Weedons Road

[cynna]

horse riding areas on both sides of the waimak now....... cant do the loop anymore

the 4wders have lost there playground to

[Tazz]

the 4wders have lost their playground to

Really? That's a bit bullshit. I don't think it matters if you ride or drive where you shouldn't or not in regards to access these days. We're fucked either way.

Looking back I really don't understand how or why it has changed so drastically. 4wding and trial riding, often combined with hunting, has been a big part of NZ culture for a long time. We, the public, seem to be losing so much access to our own public land.

That said if it means there will be less fuckwits riding horses in 100k zones and having a whinge when they're spooked by traffic (shock horror) then that's a bit of a win.

On the flip side, how many people own horses compared to bikes and 4x4's anyway?

[Stylo]

Really? That's a bit bullshit. I don't think it matters if you ride or drive where you shouldn't or not in regards to access these days. We're fucked either way.

Looking back I really don't understand how or why it has changed so drastically. 4wding and trial riding, often combined with hunting, has been a big part of NZ culture for a long time. We, the public, seem to be losing so much access to our own public land.

That said if it means there will be less fuckwits riding horses in 100k zones and having a whinge when they're spooked by traffic (shock horror) then that's a bit of a win.

On the flip side, how many people own horses compared to bikes and 4x4's anyway?

I'd take a guess at one horse for every 20 off-road machines, conservatively.

The North bank is even quieter at the new 'recreational park' just off the old Waimak bridge, went there a couple of Sundays before Christmas . Full of signs banning this and that, all wire roped off and manicured. Lot's of sign posts banning this and allowing that but basically projecting an 'anti-welcome' message to all.

Except the blessed Horse riders, of course. And there were none there, 11 am

Saw one guy with his boy on a mini-bike and that was it.

Fuck that and thanks very much . Left the bike on the trailer and went home.

[Peril]

Even the horse tracks through Bottle Lake,while mountain biking through there years ago,I hardly saw a horse or any trailers in the car park.
The tracks at Miners Bank up to the Willows are still open?
That was probably where the best riding was.
Not being able to do the loop seems a bit harsh,as I thought the roadways and stopbanks were classed as public roads? As you could have technically got a ticket for riding an unregd bike around there.

[Tazz]

The thing that rips my nighty about things like this is that you can take a horse to many more areas than a bike (or 4x4) away. I think the only places DOC frowns on it are places that have sensitive and or rare fauna and the like, which they don't want you walking on yourself either anyway (there are some alpine mosses that will not recover from your footprint in your lifetime for example).

It's the same when they close off tracks to MTB's for the sake of walkers. You can't cycle a proper tramping track anyway so why ruin good tracks by grooming the fark out of them and then limit their use. The mind boggles.

Anyway, going off on a bit of a tangent here

I think the thing to do would be to rally a bunch of people together, get some signatures and make some shit happen. If people aren't lazy about it there is no way the horse folk could match the numbers of trail riders.
It's a bit of effort and needs some dedicated peeps, but even a national club with token membership would be a good move to have a voice. Bit like herding cats that sort of thing though. 4x4ers do it (although it's kinda a North vs South setup for some reason for the most part).

There is definitely room to share.

[Ayrtonsenna]

The thing that rips my nighty about things like this is that you can take a horse to many more areas than a bike (or 4x4) away. I think the only places DOC frowns on it are places that have sensitive and or rare fauna and the like, which they don't want you walking on yourself either anyway (there are some alpine mosses that will not recover from your footprint in your lifetime for example).

It's the same when they close off tracks to MTB's for the sake of walkers. You can't cycle a proper tramping track anyway so why ruin good tracks by grooming the fark out of them and then limit their use. The mind boggles.

Anyway, going off on a bit of a tangent here

I think the thing to do would be to rally a bunch of people together, get some signatures and make some shit happen. If people aren't lazy about it there is no way the horse folk could match the numbers of trail riders.
It's a bit of effort and needs some dedicated peeps, but even a national club with token membership would be a good move to have a voice. Bit like herding cats that sort of thing though. 4x4ers do it (although it's kinda a North vs South setup for some reason for the most part).

There is definitely room to share.

Count me in!

[Stylo]

I'm going out there for a squirt tomorrow morning (Weedons Rd ), been a while ..... See how many more signs have been put up telling us what we're not allowed to do.

I'll count the number of horse trailers I see and report back too :-)

[flashg]

Go through the gate on your right at the end of the road, we have a track with signs that takes you to the next road, and back (it's a one way loop) just where the horse floats should be. Never saw any on Monday. I managed 41 km's and didn't repeat too much. Never saw a horse either.

[Stylo]

Go through the gate on your right at the end of the road, we have a track with signs that takes you to the next road, and back (it's a one way loop) just where the horse floats should be. Never saw any on Monday. I managed 41 km's and didn't repeat too much. Never saw a horse either.

Thanks Flash

[cynna]

Go through the gate on your right at the end of the road, we have a track with signs that takes you to the next road, and back (it's a one way loop) just where the horse floats should be. Never saw any on Monday. I managed 41 km's and didn't repeat too much. Never saw a horse either.

back riding already? didnt take long to recover

[flashg]

back riding already? didnt take long to recover

Yeah mate the surgeon gave me the all clear and I had my first ride 24/1/16 So now I'm getting fitter. There's an organized trail ride next weekend I plan on attending and riding.

[pete-blen]

Yeah mate the surgeon gave me the all clear and I had my first ride 24/1/16 So now I'm getting fitter. There's an organized trail ride next weekend I plan on attending and riding.

Great....
May see out at the Conway ride.... Me & the boy hope to get there...
Be my first for a while as well.....






.

[flashg]

Great....
May see out at the Conway ride.... Me & the boy hope to get there...
Be my first for a while as well.....






.

I'll watch out for you Pete, be good to catch up.
Not yet sure if I'm taking my car or a passenger with someone else.

[kab343]

I am definitely in support of setting up a trail riding group to advocate for dirt biking areas. I had no idea this area was being fenced off until I went out a few weeks ago, its a real shame as the tracks out in the forest were by a long way the best out there. Nice tight technical single track.

Has anyone made progress setting up a group? If not I will see what I can get underway, keen for the dirt bikers to have a voice. I have only ever seen horses at Weedons once and I've been riding out there for a long time.

[neels]

A group is what will be needed, there are lots of rich horsey people out west who have obviously lobbied for an area or have access to the ears of people on the council, so if the average person wants to combat further fencing off it will need to be organised.