“I won’t leave chocolate behind!” I declared as I struggled to finish a particularly generous piece of muddy mud cake at the beach café in Kaikoura. My newfound friends would just have to wait for me while I kept on munching. We were a small group of female riders from Sweden, Australia and Germany who had signed up for the Towanda Tour of New Zealand following the international WIMA rally near Lake Taupo on the North Island. We had been touring for two weeks together – riding the most spectacular twisty ocean roads, mountains roads and forest roads. The scenery changed between extremes: like the whole continent of Europe crammed into two small islands; Swiss mountains, Norwegian fiords, Swedish forests, Icelandic volcanos… The roads snaked up and down the mountain sides, stretched through the open plains, in and out of forests, gorges and along the waterfront. The traffic was scarce so we had the roads mainly to ourselves as we rode past volcanos, glaciers, bush forest and strange rock formations – it felt like an adventure and I loved it. These roads were made for riding!
64 kilometres of enticing twisty road coming upIt is like riding in the Alps on our way to the fjord, aka Milfords SoundThe Towanda group
Our guide, Tina, led us on the best routes around the islands and she had a great knowledge about the culture and history – as well as where to eat the best food and the most scrumptious cakes. I was impressed by the many vegetarian options, something I wasn’t spoiled with in Sweden some 11 years ago. The people were friendly and it was easy to strike up a conversation, another cultural difference I suppose, but to me it just seemed like everyone was so happy we had come all this way to experience their country and take an interest in their culture. In addition, I learned that people in New Zealand use their motorbikes all year around, something you can only dream of in my home country. I had found my place, I wanted to live here! But as immigrating to New Zealand is particularly difficult, “marry a kiwi” recommended the British-born woman working in the motorbike rental shop with a laugh: “it is the best way into the country”. However, I was unsuccessful pursuing that and my travel companions claimed it was due to my habit of drying my tatty long johns from the curtain rail. Somehow, they thought that this particular garment wasn’t doing me any favours and, in fact, they later gifted me some nylon stockings. Despite this, I failed to find a kiwi husband but I later found a country closer by that caters for my yearning of all year-round riding and a partner who accepts tatty long johns as part of life’s necessities. Even so, I always wanted to go back to New Zealand – to experience it all again, ride the roads, meet the people and eat muddy mud cake. Therefore, the news of the earthquake in New Zealand affects me profoundly. I have been there, in Kaikoura, the town that now is being evacuated from the sea by ships – it was a lovely place along the coast on the South Island, where we stopped on route for a coffee break. My thoughts go to the people who live there, people that I met, even though it was long ago, lovely people who contributed to my affection for New Zealand and my longing to go back.
Me and the Moriaki Boulders – unique and unexplained stone formations on the South IslandHot and steamy near Rotorua up on the North Island
So, the application is sent and the fee is paid. Now remains the plan – how to get there and back again.
The WIMA rallies have many dimensions and probably serve just as many purposes as there are members. For me the beauty is the simplicity in planning. I just have to take responsibility for me and my bike and get there. Loads of fun stuff will be arranged by the hosting country and hopefully a bunch of friends will be there as well.
When I go travelling with my bike it is to ride the roads, the nice roads. Everything else is of less importance. That is why I try to stay of the highway, chose smaller roads with nice scenery and a tolerable distance to cover. Sometimes, of course, I plan to ambitious and it seemed like to many days of the “Heading north” leg of the trip was a bit to long to be really comfortable, but I sure did see a lot of beautiful countryside.
N 122 towards Soria, the adventure begins – Big Smile
Spain is a fantastic country in many ways. When covering some distance it is fascinating to see how the landscape changes. Around Madrid the land was yellow and gradually turned greener the further north I got. There are several nice mountain regions to ride in and I headed up to the Cebollera national park near Burgo. Here, there are plenty of twisty roads, most of them to twisty to really serve as a road for travelling but the biggest roads were perfect. I love to be in the mountains, se mountain views from above and below. But I don’t nececarily want to ride the smallest roads and I do not like hairpins. I know it is like swearing in church to say it, but still, it is the truth.
N 111 between Logroño and Pamplona, 40 degrees and 6 hours later – Tired Smile
Riding north of Pamplona I soon entered France through the Pyrines, a bit west from the national park on road N-135. Riding on this hight feels cool and refreshing in the summer but I guess the riding season is short. It was foggy when I passed there and it was sure an exotic feeling but not great riding.
