Day 9

Saturday 26 November

The wind has been howling over the night and we will be missing a couple of the local chaps as they have work to do as a result of sheds blowing down etc.

We are up our normal 6’ish but don’t leave until 8.15am. We ride to town and park at a café’. A chap on his bike and with his young son follows us and wonders what we are about. I give him some ribbons and explain what it is about and invite him on the ride to Picton, but somehow it feels wrong; he is not very interested, and as we go in to the café’ he rides off.

There are now 5 of us as Colin has joined. He is a fraction disappointed as he has been in contact with the local HOG chapter and other bikers he knows in Nelson, but nobody has turned up.

Quick stop after the hills

We have a pleasant ride, even if it is a bit windy. We arrive at the junction where the others, who did go to Christchurch, are waiting. Everything is sweet and after some catching up we ride to Picton.

Picton

I was expecting an event in Picton, but we park on the middle strip in the centre and that is about it. Sarah is still full of energy and is handing out ribbons and chatting with people. But my tank is starting to be empty and I just go with the flow. We have some brekkie (I settle for a blueberry muffin and a chocolate), others get more serious with a continental one.

This is the breakup and the NI and SI riders separate to go their own way. Hand shakes and cuddles all around. Promises to catch up and photos. Then there are the farewell speeches and a guitar is found to help with the singing.

Farewell waiata

Now the only thing left is the ferry trip home. I have this time pre-booked my ticket, and used the Patriots discount, so I know I will be on the ferry.

I am now sitting on the ferry typing this, and there are only a few hours before I will be at home…

This is written on Sunday: Stopped over in PN for the night and then rode home to HB on Sunday. Nice sunny ride and the HB heat hit me after Dannevirke. Loved it!

As I park my bike at home I have been on the road 10 days and done 3,285Km's and used just below 150 litres of petrol.

Now time to get back in to normality, but will provide my view on it all in a few days. (And also add some bits where lacking, including the two days I still have to write about).

So please, come back and read the updates in a few days. Feel free to leave comments as I would love them!

Until then, stay safe.
Pete

Day 8

Friday 25 November

The White Ribbon Day. Today all rides have a “main event” planned in to their itinerary. Our one is in Nelson this afternoon. But before that we have Takaka and Collingwood School.

A semi-relaxed wake up and we leave at 8.30am. We ride a short distance to the meeting place and pick up the local boys who have slept in their own beds. It is a warm and sunny day, so will be nice riding today!

Eru has decided that he wants to be up in Bream Bay for the North Wind part of the WRR (just south of Whangarei) on Saturday (tomorrow). And so he leaves for the ride that will take whole of today (including the ferry), and he is hoping to be there for the ride tomorrow morning. I was part of that ride last year and would love to travel with him. The Km's dont worry me, but the rider numbers here on the West ride of SI does, so I stay. (Later I hear that he made it there safely and in time). Sent my greetings to Mahu, Willie and Raz, and hope to catch up with them this summer as they all (including Eru) live in Hamilton.

There is only one road to Takaka and it is over the Takaka hill. This is a nice biking experience! Heaps of tight corners with slowest ones being recommended 25Km/h. The road is good and there is no real problems. The sports bikes ride ahead as we push a little more here. Afterward I find that I have worn the toes of my boots… And used the full capability of the tyres. Looking forward to the ride back later!

We arrive at the Takaka event at 9.30 and find a bunch of dedicated people organizing it. This is a smallish village and I am told that there is not too many issues here. But sadly the violence is also here. I talk to a lady who tells me she has managed to, after 12 years, get out of her violent relationship. We give out ribbons and do our chatting.

Takaka event

 

Two of the lovely Takaka organisers

Time for the official welcome. There is a Maori presence here and Joe replies (and does a top job!). I do a speech focusing on the hidden violence and how we need to give the victims a safe place and contacts so they can get away from it. Often in small communities like this the hindrance tends to be that people are afraid that, if they come out and ask for help, it will become common knowledge in the community. Donald from Patriots adds his speech.

