For the past few years, I have been looking for the best routes between the two main cities of the North Island of New Zealand. By “best”, I mean a route that is reasonably direct, with little traffic, good scenery, sufficient services along the way and is not too hilly.
Due to the topography of the island, there are certain unavoidable bottlenecks. The most important feature of the North Island is the volcanic plateau, where precipitation runoff from the three mountains Ruapehu, Ngaruahoe and Tongariro form rivers heading in all directions. Further south, between Palmerston North and Upper Hutt, the ridges of the Tararua ranges result in rivers running east-west, which means there are only a few options available when crossing them, as there are only so many bridges. To the west of the Tararuas lies the Kapiti Coast, a narrow strip with really only one road, which is heavily trafficked and is not great for cycle touring.
I’ll write up the routes going from Auckland to Wellington, but they will work fine in either direction, as the hills have much the same gradient either way.
General advice
Use Google Maps. For everything! And use Street View. Almost every road in NZ has been mapped by Google, including some paper roads which were never even built (but are probably rideable). Also, bear in mind that much of rural NZ was surveyed and planned but never properly settled – for example, central Taranaki turned out to be far too wet and rugged for farming, so many roads were started but never finished. Often, only the pilot track still exists. Had the settlement proved viable, the track would have been widened into a road. Sometimes these roads (or tracks) are perfectly rideable; sometimes they’re not. There are many commercial forests in the central north island and some of them can be ridden. Google knows about the roads, although they might not be signposted and you probably aren’t legally allowed to be there, as these forests are private property. Avoid them if they’re being logged, as you don’t want to get run over by a truck, but in some situations they can be worth investigating. For the purposes of this trip, however, there’s no advantage to going through forests.
When I’m looking for new routes, I usually enter the start and end points and see what happens. Then I drag the blue line around to see if there are any alternate routes. I’ve discovered lots of interesting back roads this way.
All NZ topographical maps are available at http://www.topomap.co.nz/ which makes a good complement to Google Maps.
Accommodation
Unfortunately, free camping is pretty much illegal in most parts of the country. Exceptions can be found along the Lake Waikaremoana road, and apparently the road around East Cape, though I haven’t been there. However, stealth camping is quite possible in many rural parts of the country, and if you ask, many people in country areas will let you put a tent up on one of their paddocks.
I’m a fan of old country hotels. Due to the liquor licensing laws of NZ, which have traditionally been very conservative, most country pubs had to have a hotel attached. Many are pretty run down, but some are perfectly fine and provide good value accommodation. They’ll be about the same price as a modern motel, but in my opinion are more interesting. I also like hanging out in the public bars of old country pubs and chatting to the locals about matters historical.
Services
Most small North Island towns peaked in population around the 1960s and they are all a shadow of their former selves. Hamilton (which is a small city) and Taupo (large town) are the exceptions that prove the rule. Piopio is small but growing, because it’s on a busy highway, but most other little towns are just dots on the map. Some places on the map are just intersections which clearly have never had anything built on them at all. Some towns still have some people living there, but have no shops and most of the houses have been removed long ago. If you’re uncertain about whether the towns you’re passing through will have what you need – food, accommodation, shops – then Google them and Street View them.
Safety
NZ back roads and the semi-ghost towns they connect are generally very safe. Also, NZ has no dangerous animals. Your biggest risk is likely to be traffic. Personally, I don’t find NZ drivers to be that bad, but opinions vary widely on this subject. Suffice to say I always take the road less traveled, as there’s less traffic and it’s more fun that way. If in doubt, take the smaller road, take your time and enjoy the countryside.
One caveat, however: be careful around water, particularly crossing rivers. A hundred years ago, drowning was once so common that it was known as “the New Zealand death”. Don’t attempt to cross a river at all unless you have talked to a local person about it first. Also, don’t get lost in the bush. People die in the hills and mountains every year because they get lost. It isn’t like Switzerland, with a village around every corner. But if you stick to the roads, no matter how minor they are, you really can’t go wrong. Every road will get some traffic, and if you’re really in trouble you will be able to flag down a ride to civilisation.
