View Full Version : Secret shortcuts and detours
Ocean1
4th November 2017, 17:43
Going to do the Warbirds over Wanaka in late March.
Starting Wellington, staying - Hanmer - Akaroa - Hokitika - Queenstown - (WOW) - Queenstown - Alex - Kaikoura - Wellington.
We've done most of the obvious routes over the years. Tell me about the secret ones only the locals know about. An hour or so return trip detour for a nice bit of road/scenery is fine.
Hit me.
jim.cox
4th November 2017, 18:34
You can avoid the Cromwell Gorge by going Bannockburn to Clyde via Hawksburn Rd
Ocean1
4th November 2017, 19:20
You can avoid the Cromwell Gorge by going Bannockburn to Clyde via Hawksburn Rd
Thanks, I sorta knew about that one but haven't done it and wasn't quite sure where it was, cheers.
Laava
4th November 2017, 20:07
I will state the obvious and say Molesworth. Not to everyones taste I know but pretty do-able on pretty much anything. Rainbow not so much.
Ocean1
4th November 2017, 20:22
I will state the obvious and say Molesworth. Not to everyones taste I know but pretty do-able on pretty much anything. Rainbow not so much.
Be nice. One participant is fairly gravel averse but could be we talk him into it if it's open.
Cheers.
R650R
5th November 2017, 12:36
Be nice. One participant is fairly gravel averse but could be we talk him into it if it's open.
Cheers.
Never mind the gravel, it’s an alpine route where snow is not unheard of in summer! Expect the wind could get bit mean too.
Maybe skip Queenstown and shoot down to TeAnau, cheaper accomodation and good bus links to day trip Milford sounds etc
R650R
5th November 2017, 12:38
At hammer pop up top of Jacks pass for the view. I rented a mountain bike but turned around 3/4 way up as didn’t fancy hypothermia!
Ocean1
5th November 2017, 13:17
At hammer pop up top of Jacks pass for the view. I rented a mountain bike but turned around 3/4 way up as didn’t fancy hypothermia!
Tah. What's the surface on Jollies pass rd - Tophouse rd - Clarence valley rd like?
Laava
5th November 2017, 13:34
There was a good size water crossing on Jollies pass when we came thru mid march this year, would not have got back up through it two up but went down to Hanmer thru it two up but it did freak the wife out a bit...in some ways it is better than Jacks pass but no doubt is likely to be very changeable season to season. In fact the first time we went thru, years ago, it was thick mud about 8" deep for a stretch of 200m or so that totally choked up the front wheel and brakes to the point it was barely rotating. Not fun on a big bike two up!
Berries
5th November 2017, 14:19
Maybe skip Queenstown and shoot down to TeAnau, cheaper accomodation and good bus links to day trip Milford sounds etc
If you have your bike in Te Anau there is no way you should go to Milford Sound on the bus. You will regret it all the way there and all the way back, whatever the weather. Sounds like a bit of a detour for this trip anyway.
tri boy
5th November 2017, 15:05
Stay at Tophouse inn.
Say g'day to the ghost for me.
Honest Andy
5th November 2017, 15:40
You can get a good bacon buttie at a food caravan in a paddock just north of St Arnoud. You'll need it after the rainbow... :niceone:
Laava
5th November 2017, 15:54
If you have your bike in Te Anau there is no way you should go to Milford Sound on the bus. You will regret it all the way there and all the way back, whatever the weather. Sounds like a bit of a detour for this trip anyway.
Abbasolutely!
FJRider
5th November 2017, 16:47
Hokitika to Ross ... via Woodstock. It's the old main road. A good Motorcycle road. Being rural and narrow ... look out for the rural folk.
It might take an extra 10 to 15 minutes ... But unless you are in a downpour (likely at any time of the year) well worth it.
FJRider
5th November 2017, 17:17
Just remember that during Warbirds weekend ... the Central Otago traffic is worse than downtown Queen street in the rush hour. NO multi-lane roads down here. AND ... WILL be VERY highly Policed. Two wheeled traffic will not be faster than the four wheeled ones. Some roads will be configured to make one way traffic to the Wanaka airport. Local papers will have maps showing the routes and roads you will need to take.
Alex - Palmerston (highway 85) is very good but can be subject to high winds ... Danseys pass if you like gravel.
Maheno - Tokarahi - Duntroon - Kurow - Waimate is a good (off highway one) detour.
St Andrews - Cave with the option of Pleasant point back to highway one or on to Fairlie then Geraldine. Then Highway 72 to Darfield. Then Oxford to Rangiora.
Grumph
5th November 2017, 18:26
St Andrews - Cave with the option of Pleasant point back to highway one or on to Fairlie then Geraldine. Then Highway 72 to Darfield. Then Oxford to Rangiora.
