Hamilton - Wellington trip questions

[Monsterbishi]

Just after a bit of information from the North Island contingent - I'm riding from Hamilton to Wellington in about five weeks time, and have never traveled the route before so I was wondering if anyone could give me some pointers for the journey, ie are there any sections where a experienced but uninformed rider could have issues?

Will be daylight hours and a 600cc Sportsbike so no issues with hills but I may be walking funny afterwards...

[Murray]

Depends on whether there is a time and distance issue.

When time is an issue the fastest and best way (in my opinion) is through Otorahanga, Taumarunui, national park, Ohakune to Waiouru and then straight down HW1

Scenic way go via New Plymouth coastal or Forgotten Highway (only issue would be here re lots of windies and an unsealed stretch (about 10-15km) in the middle oh and a dark wee tnnel that takes you by surprise) to Straford or dont turn off to Ohakune and head through the para's to Whanganui.

What ya doing in Hams????

[James Deuce]

Some Alternatives:
Hamilton-Taupo-Napier-SH50-Masterton-Wellington. Much less traffic. Some reasonable roads interspersed with straight bits with excellent scenery (and very little traffic) and only about 20 minutes longer than the route above.

Hamilton-Taupo-Taihape-Vinegar Hill-Palmerston-Pahiatua Track-Wellington. Boring bits with lots of traffic interspersed with mental twisties with relatively little traffic. Same sort of time and distance as the first one.

Hamilton-Taupo-Taihape-Hunterville-Fordell Rd then back to Bulls and drone down HW1 via the Kapiti Coast

Depends on whether or not you are in transport mode or have a look and have some fun mode.

[insomnia01]

Te awamutu ( add 30-40mins starting from Tron ) Oto - Taumarunui - National park - parapara's - Bulls - Wellywood 4 1/2 to 5 1/2hrs take some $$$ stop @ Mapiu café (@ 1/2 way to Taumarunui ) great coffee & home made pies/sweets gas up in Raetihi & enjoy the parapara's you WONT be disappoint BUT keep your wits about you from Fields track access as :Police: patrol this far up from Whanganui

[Rhys]

Will be daylight hours and a 600cc Sportsbike so no issues with hills but I may be walking funny afterwards...


Is it a honda ?

[Tazz]

SH4 hands down. SH1 is boring as shit, heaps of cops too which usually doesn't bother me but with all this 1km over BS....

Nothing outrageous about either route as far hazards go, just watch for slips towards the south on SH4 if there has been a massive dump of rain just before you go.

Haven't done around the Napier way but if time isn't an issue go for it, or fang down through the naki?

[Monsterbishi]

Is it a honda ?

Yamaha actually, was almost a Honda...


What ya doing in Hams????

Picking up the bike, was going to use Biketranz but my Christmas holiday plans made that option impossible.

I'm on a reasonably tight schedule so am after the shortest, least complex route so SH1 is my intended route.

[Ender EnZed]

I'm on a reasonably tight schedule so am after the shortest, least complex route so SH1 is my intended route.

SH4 (https://goo.gl/maps/is4EQ) is 6km shorter and only take a minute longer than SH1 (https://goo.gl/maps/b8sSI) according to Google maps. And that way you get to ride the Paraparas.

[Tazz]

SH4 (https://goo.gl/maps/is4EQ) is 6km shorter and only take a minute longer than SH1 (https://goo.gl/maps/b8sSI) according to Google maps. And that way you get to ride the Paraparas.

Less traffic too.

I'm always pressed for time when I head up to see family in the tron and treat SH1 like the plague now. You just need to plan your fuel stops if you're going in the middle of the night.

[James Deuce]

Yep SH4 or SH5/2 is usually slightly quicker on a bike than SH1 due to less traffic.

SH5/2 avoids the Kapiti to Wellington shitfight.

[Ulsterkiwi]

I live in Kapiti and would agree with JamesDeuce's proposed SH5/2 route, cant really go wrong with it. The boring bits give you a breather between the more demanding bits.

If you must come down by a faster route do try and take in the Paraparas, really nice ride.

[Tazz]

I live in Kapiti and would agree with JamesDeuce's proposed SH5/2 route, cant really go wrong with it. The boring bits give you a breather between the more demanding bits.

If you must come down by a faster route do try and take in the Paraparas, really nice ride.

Lots of 24hr gas stations too by the looks. Will give it a nudge next trip depending what stead I'm on.

[Murray]

so SH1 is my intended route.

Dont do it!!

National park way at least if time is an issue SH1 Hams to Waiouru horrible boring road with travel jams and Desert roads sometimes slow and crawling with coppas

[amberzfire]

If you can ... avoid coming into Otaki on Sunday afternoons anywhere around the 2pm to 4pm timeframes ... traffic can back up quite quickly with those heading into/back to Wellington on standard weekends .. have yet to see how it will all fare through the christmas period. Safe travelling.

[Monsterbishi]

If you can ... avoid coming into Otaki on Sunday afternoons anywhere around the 2pm to 4pm timeframes ... traffic can back up quite quickly with those heading into/back to Wellington on standard weekends .. have yet to see how it will all fare through the christmas period. Safe travelling.

Will be passing through Otaki at 5pm at the earliest, I don't have to be in Wellington until 1am so a bit of traffic isn't a problem :banana:

[amberzfire]

Will be passing through Otaki at 5pm at the earliest, I don't have to be in Wellington until 1am so a bit of traffic isn't a problem :banana:

sweet .. plenty of time to get into town :2thumbsup

[Monsterbishi]

A brief trip report -

Flew up to Hamilton around 0830hrs yesterday, picked up some snacks and electrolyte drinks when I filled up at the servo, ratchet tie-downs and a Multi-tool from Repco (Just in case roadside maint was necessary) and started my 860km trip home with my latest mechanical family member, a 1994 FZR600R - here's a few things that I learned/noticed:

NI Riders get their wave on more often than not, at least 9/10 riders either waved or nodded when we met along the way - compared to my SI leg which was lucky to even get a 50% wave rate!

The NI weather yesterday was a mixed bag, from pouring rain through the twisties on the desert road which wasn't fun when I'm on a bike that I've never ridden, on a road I don't know, to wind that had me on a solid lean just to go straight, it was a real four seasons trip finished off with 337km of sunshine for my ride from Picton to ChCh.

A lesson learned the hard way - I found out that the clear lens on my helmet is polarized to a different direction to my sunglasses when I put them on in Hamilton and the world turned into a ocean of rainbows and silver so I had to do the trip without them, luckily glare and sun-strike never became a issue.

Right now my body is expressing its disdain about riding a Sportsbike 860km in 24hrs, probably not helped by the fact that I haven't ridden more than 20k's in the last five years while I've been restoring my YZF750R.

[mossy1200]

Is it a honda ?

Honda rider wouldn't be worried about walking funny.

[Old Steve]

Glad you got home safely. Great way to get to know your bike.

For next time! If going down the centre of the country, I usually turn off SH1 at Tokoroa onto Maraetai Rd and take Whakamaru Rd (SH32) down through the forest to Whakamaru, then from Whakamaru south through Tihoi (stop for a bite) and down the Western Access to Turangi. That way you skip Taupo and a bit of the SH1 traffic.

There are earlier turn offs further north at Putururu and Litchfield, but it's easier to run down to Tokoroa on SH1 before turning off.