It rains a lot in NZ all year round, and the temperature and wind direction can change rapidly. I recommend you always have a good raincoat and warm clothes with you at all times, no matter what season. Even in midsummer it can snow in the mountains and you will have long descents which will chill you if you’re not well insulated. Don’t get hypothermia!
NZ has excellent merino wool thermals which are available everywhere and are good value for money if you buy on sale and avoid the luxury brands. I always wear a merino singlet and underwear every day, whether I’m touring or just sitting in an office building, and when I’m touring I wear a merino polo shirt and take a long sleeved merino jersey with me too. That, plus a hat, merino gloves and a good raincoat with a hood and I’m good down to freezing point, no matter how much it’s raining.
Mobile phone coverage in rural NZ is patchy. All the mobile phone operators will tell you they have good rural coverage, but in my experience Spark (formerly known as Telecom) has always had the best.
Getting out of Auckland #1: by train
It’s perfectly possible to ride all the way out of Auckland, but much of it is not terribly interesting and there are pleasant alternatives for getting out quickly via public transport. Your options are bus, train or ferry. I often use buses to get out of town at the start and end of a tour, as they’re cheap, and they go to places the railways don’t go any more. InterCity or NakedBus are your main options here.
Auckland’s commuter rail network is growing, having stagnated for many years, and now extends as far south as Pukekohe. So, jump on a train and hop off in Pukekohe, then head down the Waikato River on quiet, scenic roads towards Hamilton.
Riding from Pukekohe to Hamilton
Getting out of Auckland #2: by ferry
There are two good ferry options: Auckland to Pine Harbour at Beachlands, and Auckland to Coromandel. Both take you due east of Auckland city and into great riding straight away. From Beachlands you can amble down towards Hamilton, and from Coromandel Town you’re well positioned to head east, out towards Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty. There are lots of back roads to choose from.
Auckland to Pine Harbour by ferry
From Pine Harbour, you can head south east through the Hunua Ranges. I haven’t ridden this myself yet, but I’m looking forward to doing so.
Auckland to Coromandel by ferry
For some reason Google has forgotten about the Coromandel ferry, so the route above shows how to get there by bus. However, the ferry does exist and it’s big and fast. The Coromandel Peninsula is spectacular. The east side is usually considered to be the prettiest, with the best beaches, but it’s also the hilliest, busiest, most commercial, and has the most traffic. I prefer the west side.
Into the Waikato
The Waikato (south of Auckland) is open country, but due to the way the rivers work your route options are somewhat limited by the bridges available. Riding past Huntly on the left bank of the Waikato River is very pretty, and has almost no traffic. That’s because on the right bank of the river is the country’s busiest stretch of road, on State Highway One, NZ’s primary arterial route. SH1 is always best avoided if possible.
Hamilton is something of a national joke in NZ, which is undeserved. The locals are actually quite happy about this – that is, being overlooked – because Hamilton is actually a lovely town, with leafy suburbs, cheap houses, two universities, great cafes, a vibrant art scene and beautiful botanic gardens. If it was more popular it would be less affordable and gentrification might spoil some of its best features. It’s definitely worth taking a day to explore, especially the gullies (ask a local). And you can ride new riverside cycle tracks from Ngaruawahia right into Hamilton.
In recent years Hamilton central has been fading from its former (minor) glory, as the new developments in the region – big-box retail and huge car parks – are now centred in the north of the city. The city is not large, but it’s in the middle of some of the world’s most productive farm land. Hamilton is also the home of Fonterra, NZ’s largest company, company, which happens to be a farmer-owned milk co-operative.
Crossing the Volcanic Plateau
Leaving Hamilton, it’s time to make a strategic choice between going over the Volcanic plateau to the east of Mt Ruapehu (which will take you through Taupo) or to the west (which has fewer towns and less traffic.) Either way, you’ll end up on State Highways on the plateau: there are no alternatives, unless you want to go all the way out to New Plymouth on the west coast or via Napier on the east. I’ve ridden it on both sides of the mountain, and prefer SH4 on the west side. However, I have by choice ridden SH1 from Waiouru to Taupo at night during winter. This was because almost all the traffic on that road is large trucks. They are lit up like Christmas trees, so they’re very easy to see, and the truckies drive it every night, so they are pretty safe to share the road with. The alternative, SH4, is the road snow lovers will take to get to the Whakapapa and Turoa ski fields. This means the traffic will be mostly fast cars from Auckland and Wellington, who don’t drive the road as often as the truckies drive SH1. They’ll be going faster than the trucks, too. All that means that at night, in winter, SH1 is a safer bet (and more scenic, too, if you have a clear night).
