Waikato Riders....Mid Week Evening Ride

**Crisis management** · 18th March 2009, 07:56

I'm out as well, I've been up half the night towing bloody boats around the harbour and I'm knackered.

**MXNUT** · 19th March 2009, 09:33

I left home at 5.50 last night and headed out towards Kawhia via Pirongia west Rd, then onto the Kawhia Raglan Rd around the coast past Ruapuke and into Raglan.
Main Rd from Raglan to Old mountain Rd over the deviation and then home again.
Fuel tank went onto reserve 1 km from home at 158 kms, (was giving it the welly on the gravel to wear out my rear tyre before the KCAR ) gravel rds were in excellent condition with the light sprinkling of rain they had had eariler in the day.

Home for a late tea and much needed beer at 8.30pm.

**MXNUT** · 23rd March 2009, 14:27

Well with the weather looking sooooo good yesterday and no trail rides planned for the RM i decided to drag the DRZ out of the shed and go for a ride.

Now where to ?????.

Seeing as how i was organizing an adventure ride

that was taking in the 42nd traverse and i hadnt been through there for several years i decided that Fishers track and the 42nd traverse were going to be my Sunday destination.

The traverse is supposed to be more difficult going in from the Owhango end so thats the direction i decided to go.

The trip was pretty uneventfull other than meeting 15 4WD vehicles coming the other way

, they were on a local club outing that included mainly shiny road going vehicles.
The up side to this was that they had a man with a small hand saw and lopping shears going along before them cutting branches back so that they wouldnt scratch their shiny paintwork.

This meant a nice wide track for me with no foliage to whip me on the way past,so i kept a good pace up and it only took me an hour and 5 minutes with a short stop halfway.

Then it was back to National Park for gas and a pie before heading through Fishers track, didnt see anyone else in here ( but looked like several quads had been through recently ) i explored a few of the side tracks but it was getting late so didnt go too far off the main route and then back onto the Gravel of Kurua RD.

Heading back to Owhango and i passed Oio No 1 Rd, but the road sign said no exit.

Now i had been considering using this road on the afore mentioned KCAR but the map on google earth showed it to go right through back to state hiway 4.

My curiosity was duly aroused and i had to go exploring. 3kms or so up the Rd it came to an end at a stream, there was an old sign ( looked like it had been there for 30 + years ) hidden in the bush which said that the road was no longer maintained by the local council and the bridge was not safe for motor vehicles ( basicaly a sign begging me to investigate further ).

I had to dismount here and climb a fence over to the stream to find the bridge 50meters downstream. The access to the bridge was through a farmers stockyards but it looked like it could still be part of the paper Rd. ???

Off i went closing gates behind me and chasing sheep off the track in front of me . I managed to follow what i though was the track for about 15 kms taking several detours because of slips.

I started getting an uneasy feeling that there could never have been a road through here as it was now like a full on trail ride.The elevation was getting higher and higher and i was picturing the local farmer turning up with his shotgun to see me off his property.

Time to turn around while i could still remember the way back ( didnt fancy spending the night in a paddock in the middle of nowhere ).

Back to civilization again and i spotted a farmer in a paddock making silage.
I wandered over for a quick chat and found out from him that the road had only ever gone for 400 meters past the bridge, and even though it had originaly been surveyed right through to SH4 it had never been constructed.

A Good lesson to learn about Google Maps.

The rest of the trip home was uneventfull and i arrived home just before dark.

A couple of crappy Pics taken with my cell phone.

1 - 2 & 3 42nd traverse
4 & 5 Fishers track

**dino3310** · 23rd March 2009, 21:12

nice one bro

**Waihou Thumper** · 23rd March 2009, 21:27

Originally Posted by MOTOXNUT

My curiosity was duly aroused and i had to go exploring. 3kms or so up the Rd it came to an end at a stream, there was an old sign ( looked like it had been there for 30 + years ) hidden in the bush which said that the road was no longer maintained by the local council and the bridge was not safe for motor vehicles ( basicaly a sign begging me to investigate further ).

Off i went closing gates behind me and chasing sheep off the track in front of me . I managed to follow what i though was the track for about 15 kms taking several detours because of slips.

I started getting an uneasy feeling that there could never have been a road through here as it was now like a full on trail ride.The elevation was getting higher and higher and i was picturing the local farmer turning up with his shotgun to see me off his property.

I had the same sort of adsventure in the same vicinity..I went past Oio road, bet you were on the fishers as I zoomed past towards Middle Rd and Raetehi....

O road.....there are some good routes around there...
Is the Ohura, Roto, Waitewhenua road being used for the ride? From Aria-River road Taumarunui....round about.

**MXNUT** · 24th March 2009, 07:53

Originally Posted by NZKTM

Is the Ohura, Roto, Waitewhenua road being used for the ride? From Aria-River road Taumarunui....round about.

Hey Mark, the northern part of Waitewhena Rd is being used but alot of those Rds were used on the TTTTT ride last year so i have tried to set out a different route.

Route we are travelling for both days is posted up on the calendar now.

**Paladin** · 24th March 2009, 08:46

Nice one Mark - definitely looking forward to the KCAR - looks like awesome country up there you have planned for us!

**dino3310** · 26th March 2009, 20:27

no twighlight gravel bash this week bro?.

**MXNUT** · 27th March 2009, 08:02

Originally Posted by dino3310

no twighlight gravel bash this week bro?.

Starting to get dark too early to do much after work now, and im going out on the Dirt bike on Sat & Fishing on Sun ....... so no ADV riding this week

**dino3310** · 27th March 2009, 08:11

Originally Posted by MOTOXNUT

and im going out on the Dirt bike on Sat & Fishing on Sun .......

gee what a bummer

**dino3310** · 9th July 2010, 09:50

how bout we get this bugga going again this summer, we could even do twighlights up Heddon rd to the farm MX track for a couple hours of yeehaaa on adv bikes.

any forestry type tracks close at hand?

Whos riding this weekend?

is there enough interest to start a Waikato rideouts thread?

**wysper** · 9th July 2010, 10:17

Originally Posted by dino3310

if all the kids are behaving and the misses is cool about it i'll be there mate. but once again i cant confirm till the last minute, i'll just show up if i can.

Originally Posted by dino3310

how bout we get this bugga going again this summer, we could even do twighlights up Heddon rd to the farm MX track for a couple hours of yeehaaa on adv bikes.

any forestry type tracks close at hand?

Whos riding this weekend?

is there enough interest to start a Waikato rideouts thread?

I am interested, for me it would be last minute decisions almost. But dead keen to get harry dirty more often!

**rogerh** · 9th July 2010, 13:54

Originally Posted by dino3310

how bout we get this bugga going again this summer, we could even do twighlights up Heddon rd to the farm MX track for a couple hours of yeehaaa on adv bikes.

any forestry type tracks close at hand?

Whos riding this weekend?

is there enough interest to start a Waikato rideouts thread?

I could be keen at times, but life is pretty busy these days, so as and when I can.
Don't know of any forestry tracks close by, but going to the sandpit this weekend

**MXNUT** · 9th July 2010, 19:09

What did you have in mind Dino ???
I could be keeen for at tootle somwhere on sunday, now that its stopped raining every f...ing second of every f...ing day.

**dino3310** · 9th July 2010, 19:23

got a full tank of gas to use

had nothing much in mind just wanted to get out for a good fang

Was gonna tag along with triboy and kanny tommorrow as they headsouth for the weekend but looks like i gotta be back earlier than expected so either tomorrow early or a sunday all dayer, im easy