Roads around Auckland

[xwhatsit]

'Lo,

I'm a complete beginner to this sort of stuff, but I'm coming to realise I enjoy riding on light gravel. `Adventure' type stuff, you know -- Triumph Scrambler sort of roading. I'm lucky that I own a bike that's capable of riding these roads, despite nominally being a road bike.

Are there any good gravel roads around Auckland I can practise on? None of my maps seem to tell me very much, and most of the time don't give any information on road surface.

Cheers.

[Ixion]

The middle road from Waiwera to Wellsford is a good one.

[xwhatsit]

If I'm looking at the same thing on the map (it heads out north-west right after Waiwera) that does look good.

Shorter (and closer to South Auckland -- for before-work pootles) roads also considered.

[Crisis management]

We're a bit limited there....it being a city and all!

Get hold of the AA maps ($3.99) each as they show all the sealed and unsealed roads locally.

North: Riverhead to Ararimu Valley road, Inland road and then everything between there and Puhoi. Hours of unsealed fun to be had, the Art of Cheese at Puhoi is to be recommended for coffee!

South: Pokeno to Port Waikato on Klondyke road and then everything between there and Raglan.

Nothing really closer unfortunately unless you try the earthworks at Mangere / Hillsborough as you go past?

Be prepared for 4 hours minimum for these rides.

[vifferman]

"The Motorcycling Atlas of NooZild" (or whatever it's called) shows good roads for motorbicycling, and whether they're sealed or not.
Dunnit?

[R6_kid:Me]

hey dude... head up SH16, before you get to Kaukapakapa turn right down Kahikitea Flats road, when you get to Waitoki take the road the goes off to the left on the 45kmh corner opposite what used to be a gas station. This turns to gravel and will take you up into the forrests west of waiwera and orewa - was fun on ZXR250, i'm sure you'll like it. Just keep an eye out for logging trucks!

We couldnt find our way out and werent liking our chances so we back tracked to Waitoki. Take a map with ya!

[Big Dave]

I'll show you some.
I'll ping you next time I'm buellin.

[DEATH_INC.]

If ya head through old north road onto 16, then hook a right towards dairy flat, take a left at waitoke, up waitoke road, it turns to metal after a few k's and you can go through to Puhoi etc from there. Last time I did it was a few years back, at about 1am on a FZR thou....it was a bit of a goat track, but be a bit of fun on an adventure bike ....

[Ixion]

If ya head through old north road onto 16, then hook a right towards dairy flat, take a left at waitoke, up waitoke road, it turns to metal after a few k's and you can go through to Puhoi etc from there. Last time I did it was a few years back, at about 1am on a FZR thou....it was a bit of a goat track, but be a bit of fun on an adventure bike ....

That's the start of the Middle Road.

[xwhatsit]

Cheers guys. All noted down and filed away.

BD: Sweet, just so long as we stay away from Parnell. The chefs from work are still shit-scared you're going to turn up and steal their women or something.

[Motu]

Closer to you would be to head east,through the gorge to Hunua,about 5km past Hunua turn left up to the dams.There won't be much traffic and you can play around a bit.

[Ixion]

But do any of those dam roads actually go anywhere? All the ones I go up there nowdays just end up in a dead end with a bloody ARC fence .

You can also go down the Ness Valley road and up that side. But same problem, you can't get through to the connecting roads, even thou they're shown as public roads on the map. Bloody toads.

[xwhatsit]

Ixion -- no blaspheming please.

If they're public roads, that means Queen's Highway yada yada yada stern letter legalese yippee! gates open. Or something?

Did somebody say Hunua?

Well I'm going to go watch Rumble Fish to get in the mood. Thanks.

[MaxB]

+1 on the Waitoki-Puhoi road, tis good.

On the Southside you are in a race against time. A lot of the backroads around Alfriston and Manurewa are now sealed. Try out the back of the airport if you just want to get your skills up but those little side roads don't go anywhere. The Hunuas are criss crossed by all sorts of legal roads but just try and use them. Often they are gated or barred.

Maybe head out past Papakura towards Waiuku and heaps of the side roads are unsealed but they are only a few ks long.

[$CENSLS1$]

Plenty of gravel roads out the back of Waitoki, Puhoi, Waiwera, Kaukapapa that have kept me entertained all year long. There's another bunch of goodies out Leigh, Matakana area that'll take you through to Mangawai if you're really keen.Might be a bit far for a 'before work toodle' but they're worth checking out. (I'd be out there today if I wasn't working!!!)