Don't have to go to Darfield. Left just after Homebush and it brings you out on the West Coast Rd about 500m from the Waimak gorge junction.
You could even cut left from Coalgate onto the back road to Springfield - a large part of which is used for an annual Rallysprint....
FJRider
5th November 2017, 18:32
Don't have to go to Darfield. Left just after Homebush and it brings you out on the West Coast Rd about 500m from the Waimak gorge junction.
You could even cut left from Coalgate onto the back road to Springfield - a large part of which is used for an annual Rallysprint....
Actually ... I have been aware of all that, but I was not sure Ocean1 was. But I figured he'd probably look at a map (Google maps street view) and figure it out for himself.
Ocean1
5th November 2017, 20:17
Just remember that during Warbirds weekend ... the Central Otago traffic is worse than downtown Queen street in the rush hour. NO multi-lane roads down here. AND ... WILL be VERY highly Policed. Two wheeled traffic will not be faster than the four wheeled ones. Some roads will be configured to make one way traffic to the Wanaka airport. Local papers will have maps showing the routes and roads you will need to take.
Alex - Palmerston (highway 85) is very good but can be subject to high winds ... Danseys pass if you like gravel.
Maheno - Tokarahi - Duntroon - Kurow - Waimate is a good (off highway one) detour.
St Andrews - Cave with the option of Pleasant point back to highway one or on to Fairlie then Geraldine. Then Highway 72 to Darfield. Then Oxford to Rangiora.
Cheers, yes we're staying away from Wonka as much as possible for the weekend, think one of the boys is organising something of a recreational nature in Qtown but outside of that we're riding in for Saturday and then riding well away again.
I'll have a play with your suggestions on Gmaps tomorrow on the work rig, see if I can work them into the master plan, cheers.
Ocean1
6th November 2017, 07:27
Going to do the Warbirds over Wanaka in late March.
Starting Wellington, staying - Hanmer - Akaroa - Hokitika - Queenstown - (WOW) - Queenstown - Alex - Kaikoura - Wellington.
We've done most of the obvious routes over the years. Tell me about the secret ones only the locals know about. An hour or so return trip detour for a nice bit of road/scenery is fine.
Hit me.
Thanks for the tips.
And apparently Ohau goes between Alex and Kaikoura.....
Ocean1
6th November 2017, 07:56
Don't have to go to Darfield. Left just after Homebush and it brings you out on the West Coast Rd about 500m from the Waimak gorge junction.
You could even cut left from Coalgate onto the back road to Springfield - a large part of which is used for an annual Rallysprint....
Lost me. This still all highway 72?
T.W.R
6th November 2017, 08:34
Lost me. This still all highway 72?.
The 1st piece grumph is talking about is SH72 the so-called scenic highway & it's Waddington where it crosses SH73, turning to Darfield takes you away from it and about 20km off track.
ellipsis
6th November 2017, 08:58
...a very secret shortcut to oblivion is turning left off SH75 at Little River for a 100 meter sprint to my place for coffee and and a piss when you are on your way to Akaroa, where half the population is moody, by the way...
jellywrestler
6th November 2017, 09:00
where half the population is moody, by the way...
every 28 days by any chance?
swarfie
6th November 2017, 09:06
...a very secret shortcut to oblivion is turning left off SH75 at Little River for a 100 meter sprint to my place for coffee and and a piss when you are on your way to Akaroa, where half the population is moody, by the way...
So I'm guessing that would be Morrisons Rd :msn-wink:
Don't be setting any fires there Neil...latest news says it looks like some mongrel took your fire brigades water tanker.
neels
6th November 2017, 11:10
Tah. What's the surface on Jollies pass rd - Tophouse rd - Clarence valley rd like?
If you were thinking of Wairau valley to Hanmer, gravel and in places a track graded out of a large shingle fan that's constantly falling into the river. If you have someone gravel averse then they probably won't be keen on fording rivers.
ellipsis
6th November 2017, 12:11
So I'm guessing that would be Morrisons Rd :msn-wink:
Don't be setting any fires there Neil...latest news says it looks like some mongrel took your fire brigades water tanker.
...it was spelt Morisons when we pulled up here thirty years ago then one night the old rusty street sign blew down and a few weeks later it was replaced with the double 'rr', spelling, which I thought was rather funny, and the unplanned name change has remained...I have nearly 50,000 liters on hold at my place Nev so I reckon I could have the odd small fire, which I'm nearly just about due for soon...we are due southerlies and wet shit very soon, that will be my trigger to make big flames...
Grumph
6th November 2017, 12:56
...it was spelt Morisons when we pulled up here thirty years ago then one night the old rusty street sign blew down and a few weeks later it was replaced with the double 'rr', spelling, which I thought was rather funny, and the unplanned name change has remained...I have nearly 50,000 liters on hold at my place Nev so I reckon I could have the odd small fire, which I'm nearly just about due for soon...we are due southerlies and wet shit very soon, that will be my trigger to make big flames...
