Trans_NZ_North Island...5. Woodville to Wellington (3 options plus extras)

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Touring The Trans-NZ ADV Route _ North Island....9236km

Segment 1. CAPE REINGA / AHIPARA *** SPECIAL ***
Segment 2. AHIPARA TO WAIPU (3 options)
Segment 3. WAIPU TO CLEVEDON
Segment 4A-WESTERN Routes_Clevedon to Woodville (2 options + Extras)
Segment 4B-EASTERN Routes_Clevedon to Woodville (2 options + Extras)
Segment 5. WOODVILLE TO WELLINGTON (3 options plus south-eastern gems!)



Touring The Trans-NZ ADV Route _ South Island...5334km

Segment 1. PICTON-TO-HANMER/CULVERDEN
Segment 2. HANMER/ CULVERDEN TO FAIRLIE
Segment 3. FAIRLIE TO NASEBY
Segment 4. NASEBY TO CROMWELL
Segment 5. CROMWELL TO MANAPOURI
Segment 6. MANAPOURI TO THE CATLINS (SOUTH COAST)




Touring The Trans-NZ ADV Route...the WHAT, WHY, WHERE + HOW



General NZ info and links


A trifecta of stunning routes from Woodville to Wellington plus a whole bag of extras and true back-country gems, this area offers a bucketload of outstanding riding, ridges, beaches, half-hidden tracks and places way off the tourist routes.

Waterfalls, headlands, a how-much-green-is-too-much? scrunched up and folded landscape, huge wave-rocks and sentinel-like mountain ranges towering above the rolling farmland, this is a thrill-a-minute stuff.

Add the lack of tourist-plastic and general infrastructure being decidedly rural and here's a fabulous part of the North Island to get lost in....for weeks, if you like.

It also offers the choice of a quick, sealed Route52 for a semi-loop skim....or a myriad of highly scenic gravel/ dirt roads to make this connecting link to the South Island ferries in Wellington as long, delicious and expansive as you want.

The following are just a few ideas...there is plenty more aside from that.

As always, there's a flip-side to all that, which particularly concerns those on rental-bikes or Enduro-style bikes with small-ish factory tanks. One of the maps below will show the locations of available fuel outlets, most of them either along the major highway SH2, or card-only automated pumps in small coastal/ interior towns or settlements.

A fuel-range of only 200km will require some accurate prior planning, especially when riding day-loops within the area.

 

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Re: Segment 5. WOODVILLE TO WELLINGTON (plus south-eastern gems!)

FUEL MAP !!



Fuel is available at any of the bigger towns along the SH2 highway.

Between the SH2 and the coast, fuel is ONLY available in Pongaroa (Hwy52) and the Castlepoint Hotel at Castlepoint, both of which operate 24/7 via a credit card-only automated facility.
The store at Pirinoa on the Cape Palliser/ Lake Ferry Rd. also offers fuel during store hours.

For day loops within the general area, just keep those locations in mind and stay vigilant about your intended route and distances (accounting for enough fuel to backtrack on gravel/ dirt tracks, ferry out injured riding mates etc)

 

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Re: Segment 5. WOODVILLE TO WELLINGTON (plus south-eastern gems!)

OPTION A


All sealed, all scenic...this is the quick-dash option to the ferries in Wellington, using Route52 and multiple sealed country roads to bypass the busy rural centers along the SH2 Highway.
Then join the SH2 for the "Remutaka Grand Prix Track" across the mountains to Upper Hut.




Woodville-> Rt.52-> Wellington

WOODVILLE -> DANNEVIRKE -> WEBER -> PONGAROA -> GLADSTONE -> MARTINBOROUGH -> UPPER HUT -> WELLINGTON/ FERRIES


MAP: https://isn.page.link/LWRs

DANNEVIRKE -> WEBER

-> PONGAROA

-> GLADSTONE PUB

-> MARTINBOROUGH

-> WELLINGTON/ FERRIES

http://www.ferryto.co.nz/ports/Wellington.html

Bluebridge Ferries

https://www.bluebridge.co.nz/


Interislander Ferries

https://isn.page.link/Q84G

 

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Re: Segment 5. WOODVILLE TO WELLINGTON (plus south-eastern gems!)

OPTION B....THE FULL MONTY!!

Suggested time: 3 days Woodville-> Wellington/ Ferries.


PART 1



A 3-day ramble of JAM-PACKED HIGHLIGHTS on superb gravel back roads and ridges, breathtaking views, beaches, rivers and that's before all the other perks along the way.

Suggest stay at Pongaroa (also fuel and supplies/ pub) and somewhere around Carterton/ Featherston or Martinborough.
There is also a pub with accomodation in Herbertville as well as the historic Wimbledon Tavern on Route52 near the Herbertville turn-off.
Here's Part-1:


Woodville-> WHARITI PEAK LOOKOUTS -> PAHIATUA-> TOWAI RD. LIMEWORKS -> WAIHI FALLS-> TI TREE PT.-> GLENORA RD -> AKITIO BEACH -> SPUR RD. -> WAIHOKI VALLEY -> PONGAROA

MAP: https://isn.page.link/iVoB

-> WHARITI PEAK

-> PAHIATUA

-> TOWAI RD. LIMEWORKS

-> WAIHI FALLS-> TI TREE PT.

-> GLENORA RD -> AKITIO BEACH

-> SPUR RD.

-> WAIHOKI VALLEY

-> PONGAROA

 

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Re: Segment 5. WOODVILLE TO WELLINGTON (plus south-eastern gems!)

