What should be my first ride when I get a new bike?

[Old Steve]

Ten days and I'm getting on the big silver budgie to retire in NZ. Then eventually, after settling in somewhere that has room to park a bike, I'll be looking at the big decision.

Leaving CBD of Auckland, now where would the best, first ride be?

I have several thoughts.

Down the motorway to Takanini or Papakura, over the Clevedon Road to Kawakawa Bay, down and across to Kopu and turn left and do the Coro loop, coming back over the Kopu/Hikuwai Rd.

Down SH1 to Tahuna Rd north of Huntly, through Tahuna to SH27, straight on across the flats to Paeroa and on to Tauranga through the Karangahake Gorge, maybe turn off over the bridge in the middle of the gorge just before Waikino and take the back road through to Waihi.

Or maybe down through Tahuna, turn south on to SH27, turn left onto Langlands Rd before Tirau and pop through to the Okoroire Pub for a burger, then up and over the Kaimais to Tauranga.

Or then, maybe down SH1 to Ngaruawahia, turn right at the BP and pick up SH38 down to the Kawhia turnoff and drop in on friends at Kawhia.

Geez we're spoilt for choice aren't we. And not a single acre of ten foot sugar cane beside the road anywhere!

[Blackbird]

We retired to Coromandel. Takes a lot of beating with weekday riding and fishing. Banjos are the favoured musical instrument

[TheDemonLord]

I'd ride to the Pub.

[EJK]

Ten days and I'm getting on the big silver budgie to retire in NZ. Then eventually, after settling in somewhere that has room to park a bike, I'll be looking at the big decision.

Leaving CBD of Auckland, now where would the best, first ride be?

I have several thoughts.

Down the motorway to Takanini or Papakura, over the Clevedon Road to Kawakawa Bay, down and across to Kopu and turn left and do the Coro loop, coming back over the Kopu/Hikuwai Rd.

Down SH1 to Tahuna Rd north of Huntly, through Tahuna to SH27, straight on across the flats to Paeroa and on to Tauranga through the Karangahake Gorge, maybe turn off over the bridge in the middle of the gorge just before Waikino and take the back road through to Waihi.

Or maybe down through Tahuna, turn south on to SH27, turn left onto Langlands Rd before Tirau and pop through to the Okoroire Pub for a burger, then up and over the Kaimais to Tauranga.

Or then, maybe down SH1 to Ngaruawahia, turn right at the BP and pick up SH38 down to the Kawhia turnoff and drop in on friends at Kawhia.

Geez we're spoilt for choice aren't we. And not a single acre of ten foot sugar cane beside the road anywhere!

Why stop there? South island is nice in autumn.

[Tazz]

Coro loop or something based on heading to Raglan or one of the other iron sand beaches above there.
Found a really cool little one you could drive for miles on halfway to Auckland last trip, and a paddock full of bulls while having a sneaky lunch stop by the Waikato river, but that's another story.
You can pretty much pick a direction from anywhere in NZ and find something worth looking at/enjoying.

We retired to Coromandel. Takes a lot of beating with weekday riding and fishing. Banjos are the favoured musical instrument

I thought the banjo was second to the spoons round them parts?

I'd ride to the Pub.

You are going to have a short retirement!

[Blackbird]

I thought the banjo was second to the spoons round them parts?

Spoons are for locals who have interbred for a few generations. Relative newcomers start on banjos

[Tazz]

Congrats on retirement too btw Steve.

Spoons are for locals who have interbred for a few generations. Relative newcomers start on banjos

I guess after a few generations webbing in hands makes the banjo a bit tricky anyway
I'd ask what some of the long termers here thought but I haven't got my ear in for that special accent that a lack of teeth creates

[Old Steve]

Who was the idiot who moved this thread to "Wannabe and Newbie Bikers" ?

Look at my ID, I joined in 2010, I've been riding for 5 years, I've done over 50,000 km on three different bikes, last bike was a Honda ST1100P which I've ridden for 2 1/2 years here in tropical Queensland. I've nearly got 700 posts, FFS !

Read the post, I was asking which of four great rides I should make my first ride when I return to NZ and buy a new bike. None of them are really a learners ride, are they?

SHESH, it's hard to get good staff.

[EJK]

Who was the idiot who moved this thread to "Wannabe and Newbie Bikers" ?

Look at my ID, I joined in 2010, I've been riding for 5 years, I've done over 50,000 km on three different bikes, last bike was a Honda ST1100P which I've ridden for 2 1/2 years here in tropical Queensland. I've nearly got 700 posts, FFS !

Read the post, I was asking which of four great rides I should make my first ride when I return to NZ and buy a new bike. None of them are really a learners ride, are they?

SHESH, it's hard to get good staff.

Guess someone wanted to make you feel young again

[caspernz]

Who was the idiot who moved this thread to "Wannabe and Newbie Bikers" ?

Look at my ID, I joined in 2010, I've been riding for 5 years, I've done over 50,000 km on three different bikes, last bike was a Honda ST1100P which I've ridden for 2 1/2 years here in tropical Queensland. I've nearly got 700 posts, FFS !

Read the post, I was asking which of four great rides I should make my first ride when I return to NZ and buy a new bike. None of them are really a learners ride, are they?

SHESH, it's hard to get good staff.

It's the local test for your sense of humour...and be prepared to renew your citizenship at the border upon entry as well

Any of the rides you mentioned are sweet, and once you get serious, circumnavigate the north island in clockwise fashion avoiding main routes as much as possible would be my suggestion. Forgotten World Highway is grouse, stay in Stratford, go to Taumarunui for lunch and return to Stratford is how I did it a while back. The rabbit hole or whatever the tunnel is called in the middle is a reminder of how things used to be, along with a few clicks of metal road.

Oh, and congrats on retirement

[Old Steve]

Caspernz, I was thinking of doing 1000 km in a day - OK, OK I know it's not Iron Butt or whatever but I've got other plans for it as well. But I'd have to work up to that.

Leave Auckland about 5.00 am, Kawhia for breakfast, down to National Park, across to Turangi and on up the side of the lake to Taupo, up towards Rotorua, but cut across passed Murupara and down Galatea to Opotiki, across to Whakatane, over the hills and passed the lakes to Rotorua, over to SH1 and up through Tokoroa, Putaruru, Cambridge to Hamilton, then turn back and go across the Kaimais to Tauranga and call it quits. I'd look at scheduling about 13 hours to ride it, so with time off for hot pies and cold drinks, I'd suppose a finish in Tauranga about 7.30 pm.

But then there's the Waioeka Gorge between Opotiki and Gisborne, got to do that one day too.

[nodrog:Me]

Why stop there? South island is nice in autumn.

there's too many Asian.

[swarfie]

The rabbit hole or whatever the tunnel is called in the middle is a reminder of how things used to be, along with a few clicks of metal road.

it's HOBBIT HOLE....Ya muppet

[PrincessBandit]

what you suggested in the op sounds good to me. The Coro GP is fab if you can get most of it to yourself and not have to share with the idjits that frequent it ( )

[Gadget1]

what you suggested in the op sounds good to me. The Coro GP is fab if you can get most of it to yourself and not have to share with the idjits that frequent it ( )

True, it's best not to go there on weekends, public holidays etc...