Overnight at the "Tip"?

[PeteJ]

They can keep people off the track, but they can't stop people driving through the paddocks where the paper road is...

Correct. If it is a surveyed and dedicated road, it is not theirs to keep people off.

The problem with this is that unless you have a GPS and have accurately plotted the paper road, you will often not be able to keep yourself on it over the ground.

[tri boy]

The DOC farmer is a good chap, so personally I would contact him first.
He has quite a few young cattle, (and bloody big Bulls) on the land, and I know for a fact that he is getting a bit annoyed with people treating the stocked paddocks as open slather.
If a gate is left open, (which he has told me happens), hes in for a shitty day mustering on VERY steep country.
But if people communicate with him, he is most accomodating. For the sake of futre good relations, PLEASE don't go charging around the place without letting him know.

[clint640]

Working on it.
Also, just got off the phone to a mate on Waiheke who managers two vineyards, and is happy to help sort accom AND private Vineyard tours
Also a weekend at Gt Barrier wouldn't go amiss.

Be up for that mate! never been to Waiheke & I've been known to enjoy the odd drop of vino rosso Barrier would be good too, been there by yacht which was cool, be neat to go back for a ride.

I might have to organise a bit of a cruisy Waikaremoana - stay at me bro's bach at Mohaka - Tutira Backroads loop in the new year too.

Cheers
Clint

[tri boy]

OK then
Waiheke will be a goer after the WWW ride( 30/11-2/12).
Before or after xmas is to be sorted, but I will probably pop over all casual like to see him prior to xmas, so anybody who is keen will be welcome. (accom will depend on numbers) theres a good backpackers 200mtrs up the road from his bach, and is up above Onetangi Beach.
Will post a w/end before I go over.
Riding the "East End" Cowes Bay loop rd is a must. The scenery out to Ponui, and Pakatoa Islds is great.

[xwhatsit]

Heaps of great roads on Waiheke, I went away there with the girlfriend over a weekend. Took the bike over on the ferry and we rode around; not technically supposed to carry pillions, but saw no policemen. Heaps of gravel roads, at first the girl was a bit wary of the gravel roads but after a while she settled in and we had a ball hanging the arse out around corners (pillion == more polar movement == lots of fun ). Low clip-ons sometimes made things difficult but it wasn't that bad.

If you get towards the east of the island (I think), there's bugger all civilisation and sealed roads; some excellent `adventuring' roads, and right at the end there's all these caves and tunnels to explore on foot. I think they were defense tunnels from WWII?

Cool place. Highly recommended (at least from a road biker with very soft ideas of adventure motorcycling ).

[warewolf]

The DOC farmer is a good chap, so personally I would contact him first.
He has quite a few young cattle, (and bloody big Bulls) on the land, and I know for a fact that he is getting a bit annoyed with people treating the stocked paddocks as open slather.
If a gate is left open, (which he has told me happens), hes in for a shitty day mustering on VERY steep country.
But if people communicate with him, he is most accomodating. For the sake of futre good relations, PLEASE don't go charging around the place without letting him know.

It's a common story. Dipshits ruining it for the rest of us, and land managers over-reacting which wins them no friends either. Fortunately as you say most of them are approachable. The public road through Hira Forest is pretty much permanently closed due to idiots causing the forestry people grief. But talking to them, a permit and gate key might be possible.

[tri boy]

[QUOTE=xerxesdaphat;1272371]Heaps of great roads on Waiheke,

Certainly are.
Was a courier driver there for a wee while, so know the place quite well.
The old gun placements from ww2 have the tunnels.(used to move the shells about between the coastal guns.(take a good flash light)
Whakanewha Reqional Park is a good visit, as is cruising around the narrow steep roads that link the regions. There used to be a NZ TT held on the Island back in the 50s I think, and the local museum has clippings, and photos of the time.
Whittaker's music museum is worth a visit and if the weather is good, I would recommend Palm Beach for a swim.
So hopefully the weekend of 17/11 will be fine, as I hope to catch up with JL then. Will let you know.

[Motu]

I really enjoyed the Waiheke roads when I lived there,and there were a lot more gravel roads back then - only the main roads were sealed.It took me a while to learn how to ride them as they are very different to the blue stone roads we know in the North Island.The local quarry produces what we called ''rotten rock'',although it's really a young unformed rock.You can crumble it in your hands.

When they first spread it,the rocks are kumara sized and shaped - these are a hell of a job to cope with as they really knock the front wheel around.The rocks slowly break up,until they are sand,and then they lay some more.The interesting thing is they don't really form wheel tracks,they break down uniformly across the road.So they reach a point where they are just freaking awesome....I could ride these roads much harder than any other gravel road I've ridden,and I've done a few.

I rode a bike once in a rally sprint the dirt track club put on every year - I also used to flattrack on the Rocky Bay dirt track,and hold some races in the land out on Gordons road,we had the use of a lot of land in there.Not really interested in going over,it's a small place and I've ridden every road a thousand times....maybe more.

[PeteJ]

The DOC farmer is a good chap, so personally I would contact him first.
He has quite a few young cattle, (and bloody big Bulls) on the land, and I know for a fact that he is getting a bit annoyed with people treating the stocked paddocks as open slather.
If a gate is left open, (which he has told me happens), hes in for a shitty day mustering on VERY steep country.
But if people communicate with him, he is most accomodating. For the sake of futre good relations, PLEASE don't go charging around the place without letting him know.

Yep, that goes for all the paper roads over farmland.

We used to mark out road trials over paper roads in the days when road trials were popular.

In practical terms, you are just out of your mind not to have farmer cooperation. You are guaranteed not to get that if you are not polite and considerate, which includes getting permission and leaving gates as you found them etc.

+1 about the DOC farmer at Fletcher Bay. He also runs the accommodation there.