The most interesting way...

[Blakamin]

Anybody know an interesting way to get to Hastings? I'm sick of the main highway...boooooorring.. just looking for an alternate route. will be by myself and I get about 200k out of a tank of fuel.

Cheers

Mike

[Slim]

Head to your local AA office & pick up their awesome free (to members) maps for the areas you need. These maps show every road, no matter how minor, and you should be able to sort yourself out a route or various options for routes through the back roads running up either side of the ranges. I know there are some awesome roads once you get over onto the Eastern side of the Pahiatua Track, heading north.

[James Deuce]

There are a whole bunch of backroads in the Wairarapa. If you go via Pongaroa and then to Dannevirke, it is a really interesting trip. Then you can use the 50 series highways to avoid the main highway.

[Hitcher]

Gas up at Masterton. From Masterton head out on the road to Castlepoint. Just after you go over the river and past the concrete works, hang a left and head off to Alfredton. From their follow the signs to Pongaroa, Weber, Akitio and Waipukurau. There's a short stretch of gravel on this section but apart from that it's a stunning stretch of motorcycle road. Gas up again at Waipukurau and head off to Waipawa. Go right at the turn-off to Pourere. Follow that road for about 10km and then take the left-hand turn to Patangata (if you get to the Tukituki river bridge you've gone about 50m too far. At Patangata you have two choices: left down Middle Road which brings you to Havelock North; or right, over the Tukituki, up and over the hill to Ellsthorpe and round the northern end of Te Mata peak either to Havelock North or Hastings/Napier. Enjoy!

[James Deuce]

Head to your local AA office & pick up their awesome free (to members) maps for the areas you need. These maps show every road, no matter how minor, and you should be able to sort yourself out a route or various options for routes through the back roads running up either side of the ranges. I know there are some awesome roads once you get over onto the Eastern side of the Pahiatua Track, heading north.
Excellent idea! Pahiatua track, Mangamaire, Gas up at Pahiatua, SH2 turn off to Pongaroa, then on to Dannevirke.

[Blakamin]

Cool...thanks for the ideas.... going to photocopy works maps now... :niceone:

[merv]

Another one worth looking at is take the turnoff North of Dannevirke just past Burglar Bill's food joint (they are into bikes there) to go via Matamau, Makotuku, Ormondville, Takapau, Hatuma and on to Waipuk via the road that kind of parallels the railway line. There are a few tricky intersections to watch for to make sure you take the through route at Makotuku and just past there is a left hand turn to make sure you are heading to Ormondville.

Being an ex-Hawkes Bay man myself I can vouch for all the routes Hitcher has recommended too.

[Blakamin]

Gas up at Masterton. From Masterton head out on the road to Castlepoint. Just after you go over the river and past the concrete works, hang a left and head off to Alfredton. From their follow the signs to Pongaroa, Weber, Akitio and Waipukurau. There's a short stretch of gravel on this section but apart from that it's a stunning stretch of motorcycle road. Gas up again at Waipukurau and head off to Waipawa. Go right at the turn-off to Pourere. Follow that road for about 10km and then take the left-hand turn to Patangata (if you get to the Tukituki river bridge you've gone about 50m too far. At Patangata you have two choices: left down Middle Road which brings you to Havelock North; or right, over the Tukituki, up and over the hill to Ellsthorpe and round the northern end of Te Mata peak either to Havelock North or Hastings/Napier. Enjoy!

That sounds good... the route so far...
Akatarawas, rimutukas... masterton, alfredton, weber, wimbledon, wanstead waipukurau, waipawa, patangata.... te mata peak.... i nearly forgot that was there!
drawn up on my photocopied map, laminate and tape to my tank!

Cheers Hitcher, and everyone else

[Pickle]

Another good piece of road is just north of Paihiatua take the turn off to Pongaroa , couple of interesting corners for the unwary but really good.
if you get to the Tui brewery you have gone a couple of km's to far.

Be careful out the back of Dannevirke the roads are a bit cut up from the recent storms. there is only about 3kms of gravel now between Wimbledon & Porangahau from there to Waipuk is awsome, FAST.

