Katooming around Kaipara.

[Crisis management]

Having only lived in Auckland for 47 years and never really explored the Kaipara (biggest harbour in the country) it seemed a fitting way to get the new bike dirty, me terrify myself and finally have a good poke around somewhere new. I started off with grandiose plans of exploring the complete coastline but a couple of minutes with a map saw the plan revised to the southern half only, that was 500 kms worth anyway!

Sunday morning saw me heading north past Helensville to South head, this was mainly sealed roads but through rolling countryside and some nice sweeping bends. Its awfully easy to reach "oops there goes my licence" speed on the 990 and I found myself having to carefully watch the speedo....

The southern head is not reachable by road, everything grinds to a halt at a private property, sod off sign and as I wasn't feeling like a 3km stroll down a hill I took a picture and buggered off. Bit anticlimatic.

Back to the gravel and a few Kms later theres a lifestyle block subdivision at Te Puru with lots of for sale signs and one forlorn looking house thats almost complete but has obviously been abandoned. Great views tho!

Pics:
1. Near south head, nice roads and Katoom (very clean).
2. Lots of this stuff, my favourite country roads!
3. Hilltop view towards north Kaipara.
4. Views at Te Puru

[slofox]

The southern head is not reachable by road, everything grinds to a halt at a private property, sod off sign and as I wasn't feeling like a 3km stroll down a hill I took a picture and buggered off. Bit anticlimatic.

Back in the day, the south head used to be a "live ammo" testing ground for the Air Force I seem to remember........course, we don't have one any more.... Might still be "unexploded ordnance" lying around....best to stay outa there....

[Crisis management]

I gassed up at Helensville, contemplated coffee, waved to the bikes and headed inland....inland road to be precise.
As brief aside; I was amazed at the number of Harleys potatoing their way around, I came a cross a couple of groups of about 20 bikes all doing there best to imitate a 1% gang. I didn't realise they went that far in buying into the "image", a bit embarassing really, very clean black leather and man bags.
Wending my way north through Kaukopakopa, Wech Access road and old Woodcocks road there was a neat mix of hard packed surfaces, pea gravel and the odd patch of real gravel, streams and shady trees everywhere and in a complete contrast with the waikato, all the stock on their side of the fenceline.
Not a hizzbolah sheep in sight!
Tootled thru Kaipara flats and headed towards Port Albert

Pics:
1. Abandoned house at Te Puru, make a good bach!
2. One of many streams.
3. Roads...
4. Kaipara flats playgroup, obviously petrolheads in the making

[Crisis management]

The roads continued to improve (get rougher) the further I went and I headed down the Okahukura peninsula which sits opposite the entrance to the kaipara (north & south heads obviously). Yet more great roads and a couple of farm tracks that didn't have a gate were poked up. The bike has very road tyres on it Pirelli MT90's, and I was interested to see what surfaces it would cope with, generally bloody well but didn't like muddy 4x4 ruts. Saved by momentum and good luck!
I finally found a route down to the sea at Journeys end, there was a bit of a moment as I had to wend my way thru a herd of pregnant cows (wider load then young1's bike!) and when those bellys get a swing on they wobble alarmingly far out. Crash bars recomended......
Journeys end was a group of baches on a wide sandy beach, the tide was out so there was lots of beach, I turned back at the mangroves......that lot would've required a winch to get out of.
Carrying on round the peninsula there are loop roads right around so it's easy to meander your way without really having to retrace your steps and a regional park (Aria reserve?) that might be worth a look ( I didn't as I was running a bit behind at this stage).
Pics:
1. farm track near Kaipara flats.
2. Journeys end, the beach stopped and the mangroves started, complete with very muddy kids.
3. journeys end beach.
4. View towards Port Albert from the hills.

[Crisis management]

Stopped briefly at Wharehine, the public hall sits on top of a hill overlooking the harbour, windswept but beautiful. The cenotaph memorial to the war dead is always so poignant in these small communities, they must have felt the loss of each soldier deeply.

I finally found Port Albert, a collection of houses leading down to the very tidal wharf, neat old boats and kids throwing rocks in the mud. Time to leave..

At this point I headed back inland to Wellsford via Wellsford valley road: farms, trees, gravel...lifes tough, then on towards the east coast via Matakana valley road.
Some bastards sealed most of it, not impressed!
An interesting contrast in driving styles, the west coast vehicles travelled at a reasonable pace on gravel while the east coast guys hooned on the seal then almost stopped on the gravel. Obviously best to stick to the west coast.

