Gentle Annie to be sealed

[yod]

From the Dom Post:


The long-awaited sealing of the Gentle Annie road between Napier and Taihape has been given the go-ahead.


Sealing the last 35 kilometres through the hills will open up a new tourist route as well as improve the freight link, Hawke's Bay Regional Council transport committee chairman Alan Dick said yesterday.

A meeting of four bodies had sorted out a funding formula for the first part of the sealing project.

The total cost is likely to be about $18 million.

Some trucks used the road now, Mr Dick said, especially to take produce to the Port of Napier, but it was a difficult route for them.

Sealing the road would provide an extra arterial route between the eastern and central regions of the North Island - an alternative if main routes such as the Manawatu Gorge or the NapierTaupo road were closed.

In the first stage of the upgrade, 21km of gravel road in the Rangitikei District Council area will be sealed at an estimated cost of $11.9 million. Of this, Rangitikei will pay $1.8 million, Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council $2.6 million, Hawke's Bay $1.4 million and the Government $6.1 million.

Hastings District Council has made provision for sealing the 14km in its area, and Mayor Lawrence Yule said he expected work to start in 2010.

"It will take three years," he said.

This is a mint bit of road

can't wait

[Skunk]

Noooo! It's good at the moment because there's a lack of cars on it...

[yod]

I doubt it will get all that busy anyway, it's pretty bloody twisty (read: fookin mint) and the Napier Taupo road isn't that much further north

[MSTRS]

Noooo! It's good at the moment because there's a lack of cars on it...

Agreed. It's reputation will put many off, but...
Perhaps we need to wait until the sealing is done and swept, then construct a gate at each end and charge admission?

[Taz]

Who was gentle Annie and why were there so many of them in NZ or was there just one who got around alot and liked to sit on secluded ranges?

[yod]

Agreed. It's reputation will put many off, but...
Perhaps we need to wait until the sealing is done and swept, then construct a gate at each end and charge admission?

done:cool:

[NZsarge]

Agreed. It's reputation will put many off, but...
Perhaps we need to wait until the sealing is done and swept, then construct a gate at each end and charge admission?


done:cool:

Charge admission for everyone accept Kiwibiker i'd hope!

[MSTRS]

done:cool:

I see it working thusly...
*pays* "Thank you - now we will be allowing this direction only for the next 30 minutes. Don't be on the road after that. Next..."


Charge admission for everyone accept Kiwibiker i'd hope! Unless they are part of the founding committee, they can pay like everyone else. Bags me for Treasurer....

[Colapop]

WE LIKE GENTLE ANNIE!!

She rocks!! She'll be even better as sealed private motorcyclist's road...

[BIHB@0610]

Noooooo!!! Gentle Annie was part of my childhood!!! I like her just the way she is. I remember the family trips in Dad's old white Zephyr, and the regular stops by the side of the dusty road as I puked my guts out (motion sickness - terrible affliction - even now I can't play racing games on PS2 with my kids without burping and feeling nauseous .....).

Still, imagine it will be entirely fabulous on a bike when sealed .......:2thumbsup

[Bonez]

It's a good road to go on know. No dought the more interesing bits will be straightened as part of the scheme.

[yod]

No dought the more interesing bits will be straightened as part of the scheme.

that's one thing I was wondering myself - just how much will they butcher as part of the sealing process.....

[Rosie]

.........:weep:

[Balrog]

Bummer, another excellent gravel road down the drain.

[tri boy]

+1 with Rosie.
And it will be interesting how many curtain side B trains go tits up, when the winds blowing up there.:doh:
A freight road it most definitely is not. Factor in the snow closures etc, and it hardly seems economical. But that has never stopped transit etc before.

[MSTRS]

A freight road it most definitely is not. Factor in the snow closures etc, and it hardly seems economical. But that has never stopped transit etc before.

It is all that money they've saved on decent safe barriers...they have to spend it somewhere.

[gunnyrob]

Dammit. Will have to take the GS through it before they seal it. It beat me once...........

[Warr]

Dammit. Will have to take the GS through it before they seal it. It beat me once...........
Let us know your plans. Certainly up for an adventure through there...
Without being silly what would be the earliest best month to venture through when there is less likely to be snow, ice and pesterlance ??

[pete376403]

Last time I went across that road was to the '06 or '05 Cold Kiwi. No problems at all with the weather.
A lovely bit of road even on a GS1100 Suzuki.

[banditrider]

Did it once on my Bandit and enjoyed it as is but it's gonna be a bike magnet for sure once all the seal is down. Great corners, great views, great country, great ride!

[Meanie]

I for one cant wait untill its sealed, although i can see the pleasure it would be on an adventure bike
Guess it will be a little like the forgotten highway

[MaxB]

I for one cant wait untill its sealed, although i can see the pleasure it would be on an adventure bike
Guess it will be a little like the forgotten highway

Adventure bike? e.g. whatever is in the garage at the time. The number of evil handling big road bikes I have punted down that road. Will be sad when they seal it but thats progress I suppose.

