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oldrider
8th March 2006, 20:38
I hope this the right forum to post this thread.

Just some facts about the "Blackforest road". (Lake Benmore)

The road got it's name from the building of the transmission line between Benmore and Haywards HVDC converter stations.

The road was built for access, erection and maintenance of the lines.

The road is kept open by TransPower and maintained by them.

The properties and access are still owned and controlled by the individual land owners.

The name "Blackforest" was coined because it began at the Benmore end and progressed toward Blackforest station. where it rejoined the public road again.

The majority of the road is on Te Akatarawa Stn, the homestead for which is located on the North shore of Lake Aviemore, Between Aviemore and Benmore power stations.

When traversing the road from Benmore power Stn end, you are on Te Akatarawa Stn land right through until the gate near the hut on the left.

Once through that gate you are on Black Forest Stn land.

There are about 5km from there to Blackforest Stn homestead and the public road.

I notice every body goes in and pays the Blackforest Stn owner $10:00 for access to the road.(Both ways)

I am not criticising this, just trying to explain that you are paying Blackforest for the privilege of riding through about 5km of land.

What do you pay Te Akatarawa for access to the other 40 odd km?

It is actually possible for you to pay Blackforest for 5km and be stopped at the boundary gate and turned back if Te Akatarawa Stn was of that mind.

The combination locks on each end gates have been duplicated for the convenience of the two run holders and Transpower and their guest users.(Contractors etc)

I don't know if Te Akatarawa Stn are part of the revenue gathering because they just give me permission to go through and I will not raise the issue unless they do.

My purpose of writing this is to let you know what the situation is, in case you ever find yourself blocked and your ride ruined.:(

I noticed this situation when riding through from Benmore end with a group of KiwiBikers on Saturday. (I had permission from Te Akatarawa)

It is none of my business. I just thought you might like to know the situation as I see it as a local fellow KiwiBiker. :spudwhat: Cheers John.

far queue
8th March 2006, 21:09
Mmmmmm very interesting. I would have thought that transpower would be the ones wanting the money to assist with the upkeep of the road, since they're the ones maintaining it. Is it possible that Black Forest Stn are collecting the money on behalf of themselves and Te Akatarawa Stn and Transpower and passing a proportion of it on to the others? It would be interesting to ask them next time. It was certainly a great ride with some great views.

Motu
9th March 2006, 12:51
Sounds similar to the ''loop'' road on Waiheke Island - it was put in as an access road by the War Department or what ever it was in World War II when the built the Stony Batter gun emplacement.It was put through open farmland with road gates to open and close,and a side road went down to Stony Batter itself.Big dramas arose when John Spencer owned Man O War Station and the question of who owned the road and who paid for maintenance became a big issue.Finaly Spencer blocked the road off...it cost the council hundreds of thousands to fight the case.Just a case of letting something slip,and then it becomes ''that's how it's always been...''

Probably wasn't even an issue until some clown on a motorcycle started ''doing the loop'' at crazy speeds on the gravel and making lots of noise.

oldrider
9th March 2006, 16:41
Sounds similar to the ''loop'' road on Waiheke Island - it was put in as an access road by the War Department or what ever it was in World War II when the built the Stony Batter gun emplacement.It was put through open farmland with road gates to open and close,and a side road went down to Stony Batter itself.Big dramas arose when John Spencer owned Man O War Station and the question of who owned the road and who paid for maintenance became a big issue.Finaly Spencer blocked the road off...it cost the council hundreds of thousands to fight the case.Just a case of letting something slip,and then it becomes ''that's how it's always been...''

Probably wasn't even an issue until some clown on a motorcycle started ''doing the loop'' at crazy speeds on the gravel and making lots of noise.
Precisely why I haven't raised it as an issue with anyone who counts, I just raised it here for the information of fellow KBr's.
I have been using the road for over 40yrs, we used to control access from the Benmore end from the power station.
That all stopped when the power station became unmanned and NZED was corporatised and split up.
Te Akatarawa Stn has had three or four ownership changes in that time also Cheers John.

Beemer
11th March 2006, 15:37
Amazing scenery, well worth the money no matter what you pay! Not so sure about the long drop-offs to the bottom of the gully once you start climbing though - I had a little 'off' there a few years ago and was a tad worried about picking up the bike in case I slipped and we both ended up at the bottom! My dearly beloved lied and told me there was nothin up ahead that was worse than where I'd come off - what does he call the dried up river bed with boulders the size of small children? Men!

But the views from the top, of Lake Benmore, were amazing. I had always thought he'd manipulated the colour of his photos but the water really IS that shade of blue. Stunning.