anglia4

So with the track record we have had with the Jeep on our big summer holidays (Transmission expired 2022, window smashed 2023), we decided it was cursed and dad offered the use of his Ranger for our trip to Nelson. All packed up, we set off from New Plymouth early in the morning to catch the Ferry. That part of the trip was uneventful, perfect! Once off the Ferry we set off for Nelson, not far past Spring Creek, into a roaring headwind and I noticed that stuff inside the caravan was flapping in the wind... The front window had fallen out... FUCK! This was an unlucky event, with an incredible amount of good luck thrown in. Firstly, the window fell out of its hole, sat on our nice soft stuff that was on the table, didn't fall out on the road AND DIDN"T BREAK! Secondly, as all this was unfolding, and in the ~30seconds it took between the window coming out and me pulling over, a glazier drove past and saw the whole lot unfold infront of him. He threw a u-turn, came back and re-installed the window roadside! Turns out he's also a vintage caravan guy, and gave us a bunch of advice for getting it repaired properly later so that it doesn't happen again. Thirdly, the GC glazier was booked at the same camp ground as us, so we got to buy him beers and do a home-made pizza night with his family. Legend! Lots of duct tape to make sure it stayed in for the return journey. The glass is cut slightly undersized and the rubber is for the wrong thickness, hence it fell out in the first place. So it was pretty late by the time we arrived at Mapua, and all the other campers thought we were nuts arriving at ~8pm with two young kids and attempting to set up all our stuff. It was all good though and we had a fantastic trip. It was good to get the curse out of the way early on in the trip. 18 days away total, 16 of them in the Caravan. New nic-nak:

*Insert photos I didn't take here* Went to Kai Iwi beach with @alfalfa and Co for a weekend.

Stayed at some campground that I can't remember near Pukekohe with @Duke Blackwood for the final event at the race track.

Well I haven't updated this for a while! After the re-paint, we took George to Cooks Beach over New Years '23. This was quite a memorable trip. On our first day, we got back from a bike ride to find the rear tailgate window on the Jeep smashed... Turns out it was a casualty of a nearby game of soccer. Then the weather turned bad and it started raining, and didn't stop... We had something like 9 days booked and by day 7 we were part of only about half a dozen people still at the camp ground and decided to pull the pin. I packed everything away, awning, gazebo etc in torrential rain. All our stuff was so waterlogged it wasn't funny, and then as we went to drive out, the camp manager came to let us know that the roads had just been closed for flooding... Thankfully they put us in a cabin for the night and we were able to escape the next day. Finishing touches were applied: Toddler proof camp site: Pumas don't piss around: Mostly smiles Giving up: And once everyone had taken their tents away there was just a lonely offending soccer ball left, so we kept it as a keepsake. The window on the Jeep was a prick to replace. They don't make them anymore, and the useless glazier couldn't find a second hand one... I started making phone calls and found him 3 in the space of about 15 minutes. I think it was March by the time it got fixed, and in the mean time the water ingress killed the reversing camera too.

So another big ride conquered. This thing was an absolute pleasure on the King Country Crusade. The new tires seemed to help with the sealed road speed, which was good as I was the leader most of the ride. Definitely not as awesome as the knobblies on the gravel, but much better all round. i got two bloody punctures during the ride which was frustrating, but otherwise the bike went great. The radiator shroud arrived from Yaho this morning too. I’m really stoked as it makes it look much less like a piece of shit.

I firmly remember the speed runs! Thats what got me keeping an eye out for one ever since, that one on the ride is my dads now. Unfortunately we think it did the rings during the ride, it got pretty sad and ended up on the trailer.

Awesome photos Muz!

RIP little monkey

I can share this now: thanks to mum for the design haha

When we see a headline like this in New Plymouth we will all know what you were doing today. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/498871/sewer-line-collapse-causes-13m-deep-sinkhole-in-auckland-s-parnell

Its a little overwhelming that this is TOMORROW!!

I'd say its weldable, but probably requires the right process with pre-heat, post-heat etc.

Jeez you take a shitty photo @WankBankA100

I've just sent out the email with all the directions etc. Let me know if you don't receive it!

All back together with some new bearings and seals, also finally got some more road appropriate rubber on there. Off with the moto-x knobblies and on with some goldenboy perfection. SR-244 on the rear. SR-241 on the front. It’s a proper adventure tourer now!

Its on the list!

We were going to poke the XL175 on one of the trailers. So between that and the monkey I'd say two spares will be plenty.

That monkey looks like a riot!

1 week to go! I may have pulled my bike apart last night...