Fast tour of NI and top of SI: Need some route ideas

[Gremlin]

Well, I will have either next week or the week after off, some of it will be business (Wellington and Christchurch) and the rest will be a riding holiday.

The basic plan is as follows (starting whichever weekend - looking likely to be the 26/01):

• Sat: Auck - Gisborne: Route sorted, around 500km
• Sun: Gis - Welly: Route basically sorted, around 540km
• Mon: In Welly: arvo or night, catch a ferry to SI (depends how work goes)
• Tues: Picton/Blenheim - Christchurch: Coastal, but does anyone know if Kaikoura to Culverden is sealed? Looks like a mint detour, instead of boring car/cop filled 1
• Wed: Christchurch (depends how work goes)
• Thurs-Fri: Basically in SI, have to catch a ferry to Welly on Friday night. What do people recommend? Arthurs Pass? How doable is a further route south through Wanaka if I have say, 2.5 days? Looking at tops around 500-550km a day simply because of the day in day out riding, but wanting to make the most of the time, riding the best routes (that everyone seems to mention).
• Sat-Sun: Some kind of west coast route to Auckland, want to ride the Forgotten Highway (43), and people always rave about the Kaimais? somewhere around Rotorua I imagine. Few straights as poss... usual scenario.
• Mon: Somehow get up for work

Haven't been to the SI in years, and this will be my first time on the bike. But should hopefully be a hell of a lot of fun... So all you experienced chaps of the areas... what say you?

[tri boy]

You are going to have a blast.
Only simple ideas that I can suggest, is contact the Palmy crew to suggest a ride back out of Welly, through the Manawatu-wanganui.
Travel up hwy3 to Stratford,(coppers always). Do the Forgotten Hwy.
At Tauramanui take hwy41 over to the western side of Taupo.
Up hwy32 to Whakamaru, and through to Tokoroa. A short blast up Hwy1 to Putararu, and onto 28, and 29 across the Kaimai, (Diesel and muck common).

Heading further nth opens more options.
Rotorua lake rides could be linked in via Whakamaru etc.

Enjoy.

[Dino]

Hi - Sounds like a great trip.

If you have time, I love the back road from Waipukurau to Masterton, lots of twisties and lots better than the main road, will take quite a bit more time though. Make sure you get petrol at Waipukurau.

http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=d&hl...29224&z=9&om=1

Kaikoura to Culverden is sealed all the way and is a fantastic ride with some great sites to see but again because it gets quite tight and twisty in places it will take alot more time than the main road, lots of fun though and less .

[warewolf]

Tues: Picton/Blenheim - Christchurch: Coastal, but does anyone know if Kaikoura to Culverden is sealed? Looks like a mint detour, instead of boring car/cop filled 1

Yes, that's the inland scenic route. Leader Rd is brilliant, too.

Thurs-Fri: Basically in SI, have to catch a ferry to Welly on Friday night. What do people recommend? Arthurs Pass? How doable is a further route south through Wanaka if I have say, 2.5 days? Looking at tops around 500-550km a day simply because of the day in day out riding, but wanting to make the most of the time, riding the best routes (that everyone seems to mention).

Either Arthurs or Lewis to Greymouth, up the coast to Westport, then SH6 to Nelson, Havelock, then Queen Charlotte Dr to Picton. Nelson to Greymouth direct is about 4 hours, you're going to do twice that distance and want to take more stops.

Check the distance, Wanaka might really push the kays up too far to be enjoyable, particularly if it has been a while.

[Gremlin]

Travel up hwy3 to Stratford,(coppers always). Do the Forgotten Hwy...At Tauramanui take hwy41 over to the western side of Taupo.
Up hwy32 to Whakamaru, and through to Tokoroa. A short blast up Hwy1 to Putararu, and onto 28, and 29 across the Kaimai, (Diesel and muck common).

Sounds good... will probably use Rotorua as a stop over (been to Taupo) but that route through Forgetten Highway etc seems to include plenty of twisty bits, so thats fine by me.

If you have time, I love the back road from Waipukurau to Masterton, lots of twisties and lots better than the main road, will take quite a bit more time though. Make sure you get petrol at Waipukurau.

Do you know how many K it is? I assume not too many, given you have a vtr, but I'll do about 220 before getting scared, and the bike likes premium gas only.

but again because it gets quite tight and twisty in places it will take alot more time than the main road, lots of fun though and less .

Experience has shown me that twisty roads can be about as quick as the straight roads, as they are quieter, so you can maintain the speed limit more easily. The more twisty a road, the more I love it. More open stuff, its too easy to break the speed limit when finding the fun.

Thanks Warewolf, speaking to Zapf, who's quite the tourer, he reckons don't even look south to wanaka, but try akaroa for some fun stuff. Also suggests to use Lewis pass heading down (much more twisty than boring one) and I will probably use Arthur's to head north again. If I have the time heading south, I may even detour to Kaikoura just to ride that road...

[Taz]

You need more than a week......

