To the top of the Coromandel Peninsula.

[Motu]

The Coromandel Peninsula is on of the most beautiful places in the North Island, and a motorcycle paradise - with roads that twist and turn along the coasts and up over the ranges. Doing the ''Coro Loop'' is a must do,and packs of sports bikes hit it every weekend often resulting in carnage.

I was going to do the reverse loop with my classic bike riding friends last sunday, but it rained and I was busy moving house for a daughter. So yesterday I went up - not to do the loop, but right to the top at Fletcher Bay. I haven't been this far up for 30 years, it's been on my to do list for a long time - now that cherry is popped I'll explore some more roads at the top. My K70's are worn out, but the Spitfires do a pretty well so long as you don't push it,and I don't do that on these roads.

The last 50km is gravel,starting nice and ending up rough,several fords,but only one was deep.  When I was last up here there were no fences, but gates to open and close...no camp grounds,we just used to sleep on the beaches or put up a tent if it rained. Now there are fences,and still wandering stock - no camping, but campgrounds at several beaches.  A case of too many tourists.







I went up and down the left hand side.

[Barry]

Sounds like a great ride. I've always liked the images I've seen of New Zealand.

I'm getting withdrawl symptoms here. After a mild and dry November when I got to ride almost ever day, I haven't been out now for 10 days. Mild today with heavy rain which will at least wash the salt away so I'm hoping for a dry weather this week and no more salt.

[darrylri]

When we visited your lovely country in 2001 with an Edelweiss tour, we did the optional loop out to the Coromandel.  (The tour was because a dealer set it up for his customers.  I would never do that again, just because of the cost savings, but I also like wandering around on my own.)





I would love to come back sometime and see more of NZ!

[Lucky_Lou]

Nice Motu, my Buddy (Last seen in Arizona Les) is currently in Cambridge not sure if thats North or South Island where Santa knows how to arrive in style and the houses are nicely decorated.
Lou

[Motu]

Cambridge is 45min from my town - I just missed out on a job there last week, I could've been commuting to there now.

You have to pick your time to ride in the Coromandel, the place just gets jam packed in summer...so early or late summer is the only time I go there.

In the top photo you can see Port Jackson and the dirt road meandering to Fletcher Bay.  In the '70's a mate and I spent a week up there,just living off the land and sleeping on the beaches.  We were hooning around on that beach.  There is a paper road joining the top roads, but there are locked gates. I've heard the ranger will open the gates to let groups of bikes through, but never done it myself.