Monday, 9 July 2012

Discovering Poronui - thanks to Jim Tim Sue and Jess

RIDE PREPARATION, MARKING AND MAPPING OUT OF OUR PORONUI RIDE:

Personally discovering the private lands of Poronui Station and in recognition of the ride preparation that went into making this ride suitable for our riders, both Jim Denham along with my son Timothy Denham rode these lands for one FULL DAY in order to work out which routes and trails would be suitable.  Over the day the boys mapped and marked out details as they travelled through. 




Catering for varying levels of riding skills and also the varying cc levels of our dual purpose bikes to which we have in attendance requires a lot of planning before we bring our riders to a venue.  As the boys travelled over The Station many areas were deemed to be NOT SUITED for our bigger bikes and we were at the time a little concerned we would not have quite enough terrain to be covered.  Many that attend our rides enjoy to ride many hundreds of kilometres when on any standard Explore Mission.  Thanks to Jim and Tim for taking the iniative to open up new areas that we were abe to add onto our ride day.  Several areas that were not available prior to us visiting The Station Jim and Tim were able to tackle these and they were indeed added into our challenge sections to which our more experienced riders thoroughly enjoyed.   Arriving back home then sees a good night's work that will now be done to plot out courses etc into our GPS units.  Often several nights' work will go into this.  We will constantly run through and alter details right up until the very day of our event.



HOW DID the PORONUI experience COME ABOUT?  




Travelling Out and About often when my husband Jim is attending the many enduro and trail based events that are regularly hosted throughout the North Island,  I forever find myself enjoying to explore the many off-road areas that are available here.  On once occasion  I happened to come across locals on one of MY many Explore Missions, and this started us toying with the idea re the possibility of taking a small group to visit The Station.  As explained to many of my group


riders at the time, this area will NEVER be a trail or enduro based haven.  Sustainability and environmental impact over these lands are a primary issue, and also in keeping with the peace and tranquility here one can imagine the overseas tourists travelling from many thousands of kilometres away wishing to have that total outback wilderness experience, without the silence being shattered from


 two wheeled folk.   From this small meeting, many many months of channelling with dates and much more etc was an on-going task.  Meetings also took place whenever Jim and myself were visiting Taupo.  At the time,  this ride was to be linked in with other areas, but this did not come about as further along dates clashed with many other planned events in the area, and I found the date that had first been set was now no longer available.  Moving along, and at last a date was penned in. 




WE are now hedging closer to my date;  this also the very same date as the big Taupo Ironman Event hosted in Taupo,  an epic Weather Bomb hits the region and along with my event having to be postponed until the end of March (the next suitable date with The Station) the major Taupo event was also cancelled.  This has been the first time in hundreds of years that an Ironman Event has had to be cancelled.  My rescheduled date then left me with 10 riders cancelling due to their other commitments on their calendars.



Thanks must go to Jim and Tim Denham for personally plotting, mapping and marking out this course  for NGARNZ to be able to attend and to Sue for discovering The Station - for this experience to be able to happen



ENJOY........   WE MOST CERTAINLY DID
Many New Adventures Lie In Wait For Us Here In The Taupo Region    (WE WILL BE BACK!!!)
visit our website to attend our New and Upcoming SEASON of Adventure Rides

Thursday, 5 July 2012

Waitahanui and More

The small Yamaha XT250cc lay sitting in the garage and was looking for some trails to explore,  so with nothing much else to do on a very crisp -5 degrees mng,  she was treated to some very wet and grassey 4 x 4 trails I discovered.  These wound their way around a fast flowing river for many kilometres and I most certainly had a small slice of my very own motocross track  Furher along I happened to venture upon several trout fishers enjoying their sport. 
Enjoying the many 4 x 4 trails that wind along the riverbanks




Coming across a couple that were hard at THEIR sport - I was amazed to view their catch of just over the few hours they had been working the streambeds with their lines.  One lady had just netted her fifth trout of the mng (the legal amount) - astounding good luck.  Oh,  to be such a beautiful creature!!!    Seen here POISED for my CAM shot,  looking decidedly gorgeous (the fish I am talking about)  she was just about to hop into her vehicle with her treasure catch, but had not realised that lurking right by her car door a team of hunters had been through and had killed and gutted a mother Kune Kune pig and her small babies.  The dogs had eaten the babies alive and the innards were still left thrown on the grass verge???      I was going to title this shot  "WHEN BEAUTY MEETS THE BEAST"  -  photos tooo graphic for display, but yes title is very apt......   



Leaving the streambeds and heading out to explore more roads that lead up to a lookout point attop a grassy hill.













Sunday, 1 July 2012

September 15th - "NEW" TRIBAL LANDS SAFARI Adventure Ride

"NEW" and very "UNIQUE" - Journey through these "PRIVATE" Turangi/Taupo based "TRIBAL LANDS" - the views "MAGNIFICENT" - This ride will be based around exploring "PRIVATE" off-road and forestry areas




S T U N N I N G     AND  MOST DEFINATELY    PICTURE       P E R F E C T

Interested in joining us?  Details will be finalised on our website over the coming week and entries for pre-registration will be taken via our contact form on our webpage.  Complete to register your interest and you will be forwarded with a registration sheet for payment and entry details.  Your entry will include a provided lunch at our BUSH CAMP along with a hangi dinner and your choice of two options for overnight onsite accomm will be included - YOUR ADVENTURE - your choice......

