name and packs each bag with riders ’ gifts and goodies , neck muffs , stickers , a choice and size of T-shirt or two , plus ride maps , a copy of the latest Submachine mag , and the printed adhesive vinyl sticker with name and number for each rider to be mounted to the headlight area for control and recognition . All this needed to be put together and laid out before the riders started to arrive in massive numbers at around 4pm . Each person has to log on and sign in to a tracing app so we can keep track of each rider and where they are , or where they stopped . All done before the dinner
on the first night , and then as much sleep as possible before the big day . Around 30 of us rode the sealed route , with the majority opting for the gravel route . It was a huge day for many and most did the gravel section of the morning , plus one or two special stages , and then rode back exhausted and happy . The road section was south of Rotorua into truly glorious back roads with humps and twists and switchbacks , winding over gentle hills with gambolling lambs , large lines of blossom laden
42 KIWI RIDER