Bendiest road in NZ

**Unit:Me** · 9th May 2006, 20:21

Waipoua Forest for me up here but South Island its hard to beat the Bulla Gorge, first time I rode through there I had to turn around and ride back through again it was so awesome

**Hitcher** · 9th May 2006, 20:40

Stratford Mountain House to the Plateau.

The inland Kaikoura road.

Westport to Karamea.

Wairoa to Ruatahuna.

**WINJA** · 9th May 2006, 21:21

twilight rd is nice and twisty , scenic drive , theres a road going the long way to kare kare off piha rd and we called it the road of death try it at speed and youll see why, piha rd is twisty and off camber in places , i miss piha rd, the good thing about piha rd is there some 250+kmh stretches mixed with some tight technical corners

**Jamezo** · 9th May 2006, 21:25

Makara - Johnsonville does rule, but it's not twisty enough.

For a short piece of road (2-3km?), the most severe road I have ever seen or ridden is the end downhill section of Blue Mountains Road, connecting Whitemans Valley with Silverstream. Constant severe incline, endless micro-radiused corners doubling back on each other. Fun stuff!

Another local contender is Moonshine Hill Road. Some piece of work!

**inlinefour** · 9th May 2006, 21:41

Originally Posted by pritch008

'S a long time since I did the Akatarawa Road, I think the last time was when I had my Yamaha RT3.

Did the Akaroa Road last August and loved it.

My favourite though is SH43 which, although it'll apparently be news to John,

doesn't actually end at Whangamomona. It ends at Taumarunui and is a total buzz virtually all the way.

I would like to suggest to the other lads from the 'Naki that you give the Kaieto Cafe a go. One saddle on from Whanga, as shown on TV er KiwiRider.

I did it on the way back to NP on the DRZ400 after buying it in Taupo. Was much fun and I lost my numberplate, wof & reg & ruined a perfectly good tyre. I don't know about riding the CBR over that gravel stretch as I was not really going much slower over it on the DRZ compared to the sealed road...

**XP@** · 9th May 2006, 21:52

I was going to make this thread in to a poll but there is a limit of 10 options.
They have been ordered according to my fuzzy recollection of north to south and I don't have a map in front of me so it prob not correct.

To narrow it down a bit, which of these have a good stretch ( more than 2.5kms ) where the use of any gear higher than second (or first) is pointless?
Or are there other gems still out there?

Also if you know the road numbers/names for them then it will probably help to make a map.

North island
1. stretch of road just south of Kaitaia
2. SH12 that goes through Waipoua forest (north of Dargaville) (Found)
3. SH25a thames through to colville (Found?)
4. Coromandle loop (Where are the twistiest sections?)
5. mountain road leaving coromandel heading to whitianga
6. Mt Karioi at Raglan
7. Te Anga to Waitomo
8. Around the East cape
9. Waioeka Gorge
10. Whangamomona
11. Murapara to Wairoa.
12. Wairoa to Ruatahuna
13. Pukeiti Rd as it goes over the spur range west of Mt Taranaki
14. Taumaranui to Stratford (found)
15. Stratford Mountain House to the Plateau.
16. Ngaturi - Rangiwea Junction (nor-east of Wanganui)
17. Napier/Taihape
18. Parra Parra's (found)
19. Wanganui River road upto Jerusalem (found)
20. Tangimoana to Hunterville
21. Awakino Gorge
22. Akatarawas between Upper hutt and Waikanae (found)
23. Blue Mountains Road, connecting Whitemans Valley with Silverstream (found)
24. Moonshine Hill Road

South Island
1. Queen Charlotte Sound (Found)
2. Kenepuru in the Marlborough Sounds
3. takaka hill near nelson (found)
4. Bulla Gorge (found)
5. The inland Kaikoura road (found)
6. Westport to Karamea
7. Akaroa Gp from Cooptown to Barry's Bay (found)
8. Summit Rd & Bays (found)
9. The Crown Range Zig Zag from the Queenstown End and the road down to Okains Bay (found)
10. Some of the Caitlins

