Paraparas - what happened?

[madmartin]

Just returned from a trip up the dirty ol north isle, what the hell are they doing to the parapara's? Used to be the best bit between wellers and dorkland.:(

[White trash]

My guess? Fuck all.

I think they're just going t wait untill it's impassable then let it fall in the river and forget about it.

["D" FZ1]

On our way down for the Cemetery Circuit at christmas we noticed that they have carved a sraight line through a couple of hills getting rid of a few good corners and they are also building a bridge over a big gully which will also lose a few more good corners. Sucks really. I love that road on my bike.

[eelracing]

Just returned from a trip up the dirty ol north isle, what the hell are they doing to the parapara's? Used to be the best bit between wellers and dorkland.:(

Totally agree with ya in that respect,still is a good ribbon but she's been de-flowered somewhat in the last 10-15 years due mainly to corrosion/floods/Transit apathy etc.
Current thinking is around catering to the lowest common denominator, ie shite drivers who don't know how to corner.
Enjoy her while you can.

[BMWST?]

used to have one of the best road signs in new zealnd there...is it still there (wanganui end) Winding Road 52 km

[Squid69]

On our way down for the Cemetery Circuit at christmas we noticed that they have carved a sraight line through a couple of hills getting rid of a few good corners and they are also building a bridge over a big gully which will also lose a few more good corners. Sucks really. I love that road on my bike.

But you can now get some speed up through there, meaning thay you will be approaching the next set of blind corners at 105 not at 30...

it will make the road mucccch safer

[Nasty]

Just returned from a trip up the dirty ol north isle, what the hell are they doing to the parapara's? Used to be the best bit between wellers and dorkland.:(

Really enjoyed my ride over there a wee while ago .. much better than 3 years ago when there was gravel and dirt everywhere .. seemed so much better than it had been when I went up a month sor so ago.

[sunhuntin]

trust me guys... the corners arent being removed due to them being corners. they are being removed due to them constantly falling in the river. remember the big storm in early 04? they are still repairing the damage caused by that.
granted, i havent done that road in a few years, but the last time it was loose pea gravel everywhere and quite scary.

once its finished, it should be a vastly improved road [from a constant state of mess point of view]

[merv]

I've made my comments about road works on this thread http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showpost.php?p=1965693&postcount=23

Enjoy the curves in the roads while you can suckers and can people on this forum stop bleating on about roads that need improving. Too many of our "good" roads have been ruined already, let alone sealed in many cases too.

[Boob Johnson]

On our way down for the Cemetery Circuit at christmas we noticed that they have carved a sraight line through a couple of hills getting rid of a few good corners and they are also building a bridge over a big gully which will also lose a few more good corners. Sucks really. I love that road on my bike.
SH43 FTW :headbang:

[Headbanger]

But you can now get some speed up through there, meaning thay you will be approaching the next set of blind corners at 105 not at 30...

it will make the road mucccch safer

Most people crawl through the Parapara, Those inclined to enter corners to hot have always had the opportunity to do so.

[sunhuntin]

I've made my comments about road works on this thread http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showpost.php?p=1965693&postcount=23

Enjoy the curves in the roads while you can suckers and can people on this forum stop bleating on about roads that need improving. Too many of our "good" roads have been ruined already, let alone sealed in many cases too.

bit hard to enjoy a road when every few k theres a speed restriction sign and a washout that stretches a good 2 k or more. thats why i hated that road. so often it was cut down to one lane, which was tricky when someone who didnt respect the road came tearing down the other way.

[Skyryder]

Definalty one of the better biker roads in NZ. Still a few corners mremoved isn ot going to make a lot of difference.


Skyryder

[merv]

Still a few corners mremoved isn ot going to make a lot of difference.

Skyryder

Thin end of the wedge son!

[Lucy]

used to have one of the best road signs in new zealnd there...is it still there (wanganui end) Winding Road 52 km

You mean like the one in my avatar?

It was at the Raetihi end, but got taken out by some roadworks, and has not been put back.

This road even has cheesecutters now!

It's still windy.

[driftn]

Brilliant piece of road, Drove the car from Hamilton to wangas on xmas day through there. Its a bit bumpy and some of the road works were pretty shitty but still, most fun I have had in the car in a long time. 3hrs2min ham to wangas good trip.

[Big Dave]

Ahhh - Why do I have a dual sport?

