Northland roads - best riding in the North Island, maybe all NZ?

[MD]

I thought the South Island had the best riding roads ever, but I have to reconsider. With a few lads we rode from Welly to Cape Reinga over the Labour Weekend.

Paraparas north from Wanganui are always a highlight. North from Taumaranui the same. Hammy to Dorkland the pits! Nuf said.

We had a buddy with a beach house at Ngunguru so that was our base and saved on accommodation costs. Yeah I had no bloody idea where Ngunguru was either. Above Whangarei and way out to the east.

So Saturday we did the exploring up to Russell, ferry to Pahia and late in the afternoon the stupid random decision was made to take one of our group to the Cape because he had never been there. Great plan, silly timing.

From breathtakingly beautiful bay to bay, sweepers galore, tight twisties that never end and good quality seal, it just goes on, and on, and on until you are exhausted from over dosing on cornering highs.
Must email a picture of a straight road to the local Mayors with the caption- build one of these bastards so we can catch our breath!

But seriously the road conditions for riding are mind blowingly good. It was 7.15pm as the sun was setting at Cape Reinga when we realised we were facing 4 hours of cornering in darkness on unknown roads to get home. We had left in light riding gear, expecting Saturday to be a gentle local ride only. It might be called the winterless north but I can tell you this labour weekend it was sunny but a cold wind blew. Once the sun dropped temps plummeted. When we got to the beach house I ran in, poured a Drambuie into a wine glass and took it with me into a hot shower to get my blood flowing from the inside and outside. Worked a treat.

Monday return trip was a bugger though. Holiday traffic, ten thousand cops on the roads, ever man and his dog who owned a boat or caravan took them out on the roads just to piss us off. And the rain. Lots of rain. Close on 11 hours of riding to get home soaking wet and miserable. Worth it for the three earlier days of motorcycling bliss under sunny skies.

Oh yeah and what's with making us pay $2.20 to ride a 5 minute section of boring motorway? Weirdos up north.

[Akzle]

Oh yeah and what's with making us pay $2.20 to ride a 5 minute section of boring motorway? Weirdos up north.

you were on the wrong road... that's aucklander tax.

[awa355]

There are fantastic roads everywhere, include the norf. Also a lot of roads that were fantastic, but are now breaking down due to lack of maintanance. Next decent road bike, and I will spend a week up there just meandering around.

Glad you had a great time, and the 11 hours of wet and cold riding was just part of the total experience.

Miserable riding weather seems to knit a riding group together. Everyone giving the others shit about their discomfort etc.

[CRM]

Yeah :headbang:. They are certainly up there with the best anyway. I live in the North but actually don't get to ride them that often because most of my trips go south, but that Russell ride is great, and of course the big loop back down through the Kauri Forest and Kai Iwi lakes.

[slofox]

Hammy to Dorkland the pits! Nuf said.

Look for Highway 22 mate next time...nobody round here uses SH1 unless in emergencies.
.

[george formby]

We wuz out on the Tutukaka coast recently doing a riding course. Another surreal bit of tarmac, from Ngunguru out to Hikurangi. Doubly surreal training on it.

I always come home buzzing from the riding we have up here. Tar & gravel.

I know what you mean about getting tired by corners OP. A recent ride down the twin bridges road & back via the Old Russell road had me mentally knackered. Summit like 600 corners from the SH1 turn off to the ferry.

[slofox]

When I lived up there I used to like the route through Waimate Norf. Waimate Norf Road I think...

[MD]

Look for Highway 22 mate next time...nobody round here uses SH1 unless in emergencies.
.

Agreed. I had parents in Hamilton to visit so SH1 was it and time was pressing. Got a bit lost leaving and returning into northern Hamilton. Folks were near St Andrews golf course but the roads and expressways confused me. It all seemed new and unfamiliar to me now? Or maybe I'm just easily lost as I get older.

[mulletman]

Monday return trip was a bugger though. Holiday traffic, ten thousand cops on the roads, ever man and his dog who owned a boat or caravan took them out on the roads just to piss us off.



This is why the South Island takes it...:ride:

[swbarnett]

Look for Highway 22 mate next time...nobody round here uses SH1 unless in emergencies.

Exactly. And follow that up with a side trip to Hunua and up to Clevedon and Whitford.

