Visiting A Very Good Friend at Matamata

It Was A Nice Change To Enjoy My F650 Today

Leaving Taupo and heading back to Auckland we had experienced some extroadinary road conditions on our bikes.  What is normally a very easy journey enroute back to Auckland this Sunday morning turned into something quite different.  Heavy blanketting fog made for extreme black-out viewing of any form of road surface ahead of us. 

The amount of condensation that had found its way firmly glued to my visor astonishing, and only made more so when we entered the state highway leading into Tokoroa.  This had now turned into a layer of solid ice.  The temperature here had dropped to about minus five and the grass sidings were carpets of white ice.  We cut through the slick road surfaces and the ice swished up into our faces.

 I had to open my visor as I had no visibility at all.
The dots of ice constantly flicking up into my face were now like small missiles - finding their way through the small open gap made for a frozen cheek very quickly.  My eyes were now also becoming blurred due to the frozen pellets constantly being flicked into them, like frozen meteors.  Extreme, it was indeed, and something I have not personally ridden through before.  On seeing some form of light through the gloom........  we stopped roadside and Jim said that I had done remarkably well to make it through.  Having a Conti TKC80 on my front tyre and a standard roadie on the back wheel,  the conditions were so bad this scenario just didn't even enter into the picture.  Signs were displayed everywhere on the highway "Beware Ice and Grit"  just ride it,  hang onto it and keep it in a straight line.  Not having full accomplishement of vision, the thought of just aiming for the wheel tracks of the cars in front of me was my major priority.  Making it through and being "Praised" by my husband for doing so  "PRICELESS"   and a job well done to me!!!   It was nice having a brief stop roadside and then attempting to reply to the lovely compliment of Well Done to me,  I realised my orating was not coming out so well,  the side of my cheek had frozen on me and I was gibbering as if I had just exited from the dentist after having had oral injections.  hmmmm   took a while to get the circulation going again.  Not long from our Roadside stop it was only about 30 kms on to Tokoroa township and then on to Matamata to visit a very dear friend.  WE always enjoy to stop to visit when we are not experiencing rushed or manic conditions - (another trailer story is a goodie here sometime)  so today we made it.  Hello to Garth our friend and one we very much enjoy to stop and chat to.  I was absolutely astonished by the wealth of skills my friend has,  on one visit to his home I was bundled up

One of My Special Friends   I WILL BE BACK!!!!

with a stash from his home grown vege patch.  Phew,  when a farmer presents to you a stash of home grown veges,  you will need a large area to store it all into.  I remember being loaded to the gunnels with the largest silverbeet leaves I had ever seen or ever had to find space for in the back seat of my Prado.  Normally, one just places a smallish bunch into the vehicle  .....  not at this farm............   amazing.  To follow the silverbeet came Rhubarb,  hmmm another goodie and huge leaves and stalks.  Garth and the BeanStalk I am beginning to wonder.............    I should mention looking out the back at the pumpkin patch.  At my home in Whenuapai I do attempt to grow pumpkins, but with little or NO success.  This was like a football field of,   only the pumpkins could have been the footballs,  big big and very big. 

Sunny and Warm   Very Nice - Ginger Beer   EXTREMELY NICE

Not to stop short here with amazing home-grown vege patch skills,  this visit we were presented with the very best gingerbeer you could ever hope to puchase.  Home made and topped up each and every day and the brews just keep on getting better.  hmmmm now this is country living indeed.  Having years of skills with dairy farming Garth has also turned his hand to the making of fine cheeses,  only we are told Ladies Do Not Enjoy Cheese This Strong,  move over  BLUE VEIN.    Garth has taken this one here also.   hmmm   I am really getting to enjoy stopping off here at MataMata. 



My last visit (the trailer story)  a rather delightful carrot cake had been especially home baked,  how on earth could I NOT VISIT HERE!!!!!     On this note     I WILL BE BACK !!!!!!