There are better roads on either side of the main one through the Paras.

http://web.me.com/david_cohen_design/KIWIRIDER/Vault_Index/Entries/2008/9/9_Road_to_Ride%3A_Whangahehu_Valley.html

[PrincessBandit]

Interesting. As a child we quite often travelled the "dreaded" Paraparas to visit our grandparents in Wanganui. I say "dreaded" as it was always a potential carsick portion of the trip (especially being at the end of a long drive).
Last time Balu and I drove down, November last year, I remember actually saying to him "was that it?" I thought we'd missed them. Definitely not how I remembered them, even from the time Katman and I took the bikes through a few years ago.
They've definitely been tamed.

[Lias]

If ever there was a road more deserving of being demolished and replaced with a huge big straight autobahn, I havnt found one yet.

Fucking hate that road.

[Squid69]

trust me guys... the corners arent being removed due to them being corners. they are being removed due to them constantly falling in the river. remember the big storm in early 04? they are still repairing the damage caused by that.
granted, i havent done that road in a few years, but the last time it was loose pea gravel everywhere and quite scary.

once its finished, it should be a vastly improved road [from a constant state of mess point of view]

who cares if the river goes over those corners, theyre still the best ones around(with a nice splash if u muck up a left hander and a nice splat if u mess up the right)

[Bonez]

I've made my comments about road works on this thread http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showpost.php?p=1965693&postcount=23

Enjoy the curves in the roads while you can suckers and can people on this forum stop bleating on about roads that need improving. Too many of our "good" roads have been ruined already, let alone sealed in many cases too.True so true. Still tons of good less frequented roads about thank goodness. You just need to know where they are ah ;).

[KoroJ]

trust me guys... the corners arent being removed due to them being corners. they are being removed due to them constantly falling in the river. remember the big storm in early 04? they are still repairing the damage caused by that.
granted, i havent done that road in a few years, but the last time it was loose pea gravel everywhere and quite scary.

once its finished, it should be a vastly improved road [from a constant state of mess point of view]

The realignment is in the Northern section, and I don't recall it being that close to the river.

How come you live in Wanga's and don't ride the Para's??? It's not like you're overendowed with great rides up there and the Para's would have to rate as one of the top 10 rides in the Lower North Island.

IMHO these realignments are a tragedy!!

[sunhuntin]

koro, ive ridden the paras and hated every damn minute of it.
one time i came back down, i damn near arsed off due to unmarked gravel all over one corner. still dont recall how i went around instead of straight off the edge. lol.
think the last time i came back down was the day of the taupo cheesecutter ride. i was coming round a corner and a flock of sheep on the other side of the road started bolting away from the fence. my bike scares newborn lambs, but not adult sheep, so i was a bit leary. slowed down, took the corner, and found two yobs whod ended up in the ditch just getting the car back on the road. had i been going the right speed, i would have likely been hit by them.

squid... the river wasnt coming on the corners... the road was falling into the river. hence the washouts. so many lunatics use that road i was in constant fear of being wiped out. and theres also a cliff above the paras, which has a tendency the drop stones and small boulders onto the road.

PB... i remember one year we drove em to rotorua. we took mums car, which unfortunately decided it wanted to be sick just after national park. which meant we turned around to come back and get dads car. 3 times up that goddam road in one day was enough. im sure i was more than a bit green by the time we finally arrived.

[ntst8]

Have ridden it a few times of late and have come to the conclusion that the road will be up for a name change once the work is done - It will just be called the Para's because its only going to be half the road it used to be. :oi-grr:

[Starky307]

used to have one of the best road signs in new zealnd there...is it still there (wanganui end) Winding Road 52 km

It's still there, I saw it on Saturday. A lot of road works going on through there. We started about half 7ish, I was spewing I forgot to take my clear visor with me but absolutly loved ever minute of that section of road. I did see some sections that are being "straightened" out.

The bonus about riding it in the dark was seeing a few set of lights in front and then when ever the chance arose, looking back to see the stream of bikes behind winding through the hills.

[pritch]

A surprising disparity of views in this thread. Makes me wonder if everyone has actually used it?

I came down there on Monday, magic!

Others who use the road more than I do were of the opinion that the construction crews should perhaps finish one stretch before they start on another. Weather damage may have some influence on that though.

While there are roadworks, there are still a lot of corners without.