May 27th, Ohakuri (Atiamuri)

Results

I went up with Mark Gray on Sunday morning as mum and dad didn’t have room in the car on Saturday evening. We had Taihape McDonalds for breakfast which, as everyone knows, is great race food. I fell asleep shortly afterwards and didn’t wake up until the event.

I rode in the senior womens race. There were nine women entered in the womens class, including me. I came sixth overall, beating April mainland, Julia Williams, and Jane Bennett.

There were 69 riders in Intermediate and it took a few kms for everyone to spread out. The track was quite similar to the Vinduro track the other weekend.  There was one bit in particular that I liked. It went down a small hill, then up another small hill. At the top of the uphill it was a bit bumpy with a slight decline. On the first lap I got about an inch of air coming over the top and it was just enough to carry me over the bumps and, because of the decline, I stayed in the air for a metre or two. Annoyingly I couldn’t do it again on any of the next three laps.

The second lap was alright. I fell off once but managed to get back on the bike before anyone saw me. On the third lap I was starting to fade and should have been wearing my camelbak. It would have saved me the time it took me to get a drink at the pits and I would have probably gone up another placing or two.

The last lap was really the difference between the junior race and the senior race. I had to keep telling myself that it was the last lap and only a little bit further to get back. I was very glad to see the finish.

I had quite a good day. The last lap was exhausting but it was still good.

Sunday 10th June, Results

I travelled down with Kevin Pinfold. When we got tot he trial I wasn’t feeling the greatest. I was tired, had a headache, and all my muscles were sore from the enduro the day before. Also, we weren’t running late, but we didn’t have time for a practice.

Kevin and I along with a few of the Ixion guys started on section six. Everyone got it alright; cleans, ones, twos, etc, but, when I went into the section, almost straight away my front wheel slipped on a rock and went the other side of the flag.

My whole day was like this. I just wasn’t concentrating hard enough. So much so that I came dead last, by a considerable amount.

The really annoying thing was that the sections were quite easy and, if I’d been able to get on top of my personal problems, I could have had a really fun day and got a good placing as well.

Saturday 9th June, Results

I went out to santoft with mark Gray. He had his bike with him but decided not to ride. I started off on minute 20 with Jordyn Watt and Reg Davey. I had a bit of trouble getting my bike started so they got off ahead of me.

I passed them shortly afterward but, as I was going slow, Jordyn got in front again for a while. I then passed her in a terrain test while chasing Daniel Herbert. I couldn’t quite get into the groove and, on the first lap, lost ten minutes.

On the second lap I managed to hook on behind Daniel Refoy. I then stayed with him for about half-an-hour.

I had a good time on the first two laps but, on the third and final lap, I was really starting to feel how unfit I am. I was really glad to see the finish line.

I traveled out to the event with Emily again.

I rode with Kevin and Colin. Kevin had fixed Colin’s bike Saturday night.

Stef wasn’t riding because she had broken her bike and wasn’t feeling the greatest. It sucks that she only had half a weekend and I hope she’s back on form for the nationals.

I didn’t have a particularly  good day. With the exception of section five I never I never really got anywhere with sections one to eight. It was all threes and fives for me. Six and seven especially were a boggy mess. Six was through a massive bog, which more then one rider got stuck in, including one of the side chairs. Apparently it was quite difficult getting it out. Seven just got more slippery and muddy as the day went on, until it was almost unrideable.

If it hadn’t been for nine, ten and eleven, my day would have been really bad. Nine was the only section I cleaned all day. Ten was cleanable although I managed a one every time.

I cleaned eleven once. It had quite a big log and getting lined up was a bit tricky. On the first lap I got through for a three. Second lap I cleaned it, but on the last lap I got off balance and fived it.

At the end of the day I went and cleaned my bike in the river. While I was there I sat down and cleaned my muddy gear. I wasn’t worried about getting soaked in freezing water because I had clean clothes in Emily’s car. But when I walked up to get my warm dry clothes I found that Emily had already gone. There were lots of people to give me a ride back to the motel and so Emily, completely forgetting that she had all my stuff, had gone back for a hot shower.

No one wanted a dripping mess in their vehicle but John Lawton took pity and let me sit on the plastic covers on his back seats. Emily was very apologetic and, once I’d had my shower, it was all good.

