimani to something easier to pronounce and, as a result, gave a name to an area of trading importance, which led to Royal Navy ship names and then the naming of a peninsula in New Zealand.

I rode my motorbike from Hamilton to the Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand. While I would love to explore the east coast of India, I will leave that to the future.

It was -1 degrees C when I left home to drop off my son at my ex-wife's house. There is a flashing light on the V-Strom to warn of cold weather. I know there will be some motorcyclists who have never seen it, perhaps because they live in warm climates or perhaps because they park the bike when winter comes. I get a little frisson of excitement when the light is on as I know that I am dicing with chance and I look carefully at corners and shaded areas.

As I left Hamilton for Morrinsville the sun was in my eyes and the damp tarmac reflected, sometimes with a shiny blackness and sometimes with the harder grey colour of a drier road. The shiny black worried me as I wondered if it was black ice so I was careful with the throttle and kept my foot hovering over the rear brake. Glancing across fields I could see the lovely effect of the warming sun; where there was shade the grass was white with hoarfrost but grass in direct sun was green. I could feel the cold in my fingers despite my winter gloves. I had wanted to install heater grips the last time I had some improvements done to the motorbike, but they did not have enough time. Another task for next month, when the V-Strom needs the 12,000 km service.

The temperature rose slightly from 1 degree Centigrade to 3 degrees. I rode around Morrinsville, admiring the statuesque cows, then continued to Paeroa, my planned stop for coffee. Paeroa is Maori for ridge (pae) and long (roa) but it is most known for its giant Lemon and Paeroa bottles. “L and P” is a lemonade like fizzy drink, as the bottle labels claim, famous in New Zealand. I like it. From Morrinsville to Paeroa the temperature warning light flicked off and stated that it was 5 degree C, but soon after the temperature dropped and the light came on. I was glad to enter the cafe and ask for a long black coffee. My fingers painfully gained warmth as I clutched the little cup. The break gave the sun time to warm up, and the bike's temperature scale marked first an incredible 19 degrees, then a more reasonable 14 degrees.

I rode on to Thames. I think there is something special about a town called Thames and I love the old-style buildings on main street. I filled up with petrol and stared at a army field gun outside the Returned Services' Association. I thought about big objects in New Zealand towns; Morrinsville has a giant painted cow, and many others life-size painted cows around the town, Paeroa has two giant “L 'n' P” bottles, Turangi has a giant trout, Taihape has a giant gumboot, Rakaia has a giant salmon but all I could see in Thames was a field gun, life-size. There are other giant objects, and perhaps a tour of New Zealand could have a focus of giant objects in towns. The sheep in Te Kuiti, the giant carrot in Ohakune, the guitar in Gore. I paid for the petrol and rode north, wondering what Thames could offer, as the field gun lacked originality.

The Coromandel Peninsula road north of Thames is beautiful, but challenging as it is is narrow with often a sheer fall to the sea or rocks on the left side. The sea views were beautiful, with the dark blue of the sea, the occasional views of the distant, hazy hills across the Firth of Thames, the trees clustered tightly on both sides, the rocks in the sea with perched cormorants scanning for rash fish, shore fishermen patiently watching their rods and boats lazily cruising to or from the deep ocean beyond. The narrow road, sharp turns and one-lane bridges meant continual changes in gear, from second up to third and fourth, and then drops down, and I felt pleased at my corner-taking as I was shifting my weight carefully across, I was counter-steering well, leaning forward, and gripping the petrol tank with my knees.

Coromandel Town lacks a giant object. It could do with one. It is a just a little far for the real estate pandemonium that affects most of the peninsula and it even seems to have a functioning fishing harbour though the bakery I went to just offered generic meat pies, chicken and chips, and the usual soft drinks. I selected a steak and blue cheese pie, then stood politely while an old lady struggled with her umbrella, the tongs, the pie she had selected, and the paper bag. I helped by holding her umbrella while she gave up on the tongs to use her fingers. It was my turn next. I struggled with the bike helmet, gloves, the tongs, the pie and, what should have been apparent earlier, a bag that was only barely big enough for the pie. I put the helmet on the ground, the pie on the bag on the tray and then also used my fingers to slide the pie into the paper bag. I saw the amused expressions of people behind and, shamefacedly,  decided I did not want to buy a drink.