A very late lunch at Matakana was happily devoured before heading back south towards Auckland via the pub at puhoi (local bike pub). The traffic was backed up on SH1 as I left and I took great delight in heading inland on Krippner road leaving the mayhem behind, another hours riding and home!
I had a play in some of the 4x4 tracks on Ararimu valley road on the way and have definately found the limitations of the tyres, you can get a huge roost tho!

In summary, some good roads up there, avoid south head but the further north the better, I've got another days exploring ahead of me to get around the northern end now.

I'm in love with the Katoom, makes the most incompetent rider look good and I can actually survive 500kms without a sore arse, that alone is worth the money!
It also does great power slides for as long as you want!

Pics:
1.Wharehine hall and cenotaph.
2. Port Albert wharf.
3. Krippner road.
4. Home & mildly muddy.

[trustme]

Don't stop there, plenty more good roads nth of Wellsford & out to Dargaville.
Kaipara Hiils Rd is well worth a look , tackle it from the Kaipara Flats end & watch out for the logging trucks, they take up the whole road & some on the tight corners, lucky for me there was a gate to a paddock that offered an escape route

[Frodo]

Enjoyed your story. Had a great ride through the area last Christmas.

The walk down to South Head really isn't worth it. Here is a photo with North Head in the distance. And of my campsite at Shelly Beach.

I had a near miss with a peacock on the road near South Head!

Camping

Cheers

[Bass]

In summary, some good roads up there, avoid south head but the further north the better, I've got another days exploring ahead of me to get around the northern end now.

What are you doing this coming weekend - I will be out looking for a bit of gravel as I've done SFA since Oz and have gotten quite rusty.

[Crisis management]

What are you doing this coming weekend - I will be out looking for a bit of gravel as I've done SFA since Oz and have gotten quite rusty.

Unfortunately, some sod gave us free accomodation and trout fishing lessons at Turangi, I tried to get out of it but the high commander got "that" look on her face.

If I catch a trout i'll donate it to you.

Save yourself for the Tiny Tots Terrorising The Taranaki Tour.

[Bass]

Oh well, so be it.
I am gonna go find some gravel this weekend cos the forecast is reasonable and Nicky has a study weekend.
Thanks for the offer but I will let you keep the trout. I lived in Taupo for 2 years and was bitterly disappointed with the lake trout. They were the most tasteless fish I have ever had. You have to stuff them with all sorts of goodies to give them any flavour.
This from someone who has been a trout fisherman from the age of 9. (Now there's an argument brewing)

Enjoy your weekend though and I will be in touch later in the week about the following one.

[gunnyrob]

Back in the day, the south head used to be a "live ammo" testing ground for the Air Force I seem to remember........course, we don't have one any more.... Might still be "unexploded ordnance" lying around....best to stay outa there....

Hey Guys, Kaipara Air Weapons Range on the South Head is still used by the military for explosive ordnance disposal training. We were up there last week & found lots of unexploded 20mm High Explosive Incindiary rounds freshly uncovered by the shifting sands.

For fuxxake, don't be tempted to go out there, there's lots of shit out there that hasn"t gone off, & the last thing you want to do is cruise in when we're about to blow up a 1,000lb Bomb like we had last thursday.

[ducatijim]

Nice to see you out getting that new bike dirty Iain!

[sAsLEX]

The last thing you want to do is cruise in when we're about to blow up a 1,000lb Bomb like we had last thursday.

Bravos would be up and flying wouldn't they for that?

[marks]

1. Abandoned house at Te Puru, make a good bach!

wtf?

is there a story associated with this?

great pics btw

[Crisis management]

wtf?

is there a story associated with this?

I only know what I saw which was expensive "lifestyle" sections (5000 sq m @ $400,000) overlooking the harbour. The subdivision was well developed with roading & services but only the one section with a house on it, everything else was still for sale. The house appeared to have been completed to closed in stage and then left, all the windows were there but no door with weather obviously having got inside. Quite a few of the roof tiles had shifted or blown off and to me it looked like a house that wasn't far away from needing to be demolished if left for much longer.

So....make the owner an offer? Actually, with the rest of the place empty it would make a neat trail ride area, you've got gullys, hills, beach and mangroves, KB adventure riders social club anyone?