Why am I still here? I should be in Clevedon

Wednesday morning: Subconsciously, I was planning to potter around Auckland today. I woke up with the realisation that I have all I need to get on the road. So why am I still here?

I packed, planned a circuitous route to Wellington, said my thanks and farewell to James and Dizz and hit the road. Then I remembered why I do this. The bike packed to toppling, everything in its place.. the open road laying just ahead. I need to be in Wellington by Saturday night, to see Martin in the Vineyard Sunday morning.

So I set out. I went north to Helensville through some gentle countryside, bought a new helmet (it was getting rainy). Then back around, then south of Auckland, then across to the Coromandel peninsula. It took the whole day to get used to the bike, how far it will lean, will it grip on the wet roads... I still wasn't 100% relaxed. Those tyres in the wet... I was not fully convinced.

At one point, after stumbling through a portal to another dimension I found myself in Clevedon, but in a parallel universe where things have changed. I couldn't find the pier.

The sun diappears quite early, before 7pm. I found my way to Coromandel town in the pitch dark. I discovered the speedo illumination does not work. Something to fix quick. I need some spanners (whatever they do...)