Wellington to Auckland?

[iand]

how long do you reckon it would take to do a good route from wellington to auckland? probably on a bandit 600/ pegaso 650/ v-strom 650

i am travelling the south island with my girlfriend but then i need to fly home from auckland, was thinking i could get the ferry from picton to wellington then hire a bike and ride up to auckland for my flight home.

Ian

[jrandom]

The boring route, straight up SH1, takes 8 hours if you don't go fast enough to get pulled over.

Riding that way sucks, really hard.

My favourite route from Taupo north:

Turn left onto Pohipi Rd just after town, ride to the end and turn right onto SH32. Carry on, then turn left onto Whakamaru Rd, stay on that road and take SH30 to Te Kuiti. Turn right onto SH3 at Te Kuiti, ride north on SH3 to Otorohanga. At Otorohanga, turn left onto Kawhia Rd, and stay on it until you get to Ngaruawahia.

In Ngaruawahia, get back onto SH1 for a few hundred metres, then turn left onto Waingaro Rd, left again to stay on Waingaro, then follow it out through Glen Massey, Te Akatea and Waingaro, then bear right onto SH22.

Keep yourself on SH22 and it'll spit you out at either Mercer or Pukekohe, depending on how confused you get when the roads start to split off. Either one puts you straight back on the main motorway (SH1) into Auckland, and you're there.

Total travel time from Taupo to Auckland on that route: 3-5 hours, depending on how you ride. You're unlikely to see any cops on the abovementioned roads. Not that I'd ever advocate riding faster than the open-road speed limit, of course.



I'll let someone else suggest a route from Wellington to Taupo.

If you're going to ride the likes of the route I described, you'll need a road atlas and you'll be stopping here and there to figure out where you are.

But that's just part of the fun eh?

[Grahameeboy]

Don't ask Dan, he has to get up early just to get to Newmarket by 9.30......

[BMW]

took me 8 hrs the normal boring way and stopping for the loo and something to eat.
You could rush it or take other roads, but that is up to you!

[Nasty]

Can you hire a bike in Wellington ... hmmm .. never knew that

[Bass]

Can you hire a bike in Wellington ... hmmm .. never knew that

Are there any bike hire organisations in Unzud that allow one way hires?

[skelstar]

I'll let someone else suggest a route from Wellington to Taupo.

Hmm... Wgtn SH1 to Sanson, turn right onto SH3 and head to Feilding via SH54... head north through Feilding to Chelmsford on SH54, through Vinegar Hill (nice and twisty) and right onto SH1. Cops cops through Taihape and onto Waiouru. I go left onto SH49, nice fast roads some sweepers around the mountain and onto SH4. National Park. Taumaranui (still SH4) and through to Eigth Mile Junc (SH3) is a SWEET peice of road. Don't often see cops but.... Te Kuiti and carry on with some of JRandom's instructions.

I know I didn't include Taupo... only because this would be quicker I guess.

Another option I've tried: at Waiouru carry on N on SH1 (cops cops cops) and turn left at Turangi SH41, right at Kuratau Junc onto SH32, sweet peice of road though to SH30 where you turn left as per JR's instructions.

Then theres the Waipapa Rd but prob best if someone is showing you the way.

[TerminalAddict]

Hmm... Wgtn SH1 to Sanson, turn right onto SH3 and head to Feilding via SH54... head north through Feilding to Chelmsford on SH54, through Vinegar Hill (nice and twisty) and right onto SH1. Cops cops through Taihape and onto Waiouru. I go left onto SH49, nice fast roads some sweepers around the mountain and onto SH4. National Park. Taumaranui (still SH4) and through to Eigth Mile Junc (SH3) is a SWEET peice of road. Don't often see cops but.... Te Kuiti and carry on with some of JRandom's instructions.

I know I didn't include Taupo... only because this would be quicker I guess.

Another option I've tried: at Waiouru carry on N on SH1 (cops cops cops) and turn left at Turangi SH41, right at Kuratau Junc onto SH32, sweet peice of road though to SH30 where you turn left as per JR's instructions.

Then theres the Waipapa Rd but prob best if someone is showing you the way.

I'd do the same .. but I'd turn right at foxton or levin, and head through palmerston north

[skelstar]

True, right after Levin eh, Palmy, Ashurst, Vinegar Hill and so on. Hmm... haven't tried that iteration.

Another is to go through the Wairarapa, Pahiatua Track (turn off SH2 at Pahiatua), Ashurst, Vinegar Hill. Did this route via Raglan, SH22 on day (850kms) and then did the ATNR that night. Bit knackered at the end of that day

[sunhuntin]

yep, go up through shannon... great road along there. i love it... its more protected from the wind than the foxton straits too. and not half as boring.

[skelstar]

If you're onto it (and I nealry was last i tried) you head due north through the intersection at Shannon and you can eventually come out well into the Vinegar Hill road, bypassing Feiding altogether.

[jrandom]

Did this route via Raglan, SH22 on day (850kms) and then did the ATNR that night. Bit knackered at the end of that day

On the Hornet?

See, that's what I'm saying in my 'which new bike' thread. I'd love to be able to stay on a bike for 1000km without ending up in agony. Did plenty of 700+km days on my old Zeal without batting an eyelid, so I know it's possible.

[TerminalAddict]

piece of piss doing 1000kms on a hornet

Grand Challenge number 1 completed for me this year.

2200 kms completed in 36 hours

[007XX]

Hmm... Wgtn SH1 to Sanson, turn right onto SH3 and head to Feilding via SH54... head north through Feilding to Chelmsford on SH54, through Vinegar Hill (nice and twisty) and right onto SH1. Cops cops through Taihape and onto Waiouru. I go left onto SH49, nice fast roads some sweepers around the mountain and onto SH4. National Park. Taumaranui (still SH4) and through to Eigth Mile Junc (SH3) is a SWEET peice of road. Don't often see cops but.... Te Kuiti and carry on with some of JRandom's instructions.

Yep, I'd strongly recommend that way too... Did that for the KB Birthday Bash, and it is an awesome ride.

Just one thing to watch out for: a lot of road works after Taumaranui, with fresh gravel was there when I went through...but it could have cleared now.

I reckon it's a safer way though, as it's not boring, many more sweeping corners than on the dreary SH1

Oh, and btw: I did that ride from Auckland and back on a VTR 250, so don't worry, you'll be fine on anything bigger

[jrandom]

In SH1's defence, it would be just fine and dandy in my books if I was allowed to do 250kph all the way between Auckland and Wellington.



I'm pretty sure I could save time that way over driving to the airport, getting on a plane, getting off at the other end and taxiing to my destination.