There was one section of Kopiko Aotearoa (the Cape to Cape ride that I was due to do, but ended up doing NITT instead) up near Wairoa that I’d never ridden. So I went up that way for the weekend to ride that, see how many Kopiki West to East riders I could find, ride a few other favourite gravel roads and do a bit of scouting for this year’s HBAT.
Leaving the house (where I’d been welcomed by friends of a friend with exceeding warmth and generosity) just before dawn, it was a warm enough start. The lights weren’t needed for long as a still day brightened.
Easy, flattish seal to start.
The Mangapoike, just before it flows into the Wairoa.
Nearing the turn-off, I’d be into those hills soon – new roads for me!
Up and over a little hill, I left Tiniroto Rd at Te Reinga – and promptly stopped to see the falls. The viewing platform could have been placed in a better position – perhaps where one can see the falls. No matter, I met my first KAers for the day and there started many episodes of stopping and chatting. The sealed road beside the Ruakituri River was pretty flat and easygoing. A perfect morning for cycling, no wind, warm but never hot or cold, no burning sunlight – it was excellent to be out; however, not the greatest for inspiring plenty of photo snapping.
Near the end of the seal, I spotted a little sign pointing KA riders in – a local farm had opened up their shearers’ quarters for accommodation, food and water. I checked it out, HBAT in mind, and managed to miss a passing shower. The light rain helped to dampen any dust on the gravel, I could see recently set deep bike tracks in the surface – the east to west riders didn’t have it so good up here.
A good climb up to four hundred metres had constant iterations one of my favourite bikepacking ponderings – “How does this road get out of this valley?” (catchy title, I know). Over the next couple of hours, there was a flurry of riders heading in the opposite direction – easily over a dozen. All were happy to stop, rest and chat – strangely they seemed more interested in what I was doing out there with little kit than answering my queries about their own adventures; perhaps after a week of explaining what they were doing, it was a welcome change to ask someone the same question. Or maybe I just like to talk about bike trips too much.
My obsession with seeing Panekiri Bluff from differing angles and distances continued. It’s so close here!
A long descent to Ohuka ensued before more chatting and onto seal – steep! It tried to rain again, but that was more cooling than wetting and most welcome. It really was a steep descent down to Lake Rd, I now appreciate a little all the comments I’d seen in the KA group and heard from the riders I’d passed. Still, what a road from Te Reinga – just fantastic.
Ten flat kilometres back towards where I came from, it was only a little tempting to head home to my excellent hosts. But, another new road – more exploring! Ruapapa Rd served up a surprising amount of pine forest – a big wide gravel road with more traffic than I was expecting and no views. Suddenly, a little hydro scheme that I didn’t know existed – fascinating.
Sun out by now and the westerly rising, the steep climb away from the dam and the Waiau River was a bit of shock. The descent to the river was fast, steep and heavily corrugated.
I stopped most of the way down and chatted to a farmer moving some of his 35,000 sheep.
A good thing I did too – I now have a contact which should enable HBAT to avoid more highway and cover more hills, and he pointed me towards water at a local community hall – also handy to know for HBAT.
It’s quite a gateway to the hall – from the old bridge over the Waiau. Coincidentally, the grandparents of my host for the weekend used to live in that house.
Over the river, the road was sealed again up what I’ve learnt the locals call the “staircase”. It’s only four hundred metres to ascend to the start of one of my favourite roads.
Finally, I snapped a photo of this cute little house I’ve notice many times before.
Again, Cricklewood Road did not disappoint. With the westerly stronger up here, the rolling climbs were there to be attacked – in amongst stopping to look over the terrain I was now slightly more familiar with. Deserted on a Saturday afternoon, there wasn’t even a huge flock of sheep to negotiate.
Towards where I’d spent the previous few hours.
No sheep this time – c.f.
I mean, look at it…
Over northern Hawke Bay to Mahia Peninsula.
Eventually, the big descent to sea level and the quick blast back into town were done and I was welcomed with a big barbecue dinner. Fantastic day, odd to be riding so far with an unloaded bike – that certainly makes 2000 m/100 km easier.
Sunday had a far more leisurely start – sleep-in, drive to Tiniroto and set off on a far shorter loop at half-nine. Mostly I was extremely keen to ride Parikanapa Rd again – it being so stunning on NITT, I wanted to know how it rode in the opposite direction. I’d love to see it in a course route, so this was important to find out. The steep climbing was done quickly and the bit that was rough and loose gravel while descending at speed, was really quite placid when climbing slowly.
Again, it was great riding weather and there was no traffic – well, I saw some quad bikes on farms and a car. I was curious to see how all the hills would look without the amazing evening light I got on NITT. While they weren’t quite as spectacular, the beauty of all the folds and creases in the hills surrounding that road was still apparent.
Another two wonderful hours up on the ridges of Parikanapi Rd over and I was back on the lower Tiniroto Road – my, it was comparatively boring. Although I did meet two more pairs of KA riders while I was riding downhill – I quickly u-turned and spun up hill chatting all the way until I started going down the other side.
Grass up the middle and very skinny road – only sealed as just around the corner were a lot of tight switchbacks dropping to the Hangaroa River.
Incidentally, it’s the meeting of the Hangaroa and Ruakituri Rivers that form the Wairoa – glad I’ve finally got that sorted in my mind. The Wairoa always seemed to me improbably large for such a short river; it seems to me that some of the tributaries are far bigger than the two rivers that start the Wairoa off. There’s a nice big park just over the bridge that crosses the Hangaroa there – a good spot for families, camping and for me to have my lunch.
Back onto gravel, the lunch-legs appeared – but the climbing was mostly slight, the views and surface pleasing. Only after crossing back over the river did a decent climb appear, but that was easily surmounted. Even less traffic on Ruakaka Road than in the morning – that is, no vehicles on the road. The twenty kilometres after lunch was quickly over to complete a lovely few hours of riding. Seemed a shame not to pop in and support the pub (they fed many hungry bikepackers over the week just gone) before heading south. I’d love to get both of these roads on my HBAT route, but that’s not likely – but, happily enough, more exploring is called for in these parts.
Saturday’s route, somehow I lost the ride – it was only about 3700 m of climbing: