Locked gate, Dalethorpe Road and Bell Hill Road

[Gremlin]

I would be interested in coming... except I'll be a tourist in the area at the time.

Is the route big bike friendly, on pretty much road tyres?

[monchopper]

I would be interested in coming... except I'll be a tourist in the area at the time.

Is the route big bike friendly, on pretty much road tyres?

Not road tyre friendly I'm afraid. Have a look at the river in the photo of my previous post, this needs to be crossed several times.
Although it's a small river it can be slippery in parts (I had a nice wee lie down in it!!!) and you need enough traction to get up banks on the other side once through the river and you just wouldn't be able to do that with road tyres.

[Gremlin]

Fair enough. That week I'm there in between two rides, so figured it would be a good chance. Enjoy!

[timmehpwr]

Digging up an old thread.. but has anyone been in Dalethorpe Forest lately and/or know how to obtain access?

I am bored of riding the Waimak South side "trail park" considering over half of it has now been logged and is no more, and so this morning went in search of a forest to ride in and came across "LowMount Forest" near Glentunnell.. went in via Davies Road but found a large barrier arm at the entrance (there was a track around the side of it I could have easily used but didn't.. would rather do it properly than spoil potential access for everyone)

"Private road and property entry by permit only" Matariki Forests managed by Rayonier.

I googled them and they seem to have acquired Dalethorpe Forest from the Selwyn Plantation Board?
http://www.linz.govt.nz/overseas-inv...tariki-forests

Anyway that's how I found this thread.

It's a shame there's not much quality public access riding here in Canterbury like there is up in Nelson/Marlborough.. we are forced to pay $50-$60 each ride which is daylight robbery so I'm keen to get involved to gain access to these forests if anyone else out there wants to help. If we can get some sort of permit system like they have for Hira in Nelson that would be awesome.

[monchopper]

Digging up an old thread.. but has anyone been in Dalethorpe Forest lately and/or know how to obtain access?

I am bored of riding the Waimak South side "trail park" considering over half of it has now been logged and is no more, and so this morning went in search of a forest to ride in and came across "LowMount Forest" near Glentunnell.. went in via Davies Road but found a large barrier arm at the entrance (there was a track around the side of it I could have easily used but didn't.. would rather do it properly than spoil potential access for everyone)

"Private road and property entry by permit only" Matariki Forests managed by Rayonier.

I googled them and they seem to have acquired Dalethorpe Forest from the Selwyn Plantation Board?
http://www.linz.govt.nz/overseas-inv...tariki-forests

Anyway that's how I found this thread.

It's a shame there's not much quality public access riding here in Canterbury like there is up in Nelson/Marlborough.. we are forced to pay $50-$60 each ride which is daylight robbery so I'm keen to get involved to gain access to these forests if anyone else out there wants to help. If we can get some sort of permit system like they have for Hira in Nelson that would be awesome.

I had a running battle with the Selwyn Plantation Board about the barriers over Bell Hill rd and Dalethorpe Rd but I lost motivation as I live in England and couldn't be arsed with it, they just kept fobbing me off with some legal crap that my lawyer said was basically a load of bullshit. But what can you do if they refuse to take them down? A lone crusader who doesn't even live in Canterbury certainly can't.
They had a system where you could pick up the key from their Darfield office.

If you want to take up the battle and get some local support from riders then get busy.
Another really good prospect is High Peak Road that runs from High Peak station to Scotts Hill. The owner of High Peak Station reckons that there is a motorbike eating bog near High Peak Saddle (he would say given he doesn't want bikes and 4x4 crossing through his land), but on google earth you can clearly see a track so it must've been used at some point.

PS There is heaps of great public access riding in Canterbury if you look hard enough

[p.dath]

What did the Council say about the public road being blocked?

[unstuck]

It is easy enough to use the health and saftey act to scare most councils into allowing the likes of raynior or ernslaugh foresty to block roads that are on council land. I think, from what I have been told, that it is more to keep the thieving scumbags out. If you can find the forest manager, and you present yourself and your hobby well enough, you just may be given a key. I did.

[clint640]

It is easy enough to use the health and saftey act to scare most councils into allowing the likes of raynior or ernslaugh foresty to block roads that are on council land. :

Council land, maybe, but actual public roads can really only be closed temporarily by the council under a set number of circumstances. If the council hasn't closed the road & you are 100% sure the gate is actually on the legal road line you can quite legally cut it open. Obviously asking for a key or for it to be opened first is polite & don't do any more damage than necessary. A great resource for checking out legal roads is www.wams.org.nz

Cheers
Clint

[unstuck]

Cheers Clint, great link.

[monchopper]

Council land, maybe, but actual public roads can really only be closed temporarily by the council under a set number of circumstances. If the council hasn't closed the road & you are 100% sure the gate is actually on the legal road line you can quite legally cut it open. Obviously asking for a key or for it to be opened first is polite & don't do any more damage than necessary. A great resource for checking out legal roads is www.wams.org.nz

Cheers
Clint

This

The roading engineer for the Selwyn council confirmed to me that the road is public and follows the legal line.

[cooneyr]

I've just dragged my EXC out of the shed (first time in three months). Funds a bit tight at the moment (renovating a house does that to you) but in about a month (mid June) I'd be keen to go have a look.

Monchopper - you've got my details can you email me the details of your contacts?

timmehpwr - keep in touch on this thread if you start asking questions. I'm in the "trade" as it were so will see what I can do over the next while re access.

Cheers R

[Racing Dave]

Digging up an old thread.. but has anyone been in Dalethorpe Forest lately and/or know how to obtain access?

I am bored of riding the Waimak South side "trail park" considering over half of it has now been logged and is no more, and so this morning went in search of a forest to ride in and came across "LowMount Forest" near Glentunnell.. went in via Davies Road but found a large barrier arm at the entrance (there was a track around the side of it I could have easily used but didn't.. would rather do it properly than spoil potential access for everyone)

"Private road and property entry by permit only" Matariki Forests managed by Rayonier.

I googled them and they seem to have acquired Dalethorpe Forest from the Selwyn Plantation Board?
http://www.linz.govt.nz/overseas-inv...tariki-forests

Anyway that's how I found this thread.

It's a shame there's not much quality public access riding here in Canterbury like there is up in Nelson/Marlborough.. we are forced to pay $50-$60 each ride which is daylight robbery so I'm keen to get involved to gain access to these forests if anyone else out there wants to help. If we can get some sort of permit system like they have for Hira in Nelson that would be awesome.

Several years ago, for a BMW Safari, we had access to Low Mount Forest from the (then) owners, the Selwyn Plantation Board. There's a lovely loop of (from memory) about half an hours easy riding, with one decent climb in it, as well as several no exit dead ends. Perfectly pleasant on an R1200GS or similar. I think the days of access by asking, are over.

[monchopper]

I've just dragged my EXC out of the shed (first time in three months). Funds a bit tight at the moment (renovating a house does that to you) but in about a month (mid June) I'd be keen to go have a look.

Monchopper - you've got my details can you email me the details of your contacts?

timmehpwr - keep in touch on this thread if you start asking questions. I'm in the "trade" as it were so will see what I can do over the next while re access.

Cheers R

Hey Ryan
The routes and the contacts I had at the time are on page 1 of this thread.
Let me know if you need anything else

[cynna]

theres a trailride thru dalethorpe 19th august