After some more mingling and some sausages we travel to Collingwood School. This is a school that caters for students from 5 to 18. When we arrive I see a well-cared for school with big areas for the children. The principal welcomes us and we decide that the best option is to bring the children out in to the warm sun.

Collingwood school

An old chap rides his BSA 1937 to the event and does not get left behind in the hills!

I am up first and address the children focusing on their future and how we are all responsible of providing them a secure place, in the school and at home. I feel I wanted to say more, but somehow I just can’t find the right words. After Donald one of the local organizers speaks to the children. She is an ex primary teacher and is brilliant in connecting with the children! One thing she says I will borrow from her: She asks the children to think about someone they can go to if/when they need to talk. She asks them not to tell us, but to store it in their memory so that they always have it there and they know who they can talk to. Nice!

We then give the kids an opportunity to sit on our bikes. That goes down well. They really want to hear the bikes “roar”, so we start our bikes and do some revving to the background of delighted screams.

The Collingwood "dudes"

From here we ride to “The Grove” where some big native trees have started growing on top of big rocks. We walk through some narrow passage ways and come out on a viewing platform overlooking Golden Bay.

Nature finds a way

Narrow

I like this part of the ride: Azza is taking us to see some of the sights that we pass on the way. We agree that this should be part of the White Ribbon Ride’s as it would get more riders to join.

We then have some discussions re where to for lunch. In the end we ride back over the hill and to the camping ground to sort out the accommodation for the last night on the ride. Once that is done we realize that there is no time for any more stops, as we need to get to the Nelson event.

We arrive at downtown Nelson where there is a stage. Ron, the YMCA Nelson CEO is there and welcomes me. He is surprised to see me there in my leathers as he was not expecting me to be on the ride. (I thought everyone in the Y knew?).

Awsum Nelson haka

SI West Wind in Nelson

We are welcomed and do our speeches. This time I focus on that it is the 25’th and the official White Ribbon Day, and every woman and child needs to have a home that is a safe haven for them. Donald again does a good job with his speech. One of the YMCA Nelson staff tells us about their boxing programme where they are working with 4 – 14 year old boys. A success it sounds like! And the official part is over.

I have one of their yummy meat patties and some delicious Maori bred. Then time for photos on the steps by the monument.

A 35’is chap comes to talk to me. It turns out that he has been a perpetrator, but now is going through a “12 step” programme learning to deal with it and to change. He has been offered to work as a volunteer with the boxing programme. He also asks me re riding with the Ride next year, I tell him about the ride, how it all works, that he needs a bike minimum 250cc and encourage him to join next year. I think we will see him there!

Time for dinner. There are four of us left (Mike, Azza, Sarah and I) who will stay at the camp. Azza takes us to an Indian restaurant that has very nice meals. A relaxing time in good company.

Then time for getting back to the camp and sorted for the last day tomorrow.

Travelled 282Km’s

Pictures to come!

Day 7

Thursday 24 November

The rain keeps hammering down through the night. I am prepared for another day of wet riding.

6am up and a shower. Then pack up the gear, and before you know it, it is time to start to move out. Today the ride splits in to two:
- One group travels to Christchurch for visit to Christchurch mens prison and other events.
- One group (the one I decided to travel with) rides to Westport to join them in their parade.

Ready for the rain

We got some rain, but only on and off, and it is not too bad. We follow the West Coast to Westport and manage to catch up with the rain. As we are ahead of shedule we stop for some tourist attractions and walk the track to see the pancake rocks and the blow holes at Punakaiki. Clearly worth the effort!

There is a bunch of faces hiding in this one!

Blowhole

After a cuppa we take off again. This road is a perfect bike road with scenery and twisties. We pick up one more rider on the road before arriving at Westport and there is now 11 of us.

