What's SH4 like to ride?

**motelbob** · 7th April 2008, 19:32

Heading down to Ruapehu from Wellsford to pick up my skis from a club up the mountain. Thought Id turn off at 8 mile junction down s h/way 4 to National Park. Wondering what the road is like. Getting sick of the main highway . Anyone been down there recently?

**yod** · 7th April 2008, 19:38

Originally Posted by motelbob

Heading down to Ruapehu from Wellsford to pick up my skis from a club up the mountain. Thought Id turn off at 8 mile junction down s h/way 4 to National Park. Wondering what the road is like. Getting sick of the main highway . Anyone been down there recently?

8-mile to taumarunui is fookin magnificent....definitely do it

if you carry on from there it gets a bit boring (straight-ish) until south of raetihi

edit: nice bike btw

**Hitcher** · 7th April 2008, 20:05

SH4, end to end, is one of the best stretches of motorcycling road in New Zealand -- both in terms of the road and the scenery it passes through. Food and beverages at the Out Of The Fog Cafe at Owhango are highly recommended!

**Lucy** · 7th April 2008, 20:09

Originally Posted by motelbob

Heading down to Ruapehu from Wellsford to pick up my skis from a club up the mountain. Thought Id turn off at 8 mile junction down s h/way 4 to National Park. Wondering what the road is like. Getting sick of the main highway . Anyone been down there recently?

It's GREAT. Even enjoyable on a GN250. Or in a car. Beautiful scenery, lots of corners.

Sometimes a lot of roadworks, but where in NZ don't you find roadworks?

**EJK** · 7th April 2008, 20:13

A bit off topic but would it be worth it to sneak into SH47 to go to SH48 to see the famous building? (There is a famous house isn't there?)

**henry** · 8th April 2008, 09:53

Don't stop at National Park. Keep going down through Raetihi to Wanganui then do a left turn onto SH 3 and head over to Marton. Then back up through Taihape, Waiouru and on to Ohakune.

Best roads in the country.

**Hitcher** · 8th April 2008, 11:00

Originally Posted by henry

Don't stop at National Park. Keep going down through Raetihi to Wanganui then do a left turn onto SH 3 and head over to Marton. Then back up through Taihape, Waiouru and on to Ohakune.

Best roads in the country.

Even better, take the Fordell road from Wanganui to Hunterville and avoid SH3 entirely!

**Swoop** · 8th April 2008, 11:03

Can you please supply photo's of the skis attached to your bike!

The attachment method has me perplexed.

**Stirts** · 8th April 2008, 12:54

Originally Posted by Swoop

Can you please supply photo's of the skis attached to your bike!

The attachment method has me perplexed.

Kind of obvious I thought

**henry** · 8th April 2008, 13:27

Originally Posted by Hitcher

Even better, take the Fordell road from Wanganui to Hunterville and avoid SH3 entirely!

Too easy for a first timer to get lost that way

All this talk of SH 3/4 is making me think I should go up there for the weekend and check out the old hunting ground.

**90s** · 8th April 2008, 13:41

Originally Posted by Stirts

Kind of obvious I thought

"motorcycling has a new sport" - hmmm, that one had staying power.

"as the wheels are lower than the skis, they still provide traction"
I wonder how long they experimented with it the other way round before giving up on that one.

How is he goign to attach the skis?
Personally I think he should turn this into a guessing thread, with a juicy bling-of-many-colours to the person who predicts closest.

I think he'll have a packrack, with the skis on the rear seat facing upwards and strapped against the packrack. Why - because it'll be the perfect flagpole for the KB flag he'll be flying.

**motelbob** · 8th April 2008, 13:55

Im going to strap them across my back and cruise through to the nearest post office and courier them back to wellsford. Practiced with the wifes skis. Cant see a problem.(gulp)

**Swoop** · 8th April 2008, 15:20

Originally Posted by Stirts

Kind of obvious I thought

So, there is plenty of snow on the roads at the moment to do that?

Originally Posted by motelbob

Im going to strap them across my back and cruise through to the nearest post office and courier them back to wellsford. Practiced with the wifes skis. Cant see a problem.(gulp)

Ahhh! The cheating method!
Here I was, expecting you to ride back north with aforementioned skis attached to your bike.

**Duc** · 8th April 2008, 17:05

Awesome piece of road - 8 mile junction to Taumarunui then add on Taumarunui to Turangi. .. Thats the mutts nutz . (sweepers up and sweepers down on a great road surface plus scenery)

BTW - great cafe on right coming into Te Kuiti from the North