Bay of Islands in the morning sun.
washout and hauling them up the opposite side, with everyone pitching in to help get the group through safely. It quickly became one of those memorable moments that riders were still talking about afterwards— the sort of unplanned challenge that becomes part of the character of an adventure ride. Fortunately, Paramedic Craig Mayo( with whom I rode sweep for the event) was not needed beyond a blister or two. Inevitably, one of the riders suffered the obligatory puncture on day three, but in true adventure style, help quickly arrived in the form of other riders and eventually the sweep crew with the bike back on the trail in short order. Another example of the camaraderie of Adventure riders. One particularly cool experience involved riding across the property of Mike Bennett, who showed riders around parts of his remarkable farm and wellness retreat. The property features unique facilities including a mud-brick sauna, yoga retreat spaces, and a wellness centre tucked away in the Northland countryside. Recent wet weather had left sections of the farm heavily waterlogged, meaning some of the originally planned tracks could not be used, but the alternative routes still provided excellent riding and plenty of muddy fun. And better still, Mike and his wife have a full on Café manned by Woofer’ s( workers on organic farms) where the boys spent longer than necessary on coffee and croissants, admiring the views.
HONDAS OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES The bikes themselves reflected the accessible nature of the event. The Northern Explorer is a Honda-only adventure ride, so every motorcycle on the event carried the Honda badge. Most riders were on the light and
96 KIWI RIDER