Captains Matariki; Thomas, Godley, Taylor

Nice big ride on the gloriously-weathered first ever Matariki holiday. Drove out to Slumner and parked where the buses park.  

Headed back down the road briefly then up the old skool Captain, which proved very greasy...  Very greasy.  Mucky mucky slippy greasy slicky slipsville.  Decided, as I squirrelled my way upwards, that I would not return this way.  Did pretty good and it's fun tech keeping the wheels in motion.  Took a long phone call with dad just after the gully crossing, then got going again nice and fresh.  On upwards, the rocks in the shade a tad greasy but mostly pretty good.  Huffing and chuffing up.  

Stopped at the top for a long consideration as to where I'd go.  Up the road to Greenwood??  Gloomy gulch would be nasty.  Out Godley?  Mostly should be good, so went that way.  Waited for a few descenders to get off it and headed on up, cleaning, bar one dab, the whole first section then a few dabs but mostly cleaning my way out.  Lots of puff.  Stopped in a location I've not stopped before for a breather and a rest, admiring the nice day, then got going again and had a great blast round and down to Livingston, only one short section of spleckiness in the usual spot.  Wicked blast down to the bottom, then climbing up around and over to Breeze, feeling good along the way.  Into the climb and onto the hard-to-find (and follow) narrow 'sheep' trail around to the lookout emplacement.  Watched, from on high, the Quake City Rumblers blasting on their 50s out to the 'head carpark, lots of noise and 2 stroke smoke.  Blasted down the fast to the road, across and onto the OG return to Breeze trail.  Nice flow around here then straight into Anaconda.  

Slow to start then into the rough and blasting down around, lots of flow and weave, pump and pop.  Into the 'tail and flow pop round this rolling straight into the Escape to escape.  Climb climb climb, and climb some more.  Steep grovelly in the valley, then easier going as you peaked.  Hit the road.  Quake City boys(and girl) bombed past as I watched from just before the Liftoff spot, then I rolled back up onto Godley for the fun blast back to Evans.  Excellent rock weave groove all the way.  

Finally, the Captain blast down.  Nearly messed up on the lowest of the gnarly rocks, taking a line (and having to pop it slightly) I've never even considered before, due to the greasiness on the rocks.  Rest of the way nice flow, turning hard right and down the 'newer' version into the valley bottom, cabbage tree section, blasting down and out back to car.

22 kms, 840 m. Not bad!