Recommended South Island back roads?

[Quasievil]

Hiya all
On Sunday (this week) im starting my S.I trip, Im hoping to get out the back of beyond as much as possible.
Im hoping for a bit of local knowledge from the S.I crew so I can get amongst it, the plan so far is to hit Molesworth station on Sunday, or at leat most of it......is it open ?
Also what other stations are there to go through, and with your advise can you please tell me the names of the roads to enter on and near by towns so I can reference it on the map? ie Im keen on Rainbow??? but where the hell is it ??

All advise much appreciated

cheers

[sAsLEX]

ie Im keen on Rainbow??? but where the hell is it ??


Just an hour south of Nelson or Blenheim, town called St Arnuad , enterance to the station is near there comes out near Hamner Springs


http://lh5.google.com/thenakinavy/RaV_zsalmDI/AAAAAAAAAXM/24aGHqHrgwg/DSC03441.JPG

Check the date of the pic to see what the weather might be like!

[MyGSXF]

pm warewolf! :niceone: or Nordieboy..

also check out this thread.. http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=59894&page=19

safe trip! :Punk:

[warewolf]

The Dusty Butt threads have more detail than you could possibly want. Covers the bulk of the interesting gravel roads in the top of the south, except for Golden Bay and Marlborough Sounds. Both have some good roads but most are dead-ends which excluded them from the DB.

Peter Mitchell's Motorcycle Atlas is also a good primer.

[Howie]

I'd suggest getting a copy of "Kiwimaps" south island complete drivers atlas,they have been mentioned on another thread here recently, has most of the roads and tracks in it, and they are all indexed. For further down the south island I'd suggest doing Danseys Pass(Nasbey to Duntroon), The Hakataramea valley road and pass(Hakataramea to close to Farlie, could also include Mackensie pass) and another good one if you have the time is put your bike on the Earnslaw at Queenstown and get off at walter peak station and ride out the access road. The choices are endless. Have fun

[cooneyr]

The Molesworth is definitely open, did it last Sunday. The north end is reasonably corrugated, the middle has had river gravels put on it so there is a few good stones to pinch flat on and the southern end has been graded is is very very dusty and is loose. The Rainbow is in better than average condition at the moment.

Other tracks to look at are the Porika, Breaburn, Maruia Saddle, Maruia West Bank Road, Big River Track, Napolean Hill, Lees Valley, the roads around Banks Peninsular, Pyrimad Valley (Ram Paddock road). This is just a few that spring to mind. Maps of many of these are linked in this years DB thread first post (as linked by MyGSXF).

I'm on dial up at the moment so cant do GE kmz files easily at the moment. When I get back to Chch I'll look into put up a tread with some kmz files (go back down on the 6th so probably be the 7th).

Cheers R

[McJim]

Don't know how far south you're planning on traveling but the Southern Scenic Road from Balclutha to Invercargill via Papatowai is just pure sex. Sweepers, twisties, hairpins, uphill, downhill, gorges. I did it today there and back. Unfortunately the last bit from Tokanui to Invercargill has too many straights.

Fucken awesome mate. Worth a try.

[98tls]

Don't know how far south you're planning on traveling but the Southern Scenic Road from Balclutha to Invercargill via Papatowai is just pure sex. Sweepers, twisties, hairpins, uphill, downhill, gorges. I did it today there and back. Unfortunately the last bit from Tokanui to Invercargill has too many straights.

Fucken awesome mate. Worth a try. From the book "If you want to get home again" by a prominent Nth Islander "after Dunedin the movie Deliverance springs to mind so unless squealing like a pig is your thing then a 180 is for you".

[clint640]

If you're getting down to Otago don't miss the Nevis road from Bannockburn to Garston. The Onslow road from Ranfurly - Roxburgh is good too, as is a spin out to Macetown from Arrowtown.

Cheers
Clint

[Mint Sauce]

The Dusty Butt threads have more detail than you could possibly want. Covers the bulk of the interesting gravel roads in the top of the south, except for Golden Bay and Marlborough Sounds. Both have some good roads but most are dead-ends which excluded them from the DB.

Peter Mitchell's Motorcycle Atlas is also a good primer.
Where or how does one find said Dusty Butt threads? I tried a search for Dusty Butt under this Forum and didn't get much back.

[pevs]

Last Years Attempt at the Dusty Butt 1000 (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=42638):niceone:
This years attempt is HERE (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=59894)

[Mint Sauce]

I'm also planning my first solo tour of SI around March this year. Fairly new back to a bike, 25+ year break, age 50+ rider and very new to off road. Have been doing my learning by the Waimak and on the Banks down here.

I know I'm going to open myself to the Flak here but can anyone advise which tracks not to attempt at this stage in my solo riding and the must not miss? Just trying to avoid the several hundred m drop or inevitable wash down the river in this stage of my learning.

Thanks in advance for the helpful repsonses.

[Somejuan]

Try the wee road from the back of Amberley through to Hawarden which runs alongside Mt Gray - only about 20km of metal though - with some interesting left-hand downhill corrrogated hairpins :-) even more interesting with a gusty nor'wester in your face.

