Five days off! [Archive] - Kiwi Biker forums

slofox

4th January 2011, 19:27

I got five days off. So this is tomorrow's ride...


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Dunno about after that...

tri boy

4th January 2011, 20:26

Down the centre would be better. (heh, that rhymes).
MHO

Mom

4th January 2011, 20:28

I got five days off. So this is tomorrow's ride...

Dunno about after that...

North perhaps?

PrincessBandit

4th January 2011, 21:01

Have a great ride! Solo or with Lilfox?

Smifffy

4th January 2011, 21:10

I did Oaranui, Kinloch and the western access rd today. Went for a swim at Kinloch (Hot), still had fuel and the urge on the way home so went up to Kihikihi then Arapuni and Old Taupo Rd home.

Roads were mostly good, traffic light.

Enjoy your ride.

nosebleed

4th January 2011, 21:12

Move your line to the left.
39 to Otorahanga
Through Te Kuiti to Taumaranui
Turn left just outside Taumaranui onto 41
Ride around the lake to Taupo.
Carry on to Napier.

Gone Burger

4th January 2011, 21:15

I did the NTaupo to Napier Highway just a couple of days ago - LOVED it!. When coming out of Napier though, make sure you stick to 50A which leads onto 50. Takes you through the back wine country and the scenery is stunning. The oher way is main highway and full of traffic and cops at the moment. Have a great trip.

After that, I reckon you should head over the the Forgotten Highway.. up through Wanganui, Stratford, then through State Highway 43 right through to Tamaranui.Back up the Western Access Road North (left side of lake Taupo.)

Just done all these roads, and they are fantastic. Get off the main road and discover the alternate routes.

HAVE FUN!!!!!! Shiny side up :)

ducatilover

4th January 2011, 21:16

Where abouts in the Wairarapa are you ending up Sir Slofox? I could do with a bike related beer.

Gone Burger

4th January 2011, 21:19

ducatilover

4th January 2011, 21:39

Forgot to add... would recommend the Pahiatua Track to take you from Masterton through to the other side. From Wanganui, the paraparas are great fun indeed, and lead you North to National park. you could head through forgotten highway from that side instead. Either way.. you have a fun ride ahead.

Either the Pahiatua track or the Saddle Rd.

I would be a tour guide, but, I would no doubt ride too slow :facepalm: Althoguh I "own" those roads.

Gone Burger

4th January 2011, 21:41

Either the Pahiatua track or the Saddle Rd.

I would be a tour guide, but, I would no doubt ride too slow :facepalm: Althoguh I "own" those roads.

Ah - good man. Local knowlege is best.

Plenty of good folk down here to have a beer with during your breaks

slofox

5th January 2011, 06:13

The whole idea is route 52. Tron to Waipuk is just accessing it...

Solo ride. Lilfox doesn't go anywhere near a machine that I am in control of...besides which, she's in blob mode just now...

And yes, Mom - it probably will be norf on day 2...

davebullet

5th January 2011, 06:50

52 is the bizz.

wynw

5th January 2011, 09:55

If you get to Whangarei or further north, drop a line, you are welcome for coffee or other and i could easily be talked into getting the bike out!

insomnia01

6th January 2011, 09:30

dont know if you have been yet, but it's worth checking out Middle rd from Havelock north follow through to Waipawa then hock up with Waipak & route 52 :woohoo::woohoo:

wingnutt

6th January 2011, 11:26

will be a nice ride, just a heads up, watch for a lot of melted tar, between Taupo, and Napier.

have a great ride,

cheers,

Bob

slofox

7th January 2011, 05:54

1100km in just over 28 hours. Including overnight in Masterton. About 15 and a half hours of road time. Which included gas stops, coffee stops, bum denumbing stops and such like. Me bum bones still hurt a bit...

Route as per map.


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<span style="display: block; font: bold 11px verdana, arial; padding: 2px;"><a style="color: #fff; text-decoration: none" href="http://www.motowhere.com/maps/route/Route52">Route52</a></span>
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Some interesting bits. The hill section of Taupo Napier was really melty and shiny. And full of traffic. Trucks and trailers, tractors, motorhomes (grrr), boat trailers etc etc. But not enough to stop a couple of bikes, complete with pillions from ignoring yellow lines when overtaking everything on the road...

Only scared myself once on that bit...also overtaking. But not over a yellow...just ran short of room, kinda.

So Route 52 itself.

The section from Waipukurau to Weber Road was "interesting". Parts of it were fine, but, as one of the locals at the gas station said, some of the roads were "minor"...understatement of the year so far. Minor goat tracks more like...including the one in this photo...

228035

I got to this intersection, not having a clue where I was and the GPS told me to turn up this road...I said "WHAT? That's a goat track!" But it insisted...as you can see, the road is cut out of the rock cliff face. It felt pretty narrow as well and had bits of rock all over it and signs warning of rock falls as well...I could see they weren't kidding. Plus there was a million foot drop off the right hand side. Made me pleased to be on the inside, being as how I am pretty height phobic.

Fortunately, after the climb it tamed down a bit. But some of this part was very narrow, very twisty and seemed to have fallen trees around every second corner plus a fair number of marauding sheep running loose as well...the local farmers apparently don't worry about keeping their stock inside the paddocks...so a pretty slow section.

From Weber Rd onwards it's a pretty cool ride, at least as far as Pongaroa, here...

228036

Just before Pongaroa, I met a truck coming the other way loaded with wool bales. Which were in the process of falling off the truck - the stacks had come adrift and there were a couple hanging way out off the side of the truck, just snagged by the rope. Just past him, around the corner, were two bales lying on the side of the road where they had fallen off...

South of Pongaroa is a hill which is again, narrow and winding and marked by yet more fallen trees and wandering sheep..

Eventually reached Masterton, got into a motel and soaked in the spa bath for half an hour.

Home via National Park on day 2. Interesting road between Pahiatua and Palmerston North...

Rest of it was just getting home so I could fall asleep for twelve hours.

insomnia01

7th January 2011, 06:13

:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap: As mentioned previously in thread, I did Middle rd down to Waipawa then on to Waipak followed route 52 to Weber rd & took this through to Dannevirke to see what is was like....

slofox

7th January 2011, 06:21

The Baron

7th January 2011, 06:39

Nice trip.

Nice ride report.

Well done.

PS - nice pic of bike too.

Smifffy

7th January 2011, 17:38

Big thumbs up!!

Nice report, glad you had fun and stayed safe.

rideon

7th January 2011, 18:35

[QUOTE=slofox;

And yes, Mom - it probably will be norf on day 2...[/QUOTE]

If you're heading north , ya gotta have a look at Otaika valley road & then the twin bridges road - both are some serious bits of biker real estate. Done them twice in the last month & they are awesome in either direction. Would lead nicely into the Mangamuka's then round Ahipara and back down through Waipoua Forest. Have just comeback from 6 days up there and we had an absolute blast - Misred carved up the twin bridges yesterday !!!

tri boy

7th January 2011, 18:35

Paihiatua track is the shizz, if there is no traffic:innocent:

slofox

8th January 2011, 05:47

If you're heading north , ya gotta have a look at Otaika valley road & then the twin bridges road - both are some serious bits of biker real estate. Done them twice in the last month & they are awesome in either direction. Would lead nicely into the Mangamuka's then round Ahipara and back down through Waipoua Forest. Have just comeback from 6 days up there and we had an absolute blast - Misred carved up the twin bridges yesterday !!!

I did this route last New Year. Used to live up there, so have a little knowledge of the area...I think I put up a video of the Waipoua section on YouTube IIRC...