N 135 crossing the Pyrinees, hardly no vision and it was cold – Scared Smile
In France I managed to come a cross some really flat parts this time. Riding north from Mount-de-Marsan through the Gascone national park was a great disappointment, mainly because I had expected something else then flat, straight roads. Also this was when my problems with legs and feet started, so it is hard to tell what is what really. Later on, I did ride through fields that seemed endless and gave a fantastic view, and I did appreciate it. I rode in the French alp’s last year so I know that there is plenty of twisty bits as well, but this year I went a different route to see something new. I stayed in two fantastic places in France, which I had pre booked, Le Moulin de Saquet and Le Grand Chaume. Both these places where solitary B&B on the countryside with great nature to enjoy while taking my evening walk.
Le Moulin de SaquetLe Grande Chaume
It was only my second time riding in France so it was still very exotic to me. All the views are new, none of the roads have been explored before. Add to that my non existent knowledge of the french language and that is enough to give me an adventure. After a few days in France I learned how to ask for a room, coffee and breakfast. With a stock of snickers bars in my tank bag and a few occasional visit to Mc Donalds I was doing fine. I did worry that I would need to see a doctor during the time when the problems with my legs and feet were at its worse, it would have been very tricky to explain what was going on, since I didn’t really know myself. Now it didn’t get worse than I could push on and see a doctor in Sweden. Unfortunately it did effect my possibilities to purely enjoy the roads I was riding, and that was of course a shame.
Somewhere north east in France – chewing a snickersbar and smiling
After France I accidentally passed a bit of Belgium, no smile there, just a big surprise as I crossed the border… this was followed by getting lost in Luxenburg but the smile reappeared when finally finding my way in to the lovely part of Germany called the Eifel mountains. This route was chosen because I was intrigued by the possibility to stay in a real biker hotel and, on top of that, the area around the Nurburgring is a well known destination for bikers.
In the area of the Eifel mountains in Germany – Nostalgic Smile
I have been there several times in the past, to ride along the river Mosel, ride in the mountains and on the Nurburgring. I have always thought it was like coming to biker heaven, plenty of nice roads to ride all day and cold beer to drink at night. So while France is new territory Germany is an old favourite. This year though, my experience was a bit different. I was more aware of the speed other riders were travelling in, and the risks that they were taking. The road signs saying “Rasen ist out” gives a wink about it (the race is over). Some riders should definitely stay on the Nurburgring. Never the less this is a beautiful area of Germany and the smile was constant until I had to go further north. Getting up to Kiel is almost inevitable to use the autobahn, the small roads goes through village after village and it takes to long to actually get somewhere. These two days of riding between the Eifel mountains and Kiel I also had rather cold and rainy whether,. That in combination with being really exhausted somewhat dampened my spirit.
When people (generally non bikers) hear that I used 7 riding days getting from Alcobendas, Spain to Kiel, Germany, the comment is often, “so you took it nice and slow then”. Hell no, I said, I might be driving slow (if keeping speed limits is ever regarded slow) but I was pushing every day. When riding a bike I have to do all the driving myself, no one to swap with for a rest, I have to stop for drinks, snacks and rest… Add to that the exhaustion from being in the wind all day, and being cold when cold and the heat when hot… Actually, I don’t want to lecture, and probably most readers on my blog are bikers so you know what I’m talking about. I’m just tired of hearing that my grand effort was a lazy ride, but I guess it’s one of the things you learn from experience.
Entering Sweden again surely put a big smile on my face. I was back on two wheels in my own country, it was 11 month since I left with my Ducati (I had brought it to Spain and done an import the previous summer) and it felt awesome to be back. Unfortunately, I was not able to ride all my old favourite roads due to the condition with my feet and legs. I had to rest and recover. I did take my bike in to the centre of Karlstad to pose with the statue of the “Sun of Karlstad” and riding the city streets made me smile of remembrance, since it was here I first started to ride Ducati in the year 2000, a Monster 600 Dark it was back then.
Segerstad, Sweden, my home ground – Very Big SmileAlmost at roads end and my parents house – Proud Smile
Generally I had hoped to be able to recall more of my riding memories while being in my home country but at least I was able to relive a few. When Anneli met up and we rode out I had the pleasure to guide her on Swedish roads for two days going on a very special road in the area of Dalsland and passing the aqueduct of Håverud. The road is so twisty that is passes the same railway track 3 times during a 10 km ride. Unfortunately, we did this ride in the rain but Anneli had a smile that went up to her ears when we took a break at the aqueduct so I was pleased.
Since the roads were to twisty to capture you’ll enjoy the view of the aqueduct instead – Cheky Smile. Photo: Anneli Pille
Riding further south to the area of Skåne there was some new riding experiences for me as well, the coastal road from Simrishamn was very beautiful and with the smell of the sea it hardly felt like Sweden at all. I’m from a forestall area of Sweden with sweet water lakes so being close to the sea is exotic. Even living in Gothenburg didn’t give as much coastal experience at lest not for riding as I always preferred to ride inland towards the small lakes in the forest. Yes, in Sweden there is a lot of forest 🙂 and I love it.
