Our night in Gisborne was spent at the Bella Vista which was really comfortable & lovely staff. I have to say when travelling on a motorbike, I feel people engage with you more & there seems a genuine interest in your travels & your bikes. Besides the freedom of travelling on a bike, this is another reason I enjoy the bike as it is such a great way to meet new people.
We dined at Lone Star which is familiar & comfortable no matter which Lone Star you go to. It is a relaxed way to spend the evening.
After a really good sleep, we breakfasted at Verve Café & Bar where we enjoyed some soulful tunes from the busker outside the café. It was really enjoyable to listen to him sing as we ate. If you are in Gisborne, then definitely stop there for a bite to eat. The staff are really welcoming & the food was great.
We were on the first leg of our return journey heading back north. Our route was to take us up SH2 & back to Whakatane. The concern of road closures was behind us & we had a beautiful ride ahead of us.
The traffic was light as we departed Gisborne & made our way to Rotorua. We headed out of Gisborne on Back Ormond Road then headed north on SH2 (Matawai Road). We stayed on SH2 all the way to Opotiki.
This route took us through Waioeka Gorge which is very beautiful. After passing Te Karaka we soon started to climb until reaching Matawai. The climb was mostly gentle bends & it was a pleasant day riding with the weather mostly on our side.
After passing Matawai our ride started to descend & we entered the Waioeka Gorge. The road became tighter & smaller bends. As we descended it became colder & there was the dampness in the air that is always present when travelling through these types of gorges. The road was like this pretty much all the way to Waioeka.
From Waioeka, the road flattened & straightened out for the short hop to Opotiki. We were still travelling along SH2 & now our view for some of the ride was coastal as we made our way up to Ohope before riding into Whakatane in beautiful sunshine.
Once in Whakatane, we stopped at L'Epicerie, French Deli & Café for a coffee and a snack. It was pleasant sitting in sun while we ate. We also took a toilet break while there & had some fun trying to work out how to lock the door. The lock was under the handle & wasn,t very intuitive to use. I was lucky that person who walked in on me was a riding buddy & I was just washing my hands.
After the break, we headed towards Rotorua departing Whakatane on SH30 heading towards Te Teko. The ride started off fairly flat and started to climb after Te Teko up to Lake Rotoma.
It was beautiful riding with the lake on my right. It was the first of four lakes we would ride past. Our route briefly past by Lake Rotoehu before an enjoyable ride aside Lake Rotoiti. We left the water views for a short stint before approaching Lake Rotorua as we made our way into the centre of Rotorua.
Once in the city centre, my companions & I went our separate ways to our accommodation as we were not lucky enough to find accommodation at the same place. I had found what was the last free bed in Rotorua about five days earlier. The whole city was booked out so I had no choice but to take what was on offer.
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