Page 17 - Shining On Newsletter - Spring 2023.pdf

Wednesday 2nd November – A day in Wellington which, due to the wind and heavy rain, was mainly
spent in the Te Papa Museum of New Zealand. (these figures are huge, 3 or 4 times larger than life, Ba)

Thursday 3rd November – The forecast for
today was horrendous but the heavy rain
stopped around 10am so we loaded the
Street Glide and set off to Napier. Although
cloudy and damp as we left Wellington we
were lucky - the waterproofs stayed in the
panniers, and the weather started to improve
and the roads dried out. The views and
scenery through the Tararua Forest Park
(sometimes above the cloud) were fantastic
and by mid-afternoon we had arrived in a
very sunny and warm Napier, and a motel
room with fantastic views over Hawke Bay.
So, after a nice cuppa and to Val’s delight a
soak in the Spa bath (photo published with Val’s permission - thank you! Ba) we headed off to do some
sightseeing and get something to eat.

Friday 4th November - A ride inland today to
Rotorua via Taupo and Huka Falls.

Saturday 5th November – A day of sightseeing in
Rotorua which included a visit to the Government
Gardens,watching croquet on the lawn, a walk to
the thermal pools in Kuirau Park, and the tree walks in the Redwood Whakarewarewa Forest, followed
by a Māori evening experience where Val met her perfect man!

Sunday 6th November – Packing up and back on the road via Touranga to Whitianga, a dull day but
more great roads and scenery, via a ‘Bikers’ café (though not the busiest)?

Monday 7th November – Last full day of riding today, around the famous Coromandel Peninsula, with
more great roads and views.

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