-- Saturday 12 February 2011
Same as last year.
Though there's talk of a pub stop on our merry way home (in case you don't drink a sufficiency on the return ferry trip).
Blimey.
0600 LABC HQ Grand Depart.
We'll weather check two-to-three days prior, to be sure.
All things fine you should pre-book a return ferry ticket here.
Hot tip: Last year I packed (in my bike shirt back pockets) jandals and board shorts. Makes the afternoon so much more comfortable. In any case, there's no panache in beer and lycra.
Ride organisers will forewarn the Peppertree of our lunch plans.
Proposed earlier stops include Miranda (coffee) and the Thames garden centre place (morning tea/first lunch).
Mark your diary now!
Do you think a Miranda coffee stop is even necessary? Why not ride the extra 20km and go directly to the Graden centre and spend more time there, should it be required?
ReplyDeleteIt would be the height of bad manners not to stop for a roader after the ferry: http://www.brewonquay.co.nz/
ReplyDeleteSomebody said we should loop via Kaiaua for better fuel options. Tho unsure about coffee. Watsu Acquatic therapy looks promising.
ReplyDeletehttp://seabirdcoast.co.nz/activities.html
There was some loose talk about changing the route to swap Hunua for Kawakawa Bay....? I've done that way previously and seem to recall it was certainly hillier, but possibly 10kms shorter.... Instead of going to Botany and down via Alfriston to Hunau, we went left at Chapel Rd, right at next roundabout, down to Whitford, across to Twilight and then Clevedon, Kawakawa Bay, Snake Hill....
ReplyDeleteActually, now that I see it on (digital) paper, let's forget the whole thing and stick with the usual route!!!
I like the idea of Kawakawa Bay. Especially as it means a heap more coastal riding than the inland (Hunua/Mangatawhiri) route that we did last time. It does, however, mean that we have to miss out on the buckets of wonky coffee served up at the dodgy cafe we stopped at last year.
ReplyDeleteSo, then, where do we stop for mid-morning coffee? Kaiaua is best placed. We can go there via the old route (with small diversion) or via the coast. Let's put it to the committee. Certainly, there's no way we're going suffer the indignity of that coffee stop. But if we do happen to ride past it then we should throw a fire bomb.
ReplyDeleteI just thought I would float a suggestion past the GCDR Committee in terms of route & refreshment stops.
ReplyDeleteFirst thought is that café at Waitakaruru where we stopped for coffee last year was dreadful with cr*p coffee (she thought I was speaking Italian when I asked for a long machiato!) and a little too close to the Thames lunch stop.
I also heard talk about a potential change of route via Kawakawa Bay, which if opted for would throw open Kaiaua as a more pleasant alternative for the coffee stop.
Not sure how far that adds to the ride or if that's a concern but I'll leave it with the committee to ponder.
I had been thinking that the route via Kawakawa Bay would add a bit of scenery.
ReplyDeleteDon't think it adds much hill - more a trade with Hunua Gorge.
Miss out SH2 too.
That will also bring the shops at Kawakawa Bay into play too.
I shall confer with Pete Hall (has local knowledge) and revert.
Mapmyride says the Kawakawa Bay route is 2 km more than Miranda but 5 meters less climbing!
ReplyDeleteReckon it wins on 2 counts:
No SH2
More chance for coffee.
Pete Hall confirms and says Kaiaua is better for coffee.
They should be ready for us by 8:15.
bugger the coffee - where's the beer stop?
ReplyDeleteDon't fret about beer. There will be plenty at Coromandel's Peppertree. Bottle the urge till you summit the hills before Coromandel. Hard enough clean and sober. Beer will be coming out your ears by the time we dock in Auckland.
ReplyDeleteKaiaua coffee stop:
ReplyDeleteJust got to the bottom of it.
Kaiaua store number unlisted.
Rang the fish 'n' chipper.
They own and operate an expresso machine (open 0900)
And, apparently, there are two 'mobile' caterers that usually setup
somewhere close to the service station.
We should be OK.
http://seabirdcoast.co.nz/dining.html
Yeah,...lets have fish and chips for brekky,...
ReplyDeleteReal men and all that.