Folding Goldies ride – Seeking Sakura in Whitby

On Thursday 28 September, we went on a Folding Goldies ride to take a look at the flowering cherry trees in Whitby. Alastair, the leader of the FG group had been in Japan at the peak of the cherry blossom season, hence the name of the ride – Seeking Sakura in Whitby. 

We were to meet at the Porirua train station at 9:35, and ride the Whitby Traverse, to see the cherry blossoms, then to Pauatahanui for coffee, and return to Mana, via Te Ara Piko. The map is here. 

John and I took the train from Takapu Road – we could have biked to Porirua, but I suggested we ride that stretch after the main event, rather than before.

On the motorway side of Porirua Station (photo by John)

Ten of us set off from Porirua Station, and after ducking under the motorway, we had to bike up Champion Road for some distance, because the track alongside the Kenepuru Stream was not usable. There were repairs going on after it had been damaged by flooding. We joined the Bothamley Park track a bit further along. This is a pleasant, wide track through a bushy area, where it is easy to ride side by side and have a conversation.

Bothamley Park (photo by John)

Coming off the Bothamley Park track onto Warspite Ave (photo by John)

At Ascot Park, the “track” leads alongside a sportsfield. It is basically a concrete drain, but in several places the concrete is cracked and very uneven. On a previous ride I had a spill along here, so I was quite careful. No spill this time.

The “track” alongside the Ascot Park sportsfield (photo by John)

Whitby has a great network of walking/cycling tracks, but you’ve got to know your way around them, as they are not very well signposted. We have got lost a couple of times on previous rides.

The cherry blossom trees in Nishio Garden were donated by Porirua’s sister city Nishio in Japan. I think we got there just about a week too late to see them at their best. There were plenty of blossoms, but the leaves had already started coming out. And sadly the swathe of daffodils under the trees had all but finished.

Plenty of blossoms, but also lots of leaves, and not many daffodils left (photo by John)

Gordon checks out the information panel about Nishio Garden (photo by John)

From this angle, the blossoms appear swamped by greenery (photo by John)

By 10:30, we were at the Ground Up Café in Pauatahanui, where we enjoyed coffee and scones. Always a very pleasant interlude – the chance to chat and get to know each other a bit better.

Coffee and scones at the Ground Up Café in Pauatahanui (photo by John)

After our coffee stop, we rode along Grays Road, Te Ara Piko and the Camborne Walkway to Mana. From there, most of the group headed for the station to take the train back to Wellington or Pukerua, while we decided to bike back to Takapu Road, in Tawa. We rode a total of 32 km.

Riding on the protected lane on Grays Road (photo by John)

A brief stop at Motukaraka Point (photo by John)

The Camborne Walkway took us back to Mana (photo by John)

Some headed off to Mana Station, we biked back to Tawa (photo by John)

Paekakariki, Peka Peka, Waikanae River

On Tuesday 12 September we had a lovely day, biking 55 km on the Kapiti Coast. We started out from Paekakariki, having had coffee and a scone at the local café – of course. We rode up Te Ara o Whareroa, as we have done a number of times now. Along the way I stopped to take a photo of the scenery – I thought the gorgeous hills, the line of the fence, the blue sky and the cabbage tree would make a pretty shot. Then John came back to see what I was up to, and having him in the shot just completed the picture.

Te Ara o Whareroa on a perfect day

We biked on the Expressway cycle track, all the way to Peka Peka, where we had lunch at Harrisons Garden Centre Café. 

Coming up to the Makarini Street overbridge (photo by John)

Just before the Waikanae River Bridge (photo by John)

Waiting for our lunch at Harrisons (photo by John)

On the way back I stopped to take a photo of a crew of gardeners putting in more plants alongside the track. I had noticed earlier that crates of plants had been placed at intervals along the track, ready for planting. Spring time means planting time!

Lots of new plants are being put in

I like the starkness of the still bare trees against the blue sky (photo by John)

When we got back to the Waikanae River Bridge, we took the track down to the river, and rode along to the Otaihanga Domain.

