Just got back from doing the road both ways. It's largely really good. There are a few very tight, unmarked corners. Also some with gravel everywhere. But on a back road like this you expect a bit of that. The few k's north of Jerusalem appear to be the last to be sealed. It still isn't swept clean of the loose chips. As I found out with a foot off, front end slide!! It looked fine but was actually quite loose on top.
It's very tight and slow (1st gear) in places, so don't go this way if you're in a hurry. But at least 80% of this route is sweet and enjoyable. I also wouldn't choose this option if the weather was crappy. You'd use a lot of energy on concentration alone.
On the way down, I thought it would be better coming up (northbound). This was the case, I think the tight stuff is more manageable uphill than down. Although it does undulate considerably, so you get some of both whichever way you do it. Of course, heading north from Wangas it was very early in the ride, whereas coming down it was at the end of a reasonably long ride.
Apart from a cow, a dog (that ran out), three sheep and the front end slide, it was a pretty good ride. Recommendable if you want to try a new route, the river views in places are very good.
Hope this helps, cheers MK.
Do us all a favour, by bringing yourself up to speed, before pulling onto the motorway.
thanks for the report I'll be heading from the Whanganui end to Jerusalem as that's a checkpoint for the TT
I Used to jog but the ice cubes kept falling out of my glass
I did this Christmas day from the Wanganui end. As already said mostly in good condition but the last bit sealed does have a lot of loose stuff. The worse for me was on a one way bridge in a corner and it was a complete drift across the road to the other side (not much left one a one way bridge). Certainly not a fast ride but good none the less. On the BMW1200RT it was mostly 3-5th gears with a few 2nds thrown in. Gotta love the torque of those big motors.
Few stray sheep and cattle wondering so need to keep an eye out for those.
I am doing the TT2000 as well but am giving that checkpoint a miss and grabbing the two either side of Wanganui before hitting Fields Track then Ohakune, the two skifield ones and then over to Taumaranui and finally finish up in Taihape collecting on the way down.
I'll be finishing up in Taihape also before hitting the Gentle Annie the following day getting the km's is the hard part I'm finding but still looking to manage @700 - 800km for the first day, 800 - 900km the 2nd day before boarding Bluebridge (looking forward to the cabin I've booked ) with a cruise & tidy up of checkpoints on the way to CHC pickup the partner from CHC airport once finished with the TT then off to Oamaru for the night & the beginning of a 5-7 day cruise in the Sth isld before heading back to the Waikato
I Used to jog but the ice cubes kept falling out of my glass
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