ORGANISING THE RIDE
A fine morning greeted the 50 intrepid gravel riders as they arrived at the Mangawhai Domain Hall for the Kiwi Rider Mangawhai 350 adventure ride. A hearty breakfast awaited us, catering provided by the Kaipara Lady Riders as a fundraiser for their Pink Ribbon ride( Oct. 18). The KR350 course was a 359km mix of sealed and gravel roads with a 10km section through the Waipu Forest, which offered up some amazing views at the end of the day, just before the rain set in. One of the highlights of riding in the lower Northland area is the standard of the gravel roads, several of which have been used many times in the World Rally Championship events we’ ve had here over the years. Whilst plotting the route this year, I rode several roads I’ d never ridden before, which is always interesting. I try to seek out the roads less travelled as I enjoy seeing what they offer in terms of riding and the scenery. The first Mangawhai adventure ride was a GS Rallye event in 2019 and this year’ s ride used about 25 % of that original course. We were lucky to be able to gain access to the Waipu
KIWI RIDER 33