**orangeback** · 9th May 2006, 22:04

Queen Charlotte drive if you on a motard
Akaroa Gp over through Governers Bay to Devocials on any thing else

(the only way the cantab use the sides ove there tyres be for the rest ove yas)

Originally Posted by XP@

1. Queen Charlotte Sound
2. Kenepuru in the Marlborough Sounds
3. takaka hill near nelson
4. Bulla Gorge
5. The inland Kaikoura road
6. Westport to Karamea
7. Akaroa Gp from Cooptown to Barry's Bay
8. Summit Rd & Bays
9. The Crown Range Zig Zag from the Queenstown End and the road down to Okains Bay
10. Some of the Caitlins

**Bandit Rider** · 9th May 2006, 22:42

Done most of them, best thing is we have that much choice - and not many of us too far from some great riding.

For me the Takaka Hill is hard to beat, mainly familiarity.

**Buddha#81:Me** · 10th May 2006, 01:24

Originally Posted by sAsLEX

takaka hill near nelson?

I lived in Upper Takaka for my first 14 years of life and all bendy roads are rated against the old home track. I love going back there, I never really drove/rode it much myself but traveled it heaps and remember it well.

**Jantar** · 10th May 2006, 01:46

Add to that list the Otago peninsular roads. That is both the seaside road and the top road.

**Dazza** · 10th May 2006, 08:42

Pritch spelt it right Whangamomona,you need to come out with us on your CBR,maybe Sunday the 21st around 11ez's form McFarlanes,just a thought,not confirmed yet,up to the Cafe and back to the pub.

**XP@** · 22nd May 2006, 10:58

Hey,

I am board...
So I have decided to make a GoogleEarth set of place marks with all the twisties linked.

But I am having problems finding some of the links. So, if you posted a link can you please use google maps to give me a better idea of where it is...

If you use the links below then zoom in and center on the road(s) of your choice. Press the "Link to this Page" link and paste it in to a message. If you want to add a description of the road (including corner speed, width of road, surface etc) that would be awsome.

North Island
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...82689,21.51123

South Island
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...98133,21.51123

**Edbear** · 22nd May 2006, 11:49

Originally Posted by erik

The bendiest road I know of is the section of SH12 that goes through Waipoua forest (north of Dargaville). I'm not sure how many k's it is, possibly around 10km based on the map. It's corner after corner after corner, all low speed stuff (like 15-35km/h if they were signposted I would guess).
Almost too twisty, but then I prefer slightly too twisty than more open sweepers and straights.
It's twistier than the coro loop, SH22, and Scenic Drive which are the other twistiest roads I know of.

Yeah it's the twistiest road I've been on! Bit too slow for me, though. I personally like the Coro loop. There are just so many bendy roads in NZ how can you check them all? (Okay, I know how, just wish I had the time and money...)

**aff-man** · 22nd May 2006, 11:56

Originally Posted by erik

The bendiest road I know of is the section of SH12 that goes through Waipoua forest (north of Dargaville). I'm not sure how many k's it is, possibly around 10km based on the map. It's corner after corner after corner, all low speed stuff (like 15-35km/h if they were signposted I would guess).
Almost too twisty, but then I prefer slightly too twisty than more open sweepers and straights.
It's twistier than the coro loop, SH22, and Scenic Drive which are the other twistiest roads I know of.

it's 26km(or so) of bendy goodness. And yip that is one of the twistiest I've been on

**Rashika** · 22nd May 2006, 13:30

Originally Posted by XP@

Hey,

I am board...
So I have decided to make a GoogleEarth set of place marks with all the twisties linked.

But I am having problems finding some of the links. So, if you posted a link can you please use google maps to give me a better idea of where it is...

try these... I coloured the roads cos they are not easy to see... was bored too

No 1 is my close fav twisty, 5 mins from home, and not too long
No 2 is the siummit road from Hilltop to Akaroa, very windy, AWESOME views...LUV it!