Category Archives: NZ

bikes, friends, NZ, running

Kaimai Exploring

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Growing up nearby, the Kaimai Ranges were for driving over to visit grandparents and other family in Auckland. I remember only one family day walk up a slippery, wet and boggy Thompsons Track. Brief visits to Waihi at the northern end of the forest park over the last twenty years gave only one little ride from Waitawheta. This last-for-a-while visit stretching to two nights, I had a day to start rectifying past neglect of what are some excellent hills to explore.

First, a short trail run looping through Daly’s Clearing. The parking lot was surprisingly full, obviously a more popular spot than I imagined. A brief farm section before the trail started on the old Waitawheta Tramway – correspondingly well-graded, there was clearly more mining history here than I was aware of.

Branching off west, I left the valley floor behind as the trail climbed through bush to the clearing.

Even so, I’m unsure these shallow steps were necessary.

Somewhat startled by the hut, I poked my nose in briefly.

Continuing, the trail climbed a little more. I was taken aback by the extent of the nikau palms proliferating. There were also plenty of big ponga ferns, but that was less unexpected.

The roots kept one alert.

Descending through a couple of paddocks, the river came back into view.

A fun hour of running somewhere new to me – easily teasing plenty more adventures to be had when I make it back with more time up my sleeve.

Another landmark I’d not been to in the area was Mt Te Aroha – despite it having been recommended a number of times as a good climb. Most recently, riding cycle trails from Waihi to the base of the hill, climbing and then descending, before riding back was recommended. Plugging that in online, it looked over a hundred kilometres – mostly flat cycle trail with the exception of a 900 metre climb and then descent. It seemed a bit outside my current level of endurance, but no harm in trying. Right?

Through the gorge was pleasant enough, even riding into the westerly. Plenty more memories of driving through the Karangahake Gorge many years ago, and occasionally stopping to walk through the tunnel – it wasn’t lit then!

A large late lunch in Paeroa would hopefully fuel me to and up the climb. Nice to be off the road, but this section of rail trail is not particularly inspiring. Definitely a means to an end, and more memories – this time my first big day on Tour Aotearoa some years ago now.

Getting closer.

The climb starts steeply, and only lets up occasionally. I think it must be the biggest single one I’ve done in over three years. The whole thing over 12.5 % gradient, plenty more in places. Under-geared and tyre undershod, I was pleased not to end up walking any of it. The cold breeze near the top was quite welcome.

The transmitter is so large, it messed with one’s distance perception – looking so close here, but still only halfway up.

Occasionally a glimpse of the Hauraki Plains through the bush cover.

Ah yes, it’s quite big.

Made it, phew. Time to layer up and admire the views.

Even on an overcast day, the views of so many familiar places were grand and endlessly fascinating.

Mayor Island

Back down the road a mile, I eventually found the overgrown track off the east side at Dog Kennel Flat. The track surface was in good condition, not that one could see much of it. A bit of bike carrying was needed on steeper or more overgrown sections, but there was little hardship amongst nice foliage.

Yes, there’s a trail behind me.

Bike disappearing into more trail.

All worth it.

Heading into the Waiorongomai Valley, I picked up another old tramway after a steep section (solo, with no beacon, my riding was even more conservative than normal). Plenty of signs of gold mining up here provided more interest to the lovely park.

A smaller tunnel this one.

Again, a bridge straight into a tunnel.

Follow the tramway…

I was surprised to find three sizeable inclines up this little valley.

Steep! Which is rather the point of such sections of track.

Some care had to be taken following the rails.

The final section of trail, Cadman’s, to the road end was a complete blast and showed the bike I had for the day wasn’t completely inappropriate.

Back to more typical Waikato scenes.

A few kilometres back into Te Aroha and I was completely done, with only forty left to get back to the car. But a decent fish burger and sides later, there was plenty of energy to get me home just on dark.

A satisfying day out on just the edge of the Kaimais, I look forward to returning with more of a plan some day.

around home, bikepacking, bikes, friends, NZ, snow

Not-Working Central North Island Fun

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Not working full-time started with a flurry of activity over two weeks. Leaving Pan Pac after six years, that fitted in with the main motivation for resigning – having far more time to be outside and spend with family and friends.