Near the mouth of the Waikanae River, with Kapiti Island in the distance (photo by John)

We took the Estuary track, which meanders through the wetlands – sometimes on gravel and sometimes on boardwalks over water. John had to get off and walk several times on the boardwalks, as they are too narrow for his balance.

Taking a breather at the end of the Estuary Track

From Paraparaumu, we took the track that runs along the back of the airport, and along the way we stopped to say hello to a horse which came to the fence, apparently expecting some treat. He banged his front hoof on the bottom rung of the gate, as if to say “well, where is my treat?”.

The track along the back of the airport (photo by John)

“Where’s my treat?” (photo by John)

The last 10 km back to Paekakariki were a bit of a slog, as I was getting quite tired. I have to confess that I cranked the assist up to level 4 every so often to keep up with John. I felt pretty bushed by the time we got home. Still, it had been a very nice ride – all 55 km of it!

Mana to Pauatahanui

On Monday 11 September, it was a fine but windy day, so we decided on a short-ish, undemanding ride (17 km). We hadn’t biked to Pauatahanui for quite a while, so we parked at the Ngati Toa Domain, in Mana, and biked along the Camborne Walkway. The track was reasonably dry, and we didn’t encounter any people with pushchairs, so I ‘survived’ the track without taking a spill – as I did the last time we were here.

On the Camborne Walkway (photo by John)

We biked to Pauatahanui and had lunch at the Ground Up Café. We are always impressed with how quickly our coffees are delivered – the barista must be listening closely to the orders being placed, and putting them into effect immediately.

John’s hotcakes were beautifully presented – and delicious too (photo by John)

After lunch we looked into the saddlery and stock feed shop next door, and got talking to the young woman at the counter. She was interested in our SmartMotion bikes, as she said she worked a couple of days a week for Daryl Neal, from whom we bought these bikes, when he used to own Wellington Electric Bikes in Upper Hutt. He had a hand in designing the SmartMotions, but now concentrates on designing and building UBCO electric farmbikes, and she works on his web design. Thinking she would be a keen cyclist, I asked her what sort of bike she rode. Her answer was “I ride a horse”!

On the way back along Motukaraka Point, I noticed a layer of shells in the cut-away bank next to the road – a midden from long ago. This area was once an important Ngati Ira settlement. While John stopped to take a photo of it, we were hailed by a chap who had been sitting near his parked car, playing his ukulele. “I know you, do you write a blog? I recognised your bikes”. He said his name was Terry Casey, and he plays in Bluegrass bands in Upper Hutt pubs. We chatted, and then he played a little tune on his mouth organ. You do meet some interesting people while biking …

There are some nice gardens at Motukaraka Point (photo by John)

A midden – this area was once an important Māori settlement (photo by John)

A chat with Terry Casey, Bluegrass musician (photo by John)

There is a new stretch of track and boardwalk across some of the wetlands, which is very much nicer to ride on than the road (which is narrow and busy wih car traffic). It is a local Rotary project, and I hope that eventually the whole stretch between Motukaraka and the Camborne Walkway will be provided with a walking/cycle track away from the road.

The boardwalk across the tidal area (photo by John)

The tide was in and the wind was quite strong, causing wavelets to slap onto the road (photo by John)

Back at the Ngati Toa Domain, we thought we would go and look at the “beach that disappeared”. In April, a whole beach alongside the Mana Marina disappeared overnight. In the aerial photo on this website,  you can see the same brown yacht as in John’s photo, and you can see how large the beach was, which is now gone.

There was once a beach here … (photo by John)

A final pretty shot of the entrance to Porirua Harbour (photo by John)

Folding Goldies ride to Te Marua

We were supposed to go for a Folding Goldies ride on Thursday 17 August, but the Met Service had put out a strong wind warning, saying “northerlies expected to rise to severe gale gusting 130 km/hr in exposed places during Thursday”. I didn’t much fancy that, so I emailed Alastair, the leader of the Folding Goldies, suggesting Friday might be a better option. His witty reply on Meet-up was “Given the official advice to tie down trampolines, wheelie bins, and old age pensioners on bikes, we'll change to Friday”. 