Hamilton to National Park village
This route avoids SH4 where possible and takes you through some beautiful farming country, much of it on gravel roads. Waitomo is the home of the famous Waitomo Caves, and the backroads between Piopio, Aria and Taumarunui are gorgeous. Note there are no shops between Piopio and Taumarunui if you go this way. As always, check out the route on Google Maps and use Street View where available. There are houses and woolsheds where you can get water, but you’ll need a couple of days’ food with you.
From Taumarunui, SH4 is your only option, but it’s not too bad – a gentle climb, gradually steepening until you reach National Park, which is at the very northern edge of the plateau. From there it’s an easy run across to Ohakune, a ski town at the southern edge of the plateau. And don't forget to take a left at Horipito onto the Ohakune Old Coach Road, one of the best little shortcuts in the central North Island. It's a detour of maybe 20 minutes, with three distinct changes of terrain and three different disused railway bridges. Really good stuff.
Into the Manawatu
Heading south from Ohakune, your options expand once more. Perhaps the simplest is straight down SH4 to Whanganui, which is a fast, sealed highway, quite pretty, with not much traffic. Alternatively, head west to Raetihi and down to Pipiriki on the Whanganui River and then out to Whanganui itself, but it’s very hilly. I’ve done it once and don’t plan to do it again anytime soon. Or you can head east over to Waiouru and drop down into Taihape, but you’ll end up on SH1 for a lot of it and while it’s a fun descent, I find the traffic spoils the ride a bit.
My preference is to take one of the river roads to get to the Manawatu plains. Mt Ruapehu drains southward via two rivers, the Whangaehu and the Turakina. Each river valley has its road, which you can follow south-south-east to the sea. Both are twisty, gravel country roads, with very little traffic – and they’re all downhill (more or less.)
One of the good things about that, apart from the peace and quiet and relaxed riding, is that if you do need to get rescued, you’ll be able to hitch a ride really easily because the only traffic you’ll find will be local farm vehicles. They are far more likely to stop for you than the traffic you’ll find on highways, and what’s more they’ll almost certainly be able to put your bike in the back and either take you close to where you need to go, or provide mechanical assistance, if that’s what you require.
There are no towns along these river roads.
National Park to Palmerston North via Turakina Valley Rd, Marton and Feilding
National Park to Palmerston North via Whangaehu Valley Rd, Bulls and Rongotea
Into Wellington
At Palmerston North you have two options for getting to Wellington: through Horowhenua to west of the Tararuas via SH1 or into the Wairarapa, to the east of the Tararuas, via SH2. The first option is a very busy stretch of highway with heavy traffic and I don’t recommend it. The east side takes longer but it’s much more scenic and pleasant. It takes you through the sparsely populated Wairarapa region. You can get a train to Wellington from Masterton, or carry on to Featherston, then over the Rimutaka ranges via the famous Rimutaka Rail Trail. And don’t forget to check out the Fell Locomotive Museum in Featherston, it’s really cool.
It’s easy to accidentally end up on SH2 in the Wairarapa, which isn’t much fun as the roads are mostly straight lines and the traffic is fast. Again, because of the rivers draining from the Tararuas, your options for crossing rivers are few and that dictates where you’ll go. There were some bridges out in the western foothills, north of Featherston, which if you look carefully at the map seem to still be there, but in fact they were destroyed by earthquakes in the 1940s and only the rail bridges have been fixed. Given the low population in the area, that isn’t likely to change any time soon.
Palmerston North to Wellington via the Wairarapa and the Rimutaka Rail Trail
There are several route options, but basically, keep west of SH2 when north of Masterton, and east of SH2 when south of Masterton and you can’t go far wrong. I’ve included Martinborough in the route. It’s a bit out of the way, but it’s a very pretty town, surrounded by vineyards. Good food and wine in the area.