Things kicked off immediately with finally, after vague mention over years, a day skiing at Ruapehu with very-recently former-workmate James. A couple of years since I’d been on skis, it was thoroughly enjoyable to be out on the snow. With a decent dump earlier in the week, the snow and skiing was good. A wee bit rusty, I was pleased not to fall – nor pop a shoulder, a near thing when an errant t-bar sprang back and caught my supposed good arm and put me all in a tangle.

Above the clouds most of the day, it got uncomfortably warm early afternoon. We called it a day early as cloud rolled in and visibility was soon gone.

Bit of a rush back to Hawke’s Bay to arrive on time to finally see the much-Covid-postponed presentation by Mark and Hana of their four-year bikepacking trip from Alaska to Patagonia. While I was familiar with the adventure from following them online, hearing the stories firsthand and seeing the photos on a cinema screen gave a much greater appreciation of their travels. While the photos look impressive on my laptop (a good selection in this article), they were phenomenal with a 4K projector – quite astounding. Excellent evening, thanks to Hana and Mark for travelling up and Andrew for persevering with organising.

There wasn’t enough time to show our guests some Hawke’s Bay bikepacking, but Ricko did manage a great morning tour of Havelock North, Te Mata Peak and surrounds on mountain bikes.

Some of us did find time for a hastily organised and short overnighter to Waipatiki Beach just north of Napier. Even taking the long way around on one of my favourite local gravel roads, it’s only three hours there. Plenty of time to appreciate the evening light, cook dinner and natter before dossing down in the “closed” (Covid?) lounge.

A quick trip over the stream to the beach on leaving the campground.

Brent and Pete negotiating the only place I know to reliably find mud in Hawke’s Bay – on the old bridle path to Aropaoanui Rd.

Heading into the strange sun-mist mix that soon burnt off.

In no time we were back in town for morning tea and coffee with more of the usual HB bikepacking cohort. That may have been a sub-twenty hour overnighter – still brilliant but.

After a day of doing some of the more boring things I should be doing packing up a house, I headed over to Taupo (finally) for a few days of mountain-bike exploring and staying with friends Debbie and Emma. An overcast afternoon on a soggy W2K trail soon brightened and I enjoyed the out-and-back as the views improved. I was taken aback to be recognised as I was hosing off my filthy bike, nice to bump into and catch up with Brian (Wellington) from this year’s GSB.

Joining a different Tuesday night run group gave a nice change of scene, but I’m unsure my legs were impressed with doing intervals. Wednesday held a “recovery” ride with Emma and Debbie at Craters. Trails had dried out by then and it soon became apparent that it wasn’t recovery pace. Much fun riding further out in the park than I had previously, especially on the long relatively gentle downhill Megalicious – plenty of easy jumps that even I could land properly.

Timing of the Taupo sojourn was dictated by the eventual screening (more Covid postponements) of South – the Tour Te Waipounamu film. While I’d shown this excellent account of the race (mine here, not so excellent) to a few groups of friends earlier in the year, I was eagerly awaiting seeing it on a big screen – plus I’d also offered to join Pete for the Q&A session following each screening. It did not disappoint and it was interesting to hear the reactions of a wider audience; we got some good questions too, and hopefully added to the evening.

Somewhere in there, a plan was hatched for me to join Pete and Fay on the first night of three training for next year’s TTW. Bikepacking hadn’t figured in my hasty packing for this week away, but with the generosity of friends just enough gear was cobbled together and affixed to my bike.

Well, this is different. First time using a Freeload rack, I rate it with rear suspension.

From the Waihaha Rd end, Pete and I rode into Waihaha Hut over a couple of hours. The drizzle lessened soon after setting off and that was the end of wearing a jacket for the trip.

Not a promising start and I wondered if my little car would make it up the hill and out of the wet paddock.

Views of the lake lacking a bit.

Tieke Falls on the Waihaha River.

The trail was soaked, but with a firm base the riding was not difficult. Once the rain had stopped, it was nice to take our time stopping often at viewpoints and with much chat along the way. Crossing the road, the modest ascent to the hut began – including a bit of pushing on a section that was just a bit wet, rutted and technical for a loaded bike with a balding rear tyre (Taupo certainly showed that tyres that are fine in dry Hawke’s Bay are not so elsewhere).

These bridges are so much easier when there’s a wooden deck!

Flattening out a bit, great riding through the native bush.

Waihaha Hut – finally made it after fourteen or so years thinking I must ride there one day.

