I could not get any cover for the 1KC dates this year so decided to do it as a virtual ride. Word came down that I could not do that either so decided just to ride it by myself just as a ride. As I had not been on any rides at all for a couple of months I decided to do it on the next fine day. That turned out to be the 25th of October.
I am now taking insulin for my diabetes so made sure to pack my meter and put my refrigerated container in my top box. Was ready to go and left home just before 4am heading for Wanganui. Arrived and filled up at the Z station and got a receipt and tried to take a photo of it and my dash. Camera would not take the photo with the white paper in the shot. Still don’t know why.
Next, I went to turn on my GoPro camera and it would not start. The battery was completely flat, but it was hooked to a power source so should have worked. After mucking around with it for about 20 minutes I took it off and was going to put it away when I saw the front panel was lighted. I pulled the battery, and it went out so put the battery back in and the camera sprung to life. Put it back on the bike and left about 5:30am already behind my schedule.
Just outside of Wanganui a house was being transported and had to duck to the left a long way to avoid it. At Turakina I picked up the track/route for the Southern 1KC and headed for my first photo stop which was checkpoint #10, Halcombe Roundabout and the memorial in the centre. My GPS kept complaining that I was going the wrong way, but I followed the track and eventually the GPS shut up and played ball. Took the photo and it was time to check my blood glucose level. I could not find my testing kit and kicked myself thinking I had left it on the table at home. Would have to watch myself carefully for any symptoms of low glucose.
Second stop for me was the SPCA sign in Masterton. This of course meant a ride over the saddle which is always a pain with the 60kph limit and slow trucks. Still made good time and pulled over and took the photo. SH2 needs to be named NZ’s slowest state highway. There has been heaps more 80kph limits put in since the last time I went this way. Pathetic really given the long straights and now dividing barriers that prevents passing and makes you take risks when the barrier finishes.
Third stop for me was the 1841 pub and after quite heavy traffic and a lot of lane splitting I arrived and it was hard to find a good spot to take the photo due to the traffic. Took the photo with a truck using its horn because he thought my bike was in his way. I moved it and he was off and so was I. When I took the photo there was a dirty big white sign taking up a big chunk of the photo. I used Adobe Lightroom AI to remove the sign. It did an amazing job putting the front back on the bike and completing the truck unloading in the background. Simply awesome and just had to highlight the sign and hit a button. It got it first time. Original and Changed both shown.
Forth stop was Z Remutaka which is the original start for the ride. I filled the bike up and took the photo and was off.
Hung a right in Featherston against the wishes of my GPS and went around the lake to find the Pump House which was my next photo.
Next stop was the Hinekura Longbush intersection and a photo of the sign. About here the traffic lights started and quite frankly there were more traffic lights on these back roads than on the Wellington motorway. Real pain they were. Took the photo and moved on.
Next stop was the sign in front of Wainuioru School. The roads were a bit wet and a bit slippery but not bad. Every now and then a small shower would come down, but it soon went. Arrived at the school at about 11am and took the photo.
Dreyer Rock Road sign was the next stop, and it was not far away. My GPS did not warn me that I was close and actually overshot it by a few meters. Doubled back and took the photo.
Aokoutere School was the next stop, so back to SH2 and take a left to go over the track and nearly into Palmy. Quick stop for the photo and was off to go back over the saddle for the second time today.
Ormondville Pub was the next stop but first a stop in Dannevirke to refill the bike. GPS was announcing the next stop, but nothing was there. I forgot to change it to a via point, so it confused me. Arrived at the pub but it was not a pub anymore. It had a big fence around it and I had to count windows and framing to make sure it was correct. Took the photo and sent it off later to the NZDR to update them.
The Elsthorpe Hall was next and took the photo with no troubles.
Springvale Suspension Bridge was next on the list and over the gentle annie. Not so gentle and about halfway through I was a bit careless and let the bike drift wide on a right-hand corner. Well, I could see what was coming and sat the bike straight just as the front wheel dropped off the edge of the road into the gravel and dirt. The back soon followed. I opened the throttle and used the awesome torque of the 6 cylinder to force the front back onto the road. The back decided it wanted to play a bit more first and I drifted a bit before it too came back on the road and now I had a huge shot of adrenaline and nothing to use it on. It certainly woke me up and I took more care from then on. You can’t really see it happen on the camera though. Bridge arrived and photo taken.
Next stop was Waiouru for the last fill of the trip and then off the Raetihi Caltex. This didn’t take long and photo done.
Last just a blast down the Para Para’s to arrive back in Wanganui Z station to put in $6 worth to get a receipt and try and take a photo. Again, it would not take a photo with the white paper in it. The time was 6:36pm. I left at 5:20am so that was 13.25 hours to complete the ride. I must be slowing down in my old age as normally I complete these in 12 hours. But there was plenty of traffic lights on the back roads and the Wellington motorway traffic did not help.
It was a great ride and thanks NZDR for the route. I popped down to Burger King for a feed before heading home.
As I unpacked everything, I found my glucose test kit in the bottom of my topbox. Next time I will look harder.