PETE ’ S PEOPLE
seemed a trifle incongruous . Drinks and snacks in the delightful , old-school garden bar were followed with a run down the spectacular coast to a fun night in a friendly Japanese joint , before retiring to huge soft beds in the Devon Hotel . During the night the security people kindly coned off our bikes parked outside , a nice touch .
DAY TWO - NEW PLYMOUTH TO TURANGI We re-packed , wiped the heavy dew away and went in search food and coffee , before setting off on our loop south around Mt Taranaki . Was another pearler of a day with increasing wispy cirrus descending to a blanket cover of grey by nightfall . The trip on the coastal roads around Taranaki to Hawera and Whanganui had been on my bucket list for a few years , and they didn ’ t disappoint ; grand sloping vistas dominated by the vast triangular , broken peak volcano sitting above low white woolly clouds on the lower bushclad slopes . We travelled quickly and at times I was concerned for Megan , but I need not have worried , she was happily in her element on the R9T . Megan is the most recent convert to motorcycling of the group with five years on bigger bikes . She started blatting scooters around Bali , loved it , and had done some pillion riding with Tony , but she decided that she had to get her own bike because , as she said , “ If we both die , who ’ ll feed the cat ?”. Megan has recently had some tough health fights . Five years ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer , has had a series of chemotherapy and radiation sessions , and is now clear . However , at the time the treatments made her sick as hell and , after a post operative check with her oncologist , she was feeling a bit woozy and spacey , when she was picked up by her doting husband , Tony . Being the great guy he is , he met her with a brand new bike . It was gleaming with chrome , and she said she “ saw this beautiful thing ” and a beaming Tony said , “ Here , do you like this ?” And off she went home with a new custom
The burnt out Yamaha
KIWI RIDER 91