Shortly after arriving dry at the hut, it started tipping down. This about the time Fay was setting off from the carpark – she arrived fairly soaked. A pleasant hut evening catching up and discussing TTW preparations and Fay’s upcoming event. The rain didn’t let up overnight, but had by the time I set off for the car – leaving the others to their all-day hike-a-bike training. The return only took a couple of hours, and with a bit more visibility, I stopped to look at different things.

A bit more water around.

Some more of the lake today.

Back at the car, I ditched my overnight gear and, as the sky cleared, set off north to the end of the trail at a landing on Waihora Bay. With a lighter bike and the trail surface muddy (firm volcanic base still underneath), I had a grand time sliding around corners, getting soaked from the regular splashes and seeing what was around the next corner. Crossing an impressive slot canyon, it was tight and twisty down to the lake for a brief snack – the return wasn’t as difficultly steep as feared.

Legs of two halves.

Back into town to clean-up, pack and say farewell it was then off to Rotorua for a weekend of much time with close friends and a little bit of riding. It’s a little odd, considering how good and plentiful it is, that riding was very much the secondary consideration there. As always, there was a new trail to try; this time Roger showed me Te Poaka – another long downhill with plenty of fun to be had on small jumps. I can see it would be easy to get up well too much speed, even at my pace some of the trees were getting alarmingly close.

Some recent felling has really opened up the Lake Rotorua view from this part of the Forest Loop.

Tarawera – still up there as a most-special place for me.

More riding (so many kids!) and a fork bought for next-bike Sunday morning, the trip down memory lane was strong then catching up with more former Pan Pac workmates over in Papamoa.

Twas not a bad place to grow up.

around home, bikes, NZ

Tiwhanui

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With a question coming in about biking up to Tiwhanui, I realised that I’d not written about riding to and through my favourite Hawke’s Bay views. It was also a timely reminder that I wanted to ride up there again, and soon – before it gets too hot. Only four riders on last year’s HBAT got so far as to see these views that I seem to rave about, so I was keen to share them a bit more widely.

To my surprise, twelve others assembled at Tutira for the hilly loop. A mixture of familiar and new faces, twas great to see them all. Ridgemount Road doesn’t mess around and gets straight into a stiff climb; repair of a leaking tyre gave us a big rest halfway up the first section. A stunning spring morning was certainly on the warm side as the climb continued. A larger group than I’m used to riding in didn’t spread all that much as we spun up the traction seal – amongst all the gravel, a sure sign the road was steeper than most.

Up around five hundred metres above the ocean, the views opened up in all directions – here looking north, the Mohaka’s outflow visible.

With a steep drop and short sharp climb, I had a bit of time alone trying to catch John way out in front (26″ wheels proving difficult to catch).

Heading into the farm section was a useful time to regroup and have a go at playing ride-leader. No one got lost and ended up down at sea level, so I’m taking that as a win. With a disturbing lack of spring growth, the farm track was firm and undulating along the ridge as we made our way through lambs, sheep, and a few cattle. Frequent gates meant regular bunching up, which certainly helped on keeping a handle on where everyone was.

Trying to ignore the plumes from work in the distance was easy enough with the immediate scenery in the forefront of one’s mind.

Nearing the trig, the track gets properly close to the cliffs. What I like most of this route is being at the top of cliffs four hundred metres high, yet so very close to the Pacific. The views all around Hawke Bay and across the hills I’ve come to know well the last few years are spectacular, and far more than my photography skills are up to capturing well.

Very still and most pleasant for a long lunch stop at the trig, admiring the views and enjoying the company.

The rapid descent through three hundred metres to the farm entrance was as steep as anything we’d climbed all day and such fun to rip down. More regrouping before the undulating Waikare Road out to the highway; mercifully the traffic was light for the short section up to Matahorua Road and one big climb on the loop around back to the cars.

What a fun summery day showing a group much larger than I was expecting a few more of my favourite Hawke’s Bay discoveries.

bikepacking, bikes, NZ

Herbertville to Castlepoint to Riversdale

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Andrew and I have long discussed his dream of linking two coastal cities with a bikepacking route that stays close to the east coast. I was excited to be invited along for a weekend’s ride to explore part of his route for the first time. All new country to me, there ended up being eight of us in the group. With accommodation and main meals (I’m counting breakfasts along with dinners, as they were large) sorted, the bike was lightly loaded for the short route.

After the first of those large breakfasts, we left the most-hospitable Herbertville Inn in good time on Saturday morning. The first few flat kilometres of road south along the coast I realised I had seen before while visiting the area with my parents a few years before.