The green Katana that is now part of the ride

When we arrive at Westport they are waiting for us, and almost straight away we are doing the parade down the main street. (I have been in Westport before, but that is now over 10 years ago and was when I raced Motorcycle Solo Speedway, but did not really have a good look at the place). At the clock tower we stop and there is bread and sausages for us. As the main speakers have now all gone to Christchurch, it falls on me to do the speech. Seems like all are happy with what I blurb out and I am asked to do the speeches from now on... (The only thing I actually find tricky is to not talk too long, the ones who know me would realise how this could be a challenge...).

Westport

I find a group of youth who should be in school, and am told that they are getting alternative education as they have all been kicked out of school. I give them all a white ribbon and speak to their "teacher". There is hope for them she tells me. Many of them want to work on farms and she has managed to find most of them placings.

I then talk to a little old lady who tells me she is 78 and has been through a very abuse marriage. She also informs me that one of her sons is a "kiddy fiddler" and that she has nothing to do with him anymore. She is filled with stories and they keep on coming. I manage to stop her enough to give her and her daughter a white ribbon each. I also give a ribbon to a lady who starts to shake and tells me that it is all too close for her as she has just managed to get out of a 16 year violent relationship.

The weather is by now looking good and we ride through the Buller Gorge to Murchison. It has always been a wish of mine to ride this famous road loved by bikers. And now I know why they love it! I will have to come back and do it again!

We arrive at Murchison in disarray. The faster riders up front and the slower ones 5Km behind. Not a good look to dribble in to an event. But at the end it does not matter as this event is a fizzer. The owners of the cafe' have not organised anything, so we get "time off". There is free coffee and tea, and we talk white ribbon with some of the customers. Before we leave Colin tells everyone that the way we did ride was total crap, and there is a need to sharpen up our act; To keep an eye on the rider behind, and if he slows doen so should we so we do not loose sight of him. To regroup before we arrive at an event so we are all arriving together.

Murchinson cafe'

As we ride towards Motueka in the sun his words ring in our ears, and this time it all works out perfectly. We have also picked up one more rider.

The ride follows some more biker friendly roads and I am a happy chappy when we arrive (Even if my boots have worn toes from scraping the tarseal in the corners. That was fun!).

I do a speech and decide on a totally different one focusing on violent free homes. Sounds like it went down well. I then have a whitebait fritter on bred, and decide that with pepper, salt and some lemon juice it is not too bad. (But I am still not sold on the idea and can not really see the attraction?) Our ride provides 3 more speekers (Sarah being one) and it all works out well.

Motueka

WhiteBait sales are going well

What I got for my $7

We mingle and give out ribons. Motueka is a place where hippies hibernate and I end up talking to one who tells me that her dad used to ride a Sportster and was in a Wellington gang. She also tells me that her relationship with her daughters dad was a violent one. She takes the white ribbon I offer her and proudly puts it on her shirt.

We ride to Top Ten Holiday park. This one is a good one. We get a cabin that fits us all and there is a swimming pool and a spa pool too. Nice.

After dinner, some chatting and solving the worlds problems, we go to bed to find energy for two more days of events.

Today 370Km's of very nice bike riding roads!

Day 6

Wednesday 23 November

We rode Haast-Franz Josef-Hokitika-Greymouth in the rain...

Will fill in details + add pics soon!

Day 5

Tuesday 22 November

We rode Lumsden-Frankton-Cromwell-Alexandra-Wanaka-Haast. Second bit in the rain...

Will fill in the details soon. Stay tuned.

Day 4

Monday 21 November

Futile. That was how the drying of the wet gear could be described. Sure, some of the guys had managed to get their gloves, boots and jackets almost dry. But when you consider that outside this morning it was more rain than yesterday, then you realise what I mean.