Tim pictured here with his thoughts ......... "I AM STANDING ON A WINDOW THAT OPENS OUT TO THE TOP OF THE - WORLD" THE VIEWS that surround MAKE FOR A magnificent PANORAMA - this just one of many viewing points,  breathless .......  Today we enjoyed a totally unique ride and were joined by fabulous people ......
"ON TOP OF THE WORLD THAT SURROUNDS"        
 ""equals""  .....     P A R A D I S E
Our travelling crew leads us through these private lands,  the views that greeted us at the top    simply gorgeous
Tongariro, Ngaruhoe and Ruapehu  looking stunning in the backdrop of "What Are" Privately-Owned lands!!!
Time to step back and take it all in - YOU COULD NEVER TIRE OF THIS    Stepping back from "A World AWAY"    from what we know      could only be described as  "TOTALLY UNIQUE"
S   T   U   N   N   I   N   G
PICTURE      P E R F E C T !!!

This ride has been planned and developed with "Big Bike" riding in mind.  Suitable for ALL levels of abilities and ALL bikes will be able to attend this ride. 






Pumice trails will provide for a variety of terrain as we venture through these lands
"LUNCH BREAK" - We will arrive at our elevated terrain and enter into the back-hills to enjoy a lunch at our "BUSH CAMP"
A variety of trails on offer and many kilometres of   "PRIVATE OFF-ROAD"   Riding


The KTM taking one of the many trails on offer in its stride.  The big 690cc adventure bike is enjoying the peace and tranquility that this ultimately provides -  Where Will This Trail Lead me to???





"OUR PEOPLE" and "OUR cast and CREW in ATTENDANCE" - Thanks to the people - we look forwards to meeting with you again on the 15th September - Thanks for Your Hospitality For Our Journey with you today      SUE and JIM DENHAM

to register your interest contact: steelmaiden1250@hotmail.com and we will send you a registration form with further details to hand.









or our facebook page   Northern Gravel Adventure Riders NZ

Both Jim and I wish to thank The People for the opportunity to visit and journey through these Private Lands - We feel this is a truly very unique experience
YOUR ENTRY WILL COMPRISE OF:
  A Full Day Journey through these private lands
  Enjoying many view-points to take in "STUNNING" scenic "AND PANORAMIC" views
  Lunch provided at   "BUSH CAMP"
  Hangi dinner with compliments and courtesy of "The People"
  Your choice of TWO forms of accommodation: -
        (a HEATED overnight bed at The Marae   or    a bed  at   a  local area MOTEL) if required
  Accomm will be Turangi based
 
YOUR ADVENTURE -  YOUR CHOICE -  WE PROVIDE YOU WITH A VERY UNIQUE   EXPERIENCE

Saturday, 30 June 2012

The scenic side of riding The Long Way Around Lake Taupo

Leaving Taupo around 7am this morning (NICE, now confirmed at minus five degrees) and NO heated hand grips. brrrr the KTM690 and small Yamaha XT250cc journey well over 500kilometres on Saturday to tackle and take part in a series of challenge riding sections around Lake Taupo - and this would of course be the TEMPTER to participating
Arriving at our dam stop and the two bikes take a brief stop before heading off again.  Son Tim had just arrived back from Melbourne and the XT was hauled out to have some of those cobwebs blasted out!!!!  Tim will NOT disappoint with that task.
"LOOK JIM" - "NO FIRE EXTINGUISHER", Tim loanding the small XT and always blows out those cobwebs to the max......  Fire Extinguisher had also been blown completely OFFF!!!   I guess no amount of strapping was going to last the distance!!!!    hmmm
The view from the dam  -  CRISP  COOL  CLEAR    A N D    C O L D..........


One fire extinguisher still manages to hang on in there -  we kitted both bikes out with a full compliment of knobbly tyres for the ride today.  On some of the roading sections layers of ice had also formed and this also made for a few watchful moments with these tyres.

A team support van had arrived and the aroma of hot drinks a most welcome addition.   NICE TOUCH

Monday, 25 June 2012

Gravel Hopper Adventures and Riding the Loose Stuff: Tunnel Time anyone???

Gravel Hopper Adventures and Riding the Loose Stuff: Tunnel Time anyone???: Tunnel Time Anyone??? "Thumpers", and they came,  first out of the starting blocks, our friend the big BMW1200cc followed closely by...

Tunnel Time anyone???

Tunnel Time Anyone???


"Thumpers", and they came,  first out of the starting blocks, our friend the big BMW1200cc followed closely by "TEAM ORANGE".   Like a swarm they were lining up and waiting for the treat to ride "The Tunnel".  Yes, the surface provided for a little entertainment also to some.   Everything and more an adventure ride should deliver.
"TEAM ORANGE" taking it on.......
That "KTM ADV Bike" looking the business and "BRINGING IT ON"..........
A small slice of the 'Action and Fun' a "Tunnel Ride" can provide

Yamaha 660XT  and  "Exit Strategy"
Nice shot of a really slippery and muddy exit - the hole at the "End of The Tunnel" - and
YES,  there is always a light at the end of also................

"Out Of Town"   and this KTM does not like to be left out
Commentary and Cam Snapping hand-in-hand  
 "WE SNAPPED" our roving Photographer
Don't you love it when this happens!!!!


N.G.A.R.N.Z.

For more of this,  visit our website for further details and join us:

We are running a repeat of this ride to cater for our members who missed out on the Saturday's
"RiverHead Explore Adventure" ride - 

Sunday the 05th August   We Will Be Back  For ROUND TWO
 Of This NEW Adventure Season