Didn’t look like this then. Cape Turnagain – a useful landmark for seeing how far we’d gone later in the ride.

Into Akitio Station and a nice little warm-up climb to start to put that breakfast to good use.

We quickly began to see the extensive pine plantations Andrew had mentioned – one reason, I assume, the road through the farm was so substantial and in good condition.

The last of the clear skies for the weekend.

The forecast was for southeasterlies off the sea, which would at some stage bring some rain. It held off pretty well.

Most of the way up the largest climb of the weekend, just a touch on four hundred metres above the ocean.

Waiting for the others at the summit (I did have twenty-odd years on them, and was carrying much less too), I found this venerable old grader to sit and pose for too many photos.

Twas a lovely climb up through these pines.

Cooling down waiting for a while, I dropped off the top before finding some more trees to shelter behind and wait for us to regroup.

Further along, this ridge opened up for us before the drop back to sea level.

Heading out the front entrance of our first station.

A brief section into and then up out of Akitio took me back to about the only TTW training ride I managed before popping my shoulder. A good section of riding gravel with Gerard ensued as we headed up the Owahanga valley a bit, before crossing the river and heading downstream for Owahanga Station.

All the shelter around the visitor sign-in hut seemed to be asking to be used for a lunch break. We obliged.

Bit of a grovel on full stomachs.

Castlepoint and Castle Rock in the distance, but of more immediate interest to me was the lighter coloured hill in front.

Down to the coast we dove again before a nice section next to the ocean.

Another slight rise took me to what was a divergence in the GPS track and the farm road. When Andrew asked me to plot the route through the farms, I didn’t have a lot of detail to go on. Here I used the only track that connected on the topo map, but on the ground the road we were happily following stayed inland and descended. For some reason, no one else was keen to head up to check out the view from the hill I’d spied previously.

In such good conditions, I was confident I’d be ok off solo – I was hardly going to fall into the sea. The track quickly disappeared into tussocks, across fences and then into a big slump. The coastal views were certainly better than staying on the inland, low road.

Happily I shouldered my bike and negotiated my way across the big slip and then up the paddock until something resembling a farm track reappeared. More pushing and then some actual riding and I was nearing the top.

Looking out on all the clouds, I was unsure as to how we’d managed to stay dry all day.

From the summit I could easily see the track down, partway down it had been recently bulldozed – I flew down to the river and was surprised to go screaming past the others as they approached the bridge on the low road. Out of the farm, gravel around the coast took us past some curious little baches nestled in pines. Certainly well shaded. The slightest of hills and I was in Castlepoint by three, soon joined by the others as we settled into roomy accommodation.

Having only ridden seventy kilometres, albeit on some engaging new territory with 1600 m of climbing, over seven hours – I still had energy left. Energy that I was keen to spend running around somewhere I’d not been before. In a small area there was a beach to run down, a lighthouse and headland to check out and a big coastal rock to scramble up. That was a good little run, I even managed to pull up ok having run in my biking shoes.

Crayfishing boats resting for the night.

That was a fun scramble; at least the rock was super grippy.

Checking out tomorrow’s riding.

Cape Turnagain looking a bit further off now.

With cooler, stronger winds and more rain forecast, tired legs and a long drive home – Sunday’s plan reverted to the original: heading to Riversdale, not quite fifty kilometres away through Castlepoint Station and along backroads. The rain mostly held off, the wind didn’t slow us too much and we had plenty more time riding next to the Pacific. The hills were even smaller than the previous day. Only coming off the largest one did I have to don my raincoat.

Through Castlepoint Station.

Heading out from Otahome.

Oh, Castle Rock again.

Plenty of time to wait here out of the rain, not much to do apart from pick up litter.

It cleared a bit?

Still checking out the Whareama sights.

Into Riversdale by half-eleven, it had a been a nice leisurely morning along the coast. I spent much of it by myself, but with a short day and a lightly loaded bike I enjoyed pushing the legs around a bit harder than I usually do. Andrew, a far better organiser of such rides than I, had even arranged for hot showers at the Surf Club – spoilt! That was probably prudent, considering we’d have four hours or so in the van together.

With a bit of time to spare, getting an ice cream and heading to the beach seemed just the ticket – never mind the rain.

Loaded up for the trek back to Napier.

What a great weekend exploring new places with excellent company and plenty of fascinating sights and stories. Thanks for inviting me along Andrew, I eagerly await the completed route…