At Featherston, stop at Everest Café (it’s the best!), then do the Fell Loco Museum, then ride the Rimutaka Incline up to the Summit station. After that, you’re on the Rimutaka Rail Trail which will take you back towards SH2, heading into Upper Hutt.
It’s a fast descent into Upper Hutt, but it’s MUCH nicer to go through Maymorn and take the back roads down to Silverstream. If it’s late and you just want to get to Wellington, you can take pleasant back roads from Maymorn directly to Upper Hutt station for a train to Wellington, without having to take SH2.
I recommend you study the map carefully around Kaitoke Loop Rd before you get there, because it’s easy to take the obvious option and just get on the highway, which means you miss out on lots fo good riding. You need to hold your horses and find the right road, which isn’t signposted, and lift your bike over a gate. Check it out on Street View.
You can get a train at Silverstream if you like, or ride the Hutt River Trail to Petone, then carry on all the way into Wellington.
From Featherston, you can get to Wellington by riding round the south coast, from Fitzroy Bay to Palliser Bay, but it’s mostly on a rocky beach and it’s always very windy. The Rimutaka Rail Trail is much nicer.
Riding in Wellington
Wellington is famous for road riding and excellent mountain biking. You can google up your own info on that, but I want to show you a nice day tour which isn’t really documented well anywhere else. It’s a loop which takes you out through farmland in Ohariu Valley. It’s definitely touring country, but right next to Wellington. There’s a big climb to the north of Karori, but you can get a train to start. You can ride in either direction, but I recommend going anticlockwise because that way you have an excuse to catch a train to Johnsonville, which I reckon is one of the best railway journeys in the world: it’s very scenic, very cheap and mercifully short – and it actually takes you somewhere useful. Bikes travel free on Wellington trains.
Start at Wellington Railway Station and take the train to Johnsonville, then follow this route:
That will take you back to Wellington through Ohariu Valley, with a side trip to Makara Beach on the wild west coast. It’s sealed roads all the way. As you can see on the map, it’s possible to head out to the south coast, but it’s rough and very hilly. It’s not possible to go all the way from Makara Beach clockwise round the coast back to Wellington: no road!
Here’s the popular Round the Bays circuit you’ll see roadies doing all the time:
This ride is an excellent way to get to know Wellington and I’d call it a must-do. It’s best ridden clockwise, because it’s easier to get up to Brooklyn from the south, as the gradient is much shallower that way compared to riding up from the city.
Another great ride which isn’t widely known is a day trip across the Akatarawa Ranges, from Waikanae to Upper Hutt. Get a train to Waikanae from Wellington, which takes about an hour and has lots of lovely views out over the sea on the west coast. Grab lunch at a local café, then climb up to the summit of the Akatarawa Road. The descent from the top down into Upper Hutt is brilliant fun – a fast, twisty road, and too narrow for it to be any fun even for motorcycles – but it’s perfect for bikes. Get a train back to Wellington from Upper Hutt, or hop over to Mangaroa and take the back roads to Silverstream as previously described. This ride is best down north-to-south.
Waikanae to Upper Hutt via the Akatarawa Road
Leaving Wellington
Leaving Wellington via the Akatarawa Road (as above) then heading out over the Rimutaka Rail Trail is my recommendation. Alternatives are to get a bus north to where you want to go, or get a train to Palmerston North or to Masterton. You can fly – just put your bike in a cardboard box and you won’t be charged any extra. You can get boxes free from any bike shop, or if you prefer to ride to the airport, Air New Zealand will sell you one for $25. That’s kind of expensive for a piece of cardboard, but it’s what you need, where you need it and it can save you from paying for transport to the airport.
The other alternative for leaving Wellington is to take a ferry. The two operators, the Interisland Line and Bluebridge, are very similar. They both take around three and a half hours to reach Picton (which is the only place they go) and the prices are about $40, plus $10 for your bike. I find the Bluebridge ships slightly more comfortable, but I usually make a decision on price. I like to get a ferry very late at night, so I can sleep on the boat – take your mattress and sleeping bag and find a quiet spot. The ferry will get in around 4 am and you can ride into the dawn and then crash out on the side of the road for a snooze once the day warms up. Lovely!
At some point in the future I’ll write up good touring routes in the South Island. Please feel free to comment if you have any questions.
