Next Auckland ride date..

**Crisis management** · 31st October 2009, 20:42

Ok, I have the weekend of the 21st & 22nd November free so who wants to go for a day ride? Pick a day, suggest a route or direction and lets see what
I can organise.

The choices logically are to either head south down the west coast and try and actually get as far as Kawhia, head to Coromandel but thats being done just before this date or north towards Mangawhai or Dargaville.
My present thoughts are sunday the 22nd in the direction south cause I actually do want to get to Kawhia one of these days.

Maybe lunch at the Awakino pub and a big loop???

Remember we have daylight saving so a long day in quite possible...maybe saturdays better then?

Thoughts?

**.chris** · 1st November 2009, 14:20

I could be keen.
Some friends of mine did a cool ride up the north end of the Kaipara Harbour, they left from Glinks Gully and went all the way down to the lighthouse, some of it via the beach, some via the dunes/swamps.

Apparently the track through the swamps is pretty hard to find but I am in the process of getting a gps tracklog of the trip.

**johannvr** · 1st November 2009, 19:59

Not sure if I'd be able to make it yet, but +1 for up north from me. Been wanting to venture further north than my normal laxed-out Sunday morning ride for some time now - just been lacking real motivation, I guess.

**trustme** · 2nd November 2009, 07:02

Pencil me in, north would be good as I have not done it for a while, not sure that fatty would be too flash on the beach.

**Crisis management** · 2nd November 2009, 09:41

North sounds interesting so far.....unfortunately high tide is around 1pm on that weekend so any beach riding may be restricted by that, NZKTM did that ride a while ago, I will check with him.

Mark? Mark? answer the bloody question man, I've not got all day......

**Waihou Thumper** · 2nd November 2009, 18:04

You should be okay as the locals said three hours either side of the tide will be fine. We went in at Poutu Point, it was magic! Got a bit keen and left too early, and as a consequence this happened...lol
About three time we both went over the bars, not sand bars....Handlebars. Don't let that put you off though, this is ADV riding afterall....
Check out my Far North Adventure Photos in my album..

There is some great road riding off the beach further up and we went in a Glinks Gully I think, road some metal and then went into the beach further up...
Stay out of the lower sand if the tide has just gone out...

and the whoops, don't under estimate them, prepare for a nice tank slapper occasionally...
AND, if that has scared ya...No, seriously, it is a great bit of country, would do it in an instant on the little 450e....Might even get up to the lighthouse, it is worth a crack guys!
I still have my track log on the GPS link.
I would love to come!

Might be able to swing it, it eould be a long day....
The thing is, you guys need to get there early......High tide for Poutu Point is.....Hang on while I consult my charts.....1354 at Poutu Point.
so, you guys could hit the beach at 0900-1000 and still be comfortable easily enough....
Try this, it is awesome....http://ofu.co.nz/webgraph/index.php

Well man! I am here, I replied I conquered....Hurry Up!

**Crisis management** · 2nd November 2009, 21:09

Originally Posted by NZKTM

Well man! I am here, I replied I conquered....Hurry Up!

I'm impressed...thanks that was what I wanted to confirm. Just to be sure, 3 hours either side of hightide is ok? I thought a low tide time would be better as we would have more dry sand to play in?

A suggestion, to suit some that may not want to go on the beach, is a short beach ride feasible as an option rather than the Poutu to Glinks 80kms (wild guess at the distance)???

**.chris** · 2nd November 2009, 21:47

Originally Posted by NZKTM

.....

I still have my track log on the GPS link.

Which file, I think I checked them all and can not find anything that covers that area. The far north ones get close, but no cigar.

My mate who did the ride last weekend also went over the bars, and has 2 lovely cracked ribs for his trouble.

**Waihou Thumper** · 3rd November 2009, 05:45

Originally Posted by Crisis management

I'm impressed...thanks that was what I wanted to confirm. Just to be sure, 3 hours either side of hightide is ok? I thought a low tide time would be better as we would have more dry sand to play in?

