Week to kill - North Island loop

**Duncan74** · 2nd January 2016, 15:01

I've a week once the OH goes back to work before I start back, so am planning a north island tour. Starting Tauranga, then clockwise to Wellington and back up. 5 days is the plan.
Day 1 TGA>Opotoki>Gisborne>Wairoa
Day 2 Wairoa> Castlepoint
Day 3 Castlepoint>Wellington (note route detour via Lake Wairapa)
Day 4 Wellington to somewhere up SH45
Day 5 SH45 to home

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?m...D0&usp=sharing

Plan is to camp at castlepoint and night 4. Not sure about Wairoa, will depend on the weather. In Wellington I've accommodation sorted, but will need to park the bike in the CBD overnight. What's the score in terms of secure options in town?

So, any thoughts, route changes or suggetions for where to stay / camp on Day 4? This will be my first (motorised) ike tour, so any other avice gratefully received.

TIA

**BMWST?** · 2nd January 2016, 15:20

where are you staying in welly?That will dictate somewhat where you leave the bike.Are you keen on the smaller highways and byways?Are you allergic to gravel?

**Duncan74** · 2nd January 2016, 15:26

Welly > staying at Ibis in CBD. However happy to park bike and walk to hotel.

Not done any gravel riding, and so not keen to push myself at this point. Looking to get some views, see some new places and generally just chill, so happy with the narrower / quieter routes. Have GPS for navigation, so don't need to stick to the key SHs. I think I'd be a bit worried about tackling gravel solo at this point.

**Gremlin** · 2nd January 2016, 17:05

Google Maps is playing up, but take a look at this back route for Napier - Castlepoint. Just link the two points like the maps can't: https://goo.gl/maps/Ykt3Rj4bX282

If you can handle some basic gravel, the Forgotten Highway SH43, 14km of gravel that is usually very easy, and a stunning ride.

**RGVforme** · 2nd January 2016, 19:24

Originally Posted by Gremlin

Google Maps is playing up, but take a look at this back route for Napier - Castlepoint. Just link the two points like the maps can't: https://goo.gl/maps/Ykt3Rj4bX282

If you can handle some basic gravel, the Forgotten Highway SH43, 14km of gravel that is usually very easy, and a stunning ride.

This route 52 up from masterton ect above has my vote have done a couple of times.

Turn right at Waipawa though pourerere road to river road into Patangata pub.Wet ya whistle

lol

Elsthorpe road left leading into middle road or right leading into kahuranaki rd from here takes you right down the tuki tuki valley mint views and good flowing twisties all the way into hastings or napier.

Beats the arse off that boring crowded muppet infested flat highway guff lol.

**eldog** · 2nd January 2016, 19:49

Gisborne to Wairoa via Tiniroto road - you will love it. Some excellent spots for Photos and adventure/gravel roads. Steak burger and chips at Tiniroto pub recommened.

It does snow here.

Stop at Oslers Bakery In Wairoa- Eat at the river entrance or by the old light house. Fuel at Gisborne or Wairoa.

**WristTwister** · 2nd January 2016, 20:01

Heading north from Wellington, I like going via SH2, to the Paramata Haywards Rd (SH58) and take the Paekakariki Hill road from the round-about. On a good day the view from the Paekakariki look-out is beautiful.
As an alternative to Paekakariki Hill, Grays road can also be quite nice.

If you're in wellington, I hope you take the time to go right around the bays.

**Duncan74** · 2nd January 2016, 20:01

Thanks, have updated day 2 to reflect your suggetions. Just what I was hoping for. By chance a random point I picked for a street view had a picture of grey wee-strom/vee-strom on the same route.

I've also shifted the 4th night stop to a bit further round to balance days 4 and 5 a bit better.

As for the Forgotten Highway, I'm not sure. Will make for a very long last day (compared to longest ride of some 350km to date). I'm tempted to save this as an excuse for a weekend trip later in the year. Does it matter if it's done north to south, or south to north? Just thinking that it may still be busy, I may be a bit fatigued, not had a lot of chance to practice gravel riding, etc etc...... May be being a bit wussy, but I'm old enough to not need to prove anything to anyone in that regard any more.

**DamianW** · 2nd January 2016, 20:08

Originally Posted by eldog

Gisborne to Wairoa via Tiniroto road - you will love it. Some excellent spots for Photos and adventure/gravel roads. Steak burger and chips at Tiniroto pub recommened.

It does snow here.