[chanceyy]

Ferry book online bluebridge is about $46 cheaper return than inter islander .. depends on when your travelling dogsnbikes may be working too ..

re coming back .. flick back over the rimitaka's get to masterton ... there is a fantastic back road to alfredon to pahiatua over the pahiatua track & ashhurst out to vinegar hill .. great roads will have everything you need ..

[Dino]

Do you know how many K it is? I assume not too many, given you have a vtr, but I'll do about 220 before getting scared, and the bike likes premium gas only.

Experience has shown me that twisty roads can be about as quick as the straight roads, as they are quieter, so you can maintain the speed limit more easily. The more twisty a road, the more I love it. More open stuff, its too easy to break the speed limit when finding the fun.

:

Hi - Google has Waipukurau to Masterton as 200kms, Wimbledon has petrol at the pub, unsure if it has premium though and unsure just how much it costs, if you get worried you can pop out to Ekatuhuna from Alfredton and get petrol and carry on down the main road to Masterton.

If you love twisties then you will love the Kaikoura to Culverden back road, but do not underestimate just how tight that road can get in places.

Hope you have a blast

[Gremlin]

Ferry book online bluebridge is about $46 cheaper return than inter islander .. depends on when your travelling dogsnbikes may be working too ..

The interislander is more expensive, but I can't be certain on the dates/times (may have to change my timings slightly around work) so the flexi interislander thing will be me

re coming back .. flick back over the rimitaka's get to masterton ... there is a fantastic back road to alfredon to pahiatua over the pahiatua track & ashhurst out to vinegar hill .. great roads will have everything you need ..

sounds good, Dino has suggested the back route from Masterton out east, which looks a goer. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to play in the middle of the land, as going south, I'll use the detour Dino suggested, and going north I'm using the east coast, to get to the forgotten highway. Thanks for the suggestion tho

[TimeOut]

[QUOTE=Gremlin;1383910]The interislander is more expensive, but I can't be certain on the dates/times (may have to change my timings slightly around work) so the flexi interislander thing will be me

Hi

Both the ferrys allow you to transfer your bookings (for up to 3 months) just that the cheap interislander and blue bridge aren't refundable.
Same price though.

[NZsarge]

re coming back .. flick back over the rimitaka's get to masterton ... there is a fantastic back road to alfredon to pahiatua over the pahiatua track & ashhurst out to vinegar hill .. great roads will have everything you need ..

sounds good, Dino has suggested the back route from Masterton out east, which looks a goer. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to play in the middle of the land, as going south, I'll use the detour Dino suggested, and going north I'm using the east coast, to get to the forgotten highway. Thanks for the suggestion tho

I think they are referring to the same road and yes it's well worth the effort, Vinegar hill too!

Edit: Ah, just checked Dino's google map, yes from Masterton it is the same route as chanceyy suggested only you don't pull into Pahiatua and carry on to Pongoroa and Waipukarua, also a very nice road through that way.
Have a spell at the Wimbledon pub, or perhap's Porongahau pub and don't forget to fill up the tank in MASTERTON.

[kiwifruit]

sounds like fun, don't forget to stay under the speed limit of 100km/h

[chanceyy]

The interislander is more expensive, but I can't be certain on the dates/times (may have to change my timings slightly around work) so the flexi interislander thing will be me

sounds good, Dino has suggested the back route from Masterton out east, which looks a goer. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to play in the middle of the land, as going south, I'll use the detour Dino suggested, and going north I'm using the east coast, to get to the forgotten highway. Thanks for the suggestion tho

should be able to rock up & get on if you need the flexibility ..

from welly to bulls has to be the most boring, tiresome trip out, just the congestion sucks & not exactly saving time either,

thats why I suggested flicking back over rimutaka back road from masterton to pahiatua over the track to Ashhurst then if you wanna do the forgotten highway we can give you route from ashhurst to marton . back road of marton to turikina so your only bout 30 ks from wangas is also an awesome trip then you can carry on up to forgotten highway .. (still must do that road soon)

[warewolf]

Thanks Warewolf, speaking to Zapf, who's quite the tourer, he reckons don't even look south to wanaka, but try akaroa for some fun stuff. Also suggests to use Lewis pass heading down (much more twisty than boring one) and I will probably use Arthur's to head north again. If I have the time heading south, I may even detour to Kaikoura just to ride that road...

And he's got some great lights!

Picton, Blenheim, St Arnaud, Murchison, Springs Junction, Lewis Pass, Mouse Point, turn north onto the Inland Scenic Route (SH72?) and then cut through to SH1 via Leader Rd... that'd be a stunning day's ride!

On the return trip, Arthurs Pass, Greymouth, Westport, Murchison, Nelson, Havelock, Queen Charlotte Drive, Picton.

[SlowHand]

Haven't been to the SI in years, and this will be my first time on the bike. But should hopefully be a hell of a lot of fun... So all you experienced chaps of the areas... what say you?

I'm not experienced, but I'll give my asshole anyway. (or is that onions)

Get some friends


If I recall, its the stretch between Milford and Wanaka that has horrendously expensive jungle juice. Don't forget to pay your RUCs on that quaka engine.

Have fun.

someone revoke his north island residence as soon as he gets on that ferry