RIDING NORTH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 125, 30 May 1938, Page 5

RIDING NORTH.

ON A PUSH BIKE. CRASHES IN THE DARK. "3D WORTH OF BENZINE, j PLEASE." (By H.A.8.) (Xo. 1.) To the Far Xorth of Xow Zealand on ;« push bike was the task the writer undertook a few days ago. He wanted to see the big kauris of Waipoua Forest, he wanted to meet friends who live at Opononi, Awanui, Russell, and, on the return journey, at Whangarei, and he wanted "copy." So forth he fared on "Pegaeus," which jis a cycle fitted with balloon tyres, a Ismail suitcase strapped to the carrier at the back. A tent and kitbeg he had J put on the railway, so that he might establish a dwelling for himself if he decided to take a job of manual work or the way. He had 17/ when he had pur chased a khaki shirt «t X'ew Lynn am set his face towards Waikximete—only t passing visit, this, thank goodness Later in the day he nearly joined th< rows of his old comrades who sleep thei eternal sleep inside AVaikumete, but o this more anon. i "Pegasus" had been bought on th time, or uneasy payment system, onl two days before- the commencement r the trip, .and the new owner had cycle successfully from Blockhouse Bay t Auckland and back via Point Chevaliot this beinji the first time he lvid ridde a push-bike since before the war. So tl chain was beginning to run amoothl, and long unused muscles were achn -jonly mildly when Waikumete Hill wi ii passed. A mile or so further on, 1 •.; stopped for a smoke. He had i ii, matches, but two benzine lighters, ai t;as there was a garage a little furth } on, «nd he had a tiny benzine bottle

his suitcase, he rode up and asked to. i lhave it tilled. With commendable i ■decorum the garage attendant produced; 1 i<l wee funnel, and operated the pump ' handle of the bowser to the extom of aj< ; fraction of an inch. The bottle was;! ■rilled without spilling and the price was;' three pence. (Here's a chance, by thej' way. for a sensational motoring head-| iline: "To the Far Xorth aud Sack oni ' Threepenorth of Gas"). ; J "Over the Top." An idler standing by wanted to know what was the idea of the fat two-inch j tyres on "Pegasus,* , and on being; informed that they would enable the , owner to vide over a rockery just in fron*.| without feeling a bump, remarked that; 1 the cyclist was a —— liar, which, of jcourse, he was. What did the psalmist : r jsay about all men! Incidentally. the| ii tourist was rather glad that there had! ■not been a large crowd about when he j bought his threepenny worth of benzine. ! And so to" Brigham's Crossing, where e |the agonies of the trip began. It's ai e jterribly rough stretch of road, even for| I motorists, so what a push cyclist; jj! suffers may well be understood. Xo. on second thoughts, unless you a try it yourself, but you had better not t try it. It is hard work walking withd out pushing anything, on a surface of lt loose metal. Emerging from it makes lone wonder why one was ever such a ie I blithering idiot as to enter it. However. >n F.xcelsior! r- So to Huapai where a refreshing cuy,d of tea. a slice of bread and butter and three glasses of stout and one bottle of a ale were enjoyed, and the wise advic s! of well-wishers who advocated stayin;: ie the night were disregarded. The cyclist"* ,- sole reason for persisting in his deter,r mination to push on was that most of ot his friends had laughed at the idea of attempting the trip fit all and that not he one of them expected him to get farther j v |than Huapai by the first evening. of! That "Soft" Road Metal. ed i The shades of nijrht were falling fast to when out from Huapai there passed a "•• cvclist with a srim. set smile, who "Meanie down crash ere hed gone a m■ il.v HYes. that is what happened It w<l. l.v. pitch dark and a collapsed motor <a> . ing the roadside had not been nnic-h »l ■as encouragement, but it was n •.th hedarknefS nor the unfa"" »'■ ••> ;* J .

metal sounds paradoxical, but to the evelist. clinging desperately -to his , handlebars, with his eyes fixed ahead, there is something sinister in that sud- j den rush into holding, yet yielding stone, However, it was not a bad fall. and. I remembering his cavalry training, the rider at once remounted. There was a : far worse spill in store on the loose I metal just beyond Wharepapa station. i but the first one had robbed it of its I terrors. Then, like heaven after gehenna. a long, perfect stretch inttt Helensville. a j ] bath, change, feed, smoke, and glorious' j night's sleep, and after a morning's ba<k • on the hotel verandah, where this was \ written, north again for Kaukapakapa I ; and Dargaville. And no more niglilI riding.