[NighthawkNZ]

Don't know how far south you're planning on traveling but the Southern Scenic Road from Balclutha to Invercargill via Papatowai is just pure sex. Sweepers, twisties, hairpins, uphill, downhill, gorges. I did it today there and back. Unfortunately the last bit from Tokanui to Invercargill has too many straights.

Fucken awesome mate. Worth a try.

The Catlins is a great ride and I have now done it 3 or 4 times now brill even Xaria has done it 3 times... (she been onnly riding for 4 months now)

The full southern scenic route is also worth doing from start to finish (did it the other day Dunedin to TeAnua and in to Milforld) well worth doing Yes there are a few straights but yah get that no matter where you go...

[Transalper]

Try the wee road from the back of Amberley through to Hawarden which runs alongside Mt Gray - only about 20km of metal though - with some interesting left-hand downhill corrrogated hairpins :-) even more interesting with a gusty nor'wester in your face.Amberley to Hawarden.. would that be the Pyrimad Valley?

[JATZ]

If your still in Nelson head over the Takaka hill, out towards farewell spit and go down to the Anatori river, if you keen cross the river and head down to Turamawiwi, if you real keen get onto the beach and head down to Kahurangi lighthouse, dont try it alone and be prepared for a long walk home as the rivers have claimed a few bikes and 4wd's.they' re deeper than they look
The road out to Totaranui's a nice ride, well sign posted from Takaka, or into the Cobb dam, turn of at upper Takaka, just at the bottom of the hill

[homer]

Go between geraldine and fairley
thats good road
oh and to tekapo and twizel

[limbimtimwim]

Good thread.. Keep 'em coming Southern types, I'm doing the same in February.

[Somejuan]

Amberley to Hawarden.. would that be the Pyrimad Valley?

Yip yip that's the one

[Quasievil]

Hi yall
Just a quick update for those interested.

I arrived in Picton quite late after missing my first ferry (knob moment) then stayed there, next morning I headed Sedon way and did the moleworth station road, and loved it, no mishaps a good blast right through, stayed in Hamner springs and the next day did the rainbow, it was pissing down the whole way and windy as fuck but that added to the adventure of it, some of the fords where quite full and had a bit of fun getting through some of them, I could have taken the bridge route but thats not why you own a adventure bike eh!!
stopped that night in Franz Joseph, so had a long haul. about 11 hours all up.
Today a nice ride to Queenstown, it started out raining and finished up hot as hell. so now feet up in the YHA and maybe find a watering hole somewhere soon.

tomorrow of to MIlford for a night then will start finding my way back up the country through twizal and alexander (where ever they are)

Cheers all

bigger report when I return (with pics)

Quasi :niceone:

[cooneyr]

........ some of the fords where quite full and had a bit of fun getting through some of them, I could have taken the bridge route but thats not why you own a adventure bike eh!.....

Dont mean to nit pick but for future reference any fords on the Hanmer side of Island Saddle should be stayed out of. There is Dydimo in the Clarence (the big river the ford streams feed into) and no Dydimo in the rivers on the other side of Island Saddle. Should use the bridge even through it is boring or thoroughly clean your bike when at the Hanmer side of Island Saddle.

Cheers R

[Transalper]

I noticed the notices about Didymo were few and far between, only one I really saw was closer to the homestead where we paid, or was it at the Rainbow boundry, (think it said to clean ya stuff) didn't see any warnings at the fords to stay out earlier.
Reckon they need to advertise before you get wet... or did I just miss the signage because I went straight to the bridges after being told again the day before entering the area?

[warewolf]

You might remember at one of the gates I opened on the Molesworth, there was a white 4wd. The bloke I was talking with was a DOC ranger giving me the spiel on didymo. I told him we knew to bypass the fords south of Island Saddle, he didn't want to tell me anything else then, so we chatted about our ride.

[cooneyr]

I noticed the notices about Didymo were few and far between, only one I really saw was closer to the homestead where we paid, or was it at the Rainbow boundry, (think it said to clean ya stuff) didn't see any warnings at the fords to stay out earlier.
Reckon they need to advertise before you get wet... or did I just miss the signage because I went straight to the bridges after being told again the day before entering the area?

No signage. Noticed that on the 29th and though it was rather slack. There really needs to be something that warns of Dydimo.


You might remember at one of the gates I opened on the Molesworth, there was a white 4wd. The bloke I was talking with was a DOC ranger giving me the spiel on didymo. I told him we knew to bypass the fords south of Island Saddle, he didn't want to tell me anything else then, so we chatted about our ride.

Wondered what he was talking to you about. I was ripping along that straight a little over the 50kph limit and though he might have been having words about it.

Cheers R

[warewolf]

No signage. Noticed that on the 29th and though it was rather slack. There really needs to be something that warns of Dydimo.Yes, I thought they'd have something more apparent.


Wondered what he was talking to you about. I was ripping along that straight a little over the 50kph limit and though he might have been having words about it.Nup. Very amiable chap, was really enthused about our little ride.