Here's an obscure one worth trying -- the coast road from just south of Oamaru down through Kakanui (home of the world's best spuds) and out south of Herbert.Fast sweepers, beautiful views, you'd probably do the whole run without seeing another car.And did I mention the great spuds.!
electromic,
Feb 25, 3:54am
Love this road too but in my R32 with no passengers.I have followed some drivers that take all fun out of the drive by doing 25-65km/h speeding up to 110+ on the few passing lanes, panic braking every corner. I seem to find them every trip lately.
richynuts,
Feb 25, 4:09am
Mount cook road (highway 80)
sfw4,
Feb 25, 6:13am
Mattamata to Mamarua. nice and straight. set cruise control
lookoutas,
Feb 25, 1:58pm
Can't now.
lookoutas,
Feb 25, 2:02pm
You can get there that way. (probably totally lost tho)
ema1,
Feb 25, 4:18pm
Phew ain't that the truth! Last year we decided to go home from the Omaka Classic Fighters Airshow going that way then on down the West Coast route and I saw quite a number of Police cars between Omaka and St Arnaud and that was getting quite late in the evening too. Chucked the anchor out that night in Reefton and was surprised to see cops on the road between Murcheson and Inangahua way after dark, must have been something going on in the area me thinks, I couldn't travel fast due to rain and low cloud from Murcheson onwards, too busy watching to see where the road went!
ema1,
Feb 25, 4:26pm
Yes I see that the Manawatu Gorge has had it's fair share of major slips for sure. What's the Pahiatua Track like guys, never been over it! Is it a second rate road or what!
ema1,
Feb 25, 4:32pm
Good interesting piece of road that one, I used to go over there every week on my delivery run in my truck, my last drop off was usually at the Kakanui Store and odd times at the restaurant just past there on the top of a rise overlooking the sea then on through South Oamaru from around 1993 to about 2001 that was. Quite often I would turn off S.Hwy 1 at Maheno go onto Kakanui from there, then go back via the road south of Kakanui and join with S.Hwy 1 again just south of Herbert, there's a pub there in the area Mill House I think it's called and a school camp ground I seem to remember. Last time I was through there was in 2004 I think!
therafter1,
Feb 25, 4:32pm
Good piece of road . not suited to incompetents tho !
ema1,
Feb 25, 4:38pm
Cheers and thanks for that, must go over it some stage in the future.
ema1,
Feb 25, 4:48pm
Went over a piece of road a few years back that turns off about 10km east of Wanganui and it went through a locality called Fordell. Mrs wanted to go see a garden place way in the whoop whoops several kms from there. Probably about 15-20kms from the main road was all I seem to recall, that was in 2007. What an eye opener those gardens were too, Paloma Gardens they were called, anyone know where I mean! Also went on a rather tortuous and interesting piece of road from Feilding that goes through Waituna West and joins the main road north of Hunterville at Vinegar Hill.!
ema1,
Feb 25, 4:55pm
I remember having to detour around a fatal crash west of Wanganui between a car and a petrol tanker it was 2007-8 I think it was, when returning from New Plymouth to Palmerston North-via the Surf Highway. The detour started at place called Maxwell and went nearer towards the coast than the main road and we came out somewhere near Westmere just west of Wanganui, That was interesting drive I thought, pity the fatal event that happened had us drive on that road though.
ema1,
Feb 25, 4:58pm
What is the drive like from New Plymouth up the West Coast north of Bell Block then on up to Te Kuiti then onto Hamilton .please, never been that way before!
ema1,
Feb 25, 5:03pm
The drive from Taupo to Napier is interesting I reckon , went through there may last year from Hamilton actually. Interesting around between Cambridge Tirau and Potaruru then on down to Taupo. Highway good where it's been realigned and new east of Taupo as well and good fast road through the forested areas to the east too. The Eskdale Valley north of Napier is interesting. Some good driving between Napier/ Taradale area up into the hills towards and past Sherendon/Crownthorpe area too,went through there last May too and in 2005 as well.
noswalg,
Feb 25, 5:03pm
yep, cool road, not a good one to break down on though. some of those steep sections are a bit of a challenge in winter though!
therafter1,
Feb 25, 5:25pm
Yep, left just after Kauangaroa and it will take you via Mangamahu back to the Parapara, straight on and you will eventually connect with SH 49 via Whangaehu Valley Rd (FieldsTrack) about 10 or 12 K west of Waiouru, stay right and it will reconnect you with SH1 at Hunterville . you have to be prepared to take on a bit of metal and some gnarly bits of road occasionally other than the route that takes you thru to the link up with SH1 at Hunterville. Not much of it is worth venturing into after heavy rain or during the wet part of winter as the whole area is prone to slips and road closures.
therafter1,
Feb 25, 5:33pm
A lot of areas without cell phone coverage as well as I discovered on my last little foray over the Annie on my bike, stopped for a ciggy at Kuripapango, finished ciggy, turned on key, hit start button, zip . totally dead battery, fortunately after about an hour of so a couple of dudes with kayaks that were going to kayak down the Ngaruroro turned up and they had a set of jumper leads aboard.
I may be biased but it is my opinion that it is the best drive in the Nth Island, there are other drives further north that could potentially be as good a drive but unfortunately those very roads suffer from infestations of incompetents and nothing spoils a nice drive more than having to deal with/dispose of incompetents that are spoiling your drive.
therafter1,
Feb 25, 5:36pm
If you have been into Sherenden then you have traversed a small portion of the Napier Taihape road on the eastern side, albeit thru the developed area and a reasonable distance before you start bisecting the ranges.
therafter1,
Feb 25, 5:41pm
Very good and well worth doing . has already had a couple of mentions in this thread as that is where Mt Messenger and the Awakino Gorge are . and they are only a couple of the worthwhile pieces that have been mentioned, there are many others so if you do it allow plenty of time for plenty of stops . it is a particularly nice drive in mid autumn, especially getting towards the Piopio/Te Kuiti end.
ema1,
Feb 25, 5:53pm
My sister & brother in law have land up around there at Crownthorpe, further on from Sherrendon quite high really and you can see Hastings and part of Napier all lit up clearly on a fine night, quite exposed to wind up there though. Thought of going over the Napier/Taihapi road but we had to be back in Auckland early the next day to catch flight south . Given the time in future I would go through there for a look see.
ema1,
Feb 25, 5:58pm
Thanks Rich all prior knowledge is good to have I reckon, thanks again for that.
ema1,
Feb 25, 6:05pm
We went on a drive from my sisters place thru various bits of Taradale/Napier then over to Havelock North area last May. Then we went up this real twisty road up to Te Mata Peak, terrific views up there on a fine day which it was the day we were up there. Awgot a hundy with this post too .just noticed it then.
robyn276,
Feb 27, 2:43am
Dannevirke to Akitio. Neat scenery. Just done most of the South Island. Must comment on the whiteness of the tarseal on the roads. Easy on the eyes and all great roads. Thoroughly enjoyed all the roads, fantastic views. I still think the best time would be in Autuum(coloured trees) or about September(more snow around). So different to the North Island. The very narrow high from the river bridge to Hamner Springs was an experience.
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