Bikers prepare for iconic fundraiser

A contingent of riders will take the roads less travelled for a fundraising event hosted by the Waihī-Thames Valley branch of Ulysses.
The fundraiser – a “treasure hunt” dubbed Icons 150 – is the chance for local motorcycle enthusiasts to be involved in a national appeal.
“The Icons 150 is in conjunction with Ulysses’ national baton relay, and that’s to raise funds for cyclone-damaged properties,” Waihī-Thames Valley Ulysses president Chris Brown said. “There’s still a lot of need in the Hawkes Bay, in Muriwai, and up here.”
Chris explained that the baton relay would kick off in Invercargill on November 5, with each Ulysses branch carrying a baton “made out of an old sewage pipe” into the next branch’s territory.
It will arrive in the Thames Valley on November 14, with riders riding up to the Red Fox Tavern in Maramarua before camping in Miranda overnight. They’ll then travel onwards to Maketu, where they’ll pass the baton onto the Whakatāne branch.
Concurrently, each branch will also be raising their own funds by hosting events throughout the month.
The Icons 150 will be held on November 4 and is something that was “dreamed up over a beer”, Chris said.
Trevor Birchall is the club’s runs coordinator and he told The Profile anybody can take part in the day. But he’s a stickler for road rules, he said, and all participants and their bikes had to be legal.
“We’ve checked out the route and we think it’s absolutely fantastic,” he said. “It’s approximately 150kms and will take people 3.5-4.5 hours to get around it. It’s like a treasure hunt, they have to find the icons and photograph them.”
Trevor said it didn’t matter how the riders got to the icons, but they would get extra points if they photographed their bike in front of them.
“I’ve been a bit devious,” he admitted. “These are roads you wouldn’t normally travel – the best of the roads in the Hauraki.”
There’s also an opportunity for people to partake in a tour around the route, rather than compete in the “treasure hunt”.
“We’re positive it’s going to be successful because we’re motorcyclists,” Trevor said. “We support things.”
The national Ulysses Club is designed for over-40s who love motorcycles. The Waihī-Thames Valley branch’s Icons 150 event will start and end at Hauraki RSA in Ngātea, with riders to be assembled by 9.30am on November 4.
DETAILS: To enter, email ig.elliot.mcgrath@gmail.com, with your name, phone number, and bike rego.