I’m planning to do a quick 2-3 day ride around the top of the North Island to break in my new Tiger.
Ninety Mile Beach seems like a “Must Do”. Is there a recommended direction? Is it best to start at Te Paki Stream, or Ahipara?
Are there any other must-do’s for a solo adventure rider in North? (I haven’t been north of Auckland for a few decades – it’ll all feel new to me. Camping at Spirits Bay is the only other thing I have on my list.
Just had a look and apparently Te Paki stream access is currently closed at the top. https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/northland/places/te-paki-recreation-reserve/things-to-do/campsites/kapowairua-spirits-bay-campsite/
Once you get to Brynderwyn turn left onto SH12 then choose a random road heading North off there, there’s some great gravel roads up through the forests.
The Rawene ferry is cool.
If Te Paki is closed, you could also jump off/on at say Hukatere Rd as their is an easement there, or obtain a permit and ride the arterial roads through the forest. https://summitforests.co.nz/forest-access/
Ah, that’s a little annoying that the stream is closed. It’s one of the iconic images I associate with a 90 mile trip.
Thanks for the link to the SummitForests site. I’ve now applied for access. And I’ll add the Rawene ferry to the list. Looks like there are some good roads around there.
Thanks guys.
I’ve made three trips to the far North in the last two years, two of which were up 90 mile beach. If I was on a brand new bike with road orientated rubber, here are my thoughts. The closure notification is about the walking tracks and reserve. I doubt that includes the stream. Some good advice (I didn’t listen to) about the stream is stay in the moving/rippling water. The tempting looking 4WD bypass tracks have puddles (water up to the bottom of the seat in my case). It might also be worth taking a big foot/plate for your side stand so you can stop and get off the bike on the sand. I was tempted by the spirits bay camping on my last trip but it doesn’t fit well in the time line for a three day trip. The other thing is that State Highway 1 to Kaitaia is closed (has been for a several years) so you have to go west coast or east coast. I’ve done both and prefer the West (shorter and more interesting). A good route for a new bike on road orientated tyres might be Paparoa – Maungakaramea – Maungatapere – Kaikohe – Rewene – Ahipara. stay the night in Ahipara, then up the beach and back down the road. (The bike gets some sand and salt rinsed off going up the stream). Its easy to loose a few hours at the light house and around the cape. I would be thinking about getting back to Ahipara for the night then back over the ferry to Rawene and then down the West coast through the Waipoua forest. There is a huge amount of easily accessible great riding up North. I am sure this first trip will just be to get your bearings for future adventures.
I just got home from my trip. I stayed in Ahipara for a night. While I was there I got a message from DoC saying that Te Paki Stream had just been opened for 4WD. So I did the whole of Ninety Mile Beach and used the stream exit. Very cool to tick that off the list. Not so cool was being eaten alive by sandflies and mosquitoes at the Spirit Bay campsite, or a crap weather on the way there and back.
Anyway, you guys helped make it a good trip. Now to eat, sleep, and then try to edit some of the footage into a workable video.
Great to hear you had a good ride. I am seeing some parallels here between your comments here and the youtube channel “The BV”. You wouldn’t be the BV by some chance?