Nelson Rideouts - Where next?

[Padmei]

We're still at the plasticine to floor stage, here.

I'm planning to race again this year - both bikes, woot! Hopefully won't have such a big stack this time.

Looks like they'll have to include an adv bike category.

[kiwifruit]

Looking at that date it may be better to post closer to xmas as a lot of us will be doing the dustybutt or away on holiday. If I'm around (which I may be for the beach races)

I'm happy to have them here & can pick ya up from the airport.

Unless of course they're coming from overseas - they'll have to be cleared by customs before I'll take them If no joy here any bike shops will help you out- we're good like that down here.
BTW my mate did that route the other year - with his 8yr old daughter on the back of his tandem!! Now thats impressive!

Thanks Padmei. I will post here closer to the time if we have no luck with the bike shops down there.

[Fluffy Cat]

Beach races.......
Hehe, see you guys at work!.

[warewolf]

Shed night next friday, bbq from 5pm.

Details here.

[Padmei]

I'm thinking of a road trip in a few weekends to Anatori. I've google mapped it & talked to people but a few questions from those that have been there.

To get there I take it you take the pakawau turn off & follow Dry Rd & Cowin rd to Anatori & from there you can get onto the beach. Correct? The road is sealed or gravelled? If sealed is there a gravelled alternative that doesn't show up on google map?

Now stupid question so forgive me - Is the beach sand really loose & sandy (:slap needing knobbly type tyres or is it hard packed enough for E07s? If I go alone are the chances of getting stuck on the beach pretty realistic meaning I should just sit & look at it rather than get the bike saltwashed?
I don't think I'd be doing any rivercrossings this time of year but would like to go for a recce for a summer NADS trip.

cheers

[umopom]

Morn'in Padmei
Yes turn off at Pakawau and soon onto gravel all the way through Westhaven inlet to Anatori (great road) the first river crossing is at Anatori then another 8-10kms of gravel to the next river (deeper) and then sand from there on some soft some hard with big dunes - big beach (and scenery) all the way to Big River which you/we wouldn't cross any time of the year unless mid summer on a very low tide - then another 1km to the lighthouse andf DOC hut. Have guys I work with down there a lot and they get across big river by floating their quads and trikes across. Would be keen to join you.
Cheers
JC

I'm thinking of a road trip in a few weekends to Anatori. I've google mapped it & talked to people but a few questions from those that have been there.

To get there I take it you take the pakawau turn off & follow Dry Rd & Cowin rd to Anatori & from there you can get onto the beach. Correct? The road is sealed or gravelled? If sealed is there a gravelled alternative that doesn't show up on google map?

Now stupid question so forgive me - Is the beach sand really loose & sandy (:slap needing knobbly type tyres or is it hard packed enough for E07s? If I go alone are the chances of getting stuck on the beach pretty realistic meaning I should just sit & look at it rather than get the bike saltwashed?
I don't think I'd be doing any rivercrossings this time of year but would like to go for a recce for a summer NADS trip.

cheers

[CrazyFrog]

I'm thinking of a road trip in a few weekends to Anatori. I've google mapped it & talked to people but a few questions from those that have been there.

To get there I take it you take the pakawau turn off & follow Dry Rd & Cowin rd to Anatori & from there you can get onto the beach. Correct? The road is sealed or gravelled? If sealed is there a gravelled alternative that doesn't show up on google map?

Now stupid question so forgive me - Is the beach sand really loose & sandy (:slap needing knobbly type tyres or is it hard packed enough for E07s? If I go alone are the chances of getting stuck on the beach pretty realistic meaning I should just sit & look at it rather than get the bike saltwashed?
I don't think I'd be doing any rivercrossings this time of year but would like to go for a recce for a summer NADS trip.

cheers

Hey Padders,
Access down there is super easy, even a navigation retard like yourself should be able to make it, hey, you've got a GPS haven't you!!

Dry Rd is mostly gravel with small sections of seal where dust and corrugations become a big issue in summer.
Cowin Rd (Yes, where Jeff"s (Undergroud) family is from) is all gravel and very exposed to the often strong winds which hammer the coast there.
There are 2 main river crossings, first being Paturau River which can flow deep in places, then the Anatori river. there is one last small river at the road end which gets you onto the beach.
Trying to get to the lighthouse further down the coast is not really adviseable unless you have a 4m low tide, as the main estuary down the beach is very tide dependant and has some good sucky deep quicksand type mud.
The main beach riding is all hardpacked sand like Rabbit Island, 100kmph can be reached easily but watch the water runoff channels, they come up pretty quickly at speed.
Standard ADV tyres will be fine, unless you want to look at the soft dunes.......
And then there's the dunes ride them at your peril, throttle open, sit right back and pretend you are riding the Dakar. Just remember how those fella's crash too, because it will most likely happen!

