Am I biting off more than I can chew?

**Ixion** · 12th May 2005, 19:01

Originally Posted by Celtic_Sea_lily

Oooooo 'eck. Back in my day we had t' lick roads clean and get up before we went t' bed.

I realise that now and I've emailed the Tourism people over that way just to make sure. I'm not too bad on gravel but 80 kms is a long way and I'm guess there'll be logging trucks about.

Ah b'guum you yung folk don't know t'ahlf ov it. When Hi were yung, we didn't have no raods ter lick clean - had to dig 'em ourselfs we did. Usin' only a dinosaur shoulder blad fer a shovel. 'ad ter catch ther dinosaur befor we begun our ride too.

And then once we'd dug ter roads, we as ter drag the bikes along hit, cos of which ter wheel adn't been hinvented.

Didn't ave no beds either , you yung folk ain't got no stanina slackin off 'n sleepin' all t'time. When hi were yuing we got one night's sleep a year - an we had to stand t' attention th' ole time we was sleepin.

Yung fok terday, soft as.

**Hitcher** · 12th May 2005, 19:01

Wellington to Murupara via Frasertown. On a 250. In one day. Are you insane!!??

That's via Lake Waikaremoana and a squillion miles of gravel. And the natives in there still wear grass skirts and hangi wayward pakehas. An eight-hour ride from Wellington to the end of the tarseal at the southern end of the lake. God knows how long to estimate for the gravel stretch. Probably at least two hours more from there to Murupara.

Go via Taupo, where the biggest risk is Aucklander kindy mums in Pajeros u-turning as they try to doublepark outside McDonald's...

**Ms Piggy** · 12th May 2005, 19:35

Originally Posted by Hitcher

Wellington to Murupara via Frasertown. On a 250. In one day. Are you insane!!??

I prefer to use the term "special".

Originally Posted by Hitcher

That's via Lake Waikaremoana and a squillion miles of gravel. And the natives in there still wear grass skirts and hangi wayward pakehas. An eight-hour ride from Wellington to the end of the tarseal at the southern end of the lake. God knows how long to estimate for the gravel stretch. Probably at least two hours more from there to Murupara.

Go via Taupo, where the biggest risk is Aucklander kindy mums in Pajeros u-turning as they try to doublepark outside McDonald's...

Hmmmm, since you put it like that then. I guess I can ride via Wanganui and up over the Paraparas *siiiigh*

So whats the alternative if I wanna still go that way but avoid the gravel road? Hmmmmm, it appears there isn't really unless I wanna go up as far as Gisborne. Poo.

**Skunk** · 12th May 2005, 19:36

Gravel road, twisty and rough. Don't go that way after such a long ride.

My 5 cents.

Go to Napier then Taupo then Murupara if you want to go east...

**scumdog** · 12th May 2005, 19:44

Coom baak saath Kathy!!

Stay at Chez Scumdog and tour the south a little more!!

**sels1** · 12th May 2005, 19:51

I came thru that road before Xmas in the work vehicle. I think it was over 120 km of gravel, very slow winding road. Pretty scenery tho. Big gaps between civilised spots as well. If you had time to go to Gisborne and then thru the Waio-whatsitcalled gorge then back thru whakatane to Rotorua etc it would be a good trip on the bike but you would need another day
Best go via Taupo if you want to save time and go on the seal.

**NordieBoy** · 12th May 2005, 20:13

Should've gone over from Motueka to Taperawa via the West Bank to get some gravel practice in

Sounds like a bit of extreme gravel there though.
Does Motu live nearby perchance?
I can imagine him going out of an evening and shooting roving gangs of asphalters to stop them from sullying "his" roads

**pritch** · 12th May 2005, 20:57

Iv'e been through the Uraweras a couple times in company cars. Wonderful!
One of my favourite places. Would think twice about taking my own car though. Wouldn't consider taking my bike.

