On a clearer day it is possible
to see both the East and
West coasts, I’m told
BRITTON ADVENTURES
For more information on Mike and
Angela’s rides both abroad and
here in NZ, head to
www.adventurerides.co.nz
+64 021 284 9047
mike@adventurerides.co.nz
up on a big breakfast put together beautifully
by the locals at the Tangiteroria Sports Complex.
I had already loaded the route sheet onto my bike,
which indicated 200-odd kilometres of mixed
riding including tar seal, gravel and farmland.
Once the briefing was finished, we mounted up
and hit the trail. It wasn’t long before we entered
some easy farmland, which rapidly turned into
decent hills that were quite chopped up from a
previous trail ride. Battling up a steep-ish, cut-
up climb, a KTM 990 ahead of us peeled off the
track and laid down. It was a less than ideal place
to stop two-up. So I carried on to the top and
looked back to see another rider helping out –it’s
just that sort of event. Everyone happily helps
each other, there is great camaraderie during the
whole ride and egos are definitely left at home.
A great mix of farmland, slow and quick gravel
roads and tar seal followed. We were both really
enjoying being back out in the farmland. At this
time of the year, young lambs are on their mums
and cows have calves at foot, so it’s an awesome
time to be exploring the back blocks – many thanks
to all the farmers for their generous cooperation!
Around this time I was starting to get hungry,
which was fortuitous because we rolled in to
Maungakaramea School for lunch. Local school
families had knocked up a brilliant feed for all the
riders with the the proceeds going to the school.
This is a great feature of the Britton rides – the local
community gets really involved to help out and the
clubs and schools benefit financially from doing so.
After lunch we gassed up and rode to a
communications tower right on the top of the
Tangihua Ranges. It was a nice twisty gravel road
heading to the summit with the odd steeper
pinch. Near the top there was a razor-back ridge
with great views each side, preceding a very steep
last climb that was tar sealed. It has to be the
steepest tar-seal track in New Zealand. I could
see why, too - because gravel would have just
rolled right off otherwise! Anyway, it was excellent
fun and at the top we were rewarded with more
awesome views. On a clearer day it is possible to
see both the East and West coasts, I’m told.
A few photos at the top and we were off again,
heading down the hill and eventually on to Bint
Road. There is nothing amazing about Bint
Road other than it passes a farm with the most
KIWI RIDER 27