[Blakamin]

Another good piece of road is just north of Paihiatua take the turn off to Pongaroa , couple of interesting corners for the unwary but really good.
if you get to the Tui brewery you have gone a couple of km's to far.

Be careful out the back of Dannevirke the roads are a bit cut up from the recent storms. there is only about 3kms of gravel now between Wimbledon & Porangahau from there to Waipuk is awsome, FAST.
Thanks for that!

where's the Tui brewery???? might have to go burn it down or sumfin :Pokey:

[Slim]

Thanks for that!

where's the Tui brewery???? might have to go burn it down or sumfin :Pokey:
Mangatainoka (http://www.wises.co.nz/map/default.asp?id=112075|2&svctype=1&zoomin=true&move=true)

:apint:

[James Deuce]

Thanks for that!

where's the Tui brewery???? might have to go burn it down or sumfin :Pokey:
Yeah, Right.

[Hitcher]

where's the Tui brewery???? might have to go burn it down or sumfin :Pokey:
If you do, please give me a yell so I can go and help to extinguish it in the prescribed manner...

[Blakamin]

Mangatainoka (http://www.wises.co.nz/map/default.asp?id=112075|2&svctype=1&zoomin=true&move=true)

:apint:
Might have to go into the local and ask for a VB


you're not talking about p*ssing on a burning brewery are you Hitcher?

[phil_elvey]

Hey Blakamin, when are you heading up to Hastings?

[Blakamin]

Hey Blakamin, when are you heading up to Hastings?
Tomorrow about 10 ish! due to having to take the dog to the vet early

[Blakamin]

Made it.... went the long way... was crap weather. windy or wet or both.
did a fork seal. will write something up about it later when i'm not actually busy

[riffer]

Made it.... went the long way... was crap weather. windy or wet or both.
did a fork seal. will write something up about it later when i'm not actually busy
Yeah, what happened to you on Saturday? Get lost going through Upper Hutt or what?

As for fork seals, you're not the first to do in a fork seal on the taka's. I burst one completely going over there for a ride with Jim2, MarkNZ and Paul in NZ.

[Blakamin]

Yeah, what happened to you on Saturday? Get lost going through Upper Hutt or what?

As for fork seals, you're not the first to do in a fork seal on the taka's. I burst one completely going over there for a ride with Jim2, MarkNZ and Paul in NZ.
didnt get away till 11 due to the mrs piss-farting about... then went the akatarawas....and due to the wind, just kept going. think i did the fork seal somewhere near alfredton... or somewhere passed there...didn't know where i was 80% of the trip!

[marty]

didn't know where i was 80% of the trip!

sounds like the perfect trip

[Blakamin]

sounds like the perfect trip
Yeah... except for the rain and wind.

[MOTOXXX]

Hey did u stop off at mobil in shanon about 3.45pm sunday. I think it was you, i was in a black toyota levin behind you coming into shanon.

[Blakamin]

Hey did u stop off at mobil in shanon about 3.45pm sunday. I think it was you, i was in a black toyota levin behind you coming into shanon.

That was me... had to get the bloody bugs off my visor :D cant see anything behind me unless i'm cornering... mirrors are there for looks I think

[wari]

.... From their follow the ...

Is that ... :spudwhat:

NAaaah ... :moon:

:spudwave:

[dhunt]

That was me... had to get the bloody bugs off my visor :D cant see anything behind me unless i'm cornering... mirrors are there for looks I think
Sounds exactly like my bike. Mine has non standard mirrors cause the standard ones stick out for miles and look ugle as. I just can't see nothing out of mine, so its a good excuse to travel at a speed > the cages.

That wind was pretty bad down this way as well, couldn't go too much over the speed limit without getting blown around tons :(

[Blakamin]

Sounds exactly like my bike. Mine has non standard mirrors cause the standard ones stick out for miles and look ugle as. I just can't see nothing out of mine, so its a good excuse to travel at a speed > the cages.

That wind was pretty bad down this way as well, couldn't go too much over the speed limit without getting blown around tons :(

Mine are standard mirrors... stupid things... might get a bar-end for it

I nearly got blown into a bloody paddock at one stage... would've been nice if it came from 1 direction but it wasnt. swirling all over the show. on one particular straight i was leaned to the left about 15 degrees to go in a straight line!