Also walked around the lake, and kayaked down the Waikare Taheke River.
Well part of it, I arsed out. Swam quite a bit of it too though I guess...
(The power station was at full flow :-)

Some years ago the LTSA or a predecessor advised that funding was available to seal the road. The locals said, "No thanks we like it how it is."
They didn't want another Taupo. Besides, the environment wouldn't handle it.

Great place to go with a fishing rod and a boat, less so on a bike.
Especially at the end of how many hours?

**Kickaha** · 12th May 2005, 21:07

Originally Posted by Celtic_Sea_lily

Well my map book is from 1984 and it shows as a "provincial state highway", mind you I guess it could still be that and gravel. Cheers.

My map showed that in 1989 but the big sign out of Wairoa that said "unsealed road 120km" was a bit of a give away,very nice up through there though.

Do it

**Wolf** · 12th May 2005, 21:16

Originally Posted by Hitcher

Go via Taupo, where the biggest risk is Aucklander kindy mums in Pajeros u-turning as they try to doublepark outside McDonald's...

That'd convince me to take the gravel!

Cathy. Whatever route you take, pack a lunch and snacks, bottled drinks, thermos of tea/coffee/both. You'll want to take rest breaks at regular intervals, stretch the legs, flex the fingers and refuel yourself. I don't seriously recommend the gravel - it'd slow you down immensely, go via Taupo and look out for Pajeros... driving their 4WDs

**Zapf** · 12th May 2005, 22:11

Originally Posted by Celtic_Sea_lily

Ok! As of the evening of the 22nd of June I'll be Uni free for at least 4 weeks

(in between now and then I have around 10,000 words to write!!). Most of that time I'll be working

but, I will have a few days just after exams and I wanted to ride up

and see a friend who lives in a little town called Murupara. I wanted to ride up in 1 day and ride back home the following day.

Plan for riding up is: over the Rimutakas, SHW 2 through Hastings & Napier then turn off at Frasertown (just after Wairoa) onto SHW 38 to Murupara.

I'll be riding Black Betty (Honda CB250RS), I'll be alone (unless anyone wants to keep me company) but I've also ridden long distances in a day before (I did a 500+ kms ride when down in the SI)...although I haven't worked out how many kms it is but some of it looks like windy road from the map.

What do y'all think?

Ok I have been up that way before.... DON'T go on SH38. It is GRAVEL from around 10km out from Wairoa and all the way up to and beyond the lakes. The gravel starts small and then gets bigger and bigger..... which made me CRASH my SV.

So you should go on the Taupo - Napier Highway instead, and be careful of ice / snow there. It is a LONG way to ride in 1 day, as I have done that trip in March. Might pay to break it off into 2 days as there is not a lot of day light now and it'll get pretty cold specially on a naked...

And make sure you got tires with good tread

**Mr Skid** · 12th May 2005, 22:26

Introduce Black Betty to a set of these and don't look back!

**Ixion** · 12th May 2005, 22:33

Originally Posted by Mr Skid

Introduce Black Betty to a set of these and don't look back!

Well, unless I'm confused between all these CB things, I think the CB250RS has a traily heritage. So it should be fairly relaxed on gravel - not like a proper trailie of course but OK. Li'l Rat Bike is reasonably happy on gravel , Cb250RS should be similar.

But riding gravel is a lot more tiring than riding seal, and 100km in an already long trip would maybe be a big ask. Fun though.

If you want to just get there ASAP, go the seal. If you want a fun trip, take the gravel

**250learna** · 12th May 2005, 23:29

have a look at this
http://wises.co.nz
i always use this site when unsure how to get somewhere... you can print a map out and everything

**Zapf** · 13th May 2005, 03:01

Originally Posted by Kickaha

My map showed that in 1989 but the big sign out of Wairoa that said "unsealed road 120km" was a bit of a give away,very nice up through there though.

Do it

didn't help me when I passed thru that sign with the sun right behind it..... didn't see a thing and DOCH! slide crash...

oh well...