including one spectacular cartwheel caused by
overgrown grass covering some deep ruts.
We rode through pine forest trails, with amazing
light, that were so unused and overgrown that
the tracks needed bush bashing most of the way.
Then it was back through one of the mountainous
farms we’d come through the day before, but this
time it was dryer, faster, and more fun. Not so dry
was the big river that Jonny, our lead rider, lost his
bike in... so the first round was on him that night.
Then it was on to Mount Hikurangi where
we had been given permission to ride up to
a sacred Maori site. There was a very mystical
and slightly foreboding air with giant totem-
like Maori carvings sat shrouded in mist.
By this time I’d got the hang of the ground and my
36 KIWI RIDER
bike, so the descent from the summit was fast and
fun. This was finished off by a mad dash through
downhill mogul-filled pasture, the bikes were
springing up and down like prancing deer.
Our final destination that night was Tokomaru Bay
at the sea’s edge. It’s amazing to think that on NZ’s
most easterly point the next stop is South America.
On our fourth and final day on the East Cape
adventure I had finally got the hang of the bike and
the terrain bouncing around over rough ground
in a mini ‘dance’ with ruts, rocks, trees, and every
other type of flora and fauna NZ could throw at
us, including Kiwi enduro riders. As a result I wasn’t
always at the back of the pack and I started getting
a few comments from the others, like “ya riding
pretty quick, aye, Ant” and “Ya not as slow-a,s aye!”