The plan was to take the train to Upper Hutt, then bike into the Mangaroa Valley, to Tunnel Gully, and to the Stonestead Devonshire Tea place in Te Marua for tea and scones. Then we would bike back along the Hutt River Trail to Upper Hutt for the train back. Here is the map. 

Sue (our neighbour), John, and I boarded the train in Petone, the others had all boarded in Wellington. There were nine of us, including two new guys, Gordon and George.

Meeting up at Upper Hutt Station (photo by John)

The ride into the Mangaroa Valley was quite steep. Five of us were riding e-bikes and we steamed up the hill OK, but a couple of the others ended up having to get off and walk. 

George and Alastair made it to the top without having to walk (photo by John)

Everyone has caught up (photo by John)

The road down the Mangaroa Valley was pleasantly flat or slightly undulating. At the junction with Maymorn Road, Alastair gave us the choice between staying on the road or going for Tunnel Gully, which was a bit more of a challenge. We opted for the latter.

Maymorn Road or Tunnel Gully? (photo by John)

Near the entrance to the Gully area, there was a very steep gravelly track through bush, which was so steep that even those with e-bikes had to get off and walk.

This bit of track was too steep even for the e-bike riders (photo by John)

We rode on a bush track for a while, and met an amazing sight – some some guys walking a huge number of dogs. I was surprised that not all were on a leash, but they were all very well behaved.

I counted at least 18 dogs! (photo by John)

Traffic jam! (photo by John)

The tunnel was not too long, and John coped OK, though he did have to walk (darkness messes with his balance). At the wrong moment he found that the front light on his bike wasn't working. But the tunnel is short enough to be able to see light at the end of it.

The tunnel (photo by John)

A nice bit of track amongst tall trees

Tunnel Gully Recreation Area (photo by John)

After that, there was a bit more steep, but sealed, road, but then a lovely descent on a good (and quiet) road down to Stonestead at Te Marua, where Kevin Bold runs a great Devonshire Tea house. He has a large selection of teas, a choice of great big sultana, cheese or plain scones, accompanied by cream and a choice of jams (raspberry, apricot or strawberry), or mustard or relish (for the cheese scones). He even caters for the coffee drinkers.

We had our scones and tea at the tables outside. Except Gordon and I had coffee in plungers, and when I went to lift my tray off the counter, I managed to disgrace myself by knocking over Gordon’s plunger. Aargh! Coffee everywhere. Kevin didn't seem to be too fazed, thankfully – he just mopped it up and made another coffee for Gordon.

Tea, coffee and scones at Stonestead (photo by John)

Kevin took this group photo before we continued on our ride

After a pleasant interlude, we biked along the Hutt River Trail to Upper Hutt. There is a section of the track that is being rebuilt, after several floods washed out some of the bank over the last year.

Reconstruction of the river bank track

Before we got to Harcourt Park, we rode past a paddock where a beautiful brown alpaca came bounding over to the fence to say hello. A big sign said “Say hello to Peppy, our friendly alpaca”.

Peppy, the friendly alpaca

After Harcourt Park, three people went off to Upper Hutt station to take the train back to Wellington, and the other six decided to bike back to Petone. Colin and George sped off, and we didn't see them again. Sue and Gottfried, and John and I stayed together.

Near Heretaunga we watched a group of young people involved in a river crossing exercise. And near Lower Hutt, we diverted to Janus Bakkerij for another coffee and scone.

Teamwork to cross the river

For the last stretch back to Petone, Sue, who had been trying to convince Gottfried that he should get an e-bike, got him to swap bikes with her, so he could try an e-bike. A bit of a hassle, as Gottfried’s seat was too high and couldn’t be adjusted down far enough for Sue. So in the end, Gottfried rode Sue’s (full-size) e-bike, Sue rode John’s e-bike, and John rode Gottfried’s bike.

