Lower and mid North Island ride ideas...

**gav24** · 15th November 2010, 20:09

Got a bit of a riding and DOC site / free camping feeling in my bones

Very rough plan is for an early morning start on a Friday and ride up the beach as far as possible from Waikanae to Te horo, then Otaki to ?, and Foxton beach to Himitangi and possibly on to Tangimoana and link up with SH1 at Ohakea.

Anyone know which parts of the beach you can link up, I'm a bit sketchy on this.

Next plan is then up to Whanganui for the Pipiriki road to nowhere route and up towards National Park/Ohakune ending up ridiculously close to the 42nd Traverse, so we better do that as well

Next bit is the link road through Pureora Forest park, and some detours when I get a better map, for a play in the woods!

Final part could be the forgotten Highway Whangamomona to New Plymouth and then back south to home on the Kapiti Coast.

Phew!

thinking could be done over 3 days...
Day 1 Kapiti to Ohakune / National park area
Day 2 42nd and Pureora, and some way down Forgotten Hgwy (any camping down there?)
Day 3 Complete the forgotten Highway then Home

Thoughts, suggestions, especially any that keep me off the tarseal and even off the gravel would be good...

Dont ask me which weekend yet? hopefully end of this month / beginning of next...

**That looks like fun** · 15th November 2010, 20:29

Camp ground at Whanga down Whanga rd about 100mtrs past pub. Staggerable distance

**dino3310** · 15th November 2010, 20:30

Originally Posted by gav24

thinking could be done over 3 days...
Day 1 Kapiti to Ohakune / National park area
Day 2 42nd and Pureora, and some way down Forgotten Hgwy (any camping down there?)
Day 3 Complete the forgotten Highway then Home

...

friggen aye

**junkmanjoe** · 15th November 2010, 20:47

you suk gav..................

if you do the 42nd...you better do fishers track as well....

old whanga is a great ride...more fun in the wet....

JMJ

**bart** · 15th November 2010, 20:55

I might have finished being grounded by then.

**marks** · 15th November 2010, 21:28

Originally Posted by gav24

ride up the beach as far as possible from Waikanae to Te horo, then Otaki to ?, and Foxton beach to Himitangi

can you say "$700 beach riding fine"?

you can do it on a quad but not on a regoed motorbike - long live the local council

**junkmanjoe** · 15th November 2010, 21:35

Originally Posted by marks

can you say "$700 beach riding fine"?

you can do it on a quad but not on a regoed motorbike - long live the local council

if ytou tied two bike togeather that would have 4 wheels,,,that be a quad..

**marks** · 16th November 2010, 08:12

Originally Posted by bart

I might have finished being grounded by then.

you are grounded for the next 20 years

you just dont know it yet

it was nice knowing you

(I dont really mean the last bit)

**bart** · 16th November 2010, 08:43

Originally Posted by marks

you are grounded for the next 20 years

you just dont know it yet

it was nice knowing you

(I dont really mean the last bit)

Haha. If not grounded, it's certainly going to keep me poor, which has a similar effect.

Action stations (or is that panic stations) by the way.

**gav24** · 16th November 2010, 19:55

Thanks guys,
Yeah $700 fine.... Hence early morning start on a week day - one way, no up and down hooning, Plus I have drivers licences from UK (in welsh

) and a french one as well (only valid for hedge cutting though

). Usually enough if I plead ignorance with a Kiwi cop and keep the nz one at the back of the wallet

Where does fishers track start and finish? Heard of it but no clue about where it is.
old whanga campsite? is that as in whangamomona?
How much of the forgotten highway has been sealed now? Should I head out to the west coast and down to New Plymouth instead - any good tracks avoiding the seal that way?

Reckon you could make it Bart!?!?
I gotta try to get a few (el cheapo) trips in before No. 2 arrives in March

- hence NI instead of SI.
Unless there is a way to work your passage on the ferry!

**That looks like fun** · 17th November 2010, 12:38

Bugger all metal left through Forgotten Hi-Way now

Try Kururau Rd out of Tamaranui (or Opotiki Rd then Kururau) Roto Rd to Ohura, over the Waitaanga's, Kiwi Rd, Check with Phil about the back road (that I know nothing about

) or head toward Waitara then up Otoraoa Rd. Then out towards Pohokura Saddle. You can then decide if you go to Whanga for bedtimes storys

or Mangaoapa Rd along towards Makuri Rd then back to Stratford for the night.
Me I would go back to Whanga as that opens up the possibilty of the Whanga Rd and Tututawa loop.

To find the Whanga Camp Ground turn right or left (depends if your coming from North or South) at the traffic lights in Whanga

Or just go in the direction the big arrow points on the sign that says "Whanga Camp Ground"

**bart** · 17th November 2010, 22:12

Originally Posted by gav24

Reckon you could make it Bart!?!?

Very poor at the moment, and need a new tyre.

I've been saving my browny points though, and if we're doing it cheap, I may well be in.

**gav24** · 18th November 2010, 20:01

Originally Posted by bart

Very poor at the moment, and need a new tyre.

I've been saving my browny points though, and if we're doing it cheap, I may well be in.

Yeah - snap on both points!
I have a tyre in the garage that I swapped over for someone that will be good for you - Trail wing copy - dont last long though remember the RRRR! I'll ask the guy tomorrow how much he wants for it...

I reckon with last weekends jobs - firewood, kids swimming, curtain shopping(FFS!

) and this weekends taking the little un to swimming, a birthday party, strimming the bank and hiring a wood chipper - Phew

- I should have enough points for a weekend pass!

However I've noticed these points definately have an expiry date (But you will NEVER know when that is) so you have to use up em quick before they go!

Yeah - Cheap like CHEAP sounds good! again like the RRRR Tent, 5l fuel can, beer and a can of beans bungied to the back should be about it!
That was a cool photo!
No Cabins - even a Long drop will be a luxury! - yeah, really selling it now Bart!

**marks** · 18th November 2010, 21:07

Originally Posted by gav24

However I've noticed these points definately have an expiry date (But you will NEVER know when that is) so you have to use up em quick before they go!

this is one of the core truths of the bewildering thing called 'living with a female'

there is some sort of inverse bell curve that maps the relationship between brownie points and elapsed time.

use it (quick) or loose it

**bart** · 18th November 2010, 21:33

Originally Posted by gav24

I have a tyre in the garage that I swapped over for someone that will be good for you - Trail wing copy - dont last long though remember the RRRR! I'll ask the guy tomorrow how much he wants for it...

Haha. That tyre was awesome. The problem was that the roundy round motion didn't transfer into forward momentum, which resulted in a massive loss of rubber in a very short time. I miss that tyre

I'll start some groveling in the next day or so. Mum and bubs ain't even home from the hospital yet.