[JATZ]

I'm thinking of a road trip in a few weekends to Anatori. I've google mapped it & talked to people but a few questions from those that have been there.

To get there I take it you take the pakawau turn off & follow Dry Rd & Cowin rd to Anatori & from there you can get onto the beach. Correct? The road is sealed or gravelled? If sealed is there a gravelled alternative that doesn't show up on google map?

Now stupid question so forgive me - Is the beach sand really loose & sandy (:slap needing knobbly type tyres or is it hard packed enough for E07s? If I go alone are the chances of getting stuck on the beach pretty realistic meaning I should just sit & look at it rather than get the bike saltwashed?
I don't think I'd be doing any rivercrossings this time of year but would like to go for a recce for a summer NADS trip.

cheers

Mostly gravel from a few k's past Pakawau turnoff. As far as I'm aware there is only one road in, but looking at mapsource the other day it looks like there are 2 roads. I suspect the one on the true left of Paturau river is a paper road (Karaka rd.), but I could be wrong.
Anatori river is not to deep so long as the stock trucks havn't been through and made holes, no big rocks either IIRC. Never riden on the beach m'self but it was fairly firm when driving on it in the 4wd.
Give us a yell before ya go and I may tag along, if thats o.k., I promise I'll not ride the CT

[NordieBoy]

Last went to the end in March 2008 with James and Allie.

Wanted to get to the end In Dec 2008 but the engine let go.

Nothing exciting out there at all though...





Google Earth KMZ attached...

[CrazyFrog]

Just found my last RR from trip there last year

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...00#post1927100

[NordieBoy]

Going up town for some lunch and then heading up Sharlands for some x-country practice.

[warewolf]

I'm thinking of a road trip in a few weekends to Anatori.

It's mostly wide enough that there's hard packed sand between low & high tide lines, and then some. Higher than that can be soft sand, boulder/gravel fields, or sheer cliffs!

From the Patarau River you can ride along the beach all the way to the Anatori - at low tide. There is at least one spot where you will have to go carefully over the rocks, 20-30cm ledges to negotiate - and these are covered at high tide. But the trade off is weaving between rock arches & features etc that you simply won't see on any other stretch of the beach (south to the lighthouse anyway).

I have not been on the beach south of the Anatori River, to the Turimawiwi. I was warned off it due to cliffs etc - but I've also heard it's passable esp. near low tide. Might be worth a look if you are fossicking about. However the road along that section is pretty & interesting anyway.

The Anaweka we didn't even notice. It was just a dozen wee trickles across the beach, and we were too low to see the lagoon itself.

Big River, yeah can only be crossed at a king low tide. About 1 hour after low tide the water is lowest. Get in to the estuary on the true right - it's slick slimy mud but shallow - and then cross the estuary about half way up the wide part. The "track" continues on the other side of the mud flats.

But all the rivers/beaches change with every tide, so this could all be wrong by now!

Other points; with care, you can get to the old carpark at Knuckle Hill, but I don't recommend a solo effort. Take some hauling line in case you have an oopsie and need to retrieve the bike. Stay off the dunes, you won't get very far at all with an adventure bike, but will shift a lot of sand trying. Other fish to fry in that area, as it were.

This is a trip I want to do, too. Apart from riding on the beach between the Patarau and Anatori rivers, I've only walked the rest.

[Padmei]

Well is anyone keen on a rideout the weekend after next weather permitting of course? Either Sat or Sunday?
I'd like some company & of course someone to help me pick the bike back up. I'll wait till after next weekend to see if there are many riders left after the XC

[NordieBoy]

Sounds good.



Have I ever mentioned how much I hate MT21 rears?

I had less traction with an MT21 on the back today than with the Shinko 705 last weekend.
Today would have been an ideal 18psi Mitas E07 rear day. Apart from one hill with deep soft loose dirt.

[Padmei]

Are you taking the DR on the XC? MT21s...man they are noisy on the road.