[slofox]

Exactly. And follow that up with a side trip to Hunua and up to Clevedon and Whitford.

That's on my to do list for this summer.

[swbarnett]

That's on my to do list for this summer.
If I get fed up with lane-splitting I'll sometimes peel off the motorway at Manurewa and head this way. Not a bad route for a daily commute and only adds 20km to what is already a 60km trip.

[unstuck]

Weirdos up north.

Yep.:2thumbsup

[george formby]

Yep.:2thumbsup

Oy! The OP was referring to the residents of NZ's largest conurbation.
Proper oop north folk are merely strange. And like banjo music.

[Akzle]

Proper oop north folk are merely strange. And like banjo music.

well, thank fuck im just south of proper up north...

[george formby]

well, thank fuck im just south of proper up north...

Ok, so you have different musical tastes.

[Akzle]

Ok, so you have different musical tastes.

banjo... Taste...
Ha.ha.

[slofox]

Exactly. And follow that up with a side trip to Hunua and up to Clevedon and Whitford.

So. If I was coming up from Te Tron to ride around the Hunua area, who can suggest an interesting route for me to follow?

[Akzle]

So. If I was coming up from Te Tron to ride around the Hunua area, who can suggest an interesting route for me to follow?

"around" the hunuas?

gtfo to ngatea ways - stop at the gardens and blaze a doobie.
up/east to lemonand. out of town on the main road, take the first or second on the right, you now have ~8km of straight (+cow shit) to wind out your bike.

left at the flats (hauraki plains/main road akl-thames)
right at miranda turn off just after mangatangi? bridge

past the pools (and bird sanctuary)
either - up the coast road to kawakawa ways - watch out for brown 17 year olds in subarus who think they can drive.
or - turn inland (left) at ??? which pokes you under the hunuas, you can carry straight ahead to papakura or turn right/north again for some fun roads to actual hunua town.

if you go through papakura, find the old motorway and take it north (great south road?) until manurewa or takanini or some shit. right left right left and you're in behind the manukau gardens (looks like shit since they've put aucklanders there), nose your way to point view drive and blat that (at a sedate 80km/h) turn right at the top out to whitford-maraetai-clevedon ways. stop at pub in clevedon (turn left for kawakawa road to find pub)

[Madness]

So. If I was coming up from Te Tron to ride around the Hunua area, who can suggest an interesting route for me to follow?

Te Kauwhata, around the lake to the Red Fox Tavern in Maramarua
Monument Road, right into Findlay Road (thank me later)
Down to Miranda, carry on to Kaiaua
Turn left at the Kaiaua gas station, fang it up to Mangatangi & come out onto old SH2 by the castle
Turn right into Lyons Rd, left into Paparimu Road
Through Hunua village, Sky High Road then (the other) Monument Road
Turn around & do Monument Road again uphill :)
Down to Clevedon, stop in for a doobie
Around the Kawakawa Bay coast road back to Kaiaua

[swbarnett]

So. If I was coming up from Te Tron to ride around the Hunua area, who can suggest an interesting route for me to follow?
This is what I would do: https://goo.gl/maps/shBlM. Follow the same route back to Hamilton from Bombay (Google's stupid new map editor has limited the number of way points).

With the options of 1. Twighlight Rd. from Clevedon to Brookby and back (worth the side trip) and 2. SH1 from Bombay if you're desparate to get home.

[slofox]

This is what I would do: https://goo.gl/maps/shBlM. .

This was a great ride this morning swb - thanks for the suggestion.

Due to limited time and fuel allocations, I didn't do the SH22 bit - just poked up the main drag. But then I've been up and down 22 plenty of times. I did go to the west bank of the river from Rangiriri south.

Best little gem of the ride? Findlay Road. Especially the first really tight corner that I was not really expecting...:crazy:

Been 50 + years since I was up that coast. Not a lot of change - I'd forgotten how tight it is between Orere Point and Kawakawa Bay though.

Nice ride.

[Madness]

...Monument Road, right into Findlay Road (thank me later)



Best little gem of the ride? Findlay Road. Especially the first really tight corner that I was not really expecting...:crazy:

You're welcome.

[swbarnett]

This was a great ride this morning swb - thanks for the suggestion.
Very happy to be of assistance.

[slofox]

You're welcome.

Tip of the hat to that man...