Turakirae Head to Ocean Beach 4wd track - Orongorongo Station access!

[Paladin]

Hi Guys,

I know I am not the only one that has recently lamented the fact that you can't get from Turakirae Head (south of Wainuiomata) on the coast 4wd track to Ocean Beach (south of Featherston) due to the locked gate(at either end!) on the private land of Orongorongo Station. Today I managed to speak on the telephone with one of the owners about access on/through Orongorongo Station with a positive outcome, so thought I would post the details I know so far, so we can start considering an organised ride out that way for sometime in early 2009!

So here's the skinny.......

They have done, and are still happy to give access to organised groups on to Orongorongo Station, by prior arrangement/booking with themselves.
They charge a small access fee that would work out to be around $10-15 per person.
They only allow one organised group out there at a time so it's first come first served re bookings!
Keys for the west entrance and eastern gate both available, so there's potential to ride eastwards all the way to Ocean Beach/Lake Ferry and back. Keys have to be picked up on the day from the main house on the Turakirae Head end in the morning at an agreed time, just not TOO early I was told LOL!, and returned at the end of the days ride.
Apparently they are happy for us to access any of the 4wd tracks on the station and not be limited to just the coast track! I thought that sounded exciting! He reckons there's plenty of trails out there! Obviously care and attention re livestock etc etc expected.

Sounds like it could be a great day out and only 20kms ish south of Wainui down Coast Road before hitting the Station! Also it sounds like there could be an excuse to do 2 trips out there. One that explores the 4wd tracks on the property all day and maybe another where we go for it to do just the coast track and do lunch in Ocean Beach(or the Lake Ferry pub if there's time to do the loop round to there from Ocean Beach!) and then the return trip.

I'm definitely up for a day out there! What do you think?

[MXNUT]

Hi Guys,

I know I am not the only one that has recently lamented the fact that you can't get from Turakirae Head (south of Wainuiomata) on the coast 4wd track to Ocean Beach (south of Featherston) due to the locked gate(at either end!) on the private land of Orongorongo Station. Today I managed to speak on the telephone with one of the owners about access on/through Orongorongo Station with a positive outcome, so thought I would post the details I know so far, so we can start considering an organised ride out that way for sometime in early 2009!

So here's the skinny.......

They have done, and are still happy to give access to organised groups on to Orongorongo Station, by prior arrangement/booking with themselves.
They charge a small access fee that would work out to be around $10-15 per person.
They only allow one organised group out there at a time so it's first come first served re bookings!
Keys for the west entrance and eastern gate both available, so there's potential to ride eastwards all the way to Ocean Beach/Lake Ferry and back. Keys have to be picked up on the day from the main house on the Turakirae Head end in the morning at an agreed time, just not TOO early I was told LOL!, and returned at the end of the days ride.
Apparently they are happy for us to access any of the 4wd tracks on the station and not be limited to just the coast track! I thought that sounded exciting! He reckons there's plenty of trails out there! Obviously care and attention re livestock etc etc expected.

Sounds like it could be a great day out and only 20kms ish south of Wainui down Coast Road before hitting the Station! Also it sounds like there could be an excuse to do 2 trips out there. One that explores the 4wd tracks on the property all day and maybe another where we go for it to do just the coast track and do lunch in Ocean Beach(or the Lake Ferry pub if there's time to do the loop round to there from Ocean Beach!) and then the return trip.

I'm definitely up for a day out there! What do you think?

Sounds like the sort of place to be included in the Wellington area adventure ride ???? , what do you think MARKS / ASLAN

[marks]

Excellent work Dave

I'm available pretty much anytime between now and mid Jan and would be really keen to make a day of it.

cheers


Mark

[Balrog]

Good stuff Dave

Thats going to be a awesome ride. Been wanting to do that ever since I saw
that track snaking away on the other side of the locked gate

Jim

[CrazyFrog]

Ride info sounds good so far.....How about organising something for Feb (maybe Waitangi Weekend??) or March, which gives us out-of-towners a chance to make travel arrangements etc. Would love to do this as I missed the Capital Coast with a busted hand.

