While chatting to Meanie and Monie at the Coast to Coast I suggested that we hadn't done a New Year's Day ride for a while (I didn't check but it's been at least a year) and that we should think about doing one.  Both were keen and then they also mentioned that Al was emigrating to the South Island (lucky sod) and that it could be a last hurrah for him - sounds like a plan...

Anyway, that's as far as we got before I snuck down to the Golden Bay so on my return we had to get organised in a hurry.  I actually sent an invite out while in Pakawau but didn't plan the route until I got home.  At least we had let some of the team know and could plan the after ride BBQ...

I eventually came up with the little ride shown below - except we reversed it so we could pick up some Martinites on the way.
Being New Year's Day (and an Ashhurst ride), we planned a bit of a late start from a cafe in Ashhurst for the latte drinkers (and this mocha drinker).  Meanie must have been pretty keen (or thirsty) as he bet everyone to the cafe and got straight onto Facebook to let everyone know all about it...

Not quite sure how that Trumpy found it's way into a Kawasaki garage...Eventually more coffee drinkers arrived and we were probably only half an hour late leaving for Marton.

All stragglers accounted forValley Road was a nice little warm-up followed by a few more back roads from Feilding to Halcombe and then into Marton where we collected yet another Triumph and a Ducati. ...