Around the North Island - route suggestions.

[paddy]

Myself and a colleague are planning to ride around the North Island in February next year. He has a couple of his friends coming from Germany so there will be four of us on three bikes. We will have four nights and four full days. We don't want to cover more than 400 KM in any one day. The German folk are coming to see NZ more than go on a motorcycle tour so we won't be blasting around like idiots.

We'll be looking for:
* Amazing scenery rather than "the twisties".
* Good places to stop and eat.
* Good places to stop and sleep.
* No/minimal gravel this time.
* Things to stop and do/see.
* Bodies of water to cool off in.

So far, the bikes will be a DR250, and R6, and an R1200C.

I've created a Google Map page. The login is "ridearoundnorth@gmail.com". I am hoping that those with local knowledge can put in routes, points of interest, etc. Please PM me for the map password (I won't put it here as little Chin Wa in China/Joe in America etc. will probably trash the map). Oh, and we are starting/retuning to Auckland. Happy to head North or South (perhaps even both) from there.

Please feel free to expand any points of interest you add by writing about them in this thread. I am hoping we can avoid too much noise in the thread if that's possible.

[CookMySock]

400km/hr is fair hoofing it. :msn-wink:

Steve

[The Everlasting]

I myself like scenic drive,and the roads around the waitakere ranges,there are a fair few twistie roads,but then going straight is boring right?

[paddy]

400km/hr is fair hoofing it. :msn-wink:

Fixed. Thanks.

[crazyhorse]

The East Cape is always a good ride to go on - nice scenery and nice roads too. Could go to Mahia Beach too

[varminter]

400km/hr is fair hoofing it. :msn-wink:

Steve

Gosh, nearly as fast as you DB:msn-wink:

[BoristheBiter]

i did that last year with my wife.
we were on a nija 250 and gsxr750.
we followed the coast right around the north island and it was less than 400 a day, but it did take 7 days but if you miss out the bottom of the north island it should be fine.
we just played around with google maps untill we had the 400km we were looking for. the only thing was the stay in opotiki, not much to choose from but the cafe was still very nice.
we found that there was somthing to see every 100km so we would just get off and look around sometimes we just got back on the bikes.
we went Akl (north shore), kawakawa bay, miranda, thames, coromandel, whitianga, tauranga, opotiki, gisborne (via east cape), napier, wanganui, waitomo caves then AKL.
i would proberly say that 4 days is a bit short as you would have to get back unless you don't mind doing a long ride just to get home.

[taff1954]

From personal choice, if you're going to include the lower North Island, I'd include Hamilton to Wanganui via SH 3 and 45. From Te Kuiti on down to New Plymouth is a cracker ride, and the Surf Highway will give your visitors plenty of photo opportunities around the mountain. And some reasonably good eateries on the way - Okurukuru for one is well worth a stop.