The Capital Coast Adventure Ride
From Big Dave The Converted.
Five and half years after being captivated by the awesome beauty of New Zealand, my riding tastes have changed somewhat. I’ve caught the ‘dual sport’ bug - and it’s all KR’s fault.
When we first arrived trans Tasman, a dirt road was a measure of last resort. My bikes were showy and fully dressed.
Now the lure of seeking ever more pristine beauty to capture and photograph has meant travelling to more and more out of the way places and partly because my first KR off road assignment was a Capital Coast Adventure that proved that riding on the dirt - on bikes that are designed for it - is such a bloody good buzz, my first reaction when Vege mentioned he might send a delegation to the 2006 BMW Capital Coast Adventure was ‘You betcha boss, that’ll be serious fun.’
The Logistics worked out that I rode down to ‘Base Plimmerton’, while Vege, Stretch and Oscar transported the bikes down in the KR Van.
I started later and took the long way down on my Buell, including a dirt-convert-confirming detour up Fields Track in the Paraparas. I caught up to the boys just short of Levin.
Friday night’s rendezvous and sampling of Porirua’s finest fried foods had us back in the hotel preparing and rolling the route sheets pretty early, in anticipation the day that lay ahead.
We headed to ‘sign on’ with a BMW Dakar 650, SXC625 KTM, Triumph Scrambler 900, Oscar’s KTM LC4 and the KR banner flying high.
After a ride briefing from organiser John Forsyth and his crew, we headed on out with a large posse of all sorts of off road equipment, from exotic Beemers to Postie Bikes and converted ratty road machines.
The ride is superbly run, scouted and organised. Access to places otherwise closed to two wheels is the key.
It takes all day to cover the 200km without ever going far from Wellington, (33km form the Beehive is the maximum) and about 50% on and 50% off road.
The route takes in freeway, unimaginably twisty single lane sealed and unsealed back roads, miles of rocky beaches, glorious ocean foreshore, valleys with water crossings one after the other after the other, climbs up epic escarpments and volcanic ramparts, seemingly endless ascents and descents through tunnels of pine on steep forestry trails from the valley floor to the clouds, open coastal grasslands, kilometres of mountaintop trails, epic views of the city to the mainland – and that’s before you get to the ‘Challenge Loops’.
Route sheets for the run are handed out the night before and most of the forks in the road and turn offs are discretely signposted or chaperoned with instructions on what gates to close etc. It’s perfect for those of us who forget to turn the route sheet occasionally. Doh!
All that was left to do was concentrate on enjoying the ride and the challenges set out by the awesome terrain.
It’s not that the task is without personal challenge and a chance to prove your skill, but you can just relax and enjoy the ride and the epic place because there are others looking out for you too. There was even helpers at the Devil’s Gate.
I’ll always remember Oscar at I looking at each other in awe at watching Stretch’s skills as he disappeared sideways into the distance on the big trailie, or slithered past on the Scrambler, or rode for miles on the back wheel of the KTM. It was worth the price of admission alone, but Jan’s fresh sandwiches, choice muffins and the chocolates at lunch, Plus the all I could eat roast dinner and the party-on afterwards made the whole event rather good value.
I arrived back at sign off muddy, (I fell off the KTM several times) uninjured and hugely satisfied.
Big ups to John, BMW (there’s trouble at the next RAT night!) Motorad, Darbi’s, Vege and KR, the land owners who kindly let us loose on their special places, the City Councils and the Regional Parks and all the participants for their sprit, it’s a great, make New Zealand proud, event.
I had an absolute ball, and if any of you ‘unconverted’ have an inkling that there is more to see of NZ than pushing the speed limit on a sports bike – I hope to see you at the next Capital Coast Adventure Ride. John tells me that the next one is going to be even grander.
I can vouch that it’s an awesome way to see the light.
First Published in KIWIRIDER 2006