IMO one of the North Island's best roads full stop.

[Skunk]

Guess it will be a little like the forgotten highway
That's another great piece of road. Different type of scenery though.

[yod]

Adventure bike? e.g. whatever is in the garage at the time. The number of evil handling big road bikes I have punted down that road. Will be sad when they seal it but thats progress I suppose.

IMO one of the North Island's best roads full stop.

bloody oath

sealed sections are already top class - the rest will only make it better

[pete376403]

the gravel bits are what keeps most of the camper vans away. Once its sealed it will end up clogged with tourists. And then the cops will start going over in the hope of picking up a bit of revenue.

[fridayflash]

im torn on that one... i love it the way it is,and i love riding gravel albeit on
roadbike,dirtbike whatever,i know itll be a fantastic road when all is sealed
but its a shame to see a good bit of gravel gone forever:doh:

another bit of 'old zealand' consigned to historys pages

[oldrider]

Dammit. Will have to take the GS through it before they seal it. It beat me once...........

One of the few roads in NZ that I haven't even actually been on, at all!

Dammit. Will have to take the Tiger through it before they seal it. Shouldn't beat the Tiger though! (smart arse comment lol read your post. ) Cheers, John

[CrazyFrog]

How long do ya reckon it will be before the trucks have rooted the the new seal surface? Better off leaving it gravel for the adventure cowboys....:headbang:

[Hitcher]

Tar seal = campervans. Next they'll be sealing the Tangarakau Gorge. Gahh!

[slimjim]

fuck there goes the neighbourhood... camper vans .. wonder if they change the farm fences and put up WRB in some parts .. some people cannot leave things as is ,

[yod]

How long do ya reckon it will be before the trucks have rooted the the new seal surface? Better off leaving it gravel for the adventure cowboys....:headbang:

i dont think it's supposed to be completed for at least a couple of years

[slowpoke]

Bummer, another excellent gravel road down the drain.

Time to change strategy: Keep the Busa and sell the GS (complete with obligatory cardigan and GQ magazine):Pokey:

[slimjim]

Wife and i got caught out , by coming up too four stock truck and trailers loaded , 11am <_< humm took the time too pull in an smoke :bleh:

:scooter: bugger ... now its gona be sealed ...... yup plenty truck-trailer units will increase .... short cut really :mellow:

[The Pastor]

when they seal it they will probably widen and straighten it a bit as well!

[De-Ranged]

Came through the other day in one of my 4wd's, rally paradise :Punk:
got some bad news, massive rock works going on to straighten the road on the tihapie side, and I know the Kaweka forest is gona get straightened, there are corners that havn't been replanted after logging.... looks like its bye bye Annie :bye:

Oh and on a side note, sorry guys theres gona be logging trucks on the road this summer, I'm logging over Tihapie side and its all getting trucked back to Napier

Cheers Reece

[Bonez]

Did it today on Gerble(a GB400), along with quite a few other bikes. Lots of widening happening in the steeper, tighter bits. Cracker day for it.

[Meanie]

Did it today on Gerble(a GB400), along with quite a few other bikes. Lots of widening happening in the steeper, tighter bits. Cracker day for it.

Good on ya bonez, you do like that loose dusty stuff dont you
The Yods and i went for a wee poodle out to Pongoroa Monie rode her new VFR 800, yes bonez she brought a Honda :yes:, this being her maiden run on it, awesome day for it

[mountainboy65]

I think it's a real shame when areas/roads like this become sanitised.
It may be very different for the locals of course; this is only my view as an outsider, so perhaps it's not fair of me to pass comment. I just feel that we need to protect our "off the beaten track" areas.

[Bonez]

Good on ya bonez, you do like that loose dusty stuff dont you
The Yods and i went for a wee poodle out to Pongoroa Monie rode her new VFR 800, yes bonez she brought a Honda :yes:, this being her maiden run on it, awesome day for itI was over that way too. Far too nice a day to go straight home so went for a bit of a tiki tour and got home around 5pm. Left Pete in Taihape around 9:30am. Met a chap on a 1000 V-Strom at the camping area in the middle of the GA who was from Rotorua that had the same idea.
A pack of what looked like older trail bikes, TT500s,XLs etc were having a ball. Also came across couple on a large road bike enjoying the scenery.

[Paul_C]

I did this road a few times on a 4WD Course for work. I always thought it would be an amazing ride to do but being pretty n00b didn't want to try the gravel bits on the old Hyobag and still not that keen to try it on the Viffer.

Hopefully they won't take too many of the exciting bits out when they seal it.

[Usarka]

Q: What happened to Gentle Annie?

A: Kelvinator

[Elysium]

Only after I had the mis-fourtune of taking that road one day and crashig do they decide to seal it. :pinch: