Summer Solstice Ride report & photos

Here it is, the sunrise we awoke at 2am to view.

It is purely an accident of digital photography that Allister Worrall and CJ both look like vampires inthis shot.

Paul & CJ at Bike Central were awake and fully functional, plying us with muffins and excellent coffee.

The ride through central Auckland was entertaining- the party people were not expecting to see lycra-clad cyclists.

Olivia MacLaren met us at St Heliers and we headed through Point England, and east along Te Rakau Drive.

After the party atmosphere of downtown, the rest of the city was quiet with few cars on the roads.

It was still dark as we rode through the Whitford Gorge, which made me glad I had bothered to fit a Schmidt dynohub to my Ritchey for the occasion.

It got lighter as we made our way along Whitford-Maraetai Road, indeed light enough to expose a couple making the beast with two backs on the roadside.

We got to Duders Regional Park with about ten minutes to spare before sunrise at 5:58.

Peter Alexander, who lives 5 minutes away, was already there on his mountain bike.

We headed back to Maraetai, where CTB's old boss Susan fed us a sumptuous breakfast of bacon and eggs.

Here's the plan...

...meet 3am at Bike Central, 3 Britomart Place, Auckland, where Paul and CJ will have the coffee machine ready.

Depart 3:30am sharp for the 50km ride to Duders Regional Park to greet the sunrise at 5:58am.
There is a short walk through a paddock from the end of the gravel road to the ridge.

Ride 20kms back to Whitford for breakfast at the cafe.

Breakfast will cost $15- please RSVP by 20/12 so that we have an idea of numbers.

Route map

This map shows the route from Bike Central to Duders Regional Park.
It is 50km from Auckland to Duders, and another 20kms back to Whitford for breakfast, so you might want to bring a few snacks to keep yourself going.
From Whitford, you can return to Auckland up the Whitford Gorge, or via Sandstone Road to Papatoetoe.

The view from Duders Regional Park