Bridge to Nowhere, Wanganui

**Dingledoo** · 6th January 2009, 15:58

Does anyone know if the Mangaparua Road to the Bridge to Nowhere makes a good trail ride? I was hoping to ride it on my DR-Z250 with a group of other 2 and 4 wheelers in February, can anyone tell me what it's like? Is it really tricky and are there locked gates etc.? Would be grateful for any info. Cheers

**soundbeltfarm** · 6th January 2009, 17:07

another option is the bridge to somewhere on the whangamomana rd.
we ride it quite a bit as we know a farm owner out there so we can do a full loop which is about 65 km.
it is pretty easy going depending on how good you are but just push harder if you are good.
if you are interested i can contact the land owner and ask him for acess.
and you can stay at the whanga pub.
we are takin the family out to stay at the campsite near end of feb and do some trails out there.

**Lee Rusty** · 6th January 2009, 17:24

Originally Posted by Dingledoo

Does anyone know if the Mangaparua Road to the Bridge to Nowhere makes a good trail ride? I was hoping to ride it on my DR-Z250 with a group of other 2 and 4 wheelers in February, can anyone tell me what it's like? Is it really tricky and are there locked gates etc.? Would be grateful for any info. Cheers

About this In 1992 I organised a Bridge to Nowhere rally with the Rusty Nuts M/c we jetboated a m/c in up the river from Pipiriki.

I sought permission from DOC to do this - they were horrorfied, They refused permission to ride in they refused permission to take a m/c in by strop on a chopper, the were so anti it was not funny.

I found out then the paper road that existed was still valid and told them to get stuffed as it was road and there was nothing they could do to stop us.

The week we went in they changed the rating on the paper road to make it part of the national park. We went anyway because the locals all put in objections to that notice, and we just scrapped in.
We took in a AG100 by boat and all the rally goers went up in the boat and walked to the track where they had to ride the motorcycle across the bridge and back to qualify for their badge.

After we all went out again DOC flew in a chopper and LANDED it on the bridge to see what damage we had done. NONE at all.

Doc proceeded with plans to revoke the paper road and it is now part of the National park.

Since then they have made life difficult for horse treckers by removing planks off wooden bridges, and dropping trees across tracks to discourage pig hunters who have managed to get quads in.

There are places where the old road has fallen into the river from the Raetahi end

If you go in and get found out by rangers etc your will get the book thrown at you, THey are not a happy bunch of people.

My advice would be find somwhere else to go - you dont want the hassle DOC has more powers than God and since 1992 it has only got worse.

oh and coming from the river end you wont get a quad in the track is cliff on one side and only wide enough for single file walkers, the other side is a shear drop of about 300ft and there are tricky parts where rocks jut out of the cliff face and walkers have to step over them a bike can be lift over but a quad no way

**Dingledoo** · 6th January 2009, 17:56

Thanks soundbeltfarm and Rusty - great advice - I think we will scrap ideas of bridge to nowhere and look at bridge to somewhere. Very helpful, cheers.

**B0000M** · 6th January 2009, 18:50

semi on the topic

can someone clarify this for me-

my understanding from reading this is that if theres a paper road, i can access / ride on this land and the occupier cant tell me to fuck off ??

if so, that would be awesome as there are so many paper roads around here

**cave weta** · 6th January 2009, 19:12

Originally Posted by Dingledoo

Thanks soundbeltfarm and Rusty - great advice - I think we will scrap ideas of bridge to nowhere and look at bridge to somewhere. Very helpful, cheers.

Hey E- why not try fishers track or the 42nd traverse if you want to do something over that way or I can show you a couple of coast to coast routes on the upper coromandel

**Dingledoo** · 6th January 2009, 19:25

Hey Stu,

Did the 42 traverse last Monday - really enjoyed it - even though it was tipping down with rain. Was considering the BTN, because I've been wanting to see it for ages, but maybe kayaks will have to be the answer! Did the Wires track the other night, which was great, but didn't do the loop due to it's fearsome reputation! Would be good to do some northern coromandel tracks with you - but assumed you'd be pretty busy at the weekends during the summer.

**cave weta** · 6th January 2009, 19:49

massivly busy right now riding almost every day- but in a month it will be all back to normal. how does Whitianga aross to Corotown sound all on private land or
Corotown to coroglen on flays rd- paper not DOC- hehe
We could open it up for about 8-10 riders and maybe make a camp of it?

**clmintie** · 6th January 2009, 20:17

My daughters just did the canoe trip to the "Bridge to Nowhere". took five days... Definitely had a great time... To be recommended....

**Crisis management** · 7th January 2009, 08:11

Originally Posted by B0000M

my understanding from reading this is that if theres a paper road, i can access / ride on this land and the occupier cant tell me to fuck off ??

True, but you have to be able to prove you are actually on the paper road not someones private property....well surveyed paper road and a GPS. You can't rely on farm tracks as being on the same route and if you're trying to ride somewhere the owner doesn't want you to it could be a bit problematic (ever seen a really pissed off cockie with a ute full of dogs?)

Ask permission first!

**Skunk Control** · 7th January 2009, 20:32

I can recommend both the bridge to nowhere and somewhere. We did the jet boat ride and walk into nowhere, and then did the long loop round (via road) to somewhere after staying the night as the Whang Pub. Fantastic scenery for a road trip but we did manage some off road stuff.

**Skunk** · 7th January 2009, 20:36

Originally Posted by Skunk Control

I can recommend both the bridge to nowhere and somewhere. We did the jet boat ride and walk into nowhere, and then did the long loop round (via road) to somewhere after staying the night as the Whang Pub. Fantastic scenery for a road trip but we did manage some off road stuff.

You didn't mention the minibike we took in to ride across the Bridge...

**Skunk Control** · 7th January 2009, 22:32

Originally Posted by Skunk

You didn't mention the minibike we took in to ride across the Bridge...

Sssshhhh I thought DOC might growel or something

although the guy from the jet-boat place thought it was hilarious not to mention when a particular person rode into Whang on the same bike and into the pub looking for his mates

**Lucy** · 20th January 2010, 19:09

Bumping this thread because the Mangapurua Road is now part of the National Cycleways. Most of it anyway (the official route comes into it about halfway along from the Whakahoro end). Quads still go into the valley for hunting, but yeah, from what I've heard the narrow bits around the cliff are pretty narrow. Mountain bikers do it all the time so doesn't that mean a trials rider could???