Stop at Oslers Bakery In Wairoa- Eat at the river entrance or by the old light house. Fuel at Gisborne or Wairoa.

Two of us did the Tiniroto Road before New Years, agreed it's cracking road.

**eldog** · 2nd January 2016, 20:37

Originally Posted by Duncan74

Thanks, have updated day 2 to reflect your suggetions. Just what I was hoping for. By chance a random point I picked for a street view had a picture of grey wee-strom/vee-strom on the same route.

I've also shifted the 4th night stop to a bit further round to balance days 4 and 5 a bit better.

As for the Forgotten Highway, I'm not sure. Will make for a very long last day (compared to longest ride of some 350km to date). I'm tempted to save this as an excuse for a weekend trip later in the year. Does it matter if it's done north to south, or south to north? Just thinking that it may still be busy, I may be a bit fatigued, not had a lot of chance to practice gravel riding, etc etc...... May be being a bit wussy, but I'm old enough to not need to prove anything to anyone in that regard any more.

Keep the long days at the start of trip.
Take your time to relax on gravel maybe you need to practise sometime before you tackle this. It's not too difficult from last time I did it. You don't need to pressure yourself. Plenty of time to plan other rides. Do something that is easy to do on your first longer rides. I found it easy to find pitfalls of what I didn't plan for on trips I did first when I started out....

Keep to speed limit through towns.....

Be careful of idiots cutting corners and crap hidden road slumps- usually 1 m in from left of road.

Would take trip to Ngawi and the Lighthouse Cape Palliser / seal colony rather than FH.

have a good trip

**BMWST?** · 2nd January 2016, 20:44

Originally Posted by Duncan74

Welly > staying at Ibis in CBD. However happy to park bike and walk to hotel.

Not done any gravel riding, and so not keen to push myself at this point. Looking to get some views, see some new places and generally just chill, so happy with the narrower / quieter routes. Have GPS for navigation, so don't need to stick to the key SHs. I think I'd be a bit worried about tackling gravel solo at this point.

the ibis does have some parking,tell them you can squeeze your bike in somewhere!

**Frodo** · 3rd January 2016, 06:32

All the suggestions are great.
A couple of years ago I did a North Island loop in a week or so and went around the lighthouses at the four corners of the North Island (well I fib a little, I didn't do Cape Palliser as its local and I'd gone there previously, so I included Cape Egmont, Cape Reinga and East Cape). This means longer days, but some of yours are relatively short (e.g. Castlepoint to Wellington). This included some interesting easy gravel, but this is not mandatory. I can post my route if you're interested.

**50Shades** · 3rd January 2016, 07:19

Sounds like a good trip, check out the the sports tracker app for you phone, puts your progress onto goggle maps and you can load up photos if you want to do blogs
http://www.sports-tracker.com

**Duncan74** · 3rd January 2016, 08:18

Originally Posted by Frodo

All the suggestions are great.
A couple of years ago I did a North Island loop in a week or so and went around the lighthouses at the four corners of the North Island (well I fib a little, I didn't do Cape Palliser as its local and I'd gone there previously, so I included Cape Egmont, Cape Reinga and East Cape). This means longer days, but some of yours are relatively short (e.g. Castlepoint to Wellington). This included some interesting easy gravel, but this is not mandatory. I can post my route if you're interested.

Ooh, l ike this idea. I've added in Cape Palliser. I've previously done the east cape by pedal cycle, and am planning for a Northland trip later this year as I've never made it north of Akl.

Originally Posted by BMWST?

the ibis does have some parking,tell them you can squeeze your bike in somewhere!

Grand, never realised that as I've always flown in when staying there. In previous job then I spent best part of 3 months in the Ibis, and the OH is currently spending more time there than home, so they ought to be able to make a bit of an effort.

Originally Posted by eldog

Keep the long days at the start of trip.
Take your time to relax on gravel maybe you need to practise sometime before you tackle this.
Would take trip to Ngawi and the Lighthouse Cape Palliser / seal colony rather than FH.

Just due to timing and meeting up wth people in Welly then the clockwise route means I need to do the 3 days on the way down. If I reversed the route to do the longer days first then it would throw out a few other things. However, I am expcting to be stopping for more photos on the east coast part. The last day especially I've ridden and driven before, and so likely to be stopping less. Also wanted to get a few hours in welly to go to a couple of shops, possibly Te Papa.

To all of you, many thanks, really appreciated and the real benefit of a site like this. I'll be taking snaps and uploading to Flickr/linking here for anyone that wants to see and as a resource for those in the future.