[Underground]

Ride info sounds good so far.....How about organising something for Feb (maybe Waitangi Weekend??) or March, which gives us out-of-towners a chance to make travel arrangements etc. Would love to do this as I missed the Capital Coast with a busted hand.

I'll be up for that ! a trip across the ditch to check out some new terrain

[marks]

you could easily build this into an awesome day ride - something like

Turakirae - Ocean Beach - Lake Ferry - beach to Whangaimoana - Martinbourough (Lunch) - Sutherlands Hut - and maybe Admirals Range to Gladstone Pub for dinner then off back to Wgtn via the Rimutukas

or make it a 2 dayer and add in all the awesome stuff like Homewood/Castlehill/Pori/Coonoor/Maikiro/Pahiatua/Shannon/Wgtn

would all be doable on smaller bikes as the total 2 day loop would only be 500-600k

woohoo that would be fun

[PLUG]

or make it a 2 dayer and add in all the awesome stuff like Homewood/Castlehill/Pori/Coonoor/Maikiro/Pahiatua/Shannon/Wgtn

would all be doable on smaller bikes as the total 2 day loop would only be 500-600k

woohoo that would be fun

... SI invasion ...

[pete376403]

I'd be up for this. Last time I had a good ride over that way was on one of the Pukemanu rides. (How long ago were those?)

[ducatijim]

can I come too............................................... ..........?

[marks]

can I come too............................................... ..........?

if you promise to behave


how would mid Feb (14th/15th) sound for this?

is there anything else on that would conflict?

[young1]

Good work that man!

I am interested

[Eddieb]

Ha ha, looks like you've opened a can or worms here mate.

[OV Lander]

Why not carry on further round the coast? Keys can equally be arranged for the White Rock station giving you:

Tk Hd - Ocean Bch - Lake Ferry - Ngawi - White Rock.

For a really full day Riversdale Station (well south of Riversdale!), can also be added on to the end to give you a loop back round to just outside of Martinborough.

[Paladin]

if you promise to behave


how would mid Feb (14th/15th) sound for this?

is there anything else on that would conflict?

Well that certainly looks far enough away to get everyone organised and get the Orongorongo access booked as part of a great 2 day ride!

One thing to remember is the key(s) need to be returned back the same day as pick up to the Station house at the Turakirae end, so we'll need a plan for that if staying out on a 2 day-er. Obviously if someone is only going to do the Station section and retrace then its easily covered, otherwise an alternate plan for key return will be needed.

As we get organised I am happy to continue the liason with the Orongorongo Station owners to sort that booking! (for other rides in the future, if anyone needs the names & telephone number contact info for owners of Orongorongo Station, feel free to PM me - out of courtesy I won't post their details online in the public forum!)

Doesn't sound like the 2 day ride would allow time to just go exploring all day on Orongorongo, so if we DO go for mid-Feb or later for that 2 day-er, then I'm also up for a day ride out there prior to then as a bit of a recce ride!!! (OK so I'll admit I am chomping at the bit to get out there! )
I'd be up for something like Jan 24th for that - might have recovered enough financially from Christmas to afford getting the Kenda Trackmasters on the bike by then! They'd be helpful for an exploration of more than just the coast 4wd track i'd bet! (I've also got Jan 10th open at the mo.)

(On my rural roads map there is also shown a 4wd track running up the east side of the Orongorongo River on the same property which eventually joins up with other tracks on top of the hills and I'm sure there's probably other tracks all over the place as they must be all over the land rounding up livestock at various times!)

It might be after a recce out there we might know a tad more about the place and if it's worth the time exploring say the River 4wd track if time is potentially tight on a 2 day-er. Plus it seems none of us has been out there before and with no idea of conditions and time to do even just the straight coast 4wd track, we might learn alot on a full days recce! Or does everyone just wanna be full on Adventurers and just go for the unknown???

Any thoughts?