worked collecting spat , in season , for the mussel farms . Although she was the birthday girl , she was off to her third job – spat catching , god knows how they do it – that night . We were mightily impressed at her ethic and attitude to life , vowing to return for breakfast the following morning . The Houhora Holiday Park can be home to hundreds in the summer , and it ’ s a quaint oldfashioned type of campground , with clean amenities , and even herb and vegetable gardens , where guests can help themselves . We had three small cabins , moved ourselves in , and later retired to the Houhora Fishing Club for dinner . Wayne and Cam met a very keen Vespa owner , whose own riding group , The Vesparadoes , are planning a southern excursion to the Burt Munro in 2021 . Rosco Pennell invited the crew for coffee the next day , and it is to my regret that we missed that meeting , as Rosco had apparently gone to considerable trouble making empanadas for us and other local riders . We didn ’ t show – my fault and I apologise , I hadn ’ t understood the nature of the invitation , not being present when it was made . Cameron Bennett is quite tall , and he once
again drew the short straw with a single bed , another reason for guilt , but it was just the luck of the draw , and as the day ended I was ready for sleep . We assured him of first choice at the next house . Of course with the longest day of our tour done , I was wide-eyed till well after midnight , with my body rebelling at all the pies and fries . Full moon , too .
COASTAL CRUISING I wake later than the others again , early risers these men , and stumble about blearily looking for a dollar coin – without which there is to be NO SHOWER . Lord knows why , but I find a dollar at the bottom of my toiletry bag . My body and spirits revive . That has to be the best five-minute , one-dollar shower to be had in NZ ! We pack and leave , head for coffee and the last pie of the tour , I promised , at our favourite roadside café . We munch , and watch the locals erect the piles of what-have-you for sale at the Saturday market adjoining , and then race to Kaitaia , ready to head round the coastal route of Matauri Bay to Paihia .
48 KIWI RIDER