OPTION B....THE FULL MONTY!!
Suggested time: 3 days Woodville-> Ferry/ Wellington


PART 2



Following Part.1 above, it's south from Pongaroa for the next section. Another day-ride jammed to the max with perks and highlights, gravel and dirt tracks, stumping views and thrills-a-minute via a route through the local coastal hills and some iconic spots of the Wairarapa coast. DON'T forget to top up fuel at Castlepoint Hotel!!


PONGAROA -> RIMU RD. -> PORI RD. -> PUKETOI RD. RETURN -> CASTLEPOINT/ CASTLE-ROCK (FUEL!!) -> PACK SPUR LOOP -> RIVERSDALE BEACH -> GLADSTONE PUB-> SH2 OVERNIGHT AND SUPPLIES

MAP: https://isn.page.link/SrPe

-> RIMU RD.

-> PORI RD.

-> PUKETOI RD. RETURN

-> CASTLEPOINT/ CASTLE-ROCK (FUEL!!)

-> PACK SPUR LOOP

-> RIVERSDALE BEACH

-> GLADSTONE PUB

-> TOWARDS SH2

 

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Re: Segment 5. WOODVILLE TO WELLINGTON (plus south-eastern gems!)

OPTION B....THE FULL MONTY!!
Suggested time: 3 days Woodville-> Ferry/ Wellington


PART 3_Final



The final day of the Wairarapa-Bonanza of thrills and highlights and gawk-till-ya-drop. More gravel, more scenic, sealed stuff, more breathtaking views and vistas.
DO NOT FORGET TO FUEL AT THE PIRINOA STORE ALONG THE WAY TO LAKE FERRY AND/ OR CAPE PALLISER!
Distance is the longest of the 3 days, but most of it is easy, sealed road. Admirals Rd. (gravel) changes name a few times along the way, the 250odd steps up to the Cape Palliser lighthouse are most certainly worth it for the fabulous views. A late lunch at the Lake Ferry pub before a scenic ride on sealed country roads to Featherston to join SH2 for the hop across the Remutakas to Wellington and the ferries.


GLADSTONE -> ADMIRAL RD. -> HIRAKUNA -> MARTINBOROUGH -> CAPE PALLISER -> LAKE FERRY -> WESTERN LAKE -> FEATHERSTON -> RIMUTAKAS TO WELLINGTON/ FERRY PORTS

MAP: https://isn.page.link/UQQ6

->GLADSTONE

-> ADMIRAL RD.

-> HIRAKUNA

-> MARTINBOROUGH -> CAPE PALLISER

-> LAKE FERRY

-> WESTERN LAKE

-> FEATHERSTON -> RIMUTAKAS TO WELLINGTON/ FERRY PORTS


Photo courtesy of:
https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/1/rimutaka-snow-peter-hill.jpg

 

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Re: Segment 5. WOODVILLE TO WELLINGTON (plus south-eastern gems!)

OPTION C...DOUBLE DELIGHTS

Suggested time: 2 days Woodville-> Ferry/ Wellington



PART 1


A somewhat shorter version of the above Option B, it skips Cape Palliser in the South. Possible overnight location are Castlepoint or Pongaroa.
Fuel is available in Pongaroa and Castlepoint, total gravel content ~60km. Great scenics, inland and coast. Using the secondary roads from Woodville to Dannevirke cuts out any major roads and associated traffic and bustle.




DANNEVIRKE -> WAITAHORA VLY -> WEBER -> BIRCH ROADS -> TI TREE -> GLENORA /ESDAILE RD.-> COAST RD -> PONGAROA -> TINUI -> CASTLEPOINT

MAP: https://isn.page.link/NrDC

WOODVILLE

-> DANNEVIRKE

-> WAITAHORA VLY -> WEBER

-> BIRCH ROADS

-> TI TREE -> GLENORA /ESDAILE RD.

-> COAST RD -> PONGAROA -> TINUI

-> CASTLEPOINT

 

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Re: Segment 5. WOODVILLE TO WELLINGTON (plus south-eastern gems!)

OPTION C...DOUBLE DELIGHTS


PART 2

Day 2 of the "Double-Delights" still packs a juicy punch (and about 65km of gravel) despite involving the commute to Wellington/ Ferry Ports...starting with some delicious ducking+ weaving across the typical Wairarapa hills and dales landscape. A big THANKS go out to WhaleRider and MrKiwi from the ADVrider forum for showing us those local gems.



CASTLEPOINT -> TINUI -> HOMEWOOD RD. -> RIVERSDALE BEACH -> KAIWHATA RD. -> GLADSTONE -> ADMIRAL HILL -> HINAKURA -> MARTINBOROUGH-> FEATHERSTON -> RIMUTAKAS -> WELLINGTON/ FERRIES

MAP: https://isn.page.link/q93j

CASTLEPOINT -> TINUI

-> HOMEWOOD RD. -> RIVERSDALE BEACH

-> KAIWHATA RD.

-> GLADSTONE -> ADMIRAL HILL -> HINAKURA

-> MARTINBOROUGH-> WELLINGTON/ FERRIES

 

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Re: Segment 5. WOODVILLE TO WELLINGTON (plus south-eastern gems!)

EXTRAS!


The following posts are short descriptions of some of the more outstanding roads, routes, tracks and places within the wider, surrounding area.
As well as some of the lead-in/ lead-out choices to access and tap into the routes posted above.
Each will have their own maps and a few pics to get the juices flowing

 

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Re: Segment 5. WOODVILLE TO WELLINGTON (plus south-eastern gems!)

Old Hill Rd (Porangahau)


A cute, little shortcut following the edge of a ridge line before dropping down steeply into Porangahau (for some food and drink at the store?....or pub, if open)
https://publocation.co.nz/pubs/hawkes-bay/porangahau/duke-edinburgh-hotel



MAP: https://isn.page.link/UFe8