After some grumbling re the weather (waste of time really, only the Chinese have the technology to stop the rain) we filled up fuel and took aim at Gore.  Until now there had been very little “wow” factor present in the riding. Much of the roads had been straight and flat. The only part that had been fun was a stretch on the road to Christchurch where the road was running by the beach and twisted and turned making me at times shift down to 3’rd gear. But apart from that, no bit of the road made me want to go back to do it again. That was about to change. The roads started to be more twisty and there was a change in altitude. Nice! And there was a promise that the weather would clear up after midday too!

We stopped at Balclutha Subway for early lunch, and the local reporter sniffed us out and wanted some stories and photos. I met a Swedish lady who, with her two children, and her Kiwi husband, would swap between Scandinavia and Balclutha trying to figure out where to live…

Balclutha Subway

Once we got to Gore the rain had stopped and it was warm. We parked next to the giant Trout (I think it is??) and did what we do. A few speeches by the locals and Shane from the Patriots said his bit. A cuppa of tea sounded good, but they had forgotten the sugar. Quickly sorted and all were happy. Once again, out from the shadows, stepped some victims of abuse who told us their stories. We asked if they had asked for help locally, but were told that: No, they were not ready to do that. In a small community it seems to be harder to come out and ask for help. Somehow there seems to be a stigma with being the victim. And so, to talk to a complete stranger on a bike and dressed in black leather seems like a good idea. This is where I think this White Ribbon Ride can easily fall apart. I think that very few who do this ride (be that in the North Island or here with us in South) actually is capable of addressing any of the issues that the victims tell us about. Sure, I know that it is not what we are on this ride to do; our task is to bring the spotlight on the issue by riding our bikes. But when a woman with her 12 year old daughter comes and starts telling you their sad story, you would have to be cold hearted to turn them away. Thou, just because you are on this ride does not mean you have any of the answers. And perhaps that is why many of the ones on the ride do not engage. No idea.

Gore with their fish

Cute!



Mayor of Gore told us that if we stayed we could catch a trout size of the one behind him...

5 local riders joined the ride here and came with us to Invercargill. The sun had now started to come out and the noises re being wet were gone as we rode on and the sun and wind quickly dried us out.

In Invercargill we had three events to attend: a primary school, a high school and Number 10 Southland One Stop Shop. Some of the guys did the primary school (including me) and some did the High School. I love being around the primary school kids. Heaps of noise, enthusiasm and curiosity. “How fast does your bike go? How much did it cost? Why do you ride? What is the longest you have ridden? What is the next bike you will get? Do you have any animals?” And so on. But there were also some moments of sobriety. One small girl told me that they had moved down here from Auckland “so her mum can’t hit her”.

Dean has the kids spellbound

The BMW Cabriolet Rob was driving got heaps of attention, and there was a queue on each side where the kids waited for their turn to sit in the car.

Smiling faces in the BMW

From here it was only a skip and a jump to Number 10. I was expecting to see YMCA Invercargill there, but they must have been busy somewhere else. This is a youth centre where all aspects of youth issues can be dealt with from mental ones to study and physical help. We mingled with the youth and the workers, we did some tug of war and ate nice cake. The place is an ex bowling club so they have a nice area of grass where all this happened.

Pull that rope!

Write down what you think

When talking to the staff it became clear that same issues as in all other centres were here re violence. (I am always hoping that we will come across one place where there is no family violence. Sadly I think we will fail).

From here we travelled some nice roads to Lumsden. Lumsden used to be a stop for the Kingston flyer railway. But now there are no rails there, only the old station that looks out of place.

We decided to go to the local hotel for dinner. There were 11 of us. They had 5 steaks and rest had to eat chicken (I managed to get a steak…) One of the Patriots is a chef and he and his wife ended up helping in the kitchen as they were not prepared for such a rush… But the meals were good.

Bedtime as we would have an early start.

Travelled 330Km’s.

Day 3

Sunday 20 November

I had tried to do some writing for this blog last night, but only got a bit done. And the morning was an early one: We were out of Riccarton Park Holiday Park at 8.30am and heading towards Ashburton.