How the fuck do you get away with that ? We're no bigger than LR - probably smaller - and it's no open fires in the village.
ellipsis
6th November 2017, 13:13
How the fuck do you get away with that ? We're no bigger than LR - probably smaller - and it's no open fires in the village.
...something to do with the rural situation we are in and flaunting the rules...we are also within the 500 meter?, absolutely no fires, boundary of a DOC reserve...so I can't have one anytime...unless I give them 1150 bucks for a permit...to which my philosophy is 'get fucked'...how does a piece of expensive paper make a fire less dangerous...I'm pretty much a safety type when it comes to having a fire, so I have one...
swarfie
6th November 2017, 13:36
...something to do with the rural situation we are in and flaunting the rules...we are also within the 500 meter?, absolutely no fires, boundary of a DOC reserve...so I can't have one anytime...unless I give them 1150 bucks for a permit...to which my philosophy is 'get fucked'...how does a piece of expensive paper make a fire less dangerous...I'm pretty much a safety type when it comes to having a fire, so I have one...
I like the way you think....burn first, apologize/grovel later. And what they don't know won't hurt them :innocent:
Ocean1
6th November 2017, 19:01
...a very secret shortcut to oblivion is turning left off SH75 at Little River for a 100 meter sprint to my place for coffee and and a piss when you are on your way to Akaroa, where half the population is moody, by the way...
Cheers, I'll try to give you some warning of impending multitudes.
FJRider
6th November 2017, 21:01
Cheers, yes we're staying away from Wonka as much as possible for the weekend, think one of the boys is organising something of a recreational nature in Qtown but outside of that we're riding in for Saturday and then riding well away again.
I'll have a play with your suggestions on Gmaps tomorrow on the work rig, see if I can work them into the master plan, cheers.
I hope your accommodation is already BOOKED. If not ... sort it FAST .. !!! That weekend is usually booked out months prior ... for the whole of Central Otago.
Avoid the Lindis pass anybody ... that is a weekend of frantic/mad bumper to bumper (one lane each way) traffic All the way through ... in both directions ...
ALL weekend and then some ...
Ocean1
7th November 2017, 06:51
I hope your accommodation is already BOOKED. If not ... sort it FAST .. !!! That weekend is usually booked out months prior ... for the whole of Central Otago.
Avoid the Lindis pass anybody ... that is a weekend of frantic/mad bumper to bumper (one lane each way) traffic All the way through ... in both directions ...
ALL weekend and then some ...
Yup, all sorted. In fact the places I booked still had plenty of room, but they weren't near ground zero.
We're staying Qtown Fri and Sat night so won't be anywhere near the Lindis pass. Crown range is likely to be every bit as overpopulated but it's no big deal, just reduces the old trade off between making progress and looking at the scenery. :niceone:
FJRider
7th November 2017, 15:47
Yup, all sorted. In fact the places I booked still had plenty of room, but they weren't near ground zero.
We're staying Qtown Fri and Sat night so won't be anywhere near the Lindis pass. Crown range is likely to be every bit as overpopulated but it's no big deal, just reduces the old trade off between making progress and looking at the scenery. :niceone:
As stupid as this may sound ... plan on being at Wanaka airport by 6.30 AM ... or earlier. But if you have a fetish for Auckland motorway style gridlocked roads ... ignore this.
Bring food / coffee to have while you wait ... :laugh:
After the show ... give it an hour or more to let the bulk of the multitude to depart. Bring a book and a large thermos of coffee ... but there will still be plenty of on-site businesses selling the "GOOD" stuff ... :laugh:
Berries
7th November 2017, 16:30
I wouldn't get too worried about Warbirds traffic. Went to the last one from the Queenstown end. Yes, the road is much busier than normal with even more unthinking idiots but plenty of opportunities to get past them on two wheels.
Not sure what time we rocked up to site, a gentlemanly nine o'clock or so I guess, and were ushered in to the corner of one of the paddocks nearest the entrance. Crawling traffic for the last few k's but was over that after the first flypast and chilli bratwurst.
Ocean1
2nd April 2018, 17:46
I will state the obvious and say Molesworth. Not to everyones taste I know but pretty do-able on pretty much anything. Rainbow not so much.
In the end half of us took the high road. No real drama, except near the south end where I discovered the first of several stretches of fist sized crushed rock at speeds it transpired were less than wise. The two fords on the drop into Hanmer weren't too bad and rinsed the worst of the mud off.
Sorry not to have taken advantage of your kind offer Neil, we were well late heading into Akaroa, would have ruined your evening I promise.
Hawksburn rd, from Bannockburn to Clide turned out to be less well developed than expected...
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