Adventure Riding in NZ

Orange in Makairo

A days round trip.

Leaving Remutaka Z Upper Hutt at 8:00am and straight into a road trip to Pahiatua, to refuel.
Riding North a few more km to Mangatainoka to turning right here heading East to Makiaro West .
A few sealed back roads to end up on Makairo Track.

From this West end you immediately launch into 1500m or 2000m of mud bog rutted track.
Is reasonably straight forward by picking your line, having good tyres and pressure down. I had a half-worn Perelli Mid Hard set at 18PSI. (didn’t drop pressures). Was a tractor going through, I had no issues for traction or staying rubber side up. No so with stock on the track though. Got head on butted by a cow. She did not like the horn blaring, stayed rubber side up.
The ruts run out into a more dryer defined 4 wheel drive track, but still rutted in places. Pick your lines.
Any over hanging bush is being beaten back by 4 wheel drives and cleared by the local quads club.
The East end of Makairo runs out on a groomed gravel road to drop into Waitahora and Conoor Roads.

Conoor is always a fast and groomed non sealed surface, the grader had just been through…..this was a race track today. So much grip.
From Conoor we bypassed Makuri to run down the Pahiatua Pongaroa Road and the gorge to Pori Road.
We thought about diverting up Puertoi Road but that next time.
Stayed on Pori, which for the majority was groomed and only a few ruts. Quick travel here.
Obligatory photos at the top.

From Pori/Saunders onto Highway 52 past Alfredton and down to Barton Line.
Bartons, so well groomed, was flattened and smooth.
Turning down 52 again to Daggs Road to Bidiford.

Took Te Ore Ore through to Castlepoint Road and onto Lees Pakaraka Road down to Carterton via Gladstone Roads and the friendly Buckhorne Pub (again). Arrived at about 2:00pm.

After refreshments headed home back over the Remutakas.
Have to ride over Puketoi off Pori Road next time. An easy half day trip.

Admirals from Hinakura quick jaunt.

Out on a Sunday morning for a quick circuit around Admirals and up first right hand branch to the pylon track.

Road ride out from Remutaka Z over Remutakas (very cold but dryish) to Martinborough and out to Hinakura. Turning right at Hinakura to ride the length of Admirals Road. Some early loose gravel to become smooth flat highway surface. Very quick. Then riding over to Featherston via Gladstone and Tiffin Road to nip up The Pylon Track right hand fork. Haven’t been up there in a while, was quite slippery and wet but manageable. Back home over Remutaka Hill Road to awaiting rain. About 4 hours all up including rests and café stop at Martinborough to warm up.

Kings Day Taihape Rideout 2025

This is a 3 day adventure up to Taihape on Saturday, Rideout loop to Blue Duck Café on Sunday and back to Wellington on Monday.

Day 2

Aiming for Blue Duck Café at the end of Oio Road. Approx 150km away. An awesome ride up via Mataroa township, over Ruanui to Colliers Junction onto Owhakura Road and Whangaehu Valley Roadthrough to Oruakukuru Road which was in really fast condition. Regrouping at highway 4, we shot up to Raetihi for a warm up at The Angle Café. Onto Raurimu via a small diversion around Middle Road (fantastic condition, fast) and then West from raurimu on Kaitieke Road to Oio. About 25km to the end of Oio Road is the Blue Duck Station and Café. Great spot, excellent home grown food. Found out about a lot of history of the area from the station owner. Essentially all linked to the Bridge to Nowhere and the surrounding abandoned farms from after WW1. Worth the visit.
Going back, couldn’t just retrace our steps, so back down Oio Road to Upper Retaruke Road and on through the Fishers Track. Was surprisingly dry and easy to traverse. In very good condition with a smattering of gravel been placed in the strategic parts of the track. Presumably for the push bike brigade. Refuelled at national Park to carry on down state highway 4 back to Raetihi turning East on Ohakura to then turn down the paper road of Pahiki Road, Lakes Road via Ratamaire (this track was wet but easily traversed. Long grass covering multiple ruts though), to emerge back onto Ohakura Road and onto State Highway 49. A quick road ride over to Tangiwai to turn down Turakina Valley Road (was in reasonable cut up bad condition from truck damage, usually is fast and smooth). Down to Papanui Junction and onto Kaka Road to Koeka Junction. Along Koeke Road to Ridge Road North and down Pukenaua Road to the State Highway 1 and Taihape. That is a big day, approx 400km.

4 KTM 690's To Sutherlands Hut

Not often we get 4x late model 690's together for a ride.
A quick blast over the Remutakas and out to Martinborough and over Blue Rock Road to the Haurangi Road end and down into Sutherlands Hut via the track. Streams were a bit higher than normal.
Returning the same way but all the way out to the end of Ruakokoputuna to stop at the new cafe on White Rock Road. They were closing at 3:00pm, so onto Martinborough Hotel for refreshments.