Revitalised by the pie, which did indeed have a taste of blue cheese, I headed east along Route 25 to Whitianga, enjoying the curves, the sudden vistas of green fields, distant sea and trees. I stopped to take some photos and a German tourist admired the V-Strom. He was working near Hamilton, having finished his university undergraduate studies just before lockdown. He was with his younger sister, who was studying in a secondary school. She was very complimentary about the New Zealand education system, which is unusual as most Germans I have met complain about the informality, the low level of learning and the excessive focus on extra-curricular activities such as sports. I continued on to Whitianga, buoyed by the conversation. After a few photos in Whitianga I continued to Tairua, and then at the next junction, where I had a choice of Auckland and Thames, or Whangamata and Tauranga, I chose Whangamata. It was an idyllic road, snaking through a forest, alongside rivers and with the added fun of one-lane bridges. At Whangamata I stopped for a coffee, mostly because I wanted a break and wanted some water. The coffee and the water were welcome, and I appreciated the décor which included lyrics from songs. I was tempted to boast of my knowledge of Pink Floyd, Queen, David Bowie, Beatles, Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin lyrics to the barista, but, as she was aged about 19 and ½ years old, I thought she would be uninterested.

I proceeded on, singing a few lyrics to myself, south, through Waihi, Katikati and Tauranga. I debated whether to go on to Whakatane and to look for a Backpackers' Hostel for the night but I had nothing, not even a toothbrush or a towel. I was not even sure if, after all the Covid-19 problems, there would be a Backpackers' open. It also started to get colder, with the temperature dropping from 15 degrees to 9 degrees. I also thought of the food I had at home; some bacon, some pesto sauce and spaghetti. Twenty minutes' cooking, and at no cost, while a stay in Whakatane would mean spending. So at Tauranga I took the road to Hamilton. This involved crossing part of the Kaimai Ranges, which meant the temperature dropped more. I enjoyed the ride up the range, but the road down was more tricky as the road was wetter and I had a car behind; on straight parts I could pull ahead but then I had to slow for blind corners and he would catch up and sit close to my rear wheel.

The rest of the road home was flat, and I was able to filter ahead of queuing traffic joining State Highway One. The sun had set which meant a drop in temperature, but, on the plus side, I was not riding into the sun. The last time I had been returning along Highway One I had to use my hand as a visor because I was riding directly into the setting sun. By Cambridge, Waikato, there is an exceptional section of the road with a 110 Km/h speed limit, in contrast to the 110 km/h limit in the rest of the country, so I was able to increase my speed. I was balancing cold fingers with a more prompt arrival home. It was good to get home, having completed 475 kilometres from approximately 9 am to 6.30 pm.

My morning commute.

My morning commute 

 It is not a long ride into work as it is, at most, ten minutes from my home to school. The street I live on has quite a lot of gravel from roadworks done in the summer so the chips flick up. There is a simple left and immediate right and I ride past a secondary school. One striking aspect of this school is that I often see students practising football, some forty minutes before school starts. They are dedicated. Of course, parents are beginning to drop off their teenagers, buses are rolling up and I have to watch out for the pedestrian crossing. I ride up the hill at a steady 50-odd kilometres an hour, keeping within the speed limit, in third gear. The revs are fairly high, but I know that if I click up to fourth gear I am likely to push up to 60 or 70 km/h. I keep in third. 

 Then there is a tricky t-junction; some traffic is pulling in to go down to the secondary school, some traffic is heading straight and there is that irritating regularity of traffic. Either the road I am crossing has minimal gaps, or someone is turning in front of me. I now take a slightly aggressive attitude and I pull out when I see a gap, and then drive in the median, slotting in on the other side of the road. I have not had anyone gesturing to me or honking their horn, so I assume that road users here are not complaining. Soon after I turn, and while negotiating the median strip, and trying to slide in between vehicles, there is a Zebra Crossing. It is so easy to be looking in the rear-view mirrors, glancing at blind spots, trying to slide into place, shifting from first gear to second, and third, that I have to consciously look right and left to see if any pedestrian is crossing. As a pedestrian, I like Zebra Crossings as there is something powerful in just stepping out, knowing that the traffic is obliged to stop. As a motorbike rider, looking left, right, ahead, changing gears and slotting into position, the necessity to see if some pedestrian is claiming their right to cross is a challenge. I have, on occasion, not seen the pedestrian. I feel guilty. 

