The police had heard a motorcycle gang was coming to town but instead encountered a bunch of motorcycle-riding, fun-loving women.
"There we were sitting out having our cups of tea and scones," Jenny Eijkman, of Kaiapoi, laughingly recalled.
Babes on Bikes celebrated its 21st ride with a medieval-themed outing to Campbell Park Estate, at Otekaieke, on Saturday.
The group was the brainchild of Waimate woman Lynda Ramsay, who was involved with the Waimate Motorcycle Club for many years.
The club ran the March Hare rally and she noticed an increasing number of women motorcyclists coming through the gate.
Talking to them, she discovered they were all fun-loving, adventurous women who "you could have a really good laugh with".
Some brainstorming followed and it was decided to gather like-minded women together and go for a ride.
The first Babes on Bikes ride was 10 years ago and rides have been held twice yearly since to venues all over the South Island, including Te Anau, Blenheim, Kaikoura, Greymouth, Hanmer Springs, Blackball, Gore, Moeraki, Middlemarch and Omarama.
"Small towns can be really fun. You can kind of roll into town and take over," Ms Ramsay said.
Unlike their male counterparts, the women did not tend to talk much about their machines. Rather they talked about "life", Ms Eijkman said.