A suggestion, to suit some that may not want to go on the beach, is a short beach ride feasible as an option rather than the Poutu to Glinks 80kms (wild guess at the distance)???

sorry, yeah, of course....

wasn't trying to bog you down in it....

Might be worth exploring other options, but as far as exits go up the beach, I think there are a few, but you gotta be in the know.
I really can't help you there Iain, sorry...

**Waihou Thumper** · 3rd November 2009, 05:47

Originally Posted by c.h.r.i.s

Which file, I think I checked them all and can not find anything that covers that area. The far north ones get close, but no cigar.

My mate who did the ride last weekend also went over the bars, and has 2 lovely cracked ribs for his trouble.

I thought it was there. Sorry mate....Know what that means don't ya....
Gonna have to do it again...

Always wanted to get back there. Hit the beach at LOW tide and enjoy the dunes as well!

**PeteJ** · 3rd November 2009, 10:07

Iain and others - by that weekend I will have completed my shift to be based fulltime at Russell.

If you're planning a 2-day ride, you're more than welcome to stay at Russell (yeah, it's on the other coast...). There's beds for 8-10 indoors, plenty floor space as well, and we've got tents and space on the lawn for those who want to be really tough.

**johannvr** · 3rd November 2009, 20:10

Ah - now yer talkin. My plan been for a while to go NE rather than west coast - Tutukaka, Matapouri, that way ... see some mates in Paihia, and so forth.

Crashing in wild Russell on a Sat night could fit in well with those sort of plans.

Now I have to start colelcting brownie points for that weekend, I guess.

**Crisis management** · 11th November 2009, 06:56

Apologies to all about getting back on this thread, I've been a bit preoccupied with other stuff.
I can now only do a day ride on saturday the 21st and will post up a thread for that tonight. My plan will be a Riverhead start, north through to Wellsford, then on towards Dargaville and the top end of the Poutu peninsula. I suspect beach riding will be out due to tide but there is the opportunity of riding from Glinks Gully to Bayleys beach if it's do-able.
Coming back the same way and probably ending up at Puhoi in the late afternoon.
Looks like lots of gravel but as I haven't been near Dargaville in decades I have no idea what that will be like.

Pete, sorry but Russell will have to wait a bit...I'm doing the far north ride on the 5 &6 December and might pop in on sunday afternoon if you're around....

**.chris** · 11th November 2009, 10:12

Originally Posted by Crisis management

Apologies to all about getting back on this thread, I've been a bit preoccupied with other stuff.
I can now only do a day ride on saturday the 21st and will post up a thread for that tonight. My plan will be a Riverhead start, north through to Wellsford, then on towards Dargaville and the top end of the Poutu peninsula. I suspect beach riding will be out due to tide but there is the opportunity of riding from Glinks Gully to Bayleys beach if it's do-able.
Coming back the same way and probably ending up at Puhoi in the late afternoon.
Looks like lots of gravel but as I haven't been near Dargaville in decades I have no idea what that will be like.

Pete, sorry but Russell will have to wait a bit...I'm doing the far north ride on the 5 &6 December and might pop in on sunday afternoon if you're around....

I am keen on the 1 day ride option, sounds like a good plan to me.

Do you know if we will be able to get to the lighthouse from your route? Looks like some fun dunes to play in around there (background of the 5th photo)

Stole a few of the photos from my mates trip up there. That swamp looks like it could be some fun.

**Waihou Thumper** · 11th November 2009, 14:28

Would love to be there.
Unfortunately wrong weekend, we will have to do it some other time. The photo there looks like these guys got up to the lighthouse area? at Pouto point or not?
I didn't know where the swamps are situated, just as well, imagine the 950A through there? It was bad enough out there in the desert...

I got to Kai Iwi lakes and had new found respect for those guys doing the Dakar. Day in and day out for 15 days? It was hard enough digging the little 640A out for a few minutes and then riding the rest of the way...Oh, a ruined Ipod, mobile phone and some very deep rock pools North of Bayleys Beach

.......

Stay high against the cliffs....

I would love to do it yeah! Bring it on!