Local route advice near Gisborne sought

[glitch_oz]

Hi folks

Hope, this is the right sub-forum.

Looking for a bit of info on a 55km loop near Gisborne.
Coming from Wairoa via Parikanapa Rd. and heading towards the Whakarau Valley + Motu Rd., is it worth it to add in the
Pehiri Valley / Hangaroa River loop (Pehiri and Taumata roads)?

http://goo.gl/maps/Dlua

And is there any viable local "shortcut from Ngatapa to Te Karaka or thereabouts to save the "long way" through Patutahi?
Gmaps doesn't show anything, nor do the AA regional maps that I've got.

Thanks for your help.

Yes, dirt is fine... no single tracks please.

[Gremlin]

According to the maps I have (if you have a Garmin GPS I suggest you get a copy of the NZ Open GPS maps: http://www.nzopengps.org/) the route will turn to unsealed past Pehiri, returning to seal before Rere. May or may not be accurate tho, I haven't done them yet (makes mental note to add).

Also easier to describe your route north as going via Tiniroto Rd, it's reasonably well known. Interesting road (all sealed) as it has very few road markers along it's length, very interesting at night.

As for a shortcut, you'd need to go further west and north at Rere and take Wharekopae Rd and Tahora Rd, which takes you out more Rakauroa way - which is close to the start of the Motu Rd...

I'm also going to move your thread to the adventure section, as it's more likely they'll know that sort of stuff...

[glitch_oz]

According to the maps I have (if you have a Garmin GPS I suggest you get a copy of the NZ Open GPS maps: http://www.nzopengps.org/) the route will turn to unsealed past Pehiri, returning to seal before Rere. May or may not be accurate tho, I haven't done them yet (makes mental note to add).

Also easier to describe your route north as going via Tiniroto Rd, it's reasonably well known. Interesting road (all sealed) as it has very few road markers along it's length, very interesting at night.

As for a shortcut, you'd need to go further west and north at Rere and take Wharekopae Rd and Tahora Rd, which takes you out more Rakauroa way - which is close to the start of the Motu Rd...

I'm also going to move your thread to the adventure section, as it's more likely they'll know that sort of stuff...

Thanks for the help.
Done the Tiniroto a few times, it sure is a gem.
Sorry, I'm a fossil, no GPS.
But I just remembered a set of topo-maps for the NI floating about on some harddrive.

Still, local advice is always best as things can change fast, especially dirt/ shingle roads.
Thanks again

[Gremlin]

That same website, through the forums, has links to open source topographic maps as well.

Even without a GPS, if you have mapsource, you can install the maps and view them... obviously they're not perfectly correct, but the beauty is when you find the roads vary from the map, you let them know

[Rosie]

According to the maps I have (if you have a Garmin GPS I suggest you get a copy of the NZ Open GPS maps: http://www.nzopengps.org/) the route will turn to unsealed past Pehiri, returning to seal before Rere. May or may not be accurate tho, I haven't done them yet (makes mental note to add).

Also easier to describe your route north as going via Tiniroto Rd, it's reasonably well known. Interesting road (all sealed) as it has very few road markers along it's length, very interesting at night.

As for a shortcut, you'd need to go further west and north at Rere and take Wharekopae Rd and Tahora Rd, which takes you out more Rakauroa way - which is close to the start of the Motu Rd...

I'm also going to move your thread to the adventure section, as it's more likely they'll know that sort of stuff...

Rakauroa Rd is good

Garmin Basecamp + open GPS project maps works well on teh computer, even if you don't have a GPS. Basecamp can be downloaded free from the Garmin website, and it seems to work a lot better than Mapsource.

[Eddieb]

What are you planning now Pete?

[clint640]

As for a shortcut, you'd need to go further west and north at Rere and take Wharekopae Rd and Tahora Rd, which takes you out more Rakauroa way - which is close to the start of the Motu Rd....

This.

Tahora does look a bit dubious on Google Maps but it is in fact a nice little gravel road. We go through that route on our annual Midwinter Madness ride.

Cheers
Clint

[glitch_oz]

....but the beauty is when you find the roads vary from the map, you let them know

Tks for that! Found that harddrive.

Rakauroa Rd is good
Garmin Basecamp + open GPS project maps works well on teh computer, even if you don't have a GPS. Basecamp can be downloaded free from the Garmin website, and it seems to work a lot better than Mapsource.

Thanks!

What are you planning now Pete?

Oops...caught!!
Missed out on the 2010 NI forum-ride when the quack stuck me into one of those stylish hospital gowns with the arse hanging out for a week of "rest"+ test....been grumbling ever since.
And with the recent SI ride under the belt, the fires are burning skyhigh again....then old Hans (asphalt) from the forum checked if something was going on, Goodie fell over some cheap flights... DOIIING, we're booked for 10 days early November (8 days net), tickets in hand and bikes organized.
It all happened only start of this week....and here I am trying to find details on some routes.
Watched your vids of the Fishers Track over and over....also found a site with pics of some refurbishment of the track (fairly serious earthworks). Reckon it's still as boggy as in the 2009 vids?

This.

Tahora does look a bit dubious on Google Maps but it is in fact a nice little gravel road. We go through that route on our annual Midwinter Madness ride.

Cheers
Clint

THANKS, mate!! THAT'S what I was hoping for !!
Gets us out quite a bit further north-west, but sure sounds worthwhile. That's the Te Wera Rd. (seems to be the extension of the Tahora) onto Hwy 2?
We'd then cut south to pick up the southern end of the Whakarau Valley.

[MXNUT]

Watched your vids of the Fishers Track over and over....also found a site with pics of some refurbishment of the track (fairly serious earthworks). Reckon it's still as boggy as in the 2009 vids?

Nope went through with a group about 4 weeks back. Western end for about 4 kms is still good, rest of track/road is now a 2 lane gravel highway.


Thanks Ruapehu District Council

[glitch_oz]

Nope went through with a group about 4 weeks back. Western end for about 4 kms is still good, rest of track/road is now a 2 lane gravel highway.


Thanks Ruapehu District Council

Hmmmm...but thanks for the info !!
Might skip it then...

[clint640]

THANKS, mate!! THAT'S what I was hoping for !!
Gets us out quite a bit further north-west, but sure sounds worthwhile. That's the Te Wera Rd. (seems to be the extension of the Tahora) onto Hwy 2?
We'd then cut south to pick up the southern end of the Whakarau Valley.

Off the end of Tahora Rd, Te Wera Rd out to hwy 2 is nice enough, but Raukauroa Rd is nicer, more gravel, & would take you back closer to the southern end of Whakarau Rd.

I have just booked the camp at Minginui (west end of Waikaremoana Rd) for the nights of 2 & 3 Nov, come & stay if that works in with your plans.

Cheers
Clint

[glitch_oz]

Off the end of Tahora Rd, Te Wera Rd out to hwy 2 is nice enough, but Raukauroa Rd is nicer, more gravel, & would take you back closer to the southern end of Whakarau Rd.

I have just booked the camp at Minginui (west end of Waikaremoana Rd) for the nights of 2 & 3 Nov, come & stay if that works in with your plans.

Cheers
Clint

Thanks for the info...happy to go with that!

2+3 Nov....that's Fri and Sat.
Bummer, just a tad too early.
Is that south of Munupara?
Tried to find a cut-through to Iwitahi (hwy5) a couple of years ago, but it seems to be all private plantations, also supposedly very spongy/ boggy/ high moor type of country.