Located just a few km North of Awakino, Taumatamaire Road is a much more pleasant alternative to 20 km of SH3.
Taumatamaire Road gently winds it’s way along the hilltops parallel to SH3 giving views into hidden valleys and peaks out to the Tasman Sea over the hills. When I travelled it the road was hardpacked with only a light layer of gravel giving stable lines through the corners. While there are a few blind corners on Taumatamaire Road there aren’t any surprises, all of the corners follow a constant radius and the road just gently flows along it’s entire 20 kilometers.
The views along the road are expansive, being able to see out over the Tasman Sea in places on one side and over range upon range of hills until they are just hazy shadows in the distance on the other.
Contributed by: @eddieb
Track type: Gravel Road
Track composition: Smooth, Firm, Undulating
Slippery when wet?: Yes
Suitable for bikes <650cc? Beginner
Suitable for bikes >650cc? Beginner
River crossings? No
https://youtu.be/voJPabeJnaw
Returned from West Coast on this road 2/11/19 just on the spur of the moment, and turned out to be the best part of the day. Really nice road in great condition. Lots of varied scenery as per previous photos. Also great views as the road comes down to meet Hwy 3. Recommended.
Any visibility of Ruapehu or Taranaki folks?