Unfortunately Monday didn’t happen. We all turned up to find that the rain-swollen creek had washed almost all the sections away. There was one section still rideable and we could have set seven more but, as there were only three out of seventy people who wanted to do this, we had an early prize-giving instead.

I traveled down with Kevin Pinfold.  To make Kaikoura by late afternoon we had to leave Ashhurst really early. I didn’t wake up until we were parked in the ferry terminal waiting to board.  And then, as we drove off the ferry in Picton, I went back to sleep! Sorry Kevin, not a great traveling companion.

Almost everyone was staying at the Alpine Pacific. I was sharing a room with Emily and, on Saturday morning, I went out to the trial with her.

I know that  the Kaikoura grades tend to be set a little easier than those at the NI and NZ champs so, always looking for a challenge,  I entered Expert for the first time.  The idea was I could always drop down to Intermediate but, after looking at section one to make sure that I wasn’t completely out of my depth, I decided to stay with the orange line.

Most sections were about the same level as the Intermediate line at the North Island champs. There were a couple of bits that were NI A-Grade, but only a couple.

I started the day with Kevin Pinfold and Colin Downs. A few obstacles looked daunting but most of them rode pretty easy. But I was never fully comfortable with the rock on section nine.

The first metre was vertical, then it slopped up for another two metres. It had lots of grip but you needed to give it heaps of gas to get up; this isn’t always my strong point. Kevin went first and mucked it up.  My nervousness got the better of me and I fived it before I even got to the rock.  Thankfully David Trewin, Jules, & Kevin convinced me to try the rock anyway. Jules and David went to the top as catchers and I closed my eyes and dropped the clutch. I honestly can’t remember going up the rock. I just remember giving it heaps of gas and then being at the top.

For each of the next three laps I managed a three on this section every time and I can see how, with a little more effort, I would have cleaned it. Thanks guys, I wouldn’t have done it without your encouragement.

In the meantime Colin Downs was having trouble with his bike.  During the lunch break Colin and Kevin decided to get to the bottom of it. I waited with them a while but eventually abandoned them and joined up with Josh and Jules as they started their third (and my second) lap.

This lap was awesome. I’m not sure if it was because I had my head in the right place, or if it was because I really didn’t want to stuff up in front of Jules, but I got a lap of FIVE!!!

Unfortunately, despite still riding with Jules and Josh, my third lap turned to shyte.

On my last lap I joined back up with Kevin and Colin, with Colin on a borrowed bike. Because we were a lap behind everyone the sections were being picked up as we went.

I had an awesome day.  Josh normally finishes in front of me and today I just pipped him. And I was also only eight points away from Stef Downs, although she had a few crashes and it didn’t sound like she had a great day.

Emily also had a successful day. She got four points all day and won Clubman B.

11 days, 10 nights

15.59 litres @ 221.9 = $34.59
11.60 litres @ 221.9 = $25.75

Met Kevin Quine on the boat.

Friday 18th May, Nelson to Picton

Jane and Helen took Geoff to the airport while I had a lovely shower. And then, while they were checking out the sights at the local cemetary, I was trying to catch up on all the good things I’d missed on the computer.

There was home-made pumpkin soup for lunch, served with home-made yoghurt…. then the rubiks cube of packing the bikes and we were away.

Jane started by turning left at the end of the street instead of right and I didn’t see her again until Havelock. It was overcast but, after the last week of bitter cold, it was simply balmy.

I waited in the Sneaky Beach cafe for Jane and then we headed off along Queen Charlotte Drive. One of the first things we encountered was a Harley rider coming the other way, fully on the wrong side of the road. Obviously made Jane a little careful because she pretty much walked her bike around most of the subsequent corners.

We went straight to the Bell Bird Motel and unloaded. Then Jane made me walk the 1.2 km into town for a burger at the Kiwi Takeaways. That gal sure knows how to show a guy a good time.

She then piggy-backed me home and we watched Black Panther on the laptop. What a disappointment!

Thursday 17th May 2018, Greymouth to Nelson

13.52 litres @ 231.9 = $31.36
10.25 litres @ 231.9 = $23.75

Wednesday 16th May, 2018
Lake Hayes Estate to Greymouth

NPD, Frankton
10.69 litres @ 232.9 = $24.90
7.29 litres @ 232.9 = $16.98

NPD, Fox Glacier (323 km)
16.25 litres @ 235.9 = $38.33
11.39 litres @ 235.9 = $26.86

7 hours and 21 minutes riding…. and 3 hours sitting around!