Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/617259
13 THUNDER PRESS www.thunderpress.net month. Mike and I have been on sev- eral extended rides and it is always the same the last couple of days—a feel- ing of sadness that the open road will very soon give way to the normalcy of everyday life. It is a huge letdown, not because we both have shitty lives (which we don't) but because we enjoy the adventure of the unknown and the many fabulous people we meet along the way. Every trip we meet people who are game changers in our lives and we experience the fact that we may be the same for people who have met us. We are lucky and we know it but we make our own luck a lot of the time as well. As we headed up Highway 4 we passed through the town of Raetihi and landed in a wide spot in the road called National Park. This little hamlet is the jump-off point for excursions to Mt. Ruapehu. The mountain is the highest peak on the North Island at 9,117 feet. It is actually one of the world's most active volcanoes. Major eruptions occur approximately every 50 years with minor eruptions much more frequently, the last occurring in 2007. The area around the mountain is known as Tongariro National Park and is a frequent destina- tion for hikers, fi sh- ermen and skiers. As we sat chomping on ice cream and enjoying the sights it was amazing to see the different types of people who frequented the small convenience store. Locals and tourists alike came and went with regularity and many stopped to chat with the adventurous guys on the old bikes. Again it was interesting to meet people who had seen us at various places on both islands but had not had to opportunity to chat until that very moment. The conversation always starts, "Were you guys in (fi ll in the blank) two weeks ago?" Let the stories begin from there. What a rush. We pushed on the short distance to Taumarunui and our home away from home for the night, Kelly's Motel, which proved to be a perfect location, and a delightful room in the family-owned and -run motel. It was a short walk downtown for supplies and food and the weather was won- derful so we had a picnic on our veranda. This was a great chance to catch up with our thoughts and feel- ings about such a great adventure. We talked well into the evening about favorite parts of the trip and also bantered about our next foray into the unknown with two old Indians. We awoke the next morning to a thick blanket of heavy fog, not really the kind of weather you like to have when riding strange mountain roads. Max speed was 20 mph as we wound through hairpin turns and down steep, winding hills. What was particularly unnerving was that the locals did not share our trepidation with the visibility issues. Frequently they would roar up behind us only to slam on their brakes when they saw our tiny taillights. Needless to say we encouraged them to pass at their earliest opportunity. Once we climbed out of the mountain valley the fog lifted and we began meandering through farmland and gentle hills. We stayed on Highway 4 until the town of Te Kuiti where we hooked up with Highway 3 again for a short distance until we entered Hamilton where we took Highway 1 that would take us to Auckland and our jump- off destination of Auckland Harley-Davidson. Pulling into the dealer- ship in the early afternoon, we met Ray Pratt, the dealer- ship owner as well as one of our sponsors. He and Mike have been good mates for many years. Ray is just a terrifi c guy who works and plays very hard. He has a fantastic dealership of which Harley is only one of his brands. We also got to see Mike's mum again. She is the most delightful person and so inquisitive about new things. God help you if you try and leave the table before she thinks you have had enough to eat! Sadly she passed away recently but I am so glad I got the chance to meet her and share a small part of her life. May she rest in peace. Here ends the epic New Zealand adventure for two old Indian Chief motorcycles. It took from early March until early July to get the bikes back on American soil but they are now ready for a new adventure into the known and unknown. We have spent much time talking about where the next chapter will be written. We are leaning towards Russia. Talk about a language barrier! Ay, chihuahua. Stay tuned as our plans unfold. Until then ride safe, have fun and thanks for fol- lowing along the past year. 4 Mt. Ruapehu. The mountain is the and wea der a p ver a g ca th in gr W hig No fee of ac M ap 50 e fr o T t k N a ed us - Mike (r) and I (l) with Ray Pratt (c), owner of Auckland Harley-Davidson, as we begin to stow our bikes for the voyage home Presenting Ray Pratt (r), owner of Auckland Harley- Davidson, with my emer- gency fuel container after its purpose was served Can't leave without saying good bye to Mike's mum, Mary Tomas. Sadly she passed away soon after our visit. RIP, Mary. (L to r) Mike and I at Mike's mum's house, after washing the bikes and packing our lug- gage to ship home