It was quite late by the time we got back to Petone, nearly 5 pm, and we had done 51 km. I was feeling quite tired, so we picked up some fish ’n chips for dinner on the way home.

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Now, the sad story about my “huga huga” bike horn.

On occasion I have said that I would love to have a loud horn on my bike – one of those that goes "huga, huga!" – to warn people walking on the track who don't hear my warning bell when I want to pass, because they have their ear phones plugged in. A nice loud one, that would scare the bejeezus out of them!

Well, I had recently had a birthday, and my daughter had given me a fantastic bike horn – it was gorgeous, with skulls and roses on it. I was utterly delighted.

My beautiful bike horn

John installed it on my handlebar. There wasn’t a lot of room for it, what with the throttle control, the bell, the bike computer, and the front bag. But it looked great, and sounded good. Not quite the “huga, huga!” that I had talked about – more like a “Beep, beep”, but that was OK.

Installed on my bike – there wasn’t a lot of room for it

This ride was its first outing. I showed it off at the station and gave it a few beeps. Then later on, when we had walked up the steep bit before the tunnel, and were regaining our breath, Gottfried gave the bulb a squeeze, and no sound came out! It appeared that the noise maker thingy had fallen out of the trumpet, and was rolling around inside the bulb.

When we got to Stonestead I mentioned it to John, and suggested he take it off, and fix it when we got home. As it happened, he didn't take it off there, which sadly spelled the end of it. Because when I next looked for it, the bulb had fallen off altogether. I think it just got knocked off somewhere along the way, as every time I got on or off the bike, my jacket brushed against the bulb.

What a disappointment! And I hadn’t even been able to frighten one single person with it!

Paekakariki to Kiwi Road

Gosh, two whole months without writing up any blog posts. It doesn’t mean that we have not been biking, but the weather has been “trying” quite a lot of the time. I can’t wait for summer – I hope we do get one this year!

I have a few posts to write up. So here goes.

On Saturday 5 August, it was a beautiful day – bright and sunny, but cold. We opted to go to Paekakariki, which is becoming a favourite ride, not least because the weather there is often a bit better than in Wellington. After coffee at the Perching Parrot Café, we set off along the Paekakariki foreshore. The sparkling waves and Kapiti Island beyond were looking stunning.

The Perching Parrot Café in Paekakariki (photo by John) 

Kapiti Island from Paekakarirki Beach (photo by John)

We biked to Raumati on the lovely Te Ara o Whareroa track through the Paekakariki sand dunes. About half-way along we like to stop to look at a valley with several small lakes or wetlands. Sometimes sheep dot the hills, but today all we could see was a pukeko picking its way along the edge of the water. 

Wetlands on Whareroa Farm (photo by John)

A lonely pukeko at the water’s edge (photo by John)

At the end of Te Ara o Whareroa, we headed towards the track alongside the Kapiti Expressway. We didn’t go very far though, as the cold air was affecting John’s (non-closing) eye, even though it was not windy. So before Paraparaumu, we took a side track towards Kiwi Road. There are quite extensive new wetlands here, created as a result of the new Expressway. Gradually, the wetlands are becoming populated with waterfowl. There are a few seats overlooking the wetlands, and we made a brief chocolate and photo stop.

A stop by the Kiwi Road wetlands (photo by John)

A perfect reflection of a pied stilt (photo by John)

On the way back to Paekakariki, we took a little detour to the Kapiti Aeromodellers Club, near McKay’s Crossing. We stopped there once before – John loves to have a close look at the model planes.

A beautiful model plane on its prepping table (photo by John)

Oh dear, looks like this one came to grief … (photo by John)

The vehicles were equipped with all manner of special fixtures for transporting the planes
(photo by John)

We didn’t cover a huge distance on this ride – about 20 km – but it was great to be out in the sunshine even though it was cold.