Autawa Road is a 10 km gravel road near Tarata, Taranaki, that traverses alongside the Waitara River for a bit and then heads east up a valley.
The first 1.5 km of the road is sealed. Just as the gravel road starts the view opens into farmland and generally follows the meandering Waitara River.
At the 3.5 km mark the road begins to snake its way over a small hill for 1 km before leaving the river banks and heading off in an easterly direction up a valley. The farmland in this area is used for sheep grazing, but many of the surrounding hills are covered in bush.
Ultimately the road terminates at a large sheep shed but not before passing some large Californian Redwood trees planted around 1941.
Contributed by: @dcy (Dave Young)
Track type: Gravel Road
Track composition: Bumpy, Loose, Undulating
Slippery when wet?: No
Suitable for bikes > 650cc Beginner
Suitable for bikes < 650cc Beginner
River crossings? No
There is currently a logging operation underway at three sites along the length of the road, so be wary of logging trucks and the associated traffic.