Cape Reinga stretch to be sealed!!

**shafty** · 8th August 2007, 01:02

As a closet reader of Truck and Driver I can report that the 19km stretch from Waitiki Landing to Cape Reinga carpark, is to be sealed!

Transit NZ will begin to straighten some of the 100 plus corners as well as widening and sealing it this month.

Costing $14.5 million, the job is scheduled to take approx 3 years, with work starting at the Northern End.

Although gravel Freaks like Jantar will be dissappointed, with the amount of traffic this road takes, ITS ABOUT BLOODY TIME!

**James Deuce** · 8th August 2007, 06:49

That's really disappointing.

Getting a tourist bus to its destination isn't everything.

The rise of the skill-less dweeb motorist is nearly complete then.

**Blackbird** · 8th August 2007, 06:58

Hmmmm... I didn't think it was too bad on the '05 Southern Cross although in wet conditions, it would be a complete bastard. They can seal the road out to East Cape Lighthouse though. That's where I fell off in the same event

**westie** · 8th August 2007, 07:10

Thats great I hope they also seal the road to the northern most beach I think its called tapotupotu. Great camping spot.
Crazy drivers are every where you will never win.

**James Deuce** · 8th August 2007, 08:53

Tatpoutupoutu Bay is a freaking nightmare. I once got eaten alive by mosquitoes there. Looks lovely. The wildlife is both voracious and plentiful.

It is a lovely spot (until nightfall) and it will become fairly unpleasant once it is a seething mass of caravans and boats once the road is sealed.

Sigh.

**Eddieb** · 8th August 2007, 10:05

Sorry Jim, it's already a seething mass of Humanity in the holidays. I used to go up to Taputupotu most years on the bike or car and would quite often have the place to myself, not even the local ranger would turn up to take my tent money.

Then I went back a few years ago and there was about 6 tour buses and untold campers and caravans in the campground, seriously it was completely full up.

**James Deuce** · 8th August 2007, 10:15

*sigh*

10fc

**avgas** · 8th August 2007, 10:25

Fantastic, i went up there in the car a few weeks ago (my first time to the cape).
Its an awesome trip and once you get past half moon bay the roads are awesome. Anyone want to see photos pm me and i give ya the link to my blog.
Only crap part to the trip was when we started leaving (5pm sun) the cape, got a flat on the gravel so i had to drive on a space saver from the cape back to crapland.

**terbang** · 8th August 2007, 11:07

Originally Posted by Blackbird

Hmmmm... I didn't think it was too bad on the '03 Southern Cross although in wet conditions, it would be a complete bastard. They can seal the road out to East Cape Lighthouse though. That's where I fell off in the same event

Hmm, pends on what yer riding I guess.

**BIGBOSSMAN** · 8th August 2007, 11:56

Originally Posted by Jim2

That's really disappointing.

Getting a tourist bus to its destination isn't everything.

The rise of the skill-less dweeb motorist is nearly complete then.

Hmmmmm.

**Swoop** · 8th August 2007, 12:26

Originally Posted by shafty

Transit NZ will begin to straighten some of the 100 plus corners...

So... plenty of straights then. Perfect for the brainless cager to cope with and for Mr Plod to park a radar at the end.

**klingon** · 8th August 2007, 16:41

I'm working on this project (in a rather peripheral kind of way) so please feel welcome to ask me any questions and I can try to find out the answers for you.

Disclaimer: I don't work for Transit so don't start grizzling to me about any other Transit projects!

Originally Posted by Blackbird

Hmmmm... I didn't think it was too bad on the '05 Southern Cross although in wet conditions, it would be a complete bastard. ...

Yep, it's a bastard in wet conditions and a bastard in the dry! One of the biggest safety risks is that in summer it sometimes doesn't rain for months and the tour buses send up huge clouds of dust. Smaller vehicles like motorbikes are completely invisible in the dust cloud and have zero visibility themselves.

Originally Posted by westie

Thats great I hope they also seal the road to the northern most beach I think its called tapotupotu. Great camping spot.
Crazy drivers are every where you will never win.

Transit is responsible for state highways (the Cape Reinga road is part of SH1). Local roads are the responsibility of the local authority. So Transit will not be sealing any local roads in the area.

Originally Posted by Swoop

So... plenty of straights then. Perfect for the brainless cager to cope with and for Mr Plod to park a radar at the end.

You just WAIT until you see the new road. Bikers will love it. Guaranteed. There is no way the road can ever be straightened - but the quality will be vastly improved. Here's what you can expect: Smooth sealed surfaces, appropriate cambers, a huge variety from straights to sweeping curves to twisty bits, much less dust, fewer crazy drivers losing control because they can't handle gravel.

Do you really think I would have let them go ahead and seal it without putting in a good word for bikes?

**Hitcher** · 8th August 2007, 16:46

Stretches of windy gravel serve a particularly useful purpose: they discourage campervans. The day is coming when the Tangarakau Gorge is sealed and thousands of Klauses and Heidis roar through the Republic each day.

Tourism is evil. Gone is the New Zealand of our youth.

**Swoop** · 8th August 2007, 17:41

Originally Posted by klingon

Bikers will love it. Guaranteed. Here's what you can expect: Smooth sealed surfaces, appropriate cambers, a huge variety from straights to sweeping curves to twisty bits,
Do you really think I would have let them go ahead and seal it without putting in a good word for bikes?

If we eventually have a road as beautiful as you say, I will be mightily impressed! Once the beancounters cut the budget and do the job on the cheap, as we are so accustomed to in the Banana Republic, the outcome may be different from that wonderous image portrayed to us in the adverts.
I hope this will not be the case.

Sounds good though!