Nice and sunny day, not too much wind, and it was a bliss to be riding. Some additional riders had joined up and our numbers were approx. 15.

We arrived at Ashburton approx. 10am and everyone was waiting for us. A welcome, speeches and we were doing our bit to promote the White Ribbon message.

The welcome

I ended up talking to one of the MC police that were there with their late model BMW bikes. He told me he had a K100 in his garage but was also very keen on a K1 (same as mine) but wanted a red one. (I refer to them as McDonald coloured as the red and yellow is a perfect match).

Spoke to the organiser of the event and she told me that Ashburton also had its share of family violence. And after the Christchurch earthquake there had been an increase. Main reason being that many families had moved there from Christchurch to escape the devastation. But as a result they were now missing the support of family and friends and this was in some cases hard for them resulting in alcohol and violence (same same but different).

I also had a chat with three of the local YMCA staff who was there to hand out ribbons and mingle. Brilliant!

The event was next to the main road and there was a constant flow of bikes returning from a bike event passing by. A few would stop to have a look what this was all about, but most just rode past.

We said our goodbyes and left Ashburton towards Timaru. The weather was still Ok, but there started to be a chill in the air and it was clear that the rain was going to be here soon.

We arrived at Timaru’s Caroline Bay park. This is a very nice place with a big playground and a huge aviary including some birds I did not recognize. (Perhaps I should do more bird watching…).

Keith, the S&M manager

I met up with Keith and his staff from YMCA Mid & South Canterbury who were in charge of the BBQ. (Thanks guys!) Some mingling and talk about what this was all about and time to again make our way to the next stop: Oamaru.

The weather was looking bad so we all put on our rain gear. That was a good idea, because 5 minutes south and the skies opened. (well… there was a couple who did not have any rain gear and I do not think there was one spot on them dry!)

We arrived in Oamaru to a “Plan B” event where all had been moved inside as a result of the rain. Nice muffins, sandwiches and a cuppa hit the spot.

I spoke to a lady who had endured domestic violence for years before she got the courage to get out. Today she realizes how it all fitted together, but when she was inside it all it was hard for her to see. ( The saddest part is that this is starting to become so familiar.) I am also told that Oamaru has its share of domestic violence and for each family that is helped; two more will be waiting at the door.

We get escorted by the police to the shopping centre where we park our bikes and start giving out the white ribbons. I get interviewed by a local film crew and chat to a guy who has a bunch of Triumphs and BSA’s at home. I give them all (and others) all my white ribbons and it is time to move on to Dunedin. The weather has held up a little while we did the last mingling, but as soon as we are back on the road, the rain comes back. It is a non-stop rain for the 115km’s to Dunedin.

Once there we park up at the hospital where we soon get company from the Police and a group of young boys who will run in front of us performing a Maori war dance as we head the parade to the Octagon in the centre of town. I forget to put my new sunnies in a safe spot and they fall of the bike without me noticing it. Last I did see of them. Luckily I travel prepared and I grab one of the four pair I carry just in case…

Octagon welcome

Bikers occupy the Octagon occasionally

We arrive at the Octagon and are welcomed by a haka and speeches. There is live music and food. And the rain keeps coming down. There are photos and mingling. And the rain keeps on coming down. We are then asked to ride the bikes up to the cathedral at the top of the Octagon where the priest will bless our bikes.

Bikes and cathedral share space 

Officially blessed bikes 

If you are to arrive, might as well do so in style!

Once that is done we are asked to come in to the church for a ceremony. The ones who do so are greeted by three different choirs and a speech by Sophie Elliot’s mother Lesley.

After 2 hours we leave for the accommodation as the street lights come on. And still it keeps on raining. Once there most guys try to dry their wet gear and there is gear hanging all around the rooms. We have chicken, chips and fish for T. All takeaways.

And with 10 in the bunkroom and guts filled with takeaways it was a noisy night…

Travelled: 350Km’s