Starting from the North end of Hauturu Road takes you alongside the Awaroa River and the road is wide, open, and fast, but the road quickly rises in elevation as you head South and becomes a long series of tight heavily cambered corners following ridgelines over the hills. There are great views into long valleys and a decent waterfall to be spotted on the way. Be wary of stock and traffic on the road as this is all beef cattle farming area and there are quite a few houses along the road. Combine this with Kaimango Road at the North end and Waipuna Road less than 2km’s from the southern end for a longer gravel run.
This is a easy half day ride from Hamilton that can be tied in with several other gravel roads in the area. Usually I’d give a road like this a Beginner rating on small adventure bikes but the some of the tighter corners are so tight and heavily cambered they could be quite intimidating to a leaner gravel rider.
Contributed by: @eddieb
Track type: Gravel Road
Track composition: Bumpy, Loose, Undulating
Slippery when wet?: No
Suitable for bikes > 650cc Intermediate
Suitable for bikes < 650cc Intermediate
River crossings? No
Yesterday BB and myself rode along Hauturu in non stop drizzle and rain and even then the scenery was stunning so now I can’t wait to ride this again with the sun out! This is an awesome ride and highly recommended for those who like getting off the beaten track and who can keep upright for at least (what seemed like) 1,000 corners!
I did this ride yesterday, came in from Otorohanga and through Honikiwi, absolutely stunning, the native bush on Kaimango rd with pockets of mist and the view to the west coast looked spectacular! Highly recommended.