Whakatane Trig - FAIL Redwoods Trig - FAIL

Me:  I'm heading to Whakatane MTB to head up to the Telecom tower and grab the trig up there, who wants to come?
Clare:  Me


Clare can always be counted on.  She's so dependable.  Always willing to give an adventure a go.  Our adventure racing team is called "Bilbo & Gollum". 

I'm SO Gollum.  Friendly and bubbly one minute and vicious and dangerous the next.  And I have this peculiar love hate relationship with running.... or with any exercise based on training rather than fun.  Clare is Bilbo to a T.  Calm. Dependable.  Even tempered.  Laid back.  Loyal.  We make a good racing team as I get over excited and make mistakes while she balances that with the time taken to ensure we get it right.  While I live the highs and lows of good and bad decisions, easy and tough sections of a race; Clare can be counted on to approach everything with the same good natured, positive outlook.  Think roller coaster vs dodgem cars. 

Anyway, on this Tuesday,  I pick her up.  Someone stole my Bilbo. 
"I can't believe I'm going to Whakatane, I HATE that hill."
"I REALLY hate that hill."
"I should think about things before I agree to do them."
"I've always hated that hill."

With my pleasant Gollum face on, I dutifully ignore her, figuring she puts up with my whinging often enough and I guess it must be her turn.  Trying to make polite conversation, I say "Oh, better not forget to turn here, or we'll end up in Rotorua instead of Whakatane"

"Good, then we could go to the Redwoods" she says.....................

Gollum executes a swift U-turn and with the Earth's balance restored, happy Bilbo is taken to the Redwoods.  A quick bit of advice from the MTB team in the car park, and we head up to the top of Tawa Road, at 759m one of the highest points, and apparently sporting a trig.  Unfortunately, while it has a full complement of radio aerials and weather stations, it doesn't have the Trig Beacon, which is really what I collect.  %%$$#!!!!!

A nice downhill section of Billy T follows..... which is actually not that nice with a freshly broken finger making it possible to either grip the handlebars, OR apply the brakes, but not both.  I muddle my way down somehow, with one foot unclipped and generallly resembling a nana.

Unfortunately my Trig research was limited to Whakatane, but I think there's one on Moerangi.  So up we go again, to 734m........  the mtb trails don't go to the peak so I ditch Clare for some bushwacking but return untriumphant and frustrated. 

Riding Split Enz out to the car park, nearly makes up for missing the trig.  Nearly.  Bilbo's happy though, so that's a relief.  ;) 

Heading Down Split Enz