Then there is a good moment or two. I have my position in the morning commute. I pass some sports fields and a café that I have been to a few times. A traffic speed indicator states 48 km/h or 55km/h, but I have not yet worked out if it picks up the motorbike. There are some traffic lights, and most of the traffic heads up an arterial road leading to the west of the city. I keep straight. Curiously, I often see a young man walking to the high school I passed quite a few minutes ago. He is distinctive as he has a huge head of curly blond hair like some kind of halo. I often wonder about the boys’ hair regulations in his school, because in my own school, that length hair would not be acceptable. We have a bald-headed man who is a stickler on boys’ hair length. It is tempting to speculate on the reasons he is so strict on hair, but I will not do so. At the next traffic light, I turn right. I am usually at the front, as either I filter, or I am one of very few turning right. At this point I have one of my high points of the commute; I can pull right carefully and then accelerate away, from first gear, to second, to third and to fourth. I know that I am exceeding the speed limit as I pass by a football field, but it is great to have wide-open road in front of me for a short while. I slow for the next traffic lights, keeping a little to the right to avoid manhole covers. There are few things more disconcerting to a well-ordered person than skidding on a wet manhole cover. 

At the next traffic lights, I can frequently see students from my school, often heading into a fast-food take-away to get fried chicken and chips. I do not know whether to remonstrate that the students are eating chicken and chips at 8 o’clock in the morning or to accept that teenage boys can have a healthy breakfast at home and then be hungry after a short walk. I also admire the take-away restaurant owner’s acumen; what a great idea it is to fry up chicken and chips at 8 am! There is a gentle curve at this point, giving me a chance to counter-steer and accelerate as I head alongside the school rugby pitches. Then I indicate left and ease down, from fourth gear to third, to second and to first. Frequently, I have to stop as students are ambling across the road without paying attention to traffic. 

Although I have a designated parking place for my vehicle, nowadays I park the motorbike under a set of stairs. This flight of stairs provides some shelter from the rain. The bike is new. I love it. As an adult, I appreciate that it can withstand some rain, but I would still like to protect it as much as I can. So I indulge in some pavement riding, back up with difficulty, inch forward, back up again, and ease the bike into a protected position. My morning commute. The fact that I am on my motorbike makes this great. Unless you ride a motorbike, you will not appreciate the joy of even a simple and repetitive trip.

New Start

I have had quite a change. I don't want to detail my personal life, but instead, I would like to push my writing into a new area, that of motorcycling. In December 2019 I bought a brand-new Suzuki V-Strom 650. I have been delighted with it since I bought it. It is a beautiful machine, with a lovely dashboard interface, partially digital and partially analogue.

The revolution counter is analogue, but the left side is digital and clearly displays fuel tank range, time, air and engine temperature, and traction settings. I can move between traction settings and also other aspects such as fuel economy. It is more sophisticated than my car dashboard. Of course, the V-Strom is more expensive than my car, so that might explain the technical advances. It is a beautiful machine to look at, with lovely lines and a simple colour styling. I chose the white petrol tank which I have waxed. It seems odd to wax just the petrol tank but the reward is seeing it gleam. Another reason to wax it is because I met a guy on an immaculate scooter in Taupo. I complimented him on what looked like a new vehicle, but he said it was five years old, but well cared for. I realised he spent quite a bit of time cleaning his scooter and could enjoy the pride of a well-cared-for scooter.

So what next?

I hope to take a major road trip next year, 2021. Covid-19 has disrupted travel possibilities so it is impossible to make clear plans. My most adventurous idea is that of South America. I could fly to Santiago de Chile with the motorbike, then ride it to Buenos Aires, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay, back to Chile, then Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. From there, I could ride through Central America; Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Once I have gone that far, I can continue through Mexico. I am not sure about the US of America. It should be relatively easy to freight the motorbike from Mexico City, D.F., to Spain, and then I could begin a European tour. The Latin American tour would be well over 18,000 kilometres and, at a recommended 300 km/day, a minimum of 60 days. Online advice suggests that travellers should add on 1/3 to the number of days, which results in 80 days. A good point about South America is that I am fluent in Spanish though the accents might be difficult to deal with.

A more manageable possibility is a tour of Australia, the big tour around the country. The Australian State Highway One is 14,935 km, but many attractions are off that, so 15,000 km is minimal. I could go clockwise, starting from Sydney, and finishing there too. I could do such a tour in 48 days, or a month and a half.

If it is impossible to get to Australia or South America, then a tour of New Zealand is possible. I have seen much of New Zealand, so there is no great novelty, but it would be fun to see the country whilst on a motorbike.

Meanwhile, I need to get through the next five months, work out what is happening about Covid-19, and make some decisions.

moving on

On a completely different note, my wife has left me. So I suppose I can umpire lots of cricket, once I get my act together!